Chapter 48 Elder Wu

Yu Qi was not surprised that the old codger knew about the "Lethal Rain Sword."

Had the man never heard of its formidable reputation, Yu Qi would have found it rather strange.

"Since you know of it, then die!" Yu Qi flashed away from the innkeeper's front.

He spread his fingers wide toward the man, sending wisps of desolate intent emanating from the droplet of water. Then, with a closing of his fingers, the droplet instantly plunged into the man's body.

The vitality instantly vanished from the elder's body, and his flesh slowly eroded away, scattering into the air like burned ashes.

The corrosive power of the raindrip ceased, leaving behind only a single arm, half-corroded, of the old man's body.

Seeing this, Yu Qi shook his head. "It seems my mastery of the 'Lethal Rain Sword' is still insufficient. While I could completely erode someone like Shi Mingfeng, against an even stronger elder, I cannot reach that level."

Yu Qi silently resolved within his heart to diligently practice the "Lethal Rain Sword" henceforth. If an encounter with a mere elder yielded such results, a future clash with a far more formidable foe might prevent the "rain" from penetrating their body altogether.

Having dealt with these people, Yu Qi stepped outside and called out to Mu Qingnan, who was hiding in the shadows, "Qingnan, it's done. Let's go."

As night had already fallen and the innkeeper lay dead by his hand, the two simply sought out a room within the establishment to spend the night.

They did not set off until the following day.

Just as dawn broke, the remaining attendant woke from his quarters. Finding the innkeeper absent, a wave of confusion washed over him, and he hurriedly ran to the backyard to search.

The sight of the shattered courtyard doors and the broken vases strewn across the ground instantly filled him with a sense of foreboding.

Glancing around to find the other servants already slain, panic seized his eyes. He hastily summoned another attendant and instructed him to carry the news back to the Vulture Sect.

Naturally oblivious to these events, Yu Qi, alongside Mu Qingnan, had already purchased two horses and departed the small town.

Galloping forward at full speed, Mu Qingnan gradually shook off the lingering aversion to taking a life, and smiled, "Big Brother, how much further is it to Cang Commandery?"

Yu Qi offered a wry smile. "I only know this is the road back to Cang Commandery, though I am not entirely certain of the distance."

Mu Qingnan let out a mournful wail. If they were to spend this entire period traversing mountain forests, he would surely die of boredom.

Two days passed as they journeyed through the woods.

They had yet to catch sight of a single small town along this path.

Mu Qingnan's initial excitement gradually withered into tedium.

Lying slumped across his horse's back, he wore an expression of utter helplessness.

At that moment, Yu Qi's expression shifted, and he said with a hint of solemnity, "Someone is approaching ahead."

Mu Qingnan lifted his head to look forward.

Sure enough, a short while later, several horses came galloping from ahead, each bearing a rider upon its back.

Yu Qi exchanged a glance with the middle-aged man leading the group, then withdrew his gaze and brushed past them.

Once they had put some distance between themselves and the travelers, Mu Qingnan asked, "Big Brother, what was up with those people?"

Lost in thought for a moment, Yu Qi slowly replied, "The man who locked eyes with me just now is very strong. He is likely quite a bit stronger than I am."

Yet Yu Qi did not dwell on it further. Having no connection to the party, his warning to Mu Qingnan was merely a precaution against encountering potential assassins from the Ghost Gate.

***

Back at the town's inn, a fresh group of arrivals had just descended upon the premises. All of them were mounted on horses and wore stern expressions.

Had Yu Qi been present, he would have recognized this group as the very same travelers he had passed on the road.

As soon as they dismounted, an attendant hurried forward to welcome them before quickly shutting the heavy doors. Clearly, the establishment had suspended its business for the time being.

"Elder Wu, you've finally arrived," the attendant said respectfully to the middle-aged man before him.

This Elder Wu was none other than the man who had exchanged glances with Yu Qi. Wearing an icy expression, he asked coldly, "You claim Wan Hai is dead? Do you know who did it?"

Seemingly terrified of Elder Wu, the attendant replied deferentially, "I do not know. We only know that a few days ago, Innkeeper Wan took a fancy to the wealth carried by two youths and sent men to pursue them. When I went to look for Innkeeper Wan the next day, I found the others dead, and of Innkeeper Wan, only a single leg remained."

"Enough. Take me to his room." Elder Wu stood up and strode toward the backyard, guided by the attendant. Though outwardly calm, a blazing fury raged within his heart.

Within the Vulture Sect, he was in charge of financial matters, and this Wan Hai had been his most prized subordinate, consistently hauling in a handsome sum of silver.

Because of this, he had received numerous rewards from within the sect and had always held Wan Hai in high regard. Never had he expected the man to meet such a violent end today.

Entering the room and gazing at the shattered surroundings, Elder Wu clenched his fists. He looked at the attendant and asked, "Do you know what those two youths looked like?"

Though uncertain whether those two were indeed the ones who had killed Wan Hai, the attendant's mention of tens of thousands of taels of silver had stirred his own greed.

If he were to hunt them down privately, those tens of thousands of taels would not need to be surrendered to the Vulture Sect and could instead line his own pockets.

While the attendant could not recall Yu Qi's features in detail, he managed to describe their general appearance.

When Elder Wu heard that one of the youths carried two swords on his back, he immediately thought of the formidable young man who had met his gaze earlier.

A cold smirk played in his mind. "Those tens of thousands of taels are a massive fortune. Though Wan Hai is dead, being able to trade his life for so much silver makes it well worth it."

With that thought, he hastily led his men out of the inn.

"We crossed paths with those two on our way here. They shouldn't be far. Let's give chase!" With a shout, Elder Wu spurred his men into pursuit.

In truth, a cunning scheme was already brewing in his mind. He would let his subordinates test the waters first. If those two cut them down, it would suit his purposes perfectly, as no one would ever know the tens of thousands of taels were in his possession, sparing him from having to turn them over to the sect master.

Hoofbeats thundered as fine steeds continually galloped out of the small town. Elder Wu knew that this road led all the way to only one resting place at its end: the city of Anlong.

At the pace those two were traveling, they should only just be arriving there now. If he rode hard, he might still catch up.

***

Yu Qi and Mu Qingnan rode at a gallop until the outlines of a city finally loomed before their eyes.

"Anlong County City. We can finally have a proper rest here." Even for Yu Qi, the prolonged journey had brought a degree of fatigue.

Mu Qingnan was ecstatic. "At last, a place to stop! Today, I'm going to play to my heart's content."

With a faint smile, Yu Qi led him into the city.

Anlong County City resembled Anli County City; though not exceptionally large, it possessed everything one could possibly need.