Chapter 32

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Chapter 32: Baiting the Snake

Outside Yunzhong City

Lin Jiang confidently walked out of the city gate. After half a month, he decided to lure out the snake, so he made some preparations in advance.

While talking to Zhang Ruifeng, the beautiful woman, and his neighbor Jiang Feng, he deliberately mentioned how expensive the rent in Yunzhong City was. He said he planned to look for a cave outside the city or buy a piece of land under the control of a force.

This was also the choice of many cultivators in Yunzhong City, especially those with some strength. After all, the rent in Yunzhong City was incredibly high, costing four thousand spirit stones. Outside the city, one could buy a large piece of land for that amount, whereas, in the city, it would only cover one year’s worth of rent.

Of course, there were advantages and disadvantages.

The city was safe because Zhonghang Sect and Cloud Sword Sect took Yunzhong City very seriously and enforced strict rules. Anyone who dared to kill within the city would be hunted down by both sects. Over a thousand years of history, a Nascent Soul Ancestor once broke the rules and was pursued to death by the two sects. As for those below the Nascent Soul realm, countless had faced the same fate.

For hundreds of years, no one had dared to kill in the city.

But outside the city, it was a different story. Safety was not as high because even under the control of certain forces, they lacked manpower to enforce order.

Therefore, those who settled outside the city were either powerful individuals with confidence in their abilities or locals with no other choice. Most independent cultivators preferred to live inside the city.

Lin Jiang spread the news in advance and contacted real estate agents in the city. So when he stepped outside, a mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator came forward to greet him.

He was the real estate agent that Lin Jiang had contacted.

With great enthusiasm, he took Lin Jiang around the outskirts of the city and introduced the surrounding areas.

Within ten miles of Yunzhong City’s walls, the land was under strict city control. No one was allowed to stay there long-term, and even trees were removed. The view was vast, all for defense purposes.

Beyond that, two hundred miles behind Yunzhong City lay the Yunzhong Mountain Range. The Zhonghang Sect and Cloud Sword Sect occupied its ends, but the middle had become a refuge for independent cultivators. The environment there was harsh, with low spiritual energy, making it undesirable to the two sects.

As a result, the vast territory between the middle of Yunzhong Mountain Range and ten miles outside Yunzhong City was occupied by various small and medium-sized factions, as well as many independent cultivators. It was chaotic, but with an odd sense of order.

The population of Yunzhong City was increasing, and the cost of living was getting higher. Many cultivators couldn’t afford it and had no choice but to settle outside.

The stronger factions had established cultivator villages for those unable to live within the city.

Some villages only allowed rental, while others permitted land purchases—each with different rules depending on the overseeing faction. Because of this, real estate intermediaries had emerged in the cultivation world.

Lin Jiang followed the agent and inspected properties seriously.

Of course, he had no intention of moving. He valued his life too much. Even if it meant spending more, safety was his priority.

That night, Lin Jiang did not return to Yunzhong City. Instead, he stayed in an inn within a village outside the city.

The next morning, he told the real estate agent that he needed time to consider and headed back toward the city.

“Taoist Friend Jiang, Help!”

While flying back, a frantic voice suddenly echoed from ahead.

Lin Jiang looked up and saw his neighbor, Jiang Feng, looking flustered, as if he was being chased.

“Taoist Friend Jiang, what’s wrong?!” Lin Jiang asked, feigning shock.

“Taoist Friend Jiang, I’m being chased! Please help!” Jiang Feng shouted.

Just as he spoke, three figures appeared behind him. Judging by their aura, they were all at the later stage of Qi Refining, and one had even reached Qi Refining Perfection.

“Hey, Jiang Feng, you’re trying to get me killed here!”

“Run quickly!”

“Yes, yes, run quickly!”

Without hesitation, Lin Jiang followed Jiang Feng and fled towards the outskirts of Yunzhong City.

They flew hundreds of miles in no time, entering a remote mountainous region.

Suddenly—Jiang Feng attacked!

At close range, he pulled out a crossbow and fired an arrow directly at Lin Jiang’s throat.

Lin Jiang had anticipated the betrayal and swiftly dodged. The arrow whizzed past his neck, grazing his skin and sending cold sweat down his back.

“Jiang Feng, my Taoist friend, what are you doing?!”

“What am I doing? I want your life!”

Jiang Feng summoned a flying sword and attacked ruthlessly.

“Why?! I haven’t offended you!” Lin Jiang shouted, raising his shield to desperately block the attack.

“Haha, I’ll tell you why! We’ve been targeting you for a long time, Jiang. Surrender now—your Qi Refining level seven is no match for the four of us!”

A burly man caught up. The other two flanked Lin Jiang, surrounding him completely.

The Real Motive

“Why are you targeting me? I haven’t done anything to you!”

Lin Jiang put on a convincing act, his face shifting from shock to anger.

Even he was impressed by his performance.

“Stop the nonsense. It’s because you have money!”

“You live alone in a house that costs four thousand spirit stones a year. How many years have you wasted so much of my money?”

“That’s my money, not yours!”

“Hehe, from today onward, it belongs to me. Enough talking.”

“Jiang Feng, aren’t you afraid of my sect’s elders seeking revenge if you kill me?”

“Who are you fooling? I’ve watched you since the first day we became neighbors. If you had any mentors or elders, why haven’t they ever visited you?”

Jiang Feng sneered.

A rich independent cultivator with no backing and no friends—wasn’t that the perfect target?

“Ah, now I remember! You must be the one who killed Taoist Friend Zhang!”

“Haha, you’re right! I killed him. So what? You want revenge?”

“Why are you all so ruthless? If you want spirit stones, go earn them yourself! Why resort to robbery and murder?!”

One of the bandits snorted in disdain.

“Is this guy’s brain broken? It’s hard to make money. We don’t have time for that nonsense.”

“Boss, stop wasting time. We should kill him now and take his storage bag before someone else shows up.”

The leader chuckled.

“Alright. Everyone, let’s finish this. Tonight, we’ll celebrate at Happy Forest—drinks on me!”

The others grinned wickedly.

Happy Forest was famous in Yunzhong City. The women there were known for their beauty.

“Wait a moment, one final question—let me understand clearly.”

The leader smirked.

“Haha, I’m in a good mood today. Go ahead—what do you want to know?”

A While Ago, Two People Came to Kill Me—Did You Instruct Them?

“A while ago, two people came to kill me. Did you instruct them?”

“Has someone touched our sheep, Jiang Feng?”

The leader turned to Jiang Feng, who looked confused, indicating he didn’t know anything.

Lin Jiang became even more puzzled. He realized that Jiang Feng and his group were not acting under Mo Lin’s orders—someone else was behind them.

“Oh my, how many people are targeting me?”

Lin Jiang felt speechless. Hadn’t he been low-key enough in Yunzhong City? How had he managed to provoke so many people?

“It seems our sheep are very fat, attracting the attention of others. Regardless, I’m determined to take this sheep. Let’s do it!”

The leader hesitated for a moment, then made up his mind to act.

In an instant, four flying swords stabbed toward Lin Jiang, sealing off every direction.

“One Sword Flying Immortal!”

“Explosive Element Technique—explode for me!”

At this point, Lin Jiang stopped pretending. Tired of acting, he immediately summoned his flying sword and activated a secret technique—One Sword Flying Immortal.

Though Lin Jiang had only been practicing this technique for less than a month and lacked mastery, the added power of the Explosive Element Technique made it incredibly fierce. His flying sword directly knocked away the leader’s weapon and continued its deadly momentum toward him.

The leader’s face changed drastically as he summoned a shield spell to defend himself.

Boom!

In the next second, the shield shattered, and the flying sword sliced across his neck—severing his head from his body.

Boom! Boom!

Lin Jiang activated a defensive spiritual talisman, blocking the attacks of the three remaining flying swords that had targeted him.

“Big Brother!”

“Big Brother!”

“My plan failed—let’s retreat, quickly!”

The three remaining men were terrified. Their leader, an advanced-stage Qi Refining cultivator, had been killed in a single move.

How terrifying was this strength?!

Wasn’t Lin Jiang supposed to be at Qi Refining Level 7? Could he actually be at the Foundation Building Period?

Reacting swiftly, the three split up and fled in different directions without hesitation.

Big Idiot, Small Idiot—Get to Work!

Lin Jiang slapped his Spirit Beast Bag, releasing two Aurora Falcons.

He had been raising them for years—though he only ever fed them the cheapest spiritual beast meat and never gave them the chance to fly freely. Yet, their strength continued to grow, and they had now reached the peak of the late first stage.

The Aurora Falcons, understanding their master’s intent, turned into streaks of white light and flew after the escaping cultivators.

Meanwhile, Lin Jiang chased after Jiang Feng and threw a stack of spiritual talismans, forcing Jiang Feng to stop and defend himself.

“Taoist Friend Jiang, it’s a misunderstanding! All of this is a misunderstanding!”

“It’s a misunderstanding, but I don’t misunderstand. Today, I’m here to kill you.”

“I’ll fight you!”

“Explosive Element Technique!”

Once again, Lin Jiang activated the Explosive Element Technique, sacrificing another hundred years of life force. With one swing of his sword, he cut Jiang Feng down.

He didn’t have time for a prolonged fight—anyway, life force wasn’t valuable.

After collecting Jiang Feng’s storage bag and flying sword, Lin Jiang swiftly flew back to pick up the big man’s belongings as well. Then, he went to check on Big Shadiao and Small Shadiao’s fight.

The Aurora Falcons’ Bloody Hunt

The battle between the Aurora Falcons was brutal yet simple.

First, they soared high into the sky, then dived down at astonishing speed, swooping past their prey.

With a single swipe of their claws, even if their targets had summoned magical tools, they would be instantly shredded into pieces.

After several rounds, when their prey ran out of defensive tools, the falcons delivered a final piercing attack, shattering their heads in an explosion of blood.

It was a gruesome sight.

“Tsk, what a waste.”

Lin Jiang sighed as he turned to his spirit beasts.

“Next time, don’t break the magical tools like that. Just use your beaks to peck them apart—I know you can do it.”

Big Shadiao and Small Shadiao chirped in protest.

They had been locked up for years and weren’t allowed to fly freely. Couldn’t they enjoy a little fun?

“Alright, alright. Since you two did a great job today, I’ll let you play outside for a day. Happy now?”

As a reward, Lin Jiang took out some jerky and fed a piece to each of them. Then, he let them go and roam freely.

Looting and Reflection

Lin Jiang had spent years in Yunzhong City but had never explored the surrounding areas. Now that he had the chance, he decided to take a stroll and relax.

He collected the storage bags from the remaining bodies. As for the corpses? He didn’t bother dealing with them.

The wilderness was filled with wild beasts—they’d be gone within two days.

There was no government in this world. Who would even investigate?

Finding a secluded place, Lin Jiang began counting his spoils.

The four attackers were much wealthier than Mo Lin’s group.

There were over five thousand spirit stones, along with various pills and materials.

In total, Lin Jiang estimated the value to be around fifteen to sixteen thousand spirit stones—meaning each of them had at least five to six thousand.

He also found over ten jade scrolls containing secret martial arts techniques.

Most were Yellow Rank—better than average but not top-tier.

“If I have time, I might as well practice some of these. One can never have too many skills, after all.”

Just as he finished organizing his loot, Lin Jiang suddenly felt a distress call from his Aurora Falcons.

“Oh no, the Shadiao guys caused trouble and actually asked for help?”

Lin Jiang frowned.

Through their master-servant contract, Big Shadiao and Small Shadiao could communicate simple messages to him.

Usually, they only ever told him they were hungry.

But this time… they were asking for help.