Chapter 278: Xu Xiao Shou Panicked

Duojin Ge.

A lavishly decorated inn.

Xu Xiaoshou felt he had a strong connection to the word "Duojin." Carrying the unconscious person on his back and leading Mu Zixi, he booked two rooms.

After a thorough wash-up, the young man bounced straight onto the soft, plush bed.

He had a large stash of Ling Jing on him, so he wasn't about to skimp on food and lodging.

After all, his original plan when leaving Ling Gong was simply to go on a trip.

Well, to see the customs and culture of this world, and to sample the flavors outside.

He had way too much ill-gotten wealth and needed to spend it fast.

Then, once he passed the exam for the alchemist badge, he'd head to Duojin Chamber of Commerce for another round, and in this city full of spiritual energy, a new millionaire would be rising fast!

Tsk tsk!

Xu Xiaoshou imagined his future life of luxury and excess, practically drooling.

Soon, he flipped over, stopping his daydreaming, and pulled a ring from his pocket.

Life was so unpredictable—amid all the extravagance, there were always a few bad apples ruining things now and then.

Killer...

Xu Xiaoshou narrowed his eyes; this ring had come from that killer in the back street.

He considered himself a low-key person who kept his head down and had few enemies. The only one who kept jumping around in front of him was...

Zhang Xinxiong!

Unfortunately, he was already dead.

The Zhang family? Xu Xiaoshou pondered.

He knew about the four major families of Tian Sang County: Zhang, Chao, Zhou, and Su, all of them renowned.

The younger generation of talents in their families had lived up to expectations, nearly all entering Tian Sang Ling Gong and going straight to the inner courtyard!

Xu Xiaoshou had crossed paths with some of these young talents.

But honestly, the information he knew about their backing families was just a vague outline in his mind.

He didn't know how powerful they were, but the fact that they could send Zongshi-level killers right after he left Ling Gong—and two at once...

All he could say was, unfathomably deep!

Xu Xiaoshou glanced at the other killer, the one slumped by the door, who had taken his palm strike and fallen unconscious again.

Truth be told, if Mu Zixi hadn't mentioned it, he would have thought the matter was over.

Still, it was good to have one left alive. Once he woke up, he could ask some questions.

Yeah, dig up as much information as possible—after all, he had to kill him in the end anyway, so it didn't matter.

Pushing those thoughts aside, Xu Xiaoshou turned his attention back to the ring, his eyes lighting up with excitement.

What kind of treasures would a Zongshi expert's stash hold?

He licked his lips and sent his spiritual sense probing inside.

Ling Jing... again with the Ling Jing—this is practically tempting me to commit crimes!

Xu Xiaoshou was stunned by the terrifying concentration of spiritual energy in the ring. As far as he could see, there were several times more Ling Jing than in his previous collection.

The ring's space was enormous, packed with at least half as many Ling Jing as he'd ever seen.

A quick estimate put it at nearly a million!

Does this world not have anything like Ling Jing cards? Xu Xiaoshou thought of Duojin Chamber of Commerce— theoretically, they should have them. The only explanation was that the ring's owner was a total miser!

Pulling his gaze from the impressive mountain of Ling Jing, Xu Xiaoshou looked at another section of the space.

Pills, spiritual weapons...

Familiar ones, unfamiliar ones, all jumbled together in a heap.

Xu Xiaoshou was shocked—this guy must have killed so many people and hoarded so much treasure.

The assortment of weapons and pills here could probably arm dozens of Xiantian-level experts in a small sect!

And even Zongshi-level treasures weren't in short supply!

Whew...

Xu Xiaoshou let out a breath, steadying his shocked emotions. He was finally getting a real sense of a Zongshi's wealth.

This guy was a killer, so he probably didn't trust anyone or any place, carrying all his possessions with him.

And now, with his death...

Everything had changed hands!

Xu Xiaoshou didn't bother examining the other treasures in detail just yet, but in that smaller half of the space, the most eye-catching things were undoubtedly the large number of array disks.

There had to be over a hundred!

If you included the damaged ones and the unfinished prototypes, it was easily over a thousand!

This guy seems to be a Ling Array Master, so these are probably the array disks he made? Xu Xiaoshou stared in a daze.

He pulled out a few that made his heart race just by looking at them, and he could sense their power far exceeded that of the "Five-Finger Seal Technique."

This...

Xu Xiaoshou was alarmed. If A-Jie hadn't stepped in back then, and he'd stuck to his original plan of using that guy as a sparring partner, would these things have all been unleashed on him if he pushed too hard?

Damn!

This is no joke!

Even with a Zongshi body, Xu Xiaoshou was a hundred percent sure that if these hit him full force, he'd explode on the spot!

Not even a Wangzuo might withstand that kind of pre-charged power!

Ling Array Master...

Xu Xiaoshou fell into thought. He suddenly realized that this profession was truly the epitome of... well, sheer awesomeness!

Prepare the array disks in advance and just throw them during a fight?

If he became a Ling Array Master himself and sealed that black lotus flower ahead of time, then toss it at anyone he met...

One might not be enough.

What about three, ten, or a hundred?

Oh my god...

Xu Xiaoshou was stunned by his own idea. He figured every Ling Array Master must think like this.

Looking back, was this guy's death at his hands really just an accident?

Whew.

I got careless again!

Xu Xiaoshou, who had thought that with a Zongshi body he could be unbeatable, had taken a big loss from the Gray Fog Man and become more cautious.

But after seeing a real Zongshi's assets, he realized just how shabby his own sudden rise in cultivation made him look compared to the real big shots.

If not for A-Jie...

Indeed, playing it safe is the way to go. From now on, in fights, I can't have any mindset of testing myself—not even in arena matches, where accidents can happen.

Hit them with a killing move right away, pull out my trump cards in a flash, and blast the enemy before they know what hit them...

Xu Xiaoshou thought to himself, staring intently at the ring in his hand.

Then, his trump cards will become mine!

The young man gripped the ring tightly, feeling a strange sense of resolve welling up inside, and nodded firmly.

Yeah, that's it!

This world is too brutal—meet and kill, no mercy!

Uh...

Just then, the killer at the door, Xiao Shiliu, let out a groan, as if he was about to wake up.

Xu Xiaoshou was jolted, and after witnessing a Zongshi's true power, he had lost all his earlier nonchalance, now filled with dread.

This guy was also a Zongshi, and the companion of that killer...

He might have the ability to kill him in an instant!

Oh no!

As Xiao Shiliu started to stir, Xu Xiaoshou turned into a blur, darting over in a flash. With both hands, he thrust his fingers forward, piercing straight through the man's shoulders.

After disarming him by removing both arms, Xu Xiaoshou still wasn't satisfied. He swept his fingers in a slash, nearly severing Xiao Shiliu's legs.

With all four limbs out of commission, that should stop him from moving...

But Xu Xiaoshou's heart still raced with unease. He positioned his forearm against Xiao Shiliu's neck.

Yet, he wasn't fully reassured, so he pushed harder, slicing halfway into the major artery...

Blood gushed out like a fountain!

Only then did the intense pain from all over his body flood into Xiao Shiliu's mind. The man, just emerging from unconsciousness, felt like he was being torn apart.

Hiss—

Damn it!!!

Xiao Shiliu convulsed all over, his eyes bulging in terror as he stared at the serious-faced young man in front of him, like he was facing the grim reaper himself.

Xu... Xu Xiaoshou?