Chapter 176 - 205: Spreading Secret Manuals, Turmoil Arises, Slaying the Evildoer, Got a Problem?
SWISH!
Hearing the sound, several Righteous Dao members with high Cultivation immediately looked toward the source of the noise and then flickered away in that direction.
Then a large crowd of people also stopped what they were doing and swarmed over to see.
Su Bai’s expression tightened slightly, and he also moved over to take a look.
「A moment later.」
He found that the deceased were the family from Wang’s, the shop that sold soup dumplings.
All four members of the family had been beheaded. Blood pooled on the ground, a glaring, vivid red.
A few of the Righteous Dao members focused their gazes on the necks of the deceased. Aside from the flowing blood, a faint Evil Qi was emanating from the wounds.
The people from the Government Office had not yet arrived, and the surrounding crowd began to murmur amongst themselves.
"It was definitely that thing’s fault!"
"Sigh! Just yesterday evening, I advised Old Wang to hand that thing over, but he refused. He was adamant about leaving that Cultivation Technique for his son!"
"Now look what’s happened! He brought this fatal disaster upon himself. A family of four, all of them lost their lives."
"How could a profound Secret Cultivation Technique Manual like that be something we common folk can get involved with?"
"Old Wang’s son? I know of him. He did have some talent for martial arts."
"But a person needs to know their own limits! Do treasures just fall from the sky?"
"And even if they do, it’s probably just to crush someone to death!"
"..."
Su Bai listened quietly from the side.
He pieced together the whole story from their conversation.
Apparently, two days ago, a dying old beggar leaning on a wooden staff had been passing by Wang’s soup dumpling shop when he suddenly fainted and collapsed for some unknown reason.
The husband and wife, who were busy in the shop, were kind-hearted. They helped the old man inside and did everything they could to revive him.
Before he left, they even gave him a few steamed buns.
As it turned out, after eating the buns, the old beggar insisted he was some "Nine-Fingered Divine Beggar" and couldn’t accept their kindness for free, but he had no silver taels on him.
After much thought, before leaving, the old beggar gifted the couple a pretty decent Fifth Grade Secret Cultivation Technique Manual and a bottle of High-grade Elixirs for practicing the Martial Dao.
He even promised that if their child could achieve something with his studies, he could go to Cangzhou and find him at the Zhengyue Sect.
The couple from Wang’s then realized they had encountered a master of the Martial Dao!
They thanked him profusely on the spot, overwhelmed with gratitude.
But this scene was witnessed by many people, and news quickly spread.
Many people advised Old Wang to either hand over the Secret Manual or quickly pack up his family and move away.
But once a person obtains a heaven-sent opportunity, a hope to completely change their life, it’s impossible for them to listen to anyone else’s advice.
And so it was for Old Wang’s family.
If life had continued as usual, he probably would have worked for another ten years before retiring. Then his son would have taken over the shop, working until he was old, until he died, living out a mediocre life.
But with the Elixir and the Secret Manual, things were different. His son could rely on them to truly step through the threshold of the Martial Dao.
Even if his Cultivation never reached a high level in his lifetime, he could still secure a minor official post or become a traveling merchant guard.
Living a prosperous life would certainly be no problem.
Because of this, Old Wang naturally couldn’t just hand over the Elixir and the Secret Manual.
As for moving? He hadn’t considered it.
This was the Great Xia Imperial City. Guards patrolled day and night, and experts from the imperial court were hidden in the shadows. The security was very high.
Taking the treasures and moving elsewhere might have actually gotten them killed even faster.
He had thought, ’Could someone really dare to make a move inside the Imperial City?’
But unexpectedly, only two days had passed before his entire family was wiped out.
"Sigh! It’s not just us common folk. Haven’t you heard? The son of the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel had his limbs chopped off!"
To Su Bai’s right, someone lowered their head slightly and let out a long sigh.
"For real? That happened too?"
"Of course it’s true..."
Su Bai didn’t listen closely to the rest.
He pondered, his gaze flickering.
’Something isn’t right.’
’It seems someone wants to light a huge fire in the Imperial City!’
After sorting through his thoughts for a moment, Su Bai keenly perceived their scheme.
It was nothing more than tossing out a large number of Cultivation Elixirs and Secret Cultivation Technique Manuals to muddy the waters in the Imperial City. They wanted to deepen the resentment between the Major Sects and the Imperial City, throwing the entire city into chaos and inciting a wave of slaughter.
Then they would take the opportunity to fish in troubled waters.
In short, the people in the shadows were using petty tricks to manipulate people’s hearts.
"How dare you run wild in the Imperial City! You’re courting death!!"
While the crowd was still chattering away, a burly Captain of the Guard not far off leaped into the air with a furious roar.
Wielding a cyan longspear, he pierced through the chest of a Black Robe Martial Artist in an instant!
Blood splattered!
Then, he shot out his right hand, grabbed the man by the collar, and pulled a Secret Manual and a bottle of Elixirs from within his black robes!
The evidence was ironclad!
"Damn it! That’s a disciple of my Profound Blade Sect!"
In the crowd of onlookers, someone who recognized the Black Robe Martial Artist’s true identity immediately roared in anger, the veins on his forehead bulging!
"You killed him without even a trial!"
"For the Great Xia Dynasty to act like this... isn’t it a bit too tyrannical?"
The man clenched his fists, his face crawling with Evil Qi as he spoke with a grim and cold expression.
SWOOSH!!
However, the response he received was a cyan longspear tearing through the air!
The spearhead was like a soaring Dragon, roaring as it shot toward the man.
Just as the man’s expression twisted in absolute horror, the cyan longspear came to an abrupt halt.
The blood-stained tip of the spear was less than half a foot from his head!
DRIP... DRIP...
Fine beads of sweat streamed from the man’s forehead, soaking his robes and dripping to the ground.
"What? You have a problem with it?"
The Captain of the Guard stared at him coldly, his ferocious gaze like that of a bloodthirsty primeval beast, striking terror into the heart!
He had originally been an unknown foot soldier in the Imperial City. But after participating in the war between the Great Xia Dynasty and the East Sea Dragon Palace, he revealed his formidable strength and made a name for himself overnight!
Due to his outstanding military achievements, he had been promoted to Captain of the Guard by his superiors. He naturally wouldn’t fear the mere Profound Blade Sect.
In his simple worldview, a murderer must pay with their life! This disciple of the Profound Blade Sect had dared to lash out within the Imperial City, cutting down four people with his blade just to steal a Secret Manual and Elixirs. ’Since I witnessed it, why shouldn’t I be allowed to kill him!?’
"Well done!!"
Hearing the Captain of the Guard’s words, the onlooking citizens of Great Xia immediately began to clap and cheer, their faces flushed and spirits roused!
With that, the immense frustration that had been building up deep in their hearts during this period was swept away!
The man with the spear pointed at him turned pale and tried to argue his case.
But his feeble words were drowned out by the jubilant cheers of the common people.
The other sect forces in the crowd turned pale at this scene, their Heart Spirits trembling.
But there were also some who remained unmoved, a playful smile on their faces, their thoughts a mystery.
"Captain! There’s been another murder in the eastern part of the city!"
Before long, a few soldiers of the Xia Dynasty hurried over, their expressions grim as they reported.
Hearing this, the burly Captain of the Guard’s expression darkened.
SWOOSH!
He retracted his longspear and shot the man a cold glare.
"Let’s go!"
Then, he led his team and rushed toward the eastern part of the city!