Chapter 23 - 18: Counter-kill
Lin Yi whirled around, his back slightly arched, his gaze locking onto the source of the faint but malicious aura.
TAP... TAP... TAP...
「A short while later.」
The heavy sound of footsteps, mixed with the echo of dripping, viscous sewage, grew closer.
A figure appeared at the end of the tunnel.
"Tsk! Such a vigilant little guy!"
The newcomer was a lean Martial Artist with a pair of distinctive, triangular eyes.
He had planned to sneak up and subdue Lin Yi in one move, but he hadn’t expected the boy’s perception to be so sharp. His discovery had completely disrupted the plan.
His cover blown, he stopped trying to hide and strode out openly. In his hand, he toyed with a sharp dagger that glinted coldly, its blade tracing an icy arc in the beam of a flashlight.
’A First-Grade Martial Artist, just as I suspected!’
Sensing the abundant Qi and Blood radiating from the man, Lin Yi’s pupils constricted and every muscle in his body tensed in an instant.
’Anyone who sneaks around like that is definitely up to no good!’
"How did you spot me?" the triangle-eyed Martial Artist asked, tilting his head. He gestured vaguely at Lin Yi with the tip of his dagger, his tone laced with a mix of annoyance and curiosity.
Lin Yi steadied himself, his voice unusually calm as his fearless gaze met the man’s. "Shouldn’t I be the one asking you that? Upstanding gentlemen don’t go skulking around in the sewers."
HISS!!!
The triangle-eyed Martial Artist sucked in a sharp breath. Lin Yi’s blunt retort was like adding fuel to a fire, instantly igniting the violence in his eyes.
’He’d already sensed the strength of Lin Yi’s Qi and Blood. The kid clearly hadn’t even broken through to the level of a Martial Artist. How dare a mere peak Martial Disciple act so insolent?’
"What an arrogant little bastard! You really think this is your cushy little school? A peak Martial Disciple might be a genius in school, but you dare act all high and mighty in front of me? You’ve got a death wish!"
"What do you want?" Lin Yi’s voice was still soft, but the cold indifference within it inexplicably irritated the triangle-eyed man.
The triangle-eyed man snorted coldly.
"That Rat King in the nest in tunnel B10248... you’re the kid who killed it, right? Hmph, I’d been stalking that prey for a long time! I spent ages setting things up, and just as I was about to close the net, you swooped in and stole it! A peak Martial Disciple managing to kill a First-Grade Demon Beast? Heh, whatever dirty tricks you used—poison? explosives?—I’ll give you this, you’ve got some skills!"
His tone shifted abruptly. His greedy gaze was almost tangible, sticking to the three bulging, heavy backpacks on Lin Yi’s back as if trying to see right through the fabric.
"If you know what’s good for you, leave the backpacks! Then... get the hell out of my sight!"
He licked his dry lips as if the three backpacks were already his.
’Anyone showing up in the sewers at this time is bound to be here for the bounty on the Health Department’s rat extermination order.’
The triangle-eyed man calculated in his head: if the backpacks were full of rat tails, that would be at least tens of thousands of Huaxia Coins!
For a First-Grade Martial Artist, while this sum wasn’t astronomical, it was by no means a small amount.
Cultivation resources were expensive and daily expenses were huge. Who would ever complain about having too much money?
Besides, in his eyes, dealing with a peak Martial Disciple was as easy as taking something from his own pocket—completely risk-free.
’It’s the perfect chance to teach this overconfident "favored son of heaven" a lesson, let him taste the harsh reality of the real world and see just how cruel people can be!’
Looking at the man’s greedy, self-assured expression, Lin Yi felt nothing but disgust. "Robbing me? Looks like you’ve run into a colleague, then! Leave your backpack, and I’ll let you live!"
"You’re courting death!" The triangle-eyed man was completely enraged.
’A lowly Martial Disciple daring to provoke the dignity of a Martial Artist again and again... it was a blatant insult and a show of utter contempt!’
The rage of being looked down upon instantly burned away his last shred of reason. His killing intent soared.
’School genius? So what?’
’Once you’re dead, you’re not even worth shit!’
’If he dies down here in this sunless sewer, who could possibly trace it back to me?’
SWOOSH!
The triangle-eyed man stomped his right foot hard on the slippery ground, and the filthy water at his feet exploded in a circle of murky spray.
Like a bolt loosed from a crossbow, he shot toward Lin Yi at an astonishing speed, wrapped in the sound of shrieking air.
’Too fast!’
The explosive power of a First-Grade Martial Artist far surpassed that of a Martial Disciple. He was moving so fast that Lin Yi’s vision blurred for a moment, and his body had no time to make any effective evasive maneuvers.
’The difference in power between a peak Martial Disciple and a true Martial Artist was like the difference between heaven and earth!’
BOOM!
A fist the size of a clay pot tore through the air with a whistling wind, smashing straight for Lin Yi’s temple with no fancy moves.
A cruel delight flashed in the triangle-eyed man’s eyes, as if he could already see the gruesome scene of the young man’s head bursting like a ripe watermelon in the next moment.
However, in the very instant Lin Yi was about to be killed on the spot—
BOOM!
An incredibly dull thud rang out!
The triangle-eyed man’s fist, surging with immense Qi and Blood Power, had strangely frozen in place just an inch from Lin Yi’s head!
It was as if it had struck an invisible, intangible, yet indestructible transparent wall!
A tremendous rebound force traveled up from his fist to his arm, sending his Qi and Blood into turmoil!
"Wh-what?!"
The triangle-eyed man’s eyes looked ready to split, his eyeballs nearly popping from their sockets. His face was a mask of absolute horror and disbelief.
’His fist... why had it stopped in mid-air?’
’There was clearly nothing in front of him!’
’He could even see the fine pores on Lin Yi’s face!’
An immense sense of absurdity and a bone-deep chill instantly seized his heart.
Just then—
"AAAAH!" The triangle-eyed man suddenly let out a shrill, agonizing scream.
He felt an irresistible suction force coming from the point of contact on his fist. The Qi and Blood that had been surging restlessly within him instantly began to drain away like a bursting dam, gushing out of his body uncontrollably.