"I dare!"
With these words, Qin Feiyang's blood seemed to ignite, boiling with courage.
Uncle Yuan handed his dagger to Qin Feiyang, saying, "Take it. Soon, you will need to drive it into their hearts."
Qin Feiyang accepted the dagger, his eyes filled with confusion. The dagger was brilliant white, carved from ivory, and gleamed with a precious sheen. It felt to him less like a weapon and more like a work of art.
Uncle Yuan said, "I know you must have many questions right now. After you kill those two, I will explain everything."
Qin Feiyang nodded and, without asking further, struggled to his feet.
Meanwhile, Uncle Yuan blew out the candle, and the room was immediately plunged into darkness.
The candle is out. It seems they are sleeping, thought one of the figures.
"Let's go!" whispered the other.
Two figures emerged from the underbrush, tiptoeing to the front of the wooden building. Glancing at the second floor, they bypassed the fence and headed straight for the main entrance.
Uncle Yuan whispered, "Feiyang, see them?"
The two were now standing by the window, watching everything unfold.
Qin Feiyang said, "I see them."
Uncle Yuan said, "They are both Two-Star Martial Artists. You are still very weak. Once they enter the room, you must kill them in a single strike. Otherwise, you will be the one to die."
Qin Feiyang replied, "Understood."
He nodded and moved behind the door, waiting like a wild beast, fangs bared, ready to pounce. Uncle Yuan, on the other hand, retreated to the side to watch, with no intention of lending a hand.
The first step in martial cultivation distinguishes between Martial Artist, Martial Master, and Martial Ancestor. Each realm is divided into Nine-Star. Martial Artist is the first hurdle of cultivation. And five years ago, Qin Feiyang was already a Nine-Star Martial Master, just one step away from Martial Ancestor. If it hadn't been for that sudden change, he would still be the brightest new star in the Imperial Capital. Although he had lost all of this, he had not given up. He believed that Man could triumph over Heaven! With hard work, he could certainly make a strong comeback!
CREAK!
A soft sound of a door opening came from downstairs.
Qin Feiyang's heart chilled. To be honest, he was quite nervous, his palms already slick with cold sweat.
The strength of an ordinary person's fist, at its strongest, was about two or three hundred pounds. But once one started cultivation, they could break these limits and possess even greater strength. A One-Star Martial Artist possessed the strength of one bear. A Two-Star Martial Artist possessed the strength of two bears. The strength of one bear was equal to five hundred pounds. In other words, the two shadows ascending the stairs were both capable of shattering mountains and splitting rocks, possessing power equivalent to a thousand pounds!
And he? At present, he was not only frail and sickly but also severely wounded. Facing two Two-Star Martial Artists, even with a surprise attack, he seemingly had no chance of victory.
I must believe in Uncle Yuan. In this world, anyone might harm me, but Uncle Yuan is the only one who wouldn't!
This dagger is definitely no ordinary item!
Faint footsteps drew nearer, eventually stopping right outside the door. Qin Feiyang tensed, gripping the dagger tightly and holding his breath.
Feiyang, killing enemies in adversity will make you more mature, more composed. After you kill these two, I'll give you the Marrow-cleansing pill, so you can reclaim your former glory, Uncle Yuan murmured to himself, his hands clasped tightly.
CREAK!
Finally, the room door was pushed open, and two shadows tiptoed inside.
Just at that moment, Qin Feiyang, like a furious lion, raised the dagger and lunged, stabbing at the back of the man who had entered last. In the dim moonlight, the blade flashed with a chilling glint!
SQUELCH!
AH!
CRACK!
The razor-sharp dagger effortlessly pierced the man's skin, sinking directly into his heart! A scream followed.
So sharp!
At the same time, due to the excessive force, the bone in Qin Feiyang's arm, which had just begun to heal, snapped again! The severe pain made him break out in a cold sweat. Yet, he was thrilled. The dagger's sharpness far exceeded his imagination!
Enduring the excruciating pain, he grabbed the dagger with his other hand and lunged at the second man, his eyes flashing with murderous intent as he drove the dagger into his back!
CRACK!
His other arm also snapped.
It all happened too suddenly. The two shadows had no time to react before they collapsed to the ground, dead.
Uncle Yuan took out a fire starter and lit the candle. Light filled the room again.
Two corpses lay on the floor, blood pooling beneath them. Their eyes were wide open, filled with the fear, despair, and utter disbelief of their final moments.
When they had set out, they had been brimming with confidence. They even felt that a stealthy assassination was unnecessary. With their strength as Two-Star Martial Artists, they believed they could easily kill their targets. However, they had never imagined that they would be the ones to die under Qin Feiyang's dagger. Even at the moment of death, they couldn't comprehend what had transpired.
Qin Feiyang stood before the two corpses. His dagger, stained with fresh blood, dripped steadily from its tip. He was spattered with blood on his body and face, making him look like a blood-soaked Asura. His two broken arms hung limply before him as he panted heavily, his face deathly pale.
CLANG! CLANG!
The blood-stained dagger slipped from his grasp, clattering against the wooden floorboards with a piercing metallic sound!
Startled, he looked up at Uncle Yuan, who stood by the candlelight, and exclaimed, "Uncle Yuan, did you see? I killed them! I did it!"
Uncle Yuan nodded, his aged eyes filled with satisfaction.
CRACKLE!
But at that moment, the sound of burning firewood suddenly reached their ears. Then, both of them felt a wave of heat wash over them.
Uncle Yuan's expression changed drastically. He rushed to the window, only to see that the firewood stacked in the small courtyard was completely ablaze! The fire was raging, reaching several meters high! The dry weather had made everything tinder-dry. The shrubs and wild grass around the wooden building quickly caught fire, and the flames spread rapidly.
In the blink of an eye, the area became a sea of fire. Pungent smoke and scorching heat enveloped the wooden building! The wooden building itself was being devoured by the inferno!
"How could this happen?" Qin Feiyang struggled to Uncle Yuan's side. Seeing the scene outside, he was aghast.
"Heh, let's see how you escape now," a grating sneer came from outside.
Qin Feiyang and Uncle Yuan looked towards the sound, their eyes instantly filled with intense killing intent. Under the hazy moonlight, a middle-aged man in black stood on the lakeshore, arms crossed, a cold smirk on his face as he watched them.
Uncle Yuan raised his eyebrows and asked, "Who sent you?"
The middle-aged man said indifferently, "In consideration of your impending death in this blaze, I'll tell you. Elder Ma from the Elixir Palace wants your lives."
Uncle Yuan sneered, "She really went to great lengths, sending two groups to kill us!"
"Can't be helped. You simply offended someone you shouldn't have," the middle-aged man replied.
"I'll return those words to you! You'll be dead within three days!" Uncle Yuan's eyes flashed fiercely. He turned, snatched the dagger from the floor, then carrying Qin Feiyang, hurried downstairs.
"Three days?" The middle-aged man paused, then a contemptuous smirk touched his lips. He looked at them as if they were mere buffoons.
"Uncle Yuan, the building is surrounded by fire, how can we escape?" Qin Feiyang asked. After the recent baptism of blood, even facing this desperate situation, he surprisingly showed no panic, remaining calm and composed.
Uncle Yuan said, "I'll take you somewhere safe." He then ran down the stairs. Instead of leaving the wooden building, he headed directly into the kitchen at the back. The kitchen was simply furnished but clean and tidy.
He walked to a corner and pressed his old, large hand against the wall. The section of the wall caved inward.
RUMBLE!
With a low rumbling sound, the ground beside his feet cracked open, revealing a secret chamber beneath. The secret chamber wasn't large, only about three meters square. In the center was a cyan stone platform, as smooth as a mirror. Apart from the platform, the chamber was completely empty.
Uncle Yuan jumped down into the chamber. After laying Qin Feiyang flat on the stone platform, he walked to one of the walls, pressed his hand against it firmly, and the entrance above sealed shut quickly.
Only then did Uncle Yuan let out a sigh of relief. He walked over to Qin Feiyang and said with a smile, "Don't worry. The walls of this secret chamber are made from a special kind of stone with insulating properties against heat and cold. You can recover from your injuries here in peace."
Qin Feiyang nodded, staring unwaveringly at Uncle Yuan. After this series of sudden events, he suddenly felt that the old man before him was shrouded in a veil of mystery, making him seem unfathomable.
He asked, "Are you really Uncle Yuan?"
Uncle Yuan laughed, "Silly boy, if I'm not Uncle Yuan, then who am I?"
Qin Feiyang said, "But why do I feel like you're a stranger now?"
Uncle Yuan fell into silence.
「Outside.」
The wooden building was engulfed by the flames, which surged several meters high, dyeing half the sky red. Everything was rapidly reduced to ashes in the blaze!
Mission accomplished, the middle-aged man thought with a cold smirk. He turned and strode away, soon vanishing into the mountain forest.
「Inside the secret chamber.」
Seeing Uncle Yuan remain silent, Qin Feiyang gradually lost patience and asked, "Uncle Yuan, can you tell me now?"
"Don't be impatient. First, let me show you something," Uncle Yuan replied with a faint smile. He took out a jade box from his robes, opened the lid, and three marble-sized pills appeared before Qin Feiyang's eyes.
"These are... pills!" Qin Feiyang was stunned. He looked at Uncle Yuan in disbelief.
"Correct." Uncle Yuan nodded and smiled. "There were originally five pills: two Bone-renewing Pills, two Healing Pills, and the last one, the Marrow-cleansing Pill."
"What?" Uncle Yuan actually has a Marrow-cleansing Pill! Why didn't he give it to me all these years? Qin Feiyang's body trembled violently.
However, Uncle Yuan showed no intention of explaining and chuckled, "Earlier, I gave you a Bone-Renewing Pill and a Healing Pill. Their effects haven't worn off completely, so there's no need to take more..."
At this point, Uncle Yuan took out the white pill and continued, "Once your injuries have healed, swallow this Marrow-cleansing Pill. Then you can fully unleash your talents and leave those who once looked down on you utterly astonished."
Qin Feiyang stared at the pill, his eyes shining with a keen light. The thought of finally being able to purge the poison of the 'Elixir of Misfortune' made his heart pound with excitement.
Uncle Yuan smiled. "First, get some good sleep."
"Alright." Qin Feiyang nodded. He cleared his mind of distracting thoughts, closed his eyes, and soon drifted off to sleep.
This time, his sleep was particularly peaceful and sound. A faint smile even touched his lips as he slept.
Uncle Yuan looked at him lovingly, a delighted smile on his face. But suddenly, the loving warmth in his eyes vanished, replaced by a chilling, piercing glint.
Ma Hongmei, he thought, if this were the past, I would have killed you the moment you kicked Feiyang down those stone steps. But not now. I will wait for Feiyang to awaken. He will be the one to take your head, to dye the Elixir Palace red with your blood!
At that moment, Uncle Yuan's eyes glinted with murderous intent. His entire being radiated an overwhelming Evil Qi—so potent that the secret chamber seemed to fill with the acrid scent of blood!