Translator: Cinder Translations
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Duan Chuan and Feng Lan arrived outside the shop and discussed in low voices.
"Hall Master Feng, what do you think? Should we chase after him or not?" Duan Chuan asked, looking towards the south.
"This matter may not be as simple as it appears. I suspect that soone deliberately released the Dragon Scale Shield to attract our attention," Feng Lan replied.
"Why would they do that?" Duan Chuan asked.
Feng Lan shook his head. "I'm not sure. Pang Yu was killed by soone with at least late-stage Golden Core cultivation, or even peak Golden Core. However, the person who ca to sell the artifact was only an early-stage Foundation Establishnt cultivator. Either the killer has an accomplice, or the killer was disguised. If it's the latter, we might be in danger if we rashly pursue him."
Duan Chuan asked, "Should I report this to Hall Master Yun and let him make the decision?"
"Yes," Feng Lan said.
A mont later, Duan Chuan received a response from Yun Cang, the head of the Law Enforcent Hall. His expression changed between various emotions.
"What did the Hall Master say?" Feng Lan asked.
"He wants us to go ahead and track down the person who sold the Dragon Scale Shield. He will follow shortly," Duan Chuan replied.
"Then we have no choice but to chase," Feng Lan said reluctantly.
The two of them flew into the air and headed south.
But their speed was not fast; they traveled while releasing their spiritual sense to scan the surroundings.
They claid to be searching for the suspect, but in reality, they were being passive and waiting for Yun Cang to arrive.
After leaving the city, their speed slowed even further, comparable to that of a Qi Refining cultivator.
Both of them summoned their defensive magical artifacts, always on guard for any sudden changes in their surroundings.
When they were less than twenty miles from the city, a figure appeared in the sky. It was Yun Cang, the head of the Law Enforcent Hall, who had caught up with them.
"Have you two found any traces of the suspect?" Yun Cang asked.
Duan Chuan cupped his hands and replied, "Report, Hall Master, we have not yet found any trace of the suspect."
Yun Cang's tone was displeased. "At your speed, the suspect must have long escaped."
Faced with Yun Cang's reproach, both Duan Chuan and Feng Lan fell silent, knowing they were at fault.
"Hmph!"
Yun Cang snorted coldly but did not continue to berate them.
He understood very well what the two were concerned about.
"Continue your pursuit southward. I'll follow from the clouds above. But you two must stop being so negligent."
"Yes!" Duan Chuan and Feng Lan both bowed.
With Yun Cang, a peak Golden Core cultivator, accompanying them, the two felt confident in their safety.
This ti, their pursuit sped up considerably.
They fully opened their spiritual sense and scanned their surroundings.
Soon, they had tracked the suspect over a thousand miles.
Suddenly...
A figure in the forest below caught their attention.
The person was over six feet tall, cloaked in black, with a bronze mask on their face and early-stage Foundation Establishnt cultivation.
This matched the description of the shopkeeper at the magic artifact shop almost exactly.
Duan Chuan raised his hand and shot out a stream of spiritual power, like an arrow, heading towards the suspect below.
The suspect, faced with a sudden attack from a Golden Core cultivator, had no ti to react. Before he could defend himself, the stream of spiritual power had already reached him.
Just as the spiritual power was about to pierce the suspect's head, Duan Chuan's eyes flashed with surprise.
The suspect really only seed to have early-stage Foundation Establishnt cultivation.
He quickly redirected his spiritual power, firing it at the suspect's shoulder.
The spiritual power pierced the suspect's left shoulder, causing blood to flow freely.
The suspect was sent flying and crashed into a tree several yards away before finally stopping.
Duan Chuan shot another blast of spiritual power, shattering the suspect's cloak and revealing his true face.
The suspect was a man, appearing to be in his forties, with a look of pain and fear on his face.
Duan Chuan and Feng Lan exchanged a glance, both filled with doubt.
This suspect seed too weak to be the one they were looking for. Could they have made a mistake?
With that thought, the two descended and landed next to the suspect.
"Who are you? Why are you here?" Duan Chuan demanded sternly.
"R-Report... Senior, I am Wang Cheng from the Wang family of Bibo Island. I ca to Wu Ji Island to trade so pills," the man stamred, trembling in fear.
Bibo Island's Wang Family is a Foundation Establishnt family affiliated with Wu Ji Island, and there are many such families under Wu Ji Island's control, numbering in the dozens.
As the Deputy Hall Masters of Wu Ji Island's Law Enforcent Hall, Duan Chuan and Feng Lan held high ranks and authority. Naturally, they couldn't recognize every cultivator from these Foundation Establishnt families.
For a mont, they were unable to determine whether Wang Cheng's words were true or false.
"Then why were you sneaking around, wearing a black cloak in broad daylight?" Duan Chuan continued to question.
"I... I am carrying pills worth 100,000 spirit stones, which are vital for my family's many mbers' cultivation in the coming months. I feared being targeted by bandits, so I intentionally concealed myself," Wang Cheng explained.
Duan Chuan raised his hand, and Wang Cheng's storage ring flew up into the air and landed in Duan Chuan's hand.
Duan Chuan forcefully broke the spiritual imprint on the storage ring and probed inside with his spiritual sense.
Inside, Duan Chuan indeed found a large quantity of first- and second-grade pills, along with the family elder's token from the Wang family of Bibo Island.
He instantly realized that he had indeed mistaken the person.
"Since when have bandits appeared near Shadow City? Which bandit dares to be so brazen? Your attempts to hide your actions will only lead to misunderstandings, causing you unnecessary trouble," Duan Chuan said solemnly.
Wang Cheng looked up at Duan Chuan. "Yes, I will rember your teachings, Senior."
He had already realized that Duan Chuan and Feng Lan had mistaken him for soone else.
He thought that after Duan Chuan's reprimand, he would return the storage ring and let him go.
However, the next words from Duan Chuan made his soul tremble with fear.
"In your next life, rember to act more openly, or you might lose your life for no reason."
After saying that, Duan Chuan flicked his finger, sending a stream of spiritual power at Wang Cheng.
Wang Cheng's head instantly exploded, yellow and white matter mixed with scarlet blood splattering everywhere.
Duan Chuan casually tossed a fireball.
The flas imdiately consud Wang Cheng's remains.
Duan Chuan shook his head and was about to signal Feng Lan to leave when suddenly—
A cold light flashed.
A curved blade, only a few inches long, shot out from the forest, moving with lightning speed towards Duan Chuan and Feng Lan.
Seeing this, Duan Chuan and Feng Lan's expressions changed drastically.
Although the curved blade was small, it radiated a nacing aura that made their hearts tremble.
Duan Chuan imdiately summoned a flying sword to intercept the curved blade.
Duan Chuan's flying sword was easily deflected by the curved blade, which then slashed against the shield that Feng Lan had summoned.
"Boom!"
The shield was knocked away.
The curved blade continued its assault.
Before they could even react, three large thunder spears shot at the zombie puppets.
The two could do nothing but use the zombie puppets to block the attack.
"Boom!"
The thunder spears struck the zombie puppets.
Lightning flashed, and the force of the attack was overwhelming.
The corpse Qi surrounding the puppets evaporated like mist under the intense lightning, dissipating into the air.
The zombie puppets began to tremble violently under the impact of the thunder.
Then, both zombie puppets exploded at once.
Before the thunder light had even faded, a shadow appeared like a wraith, swiftly closing in.
Two black, withered claws suddenly shot out, piercing through the chests of Duan Chuan and Feng Lan, ending their lives instantly.
The shadow then sealed their souls and casually stored their bodies in a storage ring.
Though the events may seem lengthy, Duan Chuan and Feng Lan were killed in just one or two breaths.
The entire process was as smooth as flowing water.
The shadow's speed wasn't even slowed down as it quickly disappeared.
High above, Yun Cang, who had been hiding in the clouds, only saw a fleeting shadow before Duan Chuan and Feng Lan were both dead, their bodies disappearing without a trace.
(End of the Chapter)
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