Chapter 55: Night Rain and Lone Shadow

Time passed, and the storm intensified. The wind howled mournfully, as if weeping, echoing through the main city of Seven Blood Eyes, winding through every street and alley, meeting and mingling with the falling rain. It also settled on Banquan Road, around Xu Qing. Rain tapped against the nearby tiles with a persistent patter, and the wind, not to be outdone, whipped his long robe, making it flap loudly. Standing under the eaves, Xu Qing seemed undisturbed by the storm, his entire being merging with the darkness. Like a hunter, he remained motionless, gazing coldly. He was incredibly patient, his breathing steady, neither hurried nor anxious.

Another hour passed. As thousands of homes had long extinguished their lights, and the entire city fell into darkness and silence, broken only by the rustle of rain, a figure slowly emerged from within the inn. It was a middle-aged cultivator in a red robe, his physique appearing sturdy and broad-shouldered beneath the fabric, exuding a sense of pressure. This was Qing Yunzi. His spiritual energy fluctuations were also quite impressive, reaching the ninth level of Qi Condensation, indicating considerable strength. However, this strength was only relative to smaller sects and forces. For a disciple of Seven Blood Eyes, the difference in cultivation methods inherently created a vast disparity in fundamental power. Anyone who could thrive in the brutal environment of Seven Blood Eyes' main city could suppress a ninth-level small-sect cultivator like him with just a seventh-level Qi Condensation. This made him very cautious within the main city of Seven Blood Eyes.

At the inn's entrance, he first peeked out and scanned his surroundings. Only after confirming there was no danger did he cautiously step out. The moment he emerged from the inn, he swayed abruptly, intent on leaving into the rainy night. But after taking fewer than five steps, Qing Yunzi's expression changed. It was as if he possessed an innate ability to sense danger; though he hadn't seen Xu Qing, he seemed to perceive a crisis and abruptly turned, rushing back towards the inn.

Xu Qing's brow furrowed slightly. He had intended to wait for his target to move further away before acting, but the man's vigilance was too high. A cold glint flashed in Xu Qing's eyes as he stepped forward. His speed was astonishing; he moved like a bolt of lightning, streaking through the rain. The falling rain seemed to slow immensely before him, and the entire street erupted with a sonic boom in that instant. As the raindrops scattered with a muffled sound, Xu Qing's figure, like an arrow released from a bowstring, surged unimpeded towards Qing Yunzi outside the inn.

Qing Yunzi's face drastically changed. He saw Xu Qing, felt the terrifying speed, and, more importantly, sensed the Forbidden Sea aura from Xu Qing's spiritual energy, which suppressed his entire body, causing his own spiritual energy to stagnate. His heart instantly reeled, and a life-or-death crisis erupted at that moment. His eyes instantly turned bloodshot. He bit his tongue, as if activating a secret technique, forcibly channeling his cultivation, causing his speed to surge. He was about to rush into the inn's door. Meanwhile, inside the inn's doorway, the old man smoking a pipe appeared, watching Xu Qing, who was rushing towards him, in the flickering light of the smoke.

The next instant, as Qing Yunzi's eyes were bloodshot and he was just half a step from the inn door, his right foot lifted, about to step in. A black gleam, even faster, instantly approached, carrying a cold light and dense Forbidden Sea spiritual energy. It pierced through Qing Yunzi's cultivation protection and abruptly passed through his raised right calf. The speed and force of the impact were so great that Qing Yunzi let out a bloodcurdling scream in the silent night. His right foot couldn't land, his body was displaced by the impact, and he stumbled, unable to stand firm. As he was forced to step back, a second black gleam whistled towards him—a dagger.

With a thud, the dagger's speed was astonishing. It arrived instantly, directly piercing Qing Yunzi's left arm. Terrifying spiritual energy erupted within him, destroying his meridians and forcefully pinning his body to the ground, face down, just an arm's length from the inn door. Amidst his screams, Qing Yunzi's forehead veins bulged as he struggled to pull out the dagger and crawl towards the inn. But it was too late; Xu Qing's figure was already close, and he stomped on Qing Yunzi's back. The stomp was incredibly forceful. With a crack, it broke Qing Yunzi's spine, and the intense pain caused his entire body to convulse, his screams becoming even more agonizing.

Amidst his agony, the old man inside the inn put down his pipe. In that instant, his entire demeanor seemed to radiate a dangerous aura as he coldly watched Xu Qing, who had appeared at the doorway. "Are you trying to break my rules?" His two eyes turned yellow, with tentacles visible emerging from within them, and a crack appeared on his brow, as if something within his body was trying to burst out at that moment, a truly shocking sight. At the same time, strange noises emanated from inside his inn. A colossal python, as thick as three men, descended from the inn's rafters, its vertical pupils radiating an icy, bloodthirsty gaze fixed on Xu Qing. Not only that, but numerous centipedes, all pitch-black and highly venomous, burrowed out of the ground, assuming attack stances. Furthermore, sharp auras emanated from the surrounding houses, locking onto Xu Qing, while ropes descended from the rooftops. These ropes seemed to possess life, coiling slightly like nooses, as if they could entangle Xu Qing in the next instant. An aura of endless death emanated from them, as if countless people had died by these hanging ropes. They were all staring at Xu Qing.

Xu Qing stood at the doorway, his foot on the back of the screaming man beneath him, looking up at the old man inside the inn. Their gazes met. Xu Qing seemed to pay no attention to the strange beasts within the inn, the surrounding auras locking onto him, or the ropes; he simply gazed at the old man. Behind him, a shadow materialized, black as a malevolent ghost, ready to strike with a fierce demeanor. Simultaneously, Xu Qing's Sea Mountain Art operated at full power, every part of his body preparing for a complete outburst. The Sea Transformation Scripture likewise activated; the surrounding rainwater paused in mid-air, swirling around Xu Qing and resonating with the spiritual sea within him. It seemed capable of forming a deadly art at any moment. The poisons were ready too, and his shadow, silent and undetectable, had already spread into the inn, reaching the feet of the strange old man. Above his head, amidst swirling water droplets, a translucent long saber shimmered into existence, seemingly containing immense power, now compressed and ready to cleave down like a divine blade at any moment.

Xu Qing narrowed his eyes, observing the old man before him, unfazed by the tentacles in his eyes or the impending crack on his forehead. He knew the opponent was powerful but also that he himself had a way to retreat unharmed. With a calm expression, he spoke earnestly. "He didn't step inside, so it doesn't count as breaking your rules."

A dark light flickered in the old man's eyes. After staring at Xu Qing for a long moment, he suddenly smiled. "You have a point." As his smile appeared and his words echoed, all auras locking onto Xu Qing outside the inn vanished instantly. The python inside the inn retreated to the rafters, and the centipedes on the ground dispersed into the earth with a rustling sound. The ropes also blurred and quickly disappeared. As for the old man himself, the tentacles in his eyes and the crack on his forehead all vanished, and he reverted to his unremarkable old man appearance, picking up his pipe and taking a puff. "Selling the body?"

Xu Qing shook his head, grabbing Qing Yunzi by the hair. As Qing Yunzi trembled, Xu Qing spoke indifferently. "Where is the woman you captured two days ago?" Qing Yunzi's hair was disheveled, his face covered in blood, looking utterly miserable. He trembled, but seemed to want to be stubborn, attempting to spit blood at Xu Qing. However, Xu Qing firmly pressed his head to the ground and meticulously wiped it. As the screams grew more piercing, Xu Qing raised his hand and pressed it onto Qing Yunzi's right arm, crushing every bone bit by bit, then moved to the other arm. The excruciating pain made Qing Yunzi tremble, unable to scream.

Xu Qing's expression remained calm. He carefully checked him, then delivered a punch to Qing Yunzi's dantian, destroying his cultivation. After confirming the man was no longer a threat, he stood up, put away his dagger and black iron skewer, grabbed Qing Yunzi's foot with one hand, and dragged him forward. The contact of flesh against the ground, even with the rain's cushioning, caused a feeling of skin slowly tearing, rolling, and being abraded, making Qing Yunzi's screams even more piercing. As Xu Qing proceeded, the screams continued unabated, and a trail of blood slowly appeared on the ground. Though quickly washed away by the rain, its traces were still visible.

These scenes made the innkeeper's eyes narrow sharply. He watched the young man disappear into the rainy night, listening to Qing Yunzi's inhuman screams as he was dragged away. After a long moment, he murmured, "This kid is ruthless enough..."

And so, Qing Yunzi's screams continued all the way. Everyone walking in the night who witnessed this scene was deeply shaken, forming a profound impression of the expressionless young man. Even some patrolling disciples, hearing the commotion, rushed over. Upon seeing it, they recognized Qing Yunzi's identity and their expressions changed as they looked at Xu Qing. To be able to subdue a ninth-level Qi Condensation cultivator—even if just a minor sect's rogue cultivator—and torture him to such a degree, demonstrated formidable combat power and ruthlessness. No one was willing to easily provoke such a person. This battle earned Xu Qing some reputation in the main city.

As for Qing Yunzi's stubbornness, after an hour, it completely vanished. In a semiconscious state, he told Xu Qing a location and revealed the secret about the informant. That informant was actually Qing Yunzi's spy. Qing Yunzi didn't know that the informant had given Xu Qing clues about him, but he had a habit of disposing of any spy after using them for a while. This time, it was simply that informant's turn.

Following the address provided by Qing Yunzi, Xu Qing went there. After carefully checking and confirming there were no ambushes, he truly entered. He finally found the dying informant in a sealed dungeon filled with countless foul odors. Without the spirit coins, with the lingering scent of poison powder obscured, and trapped in this sealed place, Xu Qing hadn't been able to find her earlier. But she was not dead, surrounded by rotting corpses, both male and female. These people had all died tragically, clearly tortured brutally before their deaths. Furthermore, a formation seemed to be drawn on the ground, as if their demise was part of some ritual.

Xu Qing's arrival caused the informant to weakly open her eyes. When she saw the unconscious Qing Yunzi beside her, she found some unknown strength and went berserk. Ignoring Xu Qing, she pounced on him like a beast, tearing and biting, forcing the unconscious Qing Yunzi to wake up with agonizing screams. Finally, she bit into Qing Yunzi's neck, again and again. Only when Qing Yunzi was a bloody mess, his body convulsing as he breathed his last, did she stop, remaining stunned. Instinctively, she looked up at the expressionless Xu Qing beside her. In her eyes, Xu Qing, in his gray robe, stood tall and imposing. His handsome face revealed an inscrutable coldness, and the aura he exuded made it difficult for her to breathe.

Her madness slowly receded, replaced by calm. Then, under Xu Qing's gaze, she gradually appeared docile, her body trembling instinctively. As if remembering something, she hastily began to search around. She finally found a jade slip, looked up at Xu Qing, and slowly knelt, offering it to him with both hands in submission. Xu Qing took the jade slip. It recorded a sinister formation, which, when activated as described, would summon incredible power. However, the conditions for activating this formation required extreme emotions from living beings: joy, anger, sorrow, happiness, and other intense feelings.

Silently observing the tragic scene within the dungeon, Xu Qing remained quiet for a long time. Then he dragged Qing Yunzi's corpse away. Before leaving, his voice echoed in the woman's ears. "From now on, be a diligent informant for me." Along with his voice came another spirit coin and an antidote pill. The woman, holding the spirit coin and antidote, stared blankly at Xu Qing as he walked away. His retreating figure was slowly etched into her soul through her eyes. She bowed her head and affirmed.

It was almost dawn outside. Xu Qing took out a black paper umbrella and silently walked through the streets, dragging Qing Yunzi's ruined corpse. Heavy clouds gathered in the sky, seemingly reflecting his mood. After he returned Qing Yunzi's corpse to the department and left amidst his colleagues' surprise, Xu Qing looked at the rising sun in the sky, and then at the distant, incomplete face of the deity, a look of resolve in his eyes. "In this cruel and chaotic world, only by becoming stronger can one avoid... becoming fish on someone else's chopping block!"