infodatos Chapter 33 Blood Debt Pays Off
Chapter 33 Blood Debt Pays Off
Before dawn, the Black Mountain Pass was broken by heavy footsteps, the clatter of armor, and low shouts.
The elites of the three martial arts schools, along with most of the guards from the Sun family who had been forcibly conscripted, totaling fifty or sixty people, left the village in a grand procession, like a greedy and dangerous giant python, winding its way into the entrance of the abandoned mine tunnel deep in the Black Mountain.
Sun Mancang and Sun Yaozu stood at the entrance of the mansion, their faces forced with obsequious smiles, but their hearts were filled with humiliation and unease at being excluded.
They knew that with their limited strength, they were nothing more than pawns that could be discarded at any time in the eyes of the three major martial arts schools, not even qualified to do odd jobs on the outskirts of the underground cave.
The procession receded into the distance, and the commotion gradually subsided.
The once grand Sun family mansion suddenly appeared empty and desolate, with only six guards (two late-stage Skin Refining Realm experts and four skilled martial artists) and the Sun family father and son, along with a few servants and maids, all looking terrified.
"Father, what if that little bastard Yang Jin takes advantage of the situation..." Sun Yaozu looked at the empty mansion and felt a chill run down his spine.
"Hmph, what's there to be afraid of?" Sun Mancang feigned composure, but his eyes betrayed his suspicion. "Even if he's not dead, what trouble can he cause? We have six skilled guards, two of whom are already at the late stage of the Skin Refining Realm! Even if that kid is a bit strange, could he possibly be a match for someone at the Skin Refining Realm? It's good that he's here, saves us the trouble of searching! Give the order to double-guard all the entrances and strengthen patrols in the courtyard, especially the storeroom and... our bedrooms and study! If we can get through today, once the martial arts masters have succeeded, this Black Mountain Pass will still be our Sun family's territory!"
He tried to bolster his and his son's courage with a stern tone, but the ominous premonition in his heart grew stronger and stronger.
Inside the blacksmith's shop, Yang Jin had already changed into a tight-fitting dark coarse cloth outfit, covered with a badger skin armor, and his machete was tightly bound to his right hand with strips of cloth.
He held his breath and focused intently, sharing Atu's perceptions through a mental connection.
Like a silent earth dragon, Atu had long been lurking beneath the intricate foundations of the Sun family mansion.
It accurately captured the movements on the ground: the distribution of guards, patrol routes, shift changes... and most importantly—the locations of Sun Mancang and Sun Yaozu.
"The old one... in the study... his breathing is unsteady... pacing back and forth..." A-Tu transmitted a clear image, "The young one... in the west wing... entangled with three female humans..."
A cold glint flashed in Yang Jin's eyes.
The time has come!
"According to the plan, first open the basement of the study!" he ordered.
Atu immediately sprang into action, its enhanced mandibles and rock-controlling talent allowing it to dig through soil and rocks as easily as chewing rotten wood.
It carefully avoided large rocks and possible cavities in the foundation, choosing the most convenient and concealed path, and silently dug down directly beneath Sun Mancang's study.
In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, a narrow tunnel, barely wide enough for one person to bend over and pass through, led from the hidden spot behind the blacksmith's shop to a spot just half a foot below the floor of the study!
Without the slightest hesitation, Yang Jin darted into the tunnel like a raccoon.
The tunnel was damp and dark, filled with the smell of earth, but under Atu's guidance, we made no trouble.
Soon, he arrived at the area below the study.
He concealed all his aura, and his Rock Skin talent allowed him to almost blend into the surrounding earth and rock environment.
He pressed his ear close to the thin stone slab above his head and could hear Sun Mancang pacing anxiously above him, as well as his occasional whispers filled with resentment and unease.
"Martial arts school... Jade marrow... Yang Jin... Treasure vault..." The fragmented words came through.
It's now!
Yang Jin's eyes flashed with a fierce light, and his blood and qi erupted from beneath the stone skin. His right hand transformed into a blade, condensing the sharpness and momentum of the "Mountain Splitting Style," and he slammed it down hard on the stone slab above his head from bottom to top!
"Snap!"
With a crisp sound, the solid stone slab shattered!
Yang Jin's figure, like a death god bursting from the ground, appeared suddenly in front of the panicked Sun Mancang, carrying rubble and dust!
"You...you are..." Sun Mancang's pupils shrank drastically, utterly horrified. He recognized the face covered in charcoal ash, but whose eyes held an unforgettable depth!
It's Yang Jin!
He actually came!
Still in this way!
He wanted to shout, to escape, to rebel.
But Yang Jin was faster and more determined to kill!
The long-awaited wood-chopping knife, accompanied by a piercing whistle that tore through the air, flashed a cold arc of light the instant Sun Mancang opened his mouth and raised his arm!
"Pfft!"
The blade sliced precisely across the neck, and a head filled with extreme shock and fear flew high into the air, blood splattering like a fountain across the study walls and bookshelves!
Sun Mancang is dead!
Yang Jin didn't even glance at the headless corpse that was still twitching, nor did he pay any attention to the wide-open eyes on the head that had rolled to his feet.
Without pausing, he turned and dashed toward the side passage leading to the underground of the West Wing Warm Pavilion, which Atu had already scouted out!
Inside the warm pavilion, red waves surged, and the sounds of panting and teasing filled the air.
Sun Yaozu was completely immersed in the warmth and beauty of the place, unaware that death was approaching.
"Snap!"
The same scene is playing out again!
The floorboards shattered, and dust flew everywhere!
Yang Jin appeared suddenly in the warm and luxurious pavilion, like a demon from the underworld!
The three disheveled concubines let out a terrifying scream and collapsed to the ground in fright.
Sun Yaozu rolled off the bed naked, his face still flushed with a lewd blush, but it was instantly replaced by extreme fear!
"Yang... Yang Jin?! No... Don't kill me! It wasn't me! It was Ma Liu! It's my father! Spare me! I'll give you all my family property!" He was crying and spitting out tears, his words incoherent, and he had lost control of his bladder, which reeked of a foul odor.
Yang Jin's eyes showed no emotion, only a chilling killing intent.
The cold, stiff corpse of Shi Gong hanging under the locust tree seemed to be right before my eyes.
"A blood debt must be a blood debtor."
The four cold words were uttered, and the woodcutter's knife was raised again, carrying the determination to avenge Shi Gong, and slashed down fiercely!
Sun Yaozu's pleas for mercy came to an abrupt halt, following in his father's footsteps.
The piercing scream attracted the nearest guards.
When the two guards, both at the late stage of the Skin Refining Realm, led the four men into the warm pavilion, they found only blood everywhere, three corpses, Sun Yaozu and two concubines who had fainted from fright, and a dark figure disappearing into a hole in the floor!
"Chase him!" The two leaders were both shocked and furious. One of them, the bolder one, glanced at the dark hole in the ground, gritted his teeth, and said, "He escaped through the tunnel! Go in and chase him! He can't have gone far!"
The two men jumped into the cave one after the other, while the other four guards stood at the entrance, filled with suspicion and uncertainty.
The tunnel was narrow and dark. The two guard leaders had only chased after the enemy for a short distance when they suddenly felt that the soil beneath their feet was unusually soft!
"not good!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the soil and rocks above and on both sides collapsed with a roar, guided by Atu's precise rock-controlling ability!
A large amount of mud and rocks instantly submerged and crushed the two people!
He only managed a few short screams before falling silent again.
The four guards on the ground, hearing the muffled thuds and screams from below, were terrified and dared not give chase. They scrambled out of the warm pavilion, fleeing in panic... only to find that there was no one left to report to.
The Sun family father and son are dead, and all the people from the three major martial arts schools are in the mine!
The remaining guards and servants were completely thrown into chaos. Some tried to take advantage of the confusion to loot valuables, while others just wanted to escape. The Sun family mansion was instantly plunged into chaos.
Yang Jin did not return to the blacksmith shop, nor did he even check the other two possible treasure locations of the Sun family.
He knew that the real opportunity was not here.
He followed another, more hidden and winding underground passage opened up by Atu, and quickly crept towards the depths of the abandoned mine and the location of the underground cave.
The "secret passage for watching the battle" dug by Atu is winding and rugged, avoiding all known main roads and areas where martial arts schools might be active, and extending more along natural rock crevices and abandoned small mineral veins.
It took Yang Jin nearly an hour to reach the end of the secret passage, guided by Atu.
Here, the core area of the cave is separated by only a relatively thin layer of rock wall.
Through the layer of rock, Yang Jin could even faintly hear terrifying, chilling sounds coming from the other side:
The sounds of countless arthropods rubbing together, the sharp, piercing hisses, the muffled, thunderous impacts, the sharp whistling of weapons cutting through the air, the roars and screams of warriors, and a deep, resonant beastly roar that seemed to shake the very soul!
The battle inside the cave has clearly reached a fever pitch!
Yang Jin pressed his ear against the rock wall, fully activating his vibration perception and combining it with the keen spiritual sense brought by the Dingling Earth-Walking Marmoset, trying his best to capture information about the battle situation on the other side.
The battle appeared to be exceptionally fierce.
The disciples and formations set up by the three martial arts schools to delay and wear down the swarm of fire centipedes seemed to fall into chaos and collapse at a certain moment. A large number of centipedes, like crimson magma, surged wildly toward the core battlefield!
Immediately afterward, he heard Liu Zhenwei's furious roar: "Watch out! The 'Crimson Flame Centipede King' is coming in person! Form the array! Quickly form the 'Three Talents Extinguishing Array'!"
Crimson Flame Centipede King!
Judging from its name, it is the king of the Earth Fire Centipede swarm, probably the terrifying being that has touched the lower level of the Spirit Rank (corresponding to the Martial Artist's Purification Realm)!
Then came even more intense sounds of fighting, explosions, and a series of heart-wrenching screams from humans!
Clearly, even with the three gym leaders joining forces, they were caught in a fierce battle and suffered casualties when faced with the centipede horde personally led by the Crimson Flame Centipede King!
The aftershocks of the battle even penetrated the rock wall, causing the ground beneath Yang Jin's feet to tremble slightly.
After an unknown amount of time, the sounds of fighting gradually faded away, but they did not cease; rather, it seemed as if the battle was moving, or... one side was retreating.
Finally, he heard Liu Suifeng's shrill and urgent voice, filled with obvious fear and resentment: "Retreat! Retreat first! This beast is too ferocious, and the underground environment is too advantageous for it! We've suffered too many losses; we need to reconsider!"
Shi Gan's roar and Liu Zhenwei's suppressed command followed one after another.
The people from the three major martial arts schools were forced to temporarily withdraw from the core area of the underground cave under the fierce attack of the Crimson Flame Centipede King and the centipede horde!
Yang Jin felt a chill run down his spine.
Even the three peak Bone Refining Realm masters, along with many skilled fighters, suffered a great loss!
The dangers of the Crimson Flame Centipede King and the underground cave far exceeded expectations.
However, just as the people from the three martial arts schools were fighting and retreating, Yang Jin vaguely caught a few keywords in their hurried conversation, which made his heart beat faster!
"...At the center of the jade marrow...that 'Earth Core Fire Lotus'...has been cultivated for at least a hundred years! If one could obtain it...and refine it into the 'Fire Lotus Purification Pill'...it would be enough to directly advance one from the Bone Refining Realm to the Purification Realm, and would also greatly nourish the foundation of the five internal organs..."
Earth Core Fire Lotus! A Century of Perfection!
It is a top-grade medicine that can directly advance from the Bone Refining Realm to the Organ Refining Realm and strengthen the five internal organs!
Its value is even higher than that of pure chalcedony!
No wonder the three martial arts schools, knowing the danger, still went to great lengths to launch a fierce attack!
This news made the defeated members of the three martial arts schools even more fervent and crazy in their eyes, despite their frustration!
The appearance of the Earth Core Fire Lotus made all their losses "worth it," and made their determination to retreat even more wavering. They just wanted to regroup as soon as possible and fight back with even more thunderous means!
The sounds and vibrations gradually faded away, and the depths of the cave were once again filled with the rustling of centipedes and the low roars of beasts, but the oppressive and violent aura remained undiminished.
Yang Jin leaned against the rock wall and slowly slid down to sit on the ground, his chest rising and falling slightly.
Although he hadn't personally participated in the battle, the sensation he had just experienced through the wall had still made him tense.
With the Sun family father and son dead, the great revenge was achieved, and the pent-up emotions in my heart were somewhat relieved.
But the earth-shattering opportunity and terrifying crisis in the cave before him dragged him into an even bigger vortex.
He needed to process the information he had just heard, and even more so, he needed to wait... wait for an opportunity where he could truly take a risk, or at least safely uncover more secrets.
Meanwhile, the members of the three martial arts schools, who had been forced to withdraw from the underground cave and suffered considerable losses but were now even more greedy and insane, returned to the Sun family mansion with burning anger and fervor, ready to discuss their next, even more outrageous move.
Unbeknownst to them, "Yang Jin," whom they had regarded as an ant and long forgotten, had just severed the head of their temporary settlement's master and was now, like the most patient hunter, lurking in the darkness on the edge of the precious land they were fighting so hard for, listening intently and sharpening his fangs.
When the surviving Sun family guards scrambled into the front hall, which was occupied by the martial arts school, and cried out incoherently, "Master and young master have been killed by Yang Jin," the crowd in the hall, who were anxious and frustrated about the disastrous defeat in the underground cave and the astonishing discovery, fell silent instantly.
Shi Gan, the master of the Pan Shi Martial Arts School, was taken aback for a moment, then chuckled in a deep voice, not even bothering to look up: "Dead? That saves us trouble. The Sun family's meager assets can be used to make up for our losses this time."
Liu Suifeng, the shrill master of the Gale Martial Arts Academy, spoke with a hint of disdain and sarcasm: "That Yang Jin? He does have some guts. But he's just a clown, insignificant to the big picture. Right now, it's more important to discuss how to deal with that Crimson Flame Centipede King."
However, Liu Zhenwei, the owner of the Iron Bone Martial Arts School, who was sitting at the head of the table, suddenly darkened his expression!
He didn't really care about the life or death of Sun Mancang and his son. In his eyes, these two local bullies were nothing more than pawns that could be replaced at any time.
But Sun Mancang is nominally the agent of the Iron Bone Martial Arts School in Heishan'ao, and he is the face of the Iron Bone Martial Arts School!
Now that the three major martial arts schools have gathered to compete for the treasure, his own "dog" has been killed. If he does nothing, wouldn't he make a fool of himself in front of the Rock and Gale families, making his Iron Bone Martial Arts School look weak and vulnerable, unable to even protect its own vassals?
Moreover, Yang Jin... a hunter boy who should have died, was able to sneak into the Sun family's territory without a sound and kill the Sun family father and son. His strength and courage should not be underestimated.
If left unchecked, who knows if it might suddenly cause trouble at a crucial moment?
Thinking of this, Liu Zhenwei slammed his hand on the table, and a clear palm print crack appeared on the heavy mahogany tabletop!
He abruptly stood up, emanating a powerful aura of the peak Bone Refining Realm, his voice as cold as iron:
"Damn it! Although Sun Mancang and his son are useless, they are still people protected by my Iron Bone Martial Arts School! That little thief Yang Jin first harmed my instructor Zhao Kun, and now he dares to openly attack and kill my vassal. He simply doesn't respect my Iron Bone Martial Arts School at all! If this villain is not eliminated, how can my Iron Bone Martial Arts School maintain its reputation?"
He surveyed the room, especially Shi Gan and Liu Suifeng, his tone firm and unwavering: "Brother Shi, Brother Liu, while the matter of the Earth Core Fire Lotus is indeed crucial, such arrogant individuals who defy the authority of our three major martial arts schools must not be let off lightly! If we allow this to continue, there's no guarantee that other villains won't follow suit, which would be detrimental to our grand plan!"
Shi Gan and Liu Suifeng exchanged a glance, both understanding Liu Zhenwei's intentions—to save face, to use the opportunity to demonstrate the Iron Bone Martial Arts School's dominance in the area, and to subtly warn against any other possible ulterior motives.
Liu Suifeng's eyes darted around, and he said in a shrill voice, "Master Liu is right. Yang Jin was able to kill Sun Mancang, so he must have some skill. It might even be related to the anomalies in the mine tunnels. We must be on guard. However... we are currently short-handed, and the matter of the underground cave is urgent. If we spare manpower to search for a small-time thief hiding in plain sight, I'm afraid..."
Liu Zhenwei snorted coldly: "No need for a major operation. Since this thief dares to commit violence at this time, he's either incredibly audacious or has something to rely on. His hiding place is probably nearby. Issue my order: the disciples remaining at the Iron Bone Martial Arts School, immediately strengthen security around the Sun residence and surrounding area, and search suspicious areas in the village, especially uninhabited or complex corners! Report any clues immediately! Also, offer a reward of one hundred taels of silver for any information from the villagers! I want to see how long he can hide!"
He paused, looked at Shi Gan and Liu Suifeng, and softened his tone: "Of course, the Earth Core Fire Lotus is the most important matter. The Iron Bone Martial Arts School will take full responsibility for the search for Yang Jin and will not delay the preparations for tomorrow's expedition to the underground cave. You two only need to focus on recuperating and preparing to attack the underground cave again."
These words were perfectly worded, saving face, demonstrating strength, and taking the responsibility of the search upon himself, thus temporarily appeasing the other two families.
Shi Gan and Liu Suifeng were naturally delighted and nodded in agreement.
Soon, the disciples of the Iron Bone Martial Arts School sprang into action, beginning a search inside and outside the Sun family mansion and parts of the village, making the atmosphere even more tense.
The bounty was also issued, attracting the attention of some bold or greedy villagers.
Hidden underground, Atu clearly conveyed all the conversations and subsequent arrangements to Yang Jin, who had just returned to the blacksmith shop.
Yang Jin felt a chill run down his spine, and his steps faltered slightly.
"Iron Bone Martial Arts School's reaction... it really came as expected." He wasn't surprised; in fact, he thought it made sense.
If Sun Mancang's dog dies, it would be strange if the owner didn't even bark once.
Liu Zhenwei's actions were more for show, to maintain the prestige of the martial arts school, and incidentally to see if he could be identified as a "hidden danger."
Offering a reward and conducting a search will cause some trouble, but it shouldn't be enough to immediately uncover the blacksmith's unusual activity.
The disguise given by Uncle Chen and the "Stone" identity he has cultivated over the past few days seem to be quite solid for now.
However, this meant he had to be more careful in his next actions, especially at the blacksmith shop, where he had to avoid the increased number of patrols.
He composed himself, noted down the warning, and continued to sense the information Atu was sending back.
With the Sun family father and son dead, the great revenge was achieved, and the pent-up emotions in my heart were somewhat relieved.
But the earth-shattering opportunity and terrifying crisis in the cave before him dragged him into an even bigger vortex.
He needs to know himself and his enemy as soon as possible in order to win every battle.
At this moment, after Liu Zhenwei made his "statement," the members of the three martial arts schools temporarily put aside the little episode of "Yang Jin" and began to discuss more intensely how to deal with the Crimson Flame Centipede King and how to obtain the maddening "Earth Core Fire Lotus."
Soon, Yang Jin heard news that struck him like a thunderbolt.