Chapter 41: The Immortal Encounter of Master Qingyao! Power Surge!

"Poof!"

Blood spurted from Zheng Kecheng's throat. He widened his eyes, looking at the waxy-faced youth before him, filled with horror and disbelief.

The young man in front of him had eyes full of hatred and struck with deadly precision, aiming straight for vital points.

He didn't recognize this youth at all!

What kind of poison was this?

It was incredibly potent, rendering his internal energy useless and his body limp in such a short time.

"Zheng Kecheng, haven't you been looking for me all this time?!"

"Scum like you should have died long ago!"

Qin Wang picked up the dagger, glanced at Zheng Kecheng, and walked towards the other constable, Wang Jiang.

"You bastard, I refuse to accept this!"

Zheng Kecheng stared intently at the waxy-faced youth, feeling a mixture of resentment and frustration. After taking the elixir granted by the Dawn Envoy, he felt he was on the verge of breaking through to the peak of the second-class realm. Furthermore, once his mission was complete, he no longer needed to act as a spy. He could return to the King of Jin, achieve great feats, and be with his only son, Zheng Lingyun. Everything was looking up!

But now, he was poisoned and dying at the hands of a mere third-class youth!

Regret flooded Zheng Kecheng's heart. Just yesterday, he had told his brother, Zheng Keshou, that he would deal with a minor nuisance and return. Little did he know that this minor nuisance would end his life!

A wave of weakness overcame him! He felt as if he was floating, even seeing his own body lying on the ground, throat bleeding profusely, dying with eyes wide open. The next moment, he saw that the bundle on Qin Wang's body emitted a black light and a powerful suction that pulled him in!

Qin Wang's dagger slashed Wang Jiang's throat, and Wang Jiang, eyes full of disbelief, also perished. His soul was similarly collected by the soul-gathering bowl.

On Zheng Kecheng and the accompanying constable's bodies, Qin Wang found five taels of silver, and two identity badges, one for Constable Wang Jiang and one for Chief Constable Zheng Kecheng. In Wang Jiang's possession, Qin Wang also found a black token, one side engraved with the character "kill" and the other with "99."

"Hmm? Wang Jiang? Dual identities? Assassin?"

A thought crossed Qin Wang's mind. He recalled that previous intelligence indicated that Constable Wang Jiang was actually the 99th-ranked assassin of the Blood Kill Hall, a notorious organization in the Great Cang Kingdom, and that his mission was to locate the daughter of the Fengyao Holy Maiden, who had gone missing thirteen years ago.

Given this "kill" token, Wang Jiang must indeed be that assassin.

Qin Wang remembered that the intelligence also showed that Li Hongfei had contacted the 98th-ranked assassin of the Blood Kill Hall, Song Lin. Unexpectedly, he had killed the 99th-ranked Wang Jiang!

"It would be great to find a martial arts manual."

Qin Wang searched both Zheng Kecheng and Wang Jiang thoroughly, sighing. After all, who would carry a martial arts manual with them?

"With Zheng Kecheng dealt with, it's time to return and take the Dragon Blood Pill and Tiger Blood Pill to boost my cultivation to the second-class realm!"

Qin Wang looked at the dead Zheng Kecheng, eyes full of anticipation. Having low strength meant constantly having to move to avoid danger. Reaching the second-class realm would allow him to handle minor threats easily. Moreover, with second-class internal energy, executing the Eagle Flight technique to leap over high walls would be effortless.

Additionally, having second-class cultivation would significantly enhance the power of the Grand Ancestor Fist technique.

Qin Wang gathered his things, dragged Zheng Kecheng and Wang Jiang into a room, set it ablaze, and left through the back door.

Yanyun County.

In a three-room brick house.

Qin Wang barred the door, sat cross-legged on the bed, with a white porcelain bottle in front of him and a bundle beside him.

"Let's try taking a Tiger Blood Pill first!"

Qin Wang poured out a Tiger Blood Pill from the porcelain bottle, eyes filled with anticipation.

Start with the Tiger Blood Pill; the Dragon Blood Pill had stronger effects and would be better used for breaking into the second-class realm.

A rich fragrance filled the air.

"The intelligence panel suggests that taking these pills will elevate me to the second-class realm, indicating they should be safe."

Qin Wang thought to himself as he pinched the pill between his thumb and forefinger.

Moreover, the intelligence indicated that these pills were meant for Li Hongfei's grandson, so they should be safe.

Qin Wang purified the Tiger Blood Pill in a treasured bowl before swallowing it.

The Tiger Blood Pill melted in his mouth, transforming into a powerful heat that spread from his stomach to his limbs and bones!

Qin Wang immediately began circulating the Small Red Sun Technique, absorbing and converting the pill's energy.

This energy partly nourished his meridians, flesh, and bones, while the rest was absorbed by the Small Red Sun Technique, converting into internal energy stored in his dantian.

Time passed.

At 7 p.m.

Qin Wang opened his eyes from his meditation and looked at the progress bar on the right side of his status panel.

[Realm: Third-class (311/1000)]

"Taking one Tiger Blood Pill increased my progress by 40 points?"

Qin Wang contemplated, eyes reflecting his thoughts.

Previously, his progress was at 271 points. He calculated that the Tiger Blood Pill's potency was about fifteen times that of a Qi Blood Pill. It took him from noon to 7 p.m. to fully absorb one Tiger Blood Pill's energy.

The ten Tiger Blood Pills should increase his progress by 400 points, raising his third-class realm progress to 711. How much would three Dragon Blood Pills increase?

Qin Wang felt a surge of anticipation.

"First, I'll consume all the Tiger Blood Pills to maximize my progress!"

With this thought, Qin Wang sat back down and continued taking the Tiger Blood Pills.

Five days later.

Late night.

[Realm: Third-class (711/1000)]

Qin Wang looked at his status panel, feeling the internal energy within him, which had tripled in strength, and his eyes shone with anticipation. He decided to rest a while before consuming the Dragon Blood Pills in one go!

[Daily Intelligence Refreshed!]

[Today's Intelligence]

[1: You continuously consumed ten of Li Hongfei's Tiger Blood Pills, greatly increasing your strength. According to intelligence, you will reach the second-class realm after consuming the Dragon Blood Pills.]

[2: You practiced the Small Red Sun Technique yesterday. According to intelligence, it will reach minor completion in one year and three months.]

[3: Due to your killing of Chief Constable Zheng Kecheng, intelligence indicates that Yanyun County is in an uproar. County Magistrate Chen Hao has instructed all constables to search for you, posting your image at all four gates.]

[4: Due to your killing of the Blood Kill Hall's 99th-ranked assassin Wang Jiang, intelligence indicates that the Blood Kill Hall has made the 'All-Knowing Divine Lord' a key investigation target.]

[5: Due to you taking Li Hongfei's life's savings, intelligence indicates that Li Hongfei looks decades older, with hair all white.]

[7: You took a Tiger Blood Pill yesterday. According to intelligence, the tiger used for the pill was captured from Tiger Roar Mountain.]

[10: You read the Elixir Primer yesterday. According to intelligence, its original author was 'Master Qingyao,' who was a rogue cultivator at the Xiaodan Mountain marketplace. He was attacked by other rogue cultivators while visiting his family in the mortal world. After escaping, he died from his injuries at Yingchou Ravine in Jinzhou. His place of death contains cultivation methods and Master Qingyao's accumulations.]

"Refreshed?"

Qin Wang looked at the panel, eyes lighting up. The past few days hadn't yielded any substantial intelligence; he wondered what today would bring.

4o