Seeing their young master lying dead in a pool of blood, the Zhang family members who were still desperately resisting immediately fell into chaos and total collapse.
“It’s bad, the young master is dead!”
“Run! The young master has been killed!”
Those Zhang family members who remained either died or fled; when disaster struck, everyone scattered in different directions.
Zhang Yuge twisted left and right, desperately dodging the hail of arrows.
What the hell is going on?
Why did this fight break out all of a sudden?
Zhang Qingyao died before I could even avenge him?
Should I just surrender to them now?
Though he thought this, Zhang Yuge was just a lowly family servant—no one would care whether he surrendered or not; they’d simply slash him down and wipe him out.
Seeing the encirclement grow tighter, more and more people falling into bloody pools, Zhang Yuge felt an ominous sense of doom.
No, I’ve been in this world less than a year, just a servant, haven’t had a chance to live a good life yet—I can’t just die here like this.
His eyes caught sight of the Treasure Chests loaded on the wagon and Zhang San and his group hiding behind it.
An idea sparked in Zhang Yuge’s mind.
He picked up a Broad-blade Saber from a corpse on the ground and fiercely chopped at the lock on a Treasure Chest.
With half a year of martial arts training backing him, it took only two or three strikes for Zhang Yuge to break the lock open.
He opened the chest, revealing a dazzling array of gold, silver, jewels, spirit stones, and magical artifacts. But Zhang Yuge had no time to marvel; he grabbed handfuls of treasure and scattered them around.
Seemingly impatient with the speed, he lifted the entire chest and smashed it toward the group of Zhong family men advancing in their direction.
There were many of them, and judging by their clothes, over half were Bandits from nearby mountain gangs.
The Zhong family had hired these Bandits for two reasons: one, to have scapegoats to blame, distancing themselves from the crime; two, to ensure these Bandits would chase down any fugitives.
“Since they’re Bandits, they must be here for loot.”
Sure enough, after Zhang Yuge scattered the gold and silver, many stopped in their tracks, bending down to pick up treasures they might never see again in their lives.
“Zhang Yuge, are you crazy? What are you doing!”
Zhang San yelled from not far away.
Zhang Yuge ignored him and kept opening chests, tossing one after another, covering the ground with glittering riches.
Some Zhong family guards wanted to keep pressing the attack on the Zhang family, but Zhang Yuge’s sudden treasure shower was too tempting.
In the end, they couldn’t resist and joined the Bandits in gathering the loot.
“Zhang Yuge, you damn…”
Zhang San wanted to keep yelling, but the servants beside him stopped him.
“Third Brother, look, after Zhang Yuge finished throwing the chests, all the Zhong family men went to pick up treasure. No one is paying attention to us.”
“Heh, so that’s the plan. Zhang Yuge, this useless bastard, actually has some use after all. Let’s go, leave this place.”
“Third Brother, are we just going to abandon Zhang Yuge?”
“Why bother? If you want to save him, go yourself. Don’t drag me into this. If he likes throwing chests, let him throw till he’s satisfied.”
“Exactly. Third Brother’s right. Even the young master is dead; why should we care about Zhang Yuge’s fate?”
Good.
This is exactly the moment I’ve been waiting for.
Zhang Yuge shouted toward Zhang San and the others,
“Zhang San, you all run! Don’t worry about me! Escape and get back to Zhang Manor!”
As soon as Zhang Yuge yelled, the Zhong family men who were busy picking up treasure suddenly snapped to attention.
“Damn it! These servants want to run?”
“Chase after them! Don’t let them escape!”
“They want to report back—kill them!”
The Zhong family had chosen to act out in the wilderness precisely to cover their tracks completely, making sure the Zhang family had no grounds to accuse them.
If Zhang San and the others escaped, the consequences would be unthinkable.
These men surged forward, joining the chase to silence Zhang San’s group.
Only now did Zhang San realize he had fallen into Zhang Yuge’s trap.
Though full of regret, all he could do was vent his rage helplessly.
“Damn you, Zhang Yuge! I won’t forgive you!”
Most of the Zhong family men went after Zhang San and the others, leaving only a few greedy ones behind to continue scavenging the ill-gotten riches.
At last, Zhang Yuge had the confidence to break through.
He sprinted toward the dense forest.
Along the way, he caught several temporarily hired Bandits off guard and fended them off with fists and kicks.
Good.
Once I’m in the forest, the complex terrain will make it hard for them to catch me.
Success is within reach. Suddenly, he felt a heavy blow on his back.
He collapsed to the ground and couldn’t get up.
That single strike nearly ended Zhang Yuge’s life.
He tried to stand but coughed up a mouthful of fresh blood before collapsing again.
The scattered treasures on the ground were stained with his blood.
“You’re nothing but a lowly, ordinary servant, and you survived my palm strike?”
Zhong Laoliu looked surprised but didn’t care much.
“Judging by your skills just now, you must have learned some martial arts. But no Inner Sect Disciple of the Zhang family would wear such tattered clothes. You must have stolen the Zhang family’s martial techniques.”
“Well then, since you’re dying anyway, no need for more talk. I’ll send you off now.”
Zhong Laoliu’s palm began to gather a gust of wind.
The Bandits who had gone after Zhang San’s group returned.
Hanging beneath each horse’s head were one or two bloody severed heads—one impaled on a spear high above the others.
Zhang Yuge immediately recognized the highest impaled head: it was Zhang San’s, with a tragic death expression.
Is this the end…?
Am I going to die here?
Damn it…
I’m so unwilling.
…I don’t want to die.
Just as Zhong Laoliu was about to strike, he suddenly felt a powerful oppressive aura pressing down, making it hard to breathe.
What’s happening?
There’s a cultivation expert’s presence here?
He turned his head sharply, eyes wide with shock, fingers trembling as they pointed at what was before him.
Hovering in front of him was an ancient-looking deep purple Jade Ring, stained with the fresh blood Zhang Yuge had just spat out.
What shocked everyone present even more was the semi-transparent figure drifting above the ring.
Zhong Laoliu swallowed hard.
He couldn’t discern this figure’s cultivation level or even whether it was male or female.
“You lowly wretch, disturbing my rest?”
The semi-transparent figure spoke, the voice of a young man with a magnetic tone.
Zhong Laoliu didn’t recognize who this was, but since this being emerged from the ring taken from the Zhang family’s Treasure Chest, it was almost certainly the ring’s Artifact Spirit.
Being an Artifact Spirit, it obeyed only its owner’s commands.
So despite its strength, it posed no direct threat.
“This has nothing to do with you. Go back into the ring; we’ll talk about recognizing a master later. For now, I want to kill this wretch first.”
Zhong Laoliu had no intention of subduing the Artifact Spirit.
He wanted to keep this rare ring for Zhong Bailing.
Zhang Yuge lay on the ground, barely clinging to life, overhearing the conversation between Zhong Laoliu and the other presence, too weak even to lift his head.
“Did I allow you to kill in front of me?”
“?!”
Before Zhong Laoliu could react, a huge translucent hand suddenly covered his balding head.
“I have just awakened and am still weak. Though you are but a Qi Refining Stage insect, you will do nicely for a meal.”
The translucent young man sneered.
In an instant, the sturdy Qi Refining Stage Eight cultivator before them turned into a living skeleton.
Zhong Laoliu was absorbed to death right before Zhang Yuge’s eyes.
“Ah, ah…”
Nearby, the Zhong family Miss Zhong Bailing, witnessing the Elder’s brutal death, turned pale and helpless.
As for the remaining Zhong family members and the few surviving Zhang family people, they all stared in horror at the translucent man.
“Mo-monster!”
“Run! Elder Liu is dead!”
“No rush; there’s enough for everyone. None of you will escape. You’ll all become my food! Hahaha…”
The man’s joyful laughter echoed as he watched the terrified people scatter in every direction.