Medical Sage

”May I take a look?”

A tall, thin elder in a brocade robe stepped out from the crowd. With a solemn and hesitant expression, he approached Chen Fei, his tone now far more proper and respectful. ”Young friend, could you let me have a closer look at the axe in your hand?”

”Of course,” Chen Fei glanced at the man and casually handed over the Black Cloud Axe.

”Thank you…” The elder in the brocade robe took the axe and began to inspect it meticulously, turning it over and over. Instantly, all eyes were fixed on him, including those of Li Chongtian, the Guardian Elder of Cloud Dragon Mountain.

After all, Wuu Jun from Crow River was not only a genuine Qi Refining Eighth Layer Powerhouse but also a notorious bandit, infamous for his heinous crimes and cruel methods. Even disciples of Cloud Dragon Mountain had been intercepted and robbed by him, and one or two had even been killed. Although Cloud Dragon Mountain had considered eliminating him, Wuu Jun was simply too cunning and elusive, with multiple hideouts, and his own strength was formidable. If he sensed danger and was determined to flee, it would be extremely difficult to catch him, even for a powerhouse at the Peak of Qi Refining Eighth Layer!

As for having a Cave Master Level Powerhouse of Qi Refining Ninth Layer take action… setting aside whether such a revered figure would even have the time, it would be excessive. If they needed a Cave Master to deal with a common cultivator, they would surely face ridicule. People would mock Cloud Dragon Mountain for having no one competent in the Qi Refining Eighth Layer Realm.

”This… it is indeed Wuu Jun’s Black Cloud Axe!” After examining the axe for a long while, the elder in the brocade robe finally nodded gravely, his eyes filled with utter shock and bewilderment. He simply couldn’t believe that Wuu Jun’s personal Magic Artifact had actually ended up here.

If that’s the case, doesn’t it mean the young man standing before me has the strength to kill Wuu Jun, or at the very least, to utterly defeat him!? Otherwise, how can any of this make sense?

If he could figure this out, how could the others present not?

HISS! A series of hushed gasps rippled through the crowd. As they looked around, their gazes toward Chen Fei began to change. Just moments ago, some had been green with envy over the number of Low Grade Spirit Stones Chen Fei had so quickly earned. Now, their faces paled with panic as a cold chill crept up from the soles of their feet.

What a relief! We were so lucky… Had we foolishly followed Guardian Elder Li Chongtian’s reckless provocation, we would have been courting death and inviting disaster!

Of course, the person with the ugliest expression was none other than Li Chongtian. He had been the first to pick a fight with Chen Fei, even entertaining the idea of forcing a sale. But now? Now, this living proof of Chen Fei’s power stood right before him, intimidating him into silence. It felt as if two invisible hands had slapped him hard across his wrinkled old face. It stung. It stung badly…

”Young friend, you have truly rid us of a great menace!” the tall, thin elder suddenly exclaimed, his tone changing completely as he cupped his fist in gratitude toward Chen Fei. ”That Wuu Jun was not only ruthless and cruel, but he also plagued this area for years! He had feuds with many of us here. To be frank, we’ve tried to find a chance to eliminate that scoundrel ourselves, but alas, he was too powerful and cunning, never giving us an opening. This time, that villain finally got what he deserved. It is truly a joyous occasion!”

”Yes, yes! This friend has done us all a great service. We should all thank you!” Seeing the elder take the lead, the others in the crowd, not being fools, quickly changed their expressions and their tune, smiling and chiming in with cheerful agreement.

Witnessing this scene, Chen Fei felt nothing but contempt for their hypocrisy, but he couldn’t be bothered to argue with them. He indifferently retrieved his Black Cloud Axe and said coldly, ”Cut the nonsense. If you don’t want this axe, then get out of my way. I’m packing up.”

”Why are you in such a hurry to leave? Could it be that you have a guilty conscience?”

A particularly loud and grating voice suddenly cut in. Everyone instinctively looked over to see Guardian Elder Li Chongtian staring intently at Chen Fei. He sneered, ”If you truly managed to eliminate that old Wuu Jun, you must have some skill, but…” He paused for effect.

Then, squinting, he continued with a cold sneer, ”The only reason that old fiend was so wealthy was that he spent years plundering our resources. Since you killed him, you must have also raided his lair and taken all the treasures he amassed over the years, correct?”

As he spoke, a cold, greedy gleam flickered in Li Chongtian’s aged eyes. He subtly scanned the faces in the crowd and, seeing that many shared his avarice, allowed a sly, insidious smirk to form on his lips.

”Strictly speaking, those treasures are ours. Take this Black Cloud Axe, for instance. As far as I know, its true owner wasn’t that old Wuu Jun… But never mind that. After all, you killed him, so you’ve contributed something.

”Naturally, we can’t ask you to return everything. So, how about this? A third… no, a quarter. Just return a quarter of the things that originally belonged to us. That’s not an unreasonable request, is it?”

Having successfully stoked the greed in everyone’s hearts, Li Chongtian finally revealed his truly insidious intentions.

His words stunned the crowd. They looked at one another, utterly speechless. Although the proposal felt absurd, not a single person spoke up to refute it. Instead, they all remained silent, unwilling to be the first to object.

”Yes, those treasures were originally ours. It isn’t unreasonable to ask for some of them back,” a disembodied voice suddenly piped up, its source deliberately obscured by some secret technique.

”That’s right, friend! That Wuu Jun was a menace for years. Some of us have been robbed by him two or three times! Returning some of our property is hardly asking too much.”

”Who knows how much Wuu Jun stole from us over the years? He was bloated with wealth! Brother, since you slaughtered him, your harvest must have been immense. Surely you wouldn’t mind returning a third to us?”

”Indeed! And you’re so young. How could you possibly handle such a huge windfall? Isn’t it a bit improper for you to swallow it all yourself?”

Once someone broke the ice, the others threw caution to the wind. Following Li Chongtian’s lead, they all began demanding treasures and resources from Chen Fei, regardless of whether they had ever actually been robbed by Wuu Jun.

The ones shouting the loudest were, of course, the same people who had earlier hoped to get a cheap deal from Chen Fei and failed. In contrast, the tall, thin elder in the brocade robe, Youu Huo, who had first recognized the Black Cloud Axe, seemed to have learned his lesson. He took several large steps back, making it clear he wanted no part in this.

Seeing this, Chen Fei’s expression darkened. But then, as if deciding it was beneath him to get angry with such a mob, he shook his head and gave a cold, mocking laugh. ”I must say, you people are truly shameless. In that case, why don’t you just tell me to hand over everything I own for you to divide up? A quarter? You think a quarter will satisfy you? Don’t you find that hypocritical?”

At his words, their faces flushed with shame, turning from ashen white to livid red. They couldn’t argue, as they knew deep down just how ludicrous their demands were.

Yet, the thought of the immense fortune Wuu Jun had amassed over the years, all now in Chen Fei’s pockets, was enough to make them see red.

As the old saying goes, wealth stirs men’s hearts.

”Young man, aren’t you being a bit harsh?” Li Chongtian retorted, his anger flaring at Chen Fei’s defiant, mocking tone. His eyes glinted with a cold, dangerous light as he pointedly accused him, ”We are merely asking for what was originally ours, and not even all of it, just a quarter! Do you really think you can stomach it all by yourself? A man shouldn’t be so greedy.”

”Yeah, you’ve already taken so much! Isn’t your belly fit to burst?”

”One should be humble, especially a young man. Of all the things to learn, why learn greed? That’s simply unacceptable.”

The envious, greedy mob began to chant in chorus again, piling pressure on Chen Fei.

”So, I’m greedy for not handing over my spoils of war? Well, that’s a new one,” Chen Fei said, seeing that these scoundrels were not only shameless but were growing bolder. A faint killing intent surfaced in his ink-black, glass-clear eyes. He casually tossed the Black Cloud Axe into the air, letting it hover there. ”This is all that’s left. If you want it, come and get it.”

His words sent a shockwave through the crowd.

Yet there it was—the Black Cloud Axe, truly floating in mid-air.

WHOOSH!

In the next instant, a hand shot out like lightning, reaching for the axe. At that exact moment, Chen Fei’s eyes narrowed, a cold glint flashing within them.

WHOOSH!

CRACK!

”AH!”

An even faster crimson flash streaked before their eyes, followed immediately by a piercing scream.

A bloodied arm, severed clean at the shoulder, tumbled to the ground. Blood splattered across the green stone tiles, turning them red as it seeped into the earth through the cracks.

At that moment, a chill ran down everyone’s spine, their scalps tingling with dread.

The man whose arm had been severed at the shoulder was, shockingly, a Peak Powerhouse of Qi Refining Seventh Layer! Fear and absolute horror filled everyone’s eyes.