My Cultivation Techniques Upgrade Automatically

Chapter 42: Chapter 42: If You Die, You Live Forever

A massive, Bear-like figure stumbled through the dense forest.

As if pursued by a deadly beast, he kept glancing back, his bloodshot eyes filled with terror.

The slightest rustle in the undergrowth sent him into a panic, his layers of fat quivering.

Large beads of sweat gathered on his forehead, rolling down his greasy cheeks and disappearing into the folds of his neck.

They soaked his silk robes, making them cling to his body and leaving him looking like a drowned rat.

This man was none other than Qian Fugui.

Half a month ago, at the herb-planting Zhuangzi, he had taken a palm strike from Wu Chen.

Sent flying uncontrollably from the small building, he knew he was no match for his opponent. The moment he landed, he ignored the pain racking his bones and fled in a desperate panic.

He didn’t even dare go to the nearby Blood Slaughter Sect outposts to borrow a horse, choosing instead to escape through the treacherous mountain paths.

He fled like a cornered animal, desperate and terrified.

All this to escape a Wu Chen who wasn’t even chasing him.

When he finally stopped on a hilltop and looked back, the entire Zhuangzi had been consumed by a sea of fire.

”Wu Chen! Wu Chen!”

Qian Fugui, his hair disheveled, gritted his teeth. The image of the young man’s face made him wish he could tear him to shreds.

He couldn’t believe someone had managed to evade the Qi and Blood detection to enter the Zhuangzi.

But when he recalled the immense power behind Wu Chen’s palm strike, he shivered involuntarily. His legs went weak, and he nearly stumbled into a gully.

’At this point, there’s no doubt about it. The six personal disciples killed in the mountains... it was all the work of this guy named Wu Chen, who’s been hiding in the Zhuangzi for who knows how long!’

’I couldn’t even take one hit. The three elite sect leaders are probably dead, too...’

He clutched his agonizingly painful gut, stumbling onward, not daring to stop for a second. His bloodshot eyes stared ahead as he constantly changed direction.

Only when he heard the ceaseless, crisp sound of CLINKING and CLANKING did the tension that had gripped him for days finally release. He let out a long sigh of relief.

’I’ve made it!’

Following the sound, he walked a few dozen more steps and came upon a quarry where a hundred or so men were hammering away at stone.

This quarry was one of the Blood Slaughter Sect’s properties.

As a Demon Sect, they had to be wary of the Imperial Court and the righteous sects.

So their businesses were located in remote, inhospitable places.

Black Stone City.

And Qian Fugui’s reason for coming here was simple: the manager of this quarry was his old man.

Qian Sanjin.

”Who goes there! Who dares to spy... Huh? Young Master Qian?”

A guard, hearing footsteps, had crept over. Thinking some fool was audacious enough to spy on a Blood Slaughter Sect business, he had approached with his hand on his sword.

But when he got a clear look at the person, he jumped in fright and quickly dropped his hand from the hilt.

Seeing Qian Fugui’s silk robes torn to shreds by branches and one shoe missing, the guard hurried to support him.

”Young Master Qian, what happened to you?”

”Sigh, don’t ask.”

Qian Fugui waved his hand, unwilling to speak of it. He turned to the guard and asked, ”Is my father at the quarry?”

”The Master has been at the quarry this whole time,” the guard said.

”Oh.”

Qian Fugui nodded, relieved. He then asked, ”Has my father been acting strangely lately?”

He was trying to find out if news of the Zhuangzi’s destruction had arrived yet.

The guard nodded. ”A couple of days ago, the Master seemed upset. He was in his room alone and smashed a cup.”

Hearing this, Qian Fugui fell silent. He knew the fire at the herb-planting Zhuangzi must have attracted the attention of nearby Blood Slaughter Sect camps, who would have come to investigate.

And then, the grey crows would have carried the news of the herb-planting Zhuangzi’s destruction back to the sect’s inner circle.

By now, the entire sect leadership probably knew that the herb-planting Zhuangzi under his management had been reduced to ruins.

His own father, as a manager, would certainly have been notified and would inevitably be held accountable.

That would explain the smashed cup.

Qian Fugui had been running day and night for half a month and was utterly exhausted. Hearing that the news had reached the higher-ups, he collapsed onto the ground, his expression one of despair.

He knew that no matter what, he would be punished, perhaps even executed according to sect law.

He said weakly, ”Have my father come see me. And don’t tell anyone else I’m here.”

”Yes, sir.” The guard took his leave.

Before long, a lean, older man who bore a slight resemblance to Qian Fugui was led by the guard into the woods near the quarry.

”My son!”

Seeing his son’s wretched state, Qian Sanjin’s heart ached. He opened his arms to embrace him and help him up.

But looking at the muddy, soaking wet silk, he stopped himself.

”Dad, I...” Seeing his father, Qian Fugui’s voice choked with emotion.

”I already know.”

Qian Sanjin knew what had happened and gestured for him to say no more.

His expression hardened. ”Does anyone else know you’re back?”

”No, just you... and...” Qian Fugui realized and looked toward the guard.

Qian Sanjin’s gaze followed his.

’Shit!’

Seeing Qian Sanjin’s icy stare, the guard knew this was bad.

He knew Qian Fugui was in charge of a herb-planting Zhuangzi.

When he saw Qian Fugui’s sorry state, he guessed that something must have gone wrong at the Zhuangzi.

Recalling Qian Sanjin smashing the cup, he realized it was probably serious.

But he never imagined it was so serious that the father and son wouldn’t even spare a mere guard like him!

’What the hell does this have to do with me?!’

Seeing the undisguised killing intent in their eyes, he knew he was in trouble. He turned and ran without a moment’s hesitation.

But how could he possibly escape from Qian Sanjin, a master of the Martial Arts’ third realm, the Meridian Passage Realm?

VMMM!

With a sound like a taut bowstring from his legs, Qian Sanjin’s figure flickered and appeared in front of the fleeing guard.

His fingers clamped around the guard’s neck, and he effortlessly lifted the large man off the ground.

”I won’t... say anything, Young Master...” The guard struggled to force out a few words, begging for his life.

But the knife in his other hand swung toward Qian Sanjin without hesitation. He was a ruthless one, it seemed, knowing that begging was useless and a blade was his only chance.

”Only the dead can keep a secret.”

Qian Sanjin snorted. He’d had no intention of letting the guard live from the start.

His fingers, clamped on the guard’s throat, tightened.

SQUELCH!

He ripped out a handful of bloody flesh and cartilage.

The guard’s steel knife CLANGED to the ground. With his throat a mangled ruin, his body went limp, and he fell silent.

Qian Sanjin walked back and looked at his pathetic son, sighing as he relayed the news he knew:

”The grey crows brought news two days ago.”

”They said that at the herb-planting Zhuangzi you managed, the three elite sect leaders are dead, and the six hundred disciples undergoing trials are also dead. All of them died on the summit of Broken Blade Mountain.”

”Some say it was the work of the Imperial Court’s Demon Suppression Bureau. Others claim it was the righteous sects from Mountain Mist City.”

”Still others, based on the severed limbs and horrific sword techniques found on the summit, say it was done by one of the other Demon Sects.”

”And some think it was those traitors within our own sect.”

”In any case, you’re in deep trouble this time!”

”I... I...”

Speculation was one thing, but confirming that he was the only survivor from the Zhuangzi was another. Qian Fugui knew there was no turning back now. He collapsed to the ground like a boneless heap of flesh.

”But you’re already dead,” Qian Sanjin said.

”Dead? I’m dead?” Qian Fugui looked up at his father, confused.

”That’s right. The fire burned everything. The bodies of our sect members at the herb-planting Zhuangzi are unrecognizable.”

Qian Sanjin continued, ”Some say you were burned to ashes. Some say you were captured by the Demon Suppression Bureau for interrogation. Others say you were killed in the mountains by the righteous path.”

”There are all sorts of rumors.”

”The point is, everyone says you’re dead.”

”I’m dead... dead...” Qian Fugui muttered to himself.

He knew that from this day forward, he had nothing to do with the Blood Slaughter Sect. The sect’s treasures, the pills that could advance his Martial Arts, were all lost to him.

”If you’re alive, the sect will find you, punish you, and kill you to make an example of you.”

Qian Sanjin said, ”But if you’re dead, then you can live forever, without ever having to worry about the sect holding you accountable.”

As Qian Fugui’s father, Qian Sanjin couldn’t bear to see his son executed by sect law. He could only try to console him.

”Perhaps this is the best possible outcome for you.”

Hearing his father’s words, a spark returned to Qian Fugui’s lifeless eyes.

”But this isn’t over. Tell me exactly what happened.”

This time, Qian Sanjin’s tone grew tense.

This incident had a huge impact on him, too. If things went badly, he, the father, could also take the fall.

Qian Fugui didn’t dare delay and quickly recounted the entire story of how Wu Chen had infiltrated the herb-planting Zhuangzi.

”Unknown origins, can conceal his aura, and sent you flying with a single palm strike!”

Qian Sanjin stroked his chin, his brow furrowed. ’These clues are as good as nothing.’

’But one thing is certain...’

He glanced at his son’s enormous frame.

’To send my son flying with one palm, nearly rupturing his organs and killing him on the spot...’

’That means the opponent must have the strength of at least the second or third meridian of the Meridian Passage Realm!’

’Only at that level can one use the subtle power of the meridians to knock an opponent away, rather than just brute force!’

”Can you draw a picture of what that person looks like?” Qian Sanjin asked.

”Yes.”

A knot of anger was stuck in Qian Fugui’s chest. ”I’ll never forget that bastard Wu Chen, even in death!”

”He could be called anything, but he’s definitely not named Wu Chen!”

Qian Sanjin shook his head. ”This guy came prepared. Besides you, he didn’t leave a single sect member alive. His work was flawless from start to finish.”

”I’m afraid even the name you know is a fake.”

”But no matter what, draw him for me. I’ll find someone to take care of it.”

Qian Fugui nodded emphatically. He knew his father had connections; that guy would surely be hunted down by assassins!

”It’s a pity...”

Qian Sanjin sighed. ”From my perspective, this person is most likely from one of the sects in Mountain Mist City.”

”After doing something like this, he’s surely gone back to claim his rewards. My reach doesn’t extend that far.”

”But if that guy dares to show his face in Black Stone City and I run into him...”

”Hmph! I’ll make him wish he was never born!”

Qian Sanjin’s face was dark. He already hated Wu Chen to the bone for reducing his son to such a pathetic state.

Then, as if remembering something, he turned back to his son and warned him with a serious expression:

”Now that you’re in Black Stone City, even with me here, you can’t cause trouble. You need to lie low.”

”Did something happen in Black Stone City?”

Qian Fugui grew nervous. He was a bundle of nerves now. ”Did someone from the Imperial Court arrive?”

”Not the Imperial Court. The court has no time to worry about Black Stone City at the moment.”

Qian Sanjin shook his head and said:

”An apprentice of one of our sect’s Elders has betrayed us. She fled to Black Stone City and is specifically targeting and killing members of our Blood Slaughter Sect.”

”I managed to injure her, but she still escaped. Quite a few of my men have fallen at her hands.”

”When you’re out and about in the city, you must be careful. Try not to show your face.”

Seeing Qian Sanjin’s serious expression, Qian Fugui didn’t dare be dismissive and quickly nodded.

”I’ll listen to whatever you say, Dad!”

[Sob sob sob... my follow-up reads are gone, and my recommendation spot is too.]

[So sad, I want to cry.]