I Am Immortal in Great Yu

Chapter 127: Chapter 57: Double Kill

But Fang Rui was faster.

He dodged in a flash, moving like a ghost, and flicked the back of the blade with his finger.

DING!

The Dark Force shot through the metal, piercing Chong Jihu’s hands, which were suffused with Bright Force. It felt like a scorpion’s sting—a piercing pain shot through his palms. He instinctively dropped the blade and stumbled back in alarm.

CLACK!

Fang Rui caught the Broadsword in a reverse grip.

”You... Who are you?!”

Chong Jihu rubbed his numb, aching hands, a look of sheer terror on his face.

’Even an attack using Bright Force several times stronger than my own should have just knocked the Broadsword from my hands,’ he thought. ’It should never have conducted the force through the blade and made me drop it...’

’There was only one explanation: this man was a Fifth Grade Marrow Cleansing Martial Artist, an expert in Dark Force!’

Ignoring the look of terror on Chong Jihu’s face, Fang Rui gave the Broadsword a couple of test swings. It felt unwieldy. It might be fine for dicing up common thugs, but against an expert like Chong Jihu, it was far less satisfying than his bare hands.

THUNK!

He drove the Broadsword into the ground. Without a word, he shot forward, appearing before Chong Jihu like a ghost and unleashing a punch.

Chong Jihu scrambled to block.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

As they traded blows, move for move, their strikes created sonic booms that cracked the air.

If Chong Jihu fought with experience, then Fang Rui fought with raw power. Empowered by Dark Force, he completely overwhelmed his opponent’s physical attributes: speed, strength...

After a dozen moves, Fang Rui had adapted to Chong Jihu’s rhythm. He began to move with an effortless ease, as calm and composed as if he were taking a leisurely stroll.

Chong Jihu, on the other hand, was sweating profusely under Fang Rui’s relentless pressure, panting heavily. The signs of his impending defeat were obvious.

”Die!”

Fang Rui roared, shattering his opponent’s concentration as he increased his speed by another thirty percent.

In the dim light, his arms coiled like giant pythons, unleashing the combined power of Bright and Dark Force. His sandbag-sized fists descended like a collapsing mountain, smashing toward Chong Jihu’s chest.

”AGH!”

In this life-or-death crisis, Chong Jihu seemed to tap into his hidden potential. His hands moved so fast they left afterimages, crossing and separating to block Fang Rui’s arms. With a push of his feet, he rapidly retreated.

Fang Rui’s fists lost their momentum, stopping just an inch from his opponent’s chest.

But he wasn’t discouraged. Dark Force erupted from his palms—unlike Bright Force, Dark Force could travel three inches beyond his body!

PSSSHHH!

The Dark Force shot out like a spray of fine needles, leaving a crimson stain across Chong Jihu’s chest.

”Pfft!”

Chong Jihu clutched his chest and staggered back, spitting out a mouthful of blood. ”You truly are an expert of Dark Force... I deserved this defeat... but I don’t understand, how did I offend you, Your Excellency?”

”Decades of exploitation. Today, you pay for your past sins.”

’I exploited an expert like him?!’

Hearing this, Chong Jihu nearly coughed up another mouthful of blood. A wave of immense frustration and indignation washed over him. ’If an expert of his caliber had revealed his true strength, who would have dared to exploit him?!’

The phrase ”decades of exploitation” made him subconsciously assume this was some powerful master living incognito among common folk.

’But... but... isn’t that the kind of shit you only read about in stories?!’

In all his years, Chong Jihu had never heard of such a thing actually happening in real life!

He was always so careful, minding his own business and never provoking anyone he shouldn’t. And yet he’d run into this freak occurrence...

’This is so fucked up!’

”I’m willing to apologize! I’ll compensate you ten-fold—no, a hundred-fold!” Chong Jihu said hurriedly.

”No need,” Fang Rui said, getting straight to the point. ”Tell me where you hide your treasure. You die, your wife and children live.”

’It’s not that I want to waste my breath,’ he thought. ’Didn’t I come here for the Old Medicine and Great Medicine in the first place?’

’The killing is just a bonus.’

’As for going up and crippling him now?’

’Chong Jihu hasn’t completely lost his ability to fight. Getting closer is risky. Better to keep my distance. As long as I stay vigilant, no Hidden Weapons will work on me!’

”I have five hundred taels in golden leaves, fifty stalks of Great Medicine... They’re hidden...” Chong Jihu’s voice trailed off, as if his injuries were getting the better of him.

One tael of gold was worth more than ten taels of silver, depending on the silver’s purity and the local market. Great Medicine was even more incredible; it wasn’t measured by weight, but counted by the stalk.

Anyone else, their mind captivated by such immense wealth and hearing Chong Jihu’s fading voice, would have probably stepped forward subconsciously...

But Fang Rui was different. He never took his eyes off Chong Jihu. Noticing a subtle movement, his face turned cold, and he kicked the stone stool at his feet.

BAM!

The stool sent Chong Jihu tumbling. An iron tube fell from his sleeve, clattering to the ground.

Fang Rui didn’t even have to look to know what it was: some kind of device for spraying Poison Needles or Poison Water.

”Good. You’re... very good!” his voice was glacial, radiating killing intent.

Chong Jihu was still alive, barely. He seemed to realize something, his face contorting in terror. ”I... I...”

But he was already gravely wounded, and that last blow had left him on the verge of death. The sudden emotional shock was too much. He failed to draw another breath, his head lolled to one side, and he went silent.

Fang Rui: ...

After a moment of observation, he confirmed the man was well and truly dead.

’It’s not my fault for hitting him that hard,’ he thought. ’The man was making a move. Hesitating then would have been suicide, wouldn’t it?!’

It was true that Fang Rui wanted the Great Medicine and Old Medicine, but nothing was more important than his own safety.

”Forget it. If I can’t find Chong Jihu’s personal stash, so be it.”

’Besides his private collection, the family treasury should still have some Great Medicine and Old Medicine. Even if it’s not as valuable as his personal stash, it should be enough to maintain my diet and my Realm.’

”Still, my losses are greater this way! That Chong Jihu... why did he have to do it? Why force me to go on a killing spree!”

People always have to pay for their actions.

Fang Rui hadn’t wanted to make a mess, but the man had been a fool.

”Then... I’ll kill.”

He pulled the Broadsword from the ground and strode toward the back courtyard. ”The Chong Family has benefited from Chong Jihu for over thirty years. It’s time you all shared in his karmic retribution!”

...

A short time later, a great fire engulfed the Chong Family estate.

Chong Jihu’s five sons all perished.

None of them were good people. When Fang Rui found the youngest, he was still thrusting wildly on top of a woman...

Oh, and the woman had been kidnapped. She was struggling for her life. Truly, like father, like son.

As for his haul?

Much less than he’d expected: eight stalks of hundred-year Great Medicine, thirty-six stalks of fifty-year Old Medicine, seventy or eighty taels in golden leaves, and an assortment of silver.

”It’s not enough! Not nearly enough! I need to gather at least three to five months’ worth of ingredients for my medicinal meals. After tonight, the other gangs will be on alert, and things will get much harder...”

”Well then, I’ll just have to hit one more.”

Fang Rui muttered to himself as he left the burning Chong Family estate. He didn’t return to Willow Alley, but instead turned and headed for the Duan Family residence, home of Duan Lang, the Gang Leader of the Wild Wolf Gang.

...

「An incense stick later.」

Flames also shot into the sky from the Duan Family estate, home to Duan Lang, Gang Leader of the Wild Wolf Gang.

...