Chapter 6, Counterattack in Adversity

The pain of a dagger piercing the chest is nothing compared to the torment of a heart consumed by inner demons, so at this moment, Han Ting felt no pain at all; however, he could sense the ebbing of his life force.

Do two practitioners need to go to such lengths to kill an ordinary person? Could it be that they are fighting over a head count?

He has indeed witnessed vendettas in the martial world, but judging by the appearance of these individuals, it is evident that this is not a vendetta but rather an assassination. Could it be that he himself will be silenced to prevent him from speaking?

This individual must have practiced martial arts, but has also cultivated some sort of sinister and unorthodox secret technique

Han Ting had a large hole stabbed in his chest, lying on the ground, with a large pool of blood flowing around him

The mental energy was continuously dissipating, and seeing that Han Ting before him had lost all vitality, Gu Cheng immediately withdrew the heart demon back into the jade pendant space

As the sword thrust down, Gu Cheng's expression suddenly changed

Two cries of anguish echoed, but before Han Ting could scream, Gu Cheng let out a howl even more mournful than his, completely drowning out his voice. At the same time, the dagger in his arms was thrust directly into Han Ting's chest!

Thus, he took advantage of this kid's layout to eliminate the two of them

Han Ting was momentarily taken aback, then smiled and said: "It is of no use; even in our line of work, we must adhere to professional ethics. Moreover, we are aware of your situation, and you do not..."

Upon seeing the situation outside, their hearts suddenly grew cold

At this moment, the innkeeper also sensed that something was amiss

Ah!

But at this point, Gu Cheng could only take a gamble

Han Ting's body lay on the ground, and Gu Cheng immediately drew the long sword beside him, propping his body against the door of the outhouse, and plunged the sword into his back.

The door of the latrine was still held by a piece of beef tendon, and as Han Ting walked in, it immediately snapped back and closed.

The toilet is not large; apart from the squat toilet, there is only space for two or three people to stand. The layout is even better than Gu Cheng had imagined

At that moment, Han Ting suddenly coughed. The three house servants exchanged glances, and the leading servant smiled and said, "The young master should go early and return early"

Opportunities come only once, and he is still betting that the two individuals will not enter at the same time

Moreover, there were sounds of fighting and some indistinct conversations during that time

However, before he could take a bite, the black light from the jade pendant had already wrapped around the black zombie's arm.

Wu Qianhang is somewhat taller than Han Ting, and the position pierced through Han Ting's heart does not correspond to Wu Qianhang's heart

The compensation silver provided by the court has been subjected to numerous deductions, to the extent that it cannot even purchase a single cow. Have you not seen the fate of those colleagues?

Thus, Han Ting did not even have the chance to draw his sword. At such a close distance, Gu Cheng's dagger effortlessly pierced into Han Ting's chest. With a soft 'pu chi' sound, a splash of fresh blood splattered onto his face, exuding a metallic scent.

Han Ting and Wu Qianxing exchanged a glance, then followed and walked out.

Go to the toilet

Han Ting is the same; he should not have such a habit.

Gu Cheng staggered to the place where Wu Qianxing and Han Ting were tying up their horses, untied one horse, and stabbed it in the rear with a sword. He then immediately rolled over and hid in a nearby pile of straw, covering his mouth and nose to prevent himself from making any sound.

However, after weighing the silver in his hand, there were as many as fifty taels, which was enough for him to open a shop elsewhere, providing him with some psychological comfort

From the moment the two individuals entered and took their seats, Gu Cheng had already utilized his limited knowledge as a practitioner to analyze their approximate strength

In that instant, Gu Cheng immediately summoned the heart demon and began to gnaw at Wu Qianhang's heart.

Ah!

This time we will not get our hands dirty; later we will each stab ourselves a few times and claim we encountered bandits. Upon returning to report, we will receive twenty taels of silver.

Han Ting chuckled softly and shook her head, saying: "You are just stubbornly clinging to your pride and suffering for it. What is the point of making such a solemn vow? Although I have betrayed the Wu family in this life, I will not harm any member of the Wu family."

Before he could make a move, a long sword pierced through Han Ting's chest, directly thrusting towards Wu Qianxing's chest

Gu Cheng wanted to defend himself with the dagger in his hand, but it was directly crushed by Wu Qianxing's black zombie arm

Outside the latrine, Han Ting waved his hand in front of his nose, frowning as he said, "This is the first time I've encountered a murder at a latrine, what bad luck. Should you come or should I?"

Gu Cheng snorted coldly: "Having grown up this much, do you think I wouldn't know how to use a toilet? Or are you worried that I might fall into a pit? Let me tell you, I do not have any strange habits!"

How painful is the torment of the heart? The kind of pain that Gu Cheng has experienced can even reach a level that drives one to madness or even fainting.

Glancing at the sword wound on his chest, from which black blood flowed, Wu Qianxing shouted angrily: "Damn it! How on earth did you kill Han Ting?"

What is your relationship with the Five Organs Daoist? Did he send you to kill me?

Wu Qianxing has lost his left arm, and dark blood has spilled all over the ground, with a long sword still embedded in his chest

What is Han Ting really doing? Is he torturing that kid?

With a single punch, Wu Qianhang sent Han Ting's corpse flying, simultaneously propelling Gu Cheng, who was behind, out as well. The immense force caused him to spurt out a mouthful of fresh blood

Gu Cheng then realized that he did not need to bite with his mouth; as long as his intention to eliminate this ghostly entity was exceptionally firm, the jade pendant would naturally devour it.

You were not asked to kill anyone, so why are you pretending to be merciful?

Outside the door, Wu Qianxing listened to Gu Cheng's anguished cries coming from the toilet, a hint of confusion appearing in his eyes

A wave of intense pain surged through Gu Cheng's mind, reminiscent of the last time he fainted from the exhaustion of the jade pendant's power

Gu Cheng waited until he could no longer hear the sound of the horses before he stumbled out from the straw pile, walking unsteadily over, drawing the long sword from Wu Qianhang's chest, and then rummaging through the two individuals, stuffing everything into his own bosom

He could not believe that he had died at the hands of such a minor character without even drawing his sword

The moment Han Ting entered, before he could say anything, Gu Cheng asked, "How much silver did my aunt give you? I will give you double!"

Although the Five Organs Daoist's method of nurturing spirits in the Five Organs Temple is peculiar, the spirits he cultivates are all minor spirits of the eighth rank. However, he does not practice martial arts, and his physical body is weak. Moreover, he is always inseparable from Han Ting. In a direct confrontation, it is basically impossible for the Five Organs Daoist to kill both of them at the same time, and it is even likely that he would be easily counterattacked and killed by their joint efforts.

At this moment, the three house servants indoors began to sense that something was amiss

Everyone, wake up a little; do not act foolishly at this moment!

Those in their line of work do not have clean hands, but they are killers, not perverts. Except for a few with particular quirks, most are straightforward and efficient in killing for money

The voice of Wu Qianhang is hoarse and deep, resembling the friction of gravel, and is particularly twisted

I will cover their meal expenses; this place is inauspicious. If there is an opportunity, let's consider opening a store in a different location

Gu Cheng intentionally came to this small inn to rest, precisely to place the initiative in his own hands

Saying this, the three of them sat back down

It was not until the sound of the horses' long whinnying reached their ears that they sensed something was amiss, prompting them to rush outside to investigate the situation

The sensation of the longsword was akin to piercing through tough cowhide; although it penetrated, it did not go deep and was lodged between the ribs

The servant lowered his head at what he said, letting out a sigh and no longer speaking

As he spoke, Gu Cheng also untied a horse and rode off in the opposite direction

The Seven-Rank Bone Forging, but Gu Cheng did not sense a similar oppressive feeling from them as he did with Tie Tianying, so it could not be Seven-Rank.

Before Han Ting could finish speaking, the heart demon hanging from the beam had already descended, pressing against Han Ting's back, gnawing at his heart through flesh and blood

The time of devouring the heart demon may have been due to being too far from the Five Organs Daoist, which made it easy to consume.

The heart demon let out two loud cries, and was quickly retracted into the jade pendant space by Gu Cheng

Come, my black zombie arm is unsealed once; as the corpse poison enters the body, it will weigh heavier. There is no need to waste such effort on killing such insignificant characters

However, this time Wu Qianxing did not pinch Gu Cheng's head, but instead grabbed his neck and forcibly lifted him up

Suppressing his restless heartbeat, Gu Cheng tightly gripped the dagger in his arms, constantly reminding himself to remain calm and composed.

We will accompany you, young master

An error occurred

With a sense of confusion, Wu Qian stepped forward. Just as he opened the door to the latrine, he saw Han Ting rushing towards him

A hand that wields a knife to harm others can only be used to slaughter pigs and prepare their offal, yet when old injuries resurface, one cannot even afford to buy medicine

Gu Cheng coughed and quickly said: "I mean! It is the Five Organs Daoist..."

While speaking, Han Ting casually opened the door to the outhouse and walked in

Gu Cheng threw him a silver ingot and flashed a grin at him

To be able to act alongside an Eighth-Rank Martial Artist, one must be overestimated as an Eighth-Rank, with a level of threat even surpassing that of the swordsman

The innkeeper looked at the blood covering the ground and sighed, "Such a sin."

The Five Organs Daoist is somewhat stronger than them, having already reached the peak of the Eighth Stage of Qi Refinement and the Spirit Nourishing Realm. How could he possibly be unable to kill a novice in the Ninth Grade, and even lose his Heart Ghost?

Wu Qianxiang suddenly let out a cry of agony, as all his strength was concentrated in that black, stiff arm, which was now being subjected to a powerful force attempting to separate it from himself

The one wielding the sword should be a martial artist between the 9th and 8th ranks, most likely at the 8th rank

Gu Cheng nodded, pushed the door open, and walked out

The innkeeper pointed outside and said, "This young master, the restroom is just outside."

He could hardly believe that Han Ting had actually died at the hands of someone whose strength barely reached the initial stage of the ninth rank.

Gu Cheng has already vanished without a trace, with only the sound of hooves echoing from afar

The heart demon is an existence refined by the Five Organs Daoist using his own heart to nurture demons, connected to his bloodline. It can be killed, but how could it possibly be lost

Otherwise, if he were in an open area under the surveillance of three servants and the siege of two practitioners, he would be almost certain to die

Looking up and glancing around, the danger has not yet passed

He is not the killer; this kid is the killer. It was the Five Organs Daoist who accepted the order from the Wu family, intending to kill him

Due to habits from his past life, Gu Cheng is very skilled at reading people's expressions and understanding their intentions

Another individual is quite peculiar; his slender physique does not resemble that of a martial artist, and his arms appear rather unusual, being disproportionately thick compared to his body

He struggled to point at himself, and Wu Qianhang slightly loosened his grip, coldly saying: "Speak quickly! Otherwise, I will let you experience the taste of corpse poison entering your body, which is no less severe than the heart demon devouring the heart!"

One of the three bodyguards glanced outside and said with some reluctance: "In fact, the young master is quite nice. When I was on guard duty before, every time the young master passed by, he would smile at me."

But this time, Gu Cheng could only hold on, fainting, as if he were about to die

The three immediately untied the reins and spurred their horses to give chase

Both cultivators Han Ting and Wu Qianxing were defeated by the eldest son, so how do they still dare to pursue

The leading servant seemed to have thought of something and coldly snorted: "Chase! He is just bluffing! Having killed two cultivators, the young master must be severely injured or exhausted; otherwise, why wouldn't he return to kill us?"

The leading steward was pleased with the sudden surge of his intelligence; although he had been away from the battlefield for many years, he had not lost his observational and judgment skills

The innkeeper was immediately drenched in cold sweat, secretly lamenting his misfortune

Gu Cheng concentrated all his strength in his hands, his veins bulging as he frantically twisted the dagger, completely shattering Han Ting's heart, while simultaneously emitting continuous cries of agony.

However, the physical body of Wu Qianhang is absolutely a different concept from that of a normal person, and Gu Cheng overlooked the height of the two individuals

If you do not kill the people of the Wu family, where will you find the complete method of pulse cutting and ghost refining to suppress the corpse poison

Do not forget who provided you with money, who ensured you have food to eat, and who enabled you to support your wife and children

Wu Qianxing instinctively wanted to ask, but Han Ting's painfully contorted face and the large patches of blood on his chest caused his expression to change immediately

Do these two groups of people actually know each other or not

The excruciating pain caused Wu Qianxing to let out a muffled groan, yet he did not react as Han Ting did, completely losing consciousness from the agony. Instead, he could only express his disbelief, saying: "Is this the Heart Demon of the Five Organs Daoist? Why is his Heart Demon on you?"

What... what should we do? Is the young master perhaps a practitioner? Should we continue to pursue him?

Gu Chengcai had only crossed over for a few days; he did not wish to gamble on whether heaven would grant him another opportunity to traverse again

However, this time it was exceptionally difficult due to Wu Qianhang's resistance

The smaller and more complex the space, the greater his opportunities become

The cries from outside rise and fall, unmistakably the voice of the young master, but how could he have been screaming for so long? Are these fellows killing or torturing?

Moreover, the progress of the ninth rank external training is quite rapid, and since the other party is able to come as an assassin, the eighth rank is the most likely.

The technique of severing the pulse to refine ghostly entities involves using one's entire essence and blood to nourish a severed limb of a ghostly being. Losing this severed limb is tantamount to losing all of one's own power

The black zombie arm grasped the heart demon, tearing it away with a single motion and casting it aside.

Such a seemingly easy task was entrusted to them, yet now Han Ting is dead, and this fellow has even employed the Heart Demon of the Five Viscera Daoist. This has led Wu Qianxing to doubt whether this is a trap, a scheme directed against him.

Looking back at Gu Cheng himself, he has just reached the initial stage of the ninth rank, with almost no combat experience, and the only trump card he has is the heart demon contained within a jade pendant, highlighting the significant disparity in strength

Wu Qianhang coldly laughed and said, "I have suffered from the poison of corpses for many years; what is this little pain worth?"

Three of his attendants stood up closely beside him, with forced smiles on their faces, and asked: "What are you planning to do, young master?"

After a moment of stillness, Gu Cheng finally gained the upper hand, as the dark light completely engulfed the black zombie arm. Wu Qianhang fell to the ground, with a large hole in his left arm, from which black blood was flowing, his breath faint.

Gu Cheng also began to scream, this time it was not an act, but genuine

Wu Qianxiang let out a furious roar, and the bandage on his left arm suddenly shattered, revealing an immensely thick arm, dark in color, adorned with black fur and sharp claws.

Gu Cheng gasped for breath, drew the long sword from Han Ting's body, and fiercely thrust it towards Wu Qianxing's chest

Han Ting's physical body may be somewhat stronger than that of an ordinary person, but Gu Cheng is also at the initial stage of the ninth rank, so the dagger can easily pierce his flesh and shatter his heart

Shopkeeper, I would like to use your inn for a while. No matter what sounds you hear later, do not go outside. Seeing too much will not be beneficial for you.

Previously, Wu Qianhang had some doubts about this order

As he spoke, Wu Qian approached Gu Cheng directly.

Gu Cheng was gripped by the powerful force of that black, stiff arm, making it difficult for him to breathe, and his face turned red.

Releasing the heart demon twice in succession is already the limit; if he were to release it once more, he would likely faint as he did last time

Before Gu Cheng could respond, Wu Qianxing had already lunged forward with a claw aimed directly at Gu Cheng's head

In the next moment, Gu Cheng suddenly bit towards that black, stiff arm

Inside the latrine of the inn, Gu Cheng opened the door and was immediately greeted by a foul stench that assaulted his senses

However, given the current situation, even if the odds are greatly against us, we must make an effort

The leading servant glared at him fiercely and said in a low voice: "Fool! Can laughter be eaten as food?"

Gou Cheng no longer had time to feel the nausea and discomfort of his first murder; he had already succeeded halfway, but it was this final half step that was crucial

With a single thought, the Heart Demon within the Black Jade Space was released, hanging upside down at the top of the outhouse. Gu Cheng could clearly feel his energy being continuously consumed

With this thought in mind, Gu Cheng suddenly stood up

To be precise, it is not about being skilled, but rather about having to be skilled. If he lacks a certain perceptiveness, how can he deceive clients into signing contracts

It was the general who took us in, and it was the lady who provided us with food and shelter

Han Ting is a practitioner, but he has not yet reached the level where he can ignore such pain

His black jade pendant is capable of devouring ghosts, and the heart ghost has already been consumed. It is uncertain whether this black zombie arm can be considered a ghost, but it certainly emanates a sinister aura

When the innkeeper cautiously stepped out to investigate the situation, he happened to see Gu Cheng, covered in blood, searching for corpses, which immediately frightened him to the point of collapsing to the ground

Do not pursue too quickly, hang back and observe his true intentions

The leading steward placed the long knife in his hand on the table, looking at the shopkeeper with a smile that did not reach his eyes