Chapter 20: Two Victims of Deceit

“Fortunately, I had made preparations in advance.” Qin Feiyang reached into his chest and took out the blood pouch. The pouch had already burst, and most of the blood on him was actually from that wild pig.

However, even though he had made arrangements, Cao Lang’s palm strike was infused with true energy! Not only had it shattered his breastbone, it had nearly cost him his life. In fact, if not for his exceptional willpower, he would already be dead.

“I want to see who it is in the end whose body will be utterly destroyed!” Qin Feiyang rolled over and forced himself up, staggering with pain toward the small tree nearby. He grabbed his storage pouch, took out a healing pill, and swallowed it.

This time, Cao Lang had truly enraged him.

After putting away the pouch, he sat down against the tree trunk, lost in thought.

Just now, Cao Lang’s mutterings had made it clear—there were indeed more treasures hidden in Black Demon Stronghold. And now, Cao Lang had gone to retrieve them.

That treasure, no matter what, he had to obtain!

But Cao Lang was a one-star Martial Master, far faster than he could hope to be. If he tried to chase him now, he’d never catch up. Besides, he was seriously injured—even if he did catch up, he wouldn’t stand a chance.

So, rather than waste energy in pursuit, it was better to wait for the prey to come to him!

After quietly recuperating for two hours, Qin Feiyang’s injuries had improved significantly.

“The real show is just beginning,” he murmured with a faint smile. He rose, scanned his surroundings, and headed toward the town.

Before long, he stopped at a narrow winding path, with woods on either side. Both in the forest and on the path, dead branches and fallen leaves were piled up.

This was the only way into town!

“It’s so late, no one should pass by,” Qin Feiyang muttered. He took out Cangxue from his storage pouch and began digging.

He needed to set a deadly trap here!

Although with his current strength he could punch a deep pit in the ground, he couldn’t control the force and would risk making a conspicuous mess.

This way, it would be too easy to spot.

Half an hour later, drenched in sweat, Qin Feiyang had dug a pit two meters deep and just as wide.

He climbed out, moved all the displaced earth into the woods, and gathered more branches and leaves to cover the pit, erasing any trace.

Then, he hid inside the pit himself, carefully camouflaging the entrance, and began to wait and heal.

If it were daytime, a careful and observant person might spot something amiss. But now, in the dead of night, with the thick foliage blocking the moonlight, unless someone already knew, no one would escape this trap!

Time slipped by.

Suddenly!

The sound of running footsteps reached Qin Feiyang’s ears.

“So soon?” Qin Feiyang’s spirits rose, and he gripped Cangxue tightly, holding his breath.

The footsteps drew closer and closer.

Crack!

A startled cry rang out as the branches and leaves above the pit collapsed, and a dark figure fell through.

Qin Feiyang reacted instantly, thrusting Cangxue ferociously at the figure as it dropped down!

A scream of agony echoed in the pit.

Something’s wrong!

That wasn’t Cao Lang’s voice!

But the voice was familiar…

Qin Feiyang realized he might have killed the wrong person. He took out a fire striker, lit it, and looked closely—his eyes widened in disbelief.

It wasn’t Cao Lang.

It was someone he knew very well!

Bao Chuan, Ma Hongmei’s disciple.

By a twist of fate, he had killed Bao Chuan?

Qin Feiyang scratched his head, still struggling to accept what had happened.

The stab had pierced Bao Chuan’s heart. He was dead.

What an unjust death.

He had snuck out in the middle of the night, actually on Ma Hongmei’s orders, to investigate whether Qin Feiyang had truly been killed by Cao Lang.

But before he even left the town’s outskirts, he’d died by Qin Feiyang’s blade.

“Poor kid, just your bad luck.” Qin Feiyang grinned, climbed out, found more branches and leaves to cover things up, then slipped back into the pit to search Bao Chuan’s body.

As Ma Hongmei’s disciple, Bao Chuan ought to have several pills on him.

But after searching thoroughly, Qin Feiyang only found two healing pills and two body-tempering pills.

“How is he even poorer than I am?” Qin Feiyang frowned, but then let it go.

He recalled Lin Yiyi mentioning that although Bao Chuan was Ma Hongmei’s disciple, he was not an alchemist himself. At most, he was a servant.

In Ma Hongmei’s eyes, he was merely an obedient dog, so naturally, he wouldn’t carry many pills.

After pocketing the four pills, Qin Feiyang continued to wait.

More than an hour passed.

Once again, footsteps sounded, approaching from afar.

This time, it must be him.

Qin Feiyang straightened, focused his mind, and Cangxue gleamed coldly in his hand!

The treasure left by the Black Demon Stronghold’s chief for Cao Lang was surely the sum of all the stronghold’s accumulated wealth. If Qin Feiyang could obtain it, he wouldn’t have to worry about gold coins for some time.

This also proved the chief had always intended to keep the treasure for himself. However, Xiang Wu was no fool; he’d seen through the plan and struck first, denying the chief his chance to enjoy it.

The footsteps now came steadily, powerful and unhurried.

As they drew near, Qin Feiyang’s tension mounted; he was sweating all over.

Cao Lang was a one-star Martial Master, two minor realms above him. If he failed to kill him in one blow, he would surely die!

Moreover, this was his first time facing a martial master alone.

Stay calm!

It must be a single fatal strike!

Qin Feiyang gritted his teeth, gripping Cangxue tightly.

Crack!

The branches and leaves above gave way.

A burly figure dropped down—it was Cao Lang!

A murderous gleam flashed in Qin Feiyang’s eyes. He swung his arm up and stabbed at Cao Lang’s abdomen with all his strength!

Cangxue, sharp as ever, pierced flesh and sank into Cao Lang’s body!

“Aah!” Cao Lang screamed.

But unlike Bao Chuan, he remained calm and composed. He grabbed Qin Feiyang’s wrist with all his might and forcibly yanked Cangxue from his body!

With a thud, he landed on Bao Chuan’s corpse.

He was about to rise and counterattack—

But Qin Feiyang was faster!

Even as Cao Lang crashed onto Bao Chuan, Qin Feiyang seized Cangxue and, like a wolf, leapt upon him, stabbing straight into his throat!

Blood gushed out like a fountain, splattering Qin Feiyang’s face.

“So it’s you?” Cao Lang finally saw Qin Feiyang clearly, disbelief filling his face.

“This is the price for trying to kill me,” Qin Feiyang said coldly, like a god of death. He slashed down with Cangxue, stabbing directly into Cao Lang’s heart.

Cao Lang died instantly, blood pooling all around!

“At last, it’s over.”

Qin Feiyang collapsed weakly at the side, gasping for breath as he looked at Cao Lang’s lifeless body.

Finally, he let out a long sigh and searched Cao Lang, finding only a single storage pouch.

But when he checked inside, he was overjoyed!

He didn’t linger, nor did he dare. Seizing Cangxue in one hand and the storage pouch in the other, he leapt out of the pit and vanished into the night without a backward look.