My experience of grinding in another world

Chapter 161 Backlash
Despite the excruciating pain in his back, Chao Fang staggered and fled towards the north of the city, not daring to stop for a moment.

"I miscalculated..."

If he hadn't gathered his strength in his back and used the Yin-Nourishing Strategy to block, that blow would have pierced his heart.

Even so, he still suffered broken ribs and his heart was pounding from the shock.

"With such strength, who wouldn't you be able to get a Thousand Machine Token by cooperating with them?" Chao Fang couldn't help but complain.

These old foxes hiding their true strength are despicable.

"This isn't over yet!" Chao Fang thought bitterly.

"As long as they don't notice the mark I made with my spirit, the opportunity is on my side," Chao Fang said confidently.

That person is indeed remarkable; despite his young age, he has cultivated a powerful and profound presence.

But while that person was strong, Tu Shan was even stronger.

Even the most powerful families couldn't withstand Tu Shan's punches, so Chao Fang didn't believe that man could.

"Once I've recovered from my injuries, I'll gather the Twelve Heavenly Generals and join forces to massacre the mountain. Then we'll see if you're still alive!" Chao Fang said with a gloomy expression.

They traveled and planned along the way. Before they knew it, the outline of the camp was in sight, and Chao Fang finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Heavenly King, you're back." A voice suddenly rang out from ahead.

Chao Fang's heart skipped a beat. He suppressed the sharp pain in his chest and looked up as if nothing was wrong. When he saw who it was, he greeted them with a warm smile, "It's Daoist Chengyi."

Have you had dinner yet?

Instead of answering sincerely, he asked with a smile, "Your Majesty, please be careful when you go out at night."

Chao Fang's heart tightened, but he remained calm and composed: "Don't worry, I have the Yin-Huan strategy to protect me, who can hurt me?"

"Really?" Cheng Yi smiled and suddenly asked, "Your ribs are broken, aren't they?"

Chao Fang's pupils suddenly contracted, then his face turned cold and stern: "You dare to follow me?"

"I was only worried about the safety of the Heavenly King, and I beg the Heavenly King to forgive me." Cheng Yi said sincerely, bowing with his hands clasped.

Chao Fang breathed a sigh of relief, and a warm smile returned to his face: "Thank you for your concern, Daoist Chengyi. It was indeed dangerous just now, but that person underestimated the effectiveness of the Yin Soul Strategy, and I'm back safe and sound now."

"Does the Heavenly King intend to harm me with the Yin spirit?" Cheng Yi stared incredulously at the increasingly chilling aura surrounding Chao Fang.

"What nonsense are you spouting, Taoist priest?" Chao Fang said with displeasure, "You are my dearest friend and relative, like a brother. How could I possibly harm you?"

The chill in the air grew even heavier.

"I just want you to get familiar with the aura of the Yin spirits so that it will be easier for you to fight enemies in the future," Chao Fang said sincerely.

"Heavenly King, I have been loyal to you and always cared about your safety, yet you plotted to kill me!" Cheng Yi stared at Chao Fang with a sinister look.

"You won't admit it even after I caught you!"

"Heavenly King, have you lived up to my trust?"

"You don't deserve it!" Cheng Yi roared angrily.

Then he quickly pulled a bronze bell from his pocket.

clang!
A sudden, loud hum, like that of a temple bell, rang out.

The eleven ghosts were immediately shaken out of their stealth state.

"Soul-stealing!"

The enormous plume of black smoke froze, as if a flying insect inside amber had been suspended in mid-air.

Chao Fang was stunned and momentarily bewildered.

He was immediately terrified and quickly regained his senses.

This sincerity even includes a magical artifact?!

puff!
With a soft sound, Chao Fang, who had just come to his senses, looked down at his chest in disbelief, where a dagger was stuck.

“You…” He stared at the sincerity that was so close to his face.

Instinctively, I gathered my strength in both hands, wanting to push it away. But after only exerting half of my strength, I suddenly felt my whole body go weak.

Poison?! Poison that can harm even a master of the Armored Soul realm?!

Yes, he was deliberately provoking me to silence him.

He wanted to kill me from the very beginning!

"I confided in you, yet you attacked me first and tried to kill me?" Cheng Yi stared coldly at Chao Fang.

"If you are unkind, don't blame me for being unjust." A lack of sincerity.

He pulled out a dagger and immediately stabbed him twenty-three times in the chest and abdomen.

Chao Fang stared at the red-green dagger, clearly poisoned, with a look of despair on his face.

Honesty and sincerity? Or is it heartless and unjust?
Traitorous scoundrels!
puff!
He couldn't help but spit out a mouthful of blood.

As if a floodgate had been opened, blood gushed from his nostrils and mouth in the next instant. In just five or six breaths, his chest was soaked with blood. Chao Fang stared intently at Cheng Yi, only managing to scratch Cheng Yi's face a few times, leaving several bloody marks, before collapsing to the ground with a thud.

He quickly became a bloody mess, convulsing and trembling.

Cheng Yi stood in the darkness, staring indifferently at Chao Fang, until the other's blood soaked the ground black, until the other completely lost his breath.

"Born for the Way, died for the Way. Heavenly King, may you rest in peace."

……

The tent of the cook in the Dingyou camp was quiet.

The cooks, who had eaten and drunk their fill, were once again defeated by Chen Mu.

Black smoke billowed from his right hand, and a fist-sized emerald green jade gourd appeared.

"This is the Thousand Machine Token?"

The gourd has no opening, a smooth surface, and a faint green fluorescence, resembling a solid piece of jade that has been polished.

But with a gentle shake, one can detect a subtle shift in the center of gravity, as if the gourd contained some liquid.

"It's a pity that the armor is not here," Chen Mu sighed.

For a long time, as long as you pay him, Jiejia will answer any question you ask; there's nothing he doesn't know.

"It's not too late to ask when I get back." Chen Mu regretfully put away the Thousand Machine Token and began to think about leaving.

He used to be too afraid to travel alone. But now, a single encounter has proven that his strength far surpasses that of ordinary armored warriors.

He used to be able to catch and kill the ghosts that terrified him. It seems that... he doesn't have to be so afraid of ghosts anymore.

Of course, you should still avoid certain areas and not be reckless.

"Wild ones are fiercer; you can't judge them by the standards of domesticated ones," Chen Mu reminded himself.

"But as long as I don't stumble into a den of vengeful spirits, I should be able to escape without any problem," Chen Mu thought to himself.

Be careful, running back to Nanyang Prefecture shouldn't be too difficult... well, assuming you don't get lost.

Without GPS navigation, and being someone who stays home all year round, it's already a miracle that he can even tell which way to go when he goes out.

Finding the right route and arriving safely in Nanyang Prefecture was indeed a problem.

Chen Mu turned to look at the group of cooks.

Over time, he'd come to like these people. If he were to leave abruptly, they would be implicated.

As Sun Enqi is nominally his "Seventh Uncle," he is more likely to be implicated and severely punished.

"I need to think of a way to avoid implicating these people," Chen Mu pondered.

"No rush, we've already found the Thousand Machine Token." Chen Mu smiled, stretched comfortably, and prepared to go to sleep.

"It's just a bit of a pity about that soul-stabilizing stake."

Since the Yin-Cultivation Strategy can still be sensed, it cannot be used anymore.

"My air conditioner and refrigerator..."

……

"Chao Fang is dead?" Tu Shan stared at Cheng Yi in disbelief.

"I killed him," Cheng Yi said calmly.

"How dare you!" Tu Shan's hair and beard bristled as he grabbed Cheng Yi's clothes from the front and easily lifted him up.

His muscles were bulging, like a ferocious beast, and his cold gaze was fixed on Cheng Yi.

"I have successfully taken control of the Yin-Huan strategy." Cheng Yi said calmly, looking down at the large, fan-like hand that Tu Shan held.

Tu Shan narrowed his eyes and slowly lowered his sincerity: "Chao Fang died a truly unjust death."

"I want a Thousand Machine Token." Cheng Yi looked up calmly at Tu Shan, who exuded a fierce and oppressive aura.

Tu Shan's eyes widened, his right fist clenched, and he raised his hand to smash the Taoist's head.

“I only need one,” Cheng Yi said calmly, staring intently at Tu Shan.

Tu Shan raised an eyebrow: "Just one?"

He nodded earnestly: "You must give it to me first."

Tu Shan snapped out of his daze, beaming, and reached out to smooth Cheng Yi's shirt: "Alright, here you go first. The rest are all mine."

“We’ll launch a surprise attack on the Jinghong Gang tomorrow,” Cheng Yi nodded. “First, we’ll seize their Thousand Machine Token.”

"That was great!" Tu Shan said with satisfaction.

"Once I succeed, I will immediately prepare a blood sacrifice," Cheng Yi continued. "All the spoils are yours."

Tu Shan was taken aback, then burst into laughter: "Chao Fang died a good death!"

(End of this chapter)