We're practicing all martial arts, so why did you switch to easy mode?

Chapter 112 A Cunning Plan, A New Deal, Huge Gains
Su Chen could naturally tell that Cai Xiaoyue liked Zhu Yan, and this invitation was only out of consideration for Zhu Yan.

However, he didn't dwell on it. After thinking for a moment, he politely declined. Cai Xiaoyue was slightly disappointed, but she didn't press him.

The two walked along and unknowingly arrived at Zhu Yan's private clinic.

This courtyard was specially arranged for Zhu Yan by the Liuhe Gang, specifically for him to treat injured members of the gang.

Because of Zhu Yan's excellent medical skills, many people come to him for treatment every day, and these people have great respect for him.

Looking at Zhu Yan, who was busy inside and out, Cai Xiaoyue said, "Originally, I wanted to hire some helpers for Brother Zhu, but Brother Zhu said it was too much trouble and he didn't want any."

"Maybe he enjoys this state," Su Chen said after observing for a long time.

Seemingly having spotted something interesting, Su Chen walked towards the courtyard. Cai Xiaoyue noticed that Su Chen's gaze was fixed on the row of bookshelves in the main hall.

She followed him without disturbing the busy Zhu Yan.

Su Chen walked up to the bookshelf, glanced around, and sure enough, they were all medical books.

He had read some of them, but not most of them. The order in which he read these medical books was probably arranged by Zhu Yan.

"These medical books seem to correspond to different stages of learning."

He picked up the medical books and glanced at them. He had a vague idea of ​​what was going on. These medical books were basically arranged side by side from simple to difficult.

This piqued Su Chen's interest.

After all, he came from a self-taught background. Although he studied every day, the books he read were extremely disorganized and completely lacked any systematic approach.

Zhu Yan comes from a family of doctors with a long tradition of medicine, so he naturally knows what to look for at each stage and can provide systematic training for his disciples.

"My benefactor, you also read these medical books?" Su Chen picked up a medical book and had been reading it for a while when Zhu Yan came over and asked with a smile.

Su Chen nodded: "Could I borrow these medical books of yours to take a look?"

"If you like it, please take it."

These medical books aren't worth much money; they're not as valuable as the medical classic he gave to Su Chen. It wouldn't matter if he gave them to Su Chen.

Su Chen simply picked out a few medical books he hadn't read before and stacked them in order.

The medical books themselves are not important; what matters is the order in which you read them.

If the order is right, it can save him a lot of time.

"If my benefactor still wants more, I will find some time to go to the library and borrow a few books for him."

Zhu Yan's eyes lit up when he saw that Su Chen had taken more than ten medical books, and he said something.

"The library?" Su Chen paused, looking at Zhu Yan.

Zhu Yan nodded: "Yes, these were all borrowed from the library. Some of the medical books are not available on the market, but they are all rubbings, so it's fine to lend them to our benefactor."

Cai Xiaoyue, standing to the side, rolled her eyes and was momentarily speechless.

Although these medical books were rubbings, they were so valuable that they couldn't be bought for tens or hundreds of taels of silver each outside. But in Zhu Yan's mouth, they became "borrow them at will, there are plenty of them."

She was quite curious about what this "benefactor" Zhu Yan had done to make Zhu Yan so devoted and selfless.

"A library? Is it the kind of library I'm thinking of?"

Su Chen seemed to be deep in thought, but since Cai Xiaoyue was there, he didn't feel comfortable asking, so he gave up.

After borrowing more than ten medical books, Su Chen bid farewell to the two. Because he suddenly became busy, Zhu Yan had no choice but to see Su Chen to the door.

Su Chen didn't mind. He took more than ten medical books home and began reading them in order.

When the black market opened at the beginning of the month, Su Chen changed into Lu Xiaofeng's attire and went out of the city to the black market.

There are two main reasons for this trip to the black market.

One option was to purchase Qi and Blood Pills, and the other was to inquire about the purchase channels for Xuan Yuan Pills.

Although he learned from Cai Xiaoyue that the Xuan Yuan Pill was only provided to the disciples of the Xuan Shui Sect, Su Chen did not believe that there was no force or individual in the vast Dafeng City who needed the Xuan Yuan Pill.

As long as there is something, there might be an opportunity.

If not, then we'll have to find another way.

Upon arriving at the black market, Su Chen went straight to the stall selling Qi and Blood Pills.

When he saw that there was a different person at the stall, his heart skipped a beat, and a bad feeling welled up in his heart.

"Excuse me, do you sell Qi and Blood Pills?"

Su Chen lowered his voice, walked up to the stall, and asked.

"You've got the wrong person!" the other person replied impatiently.

Although he had expected it, Su Chen still couldn't hide his disappointment. He sighed, "Yu Xian really was the provider of Qi and Blood Pills. With his death, no one on the black market is selling Qi and Blood Pills anymore, and I've lost a channel to buy them!"

Somewhat helpless, Su Chen did not regret killing Yu Xian.

Afterwards, Su Chen had no choice but to continue wandering around the black market to see if he could find other stalls selling Qi and Blood Pills.

I searched the entire black market, but still came back empty-handed.

Su Chen had no choice but to go to the stall without a sign and write down his two requests.

To his disappointment, the other party immediately gave a reply, shaking their head.

Su Chen's heart sank, and his expression turned slightly grim: "Without Qi and Blood Pills, at least there are substitutes, but without Profound Origin Pills, I'm afraid I won't be able to improve my Profound Origin Technique for a long time."

Having finally obtained the follow-up techniques of the Xuan Yuan Jue, only to be stuck on resources, it's incredibly frustrating.

"If I had known earlier, I would have kept one Xuan Yuan Pill to study its medicinal ingredients carefully. Maybe I could have found a substitute for it."

Su Chen's mind raced, and he quickly came up with several solutions.

"Perhaps we could ask Aunt Xue for help. As a family member of the Xuan Shui Gang, it shouldn't be difficult for her to buy Xuan Yuan Pills. However, it might be hard to explain then. We can't just come up with 'I have a friend' to fool Aunt Xue again. She's not like Zhu Yan and Cai Xiaoyue; she's not so easy to fool!"

Headache!

Shaking his head, Su Chen dismissed the thoughts from his mind. He then wandered around the black market again, this time mainly looking for affordable alternatives.

After searching around, I found mostly medicinal herbs for sale, but very few alternatives to Qi Xue Dan. Even if they were available, their effects were not as good as Fei Xue San.

After some time, Su Chen finally gave up and decided to go back.

It was still early when he left the black market, but he had no interest in wandering around.

Su Chen walked for a quarter of an hour until he reached a desolate mountain path. He suddenly stopped, turned around, and said loudly, "You've been following me for so long, is there something you need?"

"I bought medicine from you before, and I want to buy some more Qi and Blood-nourishing medicine from you. Do you have any left?" A figure emerged from the tree branch.

The man was dressed in black and had his back to the moonlight, so Su Chen couldn't see his face at all.

Upon hearing the other party's words, Su Chen replied decisively, "You've mistaken me for someone else. I don't sell medicine!"

"It's alright if you don't have one, but I need you to answer one question for me." The man in black did not let Su Chen off the hook.

Su Chen narrowed his eyes slightly and asked, "What's the problem?"

"Does Your Excellency know where a deaf-mute doctor is?"

“You’ve got the wrong person!” Su Chen shook his head and said decisively.

The man in black sneered, "Since you don't want to talk about it, then I'll have to do it myself."

As soon as he finished speaking, a figure darted out, swooping down like a black eagle and blocking Su Chen's path.

Su Chen's gaze sharpened, and the instant he landed, he made his move, taking three steps in two, leaving a trail of afterimages as he charged forward.

With fingers together and palms thumping, a sharp palm wind howled out, creating waves of air that pushed aside the air before crashing down.

The man in black remained calm and showed no sign of panic upon seeing this. He suddenly turned around, his five fingers forming a claw, a flash of silver light, and grabbed at the iron palm.

boom!
A deep sound emanated from the moment the silver claws and iron palms clashed, creating invisible shockwaves that reverberated outwards.

A tremendous shockwave rippled out instantly, blowing through sleeves, tossing hair, and suppressing the aura of the two figures. As they retreated, the shockwave dissipated.

"What a strong palm force!"

The man in black took several steps back, a hint of seriousness flickering in his eyes.

"Claw Kung Fu?"

Su Chen shook his arm; it wasn't injured, but rather a few silver fragments that had fallen from his opponent's silver eagle claws during their earlier exchange.

The black-clad man's claw technique, combined with these silver claws, complemented each other perfectly, doubling their power.

"Are you a member of the Rebirth Sect?" Su Chen asked in a deep voice.

"So you do know a deaf-mute doctor, then we can't let you live today!" The man in black was taken aback upon hearing this, and then sneered.

Su Chen did not respond and launched the first attack. Whether or not he could be held back was not something the man in black could decide!
With a single leap, Su Chen's body seemed to sprout wings, his toes almost leaving the ground, his speed as fast as lightning, transforming into an arc of electricity as he charged forward.

The man in black narrowed his eyes and sneered, "You're asking for death!"

Then, with a sudden stomp of his toes, he shot out like an arrow, colliding head-on with Su Chen.

Bang bang bang!
Its silver claws are like hooks, indestructible.

Its iron palm is sharp and its edge is fully revealed.

With his silver claws, the man in black held his own against Su Chen.

As the fight went on, his expression gradually turned serious. The moment the two of them unleashed their power, he felt as if he were in a vast ocean, constantly being battered by the waves.

If his strength was only as big as a stream, then Su Chen's strength was a great river.

When a great river flows into the ocean, it is not assimilated; instead, it becomes as vast as the ocean in the blink of an eye.

Such a change is simply unheard of!

"Could this person be a martial artist at the Bone Forging Realm?" The man in black was shocked and incredulous. How did the deaf-mute doctor get acquainted with a Bone Forging Realm martial artist?

"Even at a time like this, you still dare to be distracted." Su Chen sneered inwardly, and his movements became increasingly fierce. A violent force swept over him like an overwhelming force, and in an instant, he sent the man in black flying with a single palm strike.

Not only was his strength far superior to his, but it also carried an extremely fierce power. After just one palm strike, the man in black felt his internal organs churning violently. Even with all the strength he had, he was still unable to suppress Su Chen's power.

Two forces, one gentle and the other fierce, collided violently within the man in black, causing him immense pain. He could no longer hold back, and with a metallic taste rising from deep in his throat, he spat out a mouthful of blood.

puff!
Although he managed to suppress the fierce energy within his body, the man in black's aura suddenly weakened, and his face turned even paler.

"Huh? What about people?"

However, at this moment, he had no time to worry about this matter. He looked up and was suddenly shocked. Where had Su Chen gone?
The next moment, a chill rose from the soles of my feet, rushed straight to the top of my head, and chills ran down my spine. The hairs on my body stood on end, and I felt as if I had fallen into an ice cellar, with coldness spreading throughout my body!

Snapped!
Click!

In an instant, the iron palm fell vertically from behind, striking the back of the man's head. With just one blow, the man's skull shattered, and his brains gushed out.

Blood was gushing from the black-clad man's nose, mouth, ears, and eyes, a truly gruesome sight.

Not long after, he stopped breathing and died on the spot.

Su Chen watched the man in black fall silently, then came to him and began to grope around.

No money.

There are no secrets or tricks.

This made Su Chen frown slightly. The people of the Rebirth Sect shouldn't be this poor!

After searching for a while, Su Chen finally found something inside his belt. It wasn't money, but a piece of paper.

He opened the note and saw that it read: "The third day of the month, at the third quarter of the hour of Xu (7:45 PM), in the bamboo forest by the clear stream."

The first two are specific times, needless to say. As for the Qingxi Bamboo Forest, Su Chen had heard of it; it was a bamboo forest near Qingxi Town.

"There's a time and a place, could it be a meeting place?" Su Chen pondered, his face showing deep thought. "Qingxi Town is the territory of the Xuan Shui Sect. To trade in the territory of the Xuan Shui Sect, unless... it's a trade with someone from the Xuan Shui Sect."

Thinking this way, he couldn't help but come to a conclusion: "Could it be that the Xuan Shui Sect is colluding with the Rebirth Sect?"

As the premier sect in Qinzhou, the Xuanshui Sect holds a prestigious position.

Qinzhou is nominally under the jurisdiction of the government, but in reality, the true controller is the Xuanshui Sect. When the Wangsheng Sect wants to overthrow the Qinzhou regime, the Xuanshui Sect will be the first to bear the brunt. The relationship between the two can be described as irreconcilable.

The fact that members of the Rebirth Sect are now trading on the territory of the Profound Water Sect makes it hard not to suspect that members of the Profound Water Sect are secretly colluding with the Rebirth Sect.

"If my guess is correct, what would they be trading? Money? Or pills? Qi and Blood Pills or Profound Essence Pills?"

Following this line of thought, Su Chen's eyes grew brighter and brighter. Compared with other sects, the biggest advantage of the Xuan Shui Sect was undoubtedly its elixirs.

Among these, the most highly regarded is the Qi and Blood Pill. It is precisely because of the Qi and Blood Pill that the Xuan Shui Sect has almost bound together all the martial artists in Qinzhou.

It is reasonable that the Rebirth Sect needs Qi and Blood Elixir.

"Whether it is or not, we'll find out when we go and see!"

After hesitating for a moment, Su Chen gritted his teeth and made a decision. He knew it was risky, but fortune favors the bold. If things really turned out as he thought, this would be an important channel for him to obtain Qi and Blood Pills and Profound Origin Pills. He would be unwilling not to give it a try.

Moreover, he was certain that since the man in black dared to trade with the Xuan Shui Sect, neither he nor the Xuan Shui Sect members would reveal their identities, which gave him an opportunity to take advantage of the situation.

After putting away the secret letter, Su Chen threw the black-clad man's body into a ravine and then set off back to the city.

Two days passed in the blink of an eye, and Su Chen was ready to go, heading to Qingxi Town ahead of schedule.

When I returned to Qingxi Town, there wasn't much change compared to before; it was still bustling with activity.

Yu Xian's death did not seem to cause any ripples in Qingxi Town, nor did it affect the daily lives of the people in Qingxi Town.

This time, Su Chen simply put on a "black-clad man imitation makeup," and his appearance was about five or six points similar to the black-clad man.

This is just in case; even if we're exposed, we can make up a story that we're a relative of the man in black, and this face will be the proof.

Su Chen then arrived at the bamboo forest ahead of time to wait. The agreed time was 3:45 PM, which was approaching.

The other party was indeed very punctual; when they said it was 7:45 PM, it was exactly 7:45 PM, neither early nor late.

The other person was also dressed very conservatively, with a cloak covering their body and their face covered, as if afraid of being discovered.

Upon arriving at the bamboo forest, he looked around warily.

When he saw Su Chen come out, he frowned and asked, "Why are you wearing a mask this time?"

Upon hearing this, Su Chen's heart skipped a beat, but his expression remained calm. He did not answer, but instead asked, "Did you bring everything?"

The other party didn't speak, but looked Su Chen up and down, then stepped back and said in a deep voice, "I brought them, but not many this time, only ten!"

Only ten?

In other words, the other party agreed to a larger quantity with the man in black.

Thinking of this, he said with some displeasure, "Ten? Are you trying to fool a child?"

Knowing he was in the wrong, the cloaked man said helplessly, "As you know, someone was caught selling Qi and Blood Pills without authorization. The Xuan Shui Sect has been cracking down on this matter recently, and having ten pills is already quite good."

He paused for a moment, then added, "Next month, I'll replenish these pills and give them to you all at once."

These words gave Su Chen two pieces of information.

One of the items traded between the two was the Qi and Blood Pill.

One is that the two people trade once a month.

Su Chen naturally could not agree to the other party's request.

Once a month, who knows what might happen in between? He doesn't want to gamble, nor is he willing to waste time gambling.

So he said, "No, that's your problem. I only ask for enough Qi and Blood Pills. If you can't do that, don't blame me for being impolite!"

His tone was extremely dissatisfied, as if he was about to take action at any moment.

The cloaked man's expression turned somewhat grim upon hearing this, but he still said, "I really can't come up with it right now. How about this, I'll bring the rest on the fifteenth of this month? What do you think?"

Su Chen didn't speak. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Okay, but the next transaction location will be changed to the woods east of Qingxi. The time will remain the same. And this time I will only give you one thousand taels. After you pay the rest next time, I will give you the balance!"

"One thousand taels is too little, how about one thousand five hundred taels?" the cloaked man said after a moment's hesitation, trying to bargain.

However, when he saw Su Chen's gloomy eyes, he smiled awkwardly and said, "A thousand taels it is, just do as you say."

"Here's a thousand taels!" After rummaging around for a while, Su Chen took out a thousand taels of silver notes from his pocket and handed them to the other party. The other party didn't stand on ceremony, counted the money, and accepted it. Then, he handed Su Chen a packet of medicinal herbs.

Su Chen opened it and saw that it contained ten Qi and Blood Pills. He then put the pills into his pocket in front of the other party.

"I need some Xuan Yuan Pills, can you get some?" Su Chen suddenly looked up at the cloaked man and asked.

The cloaked man glanced at Su Chen in surprise, then quickly shook his head: "I can't get it. I can only refine Qi and Blood Pills at the moment."

These words startled Su Chen. It turned out that the Qi and Blood Pill was not purchased by the other party, but was refined by the cloaked man himself.

He gave the cloaked man a deep look and said coldly, "The Profound Origin Pill doesn't have to be traded like the Blood Qi Pill. You can get as many as you want, and the price is negotiable!"

The cloaked man clearly seemed interested. After pondering for a moment, he nodded and said, "Alright, I'll try my best!"

Su Chen nodded slightly, without exchanging further words with the other party, and then leaped away.

The cloaked man stood still, watching Su Chen's departing figure, his gaze suddenly becoming profound.

Only after Su Chen disappeared from sight did he turn his gaze away, touching the other pill in his arms, his eyes icy cold.

"This guy seems to have started to suspect me."

In the distance, Su Chen didn't leave but hid in the shadows, observing the cloaked man. From the very beginning of their encounter until the end of the transaction, he had a strange feeling that the other party seemed to trust his identity too much, without suspecting at all that he was an imposter.

He didn't show much emotion when faced with his requests, but generally agreed to them.

Under normal circumstances, it would seem like there was no problem, but Su Chen sensed something was amiss.

Why are you wearing a mask this time?

Unrelated thoughts popped into his mind, which he hadn't noticed at the time, but upon reflection now, they didn't seem to be a greeting at all.

"Could it be a code?" Su Chen couldn't help but wonder.

When the cloaked man answered this question, his expression seemed to fluctuate slightly.

Watching the cloaked man's departing figure, Su Chen wondered to himself, "Should I follow him and see what's going on?"

Immediately, he shook his head, rejecting the idea: "Forget it. Whether he suspects my identity or not, he'll find out next time we meet. It's better to play it by ear then!"

Touching the ten Qi and Blood Pills in his pocket, Su Chen composed himself and turned to leave.

He didn't notice that shortly after he left, a carrier pigeon flapped its wings, flew over mountains and rivers and fields, swooped down, and landed on the wall of a courtyard.

There was a squeak.

The courtyard gate was opened, and a tall man stormed in, followed by two subordinates.

"Has Chang Yuan not been found yet?" the tall man asked in a deep voice.

The two subordinates exchanged a glance, then knelt down and said, "Reporting to the Dharma King, not yet."

"Outrageous! You can't find him at this crucial moment, delaying my important business. Do you really think I wouldn't dare to kill him?" the tall man cursed without any politeness.

He glanced at the two subordinates kneeling on the ground and became even angrier: "What are you kneeling here for? Go and find it for me right now!"

"Yes!"

The two subordinates quickly responded and then got up to leave.

"Wait!"

Just as the two stepped out the door, they heard a cold, sharp shout from behind them.

The two stopped and looked back, only to see the tall man looking down at a note with an unprecedentedly solemn expression.

After waiting for a long time, under the questioning gazes of the two, the tall man tore up the note and his expression returned to calm.

He waved his hand and calmly said, "Keep searching. We need to find them alive or dead!"

These words startled the two men, who seemed to have guessed something. They exchanged glances, then nodded emphatically and retreated, saying, "Yes!"

Xuan Shui Sect.

Duan Feng, who was already fast asleep, heard the cooing of the carrier pigeon and opened his eyes. He got up, went to the window, and took out the letter.

"Those damned Rebirth Cult! They knew the other person was an imposter, yet they still told me to seduce him. Do they really think I'm their slave?"

After reading the contents of the letter, a flash of anger crossed Duan Feng's face.

He had already informed the Rebirth Sect of the time and place of the next transaction, but they still wouldn't let him go. They wanted him to continue trading with Su Chen next time, and then follow the clues to uncover the power behind Su Chen.

Although Su Chen's true identity is unknown, since he dared to impersonate someone from the Rebirth Sect, regardless of how powerful his background is, he is definitely bold, and a bold person must have something to rely on!

He was told to continue trading with Su Chen, but if the other party discovered the deception and the Rebirth Sect went back on its word and refused to come forward, then there would be only one outcome awaiting him.

"You bastards, I was blind to have gotten on your pirate ship!"

Amidst the anger came endless regret. Having boarded the pirate ship of the Rebirth Sect, and now that he was in the Xuan Shui Sect, it was too late for regrets.

With a deep sigh, Duan Feng's face revealed endless desolation. Although he was unwilling to show his face, he was powerless to resist the Rebirth Sect, which held leverage over him, and could only submit.

Thinking this way, he became increasingly irritable and uncomfortable, and a series of intermittent noises filled the room.

Three days passed without much change for Su Chen; he continued to stay home every day, taking drugs, reading, and preparing medicine...

On the evening of the third day, Su Chen changed his appearance and arrived at the agreed location half an hour early, lying in ambush and waiting silently.

Whether Duan Feng has truly become suspicious of him or not, we'll find out soon enough.

The silvery moon, like a hook, hangs upside down in the sky, its bright light adorning the earth as if it were daytime.

The chirping of insects, calls of birds, and croaking of frogs highlighted the restlessness of the night.

Su Chen seemed to blend into the surrounding flowers, plants, and trees, even his breathing became shallow.

"coming!"

This situation did not last long. Su Chen's ears twitched slightly as all sorts of sounds came from all directions, and he quickly picked up on the discordant sounds.

The people who came were not Duan Feng, and there was more than one of them!
Looking into the distance, one can vaguely see a few blurry figures flash by before disappearing into the grass and trees.

"really!"

Upon seeing these people lurking nearby, Su Chen became solemn. Duan Feng had not only discovered his false identity but also planned to lure him out so that he could capture him.

Time continued to pass, and in the blink of an eye, it was the time that Su Chen and Duan Feng had agreed upon. Su Chen's attention finally shifted from the group of lurking individuals to the late-arriving Duan Feng.

Duan Feng's attire was exactly the same as last time. After arriving at the agreed location, his eyes darted around, searching for Su Chen's figure.

Seeing this, Su Chen became even more restrained.

not far away.

The tall man and his men held their breath and secretly observed. When they saw Duan Feng, they all became solemn and looked around, trying to find Su Chen's figure.

After searching for almost fifteen minutes, we didn't see a single person.

"Your Majesty, could this guy be trying to trick us? This is outrageous! I'll go kill him!" one of his men said angrily.

The tall man didn't speak, but glared at the other party. Although he had some doubts, it was still early and he didn't plan to show himself now.

the other side.

As time went on, Duan Feng's expression grew increasingly tense, and his already somewhat flustered heart became even more helpless.

My mind was filled with all sorts of distracting thoughts.

"Does the other party know that I deliberately set up this scheme to lure him, which is why he didn't show himself? Or is he hiding in the shadows, observing me?"

He wasn't sure.

The only thing they knew was that members of the Rebirth Cult were lying in ambush nearby.

The night is getting darker.

Half an hour, an hour, a quarter of an hour...

Duan Feng had already found a relatively comfortable place to sit down and was waiting drowsily.

Not to mention Su Chen himself, we didn't even see a trace of him.

Duan Feng even suspected that Su Chen had said that on purpose to mislead him, and that he actually had no intention of making a deal.

He foolishly thought he was being deceived, only to find out in the end that he was the clown!
He was getting impatient, but since he hadn't received any signal from the Rebirth Sect, he could only wait.

Su Chen hadn't expected these guys to be so patient.

I've been waiting for almost three hours, and they're still holding on tenaciously.

Fortunately, their patience wore thin, and two hours later, the Rebirth Sect finally sent a signal to Duan Feng.

"It's finally over!"

It wasn't the group of men in black who left first, but Duan Feng. They seemed somewhat unwilling to give up, and waited for a while after Duan Feng left.

Su Chen naturally didn't show himself, and only breathed a sigh of relief after they left.

Looking in the direction where the two groups of people disappeared, Su Chen's expression hardened, and he finally decided to catch up with Duan Feng and go take a look.

He still couldn't forget the Qi and Blood Pill on the other person's body!
Before long, Su Chen saw Duan Feng's figure.

"They probably won't show up tonight!"

After running for a while, Duan Feng was out of breath and stopped on a large rock by the roadside to rest for a while.

Once his breathing had stabilized, Duan Feng continued on his journey.

"This doesn't seem to be the direction to the Xuan Shui Sect?"

Su Chen, who was observing from the shadows, was a little puzzled. Where was this guy planning to go so late?
After following Duan Feng for a while, the two gradually ventured deeper into the Qingxi Mountain forest.

If Duan Feng hadn't been acting suspiciously, Su Chen would have almost suspected that he had discovered him.

Fortunately, the other party was simply being cautious, but this only deepened the confusion in Su Chen's eyes, as he felt that Duan Feng would bring him a surprise.

After a stick of incense had burned, even Su Chen didn't know where the two of them had arrived. Finally, they saw a cave ahead.

Duan Feng seemed very familiar with the place, entering the cave with ease.

The cave was small but extremely well hidden, and traps were set up around it to prevent wild animals from entering.

After Duan Feng entered the cave, Su Chen quickly arrived at the cave entrance and listened intently from the outside.

The cave wasn't deep; you could hear sounds coming from inside, but they were very faint, just a jumble of noises.

"Out!"

No one knew what Duan Feng was up to, but after a few minutes, footsteps could be heard coming from inside.

"call!"

After putting the things away, Duan Feng smiled with satisfaction.

This is his secret base, where he usually keeps the pills he refines to avoid being discovered by the Xuanfa Academy.

This place is very secluded; almost no one knows about it except him, and no one will discover his actions.

"If it weren't for that guy, I wouldn't have had to wait until now to come!"

He thought about what had happened that night, and feeling annoyed, he couldn't help but complain.

With just one step, the expression on his face froze instantly. A familiar figure stood beside him, looking at him with a half-smile.

"You, why are you here?"

Perhaps he was too surprised, Duan Feng's voice suddenly became stuttering, and a look of fear instantly spread across his face.

He couldn't help but take a step back, his heart sinking into an ice cellar, as if enveloped by a tremendous fear.

boom!
No sooner had he finished speaking than Duan Feng saw Su Chen's enormous hand come hurtling towards him, slapping him directly on the forehead.

thump.

After knocking Duan Feng unconscious, Su Chen grabbed him by the collar and led him into the cave.

Despite the narrow entrance, the space inside is quite large, easily accommodating five or six people.

Upon entering the cave, Su Chen spotted the box that Duan Feng had buried underground. He released Duan Feng and dug the box out.

With a hint of anticipation, Su Chen opened the box, and his eyes suddenly lit up.

goldfish.

Qi and Blood Pill.

And... the Profound Origin Pill!

The box was divided into four compartments. Three compartments contained goldfish and two kinds of pills, while the last compartment contained a pile of miscellaneous items.

Su Chen's attention was immediately drawn to the Qi and Blood Pill and the Profound Origin Pill.

"Ten Profound Origin Pills, thirty Qi and Blood Pills, seven or eight goldfish, and a bunch of other worthless junk."

After counting them carefully, Su Chen quickly tallied the quantity of pills and gold.

Looking at the pills and goldfish, Su Chen couldn't help but smile: "This trip was definitely worthwhile!"

After putting the pills and goldfish back in their proper places, he looked at the unconscious Duan Feng.

After thinking it over, I finally decided to give him a quick death and end it with one stroke.

He knew that Duan Feng was from the Xuan Shui Sect and that Duan Feng was connected with the Wang Sheng Sect. He originally wanted to use this as leverage to force Duan Feng to provide him with Qi and Blood Pills and Xuan Yuan Pills.

Unfortunately, the other party not only discovered his identity but also colluded with the Rebirth Cult to try to kill him. If he continues to cooperate with this person, no one can guarantee that Duan Feng will not resort to the same old tricks.

Furthermore, since he intended to keep Duan Feng's wealth for himself, he decided to go all the way and eliminate the other party directly.

Although this might mean missing out on a long-term opportunity to obtain Qi and Blood Pills and Profound Essence Pills, it is still much safer in comparison.

After all, even if Duan Feng agrees to cooperate with him, he may not be sincere. Unreliable cooperation is worse than no cooperation at all.

After packing the boxes, Su Chen returned home with a full load.

……

For several days in a row, He Qiu was unable to find Su Chen's whereabouts. It was as if he had vanished into thin air, leaving no trace.

Even from Hong Risheng's residence, no news came out.

Although the target had been identified, the matter had made no progress for a long time, which made even He Qiu feel troubled.

Fortunately, things took a turn for the better.

Upon receiving the news, He Qiu returned to the Xuan Shui Sect and learned from the head of the Xuan Fu Academy that yet another disciple had gone missing.

The missing disciple is named Duan Feng, an alchemist from the Xuan Dan Academy. He is usually taciturn and has been missing for several days.

The person in charge of investigating this matter was He Qiu's good friend, but after learning about it, He Qiu took over the case.

He always felt that Duan Feng's disappearance was related to Su Chen's disappearance.

So he temporarily put aside the case of Su Chen's disappearance and began to investigate Duan Feng. He didn't know until he investigated that he would find problems.

"You mean, Duan Feng is very likely colluding with the Rebirth Sect?" The heads of the Xuanfu Academy and the Xuandan Academy seemed somewhat surprised upon learning of He Qiu's thoughts.

He Qiu nodded: "That's right. I investigated Duan Feng's whereabouts for nearly a month and found that he often secretly contacted people and secretly provided them with Qi and Blood Pills."

"But that doesn't prove he has any connection with the Rebirth Sect, does it?" the head of the Xuan Dan Academy asked in a deep voice.

He Qiu didn't speak, but instead took out a medical book and retrieved the evidence from it.

"This is proof. Duan Feng tucked the letter inside his medical books. If I hadn't had someone tidy up Duan Feng's room, I'm afraid it would have been hard to find."

The two took the letter and began to read it. Although it was called a letter, it was actually more like Duan Feng's ledger, a ledger of transactions between Duan Feng and the Rebirth Sect.

"That's unreasonable!"

After reading the letter, the head of the Xuan Dan Academy was furious. This guy actually used the sect's medicinal herbs to refine Qi and Blood Pills, and instead of handing over the extra pills to the sect, he sold them to the Rebirth Sect.

This behavior is even more despicable than Yu Xian's, since he only used it for his own personal gain, while Duan Feng sold it to the enemies of the Xuan Shui Sect.

"So now that he's missing, is it...?" The head of the Xuanfu Academy, his expression much calmer, looked at He Qiu and asked.

He Qiu nodded slightly: "That possibility cannot be ruled out. Of course, it is also possible that he discovered in advance that the Rebirth Sect was going to take action against him, so he fled."

"Whether he's dead or alive, if he wants to defect from the Xuan Shui Sect, we'll see if he has the ability!" The head of the Xuan Dan Academy snorted coldly, then ordered his men to take control of Duan Feng's family.

"By the way, He Qiu, how's the investigation into Yu Xian going?" the head of the Xuanfu Academy suddenly asked.

He Qiu shook his head: "The target has been identified, but the clues have gone cold."

"Who is it?"

"This person is called Su Chen, and he may be related to Hong Risheng." He Qiu then explained the progress of the matter.

“Hong Risheng…” The head of the Xuanfu Academy murmured a few words, fell into deep thought, and then said, “Alright, you continue to investigate this matter.”

"Yes!"

……

Three days have passed in the blink of an eye.

This day.

Su Chen swallowed a Xuan Yuan Pill. As the pill's power dissolved in his body, the progress of the Xuan Yuan Technique on the panel suddenly refreshed.

Without even glancing at it, he immediately activated the easy mode, swallowed hard three hundred times, and upgraded the Profound Origin Technique to the second level.

As the Xuan Yuan Technique improved, the internal energy was suddenly stimulated, and its circulation speed increased dramatically, making the tempering of the internal organs faster than usual.

Furthermore, the most obvious change was that a strange force had emerged within Su Chen's body.

No, it wasn't unfamiliar. He could sense that the force came from the Profound Origin Technique, but it was extremely weak at the moment.

Compared to the strength of Iron Shirt, it is worlds apart; the former is like an infant, while the latter is already an adult.

Moreover, unlike the Iron Shirt Force, this weak force primarily tempers the kidneys, not the lungs.

Moreover, this kind of tempering process, like the Iron Shirt technique of the past, is slow and has little effect.

Upon noticing this situation, Su Chen's eyes lit up as if he had discovered a new continent, a strange light flashing within them.

(End of this chapter)