Chapter 5: Bright Jade Evil Body Level 4

’A village?’

Hearing that word, Shen Bai stroked his chin, finally understanding what had happened.

Speaking of villages, he had indeed visited one not long ago—there was the time with Zhang Chaofeng, and before that, he’d been to Huaxi Village.

But as for which specific village it was, Shen Bai wasn’t sure.

That wasn’t the most important part, though. What mattered was that the so-called Master Xuanqing might have happened to see him in one of those villages.

As for Master Xuanqing’s purpose in sending this Jianghu person, Shen Bai had figured that out completely.

’He probably saw me make a move, and with the Great Tomb about to open, he sent a Jianghu person over to probe my strength.’

But this Jianghu person probably never imagined that Shen Bai would be so decisive, crippling him in an instant.

Qin Shuang stepped forward, seemingly accustomed to the gory scene before her. "What do we do?" she asked.

Shen Bai pointed toward the door. "Go to the Government Office, find Zhou Qing, tell him what happened, and have him bring some constables over."

Qin Shuang said, "There’s no proof. The Government Office can’t touch Master Xuanqing based on this Jianghu person’s word alone. After all, he has Qingyun Cloud Temple behind him, and in Fenglin State, Qingyun Cloud Temple is a major power."

Shen Bai pondered for a moment. "If the people from the Observatory found out, how would they handle it?"

Qin Shuang shook her head. "Without solid proof, the Observatory won’t make a move either."

"I see." Shen Bai stood up. "In that case, this Jianghu person came here to cause trouble, so we’ll handle it as such. Just go to the Government Office."

Qin Shuang agreed and, without lingering, turned and left the pawnshop.

Soon, only Shen Bai and the Jianghu person were left in the pawnshop.

The Jianghu person’s gaze toward Shen Bai was filled with terror and fear.

He was ruined. The hand he used to wield his blade had been completely severed by Shen Bai. To continue walking the path of the Jianghu would be next to impossible.

Shen Bai, however, was unconcerned. Looking at the bloody scene, he calmly poured himself a cup of tea and took a slow sip.

In his view, this Jianghu person was just a minor character, not worth getting worked up over.

Before long, Zhou Qing entered with several constables.

Upon seeing the scene, two of the constables covered their noses.

The stench of blood was too thick; their reaction was only natural.

On the way over, Zhou Qing had already learned the details from Qin Shuang, so he didn’t ask many questions. He directed the constables to take the Jianghu person away from the pawnshop, and two of them even cleaned the place up afterward.

Zhou Qing didn’t leave. He stayed behind, a grave expression on his face. "Old Shen, Qingyun Cloud Temple is a Daoist School, and the tomb opening this time is a Daoist one. It looks like they’ve set their sights on you."

Shen Bai shrugged. "It can’t be helped. I exposed my identity. I knew this would happen sooner or later, so I’m prepared."

Back in that village, when Shen Bai decided to act, he had already anticipated these consequences.

He had only one response to this: anyone who blocked him from obtaining a Deceitful Object, anyone who blocked him from acquiring Evil Qi, was his enemy. And his enemies had to die.

There was no other choice.

Zhou Qing nodded.

He knew Shen Bai’s temperament but still offered a word of caution.

"With the Great Tomb opening, you must be careful of that Master Xuanqing. He’s one of the top young experts in Qingyun Cloud Temple. They say he’s already at the peak of the Three Treasures Realm. You can’t underestimate him."

Shen Bai said, "Don’t worry, Old Zhou. By the way, how long until the Great Tomb opens? Is there a specific time?"

Although Chief Zheng had mentioned that there would be a strange phenomenon before the tomb opened, Shen Bai asked casually anyway.

Shen Bai had also asked Qin Shuang about it during this time. As a Thief Sect Disciple, she had just told him to keep waiting, so he didn’t hold out much hope for any intelligence from the Government Office.

But to his surprise, after he asked the question, Zhou Qing gave him an unexpected answer.

"At most, within ten or so days. The Great Tomb will definitely open."

Shen Bai asked, "Where did you get this information?"

"There are still some factions in Shengyun County proficient in Calculation, so they were able to determine a more specific timeframe," Zhou Qing replied.

"I see." Shen Bai took a sip of tea. "When the time comes, you need to be careful too, Old Zhou. If you run into danger, you can come find me anytime."

Zhou Qing agreed. "Alright, Old Shen, I’ll be going then. With the Great Tomb opening, Shengyun County is bound to get more complicated than before. I have to go over some specific plans. Chief Zheng is getting anxious, too."

Shen Bai didn’t try to keep him, letting Zhou Qing leave.

After Zhou Qing left, Shen Bai’s gaze fell on Qin Shuang. He didn’t speak, but his look was pointed.

Qin Shuang gave a light cough. "I only joined the Thief Sect a short time ago, so it’s normal that I don’t know much. I’m just a new recruit, after all."

Shen Bai smiled. "I don’t feel like investigating your identity right now. For this trip to the Great Tomb, I hope you’ll be of some help to me."

Qin Shuang’s eyes darted about. "Don’t you worry. I’ll definitely be helpful."

Shen Bai didn’t want to say any more. He pointed to the counter, signaling for Qin Shuang to watch the shop, then headed back to the courtyard to continue grinding the Skill Level of his Bright Jade Evil Body.

As for what happened today, Shen Bai didn’t give it much thought.

The reason was simple: he currently had no way of finding where Master Xuanqing was.

Otherwise, he would have already paid him a personal visit, Longsword in hand.

Not long after returning to the courtyard, Shen Bai circulated the Qi in his body and began to grind.

Time continued to pass. In the blink of an eye, many more days had gone by.

During this period, no more trouble came looking for Shen Bai. All went quiet on Master Xuanqing’s end.

But Shen Bai didn’t let up either, continuing to grind his Skill Level methodically every day.

The Skill Level of his Bright Jade Evil Body was also steadily increasing.

The situation in Shengyun County grew more and more complex as Jianghu People from all the surrounding cities arrived one after another.

Aside from the complexity of the situation, the influx actually boosted Shengyun County’s economy.

The common folk didn’t know what was going on, but their daily earnings made them grin from ear to ear.

The restaurants and inns, in particular, were making a fortune.

And during this time, Shen Bai’s own gains were also growing.

It was early morning once again.

Qin Shuang had grown accustomed to the routine. She opened the shop’s doors early, standing behind the counter with a stern expression like a seasoned professional.

Shen Bai, after taking a dose of Qi Blood Medicine, resumed grinding his Bright Jade Evil Body.

Before his eyes, the Skill Level of his Bright Jade Evil Body was gradually increasing.

In the blink of an eye, the mist suddenly dissipated. In its place, a new line of mist condensed into words, floating in the air.

Shen Bai’s eyes fixed on this new line of text, the corners of his mouth turning up slightly.

’After so many days of nonstop grinding, I finally got you to Level 4.’

The words gradually sharpened, finally coming to a stop in mid-air.