novelraw Chapter 206: Offering
Chapter 206: Offering
Duan Rong had already performed the Cloud Serpent Step, his figure leaping back to distance himself from the opponent.
Shen Chen’s steps began to falter.
Though he couldn’t see it himself, Duan Rong saw it very clearly. Shen Chen’s face had turned dark, lips purplish-black.
This was a sign of poisoning!
The reason Duan Rong dared to fight a martial artist in the Great Success Realm was because of this!
Earlier, when his figure flickered, the poisonous powder in his sleeve continuously sprinkled out faintly...
Unknowingly, Shen Chen had been deeply poisoned!
At that moment, a plum blossom shadow bloomed beside Duan Rong’s hand, and a Willow Leaf Saber shot out from the shadow, aiming straight for Shen Chen’s heart!
By this time, Shen Chen was already in disarray, his consciousness muddled!
The flying saber pierced through his body, emerging blood-soaked from his back!
Shen Chen’s vision went black, he fell backward, looking up at the sky, and the long sword in his hand clattered to the ground!
Just as his body tilted backward, Duan Rong flashed past, the Cow Tail Saber severing Shen Chen’s neck in one swift motion!
Although the heart had stopped supplying blood, the artery in the severed neck gushed high with blood!
Duan Rong stood in the sunlight with the saber, and Shen Chen’s dark-hued severed head rested on the horizontal Cow Tail Saber, his eyes still blankly open...
Blood trickled along the slightly tilted blade, splattering on the ground by Duan Rong’s feet...
Duan Rong tore a headscarf from a corpse nearby, wrapped Shen Chen’s severed head with it, and casually placed it on a pavilion on the rockery.
Then Duan Rong raised his eyes to look at the shadow wall in the courtyard.
Outside the shadow wall was the entrance to the manor, and he hadn’t forgotten about the two guards standing there.
He hadn’t moved them earlier to avoid alarming the others, but now that this side was handled, it was time to cut off these two tails.
The manor was quite large, and the rockery was quite a distance from the manor gate, plus the fight had ended in mere moments.
There hadn’t been a single clashing sound to alert the two guarding outside the shadow wall.
Those two were still chatting at the gate.
One man with a mole on his face rubbed his neck, saying, "The little concubines in the estate were so tender, I was hoping to have some fun, but Shen took them all out without even blinking..."
"Truly a sha..."
His unfinished word of regret was swallowed forever because a flying saber exploded his head, splattering his brains all over!
The man standing across from him had a lecherous grin stuck on his face, but that grin froze forever because his occiput was blown apart almost simultaneously!
Duan Rong suddenly darted out from the shadow wall, grabbed the two like sandbags, and with a few leaps, returned to the rockery!
Duan Rong threw the two bodies on the ground and then flickered into the secret chamber, pulling out the last skinny corpse.
Duan Rong piled twelve bodies beside the rockery. Just then, he noticed a longsword at his feet.
This was the sword Shen Chen used earlier. Duan Rong sneered, "A dastardly bandit trying to act grand with a sword? Pretending?"
But suddenly, Duan Rong’s brow twitched. The sword path Shen Chen took seemed familiar, like he’d seen it somewhere before, but he couldn’t quite recall!
Thinking, Duan Rong’s eyes suddenly brightened; he remembered.
It was Shen Mizi! Her sword path was similar to Shen Yanliu’s daughter, Shen Mizi’s!
Though Duan Rong had only seen Shen Mizi use a sword once at a painting stall, it left a deep impression on him.
This person’s sword technique was similar to Shen Mizi’s, and the bandits called him Shen Leader earlier.
"He also has the surname Shen!" Duan Rong suddenly thought there might be a significant connection between this man and Shen Yanliu.
Duan Rong’s eyes shifted as he bent to pick up the longsword, thinking, "Read Artifact Spirit."
A set of data floated before Duan Rong’s eyes.
Artifact: Longsword.
Artifact Spirit Tier: Tier Three.
Devouring Requirements: Host’s Spiritual Power Level 3 (fulfilled).
Devouring Effect: Washing Water Sword Technique Great Success.
Duan Rong’s heart stirred, thinking, "Devour!"
He preferred using sabers; swords weren’t his interest!
But whether it was destiny or misfortune, he repeatedly clashed with the Shen family both openly and secretly!
This Washing Water Sword Technique being from the Shen family could only be beneficial to know your enemy.
After devouring, Duan Rong discarded the longsword, flickered away again, and fetched two large jars of strong liquor from within a house.
Previously, while searching between houses, using Divine Sense, he found more than a dozen jars of strong liquor stored there.
Duan Rong smashed the two large jars of liquor onto the pile of twelve bodies, and the aroma of alcohol spread instantly!
He pulled out a flint, igniting the liquor. Blue flames rapidly spread and devoured the bodies!
Duan Rong turned back, fetched two more large jars of liquor, and smashed them into the fire, intensifying the flames, and the scent of burnt flesh spread wide!
He stood there, the afternoon sun illuminating the burning pile of corpses!
For the first time, Duan Rong saw bodies consumed by flames. Besides the enticing aroma, once the fire licked away clothing and hair, human skin blistered and oozed oil, turning into fuel...
After burning for a while, the skin started to char and blacken...
Duan Rong watched as the bodies turned unrecognizable, raising his head, seeing the rising smoke intertwining with flames in the sunlight, barely visible...
He gazed at the drifting smoke, his gaze distant and deep...
He believed that if souls existed after death, the spirits in this village must be floating above, watching the burning corpses...
"Is this meager tribute enough to dispel your resentment?" Duan Rong murmured to the sky above.
But he’d done all he could, suddenly channeling Inner Breath, and picked up a chest filled with gold, jewels, and silver notes, hoisting it onto his shoulder.
He also picked up Shen Chen’s severed head.
The head wrapped in a scarf still dripped blood...
Duan Rong strode out of the devastated Quan family manor!
In the wilderness at the village’s west end, Duan Rong dug a large pit, wrapped the bodies of the four Qin family members in mats, and buried them.
With a shovel, he packed the dirt down but did not set a marker; honestly, he only knew Qin Lao Han’s surname, not even his first name.
Unwrapping Shen Chen’s head, he laid it open in front of the Qin family’s grave, then opened a jar of strong liquor, pouring as he circled the grave, saying, "Old Qin, many times you took care of me in the mountains! One jar of liquor, one head, a gift for your journey!"
After completing the circle, he poured some remaining strong liquor over Shen Chen’s head, igniting it with a flint, as the scent of burnt hair and flesh spread around the grave!
Looking at the burning head and the grave, Duan Rong finished the last bit of liquor himself, then smashed the jar behind him.
His eyes looked towards the distant village, the faint scent of blood still wafting in the wind; there were many bodies in the village, too many for him to bury!
Suddenly, Duan Rong clasped his hands towards the grave, saying, "Old Qin, Black Wa, have a safe journey!"
After saying this, he turned, looking at a horse carriage not far behind.
Duan Rong had used this carriage to transport the Qin family’s bodies here.
The horse had died in Qin Lao Han’s house, leaving only the cart.
Approaching the cart, Duan Rong paused, channeling Inner Breath, he hoisted a large chest from the cart, then with a palm strike, smashed the cart into a tree, destroying it completely.
Then, with the chest on his shoulder, Duan Rong walked towards Wild Boar Mountain...