C11 Inside the Cave Killing

"I'm not interested in selling," Chu Xing replied curtly, put off by the man's tone.

The man, perhaps feeling slighted, pressed on urgently, "Do you have any idea who I am? Name your price."

"Enough, Wang Liang," interjected the dashing man, seeing Wang Liang was about to continue. "Let me introduce myself first. I'm Zhao Chunyang, the lady here is Lin Miaoke, and the one who was just speaking is Wang Liang. We also have Pan Meichen and Lee Zhi." Zhao Chunyang gestured to each person as he named them.

"Hello, I'm Chu Xing." Chu Xing gave them a thorough once-over. They were all clad in military uniforms, each brandishing a sword, with daggers strapped to their legs. Lin Miaoke stood out at 1.75 meters tall, her uniform accentuating her striking presence.

"You've got a lot of pork there, too much for one person. Mind if we buy some off you?" Zhao Chunyang approached with a friendly smile.

"Sure, for 10,000 yuan, and I'll keep one leg for myself." Chu Xing was short on cash, and considering the pig weighed several hundred kilograms, he knew it would fetch a higher price elsewhere.

"Poor guy!" Wang Liang scoffed.

"100,000 yuan, and not a yuan less," Chu Xing stated coolly.

"Wang Liang, let's move it," Pan Meichen tried to usher Wang Liang away, but he wouldn't budge. Turning to Lee Zhi, he said, "Give me a hand here."

"Ah..."

"Lee Zhi, you think you can push me?"

"Of course not, no way."

Zhao Chunyang chuckled, "So, what brings you out here all by yourself? Searching for relics too?"

"Just touring around, hoping for a stroke of luck."

Meanwhile, Zhao Chunyang and the others had started a fire and were now gathered around it, eating and grilling meat. None of them had ever roasted meat before, so they were all clumsily turning their skewered pieces over the flames. Lee Qiang was busy assisting them.

Once Chu Xing had finished his meal, he retreated to his tent. "Poor guy!" He overheard Wang Liang's insult once more and extended his Spiritual Force to eavesdrop on their conversation. Unexpectedly, as his Spiritual Force reached his dantian, he discovered he could discern their spiritual roots.

Zhao Chunyang and Pan Mei Chen possessed wood spiritual roots, Wang Liang had earth spiritual roots, and Lin Miaoke had water spiritual roots, while Lee Zhi had none. Chu Xing hadn't realized the full potential of his Spiritual Force until now.

Chu Xing didn't emerge from his tent until the following morning, by which time Zhao Chunyang and the others had already departed the day before.

That morning, he got a call from Chu Hao who was excited about his vacation plans. He and his classmates were gearing up for a trip to Shen Longjia and invited Chu Xing to join them. However, Chu Xing declined, informing him that he was currently exploring the Qin Mountains.

Chu Xing had reached Xing Long Ridge today, a formidable peak rising 2,810 meters, its surface bristling with jagged rocks. As he ascended, he kept a watchful eye on his surroundings, deliberately choosing the most precipitous and secluded paths.

Out of nowhere, a cascade of stones tumbled down from above, and amidst the clatter, he could faintly make out voices. "Something's up!" Chu Xing quickened his pace, scrambling up the mountain.

Halfway up, he encountered three men and a woman gathered around a cave entrance, which was just wide enough for a person to squeeze through sideways.

"Great, another one shows up," remarked a man with a vacant expression.

"Why not join us inside?"

"But this is our discovery."

"Do you really think you can go in by yourselves?"

Upon learning more, Chu Xing found out that the cave had been found by Li Shanglong and Wang Jing, a couple who had drawn attention to themselves while clearing the entrance.

Li Shanglong and Wang Jing each brandished a sword. The man with the vacant look was Wang Meng, clutching a knife with his chest muscles prominently displayed. The other man, a lanky figure named Dong Jian, wielded a two-meter-long iron rod.

Using his mental energy, Chu Xing discerned that Wang Meng had a fire spiritual root and had already reached the Qi Training First Layer, while the rest had not yet begun their cultivation journey.

After a brief discussion, they agreed to venture into the cave. Wang Meng eagerly volunteered to lead, with Chu Xing and Dong Jian following in the middle, and Li Shanglong and Wang Jing bringing up the rear.

The cave delved deep into the mountain. About ten meters in, they came across a room adjacent to the tunnel. Wang Meng, eager as ever, was the first to step inside.

The space was a mere eight square meters, ringed by empty wooden shelves. Chu Xing had already ascertained with his psychic abilities that no treasures were hidden here.

Dong Jian wielded an iron rod, sweeping through the shelves which crumbled at the slightest touch, sending dust swirling through the air.

"Stop that," Wang Meng called out urgently. "Search thoroughly, let's not overlook anything."

They combed through the room several times to no avail. Chu Xing feigned interest, pretending to search as well.

"Let's move on! Deeper into the cave," Wang Meng commanded, striding ahead.

"Huh, is that light up ahead?" Dong Jian exclaimed.

Chu Xing noticed too; the path grew increasingly illuminated as they progressed. They hastened their steps and soon came upon a forty-square-meter cavern, its three-meter-high ceiling adorned with two glowing gems that lit up the entire space. Six small chambers surrounded the main cave.

"We'll split up. Whoever finds something, it's theirs," Wang Meng declared, heading for the room furthest to the left.

The others quickly picked their rooms. Chu Xing chose the one on the far right, which contained nothing but a stone bed and walls pocked with numerous small holes. As he entered, a mouse scurried in.

"Turns out it's just a mouse den," Chu Xing chuckled to himself. After they had entered the cave, led by Wang Meng, everyone had eagerly selected a room. Chu Xing had sensed something was there, but he hadn't expected it to be mice.

Exiting his room, Chu Xing saw Wang Jing leave another chamber. She glanced at him before heading to an adjacent room.

"Ah!" Wang Jing's scream pierced the silence just as she entered.

Chu Xing clutched his broken sword, eyes fixed on the room, frozen in shock. Upon hearing her cry, he extended his psychic senses and discovered Li Shanglong and Wang Jing lying on the ground, a knife wound on each of their necks, their eyes staring vacantly.

It turned out Wang Meng had come up empty-handed and, unwilling to leave without a prize, had gone to Li Shanglong's room. He arrived just in time to see Li Shanglong uncover a treasure and, without hesitation, murdered him to take it. Wang Jing, who entered next, met the same fate at his hands.

Just then, Dong Jian emerged, clutching his schoolbag with a look of joy, just as Wang Meng stepped out. Wang Meng fixed Dong Jian with a glare, while Chu Xing tensed up, ready for trouble. Sensing danger, Dong Jian blurted out, "I'm out of here," and dashed for the exit.

Wang Meng blocked his path, his face devoid of emotion. "Drop the bag."

"Why should I hand it over to you?" Dong Jian challenged, brandishing an iron rod at Wang Meng.

"Watch out, he's the one who killed that couple," Chu Xing warned, but before he could finish, Wang Meng lunged, seizing the rod and delivering a lethal slash to Dong Jian's chest. The glow from the blade made it clear it was no ordinary weapon, and Dong Jian was dead before he hit the ground.

Chu Xing, who had never witnessed a killing, gulped hard. As Wang Meng turned his icy gaze toward him, Chu Xing stammered, "I didn't find anything. The bag's yours."

"You're the last one standing. Time to die!" Wang Meng declared, advancing with his blade. Chu Xing barely managed to intercept the strike with his broken sword.

"Not a bad sword," Wang Meng taunted, continuing his assault. Chu Xing backed away, parrying desperately, with no chance to speak.

Realizing Chu Xing was no easy target, Wang Meng decided to end it swiftly. He drew a talisman treasure from his pocket and sneered, "Feel the might of a magic treasure." A long sword materialized from the talisman, hurtling toward Chu Xing.

Cursing his own foolishness for not using his talisman treasure, Chu Xing hastily summoned a turtle shell, just in time to deflect the Flying Sword.

"So you did have something after all," Wang Meng growled, intensifying the Flying Sword's attack.

Chu Xing, regaining his composure, bargained, "What if you let me leave?"

"Do you think I'm soft like you? Surrender now, and I'll grant you a quick death. Otherwise..." Wang Meng trailed off, his sinister smile fixed on Chu Xing.

Wang Meng set aside his blade and pulled a spirit stone from his pocket, channeling his Qi to absorb its energy. The Flying Sword surged in power, causing the turtle shell to quiver as cracks began to spread across its surface.

Chu Xing emulated Wang Meng, extracting a spirit stone to harness its energy. As he did, the turtle shell became stable. Chu Xing bided his time, waiting for the right moment to unleash his sword's tip. Spotting Wang Meng's hand sneaking back into his pocket, Chu Xing swiftly thrust the sword tip toward Wang Meng's chest.

Startled, Wang Meng dodged in haste, but the sword grazed his shoulder, drawing blood that streamed out instantly, causing him pain. The sword's tip then curved, aiming for Wang Meng's neck, and this time, it found its mark, piercing through.

Staring at Wang Meng's fallen body, Chu Xing was momentarily dazed. Coming to his senses, he approached and claimed Wang Meng's blade and magical talisman. He also retrieved a storage bag from his pocket and collected Dong Jian's possessions, as well as those Wang Meng had taken from Li Shanglong and Wang Jing.

Glancing back at the cave, Chu Xing hastened out. At the entrance, he used the broken blade to slice through a massive rock, effectively sealing the cave before swiftly descending the mountain.

It wasn't until nightfall that Chu Xing finally paused. He found a hidden nook, pitched his tent, and settled in. It was then he noticed his legs and hands wouldn't stop shaking.

"Isn't this the path I've chosen? Wasn't I bound to confront the act of killing sooner or later?" Chu Xing questioned himself repeatedly.

Elder Hsu had said, "The universe is unforgivingly harsh. Battles are a daily occurrence, and every powerhouse has ascended from a sea of blood and a mountain of corpses."

"I must forge a heart of fortitude. No matter the distance I travel in the future, I must press on with unwavering strength." Clenching his fists, Chu Xing lifted his gaze to the heavens, where the stars blanketed the sky, their brilliance piercing the darkness.