C34 A Small Fortune

Chu Yan's excitement was short-lived as he quickly regained his composure and set about cleaning up the scene. He knew he had to act swiftly to erase any conspicuous traces. Thankfully, he had been mindful of this from the outset.

The servant from the Ye Family at the third level of the Genuine Force Realm had his head brutally smashed, while Ye Chen's throat was pierced by a simple, yet fatal blow. The dismembered body was the handiwork of another Ye Family servant. As for the servant at the fourth level, there were no injuries indicative of the Lin Family's martial arts on him. To conceal the distinctive marks of his own technique, Chu Yan had deliberately avoided striking the head, targeting the heart instead.

Therefore, the scene bore no evidence that would link the three deaths to Chu Yan.

While tidying up, Chu Yan searched the bodies and quickly uncovered a treasure trove of valuable items. Among them, he found over eight hundred Spirit Money.

Spirit Money is a universal currency among nations, crafted from a unique type of jade that resembles ancient copper coins—round with a square hole in the center. Typically, a hundred Spirit Money would suffice for a family of three's monthly provisions. Thus, eight hundred was indeed a tidy sum.

In addition to the money, Chu Yan collected the weapons of the two Ye Family servants. The Stage Three servant's twin blades were triplex quality, while the Stage Four servant's long blade was an impressive fourth-grade sharp weapon. Such a weapon would be a prized possession even within the Lin Clan.

What's more, fourth-grade weapons are considered mid-tier and are suitable for engraving with talismanic inscriptions.

Another find was a small, worn booklet detailing the Lotus Leaf Double Wood Slash technique. Its aged appearance suggested it had been around for years, indicating that the Lotus Leaf Double Wood Slash was not a martial skill treasured by the Ye Family, but rather something the servant had acquired from an unknown source.

Chu Yan recalled that the technique was described as a high-rank Mortal Realm Skill, which promised quality. Now, as part of his spoils of war, he naturally took the booklet along with the weapons and Spirit Money.

Inside the echo loop.

Chu Yan had recently stumbled upon the echo loop's ability to store items, a discovery that proved to be incredibly convenient for both depositing and retrieving goods.

The space within the echo loop was vast; aside from housing the Return to the Ruins Tower, it boasted a large expanse of empty land capable of accommodating hundreds of people with ease. Adding a few small items hardly made a dent in its capacity.

Once everything was securely stowed away, Chu Yan meticulously erased any signs of his presence and swiftly departed.

He also resolved to avoid practicing in these mountains for a while, as he was uncertain if anyone from the Ye Family, aside from those three individuals, knew of Ye Chen's attempt on his life tonight.

Hours after Chu Yan's departure, a drizzle began to fall from the somber night sky, dampening the body of the Ye Family's servant, a fourth-stage Genuine Force practitioner. Moments later, he convulsed, coughing up blood, and miraculously regained consciousness.

In his younger days, this servant had been a notorious bandit, versed in numerous secret techniques. One such technique allowed him to solidify his blood vessels and shrink his heart to a tiny size, a desperate measure to preserve his life.

But Chu Yan's strike had been devastating, nearly pulverizing his heart. Now awake, he realized his revival was fleeting, a brief resurgence before the inevitable end.

"I must leave a message."

With gritted teeth, the servant dipped his finger in his own blood and began to scrawl on the ground.

"The one who killed me was Chu Yan of the Lin Family from Evergreen Town..."

Realizing he wouldn't live long enough to finish, he hastily revised his message: "Killer, Lin Family's Chu Yan."

The effort of writing just that much was overwhelming, and after penning the word 'killer,' his vision began to fade.

With his remaining strength, he made one last edit: "Murderer Chu Yan."

His injuries were grave, and blood loss had taken its toll. The four words he managed to write were uneven and distorted, resembling the erratic trail of a chicken's claw marks.

But at that moment, the Ye Family servant had no energy left to make any further corrections.

After penning the final character, he clenched his jaw and, summoning his last ounce of strength, wrestled a small tube from the sole of his boot.

This tube was ingeniously concealed; Chu Yan had not noticed it before.

The servant twisted open the tube and aimed it skyward.

In an instant, a rocket of fireworks soared into the sky, bursting into a spectacle that could be seen from a great distance.

Having completed this act, the servant emitted a final gurgle from his throat, collapsed on the ground, and was still. One hand lay over the words "Chu Yan," leaving the name exposed to the light rain.

More than two hours passed, and dawn had broken. The rain and fog, however, cast a gloomy shadow over the mountain path, which remained dim.

At that moment, several figures emerged through the curtain of rain, led by none other than Ye Hengkong, who had previously sought a marriage alliance with the Lin Family.

With Ye Hengkong at the helm, the group advanced with remarkable speed, seemingly unfazed by the slick mountain terrain.

Upon encountering the bodies of Ye Chen and the others, the atmosphere seemed to solidify in shock.

"How dare they kill a descendant of the Ye Family!" Ye Hengkong bellowed in rage upon seeing Lin Chen's body, his eyes wide with indignation. As he clenched his fists, the surrounding air seemed to crackle with the sound of muffled thunder.

"Search!" he barked. "Find any clues the murderer might have left behind! The Ye Family will have vengeance, even if it means reducing him to ashes!"

His followers dispersed swiftly, scouring the area and the bodies for evidence.

Watching the frenzied search, Ye Hengkong was well aware that the persistent rain likely washed away any useful leads.

And indeed, the reports that trickled in only added to his frustration.

"No traces found."

"Young Master Ye Chen's wounds are from a blade."

"The cuts appear to be from the Lotus Leaf Double Wood Slash!"

...

One by one, the pieces of information came in, painting a picture of a heated altercation between Ye Chen and a servant in this desolate place, culminating in a deadly duel that claimed both their lives.

But Ye Hengkong knew the situation wasn't as it seemed, yet without any useful leads, the more he dwelled on it, the more stifled he felt.

"Elder, there's a dying message!" Out of nowhere, a member of the Ye family crouched by the body of the signal-emitting servant and yelled.

"What!" Ye Hengkong was startled, then overjoyed, and hurriedly stepped forward.

"Assassin number two!"

Those four words revealed themselves to the crowd.

The rain had washed away the rest of "Chu Yan," leaving only the similarly sized characters "number two" legible, scrawled erratically as the servant's strength waned in his final moments.

"The assassin is called 'number two!'"

"Number two? What an odd name!"

"Could it be some kind of codename?"

The onlookers exchanged glances, their excitement at learning the assassin's identity mingled with bewilderment over the peculiar moniker.