"Can you let us go now?" Seeing the smile on the corner of Jiang Che's mouth, Deng Changfeng assumed that this guy was satisfied with his loot. Unable to contain his eagerness, he quickly asked.
"Sorry, no." Jiang Che came back to his senses and shook his head lightly.
"What?" Deng Changfeng's face turned livid. "Jiang Che, you broke your promise!" He had already handed over all his wealth, yet he had still been tricked. That bastard!
Jiang Che sneered. "So what if I don't keep my word?" He grabbed Deng Changfeng and flung him into the air. "I'm a villain. Why would I care about a reputation?"
"Ahem..." Deng Changfeng crashed to the ground, coughing violently. He hadn't been prepared for the sudden attack, and the impact left him struggling to get up.
Jiang Che stepped out of the thatched hut. At that moment, Ye Chen was lying unconscious on the ground, his face swollen and bruised beyond recognition. Clearly, he had been beaten senseless by Tiansha.
Jiang Che didn't hesitate. He raised a finger, and a light blue sword aura shot out, piercing straight into Deng Changfeng's chest.
The sharp sound of sword energy ripping through flesh echoed in the air. Deng Changfeng's eyes widened in shock. He hadn't even managed to utter a single word before his body collapsed lifelessly to the ground. He never imagined that his life would end like this.
Without pause, Jiang Che finished off Ye Chen and Xiao Han as well.
The so-called "protagonists of destiny" were now nothing more than corpses, left to rot in the wilderness.
"System, do you have something like corpse powder?" Jiang Che asked curiously. To avoid any unnecessary trouble, it was best to reduce these three bodies to ashes.
"You can check the System Mall yourself," the system replied.
Jiang Che opened the search bar in the System Mall and typed corpse powder. Within seconds, the item appeared on the screen.
He exchanged 10 plot points for a bottle, then sprinkled it over the three corpses.
As the powder took effect, Ye Chen, Xiao Han, and Deng Changfeng's bodies dissolved into nothingness, leaving no trace behind.
Seeing that the job was done, Jiang Che finally let out a relieved sigh. Everything had been settled.
"System, I want to exchange the Mingxin Skill, Qinghong Steps, and Excalibur Finger technique for plot points."
"Exchanging..."
The Mingxin Skill was a high-level technique that allowed a cultivator to reach the realm of Harmony Between Man and Nature. Because of its rarity, it was worth 10,000 plot points.
Qinghong Steps and Excalibur Finger were mid-level techniques, each exchanged for 5,000 plot points, totaling 10,000 plot points together.
As for Deng Changfeng's collection of medicinal pills, they were nothing extraordinary. The system exchanged them for 3,000 plot points.
"System, open my status panel."
A blue screen flashed before Jiang Che's eyes.
Host: Jiang Che
Identity: Chairman of Jiang Group
Cultivation Level: Late-stage Innate Realm
Plot Points: 33,000
Techniques: Dao Heart Demon Cultivation Method, Wandering Spirit Steps
Items: Ten-Thousand-Year Iceberg Snow Lotus, Human Cub Hiccup Bags x10, Great Return Pills x3
Jiang Che's gaze lingered on the Great Return Pills.
"What's the effect of this Great Return Pill?" he asked curiously.
"Host, the Great Return Pill allows a cultivator to break through their current level instantly," the system explained.
"As long as the cultivator is below the Harmony Between Man and Nature realm, the pill guarantees a successful breakthrough with no side effects. However, each person can only take one in their lifetime."
"Holy shit, that's insane!" Jiang Che was stunned. He hadn't expected this pill to be so overpowered.
His gaze then shifted to Wandering Spirit Steps, which was clearly a lightweight movement technique. Since he lacked high-level agility techniques, he considered having the system directly instill it into his mind.
Just as he was about to make the request, Tiansha suddenly appeared in front of him.
"Young Master, someone is approaching."
"Someone's coming?" Jiang Che frowned. He followed Tiansha to the edge of the cliff and looked down.
Sure enough, a group of people was making their way up the mountain road. At the front of the group was Mu Xiaoyao.
I didn't expect that woman to chase me all the way here," Jiang Che muttered.
Without hesitation, Jiang Che and Tiansha left immediately. There was no reason to stay—Mu Xiaoyao would only cause unnecessary trouble. Besides, with the corpses already erased, he had nothing to worry about.
Meanwhile, Mu Xiaoyao and her team arrived at Deng Changfeng's hut. According to reports from the nearby villagers, this was where Xiao Han's master had lived.
"Search the area," Mu Xiaoyao ordered.
At her command, the policemen accompanying her entered the nearby huts, thoroughly inspecting every corner.
Mu Xiaoyao herself stepped into the vegetable garden, carefully observing her surroundings.
The door of one hut had collapsed, clear evidence that a fight had taken place.
"Captain, there's no one here..."
Her subordinates quickly returned, reporting their findings.
Mu Xiaoyao frowned, her expression darkening instantly.
Unwilling to give up, she searched the entire area herself, scouring the bushes, the huts, and the surroundings, but found nothing.
The footprints left behind suggested that someone had warned Ye Chen and Xiao Han, allowing them to escape in advance.
Realizing her search was in vain, Mu Xiaoyao's face turned cold.
She clenched her fists as frustration boiled inside her. This trip had been a complete waste of time!
After returning to Jiangbei City, Jiang Che handed a Great Return Pill to Tiansha, instructing him to use it for a breakthrough.
"The stronger you are, the better for me," Jiang Che said casually.
Tiansha's eyes were filled with gratitude. He hadn't expected his young master to treat him so well.
Filled with newfound loyalty, he secretly swore to follow Jiang Che faithfully for life.
"Enough of this nonsense, just go break through," Jiang Che chuckled.
As soon as Tiansha left, Jiang Che returned to his room.
He took out another Great Return Pill, swallowed it, and sat cross-legged on the bed, allowing the pill's medicinal power to circulate through his body.
A surge of pure Qi flooded his meridians, strengthening his energy flow.
Three hours later
Jiang Che slowly opened his eyes.
His internal energy had more than doubled, making him far stronger than before.
"System, how many plot points do I need to break through from Innate Peak to Master Peak?"
"Host, each breakthrough from Innate Peak to Master Peak requires 15,000 plot points," the system replied.
"Damn, I should've saved my Great Return Pill for later," Jiang Che muttered in regret.
Despite his frustration, he made a quick decision.
"I want to advance to Mid-Stage Master Realm."
"Ding! 30,000 plot points deducted. Instilling internal energy…"