Hedonist Prodigy

Chapter 73: Killing

Jiang Feng was unaware that Ye Qingxuan’s unintentional mistake had plunged him into a whirlpool of events, placing him at the center of a storm. Overnight, his name shook the capital, and for a time, his prominence even threatened to overshadow Qin Junlin.  

He was currently sitting beneath the ginkgo tree in the backyard, calming his mind and allowing every cell in his body to relax, bathing in the spiritual energy as he fiercely charged toward the third level of Body Refining.  

Suddenly, his slightly closed eyes snapped open, a sharp glint flashing within them like lightning. His brows furrowed slightly. “Someone’s here.”  

The newcomer was fast. Almost as soon as he heard faint footsteps echoing from a distance, a rustling sound followed. Two figures leaped over the courtyard wall.  

The leading bald man cast a heavy gaze at the several sunbirds circling the courtyard and let out a cold laugh. With a beckoning gesture, one of the sunbirds immediately landed on his shoulder before he casually tucked it into his robe. Only then did his deep, scrutinizing eyes settle on Jiang Feng, quickly sizing him up.  

At the same time, the scar-faced woman coldly stared at Jiang Feng and demanded, “You killed Shen Bin, didn’t you?”  

“Shen Bin?” Jiang Feng let out a disdainful laugh. “I don’t know any Shen Bin. You’ve come to the wrong place. Get out before I lose my temper!”  

“Heh, such a fiery temper for a young man,” the middle-aged man said lightly, a faint smile playing on his lips. “The scent on Shen Bin is strongest right here. Even if you didn’t kill him, you’re undoubtedly connected to his death. Don’t bother denying it—the methods of our Qihuang Sect are never wrong.”  

Qihuang Sect?  

Jiang Feng’s heart sank. When the scar-faced woman mentioned Shen Bin, he had already thought of the Mr. Shen he had killed. He had held a sliver of hope, but now, hearing the man announce his affiliation, he knew the truth of Mr. Shen’s death had finally been exposed.  

He had considered that the Qihuang Sect might come for him after discovering that peculiar bird, but he hadn’t expected them to find him so quickly—and with such certainty.  

A single glance at the two newcomers told Jiang Feng that their status within the Qihuang Sect was likely slightly higher than Mr. Shen’s.  

“From the sound of it, even if I didn’t kill this Shen Bin, you’d still kill me, isn’t that right?” Jiang Feng said coldly.  

“Exactly. Even if I can’t confirm you were the killer yet, you are undoubtedly one of the knowing parties. For that reason alone, you must die,” the middle-aged man stated with certainty, as though Jiang Feng were already a dead man.  

As he spoke, his eyes swept around the courtyard before settling on the ginkgo tree. A flicker of confusion crossed his gaze, followed by a sudden gleam of understanding. He burst into laughter. “No wonder I sensed something unusual about this courtyard as soon as I entered. It’s because of this tree.”  

“Is that…?” The scar-faced woman’s eyes also fell upon the ginkgo tree.  

“If I’m not mistaken, it should be the Hundred-Fruit Tree. To think our Qihuang Sect has searched the world for this rare treasure in vain, only to find one right here in Beijing. Truly, ‘You find it without looking after searching far and wide,'” the middle-aged man said triumphantly, completely disregarding Jiang Feng’s presence.  

The woman smiled as well. “Congratulations. Once we report the discovery of the Hundred-Fruit Tree to the sect elders, we will surely receive a generous reward.”  

“Naturally. But now is not the time for talk. Can’t you see we’re not welcome here?” the middle-aged man said dismissively.  

“A mere Innate Realm expert—what trouble could he possibly cause? Just kill him and be done with it,” the scar-faced woman sneered. With a flick of her wrist, she drew a soft sword from her waist and thrust directly toward Jiang Feng’s chest.  

Her actions—speaking, drawing her sword, and thrusting—were executed seamlessly, without the slightest pause. The moment Jiang Feng saw her move, a chill ran down his spine. If he wasn’t mistaken, this woman was at least at the early Yellow Rank. No wonder she was so arrogant, treating him as nothing more than an insect to be crushed at will.  

As the sword tip shot toward his chest, Jiang Feng’s feet shifted, and his figure blurred as he dodged three feet away. The scar-faced woman had been confident in her strike and was surprised to see Jiang Feng evade it so effortlessly. She let out a soft sound of disbelief, then reversed her grip. The tip of her sword danced through the air, stirring a cold gust as it swept toward Jiang Feng’s neck.  

The chilling sword aura pierced through the air, carrying a biting coldness that immediately posed a significant threat to Jiang Feng. It seemed the gap between the Innate Realm and the Yellow Rank was indeed substantial. No wonder Old Master Pei Yuanshan had been severely injured decades ago after crossing blows with a Yellow Rank expert, his promising future ruined, forever stuck at the Innate Realm.  

But killing him would not be so easy.  

As the woman’s sword swept toward his neck, Jiang Feng’s figure flickered once more, and he retreated two steps, narrowly avoiding the sharp edge of the blade.  

Only then did the scar-faced woman look at him with newfound interest. “You certainly have some tricks up your sleeve. No wonder you managed to kill Shen Bin. But let’s see how many of my strikes you can dodge.”  

As she spoke, her sword weaved intricate patterns, combining two strikes into one as she attacked Jiang Feng’s chest and face simultaneously. Watching the changes in her sword technique, Jiang Feng’s expression grew slightly more solemn.  

He could now tell that this scar-faced woman was only at the early Yellow Rank, her inner energy not particularly abundant. But her sword skills were exceptionally cunning and difficult to counter.  

If he were only dealing with her, although it would require some effort, Jiang Feng was confident he could permanently end her here. What gave him pause was the middle-aged man who had yet to make a move.  

The middle-aged man’s aura was calm and profound, exuding an indescribable sense of danger far beyond that of the scar-faced woman. If Jiang Feng wasn’t mistaken, the man was likely at the mid Yellow Rank. As he was now, Jiang Feng wasn’t entirely confident he could defeat both experts alone.  

This time, Jiang Feng did not dodge. Instead, the moment the scar-faced woman thrust her sword, his figure blurred as he charged directly toward her, closing the distance.  

He, too, wanted to know exactly how wide the gap was between the Innate Realm and the Yellow Rank.  

The sword’s edge grazed his face, stinging sharply. His eyes narrowed slightly as he sidestepped the woman’s dual strikes and threw a punch toward her chest.  

The scar-faced woman was tall, but her reactions were incredibly swift. Sensing the force of Jiang Feng’s fist, she twisted her waist like a willow in the wind, narrowly evading his attack. Then, her figure flickered as she retreated three steps, smiling playfully at Jiang Feng. “So you’re not just at the Innate Realm—you’re half-step into the Yellow Rank. Killing you would almost be a pity. But not killing you… isn’t an option. This is quite a dilemma.”  

Before she could finish, the middle-aged man impatiently interjected, “Enough nonsense. Kill him quickly. Don’t delay important matters.”  

The scar-faced woman chuckled coquettishly. “Don’t rush. It’s not often we encounter someone this interesting. Killing him too quickly would be such a waste.”  

“Hmph!” The middle-aged man snorted coldly. Seemingly aware of the woman’s temperament and confident in her abilities, he turned and strode toward the ginkgo tree, examining it carefully while muttering admiringly to himself, as though the tree were already his.  

Jiang Feng had held back his full strength in his exchanges with the scar-faced woman, partly to gauge her abilities but more importantly to wait for the middle-aged man to let his guard down.  

Now, seeing the man standing before the ginkgo tree with his back fully exposed, completely disregarding Jiang Feng’s presence, a cold smile curled on Jiang Feng’s lips. He clenched his fist and launched an aggressive attack toward the scar-faced woman.  

The scar-faced woman responded with a cold laugh, her soft sword dancing swiftly. The tip of the blade hissed like a spitting serpent, aiming for Jiang Feng’s eyes.  

She was fast, but Jiang Feng was faster. Gathering energy in his right hand, he threw a punch that deflected the incoming sword. Simultaneously, his left fist struck toward the woman’s chest.  

The scar-faced woman’s expression shifted sharply. “You’re seeking death!” she snarled, raising her left hand to palm-strike him.  

Jiang Feng had been waiting for her to strike. The moment their fist and palm collided, he used the force of her blow to propel himself backward, soaring through the air toward the middle-aged man beneath the ginkgo tree.  

As he landed, his right hand shot into the weeds, closing around a rust-covered piece of scrap metal. Without hesitation, he swung it downward, chopping toward the middle-aged man.  

Hearing the rush of wind behind him, the middle-aged man curled his lips into a mocking smirk. Without even looking, he swung his hand back to block.  

Crack!  

The faint sound of bone being severed echoed. The middle-aged man cried out in pain, staring in disbelief at his severed hand before turning a contorted, furious gaze toward Jiang Feng. Without a moment’s hesitation, Jiang Feng swung the scrap metal in a horizontal slash aimed at the man’s waist.  

Strike while the enemy is wounded—take their life. Jiang Feng was never one for mercy, especially not when these two had come to kill him. There was no room for leniency.  

Another slash cut through all resistance, slicing directly into the middle-aged man’s waist. The man roared in fury, but it was too late. A fountain of blood sprayed into the air as he collapsed to the ground, his body severed in two.  

The sudden turn of events left the scar-faced woman no time to react. She could only watch in horror as the middle-aged man was first disarmed and then bisected. Her eyes burned with rage as she brandished her soft sword and launched a frenzied assault toward Jiang Feng.  

Jiang Feng allowed her to attack, meeting her head-on without any fancy maneuvers. He simply raised the scrap metal and hacked downward. The scar-faced woman instinctively raised her soft sword to block, but how could it withstand the blow? Jiang Feng’s strike shattered her sword effortlessly, its momentum unchecked as it swept horizontally toward her neck.  

The scar-faced woman stared at Jiang Feng as though he were a ghost, utterly unable to believe that a mere Innate Realm expert could turn this place into a burial ground for both of them.  

A faint, hoarse gurgle escaped her lips before she collapsed to the ground with a thud, silent forever.  

The surroundings fell into utter stillness. 

In the empty courtyard, only Jiang Feng’s heavy, ragged breaths broke the silence, echoing intermittently.