"That’s him."

Gong Xing felt Gou the Third’s gaze instantly sharpen, becoming as piercing as a hawk’s. His heart tightened, but things had already come to this. There was no turning back. He could only bite the bullet and confirm.

Gou the Third fell silent. His previous lazy demeanor vanished without a trace, replaced by an expression of extreme gravity and caution.

He slowly straightened up, his eyes locking onto Gong Xing like hooks.

"Do you have any idea who Fang Han is? He’s a Celestial Pride True Inheritance of the Qingxuan Sect! Making a move on him is like stirring up a hornet’s nest! No, it’s like kicking a volcano!"

"An execution order from the Qingxuan Sect... How many people in Qingyang County can withstand that? This isn’t a business deal. You’re trying to drag me to hell with you!"

His tone was filled with resistance and intense reluctance.

Outlaws might love money, but they cherish their lives more. Provoking a behemoth like the Qingxuan Sect came at too high a price; the cost simply wasn’t worth the reward.

Seeing Gou the Third’s vehement reaction, Gong Xing’s heart sank. This man was the outlaw he’d heard was most likely to accept the commission.

To achieve his goal, he deliberately laced his voice with mockery.

"Heh... It seems the rumors are not entirely true. They say Shopkeeper Gou is well-connected and fearless—that as long as the price is right, there’s no job you won’t take and no one you won’t touch in Qingyang County."

"But now it seems that was just an exaggeration. My apologies for being so presumptuous. I’ll take my leave!"

With that, Gong Xing made a show of turning to leave.

He was making a gamble—betting that men like Gou the Third valued their pride above all else. Especially here in the black market, where reputation and a fearsome name were, in some ways, more important than life itself.

"Stop right there!"

As expected, Gou the Third’s expression changed. The vicious gleam in his eyes intensified, and the scar on his cheek looked even more ferocious as his facial muscles twitched.

Gong Xing’s words were like a needle, striking a precise and painful nerve.

’If my reputation is ruined in this black market, it’ll be hard to make a living here anymore.’

"Trying to goad me? Kid, you’re still a little green! But... I’m curious to hear just what price you’re willing to pay for the life of this Celestial Pride True Inheritance."

Gong Xing inwardly relaxed, knowing he had a chance. He slowly turned back, suppressed his excitement, and said as calmly as possible,

"Shopkeeper, name your price."

Gou the Third’s eyes flickered as he rapidly calculated in his mind.

He truly didn’t want this hot potato, but Gong Xing had backed him into a corner with his words. If he refused outright, he would inevitably be looked down upon in the black market from now on.

His eyes darted as a plan formed in his mind. He would name an absurdly high price to scare off this reckless kid. That way, he could save face and avoid trouble.

Having made up his mind, a strange smile, a mixture of cruelty and mockery, appeared on Gou the Third’s face. He drawled,

"Five million taels. Silver notes or equivalent hard currency. Not a single coin less, or the deal’s off."

Five million taels. To kill someone from the Middle Three Grades for that price was astronomical. In his eyes, it was more than enough to make the person before him back down.

However, Gong Xing’s reaction was completely beyond his expectations.

Gong Xing’s body only swayed imperceptibly, and his breathing under the bamboo hat seemed to quicken for a moment. Then, he replied with resolute finality.

"Done! Five million taels it is!"

This time, it was Gou the Third’s turn to be stunned.

The smile on his face froze instantly, his eyes wide with disbelief.

Five million taels was no small sum. Even for some small and mid-sized families, it would be a devastating blow.

’This kid agreed without even batting an eye?’

A wave of intense regret instantly washed over him.

His intention was to scare him off with a high price. He never expected the other party to agree without even trying to haggle. It was like he had shot himself in the foot!

Now that the words were out, if he went back on them, he, Gou the Third, would become the biggest joke in the Qingyang Black Market.

His expression flickered uncertainly. He made one last attempt to get out of it, saying dryly,

"The rule is a forty percent deposit upfront, with the balance paid upon completion. The deposit... is two million taels."

He deliberately stressed the "two million taels" figure, hoping the enormous deposit would make the other party back down.

Gong Xing seemed to have expected this. Without any hesitation, he took out a seemingly ordinary but rather thick wooden box, about a foot square, from his robes and pushed it solemnly toward Gou the Third.

"Two million taels in silver notes, all from the Datong Money Shop. The shopkeeper can count them."

The sound of the wooden box landing on the counter wasn’t loud, but it made Gou the Third’s heart sink.

He stared at the box as if it didn’t contain stacks of silver notes, but a death warrant summoning him to hell.

He was silent for more than ten seconds.

The air in the shop seemed to freeze. Finally, he took a deep breath of the musty air, as if resigning himself to his fate, and opened the wooden box.

The silver notes, which usually felt so comforting, now seemed to carry an indescribable heat, so scorching that he almost wanted to snatch his hand back.

His face was expressionless as he extended two fingers, mechanically picked up a stack of silver notes, and began to count them quickly.

His movements were still practiced, but his gaze was distant. His mind was no longer on the authenticity or amount of the silver notes.

The count was finished. The amount was correct—exactly two million taels.

He closed the lid. When he looked up again, his face had returned to that devil-may-care, fierce expression, but deep in his eyes, a trace of indelible gloom and gravity remained hidden.

"I’ve accepted the deposit. Remember, only heaven, earth, you, and I know of this matter. If even a whisper of this gets out..."

Gou the Third’s voice was ice-cold, carrying an undisguised threat.

"Rest assured, Shopkeeper. I understand the rules."

Gong Xing felt a sense of relief, knowing the deal was done. He quickly responded, said no more, then turned and walked briskly out of the shop, his figure quickly disappearing down the dim alleyway of the black market.

Staring in the direction Gong Xing had vanished, Gou the Third stood motionless for a long time.

Finally, he let out a long, silent sigh and muttered a particularly vile curse under his breath.

Accepting this job left a heavy feeling in his chest.

But in the Qingyang Black Market, what’s said is said, like water that’s been spilled.

This hot potato, no matter how hot, had to be handled.

「...」

The main road from Qinghe City to the Qingxuan Sect snaked through rolling hills, like a giant, grayish-white python slithering through the verdant landscape.

It was nearly dusk. The setting sun dyed the clouds a magnificent orange-red and cast a warm, golden sheen over the mountains and forests.

WHOOSH!

Dusted with travel, Fang Han’s green robes fluttered as he ran steadily along the main road, using his Wind and Cloud Escape at a low-energy pace.

Just as he reached a bend in the road, flanked by two mountains and a particularly dense forest...

Disaster struck!

From the thick bushes on the left slope, a black figure shot out like a venomous snake that had been lying in wait, striking without any warning.

There was no shout, no premature leak of killing intent, not even a discernible rush of wind.

All there was was a dark gleam of light, too fast for the eye to follow, and a sudden, bone-chilling killing intent, condensed to its absolute limit.

This killing intent wasn’t overwhelming; it was highly concentrated within a few feet of Fang Han’s body.

Like invisible shackles, it coiled around him in an instant, causing his Qi and blood to stagnate.

The attacker was none other than Gou the Third!

The timing and angle of his attack were viciously perfect.

He struck at the precise moment Fang Han, having traveled a long distance, had let his guard down slightly and was in a visual blind spot.

His entire being seemed to have merged with the shadows, his aura concealed almost perfectly.

Only in the instant before his attack did he unleash his terrifying power as a Late Stage of Fourth Grade expert and his absolute determination to kill, like an erupting volcano.

SHHNK—!

A dark Short Blade, its narrow body gleaming with the sinister blue of poison, stabbed straight for Fang Han’s back.

Its speed was as fast as a flash of lightning!

’An assassination?’

The hair on Fang Han’s body stood on end. An unprecedented sense of crisis, like a bucket of ice water being poured over his head, swept through him instantly.

Although he hadn’t been continuously activating his Spirit Smelling Technique to conserve Inner Qi...

...the sense of smell enhanced by the Spirit Smelling Technique was still incredibly potent. Just a few days ago, he had relied on this ability to detect Yin Huang’s ambush.

But this time, he hadn’t detected anything unusual before the attack.

There was no time to think. On pure instinct, he pushed his Wind and Cloud Escape to its absolute limit.

WHOOSH!

His body lurched forward as he twisted sharply to the right, trying to evade the fatal blow.

However, the sneak attack was too sudden, too insidious.

Even though his reaction was extremely fast, he was still a fraction of a second too slow.

The dark Short Blade missed his back, but a bone-chilling Powerful Qi followed its path, viciously slashing across the outside of his left arm.

RRRIP—!

His green robe tore open, revealing a half-foot-long gash from which blood instantly gushed.

But what was more terrifying was not the sharp pain of a blade, but a strange numbness and icy coldness spreading from the wound.

It traveled up the meridians of his arm at an astonishing speed.

’The weapon is poisoned!’

Fang Han let out a muffled grunt. He felt his left arm instantly lose most of its feeling, as if it no longer belonged to him.

The poison was exceptionally virulent. It not only corroded his flesh and blood but also tried to paralyze his nerves and freeze the circulation of his Inner Qi.

’Such a fast reaction. He truly is worthy of being a prodigy on the Celestial Pride List!’

Failing to kill in one blow, a flash of surprise crossed Gou the Third’s eyes, but it was immediately replaced by even thicker malevolence.

He moved like a shadow, giving Fang Han no room to breathe.

The dark Short Blade transformed into streaks of deathly light, each strike aimed at Fang Han’s vital points that were unprotected by Soft Armor—his neck, temples, and the spot between his eyebrows.

His Saber Technique was cunning and treacherous, favoring unorthodox angles and carrying an incomparably sinister, piercing Power.

Fang Han endured the numbness in his left arm and the stagnation of his Qi and blood. He frantically executed his Wind and Cloud Escape, his body like a willow in the wind, desperately dodging the dense flurry of blade lights.

The Flowing Wind Sword in his right hand flew from its sheath, transforming into streaks of azure lightning that barely managed to parry the attacks aimed at his vitals.

DING! DING! CLANG! CLANG!

The sound of metal on metal was as dense as a sudden downpour on banana leaves, sending sparks flying everywhere.

With every clash, Fang Han felt his right arm go numb, his Qi and blood churning violently.

He had been caught off guard and was already poisoned. His strength was greatly diminished, and he was immediately put at an absolute disadvantage, barely holding on with his exquisite Body Technique and Swordsmanship.

Having gained the upper hand, Gou the Third pressed his advantage relentlessly. The dark Short Blade danced, its sinister light crisscrossing through the air and stirring up foul-smelling winds.

The surrounding vegetation suffered, easily sliced apart by the stray blade energy. Deep gashes were carved into the ground, and stone fragments shot through the air.

The aftershocks of the Qi Force from their exchange left the area in complete disarray.