My Apprentice Is Too Diligent

Chapter 69: Unjust Death (Please Subscribe)

Iron plates, porcelain bottles, silver tickets, precious weapons.

Chen Wuji checked multiple times, but there were no special markings or smells.

To find Stone Jiang's accomplices, they could only rely on other channels.

They shouldn't have missed anything when it came to killing Yang Qin, Zhao Feihu, and Xiong Zengtong.

If they didn't have any leads, how could they find them?

It's not possible to go on a killing spree and try to probe each person in White Water County one by one, right?

The Qing Kingdom was only established a little over a hundred years ago. Throughout the generations, they either had dominant rulers or conservative rulers, and over the past century, the national strength had always been on the rise.

After several generations of accumulation, when the current ruler came to power, they promoted good governance, and the national fortune rose even further. At this moment, they were at the peak of their power.

The government didn't pay much attention to the battles between Martial Masters, but if there were massacres of innocent people, the local garrisons would be immediately mobilized.

After planting the Soul Seed, Chen Wuji learned that the garrisons in every county and prefecture in the country had to report to higher authorities every three days about the local situation.

Countless communication soldiers and birds were either collecting information or reporting it upwards every day.

From counties to prefectures, from prefectures to provinces, and from provinces to the capital.

The high-ranking officials in the central government, sitting in the Wanmin Hall, were therefore very well-informed about major events and important personnel changes within the country.

It was almost unrealistic to massacre a county.

Moreover, if such a thing were to happen, Chen Wuji would immediately flee. He wasn't a fool to stay in one place and wait for the other party to come.

"So, Stone Jiang was just trying to scare me?"

Chen Wuji narrowed his eyes. "Scaring me before he dies, wanting me to live in fear and anxiety? In that case, it's better to curse..."

"Wait, curse!?"

Chen Wuji's heart skipped a beat.

In the next instant, he closed his eyes, focused his mind, and examined himself internally.

From head to toe, from skin to internal organs.

Every position was meticulously scanned inch by inch.

Once, twice, thrice...

On the fifth scan, he finally "saw" a "生" character imprint, branded on the central backbone of his chest, without knowing when it had been imprinted.

He found it!

Chen Wuji's face turned ugly.

He had only heard of this strange method where killing an enemy would leave a mark on their body before.

He didn't expect to personally experience it this time.

"Chase after the mark and find them..."

"Damn it!"

Chen Wuji opened his eyes, suddenly stood up, quickly wrote a note, and placed it on the table.

Then, he took all the incomplete maps, the Gathering Water Spirit Pearl, two small porcelain bottles, the Flame Precious Weapon, and his identity iron plate. He opened the door and flew out of the Chen Family courtyard.

Swoosh!

Swoosh~

His figure flickered, and at the fastest speed, he left the Chen Family courtyard.

Without any pause, Chen Wuji headed straight for the outskirts of the city.

Once outside the city, his speed soared. He activated the Electric Light Steps to the extreme and rushed towards the mountains.

Along the way, he didn't think, nor did he stop.

He just flew and ran.

Far away from the county.

He kept going until dawn, when he was a hundred miles away from the county, before stopping on a mountain peak.

He found a large rock to sit on and rested. At the same time, he mobilized his True Qi to cleanse the imprint on his chest bone.

If he didn't want to remove the imprint, it would be simple.

Just dig out the chest bone and throw it away, and everything would be fine.

But such self-mutilation was too low-level. Chen Wuji didn't plan to use it unless absolutely necessary.

It's not like scraping off a piece of skin or cutting off a piece of meat, which would grow back.

Once the chest bone was dug out, it wouldn't grow back.

Hoo!

Hoo~

True Qi enveloped the "生" character imprint and repeatedly cleansed it.

After a moment, Chen Wuji carefully sensed it.

"It's working!"

Under the concentrated perception, he keenly sensed that the "生" character imprint had faded slightly.

This was good news.

Wasting some time will always wash away.

However, one cannot stay in one place for too long.

It was already dawn, and Shi Jiang still hadn't appeared. If he had any companions, they would definitely notice something unusual.

Once it was confirmed that Shi Jiang was missing or dead, the other party would immediately follow the trail.

Thinking of this, Chen Wuji set off again and continued on his way.

After running for about twenty miles, he stopped, mobilized his True Qi, and washed away the mark.

The washing process would last at most two quarters of an hour before stopping, and then he would continue on his way.

In this way, he stopped and hurried.

Two days later.

On the bank of a river bend, under a large tree leaning against the mountain.

Swoosh~ Swoosh~ Swoosh~

The sound of breaking wind rang out.

Three figures in succession flew along the riverbank, swiftly stopping under the tree.

"He's gone again."

A middle-aged man with a tall stature, a long and thin face, and a hooked nose circled around the tree and chuckled, "The other party is very cautious and never stays in one place for too long. Shi Jiang's death is not unjust."

"This idiot Shi Jiang must have been careless again, which gave someone the opportunity to kill him," a greasy-faced, round-bellied man interjected disdainfully.

"The person is already dead, what's the use of saying these things?"

The last man, tall in stature, with thick eyebrows but snow-white hair, said in a deep voice, "The most urgent task now is to catch up with the killer, kill him, and retrieve the treasure weapon!"

"And the incomplete map."

The man with the hooked nose shouted, "Both of the maps in Qi Zhongshan's hands, without any accidents, are on this killer."

"Perhaps there are more than two copies," the greasy-faced man grinned, "The other party may have collected half or even most of the incomplete maps."

"Why don't you say that he has collected all the incomplete maps?" the white-browed man coldly shouted.

"That would be even better," the greasy-faced man said with a pleased expression.

"Hmph~" the white-browed man couldn't be bothered to pay attention to him, his figure flickered and rushed out.

"There's no use in saying more now, we'll know how many when we find the person," the middle-aged man with the hooked nose calmly spoke and followed closely behind.

"Wait for me."

The greasy-faced man, running at the back, shouted loudly.

"He can't escape!"

...

At the bottom of a cliff.

Hoo~ Hoo~

Chen Wuji sat cross-legged, mobilizing his True Qi to envelop the "生" character mark and repeatedly washing it away.

"Just a little more, it's almost gone, almost gone."

Seven days passed, Chen Wuji once again looked inward at his chest, looking at the shallow layer of the "生" character on the bones where the mark was located.

It was about to be completely washed away, completely eliminated.

True Qi surged out from the dantian space, constantly enveloping the mark.

After about a quarter of an hour, the entire "生" character mark completely dissipated, leaving no trace.

But just in case.

Chen Wuji didn't stop, he continued to envelop the bones where the mark was located with True Qi and washed it away for another half a quarter of an hour before stopping.

Then, he took a few breaths and relaxed his mind a little.

He set off again and left the bottom of the cliff.

...

An hour later.

Swoosh~ Swoosh~ Swoosh!

The sound of breaking wind rang out.

Three figures descended from mid-air and stopped at the bottom of the cliff.

"He left early again."

The middle-aged man with the hooked nose sneered, a flash of anger in his eyes.

"He didn't leave for long this time, he can't escape," the greasy-faced man looked around the bottom of the cliff and said confidently.

But the white-browed man's face darkened as he looked at a small delicate compass in his hand and said with a grim expression.

"The mark on the other party has disappeared."

"The killer... has completely escaped!"

What!?