Chapter 129: The Merit Artifact Refined, Killing Qiu Tieying

"Did I say you could leave?" The Magistrate of Hulao County narrowed his eyes, his gaze sharp and predatory like a hawk's. The temperature in the air plummeted instantly.

Silence.

The scene fell into a sudden, deathly hush. Everyone’s eyes turned in unison toward Su Yang and Qiu Tieying.

"Still daring to glare at me?"
"Who gave you the courage?"

As Qiu Tieying finished his sentence, his blood and Qi surged violently. His fingers, hooked like iron claws, lunged fiercely toward Su Yang.

Watching Qiu Tieying close in, Su Yang couldn't help but curse under his breath. I’m wearing a mask and a bamboo hat—how the hell could you see me glaring at you?

Isn't this just a case of him looking for trouble because he doesn't like the look of me? Or perhaps, this old man had already guessed my identity, which is why he attacked so recklessly. After all, the badges of the Hulao County Magistrate’s personal guards were found on the bodies of Snake-Elder and his group just a few days ago.

If I were to strike back with the Hanguang Flying Sword, I would have a high chance of killing this Qiu Tieying, who clearly underestimates me. But what then?

Although the Hanguang Flying Sword is incredibly powerful, it consumes a massive amount of blood and Qi. I already drained a significant portion of my energy killing that tiger demon. If I catch him off guard and finish him off now, I’ll likely lose most of my remaining vitality. By then, the tiger demon, seeing that I possess such a precious treasure, would never let me go. The surrounding warriors and demons would also swarm me in a frenzy, desperate to tear me open and steal the flying sword. Once my blood and Qi were exhausted, I would definitely be no match for so many opponents.

"The Magistrate of Hulao County is truly going too far."

Without another word, Su Yang turned and bolted toward the cave entrance. He moved with incredible speed, and Qiu Tieying gave chase. Having already expended much of his energy in the illusion, Qiu Tieying couldn't keep up with Su Yang, who was pushing his strength to the peak of the Fifth Rank. Realizing he had yet to fully explore the tomb of Senior Shen Zhenxing, Qiu Tieying eventually gave up the chase and returned.

...

After exiting the cave, Su Yang didn't look for his own people. Instead, he turned and headed in a different direction. Li Niuniu, intuitive and sharp, continued to hold their ground, waiting for his master.

"Huh? Why did he come out?"
"Where are the others?"
"Only one person came out?"
"What’s going on? Did something dangerous happen inside?"
"Hey, was there some kind of danger inside?"

The various martial artists guarding the tomb entrance swarmed toward him, along with the demons of various clans. There was even a toad demon covered in festering, oozing sores that made one’s skin crawl.

"The others are still moving forward inside the tomb, but I felt it was too dangerous. With so many people, even if there were treasures, it wouldn't be my turn, so I decided to leave first. If you want to know more, you'll just have to wait."

Su Yang finished speaking and channeled his blood and Qi, hurrying away from the place. A few mud-headed fish demons tried to block his path, but he kicked them to the ground, and they finally knew their place.

...

"This... it looks like someone has been here."
"Even the coffin is overturned. Someone has definitely been here!"
"Who was the first one to enter?"

The colorful, majestic tiger demon’s eyes glinted with cold malice as he scanned the other demons and humans. Inside the tomb, it was empty. Aside from the white jade coffin, there was nothing left. Someone must have looted everything first.

"It was him! It was this pig demon! He was the one who arrived here first!" At that moment, a snake demon suddenly pointed at the bald-tailed pig demon.

"What?"
"I... I arrived and it was already like this! It really wasn't me!"

The pig demon was terrified. The eyes of all the surrounding demons and human warriors were fixed upon him, which was truly harrowing.

"If it wasn't you, then tell us, who else got here before you?" the snake demon pressed.

"I...!"
"It really wasn't me! What are you doing? What are you doing... you bunch of idiots, it really wasn't me! Ah!"

"Ah!"

Screams echoed through the tomb as a group of demons and warriors rushed forward, tearing the pig demon to pieces. Whether the treasure was on him or not no longer mattered; they just wanted a scapegoat to vent their rage.

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the demons and warriors emerged from the tomb, each face etched with disappointment. Of course, some stubborn ones remained inside, hoping to find a trace, but it was all in vain—Su Yang had already swept the place clean.

The Life-Saving Sword Talisman is truly powerful; it is worthy of being an immortal-grade item. I just wonder how many more times this jade talisman can be used. I hope it doesn't break too quickly.

A sect capable of refining such a talisman must be formidable. Xueyan will be able to receive a better education, and our child will have access to superior resources. After all, my passive skill—"guaranteed pregnancy on the first attempt"—has almost never failed.

Su Yang found a hidden patch of grass and impatiently opened his status panel.

Name: Su Yang (Quasi-Immortal)
Incense Value: 6
Humanity Merit: 102
Soul Fragments: 7
Realm: Fourth Rank
Artifacts: [Hanguang Flying Sword (Can be tempered with Humanity Merit)], [Hundred-Treasure Pouch (Can be tempered with Humanity Merit)]

He channeled the Humanity Merit into the Hanguang Flying Sword. The 102 points of merit vanished instantly, leaving only 2. The artifact section changed again.

Artifacts: [Hanguang Flying Sword (Low-Grade Merit Artifact)], [Hundred-Treasure Pouch]
Low-Grade Merit Artifact: To upgrade the artifact's rank, more merit must be infused.

The three-inch-long flying sword now shimmered with a pale yellow hue. It had no intricate patterns, yet it was incredibly smooth and glowed with an unusual radiance. There wasn't much difference in appearance, save for that extra layer of luster. From now on, using this to slay demons would grant him Humanity Merit, and slaying humans would not incur karmic debt. As for the merit gained from slaying demons, it was not related to their strength, but to how many people they had harmed and how much they had plagued the common folk.

This was his first artifact, and Su Yang couldn't help but admire it.

...

Inside a luxurious carriage sat the Fourth-Rank warrior who had just returned from the tomb: Qiu Tieying. With servants clearing the way, pedestrians scurried aside—what a display of prestige.

He pondered the situation in the tomb. Someone had gotten there first, likely breaking the illusion ahead of everyone else to snatch the treasures. The primary suspect was...!

A sharp glint flashed in Qiu Tieying’s eyes. The image of the warrior who had left early surfaced in his mind. Among the Fifth-Rank warriors from the seven counties around Hulao, Yanggu, Bailiu, and Pi, he knew most of them—there were only so many. This warrior had disguised his face, but he had overlooked one crucial thing: his voice. He hadn't bothered to disguise it, and it was the voice of a very young man.

Yanggu County, Su Yang...!

The name struck him. Of the seven counties, only Su Yang was a young Fifth-Rank warrior. The one who had been so eager to leave the tomb must be him.

Qiu Tieying smiled. A joyful smirk tugged at the corners of his mouth. Now that he knew who it was, things would be easy. And conveniently, he could settle the score for Snake-Elder at the same time. A twenty-year-old Fifth-Rank—truly impressive. If he didn't die, he would have a limitless future. But he who takes what isn't his must pay the price. He would send men to scout, and in a couple of days, he would bring the remaining Fifth-Rank warriors from his estate to surround and kill him.

Although he could probably take him down alone, he knew the principle of a lion using its full strength to catch a rabbit. He hated loose ends—like his own idiot son. If he had mobilized two or three Fifth-Rank warriors back then, Snake-Elder wouldn't have died.

Qiu Tieying was in a great mood. Compared to fighting that tiger demon, taking from a Fifth-Rank was much easier. It was, in fact, a good thing for him. He stepped out of the carriage and rode his horse, looking quite triumphant.

...

"Master, someone is blocking the road ahead." A servant ran up, his face filled with anxiety.

"Who dares to block my path?" Qiu Tieying frowned, displeased that such a trivial matter couldn't be handled.

"They won't give their name. The Sixth-Rank warrior who went to reason with them had his arm broken. Guard Guo said the person is a Fifth-Rank warrior, so he sent me to report it to you, Master. What should we do?"

"Fifth-Rank?"

Hearing this, a smile spread across Qiu Tieying’s stern face. He spurred his horse forward and, sure enough, saw Su Yang in black at the head of the group, standing in the middle of the road with a Sixth-Rank warrior pinned under his foot.

"Master Su, this must be our first meeting since I discovered your identity, right?"
"Are you here to return the ancient medicine? If so, I will let bygones be bygones, including the death of Snake-Elder."

As Qiu Tieying spoke, Su Yang’s heart skipped a beat. His identity had indeed been guessed. Fortunately, he had come today, otherwise, there would have been endless trouble later. This old dog had guessed his identity and even suspected that he had taken the treasures from the main tomb chamber. He shouldn't have been in such a rush to leave.

Regardless of Qiu Tieying's previous insults, the fact that he knew so much meant he had to die. If he joined forces with the tiger demon to hunt him down, things would look grim. Even with the Hanguang Flying Sword, he would be facing two experienced Fourth-Rank veterans.

If he killed Qiu Tieying, the tiger demon would have no one to help him. While there were other Fourth-Rank warriors in the surrounding hundreds of miles, they hadn't come to the tomb, implying they weren't interested in the grave of a warrior from two hundred years ago, likely assuming there were no significant medicines left. As for the artifact, no one knew of its existence, or they believed a First-Rank warrior couldn't possibly possess one. Even Qiu Tieying assumed he had only found some long-lasting ancient medicine.

If other Fifth-Rank warriors came to rob him, they would just be handing him gifts.

Qiu Tieying had to die. But the artifact could not be seen by so many people. While ancient medicine wasn't enough to attract everyone, an artifact certainly was.

"Old dog, I came today to settle things. You sent Snake-Elder to assassinate me; you never had good intentions. Since that's the case, let’s have a proper fight."
"If you have the guts, follow me. Don't bring your guards and thugs—it's embarrassing."

With that, Su Yang vanished into the nearby woods. His figure flickered between the trees. Qiu Tieying dismounted and followed, gesturing to his Fifth-Rank guard to flank from another direction. It was a pity he only brought one Fifth-Rank warrior; otherwise, he could have surrounded the brat and saved time.

After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Su Yang’s movements were erratic, and Qiu Tieying found himself unable to catch up. As for the guard, he had long since been lost in the woods.

Finally, Su Yang stopped.

"Whoosh!"

Without a word, he turned and launched a sneak attack. The loser dies from talking too much. Qiu Tieying, his eyes sharp as a hawk’s, sneered in disdain and threw a punch at Su Yang. A mere Fifth-Rank daring to trade blows with him was asking for death. If he retreated, he would press the advantage and take the boy down in one go.

"Bang!"

In the next second, Su Yang’s fist collided squarely with his. Qiu Tieying was shocked—the boy had guts. But when he felt the strength of the blow, which was a match for his own, his eyes widened in disbelief.

Fourth-Rank?
This kid was also a Fourth-Rank?
And a Fourth-Rank at such a young age! A deep sense of fear washed over him. If this boy were given more time, he would become unstoppable.

At this thought, the killing intent in Qiu Tieying’s eyes intensified. He had to kill him today, even if it meant his own life, or the next time they met would be his end.

Their iron-like fists clashed. A terrifying shockwave swept outward, scattering gravel and shaking the earth. The ground beneath their feet cracked.

"Ptui!"

Su Yang spat, and the Hanguang Flying Sword shot out instantly. Qiu Tieying, never expecting such a move—thinking it was merely a hidden weapon—retreated and raised his steel bracers to block it. But the sword was far faster than any hidden weapon. It arrived in an instant, too quick to intercept. He could only widen his eyes in horror...!

A spray of blood erupted. The sword, pristine and unstained, returned to Su Yang’s hand. A pale yellow golden light descended from the sky and merged into his panel.

Huh? Slaying humans also grants merit?

Su Yang was stunned. He quickly opened the panel. Sure enough, the 2 points of Humanity Merit had jumped to 3!

He soon understood. Qiu Tieying was clearly no saint; the suffering and slaughter he had caused were so severe that he was more demon than man. In other words, as long as he slew those who had committed deep sins—human or demon—he would gain Humanity Merit.

Incense, Humanity Merit, Soul Fragments! He needed to collect these three things as quickly as possible. According to the daily prompts, 100 soul fragments plus 1,000 points of incense could condense an incense body for one person.

"Since you're here, don't leave...!" Su Yang’s gaze shifted toward the fleeing Fifth-Rank guard. The man had been preparing to sneak attack from the rear while Su Yang and Qiu Tieying were fighting, but seeing Qiu Tieying killed in a single blow, he had turned and fled without hesitation.

...

P.S.: Brothers, it’s the first of the month. Throw all your monthly tickets over here! I’m asking for your support!