Evergreen Immortal

[As a true hero, one must uphold justice. You eliminated a villain who brought chaos to the region, safeguarding local peace. The people honor you.]

[Mission “Uphold Justice” completed. Calculating rewards...]

[Mission Rating: C]

[Achievement Points Gained: 20]

[Name: Li Rui]

[Age: 5]

[Talent: Martial Bones]

[Technique: White Ape Phi Blade]

[Achievement: 40/100]

Li Rui wasn’t exactly pleased with this rating.

But he hadn’t done it specifically to carry out justice. Killing Zhu Lie had simply triggered the mission by coincidence. Even if last night hadn’t happened, he would’ve eventually found an opportunity to kill Zhu Lie.

“So it really was karma.”

Li Rui shook his head with a smile.

The 20 achievement points were a pleasant surprise.

Here he was, an old man in his twilight years, acting like a young martial wanderer.

Li Rui took out the Tiger Bone Pill he had received from Zhu Ping.

An eighth-grade spiritual pill.

Just the faint, ancient aroma it emitted was enough to make one’s mind sink into bliss.

After returning to the Heaven-Earth Alliance, he’d specifically visited the medicinal hall to confirm that the pill was indeed authentic before putting his mind at ease.

“Zhu Ping really went all in.”

By accepting Zhu Ping’s gift, Li Rui had agreed to work with the Zhu family, but that didn’t conflict with killing Zhu Lie. As long as he didn’t mess with the rest of the Zhu clan, it was all good. Unless, of course, they were looking to die.

Accepting the gift was a matter of goodwill.

Killing Zhu Lie was a matter of interest.

Separate matters should be treated separately, that’s what it meant to do things properly.

Li Rui wasn’t one to hoard treasures and then end up causing more trouble.

Though this Tiger Bone Pill would be most effective just before his breakthrough to the eighth grade, it was better to take it now and be safe than have someone else benefit from it later.

He tilted his head back.

The pill slid down his throat.

The Tiger Bone Pill’s medicinal essence was quickly absorbed by his internal organs, pulsing through his body with each heartbeat. It flowed into his limbs and bones, especially into the martial bones along his spinal column, where it was completely wrung dry of power.

Li Rui closed his eyes in comfort.

He felt a warm wave flood through his body.

Upon closer inspection, his physical strength had increased by more than fifty percent!

Such an overwhelming surge shocked even Li Rui.

The initial use of a spiritual pill was indeed tyrannical.

He could faintly see the threshold of the Bronze Bone Realm.

It wouldn’t be long now before he would step into the eighth grade!

Meanwhile, at the Zhu residence.

“Family head, we’ve sent out everyone, but there’s still no word on Second Master.”

The Zhu family’s steward reported.

Family head Zhu Ping’s face was dark, the pearwood armrest of his high-backed chair creaking under his grip.

“Keep looking!”

Last night, after leaving Flower Night Brothel, he’d said some harsh words. Zhu Lie, furious, had refused to return with him to the Zhu estate.

That sort of thing was common.

Zhu Lie rarely stayed at home anyway, most of the time, he was out messing around with his underworld buddies.

Zhu Ping was used to that.

But just last night, two of Zhu Lie’s closest underworld associates were found dead in an alley.

According to the tavern keeper, Zhu Lie had been drinking with those very two men the previous night, and they left together.

Zhu Ping took a deep breath.

“I warned you long ago, keep this up and you’d bring disaster to yourself.”

Zhu Lie had made far too many enemies over the years.

Tracking them all down would be impossible.

The authorities had already sent constables to investigate. Apart from confirming that the men were killed with arrows, there were no other clues.

The perpetrator was at least a martial artist, and extremely careful, not a single trace was left behind.

Without a doubt, this would become yet another unsolved case.

Zhu Ping’s grip loosened as he slumped back into his chair.

“Maybe it’s for the best. With him gone, all those grudges die with him. At least the Zhu family won’t be implicated.”

With Zhu Lie’s temperament, it was only a matter of time before he caused a catastrophe.

And if that happened, the whole Zhu family might’ve gone down with him.

In this light, maybe the Zhu family had actually come out ahead?

“Zhu Lie was reckless and increasingly out of control. I heard he even dared to muscle in on the Blood Tiger Gang’s business. He was bound to get himself killed eventually.”

Wu Tu gnawed on a pig’s trotter as he spoke.

He and Li Rui sat facing each other in a private room of a gambling house, a business run by the Heaven-Earth Alliance in Qinghe.

Wu Tu was the steward of this establishment.

“What you say is true, Brother Wu. I watched Zhu Lie grow up myself, he’s always been a bit too rash and prone to trouble.”

Li Rui took a sip of wine, mentioning Zhu Lie like it was just casual gossip.

Wu Tu glanced at him sideways, thinking to himself:

“This old fox really knows how to act.”

If he didn’t already know the truth, he’d never have guessed Li Rui had anything to do with Zhu Lie’s death.

But Wu Tu didn’t press the matter and changed the subject:

“Old Brother Li, Zhao Wei hasn’t given you any trouble, has he?”

Li Rui shook his head. “Deputy Branch Master Zhao is a busy man. He has no time for a nobody like me.”

Wu Tu looked slightly relieved.

“Good. I had a bit of bad blood with him when we were younger, I just didn’t want you getting caught up in it because of me.”

Li Rui’s curiosity was piqued.

“Brother Wu, what happened back then?”

He’d already heard from Ding Liang that Zhao Wei used to be part of Qinghe’s “Hidden Eight Gates,” and was once the gourdhead of the Heng Gate. Wu Tu had been one of his men.

Wu Tu sighed.

“It’s an old story. Back then, I was young and hot-blooded. I tried to challenge Zhao Wei to become gourdhead of Hengmen, but he played dirty. I lost miserably. Out of spite, I killed the guy he had drug me, and defected.”

“Things only calmed down after Zhao Wei left Heng Gate to pursue martial training.”

He never expected to run into Zhao Wei again.

And now, Zhao Wei was an eighth-grade martial artist, a deputy branch master of the Heaven-Earth Alliance.

Zhao Wei was a vengeful man.

Wu Tu had originally been in line to become a hall master, but Zhao Wei sabotaged him behind the scenes, leaving him stuck managing a casino.

He’d been keeping a low profile ever since.

Thankfully, he wasn’t without backers, or Zhao Wei would’ve made things much worse.

“The King of Hell is easy to deal with; it’s the little devils that are hard. That guy Chang He from the Discipline Hall is one of Zhao Wei’s men. Be careful around him, he’s a smiling tiger.”

“Thank you for the warning, Brother Wu.”

Li Rui chuckled.

Wu Tu grinned wider. “Old Brother Li, I heard you were involved in that Splendid Purity Sect mission at the ruined temple outside the city?”

Li Rui’s heart skipped a beat.

He didn’t know why Wu Tu was bringing this up.

Wu Tu quickly explained: “Don’t overthink it, I just have a buddy in the county office. Said there’s a new job tied to Splendid Purity Sect.”

He lowered his voice.

“Splendid Purity Sect wants to target the Ghost Nether Sect. Heaven-Earth Alliance is getting involved. One of their experts is offering a mid-tier eighth-grade spiritual pill to anyone who can locate a traitor disciple who defected to Ghost Nether Sect.”

“I asked around and heard you were involved back when you were with the Zhu family.”

Li Rui gave a bitter smile. “Back then I was just a stablehand, keeping watch at the foot of the mountain. I didn’t see anything.”

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