In my twilight years of cultivating, I became a Supreme Daoist of the Longevity Path

Chapter 41: 038: Killing Fish for Years, Heart as Cold as a Knife (Follow-up Reading)_1 Chapter 41: 038: Killing Fish for Years, Heart as Cold as a Knife (Follow-up Reading)_1 Upon hearing the six words “finished Soul Snatching Array Disk,” Chen Dengming’s brows furrowed slightly, showing some hesitation.

He had heard Luo Bing mention the Soul Snatching Array Disk – it was indeed a valuable item that could potentially alleviate his pressing issues with his Gold and Wood Spiritual Root.

But meddling in other’s affairs wasn’t his style.

However, with such an opportunity in front of him concerning his Spiritual Root, it seemed hard to justify not seizing it.

After all, judging from the opponent’s Spiritual Might, he had the Golden Silkworm and Blood Centipede at his disposal, so even if he didn’t win the disk, he still had guarantees of a safe retreat.

“Damn it!”

The facial expression of the cultivator in yellow changed as he cursed under his breath.

...

In that instant, he activated the talisman in his hand.

“Boom!”

Another fireball formed in an instant, quickly heating up the surrounding air before violently shooting towards the cultivator on the ground.

This was the beauty of talismans.

Even cultivators who had not yet mastered the Big Fireball Skill could instantly trigger it using talismans.

However, as soon as this fireball flew out, Chen Dengming also instantly launched one from his direction.

The two fireballs collided, exploding with a loud bang.

Trails of fire, accompanied by steaming energy waves, dispersed, spreading the smell of burning.

The leaves of the nearby trees were visibly wilting from the heat.

“Hm?

Instant Daoist magic?”

The cultivator in yellow changed his facial expression, his eyes intense as they swept over Chen Dengming, who was controlling his flying sword to land, and he said in a deep voice.

“Fellow cultivator, this is a private matter of Hutong Street, it has nothing to do with you.

This man is a wanted individual on Hutong Street, I hope you won’t interfere.”

“Hutong Street?…”

Chen Dengming was cautious as he recollected why this person looked so familiar after he landed and observed the cultivator in yellow trying to ascertain his power level.

The cultivator in yellow was the nameless cultivator he first encountered when he initially arrived at the meeting place.

At that time, this cultivator was also pursuing another cultivator, who had sought his help just like now.

The situation unfolding was exactly the same as that day, except for the location.

It seemed like time was repeating itself, except at that time, he was only at the Innate stage.

However, it was evident that the cultivator had not recognized him as the Innate individual he’d met before.

“This person meditates using talismans, and his Spiritual Might is at the level of second-stage Qi Cultivation…”

Chen Dengming reassured himself as he glanced at the so-called “wanted” cultivator, his expression turning strange.

What a coincidence!

No wonder the cultivator claimed to recognize him.

The cultivator lying bloody and panting on the ground was in disarray.

At first glance, he did not recognize him, but upon closer inspection, he realized it was Jiang Qiang, who he had once encountered.

“It’s you again?

You’re still not dead?”

Chen Dengming was somewhat speechless.

Back in the day, Jiang Qiang also got pursued and as a result, he helped and ended up killing two bounty hunters.

Now, the same person was being chased yet again – it seemed like he was always either being chased or on the run.

Should they just call him Jiang Run-Run?

How could he still be alive?

The cultivator in yellow looked puzzled.

Hearing Chen Dengming speak, he assumed they must be close acquaintances which made him alert and annoyed.

But from the conversation, it seemed like they weren’t close after all and had discord, prompting him to start laughing.

“So, it turns out that you too have been troubled by this guy?

Don’t worry; I will soon send him off as you wish.”

“Enough!”

Chen Dengming waved dismissively, looking at the cultivator in yellow.

Suddenly, he clasped his hands and politely said with a smile, “That won’t be necessary, fellow cultivator.

I do know him, but we have no grievances.

Could you do me a favor and let bygones be bygones this time?

If you want any compensation, I have Spirit Stones here, I can compensate you.

I only want the Soul Snatching Array Disk, how about it?”

The cultivator in yellow frowned, his expression becoming solemn.

He studied Chen Dengming more intently, and his gaze fell on Chen Dengming’s graying temples.

Gradually, a look of doubt appeared in his eyes as if he was starting to recognize Chen Dengming.

Chen Dengming narrowed his eyes, catching the fleeting look of doubt and realization in the eyes of the fellow in yellow.

“Thank you, fellow cultivator!”

Jiang Qiang, who was desperately gasping for air on the ground, was overjoyed and tried to crawl towards Chen Dengming.

“Well, how about this?”

Chen Dengming suddenly changed the subject, looking humbly at the cultivator in yellow.

“Seeing that you are not willing to let him off the hook easily, why are you going after him?

I just need the Soul Snatching Array Disk from him, what do you want?”

The cultivator in yellow squinted and coldly responded, “I don’t want anything, but my boss, Qian Yuan, wants his Soul Snatching Array Disk!

Now I recognize you, you’re the Fish Selling Guy from the old street, aren’t you?

I never thought that after you killed our guys from Hutong Street, you’d still dare to interfere with my boss’s plans.”

“Oh?

So boss Qian also wants the Soul Snatching Array Disk…”

Chen Dengming hissed, his expression seemed to understand, his mind racing.

The cultivator in yellow’s eyes flashed with chill as he laughed lightly, “Chen, are you asking me to save face for you, or you’ll save face for my boss, Qian Yuan?

This Soul Snatching Array Disk is very important to my boss.

You won’t be able to protect this guy, and the Array Disk, you can’t take it either!”

“Let me think…”

Chen Dengming nodded slightly, his eyebrows knotted as he put on an expression of contemplation.

Suddenly, he laughed lightly and waved his hands.

“Woosh!——”

The flying sword in front of him suddenly shot out at an unparalleled speed.

With a flash of green light, it arrived in front of the cultivator in yellow.

The cultivator in yellow roared angrily.

Outside his body, a shield in the shape of a lotus immediately appeared.

The shield revolved like a rotating Buddha, deflecting Chen Dengming’s flying sword with a clanging sound.

“Bastard!

To think I wasn’t prepared for you?” The cultivator in yellow retorted as he quickly retreated while holding another talisman in his hand, “You’re trying to antagonize Hutong Street to the death…”

Before he could finish speaking, a golden thread appeared from Chen Dengming’s stretching hand.

The thread, elongated into an arc, bypassed the lotus-shaped magical artifact and arrived at the side of the cultivator in yellow at a tricky angle.

“What!?”

The cultivator in yellow was shocked, a spiritual protective shield immediately formed outside his body.

However, before the spiritual shield could fully form, he felt a jolt in his chest followed by a tearing pain spreading throughout his body.

His strength rapidly dissipated, and his vision blurred.

“Thud!——”

The yellow-robed cultivator fell to the ground, powerless.

It was only then that a blossom of blood sprouted from his chest, splattering on the ground.

Consequently, a golden thread swiftly whisked away the streaming blood, quickly disappearing into Chen Dengming’s sleeve with a ‘hum’.

“Thud——”

Black boots hit the ground, stirring up a slight dust cloud.

Chen Dengming’s clothing fluttered as his figure landed, coming to stand in front of the yellow-robed cultivator, his spiritual might gradually retracting.

“They’ve begun to fight and yet still have the time to waste on threats and bravado.

I overestimated him with all my caution earlier…”

His gaze had somewhat relaxed vigilance.

He looked closely at the wound located on the fallen cultivator’s heart.

He bent his fingers.

A spiral of spiritual energy quickly coalesced and spun between them.

Then he flicked it.

Whoosh!——

The spiraling force punctured the yellow-robed cultivator’s brow instantly.

Ensuring his death, in case there was any bizarre story about his heart being misplaced or his spirit being an uncanny anomaly.

Jiang Qiang, who had already been stunned on the sidelines, shivered, suddenly snapping back to reality.

The look he gave Chen Dengming was one of shock and confusion.

If one were to ask him what he was thinking, besides astonishment, there was only one clear thought— too fast!

As Qi cultivators on the second level, it shouldn’t have been so quick!

However, Chen Dengming simply acted swiftly and decisively.

Barely three breaths had passed, and he’d already killed a cultivator of the same realm.

What’s more, Jiang Qiang still hadn’t seen the golden thread that the man had wielded.

What kind of magic artifact was it?

Mysterious.

Powerful!

He recalled the two bounty cultivators who had been killed by Chen Dengming in the past, and celebrated his previous choice to curb his greed and leave with just a spirit stone.

“How bizarre…

How could a big man like him use a lotus-like defensive artifact?

What kind of taste is this?”

Now, Chen Dengming was rather exasperated while sorting through the yellow-robed cultivator’s belongings.

Jiang Qiang quickly got up, gasping for breath and expressing his gratitude.

“Don’t thank me just yet, there’s a reward for these things, you know!

These situations are too dangerous, combine it with the previous time, you will be paying me for both.”

Chen Dengming waved his hand in refusal, showing no interest in getting chummy.

Jiang Qiang froze, then quickly nodded, ready to take his array plate from his clothes.

“No need to rush, it’s not safe here.

Do you still have any spiritual energy left?

Are you able to cast spells?”

Chen Dengming examined Jiang Qiang up and down, knitting his brows.

Jiang Qiang quickly responded, “I do…

I believe, I believe I can.”

“Can you cast the Big Fireball Skill?”

“I can!”

“Good!”

Chen Dengming pointed to the corpse of the yellow-robed cultivator on the ground, then paused, “By the way, what’s his name?

It doesn’t seem like we were introduced?”

Jiang Qiang was about to answer.

Chen Dengming waved a hand in dismissal, “Never mind, it’s not important now that he’s dead.

Get on with it, destroy the corpse.

Do it several times, until we can smell it burning.”

Jiang Qiang, “??”

He quickly realized, however, and didn’t question it, beginning to perform the spell.

He speculated that this mysterious and powerful man was either hoping to save his own spiritual energy or to exhaust his, reducing any chance of him sabotaging things out of bad intention.

Or maybe he wanted him to feel involved— that there was more than one murderer on Hutong Street.

Either way, so strong and yet so cautious, he even wanted the smell of charring.

The man was ruthless, not to be trifled with.

…

Sometime later.

The two of them carefully moved the corpse of the yellow-robed cultivator, placing it next to the other unfortunate souls that had been slain by the Iron Forest Hall members.

Hopefully, even if someone from Hutong Street was able to identify their charred brother, they would be misdirected and blame the Iron Forest Hall.

Afterwards, the two left together, their conversation faintly audible through the wind.

“What did you do before you were wanted and hunted down?

What did you do to attract the attention of Hutong Street?”

“Oh?

You’re actually an array master trained by Hutong Street?

Impressive, your status is quite distinguished.

Much better than mine, I was a fishmonger before…”

Jiang Qiang accompanied his sentence with an unnatural laugh, not daring to retort, “…”

A fishmonger?

A fish killer, right?

Having performed two perfect murders by now, he must have seasoned himself through years of slicing fishes at the stall.

His heart is probably as cold as his fish-killing knife.

Without realizing, they had arrived at a secluded grove.

Chen Dengming surveyed the surroundings, rubbed his hands together, and let out a pleasant laugh.

“Alright, there’s nobody here, where’s the stuff?

Bring it out and let me take a look.”

“Okay, okay…”

Jiang Qiang’s back ran cold.

Chen Dengming’s amiable smile somehow seemed ominous to him.

Earlier, even when talking with the yellow-robed cultivator, he had the same smile on his face— appearing unassuming yet striking with ruthless intensity when necessary.

Jiang Qiang steadied himself and took out the array plate from his bag.

His movements were slow and cautious, for fear that the other party would suspect he was pulling a trick…

…

…