“Murder is an art!”
That was what another madman from Qingmi Mountain once said. He claimed he never struck unless it was to end someone’s suffering and send them to the land of ultimate bliss.
“To sacrifice oneself for art is an act of boundless merit!” When that madman spoke those words, his expression was filled with profound compassion and pity for all living things. For a moment, Ye Chu even had the illusion that he was some enlightened high monk.
Back then, when the old madman had thrown Ye Chu into his hands, the man began forcing Ye Chu to learn his “art.” The sharp, efficient killing techniques Ye Chu now possessed were all honed under that madman’s tutelage.
Though the people of Wuxin Peak on Qingmi Mountain were few in number, every single one of them was a lunatic. Ye Chu often felt that someone as pure and normal as himself, after spending too much time with them, would inevitably be driven mad.
Of course, in Ye Chu’s eyes, Qingmi Mountain was essentially a mental asylum. But Qing Wenting and the others did not see it that way. In her mind, Qingmi Mountain was an extraordinarily mysterious place, one she desperately longed to set foot upon.
That enigmatic mountain could only reveal the tip of its iceberg to those who actually climbed it. Yet clearly, though she was a Saintess, as an outsider she had no way of ascending Qingmi Mountain. People are like this: the more forbidden something is, the more they desire it, and the more mysterious it seems.
Qing Wenting had pestered Ye Chu more than once to take her up there. But Ye Chu had not even reached the Innate Realm yet. What right did he have to bring anyone along?
To ascend Qingmi Mountain, even core disciples needed to reach at least the fifth layer of the Innate Realm before they could barely apply for permission to bring close family members up once in a while. And that was only for the main mountain. To go up to Wuxin Peak? If the lunatics up there refused, even if your strength reached the heavens, they still would not let you in.
Wuxin Peak on Qingmi Mountain was truly unique. Only those who had lived there could truly understand it. Ye Chu himself could only describe what that place was truly like once he returned to Wuxin Peak.
In Qing Wenting’s eyes, all she knew of Qingmi Mountain could be summed up in two words: mysterious. But in reality, Qingmi Mountain was far more than just that. Of course, part of the reason was that Ye Chu had once told her Qingmi Mountain was not merely mysterious, which only fuelled her curiosity even more. She became determined to go up there.
Cave Eleven watched as his companions fell one after another. Even Old Nineteen, under Ye Chu’s hand, could not withstand a single kick before his throat was crushed. Cave Eleven’s face turned pale with terror. This young man was far stronger now than he had been a year ago.
Back then, when Ye Chu and his group had ravaged the Thirty-Six Caves and destroyed several of them, what terrified them most was that half the people in those destroyed caves had died by Ye Chu’s hand. For Ye Chu, they all carried a deep shadow in their hearts.
Yet who would have thought that abducting a little girl would actually summon this demonic young killer? If Cave Eleven had known, he never would have touched Yao Yao. Because he now realised that Ye Chu was precisely the leader of that group from back then.
Someone even the heir of the Pang family bowed his head to — how could he possibly be easy to deal with?
But now there was no way out. Watching Ye Chu take lives with every move, Cave Eleven roared and swung his long axe viciously towards Ye Chu. The strike was ruthless, backed by his peak Intent Transformation ninth-layer strength, terrifying and brimming with killing intent.
“Wait until you reach the Innate Realm before you try to deal with me.” Ye Chu sneered. He stepped on a stone beneath his foot and kicked it flying, colliding directly with the oncoming axe.
The stone shattered instantly, fragments flying everywhere. But Cave Eleven staggered back several steps, his arms trembling from the impact. The axe nearly slipped from his grasp.
“Today, all of you die!” Ye Chu saw someone trying to flee. His figure flashed, blocking the man’s path. He turned his hand into a blade and struck the temple. The man dropped dead on the spot.
Among these people were quite a few skilled fighters. There were those at the Intent Transformation Realm, yet in Ye Chu’s hands, none lasted more than a single exchange. Right now, Ye Chu was like a bloodthirsty tiger. Wherever he went, no lamb survived.
This was the technique taught by that madman who always spoke of “art.” Ye Chu rarely used it. Even when fighting the people from Sha Kingdom earlier, he had not employed it. Because it was too bloodthirsty. Once unleashed, only endless slaughter could quell the inner violence.
If they had not threatened a four-year-old child like Yao Yao, Ye Chu would not have resorted to this. Not because he feared killing, but because this furious, bloodthirsty state was not pleasant to experience. But since he had begun, no one here would leave alive.
“Die!” Cave Eleven roared. His long axe swept horizontally, its edge gleaming coldly as it aimed to cleave Ye Chu in half at the waist.
“Too slow!” Ye Chu shook his head and dodged. With a twist of his body, he snatched a steel blade from the ground and met the attack head-on.
“Clang…”
A crisp ring of metal clashing. Ye Chu’s steel blade gained a deep notch, but Cave Eleven’s long axe was directly shaken out of his hands. Blood burst from the webs between his thumbs.
Cave Eleven retreated in terror, disbelief written across his face. In just one year, this young man’s growth had become too terrifying. According to previous information, the other party should still have been weaker than him. Yet now, a single clash of power far surpassed his own.
Cave Eleven clutched his agonising hands and bolted towards the door. Since he could not win against Ye Chu, escape was the only option.
“Escape? Did you ask if I agreed?” Just as Cave Eleven reached the doorway, Ye Chu’s long blade appeared at his neck without warning. Cave Eleven froze mid-step, his face pale and trembling with fear.
“Tell me! Who else knows that White Leopard once entered the General’s Tomb?” Ye Chu asked Cave Eleven.
“I don’t…”
Before Cave Eleven could finish, Ye Chu’s blade pressed forward an inch. Fresh scarlet blood trickled down the edge, carrying a sharp metallic scent. “I don’t like hearing answers I don’t want to hear. You know what kind of person I am. In front of me, say what you know.”
“Old Three, Old Four, and Old Five all know!” Cave Eleven saw the blade still advancing and hurriedly answered. His entire body shook uncontrollably.
“Where are they? Still in the Thirty-Six Caves, or did they come to Yao City with you?” Ye Chu asked, his heart growing heavy. The Thirty-Six Caves had five Innate Realm experts, and these three were among them.
When Ye Chu had wreaked havoc in the Thirty-Six Caves back then, he had deliberately avoided provoking the top ten caves precisely because he feared these people would come out.
“They’re in Yao City right now. They went to hunt down another person who entered the General’s Tomb.” Cave Eleven answered everything without reservation. At this point, he knew hiding anything was useless. Better to tell the truth and let Ye Chu go after those three. With their strength, perhaps they could kill Ye Chu.
“You’re quite sensible. Since you’ve been so obedient, I’ll ask you one last question. Answer it correctly, and I’ll let you live.” Ye Chu looked at Cave Eleven.
Cave Eleven’s eyes lit up with a flicker of hope. He stared straight at Ye Chu.
“Here’s the question: if a man tries to force himself on a woman but fails, is that very embarrassing?” Ye Chu asked, gazing at Cave Eleven.
Cave Eleven wanted to cry. What kind of question was that? Feeling Ye Chu’s intense stare, cold sweat poured down his face. After a long moment, he trembled and said, “It… it probably… isn’t that embarrassing, right?”
But the moment the words left his mouth, Ye Chu’s blade slashed down without mercy. Cave Eleven’s eyes widened in shock as he collapsed to the ground. His final thought was: “Did I answer wrong?”
Ye Chu tossed the long blade aside. “Damn it! What do you mean ‘probably’? It’s definitely not embarrassing, alright!”
Ye Chu felt a surge of frustration. He thought the original owner of this body was utterly useless. Becoming a public enemy didn’t bother Ye Chu, but attempting something improper and failing? That truly slapped a man’s face.