Chen Fei searched the two of them, finding only some copper coins on their bodies. A light drizzle began to drift down from the sky. Chen Fei glanced around to get his bearings and ran toward the southeast.
As night fell, in a dilapidated temple, the aroma of roasting meat permeated the air, interspersed with the sound of conversation.
Legend had it that an immortal once lived on Pingyin Mountain, one who could overturn rivers and seas, capable of anything. Later, an immortal temple appeared on Pingyin Mountain, but the temple was never particularly effective.
Within just a few years, it was completely abandoned, becoming a temporary shelter for people spending the night on Pingyin Mountain.
Chen Fei carefully turned the rabbit meat on the branch. He'd had good luck today—he had managed to hunt a rabbit. At this moment, the errand boys from the medical hall chatted idly, their gazes repeatedly darting toward the rabbit meat, their eyes full of longing.
The medical hall's meals never included meat or fish. If you wanted meat, you had to go out and buy it yourself. But on an errand boy's wages, one might not taste meat even once a month.
"Knock knock knock!"
A knocking sounded at the door, and one of the errand boys stepped forward to open it. Cold wind blew in, and Chen Fei instinctively glanced outside, his eyes narrowing slightly before he withdrew his gaze.
"Excellent, rabbit meat! I'm starving." Qi Chun's face lit up with delight at the sight of the roasted rabbit.
"Just you? I thought the others were with you too." The errand boy who had opened the door peered outside, saying in surprise.
"I don't know either." Qi Chun shook his head, sat down on the ground, and stared at the nearly cooked rabbit meat.
"Crackle pop!"
The firewood still held some moisture and now gave off little popping sounds.
Seemingly finding things too quiet, Qi Chun spoke up. "Guess what happened to me today? When you hear this, you're guaranteed to cheer!"
"What is it? Tell us!" The other errand boys' interest was piqued.
"No rush. I happen to have something to say too." Chen Fei suddenly spoke up. "Want to know how I caught this rabbit today?"
Everyone turned to look at Chen Fei. The wafting aroma of meat made their moods grow increasingly restless.
Chen Fei stood up and looked at the crowd. "Rabbits are alert creatures. At the slightest rustle, they'll bolt immediately. So when you spot one, don't make a sound. Approach slowly, and then—like this—"
"Shing!"
A flash of light streaked through the dilapidated temple. Qi Chun stared blankly at Chen Fei, and in the next instant, Qi Chun's head rolled to the ground.
"Ah!"
The other errand boys screamed in terror, looking at Chen Fei in disbelief. Chen Fei had killed someone—killed someone right before their eyes.
The key point was that they had no idea why Chen Fei would kill Qi Chun. That was what was most terrifying of all.
Chen Fei said nothing, staring at Qi Chun's neck. There wasn't a trace of normal flesh and blood there.
"Everyone, run!"
Chen Fei roared. Before leaving, he used his firewood knife to pick up the money pouch at Qi Chun's waist, then rushed out of the temple without looking back.
"Heh heh heh!"
A sinister laugh echoed through the dilapidated temple. The other errand boys snapped out of their daze, and seeing the headless body rise to its feet, they suddenly understood something. Faces full of terror, they all fled from the temple.
Chen Fei's expression was grave. He hadn't expected to actually run into an evil entity on Pingyin Mountain. Fortunately, he had broken through to the Skin Tempering stage during the day, giving Chen Fei some sensitivity to this kind of sinister aura.
Otherwise, if he had continued staying in that temple, who knew what might have happened.
The most important thing now was to return to Pingyin County before dawn. Strange occurrences rarely happened in Pingyin County's town—rumor had it that the county yamen housed a treasure that suppressed such things.
Chen Fei didn't know if it was true. Right now, he only wanted to hurry back, where it would be safer.
"Chen Fei, my neck hurts so much. That slash of yours hurt me so badly!"
A ghostly voice came from behind, and Chen Fei's expression changed. Wasn't it said that after taking up martial arts, one's vital energy grew abundant, and evil entities would chase after those with weaker vital energy first?
How had it caught up so quickly! Unless the other errand boys were all already dead?
Chen Fei ran with all his strength. After reaching the Skin Tempering stage, his stamina and speed had increased dramatically. If an ordinary person were chasing him, they would have been shaken off long ago. But no matter how Chen Fei ran, the cold, sinister aura behind him stayed locked onto him.
"The Jishan Fist Hall said that a martial artist's vital energy can counter evil entities. I have the realm now, but I know very little about how to actually mobilize my vital energy."
Chen Fei looked at the panel where Jishan Fist remained marked as "Not Yet Initiated," while also pulling out Qi Chun's money pouch. Inside were more than two taels of silver—truly somewhat beyond Chen Fei's expectations.
"Panel, simplify Jishan Fist!"
"Simplifying Jishan Fist... Simplification successful... Jishan Fist → Arm Swing!"
Arm Swing?
Before Chen Fei could figure out what "Arm Swing" meant, the insights of Jishan Fist suddenly appeared in his mind, and the insights came extremely rapidly.
Chen Fei instinctively looked at the panel.
[Martial Art: Jishan Fist (Initiated 23/100)]
That number 23 turned into 24 in the blink of an eye, then continued climbing. Chen Fei looked at his two arms—wasn't swinging his arms exactly what he was doing while running at full speed?
Chen Fei couldn't help but exclaim inwardly. This simplification was on par with the breathing technique.
"Chen Fei, do you know where my head went?"
Qi Chun's voice sounded directly behind Chen Fei's ear, as if pressed against his back. Chen Fei could even feel the breath expelled as it spoke.
Chen Fei's expression changed, and he punched backward. The mysteries of Jishan Fist flowed through his mind, and the temperature of Chen Fei's fist rose rapidly.
"Boom!"
A muffled thud. Qi Chun shrieked—the spot on his chest where he'd been struck was now scorched black.
"There's hope!"
Chen Fei's eyes brightened. Instead of fleeing, he turned and charged at Qi Chun with his firewood knife in hand.
After initiating Jishan Fist, Chen Fei had gained a rough understanding of how to use his vital energy. He now channeled it into the firewood knife in his hand, and with a few strokes, Qi Chun's four limbs were severed from his body.
"How are you so strong!"
Qi Chun howled miserably, but Chen Fei's expression remained unmoved as he swung the blade again and again.
"Don't kill me! If you kill me, you won't survive either!"
Chen Fei's movements paused slightly. Qi Chun was surely just a minor lackey—perhaps there really was some greater evil behind him. But if he didn't kill Qi Chun now, would Qi Chun spare him?
"Stop! I'll tell you how to survive!"
Qi Chun shouted loudly, but what greeted him was Chen Fei's blade.
At first Qi Chun could still scream, but as his flesh melted away, he could no longer utter a word. At some point, Chen Fei, still mechanically swinging his blade, discovered that Qi Chun had turned into a pile of flying ash.
"So that's how you kill an evil entity!"
Chen Fei murmured to himself. Just as he was about to turn around, a sudden sharp pain shot through his wrist. Chen Fei raised his arm—there was a thin black line on it.
With no time to think about the black line that had appeared, Chen Fei ran toward Pingyin County.
Half an hour later, Chen Fei finally caught sight of Pingyin County's city walls.