Free Web NovelChapter 76: Chapter 76: A Borrowed Knife
’Yes! Just as I suspected. Once the Concealing Breath Spell reaches the perfected level, it reveals even more profound changes.
At the Mastery level, it could block the mark’s tracking, but now that it’s perfected, I can remove it completely!
I wonder if there’s another Realm after this. If so, maybe I’ll even be able to track them back?’
Jiang Xu pinched the mark, unsure what to do with it.
After a moment of thought, he squatted down, pressed the mark to the ground, and withdrew his own spiritual energy from it.
The mark was now stuck fast to the ground.
’It can even do this?’
Jiang Xu covered the mark with his energy again and found he could pick it right back up.
He thought for a moment. While still in Stealth, he found a random passerby in the Qi Cultivation Early Stage and pressed the mark onto him.
Just like that, silent and traceless, the mark had a new target.
After removing the mark from the passerby, Jiang Xu’s eyes lit up with excitement.
’I can now transfer this kind of mark to any person or object I want. This Concealing Breath Spell is just too ridiculously powerful!’
However, after further consideration, Jiang Xu realized this probably wouldn’t work on just any tracking mark.
It was most likely because the Magic Level of this particular mark was too low, or the caster’s Cultivation was too weak.
If he blindly assumed he could hide from and transfer every kind of tracking method...
...he would definitely pay for it later.
Even so, Jiang Xu could hardly contain his excitement.
Now that he knew the Concealing Breath Spell had this ability, he was basically immune to most tracking methods used by those in the Qi Cultivation Stage.
In fact...
’If several Tribulation Cultivators mark me at once, what if I transfer all those marks... back onto them?’
Jiang Xu clapped his hands together, delighted by his brilliant idea.
...
After that, Jiang Xu deliberately went to sell Talismans at the shops in the Marketplace that had seemed suspicious on his last visit.
Without fail, Jiang Xu ended up with a strange, floral-scented pollen on him, an invisible, colorless powder, a Spirit Stone that felt off, and more...
Including the mark from the very beginning.
He had collected a total of five.
Jiang Xu had no idea how they had managed to come up with so many different tracking methods.
Each one was unique.
Still, he had managed to sell nearly all the Talismans he had on hand.
This time, his only goal in visiting the Duo Bao Pavilion was to sell off some miscellaneous odds and ends he had left over from his time in the Sect.
As he walked into the pavilion, an attendant approached to greet him.
Before Jiang Xu could even speak, a voice from a nearby counter sent a chill down his spine.
"Fairy, might I have a look at this Cyan Flower Hairpin Spiritual Artifact?"
"Sir, please don’t."
A frivolous voice drifted from the Magical Artifact counter.
Jiang Xu turned to see a handsome young Cultivator, but his behavior was clearly lecherous.
Although he was telling the attendant beside him to fetch the hairpin, he was gripping her delicate hand, refusing to let go. The attendant, bound by professional decorum, couldn’t show her anger. She could only force a smile while struggling to pull her hand away.
If it were just some lust-addled customer, it wouldn’t have warranted such a strong reaction from Jiang Xu.
The crucial part was that Jiang Xu recognized the man’s voice.
It was the murderer from the crime scene he had stumbled upon in the forest earlier today!
’He just murdered someone a few hours ago, and now he’s already at the Duo Bao Pavilion hitting on an attendant?’
’Then again, that makes sense. After a murder and robbery, you’ve got to fence the goods and go on a spending spree, right?’
’Yes, quite logical.’
But even though Jiang Xu recognized him, he had no intention of getting involved.
’It’s not like he killed me. Why should I get involved?’ freewebnovel.cσ๓
’I find his actions disgusting, but what he does is none of my business.’
’There’s so much evil in the world; I can’t possibly deal with all of it.’
’All I can do is memorize his face and stay far away from him from now on.’
’I absolutely cannot let myself get "befriended" by him!’
The attendant came to help Jiang Xu. When he said he was there to sell some items, she began to lead him toward a private room to conduct the transaction.
"Wait!"
As it turned out, even though Jiang Xu didn’t want trouble, trouble had a way of finding him.
"Hey, kid. I was here first. There’s a little thing called ’first come, first served,’ isn’t there?"
The frivolous man sauntered over, looking Jiang Xu up and down. Seeing that he was only at the Qi Cultivation Fourth Layer, he scoffed.
"But sir, you’ve been at the counter in the main hall. You never said you wanted to make a transaction," the attendant helping Jiang Xu interjected.
The Marketplace was crowded, so the Duo Bao Pavilion had many more Cultivators than usual. There was only one private room available; if this man took it, Jiang Xu would have to wait.
"Well, I want to now! Hah! I’m talking here, and a little attendant like you dares to run her mouth? Go get your Duo Bao Pavilion’s Steward. I’m going to teach you a lesson about the consequences of being a smart-mouth!"
The attendant was filled with both anger and terror.
The incident wasn’t her fault, but a conflict with a customer that disturbed others in the pavilion and damaged the Duo Bao Pavilion’s reputation would be considered her responsibility.
If the Steward had to get involved, she would face a reprimand and have her Spirit Stones docked. In a serious case, she could even be fired from the Duo Bao Pavilion!
Seeing that the attendant was too afraid to say another word, Jiang Xu spoke calmly.
"Fellow Cultivator, I don’t think we need to trouble the Steward. Please, be my guest."
With that, Jiang Xu turned and left the Duo Bao Pavilion without a backward glance.
He left the attendant behind, who watched him go with a look of both apology and gratitude.
A taunt drifted out of the Duo Bao Pavilion after him.
"He knows his place. A Middle Stage Minor Cultivator like him knows he can’t afford to provoke just anyone!"
Outside the Duo Bao Pavilion, Jiang Xu’s stride faltered for a moment before he continued on his way, leaving the hornet’s nest behind.
...
Ji Shengliang strutted out of the Duo Bao Pavilion, patting his Storage Bag with a smug look on his face.
’Heh heh, my "brother" really had some impressive assets. Too bad he wasn’t very bright—far too quick to trust people. And in the end, he met such a tragic fate.’
’Alas, now poor me has to go to all the trouble of taking care of his family for him.’
’Speaking of which, his daughter is shaping up to be quite a beauty... Oh well. Raising one, raising two, what’s the difference? It might be a little taxing on my body, though.’
Ji Shengliang strolled leisurely down the street, his mind already plotting how to get his hands on his "brother’s" wife and daughter.
Suddenly, a faint breeze brushed past him from behind and vanished without a trace. freēwēbηovel.c૦m
Ji Shengliang frowned and glanced behind him, but he saw nothing.
He scanned his surroundings—front, back, left, and right—but nothing seemed out of place.
’Am I just being paranoid?’
He quickly forgot the incident and went back to humming a tune as he headed home.
...
Far down the street, Jiang Xu used his Spiritual Eye Technique. He saw five distinct traces of Spiritual Light now shimmering on Ji Shengliang’s body. A smirk touched his lips.
’Murder and robbery, is it? Fine. Today, I’ll show you exactly what it means to kill someone with a borrowed knife!’
