Chapter Eighty-One: Robbery Is My Specialty

Vice Captain Wang, the man with the bristling beard, wanted to retreat, but the poison had already sapped his strength, and even the flying swords controlled by Lin Qingyun’s divine sense were enough to leave him reeling. His wounds multiplied, blood and flesh flying.

What terrified him more was that his companions were being slaughtered one after another; from start to finish, it had taken only a dozen seconds for everything to fall apart.

“Brother, this is a misunderstanding— We’re from the Myriad Dragon Monster Hunting Squad! We can compensate you. You’re strong, we can pay you back. Our captain is a Cloud Soaring stage expert, and we’re a Cloud Soaring stage squad. As long as you don’t kill me, everything else can be negotiated. I’m the vice captain…”

By now, the archer had already fled several hundred meters away. With Lin Qingyun’s divine sense unable to reach so far, the power of his attacks diminished sharply.

At that moment, Lin Qingyun himself shot toward the archer. The flying sword that had been attacking the archer ceased its assault, while another flying sword suddenly struck at Vice Captain Wang.

Already struggling to fend off one flying sword, Wang was utterly overwhelmed by the simultaneous assault of two. In an instant, he lost all control, failed to protect his vital points, and was pierced through, killed outright.

“How many… swords…”

The archer, as well as the boatman a few hundred meters away, were dumbfounded with terror.

Just now, it had seemed as though Lin Qingyun was using only one sword against the archer, but in truth, he was unleashing the full force of his power—each time, a new sword flashed out, each one a top-grade magic weapon. Another sword had already skewered an Eighth Level Heartstring Realm expert from below, and he hadn’t even bothered to retrieve his swords; everything happened too quickly. For each attack, he summoned a different sword, all of the highest quality.

Now, as he dealt with the vice captain and the archer, yet another sword joined the fray.

The boatman, realizing he couldn’t afford to hesitate, immediately propelled his wooden skiff backward with all his might. He was only Seventh Level Heartstring Realm, but clearly skilled in water manipulation. The oar in his hand was no ordinary tool, but a special magic weapon. He swallowed a spellburst pill, and his magic surged; the skiff shot through the water like a sword, leaving a white streak in its wake.

“Wait for me—!” The archer, having reached the water’s edge, shouted in despair, begging the boatman to wait, but the man was already fleeing.

The archer didn’t hesitate; he leapt into the water. He knew the risks lurking below, but at this moment, nothing mattered more—no danger could compare to the man who had just slain three Ninth Level Heartstring and three Eighth Level Heartstring experts in mere moments.

“Waves of a Thousand Layers… boom… booooom…”

Just as the archer plunged into the water, Lin Qingyun reached the shore. He had no intention of pursuing the man beneath the surface—he was all too familiar with the dangers below, especially now, deep inside this realm.

A faint blue gauntlet appeared on his fist, and he slammed it down.

Previously, facing the white-horned beast, Lin Qingyun had relied solely on his own strength to cast Waves of a Thousand Layers, but now, dealing with these foes, he spared nothing—whatever worked, as quickly as possible.

With the top-grade magic weapon augmenting his strength, his Waves of a Thousand Layers were now more than twice as powerful as before. The terrifying force blasted open the water for dozens of meters, as if several depth charges had exploded beneath the surface. The water collapsed downward, then erupted upward in a massive geyser.

Caught in that surge, the archer—who hadn’t yet managed to swim far—was thrown up from the depths.

“Cough… splutter…” The archer’s body was broken, half his bones shattered, his organs battered, blood spurting from his mouth and nose. Death was inevitable.

“You… who are you… how do you have… so many magic weapons… how can you control… you…”

He pointed weakly at Lin Qingyun, his strength ebbing away, eyes wide open in death, unwilling to close.

In this region, Heartstring Realm cultivators were the main force, though there were a few Cloud Soaring experts. However, their numbers were limited, and those stationed here only came occasionally to gather medicine or conduct business. In an area dominated by Heartstring cultivators, they were neither the strongest nor the weakest within a hundred or two hundred miles—but never had they imagined that, one day, they would be slaughtered by a stranger whose name they hadn’t even heard.

Hanze was originally formed by the fusion of two nations, along with mutated undersea islands nearby, spanning about a thousand miles in total. Most Heartstring Realm teams operated within a hundred or two hundred miles of the settlements.

“All stolen.” Though the archer was already dead, Lin Qingyun explained kindly.

He was the most ruthless of all. In the Freshmen Combat Trial, he’d taken so much loot that he’d lost count—especially in the last round, where he’d robbed Zheng Haoyue, Li Daoze, Mao Yiqiang, and their crowd. Many of them came from wealthy families.

Thus, Lin Qingyun now carried more than a dozen top-grade magic weapons and an abundance of other treasures, allowing him to pick and choose as he pleased.

Over this time, through countless battles and intense tempering, he’d selected gear suited to different combat scenarios.

Each of his slain foes carried packs—upon inspection, Lin Qingyun found medicinal herbs and some valuable monster parts. Ordinary beasts were not worth hauling back whole; only the prized portions mattered.

“Penniless…” These men truly had little of worth.

But who could blame him? Lin Qingyun’s starting point was so high, and those he encountered on a daily basis were all extraordinary. Even these men, risking their lives in Hanze for a profit, couldn’t compare to the pocket money of the young scions he’d robbed.

Still, Lin Qingyun wasn’t picky; his Fortune Cauldron’s storage space was vast, so he had no worries about what to do with the excess—if he didn’t need it, he could always let Chao and the others deal with it later.

As for the water-controlling boatman who’d escaped, Lin Qingyun made no effort to pursue him. The man, after consuming the spellburst pill, propelled his skiff (a low-grade magic weapon) with a mid-grade magic oar—the combination provided impressive speed. By the time Lin Qingyun finished with the archer, he’d lost his chance to give chase, so he didn’t bother.

After sweeping the battlefield, Lin Qingyun produced a barracuda-shaped magic weapon. This time, he didn’t fully encase himself, but stood atop it, skimming swiftly over the water’s surface.

The skies were too dangerous; it was best to avoid flying whenever possible.

Having tempered himself through a period of battle, Lin Qingyun chose not to seek further targets. It was time to visit one of the local settlements.

He’d investigated during this period—if there were any clues about his parents’ disappearance, he would have to search the settlements. If nothing turned up there, the search would be nigh impossible.

A thousand miles seemed small, but between water, air, and the open sea on three sides…

Within this area, there were seven settlements.

Of course, aside from the settlements, there were also ruthless desperados who, fearing pursuit even in Hanze, hid alone in various places. After all, in a vast thousand-mile expanse, there were endless places to hide.

The third settlement was built on an island in the middle of a round lake, some seven or eight kilometers across, surrounded by high natural embankments.

At its center, a barrier formed by a spirit artifact shielded the settlement, both concealing it and muffling any commotion. Human settlements couldn’t be treated like monster lairs. Although this was a lawless, perilous zone, some modern amenities were still brought in for profit, much like these settlements.

Whether one came to fight, hunt monsters, commit crimes, or escape justice, all needed a place to buy pills and supplies. Thus, these settlements flourished.

The lake’s monsters had long since been wiped out, and all manner of buildings rose above the water.

At the entrance, Lin Qingyun paid a Spirit Gathering Pill, standard fare for Heartstring Realm cultivators, to enter Settlement Three. Those with proper documentation or residence permits—whether property owners, renters, or merchants—could come and go freely. Lin Qingyun, lacking such papers, had to pay his way in.

Following directions, he traveled several miles across the water. Suddenly, the darkness of night gave way to light.

Though not exactly ablaze with brilliance, the settlement sprawled for several miles, dotted with glowing signs, faint music, and decorative lanterns. Every home was lit within.

After Lin Qingyun’s rise in his previous life, this place had been wiped out. Now, gazing up at the barrier overhead, he understood why a spirit artifact was needed to conceal it—without it, the settlement would have drawn endless attacks.

“Sir, do you need a detailed map of Hanze, or information about unusual places where treasures might lie? A man of your fortune is surely destined for great things—only someone like you deserves such treasures…”

“Are you looking to buy pills or sell goods? I can set you up. There are too many swindlers here—tell me what you need, and I’ll get you the fairest price for pills, the best prices for your wares…”

“Out of the way, all of you! Clearly, the gentleman seeks a little pleasure…”

…

No sooner had Lin Qingyun stepped into the settlement than a dozen or so local youths, boys and girls from eight or nine to sixteen or seventeen, surrounded him. Clearly, they’d grown up here. A few were even First Level Heartstring Realm, while most were only at Phoenix Dawn or basic Qi Refining level.

It had to be said, that sixteen-year-old Heartstring cultivator would have been considered a genius in high school, yet here he was, hustling to get by.

“No need. Move along.” Lin Qingyun’s cold refusal sent the children scurrying away, not daring to come closer.

This was not an age of peace and order—youth was no protection here. Anyone able to hunt monsters alone in Hanze was at least Seventh or Eighth Level Heartstring Realm, most were Ninth Level and equipped with special means. Any weaker, and they only dared to venture out in groups.

Provoking such people could mean death.