102: Chapter 102 Killing someone doesn't mean destroying their spirit!

That cluster of purple light hovered in mid-air.

It didn't float lightly like the essence of ordinary monsters.

Instead, it was like a mass of heavy mercury, weighing down so much that the surrounding air distorted slightly.

Lin Qi brought a specially made glass bottle close to it.

The light cluster reluctantly squeezed inside.

The weight of the bottle as he took it caused Lin Qi's wrist to sink.

So heavy.

This was no energy body; it was practically a solid block of lead.

"Brother Qi, this thing looks a bit sinister."

Zhang Wei craned his neck and leaned in, staring at the purple liquid still flowing slowly inside the bottle.

"The essence of a Second Transition expert, of course it's sinister."

Lin Qi tightened the cap and tucked it into his inner pocket.

The icy cold sensation seeped through his combat suit to his skin, carrying an indescribable metallic stench.

"Stop staring, get to work."

Lin Qi kicked the headless corpse on the ground.

Zhang Wei made a face and grabbed one of Ghost Hand's legs.

"Brother Qi, are we really going to lay them out on the main road?"

"If we get caught on surveillance, we'll become wanted criminals."

Lin Qi ignored him, picked up two of the assassins' corpses with one hand, and strode out.

"This area is a Mass Grave; where would there be surveillance?"

"Besides, I want people to see it."

Ten minutes later.

By the main road in the Western Suburbs of Tianhai City.

Five corpses were neatly lined up in a row.

Ghost Hand's headless corpse was in the middle, with the four assassins flanking him.

Their posture was very peaceful, except for the somewhat terrifying wounds on their necks.

Watching this scene, Zhang Wei felt his stomach churning.

"Brother Qi, this... this is too twisted."

"This is worse than just killing them."

Lin Qi didn't speak.

He drew the zhan ye heavy sword from his back.

The tip of the sword rested against the hard concrete road surface.

True Qi infused into it.

Chi chi chi.

Stone chips flew everywhere.

Lin Qi's hand was steady; every stroke looked as if it had been measured with a ruler.

"Those who cross the line shall die."

Four large characters, each as big as a washbasin.

The writing was deeply embedded in the road, the edges sharp enough to cut one's hand.

Lin Qi sheathed his sword and slapped the dust off his hands.

"Alright, we're done."

Zhang Wei looked at those four characters and swallowed hard.

"Brother Qi, you're issuing a challenge to the Shadow Guild."

"This grudge is set in stone now."

Lin Qi turned and walked into the night, his voice indifferent.

"The grudge was already set in stone."

"Since they like to play dirty, I'll just flip the table."

"Let them know that some money can be earned, but they won't live to spend it."

...

The next morning.

The first rays of sunlight pierced through the thin mist, shining on the main road of the Western Suburbs.

A truck delivering vegetables chugged along.

The driver was a middle-aged man, half a fried dough stick in his mouth, humming along to the music on the radio.

Suddenly, his eyes went wide.

Screech—!

The sound of sudden braking pierced the morning silence.

The truck left two long black skid marks on the road, nearly flipping over.

The driver scrambled out of the truck, looking at the neat row of corpses by the road; the fried dough stick fell from his hand.

"M-Murder!"

Sirens soon echoed throughout the Western Suburbs.

Cordon lines were set up.

Onlookers were kept a hundred meters away.

Several uniformed investigators were busy at the scene.

None of them looked very well.

Especially when they saw the metallic claws on the headless corpse's hands, the eyelids of several veteran detectives twitched.

That was the symbol of the Shadow Guild.

And it was equipment of the Gold Deacon rank.

A figure of this level had been slaughtered like a chicken and put on display?

The news spread like wildfire through the underworld of Tianhai City.

Inside the stronghold of the Shadow Guild's Tianhai Branch.

The atmosphere was suffocatingly oppressive.

Several masked high-ranking members sat around a circular table, looking at the photos sent back from the scene.

No one spoke.

Only the sound of fingers tapping on the table.

Ghost Hand was dead.

Along with four elite assassins, the entire team was wiped out.

They didn't even know who their opponent was.

Only those four characters, brimming with Killing Intent, were left behind.

"Investigate."

The person in the head seat spoke with a raspy voice.

"No matter who it is, anyone who dares to provoke the guild like this must die."

"Unearth every single clue."

However, the official report came faster than their investigation.

12:00 PM.

The Tianhai City Security Bureau issued a notice.

A violent Gang conflict occurred at the Western Suburbs' Mass Grave.

It was a revenge killing caused by an uneven distribution of interests within criminal forces.

Multiple corpses were found at the scene, identified as wanted fugitives.

The case is under further investigation.

No mention of Lin Qi.

No mention of Longya Academy.

Even the photo of "Those who cross the line shall die" was heavily pixelated.

The authorities were deliberately suppressing the hype.

Or rather, someone was cleaning up Lin Qi's mess.

...

Longya Academy, First Canteen.

It was mealtime, and the place was bustling.

Lin Qi carried his tray and found a corner seat.

On the tray was a bowl of white porridge, two meat buns, and a small dish of pickles.

He ate slowly and seriously.

As if the Asura who went on a killing spree at the Mass Grave last night wasn't him.

At the next table, several freshmen were huddled together, scrolling through their phones.

"Holy crap, did you guys see the news?"

"Several people died out in the Western Suburbs; they say it was a Gang fight."

"I heard people from the Shadow Guild were taken out."

"For real? The Shadow Guild is so powerful; who would dare touch them?"

"No idea. I heard the scene was horrific; someone's head was chopped off."

Lin Qi took a bite of a bun and chewed expressionlessly.

Zhang Wei sat across from him with heavy dark circles under his eyes, staring blankly while holding a spoon.

Looking at Lin Qi's calm demeanor, he muttered to himself.

This mental fortitude was unmatched.

He could eat with such appetite even after killing people.

"Brother Qi, aren't you worried at all?"

Zhang Wei lowered his voice and leaned in.

"Worried about what?"

Lin Qi took a sip of porridge.

"Worried that the bun filling isn't big enough?"

Zhang Wei rolled his eyes.

"I mean the Shadow Guild; they're definitely going to go crazy."

"And the school—even though there's no official report, Elder Mo must know by now."

Lin Qi put down his chopsticks and wiped his mouth.

"So what if he knows?"

"I didn't break any school rules."

"The rules only say no fighting on campus; they don't say I can't act in self-defense off-campus."

Zhang Wei gave a thumbs up.

"Impressive. Full marks for reading comprehension."

"But Brother Qi, what do you plan to do with Ghost Hand's essence?"

"That thing doesn't look like anything good."

Lin Qi touched his inner chest pocket.

The bottle was still there, still icy cold.

"Are you done eating?"

Lin Qi stood up and picked up his tray.

"If you're done, let's go."

"Where to?"

"To find the old man."

...

Ancient Martial Arts Research Department, Underground Laboratory.

Elder Mo was wearing thick-lensed glasses, adjusting the focus on a microscope.

Scattered books and various strange instruments were everywhere in the lab.

The air was filled with the smell of old paper mixed with chemical reagents.

"You're here?"

Elder Mo didn't even look up.

"Close the door behind you."

Lin Qi closed the heavy soundproof door behind him and walked to the lab bench.

He took out the specially made glass bottle and placed it on the table.

Thud.

The bottle landed on the table with a dull thud.

Elder Mo's movements stopped.

He turned around, pushed up his glasses, and fixed his gaze on the bottle.

His eyes changed from lazy to sharp.

"This is what that Second Transition assassin left behind?"

Elder Mo picked up the bottle and shook it.

The purple liquid inside was as viscous as glue.

"Such heavy Evil Qi."

Elder Mo frowned.

"This thing isn't right."

He walked to a large Spectral Analyzer and placed the bottle into the testing slot.

His fingers tapped rapidly on the keyboard.

Strings of complex data streams popped up on the screen.

Red warning boxes kept popping up.

The beeping alarm sounded particularly jarring in the quiet lab.

Lin Qi leaned against the table with his arms crossed.

"What's the verdict?"

"Is it poisonous?"

Elder Mo stared at the screen, his expression becoming increasingly solemn.

After a long while, he turned his head and looked at Lin Qi.

There was a hint of strangeness in his eyes.

"The poison is secondary."

"The key is the composition."

Elder Mo pointed to a red curve on the screen.

"Look at this peak."

"In this cluster of essence, the metallic element content exceeds the limit by three hundred times."