77: Chapter 77 What goes around comes around

Chu Sheng stood in the courtyard of the Listening to Bamboo Pavilion, looking up at the night sky.

He closed his eyes, and every blade of grass and every tree in the entire town was clearly reflected in his mind.

In the Lin family's backyard, Great Steward Lin Yuanshan was looking through account books in his study.

In the Wang family's ancestral hall, Wang Yuanba was kneeling before the ancestral tablets, muttering something unknown.

In the Li family's Alchemy Room, Li Qingshan was staring blankly at a furnace of pills; it looked like the furnace had exploded again.

And then there was Han Li.

That persistent, haunting fellow.

He was lying on a rocking chair in his own courtyard, legs crossed, cracking melon seeds.

A faint smile curled at the corner of Chu Sheng's mouth.

“Ninth Grade of Qi Induction...”

He murmured, “I used to think it was unattainable, but now it seems like nothing much.”

In the entire Qingshi Town, the strongest cultivators were the heads of these few families, all of whom were at the Late Stage Yin Qi.

But he was already a genuine Early Stage of True Condensation Realm.

The first stage of the Three Stages of True Condensation.

Though he had only just started, in this Qingshi Town, he was already an existence that could walk wherever he pleased.

“Han Li...”

Chu Sheng narrowed his eyes.

“I'll let you be smug for a few more days. Killing you in the simulation was easy enough, but killing you now would actually ruin my plans.”

He thought for a moment and decided to collect some interest first.

In the night, a figure silently flickered out of Qingshi Town.

Low-altitude flight.

This was an ability only those in the Ju Zhen Realm possessed.

Flying by manipulating Qi over short distances consumed a fair amount of energy, but for traveling, it was much faster than riding a horse.

In less than fifteen minutes, Chu Sheng landed outside the mountain gate of the Black Wind Stockade.

The gate was tightly shut, and two drowsy lackeys stood on the watchtower.

Chu Sheng did not alert them; he leapt directly over the stockade wall and landed in front of the innermost private courtyard of the mountain fortress.

The courtyard was brightly lit, and Song He was sitting at a table drinking wine, with a few small side dishes laid out.

A woman with heavy makeup sat beside him.

“Chief, have another cup~”

The woman coaxed him in a cloying voice.

Song He chuckled and reached out to pinch the woman's face.

Just then, the door opened.

Song He was startled and looked up.

Under the moonlight, a figure stood at the doorway. His face was obscured, but his eyes were visible, calm as a deep pool of water.

“Who is it?!”

Song He jumped up, his hand already pressing against his saber's hilt.

The figure walked in.

The candlelight illuminated his face.

Song He's pupils constricted sharply.

“Attendant... Attendant Chu?!”

He had seen Chu Sheng before.

That time Han Li sent someone to extort him, he had caught a glimpse from a distance and remembered this face.

But at that time, Chu Sheng was just a minor cultivator who had just entered Qi Induction; he hadn't taken him seriously at all.

Now...

Feeling the overwhelming pressure washing over him, Song He's legs began to tremble.

“You... what is your cultivation level?!”

Chu Sheng did not speak; he simply raised his hand.

An invisible force surged from his palm, directly seizing Song He's throat.

“Gack... Ack...”

Song He was lifted into mid-air.

The woman screamed, her eyes rolled back, and she fainted from sheer terror.

Looking at Song He's distorted face, Chu Sheng spoke flatly.

“You know very well the things you've done. I'm here today to collect on the debt.”

Song He struggled desperately, wanting to speak, but he couldn't utter a single word.

“When you live that kind of life, sooner or later, you have to pay it back.”

Chu Sheng applied pressure with his hand.

*Crack—*

Song He's neck snapped.

The corpse fell to the floor with a dull thud.

Chu Sheng looked down at the face that hadn't understood even in death and shook his head.

“A piece of trash who hadn't even entered Qi Induction, dying at the hands of a Ju Zhen like me—you can consider it worth it.”

He scanned the courtyard and found Song He's warehouse.

The moment he pushed the door open, a scent mixed with medicinal herbs, spirit stones, and dharma treasures wafted toward him.

The corners of Chu Sheng's mouth curled up.

“This old fellow has certainly raked in quite a bit over the years.”

He didn't stand on ceremony; with a wave of his hand, he swept everything in the warehouse into his Storage Bracelet.

Spirit stones, pills, medicinal herbs, a few Yellow-rank Low Grade dharma treasures, and a pile of miscellaneous junk.

Though it wasn't much to him now, even a mosquito's leg is still meat.

Having finished his raid, Chu Sheng walked out of the courtyard and glanced back at the corpse.

“Be more careful in your next life.”

He leapt up and vanished into the night.

Returning to Qingshi Town, Chu Sheng did not go directly back to the Listening to Bamboo Pavilion.

He hovered above the Lin Mansion, looking down at the residence that had once trapped him.

The walls he once thought were insurmountable now looked like mere curbs.

The backyard he once thought was unfathomable now seemed no larger than a palm.

The Lin Mansion he once thought was incredibly majestic now seemed... just so-so.

“Small-minded perspective.”

He murmured, “Back then, my own perspective was far too narrow.”

Just then, he saw someone.

Lin Hao.

The concubine-born son of the Lin family's third branch who had once oppressed him, humiliated him, and treated him like a servant.

At this moment, he was pacing back and forth in the corridor of the backyard, looking irritable.

Chu Sheng felt a playful urge.

He landed in a shadow, concealed his aura, and then lightly flicked a strand of spiritual power.

The spiritual power hit the back of Lin Hao's neck.

Lin Hao jerked, spinning around suddenly, but saw nothing.

He rubbed his neck and continued walking while cursing under his breath.

Chu Sheng flicked again.

Lin Hao turned around again.

Still no one.

His face began to turn pale.

Chu Sheng suppressed a laugh and continued flicking.

Lin Hao finally couldn't take it anymore and bolted.

Chu Sheng followed behind, unhurriedly driving him along, all the way toward the cliffs outside of town.

At the edge of the cliff, the cold wind howled.

Having run this far, Lin Hao finally couldn't run anymore; he leaned on his knees, gasping for breath.

“Who?! Who the hell is playing ghost?!”

He shouted at the space behind him.

Chu Sheng stepped out from the darkness.

The moonlight shone on his face, calm and indifferent.

Lin Hao froze.

“Chu... Chu Sheng?!”

He rubbed his eyes, thinking he had seen wrongly.

“You... how could you...”

Chu Sheng did not answer, just looked at him.

Lin Hao suddenly laughed.

“Haha! I wondered who it was! So it's our Lin Mansion's Great Attendant!”

He straightened his back, and his face regained that arrogant expression.

“What? Following this young master in secret, what do you want?”

Chu Sheng still did not speak.

Lin Hao took two steps closer, sizing him up.

“I heard you've been quite the star lately? Refining pills, practicing swordsmanship... tsk tsk, a former servant really thinks he's someone important now?”

He grew more animated as he spoke.

“I'm telling you, don't get cocky! When my father comes out of seclusion, there'll be hell to pay for you! When that time comes...”

Chu Sheng suddenly spoke.

“What will happen then?”

Lin Hao was taken aback, then he sneered.

“Then, you can just wait to die!”

Chu Sheng nodded and turned as if to leave.

A ruthless glint flashed in Lin Hao's eyes.

He suddenly pulled a dagger from his sleeve and lunged at the center of Chu Sheng's back!

“Die!”

The moment the dagger thrust forward, Chu Sheng's figure blurred, easily dodging it.

He turned around, looked at Lin Hao's distorted face, and sighed.

“As expected.”

He hadn't dealt with him before because he was weak and the old head of the Lin family was around; he was afraid of taking things too far.

But now...

When someone wants to die, even the King of Hell can't save them.

Lin Hao froze, and before he could react, he felt a massive force strike his chest—

Chu Sheng kicked him square in the chest.

Lin Hao flew off the cliff, tracing an arc through the air.

“Aaaah—!”

The scream grew more distant, finally vanishing into the darkness.

Chu Sheng flew to the cliff's edge and looked down.

Below the cliff, Lin Hao's body had smashed onto the jagged rocks, his limbs twisted, his breath gone.

His eyes were wide open, dying with grievances unredressed.

Chu Sheng withdrew his gaze and shook his head.

“In the second simulation, you forced me to jump off this cliff. Now, you've jumped yourself.”

He paused.

“Consider it karmic retribution.”

Chu Sheng turned and flew back to Qingshi Town.

This time he landed in Liu San's courtyard.

Liu San was a servant of the Lin Mansion who had bullied him quite a bit in the past.

Extortion, withholding monthly wages—he had done every kind of dirty deed.

At this moment, he was lying in bed fast asleep, snoring like thunder.

Chu Sheng walked over and patted his face.

Liu San opened his eyes groggily and saw a face inches away, nearly rolling off the bed in fright.

“Who?! Who is it?!”

Chu Sheng straightened up, looking down at him from a height.

Liu San recognized the face by the moonlight and was stunned.

“Chu... Chu Sheng?”

He rubbed his eyes and looked again, confirming it was correct.

Then, a trace of fawning appeared on his face.

“Oh, it's Attendant Chu! Why are you here in the middle of the night... if you have any orders, just say the word, and this little one will get right on it!”

Chu Sheng didn't speak, just looked at him.

Liu San's smile gradually froze on his face.

He sensed something was wrong.

That aura... was too strong.

So strong that he didn't even dare to move.

“Attendant... Attendant Chu, you...”

Chu Sheng turned and walked outside.

Liu San was left dazed on the spot, not knowing if he should follow.

Reaching the door, Chu Sheng looked back and said flatly.

“Follow me out.”

In the courtyard, moonlight was scattered everywhere.

Chu Sheng stood in the center, his back to Liu San.

Liu San stood behind him trembling, not daring to approach, yet not daring to run.

“Attendant Chu, what... what exactly is the matter?”

Chu Sheng turned around and looked at him.

“I'll give you a chance.”

Liu San was startled.

“What... what chance?”

Chu Sheng pointed to the stone table nearby, where a dagger lay.

“Pick it up and stab me once. If you can land a hit, everything from before will be wiped clean, and I'll even give you a hundred spirit stones.”

Liu San was stunned.

He looked at the dagger, then at Chu Sheng.

A hundred spirit stones.

For a servant like him, that was an amount he couldn't earn in a lifetime.

His hands were shaking.

He slowly walked toward the stone table, reached out, and gripped the dagger.

And then—

He fell to his knees with a thud and threw the dagger far away.

“Attendant Chu! Great Master Chu! This little one wouldn't dare! I was blind and offended you in the past. You are a great man with a generous heart, please spare me!”

He kowtowed like he was pounding garlic, his forehead hitting the ground with loud thuds.

Chu Sheng looked at him, a smile playing on his lips.

“Bully of the weak, coward before the strong.”

He walked over and kicked Liu San over onto the ground.

Liu San was shaking all over in terror, still begging for mercy.

Chu Sheng raised his hand and struck a strand of spiritual power into his dantian.

Liu San screamed, feeling something shatter inside his dantian.

His already slim chance of Qi Induction was completely gone.

Chu Sheng then took out a small vial, poured out a pill, and stuffed it into his mouth.

“Soul-Confusing Powder. After taking it, you won't remember anything from tonight.”

Liu San swallowed the pill, his gaze starting to become vacant.

Chu Sheng looked down at him.

“Begone.”

Liu San stood up blankly, like a sleepwalker, and wobbled back into the house.

Watching his figure disappear behind the door, Chu Sheng shook his head.

“Consider yourself lucky to be alive.”

He leapt up and hovered in mid-air.

Looking down, the entire Qingshi Town was laid out before his eyes.

The Lin Mansion, the Li Mansion, the Wang Mansion—they all looked like matchboxes lying quietly under the moonlight.

Chu Sheng took a deep breath.

“True Condensation Realm...”

He murmured, “This feels damn good.”

He turned and flew toward the Listening to Bamboo Pavilion.

Next, it was time to give his two wives from the simulation an outcome.

Behind him, moonlight bathed Qingshi Town.

This night was destined not to be peaceful.