19: Chapter 019 Pretending to be something you're not?!

Wurong County! Anping District, North Corner!

Although this place belonged to Wurong County, it was located in a remote area. Most of those who lived here were ordinary commoners at the bottom of society, down-and-out Martial Artists, or idle people who did not wish to attract attention.

Here, the streets were old and mottled, the houses and courtyards were scattered and disorderly, the dirt roads were pitted and uneven, and the surroundings were desolate all year round.

Even in the daylight, there were rarely pedestrians on the street, and the place exuded a sense of bleakness and desolation everywhere.

Not to mention that at this moment, the night was deepening, dusk had shrouded the earth, darkness had soaked into the streets and alleys, and there wasn't even a single shadow to be seen in the surroundings.

At this moment, lurking in a dark street corner not far from the quiet small courtyard where Chen An lived, there were two sneaky figures.

Both were dressed in neat black martial attire with tight sleeves, their auras completely restrained, and their entire bodies exuded a fierce and ruthless bandit-like air.

One of them had a sinister expression, with a hideous scar winding from his left forehead to his jaw, spanning his entire side profile, which was particularly striking and made his eyes appear even more gloomy and cold; the other was short and sturdy, with broad shoulders and a thick back, and a face full of flabby flesh, looking like no good person at first glance.

The two were crouching low, staring fixedly at the wooden gate of the courtyard. The short, sturdy figure whispered, "Brother Heng, it's dark now, shall we make a move?!"

"What the hell are you rushing for?" The scar-faced man glanced at him coldly.

"I'm in a rush. I have a date with Zhihua from Yichun Pavilion tonight. If I go late, I'm afraid she'll be snatched away by someone else!"

The short, sturdy man said with a hint of anxiety, "Brother Heng, isn't it just dealing with a guy at Condensing Qi Stage 2? With our skills, isn't that something we can easily handle? Is there a need to be so cautious?!"

"Third, I've already told you, the most taboo thing in doing things is being impatient!"

The scar-faced man's expression darkened. He glanced coldly at Gao the Third and said, "Although this job pays five hundred yuan crystal, the target is a registered student of the County Academy, and the County Exam is in two days. If this matter is exposed, both of us will be in big trouble!"

"Then... Brother Heng, what do you suggest?!" Hearing Brother Heng's words, a look of hesitation flashed across Gao the Third's face.

"Look at your courage, are you scared?!" Seeing Gao the Third's shrinking demeanor, a flash of disdain crossed Brother Heng's eyes.

If it weren't for the sake of caution, and the fact that this guy was always obedient, had no brains, and possessed the cultivation of Condensing Qi Stage 6, he wouldn't have wanted to bring this guy along on this job at all.

"Rest assured, I've already checked clearly. That kid has no family or friends and lives alone. As long as we are careful and don't expose our identities, nothing will happen!" Brother Heng added.

After a pause, Brother Heng's tone suddenly turned stern: "Also, after finishing this job, don't just rush to Yichun Pavilion on a whim. Honestly leave the city and lay low for a few days. Once the County Exam is over and the storm settles, then come back to enjoy yourself. Did you hear me?!"

"Yes, yes, yes, Brother Heng, I'll listen to you!" Gao the Third nodded repeatedly.

Brother Heng looked up at the silent surroundings, his eyes flickering. He stood up, took out a piece of black cloth, tied it around his face, and said coldly, "Alright, let's get to work. Put on your mask. If we show our faces, it will be a losing business!"

Seeing this, Gao the Third dared not delay. He also took out a black cloth, tied it around his face, and looked at the courtyard in front with a fierce glint in his eyes.

"Let's go!" Brother Heng said no more. He waved his hand and was the first to approach the small courtyard where Chen An lived.

Although this courtyard was surrounded by a dirt wall about a zhang high, in the Great Luo Dynasty where martial arts were prevalent and Martial Artists were everywhere, such a low wall could at most keep out a gentleman. For Martial Artists like them who practiced, it was as good as non-existent and couldn't stop them at all.

The two didn't even need a running start; their True Qi rippled slightly under their feet, and with a light leap, they cleanly vaulted over the dirt wall, landing silently without making a sound.

The two landed in the courtyard, immediately crouched low, restrained their auras, scanned the entire courtyard vigilantly, and then moved slowly and cautiously toward the tightly closed door.

Arriving in front of the door, Brother Heng first pressed his hand against the door and pushed gently. Seeing that the door didn't budge, he didn't show the slightest impatience.

He placed his palm precisely over the location of the door bolt, silently circulated the True Qi in his body, and slowly infused it into his fingertips.

Click—! A subtle, crisp sound rang out quietly.

The thick wooden bolt snapped instantly upon the sound.

The originally tightly closed door trembled gently with the force, emitting a hoarse creak, and slowly opened to reveal a pitch-black gap.

Seeing the door open, a look of triumph flashed in Brother Heng's eyes, and then he gently pushed the door open.

Just as Brother Heng and Gao the Third were about to step into the room to search for their target, a figure sat quietly at the wooden table in the hall within the shadows of the dim room.

The night was heavy, and the figure looked up. A pair of eyes, with a faint silver glow at the bottom, were coldly locked onto the two who had broken in, with a hint of casual mockery.

Instantly, an inexplicable chill rushed up the spines of the two, straight to their heads. The ferocity and triumph from just a moment ago froze on their faces in an instant.

"How is it?" "Surprised? Unexpected?!"

Chen An sat upright at the table, his gaze sweeping indifferently over the two black shadows that had broken in. A silver gleam flickered in his eyes, and the corners of his lips curved into an indifferent arc.

With his current Grandmaster Realm cultivation, he had already seen everything when the two were lurking and talking at the street corner.

He saw through them at a glance; the two were merely at the Qi Condensation Realm, and to him now, they were like ants.

Therefore, even though he had long discovered the two, he just sat there quietly, deliberately letting them climb the wall into the courtyard and break the door bolt, wanting to see just how much nerve these two desperate criminals had.

"You..."

Although there was no light in the room, with Brother Heng's cultivation at the Late Stage of the Qi Condensation Realm, he could barely see in the dark. He quickly discovered that the person sitting in the room, as if waiting for them, was actually their target—Chen An!

The other party was not only not asleep but was sitting quietly in the room, as if he had long known they were coming, just sitting there, quietly waiting for them to arrive.

Was it high skill making him bold? Or was he putting on a bluff after discovering them?!

In an instant, Brother Heng's heart sank, a layer of cold sweat broke out on his back, and for a moment, he was filled with suspicion and uncertainty.

However, Brother Heng had been doing such shady business for years, and his courage was not small. He quickly steadied his mind and calmed down.

He focused his senses and perceived carefully. He quickly detected that the Qi around Chen An was thin and weak, with no profound martial foundation, which matched perfectly with the information about his Condensing Qi Stage 2 cultivation.

His tight heart instantly dropped, the apprehension in his eyes faded away completely, and it was replaced by a touch of ferocity and contempt.

So it was just putting on a show; he was almost scared!

Thinking that he had almost been scared just now, a fierce light couldn't help but rise in Brother Heng's eyes. He pressed his hoarse voice and said, "Brat, I didn't expect you to be quite vigilant. Since you saw us early on, there's no need to put on a show anymore."

He stepped forward, the aura of his Qi Condensation Late Stage slowly spreading out, deliberately releasing a sense of oppression. With a fierce face, he said, "Originally, the employer only ordered me to break your legs and cripple your cultivation, but just because of that stunt you pulled to scare me, I've changed my mind!"

"Tonight, I won't just cripple your cultivation and break your legs, I will also break your hands and gouge out your eyes, making you a cripple from now on, living a miserable existence for the rest of your life!"