483: Chapter 483

Han Jingyang instantly increased his speed.

He wished he could teleport back to Old Taoist Kun and Hua Zhenzhen's side.

Why?

He suspected that the middle-aged Taoist, Ling Xiao, who had just brushed past him, was actually Deng Faxin, the murderer who killed for treasure.

His strength was not weak.

He had lives on his hands.

His age was similar to the murderer's.

Moreover, he was very familiar with the path up the mountain, but Old Taoist Kun had clearly stated that he didn't interact with outsiders much throughout the year. This meant that the Taoist, Ling Xiao, was an acquaintance of Old Taoist Kun.

Furthermore, Old Taoist Kun's courtyard was very secluded; it was almost impossible to find without someone familiar leading the way. There was only one path up, and yet when the Taoist, Ling Xiao, saw him—a young man who clearly looked like an outsider—coming down that path, his reaction had been far too normal.

But if the Taoist, Ling Xiao, was truly an acquaintance of Old Taoist Kun, seeing him come down that path alone would surely have prompted questions like "Are you a friend of Old Taoist Kun?" or "What are you doing up the mountain?"

Yet, the Taoist, Ling Xiao, had simply offered a brief greeting, left behind the name "Ling Xiao," and continued on his way.

This reaction was far too normal, yet in this context, it seemed highly abnormal.

Therefore, he suspected that the Taoist, Ling Xiao, who had just brushed past him, was the murderer Deng Faxin, whom he had been tirelessly hunting.

So, why would Deng Faxin, having just left Old Taoist Kun's place, come back?

To silence them!

He could only think of this one possibility.

Thinking of Old Taoist Kun, who barely involved himself in worldly karma, and the innocent, charming, and beautiful Hua Zhenzhen, he became even more anxious.

Faster!

Faster still!

It would be best to catch up to Deng Faxin before he reached Old Taoist Kun's place and deal with him on the way, so as to avoid frightening Old Taoist Kun and Hua Zhenzhen.

Especially since a naive young girl like Hua Zhenzhen could not withstand the terror of a thug like Deng Faxin.

However, the thing he feared most came to pass.

He chased madly for several minutes but saw nothing.

Clearly, the Taoist, Ling Xiao, who was suspected to be Deng Faxin, had also increased his speed.

Damn it!

Han Jingyang grew even more anxious and activated another speed-boosting skill.

"Whoosh—"

His speed instantly reached its maximum.

Even though he was walking on a narrow, winding, and steep mountain path, his speed was close to fifty kilometers per hour, returning along the same path at a completely unreasonable speed.

As soon as he reached the entrance, he heard Hua Zhenzhen's scream.

At the same time, he saw a tabby cat, its head severed from its body.

Damn!

He was still a step too slow!

He hoped Hua Zhenzhen hadn't yet met with a cruel fate!

Thinking this, he roared, "Deng Faxin, pay with your life!"

At the same time, he activated the "Four Symbols Seal" once again.

The moment the skill was activated, the phantom images of the Four Symbols appeared around the courtyard, and everything inside the courtyard came to a standstill.

He then rushed into the house.

He saw the Taoist, Ling Xiao, holding a long sword, cornering Old Taoist Kun against the wall, the blade already embedded deep into Old Taoist Kun's chest.

Not only that, but Old Taoist Kun also had several wounds on his neck, abdomen, and head that were deep enough to expose bone; even without the fatal wound in his chest, he would not have been saved.

Meanwhile, Hua Zhenzhen was gripping a long sword and charging toward the Taoist, Ling Xiao, from behind, gritting her teeth; she must have run over from the kitchen after hearing the commotion.

Thank goodness!

He had arrived in time!

If he had been even a few dozen seconds later, this master and disciple would surely have died!

Han Jingyang breathed a sigh of relief.

He didn't want to see two deaths in a single day.

He reached out and snatched the long sword from Deng Faxin, then with a backhand motion, "swish, swish," he severed both of Deng Faxin's arms before conveniently emptying all the trinkets from Deng Faxin's body.

Among them was the purple-gold copper Bagua plaque he had entrusted to Liu Tingting for safekeeping three years ago.

This plaque, which had almost been snatched away by Deng Faxin, was finally returned intact to its rightful owner.

It was truly fortunate.

The only pity was Liu Tingting's parents, who had forfeited their lives due to a momentary greed.

If they hadn't taken it upon themselves to hold onto something that didn't belong to them and contact people they shouldn't have, their family of three would still be an enviable, happy home.

Such a pity.

Han Jingyang didn't have time to appraise or check the attributes; he directly deactivated the "Four Symbols Seal" skill effect.

As useful as this skill was, it also consumed a lot.

Every time it was used, it required counting seconds; using it for even one extra second would consume a great deal of Qi.

It pained him just to watch it.

Therefore, from entering the door to deactivating the skill, less than ten seconds had passed.

The skill was deactivated.

Deng Faxin let out a cold snort: "Old friend, I'm sorry. If you want to blame someone, blame Han Jingyang for pursuing me so relentlessly. I had to do this; it wasn't what I wanted..."

He even made a stabbing motion with his sword.

But the next second, he immediately began to scream: "Where are my arms?"

"Ah—"

"Where is my sword?"

"Who, who is it?"

"Come out!"

"Ah—"

After Deng Faxin roared, he realized that not only was his weapon gone, but his two arms were also missing, and blood was spraying out.

This left Deng Faxin terrified; he tried to block the wounds on his arms, but after struggling a bit, he couldn't do anything and turned to run outside.

"Pfft—"

As Deng Faxin turned, he ran straight into Hua Zhenzhen's long sword.

Hua Zhenzhen struck with her sword, filled with hatred.

Deng Faxin was fleeing for his life.

As they collided, the long sword pierced directly through Deng Faxin's chest, entering through the front and exiting through the back.

Deng Faxin looked at Hua Zhenzhen in astonishment; he had never considered this innocent young girl a threat, nor had he ever imagined he would die at her hands.

Hua Zhenzhen was equally astonished.

She had heard her master's cry and run over from the kitchen, and seeing Deng Faxin attacking her master, she had drawn her sword and stabbed without a second thought.

But she had never imagined she could actually kill Deng Faxin; in her eyes, he was a powerful cultivator far stronger than her master.

Thus, meeting Deng Faxin's astonished gaze, she instinctively stepped back twice.

"Shhh—"

The long sword was pulled out.

Deng Faxin, who might have been able to hold on for a while longer, collapsed limply to the ground.

Both arms severed.

A sword through the heart.

Even an immortal could not survive that.

Hua Zhenzhen looked at the fallen Deng Faxin, shocked and at a loss.

She thought several times about throwing away the blood-stained sword, but in the end, she didn't let go, until she saw her master also lying in a pool of blood.

She rushed over hurriedly: "Master, Master, I, I will bandage you, you, you won't die..."

While comforting her master, tears streaming down her face, she frantically bandaged her master's wounds.

Han Jingyang sighed, walked over, and coughed: "Ahem, young lady, if you do it like that, he will only die faster."

Hua Zhenzhen was startled.

She looked up and saw Han Jingyang, becoming instantly astonished: "You, you... do you have a way?"

At this point, she grabbed Han Jingyang's arm: "Han, Big Brother Han, I beg you, save my master. My master said you have miraculous powers; you must have a way, don't you?"

"Big Brother Han, please speak, I beg you, save my master!"

"As long as you save my master, I, I will be your woman, you..."

"Whatever you want me to do, I will do. I, Hua Zhenzhen, swear it!"

"Please, Big Brother Han, as long as you can save my master, I, I, we can enter the bridal chamber tonight!"

Facing the pitiful, tear-streaked Hua Zhenzhen, Han Jingyang was truly a bit conflicted.

Should he act?

Acting now would really give him a chance to save Old Taoist Kun.

But Old Taoist Kun was not as easily fooled as Hua Zhenzhen; there was a high probability that Old Taoist Kun would not be willing to let Hua Zhenzhen follow him, at most giving him some antique dharma instruments or similar things as a reward.

Conversely, if he let Old Taoist Kun die, the desperate Hua Zhenzhen would have no choice but to follow him, and sooner or later, she would be his.

However, watching Old Taoist Kun die right before his eyes, he also couldn't bear it.

But while he couldn't bear it, he also felt a bit pained about his dharma instruments and skills.

Old Taoist Kun's injuries were extremely severe; ordinary healing skills would be useless.

He had to use a skill of the level that could bring the dead back to life.

But skills of that level were very rare.

Extremely rare!

Each one was something he kept to save his own life and the lives of those around him.

Using it on Old Taoist Kun, whom he had just met, felt somewhat wasteful.

What to do?

Save?

Or not save?