Chapter 15:  Fishy Magic

But how could this delicate, frail body of mine become a Qi Cultivator?

I’ve lost all my cultivation, and long ago became a useless person.

“Ton ton ton~ ton ton ton~”

But Bai Wuzhuang quickly thought of a way. She downed the strong tea in one gulp, poured another cup, and continued to drink happily.

“Is it really that tasty?” Dong Huiting couldn’t help but ask.

“I’m going to the outhouse,” Bai Wuzhuang said.

“I’ll go with you,” Dong Huiting wanted to tag along too.

“No need. I’m not a three-year-old who doesn’t know how to use the toilet,” Bai Wuzhuang refused, taking the iron fork and getting up alone.

Dong Huiting could only sit back down, saying nothing more.

Her expression was confused, and she stared intently at Bai Wuzhuang’s retreating figure, thinking, When did this little girl become so reliable?

But something’s not right. No matter how reliable she seems, she’s still just a little liar. Anyone here could poke her to death with a single finger.

“Wait for me.” Dong Huiting still got up and followed.

But Dong Huiting stopped when she reached the kitchen, her little hands not behaving, quietly sneaking some ingredients.

It was the same in the previous cycle—while Bai Wuzhuang was in the outhouse, Dong Huiting waited in the kitchen.

All of this was within Bai Wuzhuang’s calculations.

With Dong Huiting’s personality, she’d never feel at ease letting me go far; she’d definitely sneak after me.

Bai Wuzhuang hid inside the outhouse, not to relieve herself, but to stand against the wall, eyes fixed on the ceiling. There was a ventilation gap just big enough for someone in the next stall to stick their head through.

Her expression grew fierce, and she gripped the iron fork tightly—the same one she’d just used to fish the kettle from the fireplace.

It’s about time…

Bai Wuzhuang suddenly saw a shadow flickering next door.

As expected, a sallow, wrinkled old face poked in from the other side, lecherous as ever.

But this time, he still couldn’t peep at the sickly little sister’s private parts—all he saw was a deadly glint that had been waiting for him.

“Puchi!”

Bai Wuzhuang seized the moment, both hands thrusting the iron fork straight through the pervert’s throat.

At this moment, let’s talk about what exactly is a [Qi Cultivator]?

That is, a martial artist who has opened up all the Qi Veins in their body, thus mastering a force known as [Qi].

A Qi Cultivator can use Qi to greatly enhance their physical abilities, even to the point of being impervious to blades and spears.

Any technique they use will have its power multiplied, giving them an absolute advantage over ordinary people and regular martial artists.

Of course, opening the Qi Veins isn’t easy. Qi Cultivators are rare; each one is considered chosen by the heavens—or at least, they think so themselves.

So in theory, a weakling like Bai Wuzhuang could never harm a Qi Cultivator.

But that’s only if the Qi Cultivator has already circulated their Qi and activated [Qi Barrier Bodyguard].

If Qi Cultivators have a weakness, it’s that once they circulate their Qi, they’re easily detected by other Qi Cultivators, and even ordinary people might suddenly feel a heavy pressure.

No Qi Cultivator would ever choose to be an assassin, because Qi is hard to hide—unless they have some special technique.

So to conceal his presence, this perverted voyeur snuck in quietly, without circulating his Qi.

That’s why Dong Huiting never noticed someone peeping from the next stall.

And that’s why Bai Wuzhuang was able to stab him in the throat in one go.

But if it were only this…

It still wouldn’t be enough to completely kill a Qi Cultivator.

“Cough!” The voyeur coughed up blood violently, still struggling.

Bai Wuzhuang suddenly reached out, grabbed his hair, and yanked his head down hard.

She stood on tiptoe, pressing her little face close, her right eye staring at the voyeur.

At that moment, her dull, gray right pupil changed, turning into a pitch-black void, radiating a mysterious and terrifying suction.

“Ah… ahhh…?”

The voyeur’s face twisted in shock, then morphed into utter terror and endless pain.

Because his cultivation was vanishing!

No!

It was being sucked away by this little girl!

No, no, no!

Even his life force was being drained!

“[Absorbing Blood Demon Art].”

Bai Wuzhuang murmured, and within seconds, she had drained all the voyeur’s cultivation. He didn’t even have time to struggle before he turned into a dried-up corpse.

This was the Bai family’s secret, inherited demon art.

This was why Bai Wuzhuang called herself a heretic cultivator.

After swallowing the Demon Pill, reversing yin and yang, comprehending the Time Reversal Divine Skill, then losing all her power, she began stealing the cultivation of others to strengthen herself.

This was the Martial Arts Manual that Peerless City was willing to slaughter her entire family to obtain.

Bai Wuzhuang let go, having just killed someone, but her face showed not the slightest ripple of emotion.

She felt the familiar surge within her body—her cultivation had returned again, though only a trace, far from what she once had.

No, this was someone else’s cultivation.

No matter. I was never a good person, nor am I a member of the righteous path anymore.

With that, Bai Wuzhuang reopened her Qi Veins, once again becoming a Qi Cultivator, though only at the very lowest [Foundation Establishment Realm – Lower Layer].

The pervert she drained was definitely at least at the Foundation Establishment Realm – Lower Layer.

Even so, the Absorbing Blood Demon Art couldn’t convert all of the enemy’s cultivation into her own—only a portion could be absorbed.

But that was enough. As long as she became a Qi Cultivator, she qualified to participate in this Secret Realm of Murder.

As long as she was a participant, she’d have a voice, and no longer be passively pointed at and manipulated, not even knowing how she’d die.

Bai Wuzhuang gently pushed the dried corpse back into the next stall, calmly opened the door, and left.

Then she hung a sign on the door of the next outhouse, which read: [Huge mess inside, do not enter].

Finally, Bai Wuzhuang acted as if nothing had happened and went outside to meet up with Dong Huiting.

“Hmm?”

Dong Huiting looked at Bai Wuzhuang, feeling something was off, but couldn’t say exactly what.

But when she saw Bai Wuzhuang, just like herself, unable to resist the little snacks in the kitchen, her little hands stealing a big handful of sunflower seeds, Dong Huiting relaxed.

The two returned to the inn’s main hall, sat back at their corner table, and continued drinking tea.

Dong Huiting looked relaxed, leisurely cracking sunflower seeds.

Bai Wuzhuang sipped her tea, secretly observing the other Qi Cultivators.

No one noticed that there was one person less in the hall.

That cloaked, covered-up weirdo was an anonymous, unaffiliated bounty hunter—no one paid attention to him.

Maybe someone noticed, but it didn’t matter.

Even if someone discovered the dried corpse in the outhouse, no one would care much.

This was Jianghu.

If justice cannot be used to extract benefits or suppress enemies, then justice is the most meaningless thing of all.

Next…

The last Qi Cultivator, the Peerless Nine Dragons’ Junior Brother of Peerless City, Tuo Long, entered.

With a cheeky grin, Qing Shaofei jumped up and greeted him.

Everything proceeded just like in the previous cycle.