"It's salt!"
Responding to San Yue's question, Ye Weiming took advantage of Chou Ba's closed eyes, which were intended to avoid the damage caused by the salt, and thrust another paper packet at him. With his eyes shut, Chou Ba could only rely on hearing to locate it. He yet again crushed the paper packet with a single palm, causing red powder to fly everywhere.
Without waiting for San Yue to ask, Ye Weiming already began to explain: "This time, it's chili powder."
Chou Ba, who dared not open his eyes when confronted with salt, naturally dared not do so when faced with chili. At this moment, San Yue also mimicked Ye Weiming's action and threw a paper packet at Chou Ba. When it burst open, grayish-black granules fluttered in the air, falling onto his wounds. However, they did not cause any increase in damage to Chou Ba.
Upon seeing this, Ye Weiming couldn't help but ask curiously, "What is in your packet?"
San Yue stuck out her tongue: "It's cumin..."
Girl, you feel like eating kebabs, don't you?
With his left leg and right arm incapacitated, Chou Ba only had his left hand left to defend himself against injuries. Moreover, the wounds on his ribs severely limited his flexibility. Unable to resist the hit from their hidden weapons, locust stones and flying daggers fell on him like raindrops, and his health bar dropped rapidly.
Watching as Chou Ba's health dwindled to less than 100 points, Ye Weiming signaled for San Yue to halt her attack. He then turned to the nearly dead Chou Ba and asked, "Did you kill Old Man Li?"
"So, it was because of Old Man Li's death that my whereabouts were exposed?" Chou Ba, knowing his end was near, let out a bitter smile, "Indeed, it's karma."
Without waiting for Ye Weiming to continue, Chou Ba began speaking: "I was originally a knight in the Martial World. However, evil is rampant in this world; a group of mountain bandits cruelly murdered my entire family. After a series of investigations, I found out that the person who killed my family was the overlord of Lotus Mountain, Lin Zhipei. He is powerful and exceedingly adept at swordsmanship. I knew I was no match for him, so I chose to become a bandit and joined Lotus Mountain to find a chance for revenge."
"Fortunately, Lin Zhipei has committed so many evils that he hardly remembers whom he has killed. He never suspected me after I joined his force. I had to prove my loyalty to Lotus Mountain, murder innocent people, and commit countless evil deeds and finally became the Third Master of the Mountain."
"At one banquet, I saw an opportunity, so I initiated a surprise attack. However, that villain was so powerful that, despite my preemptive strike, I still wasn't an opponent for him."
"Luckily, he was also injured at the time, which allowed me to kill my way out. After fleeing, I found an old friend, known to you as Old Man Li or Jade Flute. He was good to me … not only did he help me find healing herbs and hideouts, but he also brought me food every day."
"But when I found out that he had a secret book of swordsmanship that could rule the Martial World, I harbored wicked intentions. Knowing that this was my only hope for revenge, I stealthily returned to Du Kang Village, lied about my deteriorating condition, and killed him under the pretense of him healing me. Then, I fabricated the scene of suicide."
Ding! You have discovered the truth about Old Man Li's death and completed the "Suicidal Old Man Li" mission. You received the mission reward: 1000 experience points, 100 virtue points, 50 silver coins.
Having received the system prompt, Ye Weiming calmly asked San Yue in the team channel, "Did the mission complete?"
"It's completed. You're amazing!"
Ye Weiming gave a faint smile. Just as he was about to speak, Chou Ba continued, "As someone who repays kindness with evil, I deserve this fate. The only regret is that villain Lin Zhipei still... Uggh!"
Before Chou Ba could finish his sentence, Ye Weiming's Green-Edged sword had stabbed him in the throat.
Ding! Congratulations on successfully killing the level 25 BOSS, Chou Ba. You have gained 3000 experience points and 300 virtue points.
Ding! Congratulations on exceeding the requirements of the "Pursue Chou Ba" mission. You earned 5000 experience points, 400 virtue points, and 50 silver coins.
System Announcement: The player Ye Weiming, a Disciple of the Royal Detective Agency, and the newbie San Yue have defeated the level 25 BOSS, Chou Ba, for the first time. They received the first kill reward: 400 Martial World Reputation points and 400 Sect Contribution points.
System Announcement: Player Ye Weiming, a Disciple of the Royal Detective Agency …
...
The system announcement appeared thrice in a row, causing San Yue to burst into excitement.
They finally made it on TV!
Nevertheless, compared to making it on TV, Ye Weiming cared more about the change in his strength.
An instant increase of 9000 experience points pushed Ye Weiming's level up to 13 and he keenly felt that his strength had seemingly grown stronger.
The rewards for exceeding the mission requirements had additions. But why did the additions not apply to money?
However, he soon figured it out.
The bounty on Chou Ba was not only posted within the Royal Detective Agency, but also in many other places. All players could accept it. In this situation, now that the two had teamed up to kill Chou Ba, it was only natural that the bounty was split between them.
The system was very stingy and would never give players a chance to exploit loopholes.
Once the initial excitement of being on TV subsided, San Yue suddenly seemed to recall something, asking reproachfully, "By the way, why did you hurry to kill him earlier? I was really interested in the story he was telling."
Upon hearing this, Ye Weiming smiled lightly and responded, "Since he was already owning up to his crimes, there was no value in any further confession. It's better to kill him sooner to avoid unexpected complications."
"He's right," a raspy voice suddenly commented, followed by the appearance of a shadowy figure in front of the two. It was a man in black.
This man was clad in a black flying fish suit that was clearly of superior quality compared to the one worn by Ye Weiming. With his hood concealing his head and a mask covering his face, he gave off a distinctive air of gloom, resembling a wrathful ghost that had crawled out of hell, and inciting fear in those who beheld him!
Eyeing the unexpected arrival warily, Ye Weiming asked, "Who might you be?"
"Former commander of the Imperial Guards and currently the Deputy Commander of the Royal Detective Agency, You Jin,"
With a glint in his eye, Ye Weiming quickly responded enthusiastically, "So it's Commander You. You have made a special trip here. Could it be because my performance in this mission was so outstanding that you came to reward me?"
You Jin scoffed, "Smooth talker, hasn't your reward already been doubled?"
Ye Weiming chuckled, deciding not to respond.
At this point, You Jin again spoke, "Originally, considering Chou Ba's strength, there was no chance you could have stood against him in your current state. I hurried to Du Kang village to arrest him in person. However, I didn't expect that you, through unconventional means, would manage to complete an impossible task. Well done, the Royal Detective Agency needs people like you."
So the correct way to complete the mission was to find Chou Ba, confront him, have him confess to murdering Old Man Li, and then leave him to You Jin?
If that was the case, then the three-star rating for these two tasks appeared reasonable.
He then turned to San Yue, "Young girl, my observation from the dark tells me your performance, although not as good as Ye Weiming's, is still commendable. This is your extra reward for completing the mission. If you're interested, you can report to the Royal Detective Agency in Bianliang, the Eastern Capital." As he spoke, he handed her an Entry Token to the Royal Detective Agency.