"Lin Tong was pursued by his two senior brothers, left with his left leg and arm, and left eye corroded by poison, severely injured with only a tenth of his strength remaining? Currently hiding in a dilapidated temple two hundred li to my left?"
"That scoundrel has been chasing me for so long, now it's your turn to suffer!"
Qin Wang's eyes flashed with determination as he read the first two pieces of information. Isn't it the perfect time to strike while he's down?
Lin Tong was in a direction slightly deviated but generally aligned with the path to Jinzhou. After being hunted so relentlessly, now that Lin Tong was in a dire state, it was only fitting to retaliate.
Moreover, the so-called Three Corpses Gu King Jar was actually a mysterious treasure of the Gu Master, capable of accelerating the cultivation of spirit insects. If he could find the lid and the Five Elements Water, it would possess powerful offensive capabilities!
The information indicated that this jar wasn't just any ordinary item; it was named the Five Elements Divine Light Jar.
He must get it!
Qin Wang skipped over the third piece of information.
"Li Qi Ye, despite losing the Chi Yang Divine Art to me, is going to have a celestial opportunity? His luck is too good!"
Qin Wang was shocked by the fourth piece of information.
"My fragment once accompanied its former master in the Battle of Ten Thousand Spirits?"
Qin Wang, looking at the fifth piece of information, instinctively reached into his pocket and touched the fragment. He was quite hopeful about it.
This palm-sized piece could calm the mind and increase mental strength.
If all fragments were gathered and the artifact restored, what immense power would it possess?
"The celestial master Jin Gu Yun invited by Emperor Yun of Great Cang? His path is hopeless? Preparing to enjoy the rest of his life?"
"Chen Kun sent people to investigate my sister's disappearance? They're going to trace it back to me?"
Qin Wang's eyes narrowed slightly as he read the sixth and seventh pieces of information.
"Forget about Chen Kun for now. He won't catch up to me anytime soon. I'll deal with Lin Tong first and secure the treasure!"
Qin Wang thought to himself, deep in contemplation.
Three days later.
In the afternoon.
At the border of Youzhou.
Thirty li from Linshan City, on Qingcha Mountain.
At the bottom of the mountain path, there was a Baiyun Temple with its incense offerings long since ceased.
Inside the dilapidated temple, three statues stood with their gold paint peeling off. Many roof tiles had been blown off by the wind, allowing sunlight to stream through the holes, illuminating the three-foot-tall dry grass inside the temple.
Outside the temple, piles of large stones were scattered among the dry grass.
A blood-covered, disheveled, and weakly breathing beggar in black sat miserably inside the temple, chewing on something for sustenance.
His leg was severed at the root, one arm was gone at the shoulder, and one eye was missing. His remaining eye was filled with pain.
Suddenly, the beggar lifted his head, looking toward the temple's entrance. His only remaining hand pressed on the hilt of his sword, watching a sallow-faced man standing three zhang away from the temple gate, his voice hoarse. "Who are you?"
This man carried a black knife on his back and held a grinding-wheel-sized gray cloth bundle in his hand.
The beggar sensed ill intentions from this sallow-faced man.
"Lin Tong, haven't you been looking for me for a long time?"
Qin Wang looked at the pitiful Lin Tong, just as described in the information, and his eyes turned cold. He held a huge medicine bundle in his left hand and a fire striker in his right.
This bundle of paralyzing powder contained enough for ten doses.
Lin Tong was a disciple of the Poison Sect, so his body was likely resistant to poison. Hence, ten times the usual amount was used.
"You!"
"You're... the black market masked man who killed my four servants?!"
Hearing Qin Wang's words, Lin Tong's remaining eye widened, and he instinctively retreated, backing against a weathered statue. He didn't expect that, having been a hunter, he would now become the hunted.
Severely injured, missing limbs, and without an eye, he was now only a fraction of his former strength, weakened further by days of surviving on roots, snakes, and rats.
His six servants had perished during the fight with his eighth senior brother.
Hiding in this deserted temple for treatment, it seemed a perfect concealment.
Yet this masked man had found him.
When it rains, it pours.
"You've hunted me for so long. Now it's my turn to kill you!!"
Qin Wang lit the bundle of paralyzing powder, and flames enveloped it. Standing five zhang away from the temple, he threw the burning bundle into the dilapidated temple.
"You!"
Lin Tong's expression changed dramatically; he knew this bundle was no ordinary item!
He tried to use his sword to deflect the bundle, but it broke apart in midair, scattering sparks everywhere. Helpless, he held his breath.
Recalling how Jiang Hanyun and others had died, he immediately reached into his pocket, pulling out a white porcelain bottle. He bit off the red cloth stopper with his teeth and poured the contents into his mouth.
Suddenly.
A fist-sized stone whistled through the air, aimed at his face!
Lin Tong was startled, unable to dodge in time. He tilted his head to avoid a direct hit, but the stone grazed his face, tearing off half of his face and left ear!
Pain surged through him!
Blood flowed!
The white porcelain bottle in his hand rolled away, and the antidote pills scattered on the ground.
"Brother, hold on!"
Lin Tong, enduring the pain, looked at Qin Wang with his remaining eye, his voice hoarse. "Spare me! I'll give you the treasure, the Three Corpses Gu King Jar from my master, along with eight thousand taels of silver! Let's call it even!"
While speaking, he reached for the scattered antidote pills.
Unable to hold his breath while talking, he felt his strength fading.
His only hope now was that this person would be greedy enough to take the Three Corpses Gu King Jar.
His package was laced with poison. If this person tried to take the jar, he would inevitably be poisoned, and then Lin Tong could turn the tables!
"Killing you! I'll take it myself!"
Qin Wang snorted coldly, picking up another stone and hurling it at Lin Tong. Being a disciple of the Poison Sect, Lin Tong was covered in poison. Qin Wang didn't dare to get close, planning to stone him to death first and then burn everything.
After the fire, the jar should be safe.
Using his mid-second-rate internal strength, Qin Wang hurled stones like arrows. Though his aim wasn't perfect, after seven or eight throws, Lin Tong's right leg was broken, his chest was hit, and the powerful impact caved in his chest. Lying on the ground, he spat blood, on the verge of death.
"Didn't expect to die under stones…"
Lin Tong's remaining eye filled with despair and bitterness.
His limbs were gone, his eye blinded, yet he hadn't given up.
But now, he truly felt hopeless.
The person before him was too cautious, using poison first, then stones, never coming close. He had no chance to use his poison!
If only his senior brothers hadn't left him so gravely injured, he wouldn't have ended up like this!
Qin Wang threw a few more stones, one hitting Lin Tong's head, splitting it open.
A faint soul emerged from Lin Tong's body and was absorbed by the soul-gathering bowl beside Qin Wang.
"Finally dead!"
Qin Wang gathered dry grass and firewood with his Exorcising Knife, tossing them onto Lin Tong and his package. Then, he lit a torch and threw it in, setting everything ablaze.
Instantly, flames roared.
The fire crackled, sounding like popping beans, as if something was exploding.
"Better stay away for now."
Qin Wang retreated from the temple. Lin Tong was covered in poison, and burning him might release toxins. It would be disastrous.
He watched from a distance, waiting for the fire to burn out completely before retrieving the Five Elements Divine Light Jar.
As Qin Wang turned to leave the burning temple, a snow silkworm crawled out from the jar in the package, fleeing like lightning into the distance.