After wiping the blood off the Burning Sun Sword's blade, Feng Wuchen fell into deep thought.
After killing Lin Cang and this assassin, that sword's image grew increasingly vivid in his mind.
"So the power of this sword doesn't depend on the mastery of swordsmanship, but on the intensity of killing intent. The stronger the intent, the greater the power. Tsk, tsk... truly, a sword for killing!"
With that, Feng Wuchen casually searched the assassin's body, taking his coin pouch and a few personal belongings before tossing the corpse into the bushes. He then returned to the tent.
The assassin came from a notorious organization in the Spirit Martial Realm—Blood Robe Tower Twelve.
It's said that Blood Robe Tower's dens are scattered across the entire Spirit Martial Realm, drawing in over eighty percent of the realm's criminals.
According to Lin family servants, the Lin family had placed a bounty of one million gold coins on Feng Wuchen's head.
One million gold coins... that's enough for a typical family to live on for ten generations.
"With such a high bounty, even late-stage Essence Condensation experts might be tempted... sigh."
Feng Wuchen sighed, though not out of concern for himself.
After all, he practiced the Heaven-Slaying Sword Technique, a method that made him stronger the more he killed. If he were alone, assassins would merely be stepping stones on his path to strength.
The issue was that he had Feng Ning with him, a child with no cultivation skills.
Luckily, one million wasn't enough to drive everyone into a frenzy.
That night, only a single Essence Condensation assassin dared to approach, whom Feng Wuchen had slain.
As the sun rose, Feng Wuchen woke Feng Ning, packed up, and they continued on their journey.
By late morning, they finally exited the mountain range and arrived at Blackwater City.
Compared to Falling Phoenix City, Blackwater City was significantly smaller; calling it a city was generous—it was more like a town.
Still, it was a crucial transportation hub for several hundred miles, with roads extending in all directions, designated as a city by the Chen Kingdom's royal family.
After entering the city, Feng Wuchen carried Feng Ning to the tallest building in town.
Looking up, he saw an impressive gilded plaque with five grand characters: "First Tower of the World!"
In the Cangzhou region of Chen Kingdom, there are three major powers:
The Chen Royal Family, the Qingchen Sect, and this First Tower of the World!
Unlike the Chen Royal Family, which has an army of millions, or the Qingchen Sect, with thousands of martial disciples, the First Tower is a commercial organization.
Their influence reaches beyond the Chen Kingdom, appearing almost everywhere across Cangzhou.
They operate in various industries: inns, markets, brothels, gambling halls, inns... nearly every aspect of daily life.
Though not as eye-catching as the other two, the First Tower is deeply embedded in society. Some speculate that its hidden strength surpasses the other two combined.
Feng Wuchen, carrying Feng Ning, entered the First Tower.
"Dining or lodging?"
A middle-aged, well-dressed man at the counter asked. He was clearly the manager, with a touch of arrogance and a rather indifferent manner.
Feng Wuchen gave him a glance and, sensing the faintest of auras, instantly understood the man's cultivation level.
Essence Condensation!
Even the manager of a branch tower was an Essence Condensation expert—no doubt, the First Tower's foundation ran deep.
"Manager, we want to go to the Qingchen Sect!"
"Qingchen Sect?" The manager flipped through a booklet without looking up.
"A caravan to Qingchen Sect leaves in two days. One hundred gold coins per person, pay up front!"
Prepared, Feng Wuchen tossed a heavy coin pouch onto the counter, clearly containing more than two hundred coins.
Surprised, the manager looked up as Feng Wuchen said, "The extra is for a good meal and an upper room for the two of us."
"Alright!"
In moments, a table full of dishes was laid out for Feng Wuchen and Feng Ning, making Feng Ning's eyes light up.
While they quietly ate, a gentle breeze stirred Feng Wuchen's hair. He looked up to see a young woman with several attendants entering.
The girl, about his age, wore a fitted outfit with many braids, exuding an aura of arrogance.
With a slight sense of her power, Feng Wuchen realized she was at the Ninth Level of Innate Realm, and one of her attendants was even an Essence Condensation expert.
She scanned the room before her eyes landed on Feng Ning.
A moment later, she strode over to their table and pointed to the cold jade pendant around Feng Ning's neck.
"I want that jade!"
Feng Wuchen ignored her, focusing on placing food in Feng Ning's bowl.
"Eat more!"
Seeing this, the Essence Condensation attendant tossed a money pouch onto their table, containing at least five hundred gold coins.
"Leave the jade, take the money!"
Feng Wuchen still paid no attention to them, focusing solely on his little sister.
"Are you full, Ning'er?" he asked.
Feng Ning nodded obediently. "Yes!"
"Then let's go to our room."
"Hey, kid... I'm talking to you!"
The Essence Condensation attendant's eyes flared with anger as he blocked Feng Wuchen's path.
"Our young lady is from the imperial Qin family! I'll say it once—hand over the jade!"
"The Qin family of the capital!" murmured the nearby diners in surprise.
"The imperial Qin family's patriarch, Qin Zhaoyang, is a respected elder of the kingdom, a hero who contributed to Chen's royal family and was granted the title of King!"
"Yes, and his two sons are prominent generals with great influence in the military."
"And that's not all; Qin Zhaoyang's grandson, Qin Feng, became a personal disciple of the Qingchen Sect a few years ago and is now a Golden Body expert!"
"That means this girl must be the notorious Qin Xiaorou, Qin Feng's younger sister, right?"
"Tsk, tsk... looks like those two siblings are in for some serious trouble!"
Listening to the murmurs, Qin Xiaorou gave a proud smile.
Wherever she went, mentioning her family name ensured no one dared to oppose her.
She assumed that once the pair learned of her background, they'd be scared out of their minds.
But Feng Wuchen's reaction shattered her assumptions.
He gave the Essence Condensation attendant a cold look.
"I'll say it once: the item isn't for sale. Now, scram!"
"What?" The entire restaurant fell silent, stunned.
They couldn't believe he dared defy Qin Xiaorou!
As Feng Wuchen was about to leave, the attendant stepped forward.
"Stay here!"
Swish!
But before his hand touched Feng Wuchen, the latter spun around, his fingers like a sword, precisely pointing at the attendant's forehead.
In that instant, the Qin family attendant froze, drenched in a cold sweat.
Overwhelmed by Feng Wuchen's killing intent and sword aura, he felt like he had just brushed death.
He knew in his bones—if Feng Wuchen had wielded a real sword, he'd already be a corpse.
Feng Wuchen calmly lowered his hand and, as he turned to leave, spoke in a chilling tone:
"Take one more step, and you die."