Lin Yi, with Lin Ning by his side, entered Yangzhou City and strolled through the marketplace. After buying Lin Ning a few garments, they headed straight for the city's largest restaurant.
They ordered all the specialty dishes on the menu.
Just as the two were about to start eating,
A dozen fierce men burst into the restaurant with an imposing momentum.
The leader of the group, a burly man over two meters tall with a broadsword slung over his shoulder, was clearly a desperado who had licked blood from the blade.
"It's the Sect Leader of Jingsha Sect, Yue Dao!"
The color drained from the faces of the restaurant's patrons.
Nearly all of them scattered in blind panic.
"Sect Leader Yue, what is the meaning of this?"
The restaurant owner hurried over, his face etched with alarm as he looked at Yue Dao.
"All the losses tonight, I'll cover them!"
Yue Dao shoved the owner aside and immediately began scanning the hall with his piercing triangular eyes.
"Sect Leader, it's him!"
A lackey, holding a bounty portrait, quickly spotted Lin Yi.
"Ha ha ha... the easiest money I've ever made, 200,000 gold coins in my grasp!"
Yue Dao laughed loudly, then swung his broadsword directly at Lin Yi!
However,
As Yue Dao brought his sword down, Lin Yi seemed as if he hadn't seen it at all. It wasn't until the aggressor was upon the dining table that he finally moved!
Grabbing the sword scabbard from the table, he struck out!
Clang!
Sparks flew; Lin Yi's sword scabbard stayed perfectly still, but Yue Dao's broadsword was sent flying out of his grip!
Then, with a "clang",
The longsword was unsheathed!
The sword light had already flashed across Yue Dao's neck.
In the next moment,
Yue Dao's towering two-meter frame, like a small hill, crashed heavily to the ground.
Blood gushed all over.
A direct kill!
"Se… Sect Leader!"
The disciples of Jingsha Sect, seeing their leader's throat cut by Lin Yi in an instant, were plastered with expressions of utmost terror.
Yue Dao was a master of the Fourth Level of Spirit Transformation Realm!
To be dispatched without even touching the youth's garment – what just happened?
The remaining patrons in the restaurant, too, were staring at Lin Yi in disbelief.
Yue Dao had a bit of fame as a local thug in Yangzhou, but to be defeated by a youth without lasting a single blow...
Who in the world was this young man?
Lin Yi gestured a salute to everyone, smiling, "Please, pay it no mind and continue your meal."
The other patrons quickly averted their gaze, taking Lin Yi's words as a sign to act as if nothing happened.
"You, come here."
Just as the group of Jingsha Sect disciples thought to slip away quietly, Lin Yi called one of them out.
"Me?"
The skinny man who had identified Lin Yi grimaced and pleaded, "Young hero, spare my life! I'm just a lackey!"
"Enough talk. If you don't come over here, I will take your life right now!"
The skinny man had no choice but to walk over to Lin Yi.
Just as he thought Lin Yi was about to take his life, Lin Yi instead snatched the bounty portrait from his hands.
Seeing the likeness that was quite similar to himself on the portrait, Lin Yi raised an eyebrow, "Who would have thought my head would be worth so much?"
"I wonder who would spend such a hefty sum to place a bounty on me?"
"It's the Zhao family of Golden State!"
The lean man hurriedly said, "The Zhao family has posted a bounty on the black market. Now, the entire underworld of Shi Country is eying you, wanting to take your head for the hefty reward!"
The Zhao family?
Lin Yi frowned slightly.
He had originally thought that the Zhao family wouldn't have traced it back to him so quickly.
But it turned out he had underestimated the Zhao family.
They had locked onto him so quickly and even put out a hefty bounty on the black market, mobilizing the power of the entire Shi Country underworld to kill him!
Fast enough!
And ruthless enough!
"Ning'er, it seems we can't rest in Yangzhou tonight."
Lin Yi's expression turned solemn.
If this person from the Jingsha Sect had been able to find him, it meant that other black market assassins might also know his whereabouts.
This Yangzhou City was no longer safe!
"Whoosh!"
However, just as the siblings were preparing to get up and leave.
Suddenly, a dart tore through the air at an astonishing speed, shooting towards Lin Yi!
Yet, Lin Yi reacted exceptionally, instinctively dodging, and the dart shot past his face, embedding itself deeply into the pillar beside him.
"Young man, thinking of leaving now, isn't it a bit too late?"
A voice that made one's body tingle came from the direction the dart had flown.
It was a voluptuous and dangerously attractive matron, her peach blossom eyes staring fixedly at Lin Yi as if they could hook away a man's soul.
"It's her!"
"The Gold Medal Killer of the black market, Xue Linglong!"
Whispers of shock arose in the tavern.
"Xue Linglong?"
Lin Yi's eyes narrowed slightly. He had heard of the title of Xue Linglong, who was said to be adept at using hidden weapons, killing people imperceptibly. In Shi Country, many renowned Martial Artists had died at the hands of this Xue Linglong.
He hadn't expected to run into her today.
However, Lin Yi just shook his head and smiled, "Xue Linglong, for the mere 200,000 gold coins bounty, to risk your own life, probably not worth it."
"Just with you?"
Xue Linglong sneered, and then her eyes suddenly flashed with a fierce murderous intent, "That dart just now was a greeting, now the real show begins!"
As her words fell, Xue Linglong suddenly flung both hands, and a barrage of hidden weapons burst from her sleeves, attacking like a storm!
These hidden weapons were not aimed at Lin Yi but at Lin Ning!
Lin Yi's figure flashed, and he positioned himself in front of Lin Ning, the Meteor Sword in his hand drawing a circle in midair, repelling all the hidden weapons!
Thirteen hidden weapons respectively struck the nearby tables, walls, and pillars, not touching Lin Yi in the slightest.
The last hidden weapon reversed its trajectory, shooting back towards its origin!
"What?!"
Xue Linglong's complexion changed drastically.
But it was too late for her to dodge.
She was struck in the left chest by the Flying Knife.
With a scream.
Gravely wounded, Lin Yi immediately flashed forward, appearing in front of Xue Linglong.
Seeing the situation going south, Xue Linglong quickly put on a pitiful look, "Young master, spare me, and from now on, I'm willing to be your female slave, to toil for you like an ox or a horse!"
Saying so, Xue Linglong deliberately tugged at her neckline, exposing a large expanse of snow-white skin, showing the deep cleavage that could make most men lose themselves.
Even the most stone-hearted of men would likely go weak at the knees.
In the tavern, many diners watched with drooling mouths, exclaiming in delight.
And Xue Linglong, meanwhile, secretly circulated her True Qi, sneering inwardly, after all, he was a young man brimming with vitality, how could he withstand her temptation...
Unfortunately for her, Lin Yi did not stop to admire such a beautiful scene, as Xue Linglong had hoped. Instead, he suddenly swung his sword, piercing Xue Linglong's throat.
"You..."
Xue Linglong's face filled with disbelief, collapsing into a pool of blood.