Killing Dao Fruit
Chapter 46 - 44: Cannibalizing Essence Qi

Chapter 46: Chapter 44: Cannibalizing Essence Qi

In just a few breaths’ time, the victor among the five "Deceitful Heart" constables was decided.

In this merciless struggle for life and death.

One lived, four died!

The lead soldier with a scarred face was a notch stronger than his peers. With the initiative and after paying the price of being cut three times with blood pouring out, he successfully kept the "Golden Bar" in his hand.

Holding a long knife in one hand and the "Golden Bar" in the other, he admired its golden brilliance against the setting sun, as if it was the most enchanting color in the world.

"Mine, you are mine, no one can take you away! Hahaha..."

Even as the golden light of the Rashamon Bone spread out.

The bolder constables who still lingered within ten zhang couldn’t help but widen their eyes and shuffle their feet, inching closer.

The scar-faced soldier was still utterly intoxicated.

Probably even if his own wife and children were here to snatch the "Golden Bar" away, he wouldn’t hesitate to chop them down without a second thought.

However, before the victor could catch his breath, a rapid clatter of horse hooves suddenly erupted behind him.

Whoosh!

A burst of cold light exploded, and the scarred soldier didn’t even manage to scream before his head and wrist, still holding the "Golden Bar," were simultaneously severed in an instant.

The glittering Rashamon Bone was effortlessly caught by a hand that seemed to be made of iron.

"No! This, is, mine!"

He enunciated each word with a dry, hoarse voice, grating like metal on metal.

Who else could it be but Zheng Yong, the Mystic Armor Guard who had reached the realm beyond human?

Spreading his palm open, the "Golden Bar" had taken on another appearance in his grasp—a Golden Talisman inscribed with peculiar spells.

In the eyes of this Daoist Soldier, what he desired clearly wasn’t just an ordinary golden bar.

The Rashamon Bone he saw had always been in this form, and an ordinary soldier, of course, had no right to possess such treasure.

After securing the treasure, the gold-crimson hue gradually filled his piercing, blade-like eyes, becoming unavoidably more intense.

However.

As a non-human Daoist Soldier who had reached the second realm of Taoist Military Skill, although not a Magician, he had much stronger resistance to the Rashamon Bone than ordinary people.

Suppressing the desire to admire it further, he stuffed the "Golden Talisman" into his chest, preventing more distant people from seeing it.

And at last, the spread of the chaos was halted.

Furrowing his brow like a steel needle, he snorted coldly at those government officials still approaching:

"You... saw my treasure?"

The desire for the treasure had made these "Deceitful Heart" men forget the terror of facing a Daoist Soldier. They drew their side swords and charged at Zheng Yong.

"Hand over the gold!"

"Even an official shall not monopolize it!"

"Kill, kill you! Then it will be mine!"

Amidst the chaotic howling.

The figure before them no longer seemed like an invincible superior officer but rather a commoner who was at their mercy on any normal day.

With a sneer, Zheng Yong leaped from his horse and, like a whirlwind, thrust himself into the midst of the constables.

Even though his Mystic Armor and sword had been discarded during the rescue of Prince Zhou Jingyao, as a Mystic Armor Guard from one of the thirty-six camps who focused heavily on defense, a slight exertion turned his tendons and skin taut as copper.

Just with this steely flesh, he could ignore the swords and knives wielded by commoners.

Boom!

Throwing punches and kicking legs, the force of his blows was biting cold.

The Daoist Soldier’s non-human body was the most ferocious weapon!

Cries of agony had barely begun when they were instantly stuffed back into their chests.

This man, far stronger than the scarred soldier, dealt with the five or six government officials as easily as killing chickens.

But even after eliminating all the officials in front of him, the Mystic Armor Guard’s killing intent burned fierce.

Slowly turning his head, he fixed his gaze on Wang Yuan, who was already sprinting towards the dense forest beside the road.

This traveling doctor was the only one nearby who hadn’t rushed to fight over the treasure and had been searched by the scar-faced soldier just before the slaughter of his peers started.

With eyes turning red again, he stared intently at Wang Yuan, a chilling wind escaping through his clenched teeth:

"You saw it! You saw my treasure too, didn’t you?"

The other government officials who hadn’t seen the Rashamon Demon Object and weren’t influenced by it were initially confused and at a loss.

They thought their peers had turned on each other at the sight of a treasure worth a fortune.

But seeing Zheng Yong ultimately targeting a doctor, they wondered if they had indeed encountered a thief—could this be a thief’s trick?

As they too began to draw their swords and group together.

Wang Yuan seized the opportunity, shouting:

"Spare my life, military officer; I really don’t have any more gold!"

Then he turned and plunged into the woods beside him.

Zheng Yong, without another word, immediately pursued. At this moment, under the influence of "Deceitful Heart," he couldn’t tolerate anyone who had seen his treasure to still be alive.

Yet, upon hearing Wang Yuan’s cry, the other government officials couldn’t help but hesitate in their steps.

"Brothers, should we go and help Master Zheng?

If even Scarface and his lot are fighting each other, there must be at least a big gold ingot of fifty taels involved. The doctor keeps denying it, which just proves that he still has something in his pocket."

A constable licked his lips, seemingly eager to try.

"You want to get killed? Thinking of competing with a Daoist Soldier for gold, weigh your own neck first to see if it’s hard enough."

"Forget it, we can’t provoke a Daoist Soldier.

Let’s collect the corpses of Scarface and the others, claim they were the thieves who attacked the third prince, and maybe we can claim some compensation. That way our brotherhood’s effort won’t be in vain."

Although somewhat reluctant, no one dared to propose helping Zheng Yong anymore.

Leaving that muddled Daoist Soldier to chase alone, single-handedly.

...

Whoosh!

As soon as he entered the forest, Wang Yuan leaped onto the treetops, dashing towards the depths of the woods like a nimble ape at full strength.

"You crafty dog, a destitute traveling doctor yet possessing the realm of ’Integrated Force.’ There must be something fishy!"

Zheng Yong, who was behind him, didn’t climb the trees, but when he ran at full strength, each step exploded a shallow pit in the ground, like a wild boar clad in resin and gravel armor, rampaging through the underbrush.

Even the saplings in his path were broken by his charge, his speed actually outpacing Wang Yuan who was above in the treetops.

"A Daoist Soldier, sure enough, has become non-human.

But the longer the time drags on, the more it benefits me. I’ll find an opportunity to turn the tables and try for a counter-kill!"

As Wang Yuan fled, he pricked his fingertips.

He wrote the characters "bird" and "imperial decree" with his blood on his palms and formed a "Divine Tiger Seal" with his hands across his chest, chanting urgently:

"Heavenly Soldiers advance, Golden Tiger charges. Fierce beasts of the skies, stand guard at all gates. Summoned to appear instantly, called to be present swiftly. The Red Book shines bright, wind and fire uninterrupted. Sealing Talisman obeys the command, delivered by the Golden Horse Post!"

"Call forth the flying birds! Decree!"

Suddenly.

Countless birds from all around the mountain forest gathered at Wang Yuan’s command and ferociously swooped towards Zheng Yong.

The Precept Taboo of the "Gathering Beasts Magic Skill" required adherence to the nature of the summoned creatures; coercing a flock of naturally timid birds to launch a suicidal attack on a Daoist Soldier was unreal.

So, just as they flew over his head, an endless... shower of bird droppings fell from the sky.

"Pitter-patter," almost instantly smearing over Zheng Yong’s eyes.

This "Mystic Armor Guard," with a surge of Qi-Blood boiling within him, shook his muscles, repelling all the bird droppings.

But his pace slowed down as a result.

"Ah! Damn Magician, I will tear you into ten thousand pieces!"

Having never encountered such a despicable opponent before, Zheng Yong was so furious his teeth clenched, and his Qi-Blood erupted, increasing his speed by a third.

Braving the continuing hail of bird droppings, the distance between him and Wang Yuan closed rapidly.

Twenty yards, fifteen yards, ten yards...

As he saw Wang Yuan’s back through the foliage once more, a stony, cold smirk appeared on his face.

He didn’t notice.

As he fully stimulated his power and Qi-Blood,

The Rashamon Bone in his chest was slowly growing into his flesh, merging with his breastbone.

The burning Essence Qi and Spirit over his head and shoulders steadily drained into the Rashamon Bone embedded in his chest.

Meanwhile, Wang Yuan, who was increasingly being caught by this formidable foe, experienced a sensation akin to when he had first ingested the Deceit Bone and Deceit Skin.

The pure Primordial Qi within him flowed ceaselessly, providing him with endless strength.

The impending transformation in his body progressed a major step forward as the accumulation reached its peak.

At the same time, an even more ethereal and mysterious aura quietly emerged,

Causing his Qi Fortune, originally at "-5," to suddenly leap.

Just then.

Zheng Yong suddenly kicked a rock from within the forest towards the treetop, shattering the branch Wang Yuan was about to land on.

Stamp!

He cartwheeled gracefully to the ground, not continuing to flee, but rather turned to face the Mystic Armor Guard, whose vigor had quietly weakened significantly.

At the same time, he removed the Deceit Object, Human Face Painting, from his face, reverting to his youthful appearance.

In this moment, Wang Yuan no longer wished to play any role.

He wasn’t the "Shadow Following" "Thief Cat" Cui Tong, nor was he the "Miracle Healing" "First Hand Qin" Qin Yong’an, nor the cautious, struggling Fool from Daling Village.

He was simply himself!

Displaying the Opening Move of the White Tiger Military Art, the power in his body circulated, he gave a queer smile to Zheng Yong:

"Come, one-on-one, let us have a fair fight!"