Clues to the Mysterious Village Massacre Perpetrator

Watching the foundation he had fought so hard to build about to be destroyed by Chen Yi, Shi San was consumed by a sky-high rage.

Shirtless and wielding a massive machete with both hands, Shi San led a crowd of his brothers to besiege Chen Yi.

Chen Yi fought them off while simultaneously protecting Da Chun, yet he still handled the situation with ease.

This wasn't just a gap in cultivation realms; it was a world of difference in combat awareness and technique.

Chen Yi had inherited memories from two simulations and had served in the military. His combat experience was so rich that he could apply the art of war to this very skirmish.

He beat this bunch of illiterates until they were completely disoriented and bewildered.

"Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!"

Pillars of blood sprayed into the sky. Chen Yi was ruthless with every strike. His Flame Iron Heavy Sword sliced through iron like mud; with a single swing, heads were sent flying!

When Chen Yi channeled his spiritual energy, the surface of the Flame Iron Heavy Sword turned scorching hot and glowing red, looking as if it had just been pulled from a furnace.

The members of the Black Stone Gang were slaughtered and scattered by this sword.

Corpses had already piled up around Chen Yi.

Now, truly no one dared to charge.

Shi San urged them on.

"Get in there! What are you all staring at?"

Someone couldn't hold back anymore.

"Boss! Can't you see? He isn't in the Body Tempering Realm! That spirit weapon of his gets scalding hot—he must be using spiritual energy to power it. He's in the Spirit Gathering Realm!"

Shi San roared angrily.

"I don't need you to teach me! So what if he's in the Spirit Gathering Realm? Won't he get tired? Keep attacking!"

For the pittance they earned each month, none of the remaining gang members were willing to throw their lives away.

"If you want to attack, you do it yourself!"

The sound of splashing water filled the air as a squad guarding the boats jumped straight into the river, swimming for the opposite bank.

The group blocking the pier exit similarly scattered in an instant.

In the blink of an eye, Shi San was left a commander without an army.

Yet, Chen Yi was still approaching, step by step.

Shi San swallowed hard and retreated, saying, "Chen Yi! Don't you be ungrateful! If our Black Stone Gang brothers hadn't fished you two out, you and your fellow villager would have drowned in the river long ago!"

Before Chen Yi could speak, Da Chun chimed in.

"Who says? I clearly climbed ashore myself, then found a log to fish Brother Yi out. You guys only found us after that."

Shi San glared at Da Chun.

"Chen Yi! This guy is an idiot, don't listen to his nonsense!"

Chen Yi scoffed.

"Do you think I'd trust him, or trust you?"

Shi San had lost all courage to fight Chen Yi to the end, and his tone softened.

"No, wait, Chen Yi. If you had just said earlier that you were a martial artist—and such a powerful one at that! You can have the position of Gang Leader; I'll even work as a coolie for you, no problem! Why let it come to this? Only a bastard turns down money!"

"If I rob your dirty money, I'm still making money! And not only will I make money, but I'll let everyone else make some too!"

Saying this, Chen Yi turned to face the bewildered coolies on the pier.

"What are you all still standing there foolishly for? The Black Stone Gang is finished!

Those lackeys who just ran off are definitely raiding the storehouse to divide up the wealth right now!

If you go late, you won't even get a sip of the soup!"

Hearing this, the coolies finally snapped out of it.

They first kowtowed a few times to Chen Yi.

"Thank you for saving us, Hero Chen!"

"Even if we become oxen or horses in the next life, we will repay you!"

"Take care, Hero!!"

Then, grabbing iron rods, wooden planks, hammers, and whatever came to hand on the pier, they charged toward the Black Stone Gang's headquarters.

Chen Yi had killed his way from the headquarters to the pier, so there weren't many Black Stone Gang members left.

As for the martial artists, they had been Chen Yi's primary targets; anyone who had raised a hand was definitely dead by now.

So, how much these coolies could snatch from the surviving gang members depended on their own abilities.

However, Chen Yi estimated that given the coolies' current morale and the resentment accumulated over the past days, they would likely raze the Black Stone Gang to the ground.

At this moment, Shi San felt as if a lifetime had passed.

Just moments ago, he was the Black Stone Gang Leader who could call the wind and summon the rain on the pier.

Now, he was a commander without soldiers, and his assets were being carved up.

It was all over!

Right now, he only hoped Chen Yi would spare his life.

As long as the green hills remain, there's no fear of running out of firewood!

Shi San saw Chen Yi's figure blur, and suddenly the scorching Flame Iron Heavy Sword was pressed against his neck.

It was over; the green hills were gone too!

"Speak. Do you recognize this object?"

Huh? A turning point!

"I recognize it! I recognize it!"

Shi San nodded like a pounding pestle before he even saw clearly what Chen Yi was holding.

When he finally saw it, he was stunned.

Where did this mask come from?

"Where is it from? Did you wear it? Or who wore it? Where was it worn? Speak!"

Shi San hemmed and hawed, sweating like rain.

Think, you dead brain, think!!

Finally, under the pressure of death, Shi San's brain went into overdrive, and he remembered.

"That day, it wasn't just you two who floated down from upstream; there was another person! This mask was on his face! One of the brothers said the mask was hard to destroy and seemed to be a spirit artifact, so he kept it!"

"Where is that person?"

"He was already a corpse back then. The brothers just dug a random pit and buried him."

"Where? Take me there!"

"You... you want to dig him up?"

"Heh, not me. You."

Forced by Chen Yi's intimidation, Shi San had no choice but to comply. He led Chen Yi to the burial site and dug the corpse out himself.

Three months had passed; the body was rotten beyond recognition, and the stench was overwhelming when unearthed.

Even Da Chun, who always had a good appetite, vomited.

Fighting back his nausea, Chen Yi used the Flame Iron Heavy Sword to rummage through the body, looking for clues to his identity.

"Did this guy have anything else on him at the time? Like a token, or a jade pendant?"

"No, just these black clothes and a mask."

Black clothes and a white mask—that was indeed the attire of the mysterious group that slaughtered Luoding Village that day.

In Chen Yi's impression, every one of them was a martial arts expert, so how could one have died?

In the simulation, Chen Yi had asked Shen Qingshan if the government had found anything, but they were clueless.

So, it was unlikely the government found the killer and executed him.

Could it be that some hero saw injustice and intervened?

"Huh..."

Inside the decayed corpse, Chen Yi actually found something peculiar.

This person had a tuft of red hair.

There were no perms or hair dyes in this world, so having red hair must have a special cause.

Chen Yi silently noted this sole clue.

"He ran away!"

Da Chun suddenly shouted. Chen Yi turned to look; Shi San had taken the opportunity while he was focused on finding clues to slip away.

Chen Yi stood up, his expression disdainful.

"I'll let him run a thousand meters first."

Shi San looked back and saw Chen Yi wasn't chasing. Thinking Chen Yi couldn't catch him, his old habits kicked in, and he started talking trash.

"Chen Yi! Wait until I make a comeback; we'll settle new scores and old debts together! Wash your neck and wait for me!! Ptooey!!"

Then, he saw Chen Yi move. He was fast!

Shi San was terrified.

"Run, damn legs, run!!"

Shi San burned his blood essence, running for his life, feeling as if his lungs were on the verge of exploding!

"Haha, he can't catch me, he'll never catch me..."

Shi San casually glanced back over his shoulder, only to be shocked by the sight of a massive flaming hand rapidly closing in. It was on the verge of catching up to him!

"What the hell is that..."