Devouring Soul Emperor

Chu Qingyun counted out another five hundred Middle Grade Primordial Stones and handed them to You Yun, receiving two small, transparent crystal vials in return.

Each thumb-sized crystal vial was about halfway full with a pale purple potion.

This stuff was the poison capable of taking down a Level One Martial Artist.

"Making money is as hard as climbing to the heavens, but spending it is as easy as watching water flow away."

Back at the inn, Chu Qingyun couldn’t help but sigh as he looked at the items in his hand.

He had spent 3,900 Middle Grade Primordial Stones in one go, and now he only had a paltry sixty-odd Middle Grade Primordial Stones left.

A whole day of hard work, and in an instant, he was back to where he was before entering the city...

After resting for a night, Chu Qingyun woke up bright and early the next morning.

He had a lot to do today.

After breakfast, Chu Qingyun took out the *Hidden Qi Technique, Martial Artist Chapter*. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

"A Secret Technique worth three thousand Middle Grade Primordial Stones—or thirty Upper Grade Primordial Stones. You’d better not disappoint me..."

Chu Qingyun muttered to himself and began to read.

The Secret Technique in the Martial Artist Chapter wasn’t long, just a few thin pages in total.

Chu Qingyun finished reading it quickly and committed it firmly to memory.

Once he had memorized it, he lit a candle and burned the Secret Technique.

This was also something You Yun had warned him about. If he leaked the Assassin Alliance’s Secret Technique, whether intentionally or not, he would be hunted by the Alliance until one of them was dead.

Being targeted by a single assassin was already like having a needle at your back.

If you were hunted by the entire Assassin Alliance... you might as well just kill yourself and get it over with.

The Hidden Qi Technique was a Secret Technique primarily for concealing one’s own aura.

Killing intent, Evil Qi, rage, and even a Martial Artist’s own inherent aura could be completely concealed within the body using this Secret Technique.

Low-level Martial Artists had trouble hiding from high-level ones for two reasons.

First, they couldn’t properly conceal their own auras.

Second, high-level Martial Artists had powerful Spiritual Sense, allowing them to easily detect the auras of other Martial Artists.

But with the Hidden Qi Technique, things were different.

If he could perfectly control his aura, Chu Qingyun could even deliberately release the aura of a Level Four or Level Six Martial Artist to disguise himself as a low-level one.

Of course, this trick was useless against a true master.

Against someone like You Yun, for example, Chu Qingyun would be seen through at a glance, even if he concealed his aura to the absolute limit.

The gap in their Realms was too vast; any Secret Technique or trick would be a joke.

Chu Qingyun had always been a quick study, and by noon, he had more or less figured out the Hidden Qi Technique.

As for the Black Iron War Crossbow, he only needed to practice with it a few times before he could use it proficiently.

Compared to a bow and arrow, a Hand Crossbow is very easy to get the hang of.

That’s why there was always the saying: "Ban the long, not the short; ban the crossbow, not the bow."

In the afternoon, Chu Qingyun went back to the Spring Breeze Tower and Sishui Street, circling the area twice to find the most suitable route.

The sun set behind the western mountains, and the sky gradually darkened.

Inside Qingshan City, most people had finished their busy day and were beginning to rest.

But for some, the nightlife was just beginning.

The Spring Breeze Tower was brightly lit, with a dozen or so young women standing at the entrance. Dressed in light gauze that revealed large patches of their snow-white skin, they greeted guests with beaming smiles.

A middle-aged man with two knife scars on his face arrived at the Spring Breeze Tower, flanked by two underlings, radiating an aggressive aura.

"My, Lord Ma! Please, hurry inside! Miss Qiuyue has been getting anxious waiting for you."

Seeing this man appear, the madam, Mrs. Zhao, personally came out to welcome him.

Following behind him, Chu Qingyun also entered, his head bowed.

Before coming, he had used makeup to give his face a sallow, yellowish complexion, stuck on a fake beard, and projected the aura of a Level Four Martial Artist.

He looked just like any other low-level, middle-aged Martial Artist looking for a good time—nothing that would attract any attention.

In the main hall of the Spring Breeze Tower’s first floor, Chu Qingyun sipped his wine and watched the men spend fortunes to compete for Miss Qiuyue’s first night.

As the top courtesan of the Spring Breeze Tower, Miss Qiuyue was not only beautiful with a fine figure, but also proficient in the zither, Go, calligraphy, and painting.

Even rarer, she had also awakened a Martial Soul and was a Level Three Martial Artist!

Because of this, the bidding price soared.

Finally, a fat merchant wearing a golden ring and sporting two large gold teeth stood up and bid one hundred Middle Grade Primordial Stones.

This price instantly stunned the entire hall, silencing all other bidders.

From his corner, Chu Qingyun shook his head, speechless.

At the Assassin Alliance, one hundred Middle Grade Primordial Stones was enough to put a bounty on ten Level Three Martial Artists.

Yet this fat merchant was throwing down a hundred Middle Grade Primordial Stones just for a courtesan’s first night.

’The minds of the wealthy truly are beyond my comprehension right now.’

BANG!

Ma Liang slammed his palm down, shattering the table in front of him.

"You damn fatty! I bid eighty, and you bid a hundred. Are you trying to pick a fight with me on purpose!?"

Ma Liang’s face was savage, and his two underlings shot to their feet, glaring viciously at the fat man.

The fat merchant started to speak, but one of the men beside him leaned in and whispered a few words in his ear.

The fat man’s expression changed instantly. He immediately put on a smile and said, "Hehe, Lord Ma, a misunderstanding, it’s all a misunderstanding! How would I dare to pick a fight with the Blood Wolf Gang?"

"Consider Miss Qiuyue my gift to you, my lord. I’ll cover the one hundred Middle Grade Primordial Stones."

Cold sweat beaded on the fat man’s forehead.

He was from out of town on business and had just wanted to have some fun. How could he have known he’d run into a tough nut like Ma Liang?

The Blood Wolf Gang’s evil reputation was infamous even in the neighboring few cities.

"Hmph. You know what’s good for you. Hand over two hundred Middle Grade Primordial Stones, and I’ll let this matter drop!"

In the end, under Ma Liang’s threats, the fat man obediently handed over two hundred Middle Grade Primordial Stones and scurried away with his tail between his legs.

As for Ma Liang, he threw an arm around Miss Qiuyue and went upstairs, laughing heartily.

"Heh heh, the Blood Wolf Gang. How impressive," Chu Qingyun chuckled softly.

After seeing which room Ma Liang entered, he quietly left the main hall.

In a deserted spot, Chu Qingyun knocked out a passing waiter, changed into his clothes, grabbed a tray, and headed for Ma Liang’s room.

"Stop it... Lord Ma, you’re so naughty..."

"Giggle giggle..."

The sounds of the two flirting came from inside the room.

Chu Qingyun knocked on the door and said in a lowered voice, "Lord Ma, Mrs. Zhao told me to bring something to you."

"Get lost! I don’t need anything!"

Ma Liang had already taken off his pants and was about to get started when he was interrupted. He was, naturally, furious.

Chu Qingyun knocked forcefully again and said, "Mrs. Zhao said this must be delivered to you."

"You damn dog, what the hell do you have to deliver!?"

Furious, Ma Liang pulled his pants back on, left his chest bare, and flung the door open.

"To send you to your death, of course."

Chu Qingyun sneered, and his finger, hidden beneath the tray, pulled the trigger.

WHOOSH! A black streak shot out. A finger-length Black Iron Crossbow Arrow buried itself completely in Ma Liang’s body.