Chapter 51. Finishing Blow and Looting Gear

Chapter 51. Finishing Blow and Looting Gear

Guang Shen was blasted away by a violent explosion, slamming against a hard rock.

“How many traps does he even have? Is it really necessary to target just me?”

He was panting; this little explosion wouldn’t take his life, but it surely drained quite a bit of his vitality.

Feeling like he was facing a formidable enemy, he couldn’t believe he, an elite of the Dark Alliance, was being toyed with by someone he had never even met.

Looking at the chaotic and disastrous scene before him, he recalled the series of well-coordinated attacks he had faced just moments ago; everything was precise and methodical, offering no chance to catch his breath.

But now, there were no traps triggered, an unsettling quiet settled in, so quiet it sent chills down his spine.

There had to be more, lurking in the shadows.

He cautiously advanced, taking each step deliberately, afraid to rush.

After about twenty steps, it was still eerily quiet.

His nerves were frayed; every rustle of wind or movement of grass felt like an ambush, plunging him into a state of panicked paranoia.

“Holy crap!”

Suddenly, a loud shout came from ahead, causing Guang Shen to instinctively stumble backward, only to be tripped by a vine and fall flat.

Thud! The back of his head smacked against the hard rock.

He felt the world spin, and stars danced before his eyes.

His consciousness began to fade, drifting into a haze.

That was…

With the last flicker of his awareness, he saw a figure approaching slowly in front of him.

That must be the mastermind behind this setup; he ultimately couldn’t stand against him.

Too bad he couldn’t see his face.

He shut his eyes and faded into unconsciousness.

“Holy sh*t, why are all the traps gone? Who the heck came in here?”

Lin Nuo quickly emerged from his work upon hearing the commotion and found that most of the traps had been triggered, even the buried spirit-extraction explosives had detonated.

Unscientific! If it were a beast, the few beast pits and wooden spikes in the front would’ve sufficed to finish things off. So many traps triggered, it had to be a large group invading.

However, when he stepped out to take a look, he discovered a person sprawled on the ground.

“Who the heck is this? What’s he doing here? Holy sh*t, did he set off all these traps alone?”

Lin Nuo cautiously approached, worried it was a trap. He tossed a couple of stones forward, but there was no response.

Still uneasy, he threw a small knife, which lodged into the man’s thigh, yet there was still no movement.

“Is he dead?”

Lin Nuo stealthily approached Guang Shen, crouching to check for signs of breath and a heartbeat.

“Not dead, just unconscious.”

Lin Nuo thought to himself that this guy must have nefarious intentions to come here, and surviving his many traps indicated he was of no ordinary strength.

“Looks like he’s from the Dark Alliance.”

Lin Nuo noticed the Dark Alliance insignia had fallen from Guang Shen’s body, feeling uneasy.

It was certain that the Dark Alliance believed he had come to rescue the princess, so they sent an expert to assassinate him.

After all, the enmity between the Dark Alliance and the Xuanyun Sect wasn’t something new; killing righteous sect disciples was a common occurrence for the Dark Alliance.

Yes, they were here to kill him; otherwise, who would be foolish enough to wander around here, triggering traps and continuing deeper? If it wasn’t an assassination attempt, what was it?

Well then, you’re done for.

Lin Nuo pulled out another small knife and stabbed it directly into Guang Shen’s body.

Then he checked his heartbeat and breath again.

Still alive. Let’s add a couple more stabs.

Stab!

Check the heartbeat and breath once more.

Alright, he’s totally done for now. Time to find a hole to bury him.

“Let’s see what kind of gear he has.”

As an excellent villain, one should possess these two qualities: finishing off opponents and looting gear.

He found some pills, a spirit artifact, and the Dark Alliance’s special insignia.

“What’s this?”

He pulled a ring from Guang Shen’s pocket.

“Oh, got it; this is a symbol of identity.”

He casually pocketed the ring. He knew the rules of the Black Market. If you didn’t have any strength or background, you’d just be slaughtered there. You’d pay exorbitant prices and still have to see if the seller was in a good mood.

But if you had an identity background, it was different. If he appeared to be from the Dark Alliance, he could be treated nicely in the Black Market and get discounts—at least the prices would be reasonable.

This ring was a symbol of someone with status in the Dark Alliance; the Black Market vendors wouldn’t even need to ask—they’d know what was up just by looking at the ring.

Remembering how he posed as a newbie in the Black Market before to buy a batch of goods, that seller’s attitude was horrible, charging high prices. If it weren’t for his intel, he wouldn’t have had enough money to buy anything.

Just in time, he had an order to pick up and pay for. If he took the ring with him and pretended to be from the Dark Alliance, there would be no need to haggle; he’d get a warm reception.

Perfect, just like that.

Lin Nuo stripped Guang Shen of all his belongings and then dug a hole to bury him. He calculated the time and disguised himself as a commoner, heading towards the Black Market’s little shop.

The Black Market shops looked like ordinary stores at first glance, but to deal in forbidden items, you needed a special code.

This time, the pickup location was different; he needed to get the code from a new seller.

A smiling shopkeeper approached him:

“Hello, esteemed guest, what can I get for you today?”

Lin Nuo: “I’d like to purchase a batch of soy sauce (black), and I also need some ink (black) to copy some poetry.”

Shopkeeper: “Oh, may I ask which poet you usually copy?”

Lin Nuo: “Li Bai (the opposite of white is black). My favorite line is ‘The light by the bed is bright, it seems like there’s arsenic.’”

Shopkeeper: “Haha, you’re really witty, esteemed guest! We have many types of ink; why don’t you come in and take a look?”

The two naturally walked into the shop.