Zhou Xing wasn’t asleep yet. He was currently in his courtyard performing the Standing Pile, gathering his Qi and Blood as he built up power for a breakthrough.

Yes, he wanted to break through.

...More than ever before!

His helplessness over the past two days made him realize that his current cultivation was falling behind. Only by breaking through to Anjin as soon as possible could he regain some measure of control.

So he planned to make some adjustments and then begin his third attempt at a breakthrough...

’How on earth did Junior Brother do it? It’s only been a little over half a year since he started cultivating, yet he’s already reached Anjin...’

’Doesn’t he face any bottlenecks?’

At this thought, Zhou Xing could only feel a sense of resignation.

But just as his mind wandered while he held his Standing Pile stance, building power for his breakthrough, a frantic pounding suddenly erupted from his courtyard gate.

He opened the gate, dazed, and saw a colleague with a frantic expression. The man grabbed him and immediately started pulling him away.

He was still completely bewildered.

He hastily asked what on earth had happened.

The other man’s words were incoherent.

But Zhou Xing still understood.

But once he understood, Zhou Xing froze, his eyes widening in disbelief...

"Someone shot and killed An Changyu at the South City Gate, and after An Changyu died... his body exploded, and a monster just like the one inside Wang Hu jumped out?!"

When his colleague gave an affirmative reply, Zhou Xing sucked in a sharp breath, his gaze becoming vacant...

Shot and killed...

He didn’t even have to be told. Just hearing those two words, Zhou Xing already had a guess as to who was responsible.

’Besides my own junior brother, that "Expert in Hidden Weapons," who else could it be?’

But that wasn’t the crucial part. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

The crucial part was... An Changyu was dead.

And after he died, a monster identical to the one inside Wang Hu had emerged from his body!

He immediately recalled what his junior brother had mentioned before. Yan Jun, the Gang Leader of the Cyan Wolf Gang, had been investigating him at Fishermen’s... and a monster had also emerged from that man’s body.

And he was a member of that mysterious organization.

In other words...

An Changyu, the True Martial County City Gate Guard...

’Was also a member of that mysterious organization?’

At this thought, Zhou Xing’s scalp went numb.

He was finally beginning to understand the true gravity of the situation.

"Master Zhou, snap out of it! They’re waiting for you to examine the corpse!"

Seeing Zhou Xing zone out again, his colleague cried out in desperation.

Zhou Xing finally snapped out of it. His face was grim, his brow deeply furrowed, and he quickened his pace to follow his colleague...

Meanwhile.

「On the mountain, in an abandoned temple.」

Almost at the exact moment An Changyu’s body burst open and the monster leaping from it shrieked, a dozen or so people kneeling in prayer suddenly raised their heads, inexplicably looking toward True Martial. A hint of shock appeared on their faces.

"Another Holy Seed has been suddenly awakened... At this time... could it be An Changyu?"

"This... What’s happening? The Holy Seed was awakened... Does that mean An Changyu is dead?"

The murmuring grew more agitated.

"Go see what happened."

A hoarse voice spoke from within the crowd.

The dozen or so people then rose and sped off toward True Martial. They moved with incredible speed and utter silence—they were clearly all Dark Force Powerhouses!

Not long after, they arrived in that stretch of wilderness.

Concealed by the darkness, they saw the city gate, which was lit by towering flames. They saw the splattered flesh and blood and... the already-dead ’Holy Seed’.

"It’s really dead."

"This manner of death... is the same as Wang Hu’s."

"...Was it that poison?"

"Was it that Expert in Hidden Weapons again?"

"Haven’t we identified them yet?"

"Didn’t we say that the Poisonous Thorn was likely something they obtained by accident? How..."

They discussed in low voices, their expressions shifting.

At this moment, a woman’s voice rang out: "Silence."

Everyone instinctively fell silent and turned to look at a slender figure. Though enveloped in a black robe, it could not hide her graceful silhouette.

The woman stared toward the gate. After a moment of contemplation, she said, "We will first return and report to the Holy Envoy."

The group took a deep breath, bowed in acceptance, and retreated in silence, vanishing as if they had never been there at all...

Qin Fang knew nothing of all this.

After killing An Changyu and watching the monster emerge, he returned to the spot where he had agreed to meet Monkey.

...Monkey had been waiting there the whole time.

"Go into the city tomorrow and ask about Senior Brother’s situation."

Although he had killed the pale-faced, middle-aged man, Qin Fang wasn’t actually certain that he was his Senior Brother’s sworn enemy. However, judging from the respectful way the nearby constables had treated the man, it was highly probable.

But he still had to be sure.

It would be for the best if it was him. That man was the City Gate Guard, and his animosity toward Zhou Xing was the very reason it was now so difficult for Qin Fang to enter the city.

So, as long as that man was dead and no one was targeting Senior Brother so intensely, it would become much easier for him to enter the city.

Monkey could also go back to True Martial County.

But if the dead man wasn’t the sworn enemy his Senior Brother had mentioned... it would mean he would still be under heavy scrutiny trying to enter the city, and he would have to adjust his plans accordingly.

Although Monkey didn’t understand the full story, he nodded in agreement.

Qin Fang said no more. He nodded, then subconsciously glanced in the direction of the abandoned temple, a glint flashing in his eyes.

’I’ve killed another member of the mysterious organization.’

’I’ll have to be even more careful from now on. I absolutely cannot let them discover my connection to Senior Brother and Master.’

’Otherwise, I’m on my own and can go anywhere. But Senior Brother and Master would be in danger.’

As he pondered, the night passed quietly.

After daybreak, Monkey entered the city and successfully met with Zhou Xing.

Zhou Xing hadn’t slept all night, but as an expert at the Peak of Mingjin, it didn’t show.

When Monkey asked if the situation had changed, he knew at once that his junior brother was, indeed, the one who had acted.

He sighed inwardly. ’An Changyu was my sworn enemy, but I never expected him to be taken care of by my junior brother in the end.’