Martial Arts Killing, Nine Princes Struggle for Succession

"Times have changed!"

"No matter what kind of dirty martial arts master you are, if you're as fierce as a tiger, you'll be taken down with one shot."

Li Xijun blew on the muzzle of the electromagnetic pistol, which produced no gunpowder smoke, and then put it into his pocket.

at the same time,

Upon hearing the commotion Deng Gao had caused earlier, the young man in the white shirt with slicked-back hair, Xiao Zhao, disregarded his post as a lookout and rushed over.

"Big brother... Big brother?!"

When Xiao Zhao arrived at the alley entrance, he was puzzled at first, but when he saw Deng Gao's body lying on the bluestone pavement, his pupils shrank and he ran out without hesitation.

"Hmph, trying to escape?"

The mechanical and electronic sounds, transformed by the nano-protective clothing, echoed in the darkness.

The young man in the white shirt seemed to hear the whispers of a vengeful ghost from the depths of hell. He squeezed out the last bit of potential from his body, his speed increasing dramatically as he charged toward the street outside the alley.

But then, he suddenly felt a darkness above his head, as if he were shrouded in a huge shadow.

The instant I subconsciously looked up,

He saw the man in black armor swooping down from the sky like a giant bird.

Those arms were raised like drooping wings, light and airy without any martial arts moves.

Not to mention compared to the notoriously fierce "Tiger Demon Bone Refining Fist," even the punches thrown by ordinary martial artists in a fight are far more powerful.

Until the next moment, that hand, like a hanging cloud, gently swept over, and as Li Xijun landed safely,

The young man in the white shirt was already clutching his throat, which had been cut open by a sharp blade, and he collapsed to the ground, making a "hoarse" sound before slowly falling silent.

Your mastery level in the "Thirty-Six Forms of True Martial Arts" has increased from 25% to 29%.

"Yes, that last strike really gave me a glimpse into its essence."

Looking at the information appearing in his field of vision, Li Xijun nodded in satisfaction, and also gained some insights:

"As expected, martial arts are for killing!"

"My usual hard training, sparring, and even practice on human-shaped dummies are still not enough compared to this killing spree."

Li Xijun looked back at the two corpses on the ground, but he didn't feel the nausea that the protagonist in the novel felt when killing someone.

Instead, I felt as if I had broken free of a shackle, and I felt an indescribable sense of joy. When I looked at the night sky above the alley, it seemed even more vast and expansive.

next moment,

Li Xijun quickly walked towards the two fallen corpses, and while doing the usual post-murder looting, he carried the two bodies to a secluded spot in the waterways of Tianjin.

"As anyone who frequently commits murder knows, killing is easy, but collecting the body is difficult."

"Fortunately, I got a small box of high-efficiency fuel from the main world. It's quick and effective, and it can burn your bones to ashes."

After saying that, Li Xijun set the two corpses on fire.

Sure enough, in just a short while, only a ring of burn marks remained on the ground, and even the ashes that had been burned to fine ash were scattered by the breeze from the riverbank.

"Very good, now it's time to kill the mastermind."

Li Xijun tossed the porcelain bottle in her hand, further confirming Su Qiuzhen's intentions.

According to the records of the Wusheng Dao Temple that he read in a book, this porcelain bottle is considered a half-magical artifact, capable of temporarily containing the souls of cultivators in the Opening Aperture Realm and Concentration Realm after their death.

A cultivator who has practiced the "Emptiness View of the Mother of No Birth and Salvation" can use this visualization method to erase the will in a cultivator's soul and then devour it to transform it into resources to strengthen the soul.

That cultivation speed is much faster than silently practicing visualization techniques every day.

"Sigh, I thought they wanted money, but I didn't expect they wanted both money and my life, and in the end they didn't even spare my soul."

"These local monks from Tianjin are so rude!"

Li Xijun sighed softly and gripped the electromagnetic pistol in his arms.

........................

That night

Wangjiang Tower

The riverside restaurant was quite bustling, with five stories high, flying eaves and brackets, exquisite carvings on the vermilion-lacquered pillars, and large red lanterns hanging from the eaves, their candles shining brightly, illuminating the entire restaurant and making it extremely lively.

As usual, Su Qiuzhen invited many of his fellow disciples from the Bone and Muscle Realm to gather here.

After a few rounds of drinks, these young and strong men, whose skin and bones were in good condition, inevitably began to talk about recent events in the imperial court.

"Have you heard? Mr. Li Boyan resigned from his position in the cabinet, but before he left, His Majesty summoned him and allowed him to take the Ninth Princess with him."

"Wow, so it seems the struggle for the throne among the nine princes is going to become eight?"

"The so-called 'Nine Princes' struggle for the throne' is just something made up by folk storytellers. The Second Prince and the First Prince are from the same mother, the Fourth Prince and the Third Prince are from the same mother, the Sixth Prince and the Fifth Prince, the Eighth Prince and the Seventh Prince are all from the same mother, and the Ninth Princess is a born cripple. There were only four factions in the court to begin with."

"I see. No wonder His Majesty wanted Mr. Boyan to take the Ninth Princess away. Is she really a cripple, lacking the physique and magic of a royal dragon?"

"Who knows? We're just Bone and Tendon Realm martial artists, not even qualified as martial arts examiners. We should think about where we'll make a living after leaving the martial arts school..."

At this point, many martial arts disciples in the private room looked up at the young master of the merchant guild sitting in the main seat.

These days, they've been fawning over him for so long. A small portion of them genuinely hope to get lucky and be sponsored by him to refine their filth, but most of them think that this Young Master Su is generous and are looking for a future with him.

Despite being watched by so many eyes, Su Qiuzhen still smiled gently, took a sip of wine, and then spoke slowly and deliberately:

"The maritime trade between the East and West is booming right now. My Su family happens to have connections at sea; the risks are high, but the profits are also substantial. As the saying goes, fortune favors the bold. I wonder if any of you senior brothers are interested?"

This statement caught the attention of many people.

Nowadays, everyone knows that the profits from trade between the two continents are incredibly high.

While maritime trade is indeed dangerous, where would the money for smuggling come from if we didn't take risks?

In an instant, many people rushed forward to offer their toasts, and Su Qiuzhen once again became the center of attention.

The lively banquet continued until late into the night.

After bidding farewell to his fellow students at the martial arts school, he passed through several alleyways and arrived at a long, dark street.

Su Qiuzhen slowly exhaled a long breath, and the flushed face from the alcohol instantly disappeared.

"With so many witnesses, Li Xijun's disappearance shouldn't raise suspicion about me."

I wonder how things are going with Deng Gao.

"That's the soul of a cultivator at the Qi Opening Realm, and from a rogue cultivator with no background at all. Such an opportunity is something I could only dream of."

"If Deng Gao dares to mess things up, or has any ulterior motives that delay my business at the Taoist temple, then I'll simply use him as a gift. Turning a Refining Realm martial artist into an iron corpse would at least be somewhat justifiable."

"If I'm lucky, I might be rewarded with the 'Emptiness View of the Unborn Savior Mother,' then I might have a chance to achieve embryonic breathing and become a truly great person!"

Thinking this, he unconsciously reached out and touched the "Twenty-Four White Lotus Crossing to Nirvana" painting that he kept close to his body.