Chapter 344: Rong Tribe Spy, Everyone Slay Them!

"Back then, Luo Kai's strength was weak, barely worth my notice, but he took out something that impressed me a great deal."

"That thing was explosives, extremely powerful. I personally saw the explosives he made, they blew a Seventh-Rank to death outright."

"Logically, I should have captured Luo Kai on the spot and forced out the method for making the explosives from him."

"Unfortunately, by then he had already sworn to the academy head."

"Luo Kai became my youngest junior apprentice."

Sworn to the head of the Star Observation Academy? Among players, that kind of fortune ranks near the very top!

"Your Star Observation Academy's academy head is a Fourth-Rank Grandmaster?"

Yang Ling's expression shifted.

Kong Xinghu couldn't help the corner of his mouth lifting:

"Although Star Observation Academy is only a Third-Rate sect, its internal foundation among third-rate sects is extraordinary. The academy head, my master, is already a Third-Rank Grandmaster, not a Fourth-Rank Grandmaster!"

"Third-Rank Grandmaster? Does this academy head possess a top-tier internal technique? Or did he forcibly break into first-rate level using second-rate internal technique?"

Yang Ling pondered. Previously Xu Qing had told him about the strength foundations of the major sects and how internal strongmen were classified.

According to Xu Qing, even the strongest in third-rate sects could only be Seventh-Rank, which is the ceiling for third-rate internal techniques.

"However... after internal technique and martial skill both reach Transcendent, there's still the Transcendent-to-Sage realm..."

"Xu Qing simply doesn't know the origins of these things. He's an ordinary disciple of a third-rate sect. Everything he knows is only common rumor in the martial world..."

"If your academy head could break into the Third-Rank Grandmaster realm with second-rate internal technique, then his talent must be remarkable."

Yang Ling finished speaking, then locked his perception on Kong Xinghu to see how he would react.

"Yes, precisely because he was limited by the grade of his internal technique, no matter how hard our academy head worked he only stepped into the Third-Rank realm..."

"If he had cultivated a first-rate internal technique, our Star Observation Academy would at least have a Second-Rank Human Immortal stationed here now."

Kong Xinghu murmured to himself: "If that had been the case, how could your Ironclad Department have dared to throw Senior Brother Gu Weizhou into prison back then?"

So he really forced a second-rate internal technique to break into the Third-Rank realm?

Yang Ling felt not alarmed but elated. If second-rate internal technique could have that effect, and he himself cultivated two top-tier internal techniques later reaching the Transcendent-to-Sage realm, how terrifying his methods would be!

"Continue."

"Let's talk about Zhao Chonghong first. You should have realized, he's a nail planted by His Majesty in Xiangfeng Prefectural Capital."

"Xiangfeng Prefecture is vast and wealthy, not comparable to your Changhe Prefecture."

"As long as Zhao Chonghong is removed, Xiangfeng Prefecture will be under our control."

"So my junior apprentice Luo Kai suggested, sacrificing a few vagrants to cause casualties, using the opportunity to have Zhao Chonghong transferred away."

"If necessary, we could also sacrifice Zhao Qing; his blood relation with Zhao Chonghong is closer. But he has good ties with the Third Prince, so that would also clear suspicion from the Third Prince."

"You all take too many roundabout paths. I'm straightforward, I can't stand this. Just tell me where Luo Kai is."

Yang Ling smiled.

He had already guessed eight or nine tenths of the truth behind this.

This matter didn't concern him directly; he could simply warn Zhao Zheng when the time came.

"Why are you so eager to know my junior's location?"

"Because he is the disciple of the Sect Leader of the Immortal God Sect."

"If you were Heavenly Wolf Guard, you'd know the Immortal God Sect and Heavenly Wolf Guard are cooperating now."

Kong Xinghu's eyes narrowed slightly.

"I never said I was Heavenly Wolf Guard, you're overthinking."

Yang Ling said.

Kong Xinghu's suspicion eased a little.

The other's denial only strengthened his certainty that Yang Ling came from Heavenly Wolf Guard.

Kong Xinghu: "Luo Kai is not in Xiangfeng Prefecture, not even in Yunwen Provincial Capital, nor in Zhao State."

"He is now, most likely, over with the Rong tribe."

Yang Ling stared at Kong Xinghu, finally confirming that this man really did not know Luo Kai's whereabouts.

"I have already told you everything I know. Can you help introduce me to the Rong tribe's Heavenly Wolf Guard?"

"With my strength, the gold, silver, and bronze cadres can surely reserve me a spot."

"I am a langzhong of the Ministry of Personnel, my usefulness to you should be considerable."

Rong tribe spies, everyone slay them!

Yang Ling swung the Centenary Refined Kylin Pickaxe, crazily chiseling downwards.

Kong Xinghu's heart went cold: "I damn well haven't joined Heavenly Wolf Guard!"

But in an instant, his head acquired several holes.

Even if he were a Human Immortal, he would not survive.

A faint chill of Vital Qi flowed into Yang Ling's body.

This experience value rivaled that of ten strikes on Blazing Gold ore, considerably more than what an Upper Sixth-Rank Blood Hand Scholar would grant.

Yet because of the disparity in strength between them, the system still only awarded a modest amount of experience.

After Kong Xinghu died, Yang Ling took off the inner armor from his body.

It still bore marks from the Swallowing Heaven Golden Sword and Centenary Refined Kylin Pickaxe. Those marks now seemed to be visibly repairing themselves.

Self-repairing? Had it been reinforced with Kylin Iron? Yang Ling thought.

[Star-Observation Kylin Vest, Equip Requirement: level 200, Strength +130, Agility +130, HP +10,000]

[Boosts HP by 1,000, reduces all damage by 20%, grants skill: Overbearing Body (immune to control, duration 1 minute)]

"This equip requirement is no joke. I wonder if it counts as a Fifth-Rank Divine Armament."

"In terms of attribute boosts there's no extra attribute points increase, but there is an HP boost, damage reduction, and a skill—Overbearing Body... immune to control?"

"This vest is pretty good and feels lightweight. Too bad the equip threshold is so high, and clothing-type equipment can't be layered..."

Earlier Yang Ling had tried wearing Sixth-Rank Ironclad with the Fire Crocodile Set at the same time; the game only recognized the better of the two for attributes.

"By itself, this vest is far stronger than the Fire Crocodile Set's inner armor, but it's not part of a set. Right now its overall attributes still don't beat the Fire Crocodile Set."

He casually tossed the vest into the Green Dragon Ring, then continued searching the body.

He found some scattered silver notes, not much—only a few hundred taels.

Other than that, Kong Xinghu had nothing else on him.

Yang Ling pondered, then raised his hand toward Kong Xinghu.

A thousand points of Vital Qi were consumed in an instant, and a Fireball struck Kong Xinghu's body.

After burning for a while, Kong Xinghu's corpse turned charred and blackened.

"Damn, this Fireball's power isn't enough to destroy a body completely."

Yang Ling then used the Centenary Refined Kylin Pickaxe to dig.

He dug a very deep hole, tossed both the Blood Hand Scholar's and Kong Xinghu's corpses inside.

He then lobbed a few more Fireballs into the pit.

Only after that did he refill the earth, tamp it down, and clean up the battle traces at the scene.

...

"Fourth Prince, that fellow at Wangzhi Medicinal Shop did indeed look like the wanted man on the Black List, the Blood Hand Scholar."

"He slipped out of the prefectural city overnight. I lost him when I tailing him..."

"I suspect someone wants to cause trouble for Lord Zhao Chonghong."

After hearing Yang Ling's report, Zhao Zheng thought for a moment:

"The Blood Hand Scholar is Upper Sixth-Rank, a force not to be underestimated.

Since the man was lost, this case won't be solved anytime soon. You should return to the Blazing Gold Mine first."

"Yes."

Yang Ling cupped his fist in salute, then turned and left.