Water elemental became a god, ultimately becoming the master of heaven, earth, mountains, and rivers

Chapter 169 A Surprising Gain: The Strange Heart-Gathering Nail
The other person seemed to be the leader of one of the four major gangs, from the Guan Rong clan. He was a pickpocket and thief, named Qu Jiu, but only strong enough to kill a thief.

Chen Shunan continued to obediently conceal his aura, lying in ambush outside the house, preparing to make his move when the two had finished their meal and were drowsy.

For a time, the incense hall was filled with the sounds of clinking glasses and exchanging toasts.

They even overturned a wine jar, which emitted a strong smell of alcohol.

A few vulgar slang terms were also faintly mixed in.

"You son of a bitch, you actually poisoned the chicken soup?"

Suddenly, Third Master Owl became somewhat exasperated.

"It's your good fortune that I've taken a liking to your son! Poisoning? Your grandpa is invincible, immune to all poisons, why would I be afraid of your arsenic?"

Then came the boy's tearful cry: "Don't hurt my father!"

"Get out of the way, your little face is all scratched up, that won't make you pretty... Don't move, if you dare to move, your father's life will be in danger. Quick, take off your clothes... Come on, whip me with that whip."

"what?"

"What are you standing there for! If you don't hit me, I'll hit your dad! What are you afraid of? What's the point of having that egg hanging from your head?!"

Outside the incense hall, Chen Shunan frowned, looking somewhat disgusted.

What is all this about?
Chen Shunan considered himself to be well-informed and had extremely low standards.

But now, hearing these vile words, I wish I could wash my ears clean.

But this is the time.

Another shadowy figure appeared, leaping across rooftops and landing in the fish restaurant, where it found the incense hall.

Upon seeing this, Chen Shunan's eyes flashed.

He was a slayer of three thieves, and seemed to be a butcher. The flesh under his clothes was soaked with the smell of meat. He exuded a murderous aura, with thick eyebrows that slanted upwards and a face full of fat.

Although he tried his best to conceal his scent, he couldn't fool Chen Shunan's keen sense of smell.

Hey, I've met someone in the same line of work?
Why is Owl Three so disliked after doing so many bad things?

Chen Shunan thought to himself.

Zhu the butcher glanced around, looked at the area near the incense hall, and then spotted the haystack piled with miscellaneous items. He flashed over as well.

Chen Shunan glanced at him silently, then moved aside to make room for him.

For a moment, behind the small haystack.

Two people were hiding.

Butcher Zhu, with a solemn expression, stared intently at the scene inside the incense hall, clearly waiting for an opportunity.

He was completely unaware of Chen Shunan, who was right next to him.

"Old Owl, you go play first, I'm going to relieve myself."

"Go and come back quickly! You're still a newbie, let's go together."

Several voices came from inside the incense hall.

Zhu the butcher suddenly understood something, and a surging killing intent stirred his blood and qi, rolling endlessly.

These beasts!

It's not a pity to die!

Qu Jiu swayed as he pushed open the door and went to a corner of the wall to loosen his belt.

A soft, uneven sound began to patter down.

Upon seeing this, Butcher Zhu did not hesitate to turn over and leave.

His body was clearly bulky and fat, yet he was as light as a falling leaf, flitting among the clutter in the courtyard without making a sound, and silently followed behind Qu Jiu.

Whoosh!

Zhu the butcher pulled out a steel knife with a ring from behind his back.

His entire body's energy was concentrated and unified, without any leakage.

The knife moved with him, as fast as lightning.

He then slashed down on Qu Jiu's neck.

Just as Butcher Zhu drew his knife, Qu Jiu vaguely sensed something was wrong. His eyelids twitched suddenly, and he was horrified. He immediately and subconsciously moved to the side, and with a flick of his right hand, a soft sword appeared in his hand.

The sword's blade was frosty, taut as a thread.

However, Butcher Zhu seemed to have anticipated Qu Jiu's actions long ago.

He had spent his entire life beheading people and had long since developed an exceptional skill in it.

Eyes and body in harmony; body and mind in harmony.

The ring-handled steel blade was sometimes fierce and unparalleled, and sometimes as light as a gazelle's horns, falling gently.

Click!

Blood splattered three feet.

A head landed on the ground and rolled around, still full of life, its mouth open, biting at the dirt, babbling.

With a single move, Qu Jiu died tragically on the spot!
"Who are you, you scoundrel!"

The sudden smell of blood immediately alerted the Third Master Owl in the incense hall.

Boom!

With a loud crash, a figure shot through the solid wall, creating a large hole, raising dust and sending sand and gravel flying.

The third owl looked up and opened his mouth, his blood and qi surging, stirring up the surrounding wind and waves. Even the moonlight was subtly drawn to him, making him feel as if he were bathed in moonlight, with a faint glow emanating from his body.

Upon seeing Zhu the Butcher and sensing the aura of the man who had killed three thieves, Owl Three showed no fear whatsoever. He strode forward, his spear snaking like a dragon as it thrust forward!
Seeing this, Chen Shunan, who was hiding in the shadows, raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised.

Owl Three actually cut off the Tongue Thief?
Indeed, one should not underestimate the people of the world.

Chen Shunan watched the battle silently, deeply moved.

"Butcher Zhu? Was you sent by the man surnamed Zhao? Why is that? Didn't you agree on everything during the day?"

The two became entangled in a fight.

Third Master Owl's spear technique was also highly refined, sometimes transforming into a sky full of cold stars, and sometimes like a raging storm.

The spear tip tore through the air with a sharp screech, followed by a series of clanging sounds, like raindrops pattering on banana leaves, as the spear struck the ringed steel blade.

but……

In front of Butcher Zhu, who was a level above him.

Useless.

In just a few moves, Owl Third was at a disadvantage. If it weren't for his unwillingness to give up, he would have already prepared to run away.

Butcher Zhu merely glanced at the pitiful, trembling father and son in the incense hall, and said coldly,
"I need no reason to kill you. Now, go your way."

Zhu the Butcher roared, and his blade flashed like a bolt of lightning, aiming straight for Owl Three's throat.

The slash was so fast that it left only a blur; before the blade even arrived, the sharp aura of the blade had already drawn a bloody gash across Owl Master's neck.

"Help!!"

A piercing scream rang out. Hearing this, the fishmongers in the nearby courtyards and throughout the entire fish restaurant exchanged glances and chuckled.

"Third Master is up to his old tricks again."

"My life is over!!"

Even more horrific sounds followed.

The crowd burst into laughter.
"He's yelling even more fluently this time than last time. Third Master's completely absorbed in the game!"

I could faintly hear those mocking voices coming from outside the courtyard.

Third Master Owl was so angry that his three corpses throbbed wildly.

Then the flash of blades came rushing towards us.

In that life-or-death moment, a glint of madness flashed in Owl's eyes. He abruptly abandoned his gun and retreated, his right hand sweeping across his waist, unleashing a streak of dark light!
The dark light dissipated, revealing an iron nail about an inch long.

It was jet black, perfectly formed, except for a faint crack on the nail, which ruined its perfect appearance.

The iron nail pierced through the air, its body wreathed in eerie black mist. Surprisingly, it arrived first despite being hit later, aiming straight for Butcher Zhu's heart.

Before the nails even arrived, a chilling, bone-deep aura had already enveloped the entire area, and the temperature in the courtyard plummeted.

Zhu the butcher's expression changed drastically. His muscles and bones bulged outwards, and his strength surged wildly. His clothes burst open as he tried to dodge.

But the chilling aura clung to him like a leech, freezing his will in an instant, leaving him only able to watch helplessly as the iron nail drew ever closer.

A rare and extraordinary item from the martial arts world?!
Zhu the butcher immediately understood the origin of the iron nail in front of him.

The martial arts world is extremely strict; to defeat the strong with the weak and to defy the superior is as difficult as ascending to heaven.

However, if one possesses rare treasures, unique secret techniques, or even a connection to immortality, then such a wish is not unrealistic.

The ability to freeze his mind with such a bizarre power... seems to be something only a rare artifact from the martial arts world can explain.

Seeing this, Third Master Owl breathed a sigh of relief.

That 'Heart-Piercing Nail' was his trump card, which had allowed him to turn the tide of battle several times over the years.

However, at the critical moment, a green shadow appeared behind Butcher Zhu like a ghost.

"Excellent! It was worth the old man's long vigil."

The newcomer simply raised his hand, and a dazzling force suddenly arrived from several feet away, carrying with it an unimaginable and vast intent, striking the Heart-Piercing Nail.

The Heart-Piercing Nail hummed, but only slightly slowed down.

"what?"

The next moment, the green figure appeared between the two.

He casually held that piercing nail, powerful enough to pierce through metal, between his fingers.

The black energy on the nail surged wildly, but it could not break free from the grip of those two fingers.

While it's possible to rely on extraordinary items from the martial arts world to overcome stronger opponents, if the gap between them is too large, like heaven and earth, then it's naturally nonsense.

"You're such a precious baby..."

Chen Shunan looked at the heart-shaped nail between his fingers, and the more he looked, the happier he became.

These days, hidden weapons such as flying locust stones and money darts have fallen behind Chen Shunan's progress and are now practically useless.

It's not as simple and brutal as the Flying Immortal Force he casually flicks his fingers.

But this heart-piercing nail is like a pillow delivered just when you're feeling sleepy.

This perfectly filled the gap in Chen Shun'an's long-cherished wish regarding hidden weapons.

It can even freeze the mind, which is equivalent to hitting the target every time.

only……

Chen Shunan glanced at the nail with some regret.

The crack was particularly glaring, making Chen Shunan feel a pang of heartache.

My darling, how did you get hurt?
"Slay, slay the five traitors..."

When Owl Three sensed the aura of the person in front of him, he was immediately dumbfounded.

Zhu the butcher is one thing.

You single-handedly killed five thieves, and then you set up an ambush, specifically lying in wait here...

What merit or ability do I, Owl Third, possess to deserve such a solemn death!

"What is the name of this precious nail of mine, and what is its origin?"

Chen Shunan's cold voice came through.

Your precious nail?

Isn't that my Heart-Piercing Nail?
Owl cursed inwardly, but when he met Chen Shunan's icy gaze, he felt as if he had been doused with ice water, and the coldness instantly seeped into his bones.

“Senior, this nail is called the Heart-Piercing Nail. It was made by a master weaponsmith from Yanyun Prefecture whom I helped when I was traveling in the Wu and Yue region. It was nurtured by his heart’s blood that it became a rare object.”

"This nail will always draw blood. If it fails to achieve its purpose, it will backfire and consume the original owner's life essence. Unfortunately, there was a slight error during the tempering process, and the nail is flawed. The more it is used, the more life essence it requires, until it becomes insufficient..."

Owl No one dared to hide anything too much and quickly explained.

Some details have been omitted.

For example, the master craftsman who forged weapons, Shenlaozi, originally intended to capture him and use his blood and sweat to make the core nails.

As a result, he killed him in retaliation. During their fight, the nail's original essence was damaged, which is why it became flawed.

"I see..." Chen Shunan nodded in understanding.

Seeing this, Owl Three's eyes flickered, and he suddenly said,

“Senior, only I know the method to repair this nail. If you would be so kind as to…”

This statement came out.

Butcher Zhu's face changed drastically, and his heart was in turmoil. If it weren't for a trace of Chen Shun'an's will quietly enveloping him, preventing him from making a move, he probably would have already run away.

If Owl Three were to actually persuade this master who had slain five traitors to surrender, what would become of us?

The situation in the entire Wuqing County is about to change drastically!

However, before Owl Three could say anything more, Chen Shunan flicked his finger.

The Heart-Piercing Nail pierced through the air and precisely pierced his heart.

In an instant, Owl's life essence was poured into the Heart-Piercing Nail.

"you……"

Owl Three opened his mouth, his body slowly went limp, and an expression of disbelief lingered in his eyes.

When the Heart-Piercing Nail flew back into Chen Shunan's hands, Owl Lao San was left with only a skeleton wrapped in a thin layer of skin.

Their vitality and spirit vanished; a gust of cold wind turned them into fine powder, swirling and dancing in the breeze.

"A divine artifact for destroying evidence! It's truly my precious treasure!"

Chen Shunan's eyes suddenly lit up.

(End of this chapter)