Starting with the Corpse-Eating Worm, he worked his way up to become the Left-Winged Immortal Lord.

The shadowy figure landed.

Fresh blood gushed out.

When the moonlight fell, it was dyed a scarlet color.

After losing his head, Zhongli stood frozen in place for three breaths before slamming onto the blue bricks with a thud, staining them red once more.

The firelight in the front yard was still flickering, and the gambling den thugs were still yelling angrily at the gamblers who were taking advantage of the chaos to steal money.

Very lively.

But Zhongli grew increasingly cold.

Gu Shenyan caught a glimpse of this scene and broke out in a cold sweat. Seeing the Yin spirit around him gradually dissipating, he was completely stunned. However, after only one glance at the corpse-devouring worms, he hurriedly fled.

That insect could take Zhongli's life in an instant; taking his life would be even easier.

Gu Shenyan ran for four or five blocks before he dared to stop, but the image of Zhong Li lying in a pool of blood was still vivid in his mind.

But still shaken, he felt a surge of joy, thinking, "Those who do many evil deeds will surely perish!"

The words fell.

Gu Shenyan headed straight for the inn.

On the other side, after seeing his father leave, Gu Qing immediately began to control the corpse-eating worms to devour his corpse.

The corpse of a Qi Refining Level 2 cultivator—that's a good thing.

At the same time, Gu Qing quietly entered the inner courtyard and headed straight for Zhong Li's residence.

After using the corpse-eating worm's senses to scan the area, Gu Qing's gaze immediately fell on the wall behind the antique shelf.

Moving the display shelf aside, a hidden door, indistinguishable to the naked eye, came into view.

Pushing it open, a beautifully crafted rosewood box came into view.

Upon opening it, dozens of IOUs came into view. After a quick glance, the smallest amount was twenty taels of silver, and the largest was one hundred taels. After tucking them away, Gu Qing's gaze was drawn to seven or eight jade bottles.

However, Gu Qing did not dare to open it rashly, but instead used the Corpse-Eating Insects to sense and probe first.

Upon this investigation, Gu Qing was immediately dumbfounded.

The contents of the bottle were crystal clear, resembling water but quite viscous, and contained an amount of essence that was terrifyingly abundant.

Combining the descriptions in the Subduing Insect Control Technique, four words immediately flashed through Gu Qing's mind: "Life Essence!"

Life essence is the origin of both mortals and cultivators.

It is a superior item for unorthodox cultivators, far stronger than their own life force and blood, but no unorthodox cultivator dares to use their own lifespan and essence for cultivation.

Because life essence is non-renewable, consuming one year's worth of life essence means you lose one year of lifespan.

Although he didn't know how many years of lifespan the life essence in the eight bottles represented, Gu Qing was still deeply shocked.

"How many people has this guy harmed by relying on his connections with the Ghost Market Broker?"

If it weren't for the corpse-eating worms.

It has a cheat code.

I'm afraid my father and the others won't escape this fate either.

Gu Qing sighed and then put them all into his pocket, making a bulging bag.

After looking around again and confirming there were no valuables to take, Gu Qing quickly put away the Corpse-Eating Worm, jumped over the high wall, and left the gambling den. He hadn't gone far when he heard thugs running into the backyard, repeatedly calling for Zhong Li.

……

soon.

The firelight at the gambling den also attracted many city residents.

Gu Qing then left Changping County under the cover of night, taking advantage of the city gates not being closed.

Just to be on the safe side, Gu Qing had the corpse-eating worms wrap the jade bottle and IOU in their clothes and then had them swallow them for the time being.

Those IOUs are estimated to be worth at least a thousand taels of silver. If we can get them back, we can obviously make a fortune.

However, he didn't plan to ask for the money back; instead, he planned to sell it to a pawnshop or another gang later.

After returning to Wufeng Temple, Gu Qing went straight to the dormitory and rinsed his entire body with cold water several times.

Although he felt no guilt about killing Zhong Li, it was still his first time killing someone, and he was still somewhat nervous.

It took several buckets of cold water to finally calm things down completely.

But the daily evaluation the next morning once again pushed his joy to a new level.

[Evaluation Panel Lv1 (14/100)]

[Today's Review!]

[The Corpse-Eating Insect has been refined into a Tier 2 Eight-Legged Heart-Eating Insect, rated C—Corpse Qi +50, Yin Qi Replenishment +25]

[His cultivation level was low, but he successfully killed a Qi Refining Level 2 cultivator by relying on the Corpse-Eating Worms, saving his family from dire straits. Rating: B-grade - Corpse Qi +300]

300!

Looking at this number, Gu Qing was extremely excited.

Because of these three hundred, his remaining corpse energy reached a new level.

[Remaining Corpse Energy: 550]

If he wanted, he could upgrade the Corpse-Eating Worm to the upper level of the first tier at any time, comparable to the level of a Qi Refining Stage 3 cultivator.

By then, while it might not be able to match Li Fu in a direct confrontation, the Corpse-Eating Worm will not fear any Qi Refining Level 3 cultivator due to its powerful killing ability.

Even though he hasn't even reached the first level of Qi Refining yet, the powerful trump card of the Corpse-Eating Worm will give him more confidence to face various changes and threats in the future.

No hesitation.

Gu Qing immediately chose to add points.

The remaining corpse energy decreased by 400.

In an instant.

The aura of the Black-Armored Corpse-Eating Insect suddenly changed, directly entering the upper level of the first tier.

[Black-armored Corpse-eating Insect]

[Status: Adult (0/800) - Breeding Direction: Shadowless Corpse-Eating Worm]

[PS: The Shadowless Corpse-Eating Worm possesses extremely powerful stealth and refining abilities, making it the most terrifying invisible killer in the darkness.]

……

Then, the feedback came.

[The Black-Armored Corpse-Eating Insect has successfully broken through its current level.]

[Replenish Yin Energy +100]

"First-tier Upper Realm!"

Gu Qing could not hide her joy.

Sensing its enhanced stealth capabilities, Gu Qing's desire to assassinate a mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator grew stronger.

of course.

I may think about it, but that's all I'll do.

He would never do that unless absolutely necessary.

After all, it is unknown what methods a mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator might possess, and if he fails, he is very likely to lose the Corpse-Eating Worms.

……

I put my thoughts aside.

Gu Qing went straight to the canteen, ate his fill, and then headed directly to the Fufeng Forest Cemetery.

Not long after, Li Fu hurriedly came looking for him.

"Did you pay me back, kid?"

Li Fu's face was full of anxiety.

Gu Qing shook his head and said, "I haven't had time to return it yet. Zhong Li suddenly changed his mind and said that he would have to pay back nine times and return thirteen times. Even mentioning your name won't help... There's nothing I can do. My father can only try to borrow it again... I'm too embarrassed to ask you for a loan again."

Upon hearing this, Li Fu immediately burst into laughter.

"Good thing they didn't pay it back, good thing they didn't pay it back... You've really struck gold this time!"

Gu Qing frowned, feigning doubt, and asked, "Did I make a fortune?"

"When I went to the mortuary this morning, I heard that the Taoist Zhongli suffered a terrible fate last night. Not only was most of the gambling den burned down, but he was also killed. With him dead, you don't have to pay back a single cent of your five hundred taels," Li Fu said with a smile.

"this……"

Gu Qing remained in shock.

Then it turned into ecstasy.

"I should have asked my father to borrow some more yesterday."

Upon hearing this, Li Fu's smile froze.

"You're a real genius!"

Gu Qing then said, "Master Li, I will go and get the money back to you later."

"No need, no need, take the flowers first." Li Fu waved his hand generously, his smile still bright. "Kid, guess who's behind that Zhongli Daoist's swindling business?"

"Whose?"

Gu Qing had been curious about why Zhong Li was so fearless after hearing Li Fu's name.

Li Fu laughed and said, "I went to the gambling den to see if I could pick up a couple of corpses, or even pick up Zhongli Daoren's corpse and bury it in Fufeng Forest, so that we can plant more Earth Yin Corpse Mushrooms."

I didn't expect Cheng Xiu to arrive even faster than me. That guy is Chen Ye's loyal lackey at Wufeng Temple; he practically wants to send his sister to Chen Ye's bed. His arrival is enough to prove that Chen Ye is behind Zhongli Daoren's business.

"Master Chen!"

Gu Qing's expression suddenly hardened.

[Two chapters completed.]

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