Dual-wielding! 100x proficiency, I'll grind my way to godhood!

Xiao Liu left home in the morning and hasn't returned by evening.

Chen Mo practiced the Mountain-Crushing Fist ten more times in the courtyard, then stopped and looked towards the courtyard gate. The alleyway was deserted.

Not right.

Knowing Xiao Liu's character, he will come back to report whether things go well or not.

If they don't show up until dark, there's only one possibility: something bad has happened.

Chen Mo closed the courtyard gate and headed towards Zhao's pharmacy.

There weren't many people on the street. The pharmacy door was half-closed, and a dim light shone from inside.

He pushed open the door and went in. The shopkeeper was sitting behind the counter counting copper coins. When he looked up and saw him, he paused for a moment, then a smile spread across his face.

"Young Master Zhang? What brings you here?"

That smile looked so fake.

"Where's Xiao Liu?"

The shopkeeper blinked twice, put down the coins, and rubbed his hands together under the counter.

"Xiao Liu? He came by this afternoon. He said he wanted to buy medicinal herbs long-term and even gave me fifty taels as a deposit. He left after we finished talking. Why, didn't he go back?"

Chen Mo glanced away from the shopkeeper for a moment, then looked back and laughed even harder.

"To discuss business?"

"Yes, it's about business. He said a big boss wants to buy medicinal herbs and wants me to handle it. How could I refuse such a good deal?"

As he spoke, the shopkeeper pulled a teapot from under the counter, poured a cup of tea, and pushed it over.

The movements were steady, but the tea was poured a little too full and almost spilled.

His eyes darted around as he made a mental calculation.

This kid delivered himself right to our doorstep, perfect, let's lure him out of the city and settle things there.

But he said, "Young Master Zhang, don't worry, Xiao Liu won't suffer any losses with me."

Chen Mo did not take the cup of tea.

Which way did he go?

"They've left town. They said they're going back to report to the big boss."

The shopkeeper's Adam's apple bobbed. "Why don't you go look outside the city?"

Chen Mo stared at him for two seconds, then turned and walked out.

The shopkeeper said from behind, "Take care, Mr. Zhang, come again next time."

The voice was half a tone higher than usual.

Chen Mo went out the door, but instead of returning to the courtyard, he turned into the alley next to the pharmacy and squatted down.

Is he the big boss? Will Xiao Liu go out of town to report?

Moreover, the shopkeeper told him to look for Xiao Liu outside of town. Without a doubt, Xiao Liu must have run into trouble outside of town.

In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the back door of the pharmacy opened.

The shopkeeper peeked out, looked around, and then withdrew.

When he came out again, he had changed into a gray outfit and hurried out of town.

He would take a few steps and then look back, his hands clenched into fists and shaking them forcefully.

Chen Mo followed.

The shopkeeper walked very quickly, his forehead covered in a fine layer of sweat, muttering to himself.

Once outside the town, the roadside turned into farmland, the moon was obscured by clouds, and the crops stretched out in a dark, dense expanse.

The shopkeeper turned onto a dirt road, at the end of which stood an abandoned brick kiln. The wooden door at the entrance of the kiln was half collapsed, and firelight shone from inside.

The shopkeeper paused at the door, took a deep breath, and pushed the door open to go inside.

A voice peeked through the crack in the door: "The person has been brought."

Chen Mo touched the side of the cave dwelling and looked inside through the cracks in the wall.

Xiao Liu was tied to a pillar, his face covered in bruises and blood at the corner of his mouth.

The shopkeeper stood opposite him, next to a man in black, around forty years old, with a fair complexion and no beard, standing with his hands behind his back, looking calm and composed.

He's a master!

I'll ask you one more time.

The shopkeeper's voice came from inside, eight octaves higher than when he was in the pharmacy, and it carried a fierce tone.

"Who is your boss? Where are the ledgers hidden?"

Xiao Liu raised his head and spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva: "I don't know."

The shopkeeper slapped him across the face.

Xiao Liu turned his face to one side, then turned it back and stared at the shopkeeper without saying a word.

The man in black spoke, his voice not loud, but every word clear:

"A little kid, but he's got quite a strong backbone. Shopkeeper, when is that Zhang Deshuai you mentioned coming?"

The shopkeeper wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"It should be soon. He has nothing else to do in town. If Xiao Liu doesn't go back, he'll definitely come out looking for him. I just saw him at the pharmacy and managed to get through to him."

The man in black sneered, "You think you could handle things like that?"

The shopkeeper's face turned pale.

"I paid a high price to hire you to completely eliminate him and Xiao Liu. Even if he finds his way here, you're still here, a Qi and Blood Realm expert..."

The man in black waved his hand to interrupt him.

"You're here just in time, let's pack together. Saves us from making two trips."

Chen Mo withdrew his gaze, leaned against the outer wall of the cave dwelling, and his mind raced.

Qi and Blood Realm!

He's on a whole different level!

The man in black was far stronger than him; he couldn't confront him head-on, so he had to resort to underhanded tactics.

The Qi and Blood Realm is a whole major realm higher than his.

He had witnessed the imposing aura of Master Zhou, who was at the Inner Strength Realm, at the martial arts school before; just his presence alone was enough to make one feel breathless.

Although the Qi and Blood Realm is not as good as the Inner Strength Realm, it is definitely not something that the Body Refinement Realm can easily compete with.

If the first shot misses a vital spot, or hits but isn't fatal, someone at the Qi and Blood Realm could reach you in an instant.

You might get killed instantly!

We cannot take the risk.

Chen Mo tiptoed around to the side of the cave entrance.

They walked very lightly, landing on the balls of their feet first, then slowly and firmly, without making a sound.

The moonlight was obscured by clouds, and it was so dark that you couldn't see your hand in front of your face. Only the dim yellow light from the fire inside the cave dwelling shone through.

He squatted down and took out M249 from the copper ring.

The cold, hard gun barrel pressed heavily against my hand.

The ammunition belts are full, and there are enough bullets.

Everything is ready; you can take it out and fire directly.

He stopped and listened intently.

There was nothing unusual in the cave dwelling, and the man in black was not discovered.

Chen Mo rested the gun on the collapsed half-earth wall, aiming the muzzle at the spot where the light was shining through the crack in the door.

Through the scope, he could see the man in black standing in the middle of the cave, with his back to the door, talking to the shopkeeper.

"Just who is this Zhang Deshuai?"

The shopkeeper's voice trembled: "He's just a peasant from Mud Village who somehow got his hands on the account book..."

Chen Mo aimed his crosshairs at the man in black's back.

Pull the trigger.

"Da da da da da".

The gun muzzle spewed fire, and bullets poured in like a torrential downpour.

The first bullet pierced the man in black's back, and a spray of blood erupted.

The second shot, the third shot, the fourth shot...

The man in black trembled violently from the impact of the bullets, as if he were being pounded by invisible fists.

He tried to turn around, but his legs wouldn't obey him. His knees buckled, and he fell forward, lying motionless on the ground.

The shopkeeper screamed and fell to the ground, covering his head with his hands and sticking his buttocks up high.

Chen Mosong pulled the trigger, the gunfire stopped, but the buzzing in his ears and the acrid smell of gunpowder filled his nostrils.

The cave dwelling was filled with dust, making it impossible to see anything.

Chen Mo walked in with his gun, pointed it at the man in black's head, and fired another shot.

"Bang!"

Brain matter was splattered all over the floor.

The shopkeeper screamed in fright, curled up into a ball, and trembled like a leaf.

Chen Mo blew on the muzzle of his gun, turned to look at the shopkeeper, and grinned: "In your next life, don't be reborn to work for others."

The shopkeeper's teeth chattered, and he couldn't speak a complete sentence. His crotch was soaked.

Chen Mo squatted down and used the barrel of his gun to lift the shopkeeper's chin, making him look at him.

"Shopkeeper, how many years have you worked for the Zhao family?"

The shopkeeper stammered, "Ten...fifteen years."

"How much silver does the Zhao family pay you per year?"

"One...one hundred taels."

Chen Mo laughed: "One hundred taels? You've served the Zhao family for fifteen years, and your life is so cheap?"

The shopkeeper turned pale and dared not speak.

Chen Mo stood up, pressed the muzzle of the gun against the shopkeeper's forehead, and slowly slid it down to his chest.

I'll give you two choices.

The shopkeeper was stiff and dared not move.

"First, if I kill you now, the Zhao family will find a new manager."

The shopkeeper's tears streamed down his face.

"Article Two,"

Chen Mo put the gun away, took a step back, and looked down at him.

"You do my bidding. The Zhao family will give you one hundred taels, and I'll give you two hundred taels. I'm the big boss behind Xiao Liu. Xiao Liu gets the medicinal herbs from you at market price, and you make whatever profit you're entitled to."

As for the Zhao family, you continue to be your manager; settle accounts when necessary, and fudge things when appropriate.

The shopkeeper suddenly looked up, a glint of light flashing in his eyes.

"I choose the second option... I choose the second option."

Chen Mo squatted down and patted his face.

"The ledger is in my hands. Work obediently for me, and you'll get your share of the rewards. But if you dare to try anything funny again..."

Chen Mo squinted at him.

"Your whole family will be buried with you."

The shopkeeper trembled, his lips quivering.

"I won't dare to do it again, I'll definitely serve you like a slave and do everything I can for you."

"clever."

Chen Mo turned around to untie Xiao Liu's rope.

Xiao Liu was covered in wounds, but his eyes shone brightly as he lowered his voice, "Young Master, what kind of hidden weapon was that? It was amazing!"

"The unique hidden weapon of Mud Village".

Chen Mo patted him on the shoulder.

"Can you walk?"

"able!"

Chen Mo helped Xiao Liu walk out, and when they reached the door, he turned back to look at the shopkeeper.

"By the way, shopkeeper. Deal with that man in black thoroughly. Don't leave any loose ends."

The shopkeeper nodded and said repeatedly, "Understood, understood."

Chen Mo smiled and helped Xiao Liu into the darkness.