I Can Strengthen Infinitely-Chapter 66 - 61: Deranged and Ruthless

"Huff, huff!"

The figure ran through the night, but in terms of speed, he was no match for Qin Yuesheng. Within a few breaths, Qin Yuesheng had already caught up behind him, firmly grasping the man’s shoulder.

"Hmm? Why is it you!"

Qin Yuesheng looked shocked. The person in front of him turned out to be Village Chief Peng from Pengqiao Village.

Village Chief Peng’s face turned vicious, and he immediately drew a short sword to stab Qin Yuesheng. Yet, just as the sword reached Qin Yuesheng’s heart, nothing more happened.

The current Qin Yuesheng had reached the level of Outer Forging Perfection, ordinary iron weapons couldn’t harm him; not to mention that he was wearing a layer of Celestial Demon inner armor beneath his robe. Village Chief Peng’s attempt to kill him with a short sword was as difficult as ascending the heavens.

Qin Yuesheng grabbed the short sword’s blade and directly broke it in two, then lifted Village Chief Peng’s collar, "Speak, why do you want to kill me? I shouldn’t have any quarrel with you, right? Is it because I killed that spider?"

Village Chief Peng clutched Qin Yuesheng’s hand, trying to make him let go, but their forces were completely unmatched. In the end, he could only threaten, "Let me go quickly. You’ve committed a grave mistake now; you’re doomed to die. If you let me speak well for you, perhaps you could keep your life."

Qin Yuesheng laughed, "Such bold words. I shall see who can make me certainly die."

With that, Qin Yuesheng directly choked Village Chief Peng’s throat with one hand, applying pressure subtly, intending to crush his voice box.

"Cough, cough!"

Village Chief Peng struggled incessantly, but to no avail. Meanwhile, the force in Qin Yuesheng’s grip grew stronger, and the suffocating sensation in his mind intensified.

"Young Master Qin... spare... spare my life..."

Qin Yuesheng slightly loosened his grip, giving him a chance to breathe, "Speak, why do you want to kill me? What was with those phantoms just now? Can you control them?"

Facing death, Village Chief Peng chose to submit. Facing Qin Yuesheng’s questioning, he revealed everything he knew.

"You killed the Beauty Spider nurtured by Steward Wang of the Gold and Silver Pavilion. My junior brother and I reside here, responsible for guarding the Beauty Spider’s safety. He has gifted talent, favored by our master, and was taught many sorcery techniques by him. Those phantoms were controlled using techniques he learned from our master."

Qin Yuesheng: "You’re not the real Village Chief Peng?"

"No, Village Chief Peng is an identity I’ve assumed."

Qin Yuesheng reached out and pulled off a human skin mask and fake hair from the man’s face.

Beneath the mask lay the ordinary appearance of a middle-aged man.

"Who is your master, why does he know how to control phantoms? Who is this Steward Wang you mentioned, and what about the Beauty Spider?"

"It’s Steward Wang Tao of the Gold and Silver Pavilion. He heard that a newly-arrived eunuch in Yangzhou Prefecture, Guang Zhao, enjoys rearing strange creatures, hoping to gain favor. So, he specially inquired among wandering sorcerers for the method to nurture a Beauty Spider using the sacrifice of young women to feed the mother spider, with the chance to rear a Beauty Spider."

Qin Yuesheng suddenly recalled discovering a blood-stained altar in the forest during the day, imagining these people committing heinous acts there.

Sacrificing humans to feed to a spider, only to offer a Beauty Spider to an eunuch, truly worse than pigs and dogs.

"My master is..."

"Brother, you seem to be saying a bit too much."

Suddenly, a soft voice emerged from the darkness.

"You! You actually placed witchcraft on me!"

Village Chief Peng suddenly foamed at the mouth, his eyes rolled back, and his limbs convulsed violently, ultimately perishing amidst the spasms.

"He’s dead already..." Qin Yuesheng placed ’Village Chief Peng’ on the ground. Judging from his desperate attempt to survive, he was definitely not someone who would dare commit suicide. It surely had a significant link to that voice.

Following the direction of the voice, Qin Yuesheng directly went on the pursuit, his location where he caught ’Village Chief Peng’ was near the peach blossom forest around Pengqiao Village. Venturing deeper, he discovered a house situated deep within the peach forest.

Previously, ’Village Chief Peng’ said this house was left by villagers who departed Pengqiao Village, but now it seems not that simple.

"Young man, your martial skills are impressive, but some matters cannot be resolved solely with martial arts. You killed the Beauty Spider; Steward Wang will not spare you. I offer you a suggestion to preserve your life: leave Cyan Yang City quickly, as far as possible."

The same voice sounded again.

Qin Yuesheng smirked, "Nonsense. Would you let me leave so easily? Are you truly that kind-hearted?"

With that, Qin Yuesheng charged into the yard with a saber, only to find it barren aside from a well and a broken cart.

The half-open house door was particularly intriguing.

Qin Yuesheng leaped onto the roof, smashing it apart with the Mountain-Crushing Tyrant Saber, splitting the roof into two, sending a barrage of tiles into the room below.

Inside, an old white-haired man sat on a chair, his dark green eyes faintly glowing, steadily fixed on Qin Yuesheng amid the darkness.

As Qin Yuesheng was about to land, the elder moved.

The cane thrust forward like a long spear, aimed straight for Qin Yuesheng’s throat. Though having achieved Outer Forging, Qin Yuesheng wouldn’t let someone strike his throat in vain.

So he held it single-handedly, using agility to seize the cane head, and vigorously shook, transferring the force back towards the elder.

The old man abruptly swung his cane, using a clever maneuver to free it from Qin Yuesheng’s control, then swiftly reached out with a claw, aiming at Qin Yuesheng’s weak spot.

Tiger Crane Plum Blossom Hand combines both fist and palm techniques; it can be both rigid and flexible, ever-changing. Facing the old man’s claw technique, Qin Yuesheng was not at a disadvantage at all.

Compared to the elegance and agility of Tiger Crane Plum Blossom Hand, the old man’s claw technique was sinister and fierce, each move targeting vital points, much like a predatory eagle.

Rip!

In a moment of carelessness, Qin Yuesheng’s sleeve was instantly torn to shreds by the opponent, yet his skin remained unscathed, barely marked by three white streaks.

"Outer Forging Muscle Martial Artist?" The old man was surprised; he had diligently practiced Eagle Claw Skill for years, reaching an advanced level. With his strength, even if someone with Outer Forging Bones had been seized by him, it would result in torn flesh.

To ignore his grasp, one could only be Outer Forging Muscle.

But seeing Qin Yuesheng so young, who would have thought he was an Outer Forging Muscle Martial Artist? Given some more time, would this son achieve Outer Forging Perfection?

Swish!

Slashing with a saber, Qin Yuesheng specifically grabbed the old man by the wrist, preventing him from escaping as the Evil-Subduing Saber chopped toward the opponent’s face.

Such was Qin Yuesheng’s strength; this person was no match for him. Seeing the Evil-Subduing Saber getting closer, the old man’s complexion changed as he hurriedly formed a hand seal with one hand.

Gray mist immediately bound Qin Yuesheng’s arms, and the sensation of a thousand-pound weight returned as the shriveled old man appeared once more.

"You’re impressive; in one night, you destroyed the two Corpse Ghosts I painstakingly cultivated. As long as I kill you, I believe I can use your body to cultivate a stronger Corpse Ghost, so no loss there."

The old man took out a black dagger, thrusting it directly towards Qin Yuesheng.

"This weapon is specifically designed to deal with Outer Forging Martial Artists. Even if you’re Outer Forging Muscle, it won’t matter."

"You talk too much."

Qin Yuesheng roared fiercely, and the shriveled old man behind him instantly disintegrated like snow in a furnace, vanishing into ashes in mere moments.

The gray mist binding Qin Yuesheng disappeared, the weight gone without a trace.

"Soul-Shattering Roar!" The old man’s face changed, but it was too late; with faster speed than the old man’s attack, Qin Yuesheng slashed out, instantly severing the person’s arm. The dagger didn’t even have time to touch Qin Yuesheng’s body before it fell to the ground.

"Ah!"

Having lost an arm, the old man fell to his knees in pain, clutching his wound and howling.

Qin Yuesheng grabbed him by the hair, pressing the Evil-Subduing Saber to his neck and demanding, "Speak, what are you and Village Chief Peng? Who is your master, and why do you know ghost manipulation techniques?"

"Ha...ha..." The old man panted, laughing coldly twice, suddenly biting down hard, and immediately, black blood spewed from his mouth, his body collapsing lifelessly on the ground.

Dead. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"There is poison hidden in his mouth." Qin Yuesheng gazed at the old man’s corpse, marveling at such decisive determination and measures prepared for no retreat. The force behind this man must be extraordinary.

"Gold and Silver Pavilion, Steward Wang, Guang Zhao the eunuch... the involvement here is indeed complicated." Qin Yuesheng placed his hand on the old man’s body, directly activating the decomposition function.

[Decomposition successful, obtained ’Black Cloth x10,’ ’Human Bone x5,’ ’Hair x1000’]

Staring at these three items on the ground, Qin Yuesheng found himself speechless.

What sort of ghostly things were decomposed here?

Where is the claw technique he used?

What about the ghost manipulation method?

The needed decomposition did not occur; instead, it produced some garbage.

This decomposition function does not always meet expectations.

Picking up the dagger that the old man used, Qin Yuesheng began searching the room but ultimately found nothing. The room contained no clues or valuable items.

Only some paper ashes in the corner fire basin indicated something was once burned here.

After confirming no other clues, Qin Yuesheng left the house, having disposed of ’Village Chief Peng’s’ body outside Peach Blossom Forest.

As the mastermind behind the Pengqiao Village incident, with connections to a steward of the Gold and Silver Pavilion, his body must not remain in this world to avoid unnecessary trouble.

While passing the garden well, Qin Yuesheng suddenly heard the clatter of chains below, followed by faint calls emanating from inside.

Frowning, Qin Yuesheng suspected the place harbored more ghostly entities.

Quickly and cautiously, he peered down, finding the well below dry and barren.

At the bottom, a disheveled-haired person sat, constantly shaking several chains bound to his body.

"Who are you?" Qin Yuesheng suppressed his voice, speaking with a hoarse tone.