Chương 12: Seizing the Spoils

"Young master, I presume you have been lurking in my shadow with only one thought: to kill and plunder. This concubine dares not ask for mercy, only a swift end, free from the agony of a slow death." The woman's voice was a fragile tremor, her eyes brimming with unshed tears. Her expression was one of such profound vulnerability that it instinctively stirred a protective urge in the depths of one's soul. Reyn bit down hard on the tip of his tongue, the sharp sting of pain clearing the sudden fog in his mind.

A cold sweat broke out across his back. For a fleeting second, a maddening impulse had seized him—a desire to protect this woman at any cost. Had his willpower been any weaker, he would have fallen under her subtle manipulation. As expected, he thought grimly, even a crippled cultivator is a viper that cannot be underestimated. Maintaining a mask of cold indifference, Reyn spoke, his voice like grinding stone.

"Save your tricks. Hand over the brocade box now, or do not blame me for being heartless." A flicker of resentment flashed through the woman's eyes, too fast for most to see, before she returned to her pitiful facade.

"This concubine is gravely wounded; I cannot move a single inch. The box is within the storage bag at my waist. If you want it, come and take it yourself." Reyn's eyes narrowed. He feigned a moment of hesitation, then began to walk toward her with slow, deliberate steps. When he was less than three meters away, a glint of predatory triumph sparked in the woman's gaze. Reyn's lips curled into a faint, mocking smirk.

Without a heartbeat's delay, he flicked his wrist, revealing the Fireball Talismans he had hidden up his sleeve. He funneled every drop of his internal Qi into the paper. The talismans erupted in a brilliant crimson glow. Two roaring spheres of flame manifested instantly, screaming through the air toward the woman.

"Ah!" A shriek of pure terror escaped her lips. At such point-blank range, she had no time to react. The twin fireballs slammed into her chest. A faint shimmer of green light flickered around her body—a desperate, last-ditch defensive barrier. It held for a mere breath before shattering. Under Reyn's cold gaze, the flames engulfed her entirely. Her eyes, wide with realization and horror, were the last things to vanish before she was reduced to a pile of drifting ash.

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Only then did Reyn allow himself a small sigh of relief. This woman had murdered her own Dao companion just to monopolize the treasure; she was a venomous scorpion in human skin. How could he not be on guard? He had caught that flash of joy in her eyes, and it had told him everything he needed to know.

He retreated ten paces, picked up a heavy stone from the ground, and hurled it at the spot where she had just been sitting.

"Clack!" The stone struck the earth, and the world seemed to scream. The previously smooth ground centered on the woman's remains suddenly erupted. Within a three-meter radius, waves of ghastly green flames surged upward. The fire twisted into agonizing shapes—skulls and ghostly faces that wailed with the sounds of a thousand damned souls. Reyn felt a primal chill seep into his marrow. If he had succumbed to greed and rushed forward, he would be nothing more than a charred corpse by now.

He didn't know the name of this sinister fire, but the aura of Yin-cold energy it radiated was enough to make his blood freeze. After a few moments, the green flames began to recede, sucked back into a single point like a retreating tide. The space trembled slightly, and a pitch-black gourd clattered onto the dirt. Reyn tested the area with several more stones. When no further traps triggered, he finally approached. He moved quickly to the site of the carnage and retrieved four storage bags.

As he peered inside, his breath hitched. The Black Mountain Old Ghost and the two brothers had been Foundation Establishment cultivators. Among their belongings, Reyn discovered five Spirit Tools. Though they were of low rank, the find was staggering. Even in the Xuanxiao Sect, very few True Inheritance Disciples possessed Spirit Tools while still in the Qi Condensation stage. He set the five Spirit Tools aside with a grin and continued his search.

He unearthed dozens of low-grade talismans, several hundred low-grade spirit stones, and over a dozen medicinal pills of unknown utility. Among the talismans, three stood out; they bore patterns similar to the Fireball Talisman but were exponentially more complex, thrumming with a density of spiritual energy that made the others look like toys. Reyn tucked them away carefully, deciding to study them later. The spirit stones were equally precious, vital for accelerating his cultivation.

Finally, after stripping the bags bare, Reyn turned his attention to the brocade box. His pulse quickened. This was the prize that had driven four Foundation Establishment experts to a bloody end. This was what had driven a woman to fratricide.