# Chapter 56: The Black-Clad Reaper

After a brief moment of contemplation, Qin Lu crouched down and began searching the corpses one by one, stripping them of anything valuable. Talismans, magical instruments, pills—he took them all.

He didn’t bother examining the items closely, sweeping them directly into his 【Storage Bag】.

After another moment of thought, Qin Lu selected a corpse roughly his own size and stripped the black robe from it. He hastily donned the garment and tore off a strip of black cloth to mask his face.

Qin Lu checked his appearance and murmured to himself, “This should be enough to confuse anyone watching.”

He glanced at the chaotic, blood-soaked courtyard and immediately set to work. He cast the 【Ignition Technique】, burning the corpses, flesh fragments, clothing, and other evidence until they were completely reduced to piles of ash.

Once nothing but ash remained, Qin Lu let out a long breath and looked up at the west wing, where the lights had remained off the entire time.

“Forget it. Better not to worry her…”

Qin Lu gripped his longsword, his gaze resolute. Without the slightest hesitation, he turned and strode out the main gate.

A layer of translucent gray clouds shrouded the moon, rendering the night hazy and indistinct. The market district was desolate, occupied only by the howling wind that danced tirelessly through the empty streets.

Clad in black, Qin Lu moved through the shadows, his steps light as he swiftly advanced.

According to the interrogation of the black-clad man, Wu Hao was waiting at his own residence for the assassins to return and collect the final payment of the bounty. This residence was not on Joyous Lane, but on a street four blocks away from Qin Lu’s home.

Due to the bitter cold and the late hour, there were hardly any pedestrians outside. Even when he did spot someone, Qin Lu carefully circumvented them to avoid drawing attention.

Finally, he located the residence without incident.

From a street corner over a hundred meters away, Qin Lu cautiously peeked out to assess the situation. He feared there might be an ambush. He observed quietly for over ten minutes, but noticed nothing unusual.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

Qin Lu’s heart pounded against his ribs like a war drum. The arm holding his sword trembled slightly.

This trembling wasn’t born of fear. It was caused by a rapid surge of adrenaline stirring his blood and Qi—a sign of extreme mental excitement.

“Steady! Steady!”

“It’s nothing major!”

Qin Lu patted his chest, regulating his emotions and forcing himself to calm down.

A moment later, he peeked out again at the unchanged, deserted street. Gritting his teeth, he darted forward. He quickly approached the residence’s gate and raised his hand to knock.

Knock! Knock!

The sound was exceptionally loud in the quiet depths of the night.

Qin Lu dared not make another sound. He gripped his sword tightly, waiting.

Footsteps gradually approached from inside the courtyard.

Creak—

The gate opened, revealing a female cultivator with a matronly appearance.

Seeing her, Qin Lu was momentarily stunned. Two thoughts flashed through his mind: Did that guy give a fake address?! Is this not Wu Hao’s residence?!

Just as Qin Lu was shocked into speechlessness, the middle-aged female cultivator spoke.

“Why have you come back alone? Where are Old Wang and the others?”

Hearing this, Qin Lu’s heart tightened, then relaxed. He instantly understood the situation and let out a cold mental laugh.

Hmph!

A flash of sword light. The tip of the blade stabbed straight into the female cultivator’s neck.

A single strike sealed her throat!

At such close range, she had no time to react. Her face filled with astonishment, and her eyes widened abruptly. Her hands flew to clutch her neck, and her mouth opened as if trying to scream, but only the gurgling noise of flowing blood escaped.

Thud!

Qin Lu caught her collapsing body and gently placed it against the doorframe. Then, he gritted his teeth and charged straight into the courtyard.

Wu Hao’s residence was slightly different from Qin Lu’s home; it had three rooms. Qin Lu glanced around and rushed directly toward the room where light still spilled through the window cracks.

Before entering, he pulled out a talisman and slapped it onto his chest. A silvery dome of spiritual energy enveloped him.

【Body Protection Shield】

This was a necessary precaution.

Creak—

Qin Lu pushed open the door.

Wu Hao’s voice immediately drifted from inside. “Is the final payment settled?”

Qin Lu remained silent. He took two steps into the room and saw Wu Hao reclining on a bed.

“You…!”

Seeing a stranger in black robes enter, Wu Hao cried out in alarm and scrambled to roll off the bed.

But how could Qin Lu give him a chance to escape? The moment Wu Hao cried out, Qin Lu unleashed a torrential storm of the 【Finger Flick Technique】!

Bang! Bang! Bang…!

Wu Hao reacted quickly. He immediately retrieved a defensive talisman from a hidden spot near his bedding and activated it.

Unfortunately for him…

His shield was like paper mache before the endlessly spammable 【Finger Flick Technique】, which had no cooldown period!

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Over ten consecutive strikes vented the anger Qin Lu had pent up during this entire ordeal!

Under this powerful bombardment, Wu Hao’s shield shattered into pieces.

Immediately after, his body was blasted in two.

One segment: the legs.

Another segment: the upper torso.

In between lay a paste-like mixture of intestines and blood, emitting a thick stench of gore.

“Hmph!”

Qin Lu snorted coldly. He wouldn’t give Wu Hao any chance to utter last words or delay the inevitable. Since there was an opportunity for an instant kill, he had to strike with thunderous force!

Strangle all unstable factors in the cradle!

Qin Lu strode forward. With a flick of his wrist, he thrust his sword directly into Wu Hao’s glabella, twisting it forcefully to mash the brain matter and ensure Wu Hao was dead beyond any doubt.

“Didn’t expect this, did you?! You bastard!” Qin Lu said coldly.

He quickly looked up, scanning the room. He spotted Wu Hao’s cultivation robe by the bedside. Walking over, he began searching through its pockets and folds, looking for a 【Storage Bag】.

Unfortunately, the bag wasn’t in the robe.

Seeing this, he swiftly stood up and looked around hurriedly. Time was tight. He could only sweep up several seemingly valuable items nearby and store them directly into his own 【Storage Bag】.

“Can’t stay long… If patrols discover this…”

With that thought, Qin Lu leaped up, charged out of the courtyard compound, and vanished into the darkness of the night once more.

The sky remained pitch black.

Qin Lu quickly stripped off the bloodstained black robe and the face-covering cloth, using the 【Ignition Technique】 to burn them all to ashes.

Erasing all traces.

After finishing, he walked briskly toward home. Midway, he spotted two young cultivators shouting drunken nonsense. To avoid potential conflict, Qin Lu took a detour through another street.

Traveling swiftly, he finally reached the entrance of his home without incident.

However, when he saw the graceful silhouette waiting by the doorway, his figure paused involuntarily. His pace slowed instantly.

Zhang Meng’s eyes were red. She was leaning against the side of the doorframe. Who knew how long she had been waiting in the freezing cold?

Seeing Qin Lu approach, she couldn’t help but sob out choked words.

“You’re back…”

Warmth flooded Qin Lu’s heart. He gently pulled her into a comforting embrace.

“Don’t worry now… everything is fine.”

“Mmm…”

Together, they returned inside the courtyard.

Thus ended the tense, thrilling night.