Chapter 131: Ravaged, Fourth-Generation Dreamweaver Powder, Retribution

Chapter 131: Ravaged, Fourth-Generation Dreamweaver Powder, Retribution

"Ahhh!"

A bloodcurdling scream instantly drew Qiao Qiliang's and Qiao Yong's attention. Without hesitation, they rushed toward the sound.

Qiao Yong vaulted forward, shielding Qiao Qiliang behind him as the two sprinted ahead, one covering the other.

They reached the source of the commotion in moments.

"This...!"

The sight before them was one of sheer brutality.

Su Chen gripped Fang Rou's ankle with one hand, swinging her body like a club in a savage arc, smashing her into the ground, trees, and earth.

Crash! Crash! Crash!

Once. Twice. Thrice...

Over a dozen times, the ground erupted in dust clouds. Trees the width of bowls splintered into fragments.

Yet Su Chen wasn't finished. His face steeled with fury, he ignored the assassin's shrieks, hoisting her high before slamming her down again.

The spectacle left Qiao Qiliang and Qiao Yong frozen, their eyes twitching in stunned disbelief.

This was pure savagery!

"Must be some idiot who impersonated his senior martial sister", Qiao Qiliang muttered, half in sympathy. "He thought he'd found his beloved senior, only to get played. Serves her right!"

Fang Rou's voice suddenly shifted. The feminine scream snapped Su Chen's focus for a split second.

The female assassin twisted mid-air, her other foot slamming toward Su Chen's chest like a piston.

Su Chen's grip loosened instinctively, but the assassin seized the opening. Her limbs became a blur, slicing air like palm fans.

Hiss! Hiss! Hiss!

Despite her injured foot dangling numbly, her techniques remained lethal. She flipped roles—hands became feet, feet became hands—her soles wielding hidden blades in a cyclone of strikes.

The two locked in a whirlwind of combat, Vital Force erupting like storm waves. Trees splintered, earth churned under their onslaught.

When sensation returned to her wounded foot, the assassin sought to disengage. She was a shadow killer, not a brawler. Her strength lay in ambushes, not drawn-out battles.

But Su Chen defied expectations.

His ferocity matched her maneuverability. His defense countered her precision. Every punch, every dodge, every flick of Vital Force revealed a seasoned veteran's instincts.

She wasn't fighting a youth—she was battling ten seasoned warriors in one body.

Damn it all!

"No more stalling. If this continues, I'm dead meat!" she realized, her mind razor-sharp despite the crisis.

Su Chen was closing in, relentless. She parried desperately, her movements flawless yet unsustainable.

He was wearing her down.

Only his inability to grab her kept him from ending it—until now.

"Got him!"

The assassin's eyes flared. Su Chen's guard dipped. She lunged.

But as she broke free, Su Chen's body snapped backward unnaturally. He pivoted, locking onto her.

"What?!"

Her scream came too late. His iron grip seized her other ankle. The world spun as her body became a pendulum, crashing into the earth like a meteor.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The earlier brutality repeated itself, but worse. She became a ragdoll, slammed into trees, rocks, ground. Her disguise peeled away with each spin, revealing porcelain skin marred by bruises.

Finally, Su Chen hurled her into the earth. The impact shook the ground, echoing through the forest.

The assassin lay unconscious, blood trickling from her lips.

"Such a pretty face", Qiao Qiliang mused, watching Su Chen rip off her mask. "A shame she chose assassin over wife."

Her beauty rivaled Fang Rou's, accentuated by an icy allure. But before Qiao Qiliang could finish his thought—

Crack!

Su Chen snapped her neck without hesitation. The sudden violence left Qiao Qiliang speechless.

"What the rush?!" he yelped, checking her pulse. "We could've interrogated her! Let me handle that next time!"

Silently, Su Chen patted the assassin's body. Finding nothing, he frowned. Her garments were suspiciously bare.

Qiao Qiliang's eyes narrowed. Then he ripped open her clothes, revealing a golden eagle tattoo glowing against pale skin.

"Golden Eagle", Qiao Yong intoned from behind them. "She's from Shadow Assassin."

Qiao Qiliang tensed. "The elite killer guild? They sent a Golden Eagle after you? Must be serious."

Su Chen's brow furrowed. "Shadow Assassin?"

Qiao Yong explained: "Eastern Lin Mansion's notorious syndicate. Four tiers—Black Peng, Golden Eagle, Silver Goose, Bronze Sparrow. This one's a Golden Eagle. Each can take down a Bone Tempering Perfection expert without failure."

He studied Su Chen meaningfully. "She had three Jade Bones. You've surpassed four, maybe five."

Qiao Qiliang added, "Hong Clan's bounty on your head—200,000 taels, plus their favor. They hired Shadow Assassin."

Su Chen's eyes glinted coldly. "Where's their Qinzhou City base?"

"You're not thinking—" Qiao Qiliang paled.

Su Chen nodded.

Qiao Qiliang exhaled sharply. "I can find it. But are you sure?"

"Find it", Su Chen said, rising. "Then we burn it down."

Qiao Qiliang, who had originally intended to persuade Su Chen, swallowed his words upon seeing the latter’s solemn expression and simply nodded firmly.

“Alright.”

Suddenly, he changed his tone. “But may I ask for your reasoning?”

“I despise people pretending to be my loved ones to manipulate my emotions,” Su Chen replied calmly before turning and departing.

Hearing this, Qiao Qiliang’s lips twitched.

He found the explanation flimsy—why not just say you want to teach the Hong Clan a lesson?—but refrained from pressing further. Whatever Su Chen says, goes.

Returning to the magistrate’s office, Qiao Qiliang threw himself into investigating the Shadow Assassin hideout while urging Su Chen to lay low and avoid going out. Su Chen, naturally, had no intention of leaving. With meals provided and endless medical tomes to study, he was perfectly content staying in the courtyard residence.

After sending Fang Rou away, Su Chen began perfecting the Dreamweaver Powder. After poring over hundreds of medical texts, he refined the formula. With a clear direction, progress accelerated—endless experimentation was all that remained.

Five days later, after relentless work, he finally created the fourth-generation Dreamweaver Powder. Compared to its predecessor, this version was far more potent. It could now easily affect martial cultivators with fully refined bone tempering. For those who had reached bone tempering perfection, effects varied. Weaker Jade Bone cultivators, like the four shou, would succumb eventually, though more slowly. Stronger ones, like Hong Qi or the female assassin, might resist it altogether.

Yet Su Chen was satisfied—any effect was an opportunity. With a single opening, he could strike decisively. The powder’s new side effects—belching and flatulence—were weapons in themselves. Imagine an opponent suddenly breaking wind mid-battle, their focus shattered. Even a momentary lapse could mean death.

Additionally, Su Chen crafted Spirit Attraction Incense to counter the assassin’s stealth. The scent adhered to targets invisibly, detectable only to those nearby. A lesson from their last clash—the assassin’s concealment was formidable. Without acute senses, even Su Chen might never have noticed her. But now, tracking her would be effortless. The drawback? The aroma faded quickly and had a limited range. Still, it sufficed for now.

One day, Qiao Qiliang finally reported progress.

“Cough! What a mess in your courtyard—this stench is unbearable!” Qiao Qiliang wrinkled his nose at the clutter and pungent air.

After idle complaints, he asked, “I heard you’ve been experimenting with poisons. Any success?”

“Cough!” Before Su Chen could answer, Qiao Yong coughed bitterly, his face twisted in dread. He knew too well what was coming.

“Yongshu, you look unwell. What happened?” Qiao Qiliang furrowed his brow at Qiao Yong’s pained expression. He’d assigned him to aid Su Chen, never expecting to find him in such a state.

Qiao Yong shook his head, lips twitching. Never again would he be a test subject.

“Almost done,” Su Chen said, tidying up.

“Let me try!” Qiao Qiliang extended his hand eagerly.

Su Chen obliged.

Sniffing it, Qiao Qiliang frowned. “No effect?”

“Wait,” Qiao Yong interjected knowingly. A smirk tugged at his lips. Soon, you’ll know what it’s like to have both ends erupt!

As if on cue—Burp! Fart!

Qiao Qiliang’s eyes widened. Su Chen and Qiao Yong stepped back in unison.

“This is the effect?” Qiao Qiliang growled.

Burp! Fart!

They nodded solemnly.

His face darkened. Before he could curse, his head spun violently, as if scrambled by a ladle. He collapsed with a crash—burping and farting nonstop.

“Wake him,” Su Chen said.

Qiao Yong produced an antidote, and after a moment, Qiao Qiliang regained consciousness, though the side effects lingered for a tea’s duration.

He glared at them, eyes icy.

Su Chen cleared his throat. “You mentioned good news about the Shadow Assassin hideout?”

Qiao Qiliang’s gaze softened. “Yes. Found it.”

---

The night air bit like water, the moon bright, stars sparse, cold winds whispering.

Three figures crouched silently outside Green Willow Manor, motionless.

“This doesn’t seem like a killer’s lair,” Qiao Qiliang murmured, hearing the lively noises inside.

Su Chen shot him a look—you were the one who got the tip.

Catching the glance, Qiao Qiliang coughed. “The lead was solid, but I hadn’t verified it yet. You rushed here too fast.”

“Hence, I’m here to verify. But why are you here?” Su Chen asked.

“To help!” Qiao Qiliang grinned. “You can’t take on the Shadow Assassins alone. As your friend, I must assist.”

Su Chen studied his eager face. Help? More like thrill-seeking.

“When do we strike?” Qiao Qiliang pressed.

“Wait.”

They lingered until midnight, the noise inside finally dying down.

Then, at the fourth watch, Qiao Yong whispered, “Movement!”

A gray-robed figure approached the manor, slipping inside after a brief pause at the gate.

“The Shadow Assassins,” Su Chen confirmed.

Qiao Qiliang nodded, his expression hardening.

More followed—seventeen in total.

“Seventeen. Didn’t expect so many,” Qiao Qiliang muttered.

Half an hour later, three more entered.

“Enough,” Su Chen said. “Let’s move.”

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end