Book 1: Chapter 28: Empty Grave

Leading forty First Song Sect disciples, Song Qingshu stopped at a piece of clear land.

The First Song Sect disciple at the very front took out a handful of crystalline blue powder from his bag.

Whoosh!

The powder spread out, sparkling with blue light as it fell to the ground. When it landed on the ground, the ground sparkled with light. Then, the blue light vanished from certain areas, revealing three sets of footprints.

“Martial Uncle, after I scatter the Death Energy Powder, they won’t be able to hide their movements. These three sets of footprints were made only a few hours ago, so a large amount of life energy still lingers in them, causing the Death Energy Powder to lose its light. They are just right in front; they cannot escape from us!” a First Song Sect disciple said excitedly.

“Humph! Run? Let’s see where they can run too. There are only three of them and forty of us. After we catch up, don’t bother saying any nonsense; just directly kill him,” Song Qingshu said coldly.

“Martial Uncle, must they die?”

“Humph! This is the sect master’s order. Earlier, there were many people around. We could not expose our objective. Now, no one else is around. Take it as taking revenge for Pang Tianlong. I will ask the sect master for a Golden Core Advancement Pill to give to whoever kills Gu Hai. Everyone else, I will reward with twenty inferior-grade spirit stones each,” Song Qingshu said coldly.

“Yes! The three of them can forget about living. No, not just them. There is that snake spirit as well!” the group of First Song Sect disciples immediately said with flashes of red in their eyes.

“However, Martial Uncle, we need to hurry. Our movements might have been exposed already,” the man who scattered the Death Energy Powder said with a frown.

“Oh?”

“I saw a pile of millet by the lakeside and some small birds feeding on them earlier. When we arrived, the birds took to the air. At first, I did not think much of it, but on further thought, something does not seem quite right. Millet? How could there be millet there?”

Song Qingshu’s eyes widened. “Oh no! We have been exposed. After them! Hurry!” 

“Yes!”

The forty First Song Sect disciples moved through the forest swiftly. With the Death Energy Powder leading the way, they did not need to worry about losing their way. The group gave chase, feeling anxious.

——

Gu Hai got Gao Xianzhi to dig a large pit quickly.

“Division Master, what are we doing? Are we trying to dig a pit for Song Qingshu and the others to fall into? However, this pit is too shallow,” Chen Tianshan said, finding this strange and showing a confused expression.

Whoosh!

Gu Hai extended his hand and took out a coffin from the authority token’s compressed space.

“Huh?” Chen Tianshan and Gao Xianzhi revealed confused expressions.

Gu Hai is going to use a coffin to deal with Song Qingshu? How will this work?

Gu Hai carefully placed the coffin into the pit. Then, he opened the coffin lid.

“These are? Charcoal, saltpeter, and sulfur? Furthermore, they are very pure samples!” Gao Xianzhi said, entering deep thought.

[TL Note: Saltpeter is also known as niter or potassium nitrate. Charcoal, saltpeter, and sulfur are the basic ingredients of gunpowder.]

Ignoring Gao Xianzhi, Gu Hai carefully took out a fuse and connected it to the materials in the coffin before carefully burying everything with dirt.

Next, Gu Hai took out a piece of flint and placed it at the other end of the fuse. Finally, he picked up a wooden board at the side and set it in front of the dirt mound, leaning it against the flint.

After Gu Hai did all these, he carefully used some dirt to shape the mound, covering everything up. Soon, the entire setup looked like a grave with a wooden grave marker in front.

“This is?” Gao Xianzhi said, feeling confused.

Gu Hai inhaled deeply and took out a brush and ink.

After dipping the brush in ink, he started writing on the grave marker.

“Song Qingshu, this Division Master orders you to turn around immediately. You are not to follow me. Otherwise, this grave will be yours!”

Chen Tianshan opened his eyes wide as he watched. “This…this is all? What is the point of this?” 

As Chen Tianshan spoke, he stepped forward to touch the grave.

“Don’t touch it!” Gu Hai immediately shouted.

“Huh?” Chen Tianshan looked at Gu Hai in confusion.

“Gao Xianzhi, scatter millet in the surroundings. We will leave after that.” Gu Hai shook his head, not explaining.

“Yes!”

——

Four hours later, Gu Hai’s group arrived at another mountainside.

“Benefactor, look! Look! The birds are flying up again! They reached the mountain valley!” Xiaorou suddenly exclaimed.

“Oh?” The three men stopped and turned their heads.

They looked at the distant valley and saw many birds flying around that area.

“They have arrived?” Gao Xianzhi’s eyes gleamed.

Although he did not understand what Gu Hai did before, he believed it would surpass his expectations.

“They chased over, but what is the point of that grave? Is it meant to scare them?” Chen Tianshan asked with a skeptical expression.

——

In that mountain valley:

“Martial Uncle, look! There is millet scattered around. Gu Hai’s group placed them. We are moving in the right direction,” a First Song Sect disciple said excitedly.

“Do you think that a group of birds can help you? Humph! You are too naive. Now that we are here, you will die sooner or later!” Song Qingshu showed a ferocious expression.

“Martial Uncle, let’s quickly give chase!” the group of First Song Sect disciples said excitedly.

If the reward offered was attractive enough, there would always be people brave enough to take the risk. In this case, one could obtain a Golden Core Advancement Pill by killing an initiate Innate Realm cultivator. Who would not be tempted? What was a Golden Core Advancement Pill? It was a grade 3 medicinal pill that helped a peak Innate Realm cultivator break into the Golden Core Realm, something incredibly precious. Some people yearned for it.

“Martial Uncle, there’s a grave here. Huh? Gu Hai erected it for you,” a First Song Sect disciple said, his expression immediately changing.

“Huh?” Song Qingshu’s face sank as he walked over.

The forty Innate Realm disciples also went over, appearing curious.

“Song Qingshu, this Division Master orders you to turn around immediately. You are not to follow me. Otherwise, this grave will be yours!”

When everyone read the words on the grave marker, they all opened their eyes wide.

“Is this Gu Hai crazy? To think that he wants to scare us with an empty grave,” a First Song Sect disciple said with a cold smile.

“Gu Hai? He is only so-so. To think that he wants to play around like this. How about we bring him back and bury him here?”

“To think that he dares to curse Martial Uncle!”

The group of First Song Sect disciples all let out scornful, mocking laughter.

However, the words on the grave made Song Qingshu’s face sink.

“Division Master? Can you be considered a Division Master? You?” Song Qingshu walked over to the grave marker sullenly and threw a palm strike.

Bang!

Song Qingshu shattered the grave marker cursing him. However, the instant the grave marker broke, a clack came from the grave marker’s base. The breaking of the grave marker caused the flint to give off a spark.

——

At a distant mountainside:

“Division Master, what was in that coffin?” Gao Xianzhi asked, feeling curious.

“That’s right. Benefactor, what is the purpose of the sulfur, niter, and charcoal in the coffin?” Xiaorou also felt curious.

“Those are explosives!” Gu Hai said with a smile.

“Explosives? What can they do?” Chen Tianshan said scornfully. Those were just ordinary materials. Were they extraordinary when combined?

“They can explode!” Gu Hai said.

“Explode?” Chen Tianshan parroted, his eyes wide with skepticism.

Boom!

A resounding explosion came from the distant valley.

Even from such a distance, Chen Tianshan felt the ground shaking.

Chen Tianshan turned to look and saw copious amounts of dirt shooting to the sky from that valley, filling the air with dust. Many burning, shattered trees and a group of First Song Sect disciples flew into the sky.

“Ah!”

“Ah!”

A series of miserable cries rang out in that valley. However, Chen Tianshan, Gao Xianzhi, and Xiaorou could not hear the distant screams. Even so, the explosion had ripped apart the bodies of many of the First Song Sect disciples. They could see torn-off limbs shooting into the air, scattering in all directions along with the fire and dirt.

Chen Tianshan felt utterly stupefied. Simultaneously, he broke out in a cold sweat.

He remembered that he had been about to touch the grave earlier. As he looked at the scene of torn-off body parts, he felt a chill. He turned to look at Gu Hai, his heart going cold involuntarily.

“What a horrifying explosion!” Gao Xianzhi excitedly said with wide eyes.

“It is more effective than I thought!” Gu Hai started laughing slowly.

“Ah?” Xiaorou exclaimed.

“Innate Realm cultivators can use energy to protect their bodies. Unfortunately, they were too relaxed at that time. No one expected an explosion. So, it was too late for them to protect themselves with their energies. I guess that they should be cursing me right now. Even if they survive, they won’t be in good states after being caught off guard.” Gu Hai smiled.

Thick smoke rose in the distance as a fiery light spread out, illuminating a scene of carnage.

“Let’s go!” Gu Hai said indifferently.

“Yes!” Gao Xianzhi reluctantly tore his gaze from the magnificent explosion in the distance.

As Xiaorou looked at Gu Hai, her eyes filled with awe.

Chen Tianshan gulped down some saliva. As he looked at Gu Hai’s back, he showed a bitter smile. Then, he followed after him.

——

In the valley where the explosion took place:

Fiery light spread out, and the blasted-off limbs in the air rained down. Song Qingshu’s entire body immediately charred black. As Song Qingshu possessed a strong foundation due to his cultivation, he survived the explosion.

However, the huge shock wave from the explosion still broke all his bones and ruptured his internal organs. The coffin also contained metal shrapnel. When the explosion occurred, the metal shrapnel shot out and lacerated his muscles, ripping open countless wounds. Blood spurted everywhere, and his bones were exposed. His entire body was charred, presenting a cruel sight.

“Ptooey! Cough! Cough! Cough!”

Song Qingshu coughed and vomited blood in the fire. His whole body trembled as he looked at the flattened mountain valley.

“Ah!”

“Save me!”

“Martial Uncle!”

“I don’t want to die!”

The surviving First Song Sect disciples in the surroundings shrieked in misery.

However, less than ten could even make any sound. Furthermore, most of them had limbs torn off, in much worse states than Song Qingshu. This sight looked extremely terrifying.

Many corpses with mangled flesh lay on the ground.

Song Qingshu looked around weakly. This trap nearly wiped out his entire group. Everyone was either dead or crippled.

Buzz!

Song Qingshu’s ears buzzed; he could not hear anything.

Then, he looked in the direction he was going to give chase in.

Should I continue to chase after Gu Hai? With just a trick, he wiped out my entire group. He is a demon! A demon!

“Old Demon Gu! Old Demon Gu!” Song Qingshu stared in Gu Hai’s direction in horror.

——

Not far from the valley, the mustached man led his subordinates over. He opened his eyes wide when he saw the explosion in the valley not far away.

“Division Master, it looks like Song Qingshu’s group fell into Gu Hai’s trap,” one of the mustached man’s subordinates said with an unsightly expression.

The mustached man raised his head and looked into the distance. Then, he frowned slightly and said, “I underestimated this Gu Hai!”

“Division Master, should we save those trash—Song Qingshu and the others?”

The mustached man narrowed his eyes and replied, “Save them for now. While they are stupid, there is still some value to them.”

“Yes!”

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