The market had grown quieter. Word had spread.
“He survived the Qi stones?”
“Killed three? While his Dantian’s broken?”
“Monster... or system user?”
Eyes followed him now—not with pity, but fear.
He liked that better.
Jin guided him to a darker corridor, where an old incense trail led to a den guarded by two spirit wolves with silver eyes.
“You sure about this?” Jin asked, voice low. “He’s... not part of any sect. They call him 'Ghost Hand'. Said to have stolen Heaven-grade techniques.”
Li Feng stepped forward.
“Good. I need someone who understands betrayal.”
Inside, the chamber pulsed with the scent of herbs and a faint hum of runes etched into the stone walls. A single figure sat cross-legged before a levitating array of ancient scrolls.
The man’s left arm was spectral, flickering between flesh and void.
“You’re the one who triggered a system in the Black Fang?”
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
His voice was calm, layered, dangerous.
“I watched your fight. Sloppy, but effective.”
“I’m here for strength,” Li Feng said. “System-backed or not. I don’t care.”
“And what will you trade for it?” Ghost Hand asked. “Every deal has a price—especially forbidden knowledge.”
Li Feng unwrapped a blood-soaked cloth and dropped it before him.
Inside was a glowing core—one of the assassins’ inner Qi cores.
“I kill. You teach.”
The man’s eyes widened slightly. He reached forward with the ghostly arm and absorbed the core into his palm. The spectral veins shimmered.
“Deal.”
Ghost Hand stood and walked over to a hidden panel in the wall. From it, he drew out a sealed jade tablet etched with crimson characters.
“This is a martial technique I stole from a fallen celestial. It’s meant for disciples with broken meridians—it channels wrath, hate, and betrayal into energy.”
[Technique Learned: Crimson Spine Art – Tier: Forbidden]
– Channels emotional trauma into raw Qi
– Temporary boost to Qi flow based on betrayal intensity
– Side Effect: Hallucinations, unstable cultivation state
– Risk of spiritual backlash: HIGH
Li Feng felt the tablet burn into his palm as the knowledge invaded his mind.
Screams.
Fire.
Yu Xuan’s face.
“You were my sword, Li Feng… not my equal.”
“Perfect,” he muttered.
[System Alert: Side Quest Unlocked – Ghost’s Debt]
– Objective: Aid Ghost Hand in retrieving his severed spiritual limb
– Bonus Reward: One Forbidden Martial Art
– Penalty for failure: Spiritual Poisoning
Li Feng looked up. “Where is it?”
Ghost Hand grinned.
“Held by a Sect Elder who exiled me… same one who trained Yu Xuan.”
For a moment, the air froze.
Li Feng’s eyes lit with wrath.
“Then let’s both take something back.”
End of Chapter 4