Chapter 12: The Escape Route

“You actually killed Wei-gonggong?” Third Uncle’s face was filled with shock, feeling as if he were dreaming.

Wei-gonggong, being a top-tier powerhouse, had faced three against one and yet was brutally taken down by his own nephew, who had only trained for half a month, using nothing but a brick. If not witnessed firsthand, he would have never believed it.

However, beyond the initial shock, fear now set in.

While Wei-gonggong was far from virtuous, his status was exceptionally unique. As a eunuch, he represented immense power far beyond what ordinary individuals like them could confront.

“He attacked us directly; it was either him or us. There was no room for hesitation.”

After the intense battle, Chen Luo felt a sudden wave of weakness wash over him. He knew it stemmed from pushing himself too hard, unleashing attacks beyond his usual capabilities. Now that the adrenaline subsided, exhaustion naturally set in—a common occurrence under such circumstances. Despite this, it remained puzzling how Wei-gonggong, a seasoned martial arts master with decades of training, met his demise at Chen Luo’s hands so unexpectedly. Surely, he must have died with great reluctance. Yet, in high-stakes confrontations between formidable opponents, victory often doesn’t solely depend on one’s cultivation level; courage and determination play crucial roles as well.

“This is serious. We need to flee immediately.”

Realizing the urgency, Third Uncle snapped out of his shock. “We must get as far away as possible before dawn.” He glanced at the bodies in the yard and swiftly returned inside.

After rummaging through cabinets, Third Uncle emerged with a dark green bottle containing Corpse Dissolving Water—a prized tool for grave diggers like them.

“Wait, Third Uncle.”

Chen Luo had regained his composure, noticing that his uncle intended to dissolve the corpses. Quickly, he intervened, puzzling Third Uncle. Then, one by one, Chen Luo placed his hand on each dead man’s head.

‘Contacted deceased brainwaves, damage level 12%. Read memory?’

‘Contacted deceased brainwaves, damage level 7%. Read memory?’

‘Contacted deceased brainwaves, damage level 32%. Read memory?’

As expected, since these bodies were newly deceased, their damage levels were quite low. Wei-gonggong’s slightly higher level was due to the brick strike, which damaged his brain. The other two had minimal degradation. Upon touching the corpses, Chen Luo promptly discarded the three weakest minds from his consciousness and replaced them with these new ones.

A wave of dizziness washed over him.

Chen Luo felt his understanding of martial arts significantly enhance.

Fortunately, his golden finger only read the dead’s brains and did not store their memories; otherwise, accumulating so many lifetimes’ worth of experiences could have easily led to dissociative identity disorder.

“Done.”

Chen Luo stood up and spoke to Third Uncle nearby.

Unconcerned with what his nephew was doing, once Chen Luo stepped back, Third Uncle skillfully cut open wounds on each corpse with his knife and applied Corpse Dissolving Water onto them. The water required contact with wounds to dissolve the bodies; merely touching the skin had no effect.

As the toxic liquid seeped in, it rapidly spread.

With a sizzling sound, white smoke rose, and blood bubbles emerged from the watery remains as the corpses gradually melted away. In mere moments, all that remained were three sets of clothing. The bodies vanished completely, leaving behind a lingering foul odor in the courtyard. Thankfully, due to Chen Luo frequently practicing martial arts and brewing medicines outside these past few days, the neighbors had grown accustomed to unpleasant smells. Otherwise, such commotion tonight would surely have drawn attention.

“You go inside first, I’ll take care of cleaning up.”

Third Uncle didn’t involve Chen Luo, knowing that experienced hands like his were best suited for disposing of evidence and eliminating traces.

Without hesitation, Chen Luo returned to his room for some rest.

After disposing of the remaining clothing from the corpse, Third Uncle skillfully scooped up dirt to cover it, burying the blood and eliminating any lingering scent. Then, he retrieved a jute sack from beneath the bed and scattered quicklime over the filled-in area, ensuring everything was thoroughly cleaned.

In a grave digger’s home, items used for handling corpses were always plentiful.

Time passed swiftly, and by the time Third Uncle finished cleaning up, it was already three hours past midnight.

Outside, all was silent; even the dogs had ceased their barking, and the night watchmen had gone back to sleep.

Creak.

The door opened.

Having washed his hands, Third Uncle re-entered the house, glanced behind him, and carefully closed the door.

Feeling refreshed, Chen Luo noticed his uncle enter and walked over to sit at the table. He realized they needed a proper conversation about today’s events. If not for his fortuitous breakthrough, both nephew and uncle might have met their end here.

“It started half a month ago…”

This was precisely why Third Uncle had come inside. In a hushed voice, he recounted the sequence of events leading up to this point, including his discovery of the imperial token and finding the checkpoints sealed during his attempt to flee earlier that day.

Piece by piece, Chen Luo gained a rough understanding of the events unfolding around them.

Of course, Third Uncle’s information was limited; his status and position only allowed him to glimpse the tip of the iceberg, missing the deeper power struggles at play. As someone caught in the undercurrents at the bottom, he could vaguely sense the impending danger but little else.

“From what you’ve said, there must be something seriously wrong with Qingya County’s County Magistrate.”

Chen Luo recalled how during his visits to Cripple Ma’s house over these past days, the streets had been increasingly sealed off.

Based on Third Uncle’s account, this situation began half a month ago. Wei-gonggong and others’ clandestine killings within the royal family indicated a plot of significant magnitude. Judging from their actions, they seemed to be searching for something. The local authority figure, the County Magistrate of Qingya, would undoubtedly be involved; otherwise, such a vast net couldn’t have been cast. Considering the Bai family’s unjust persecution, Chen Luo felt even more uneasy about their safety in Qingya County.

“What should we do now?”

Even after living several decades, Third Uncle had never encountered such circumstances and didn’t know what to do. If not for his nephew’s sudden breakthrough, his body would already be cold by now. Now, their sole reliance lay upon Chen Luo, his prodigious nephew.

“We escape first, survival comes before anything else,” Chen Luo decided.

Although he yearned for immediate vengeance, aiming to eliminate those behind the scenes, his current strength did not permit it.

However, their strength was insufficient.

Just one Wei-gonggong nearly killed them; facing someone even stronger would undoubtedly spell doom for uncle and nephew.

Such significant events invariably involve powerful experts behind the scenes. Chen Luo was no longer naive; while inner cultivation masters might be formidable in Qingya County, they still faced numerous adversaries within the provincial capital. As Cripple Ma had explained, martial arts progression has three steps:

The first step is Blood Cultivation to accumulate strength. The second step is Inner Training to form Qi. The third step is Bone Forging to condense spirit.

At his peak, Cripple Ma was a Bone Forging expert.

Yet, even at that level, it pales before the might of the imperial court. The authorities had crippled Cripple Ma, and if not for his fortunate encounter with Third Uncle, his bones would have long decayed by now.

“But everything outside is sealed off.”

Third Uncle grew increasingly anxious.

As dawn approached, if uncle and nephew couldn’t escape before sunrise, they would inevitably draw attention from those orchestrating this plot.

Next time, the adversaries sent would surpass tonight’s trio, likely true masters.

Chen Luo pondered potential avenues of escape.

A direct confrontation wouldn’t work, but considering the size of Qingya County, there must be some lesser-known mountain paths unknown to the officials. Similar to the gap beneath the city wall, these were routes only locals like themselves used.

“Third Uncle, where did you bury the bodies last time?”