Chapter 46: Worth Dying For!

Aptitude!

Chen Luo’s spirits soared. The moment he harvested the Nineteenth Prince’s brain, he distinctly felt a difference, akin to what he experienced with the previous royal brains. Possibly due to its higher completeness, compared to the first royal brain he acquired, the Nineteenth Prince’s brain operated at a significantly faster pace. Vaguely, he sensed an energy unlike anything he had perceived before.

“Excellent! This risk was truly worth it.”

Chen Luo felt invigorated.

After being trapped for so many days, he finally found his breakthrough. Indeed, opportunities favor those who are prepared - this Nineteenth Prince was his chance!

Quickly tidying up the scene, Chen Luo retrieved the Nineteenth Prince’s jade pendant and jade slip. Notably, the traces left on the jade slip were not erased, suggesting that perhaps the Nineteenth Prince’s aptitude might not have been as exceptional as he boasted. His claims of ‘achieving immortality someday’ likely amounted to mere grandiose exaggeration.

It was understandable; with nothing tangible in hand, the Nineteenth Prince could only rely on promises of future rewards, essentially ‘painting a grand vision,’ to entice the middle-aged scholar. Having seen such tactics often, Chen Luo naturally dismissed them as insignificant.

After cleaning up the scene, Chen Luo blew out the room’s candles.

He then climbed through the broken window, taking the opportunity to collect the brain of ‘Old Jiang,’ who had been guarding the Nineteenth Prince.

Leaving it behind would only be a waste; better to harness its potential for himself.

With this acquisition, Chen Luo had truly turned his fortunes around.

Not only did he eliminate the Nineteenth Prince, a genius with ‘immortal cultivation aptitude,’ but he also gained the brain of a Zongshi-level powerhouse—the first such brain he’d obtained. Previously, due to various circumstances, he couldn’t claim the brains of the burly swordsman or Old Daoist Li Chen encountered in the mountain valley. Now, this regret was finally remedied.

Several moments after Chen Luo left, commotion erupted from the courtyard area.

By then, however, Chen Luo had already departed the County Office and returned to his residence.

Following General Fan’s death, Wei-gonggong’s connection to him was severed, so he went back to Third Uncle’s courtyard and tidied it up. The burned sections were repaired days ago by someone he hired. With Qingya County bustling with activity, finding help to fix a house was easy as long as one was willing to pay.

Upon arriving at the courtyard, Chen Luo didn’t rush inside immediately. He lingered near the entrance, ensuring no one was following before closing the door and entering.

Upon entering his residence, Chen Luo didn’t rush inside immediately. He lingered at the door for a moment, ensuring no one was following him before closing it and stepping in.

Back in his room, he swiftly moved to the wardrobe and changed out of the bloodstained night attire.

“These clothes need to be disposed of.”

Chen Luo scanned the room and found a dark lacquered firepot.

The last time Wei-gonggong’s group visited, Third Uncle had used this very firepot for cleanup; little did he expect another such occasion so soon.

He placed some charcoal within and ignited it.

Once the flames took hold, Chen Luo quickly tossed the soaked night attire into the firepot.

Black smoke rose.

Soon, the bloodstained garments were reduced to ash, dispersing into the night air unnoticed amidst Qingya County’s ongoing reconstruction efforts. Many houses had been destroyed during the military upheaval, and even at this hour, numerous residents were still repairing their homes, creating far more commotion than Chen Luo’s actions.

After extinguishing the fire, Chen Luo found a bag, collected the black ashes from the basin, and carried them to the rear courtyard.

This was where Wei-gonggong and others now rested in peace.

With a shovel in hand, Chen Luo skillfully dug another pit next to Wei-gonggong’s burial site.

Once he buried the ashes, he finally let out a sigh of relief. During the process, he used Third Uncle’s secret corpse-concealing formula to ensure that even if dogs entered, they wouldn’t detect any scent.

“Old Wei, here I am again, fertilizing your resting place..”

By the time everything was completed, nearly an hour had passed. Chen Luo exchanged a few words with Wei-gonggong’s ashes before turning back towards his house.

Inside, Chen Luo closed the door securely.

He then retrieved the two items seized earlier that night.

Using the light from the oil lamp on the table, he examined the peculiarities on their surfaces clearly.

The Nineteenth Prince’s jade pendant and jade booklet emitted a faint blue glow under the flickering flames. Previously, no matter what methods he tried, the jade booklet refused to activate; however, now it seemed to ‘come alive’ under the influence of the jade pendant.

After some time, sounds of commotion began outside.

The assassination of the Crown Prince was akin to tearing open the heavens.

Hordes of soldiers, armed with torches, conducted a city-wide search throughout the night, their shouts and banging on doors echoing incessantly. Sensing the disturbance, Chen Luo swiftly blew out the oil lamp and concealed both items close to his body.

For him now, keeping them on his person was the safest option. With his abilities, even if unexpected events occurred, he could swiftly escape.

Soon, the search reached his doorstep.

“Open up! Open the door!”

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Urgent knocking resounded continuously, and the flickering light from torches seeped through the cracks of the door.

“Who is it?”

Adjusting his demeanor, Chen Luo feigned waking up, appearing groggy as he opened the gate.

As soon as he unlatched the door, a blaze of torchlight shone upon him. A multitude of armed soldiers surrounded the entrance, while others pushed past Chen Luo to search the courtyard.

“Chen Luo? The grave digger for the county.”

One captain held up a scroll with a portrait, scrutinizing Chen Luo closely.

“Yes, yes, that’s me,” Chen Luo responded promptly, still pretending to be startled and half-asleep.

Appearing startled and groggy, Chen Luo nodded promptly when questioned.

The captain, after verifying his identity, carefully rolled up the portrait.

“Sir, has something happened?”

“Mind your own business.” The captain glanced at him, issuing a curt rebuke with impatience. “Let me ask you, have you seen any suspicious individuals tonight?”

“Suspicious individuals? No, not at all. After finishing my duties, I’ve been resting at home. My neighbors can vouch for that,” Chen Luo replied, looking genuinely bewildered.

This was one advantage of being a local: in times of trouble, neighbors readily provided alibis, turning issues into non-events. Outsiders, however, did not enjoy such privileges.

Moreover, there were no discrepancies in his residency records.

As a native of Qingya County, Chen Luo had official documentation, making him least concerned about these inquiries. Likely, the soldiers shared this sentiment, as their questioning seemed rather perfunctory.

“No one inside, and nothing suspicious found.”

Shortly, the searching soldiers returned with their report.

“Move on, next house!”

The dutiful soldiers promptly regrouped and headed to the next residence, showing no intention of wasting further words with Chen Luo.

In the blink of an eye, the soldiers had completely departed.

The rhythmic ‘pound-pound-pound’ of knocking doors echoed throughout the city as the routine search sent waves of disturbance everywhere.

Tonight, sleep would surely elude many.

Chen Luo glanced in the direction they left and silently closed his door.

With the death of a crown prince, this was merely the beginning.

Even before committing these killings, Chen Luo foresaw the consequences. Given another chance, he would still eliminate those two. Some secrets were destined to remain hidden; once exposed, it inevitably led to a fight to the death. Unwilling to die himself, Chen Luo had no choice but to ensure the Crown Prince of Ning met his end first.

The chaos persisted until dawn, causing widespread panic and even sounds of clashing weapons could be heard. It remained unclear what the soldiers discovered during their search.

However, none of it concerned Chen Luo anymore.

Amidst the commotion outside, within the courtyard, he appeared unaffected. At daybreak, using Nineteenth Prince’s innate abilities, he absorbed the vital energy from the rising sun, significantly accelerating his cultivation speed. Not only that, but the previously stagnant energy blocking his qi vessels slowly began to disperse, gradually being digested and absorbed by him.

This progress invigorated Chen Luo, instantly making him feel that the Nineteenth Prince’s “sacrifice” was indeed more worthwhile than ever!