Complete one practice method every day

"Snap!"

The sound of his neck bones cracking was clearly audible. Li Lie's neck was twisted to one side at an eerie angle, his eyes bulged out, and blood gushed from his mouth.

But Chen Yue did not stop. Almost at the same time that his right fist struck Li Lie's neck, Chen Yue's long-awaited left fist, like a heavy hammer, slammed into Li Lie's chest.

"Thump"

With a dull, deafening bang, Li Lie's clothes on his back suddenly ripped open, revealing a bulge of flesh that clearly showed the outline of a fist.

Li Lie was knocked off his feet by the punch, staggering backward with a dazed look in his eyes as he stared straight at Chen Yue, who exuded a murderous aura.

He opened his mouth as if to say something, but only more blood foam came out.

He never imagined that after all his scheming and plotting to break through to the Bone Forging Realm, when he thought his future was bright and his life's grand drama was just reaching its climax, the curtain would fall so suddenly and ironically.

The light in his eyes quickly dimmed and finally went out quietly.

Li Lie's tall body swayed, then he fell backward with a thud, crashing heavily onto the cold, hard bluestone pavement, kicking up a cloud of dust. His limbs twitched unconsciously a few times before stiffening completely.

Chen Yue slowly withdrew his fist, straightened his body, and his chest rose and fell slightly.

He glanced at Li Lie's body on the ground, walked over, and began a quick search.

Three breaths later, Chen Yue pulled a small medicine bottle from Li Lie's bosom and found a dozen or so taels of loose silver. Finally, he found a thin booklet, no bigger than the palm of his hand, hidden in the lining of Li Lie's clothes.

By the dim light, Chen Yue could see that the cover of the booklet had three ancient characters written on it: "Concealing Breath Technique".

Chen Yue's heart stirred, and he quickly flipped through the pages. It was an auxiliary method for concealing one's cultivation level, which was quite practical.

Even after Li Lie broke through to the Bone Forging Realm, he remained well-hidden within the pharmacy, which is probably related to this technique.

After carefully storing the medicine bottle, silver, and the Breath Concealment Technique, Chen Yue didn't linger and headed towards the Chen family's main residence.

The Chen family's main residence, a grand and imposing compound, was brightly lit. The atmosphere in front of the usually solemn and dignified main gate was even more tense at this moment. Several guards on duty scanned their surroundings warily, their weapons gripped tightly.

Suddenly, a figure staggered out of the darkness at the street corner and ran towards the gate of the Chen residence.

The man was disheveled, pale-faced, breathing rapidly, and his eyes were filled with lingering fear and panic; it was Chen Yue.

"Who goes there? Halt!" the guard shouted immediately, his blade flashing half an inch from its sheath.

"I am Chen Yue from Huichuntang. There are thieves! Something has happened at the pharmacy!" Chen Yue said, his voice trembling.

One of the guards recognized Chen Yue and rushed forward to help him up, while another quickly went inside to report.

Before long, Chen Yue was led into the front courtyard of the Chen residence, where the Chen family members, who had rushed over upon receiving the news, had already gathered.

Chen Jing stood in the center, his face solemn. Chen Yuqing stood to his side and behind him, her brows furrowed, her gaze towards Chen Yue filled with scrutiny and a hint of barely perceptible doubt.

"Chen Yue, what exactly happened? Tell me in detail, don't hide anything!" Chen Jing said in a deep voice, his gaze sharp as he looked at Chen Yue.

Facing the crowd, Chen Yue took a few deep breaths before beginning his story in a trembling voice, still shaken by fear:

"Master, I was studying alchemical formulas in my alchemy room this evening when I suddenly heard an unusual noise outside the courtyard. Then someone kicked open my door! In a panic, I smashed through the window and ran desperately towards the alleyway..."

Why didn't you run towards the direction where the pharmacy's guards were stationed?

Chen Yuqing suddenly interrupted, "The guardhouse is not far from the east side of your courtyard, you should know that."

Chen Yue's face showed panic and lingering fear as he shook his head repeatedly: "I... I was terrified at the time, I just wanted to get as far away from those thieves as possible. Besides, those thieves blocked the way to the guardhouse, so I had no choice but to run towards the west where there are more alleys..."

"So how did you escape?" Chen Jing asked, his eyes filled with inquiry.

The thief was able to sneak into the pharmacy silently and attack Chen Yue directly, which shows that he was no ordinary person. With Chen Yue's cultivation level of the Refining Skin Realm, how could he escape when the other party was prepared?

Chen Yue shook his head blankly, his face full of lingering fear and confusion: "I don't know either. Those thieves were chasing me very closely. Later, I ran into an alley with many forks in the road. Just as I was about to turn, I suddenly heard fighting and screams behind me."

I didn't dare look back. After running far away, I took the opportunity to climb into a nearby courtyard and hide inside. Only when there was no more noise outside did I dare to come out. I stumbled and staggered all the way here...

"Did someone stop those people halfway?" Chen Yuqing frowned even more deeply.

"Maybe... but I didn't dare to look." Chen Yue smiled bitterly, his face still pale, but the fear in his eyes seemed genuine.

The members of the Chen family exchanged glances. Chen Yue's explanation seemed plausible at first glance, but upon closer inspection, it was full of oddities.

However, the fact that the thieves chose to rob Chen Yue, who was only just able to refine the Blood-Activating Pill, instead of targeting Lin Quan, who had higher skills, is itself very strange.

Chen Jing looked at Chen Yue with a deep gaze, as if trying to discern something from his face.

"Are you frightened? Are you injured?" Chen Jing asked in a gentler tone.

"Thank you for your concern, Patriarch. It's just some scratches, nothing serious," Chen Yue said in a low voice.

"Um,"

Chen Jing nodded and instructed the person beside him, "Someone, take Master Chen down to rest, find a doctor to see him, and prepare some calming medicine."

"Yes." Immediately, a servant stepped forward and respectfully led Chen Yue away from the front yard to the prepared side room.

After Chen Yue's figure disappeared at the end of the corridor, the atmosphere in the front yard became heavy again.

"What do you all think?" Chen Jing asked, scanning the crowd.

A steward stroked his beard and pondered, "This matter is quite strange. The thieves had a clear target: Chen Yue. Yet, they were intercepted just as they were about to succeed. Is it a case of someone stalking the mantis while unaware of the oriole behind?"

"Chen Yue's explanation is not too far off. It's just that someone happened to help him, which is a bit too coincidental," another manager said.

Chen Jing looked at Chen Yuqing, who had remained silent, and asked, "Yuqing, what do you think? You've had the most contact with him."

Chen Yuqing raised her head, her gaze still fixed on the direction Chen Yue had left, and slowly said, "Uncle, I also feel that there are many suspicious points in this matter, but I still don't understand the specifics."

However, given the recent attacks on Huichuntang, my niece suggested that we immediately bring Master Lin and Chen Yue to our residence. This would ensure their safety and guarantee the supply of medicinal pills. Secondly, it would allow us to observe them from a nearby perspective.

Chen Jing nodded slowly. Chen Yuqing's suggestion was the safest course of action at present.

He had already investigated Chen Yue's background: his parents had died early, he was all alone, and he had started as an apprentice at Huichuntang. His origins were impeccable. Perhaps tonight was just good luck, coupled with some internal strife within the thieves' ranks?

However, just as he was about to give the order, a guard rushed into the front yard, his voice trembling slightly: "Master! Something terrible has happened! Chief Li Lie... he's been found dead in Willow Lane in the west of the city!"

"What?!"

"Li Lie is dead?"

The front yard erupted in chaos. Li Lie, one of the Chen family's most capable men, was dead?

Chen Yuqing's pretty face instantly turned pale, and a trace of lingering fear flashed in her eyes. She hesitated to return to the pharmacy because she felt uneasy and worried that something else might have happened there.

As it turned out, something really did happen!