Chapter 40: Dealing with Aftermath

Bai Yichen quickly adjusted his inner breath, and after recovering slightly, he immediately searched Hei Lin's body. After all, he couldn't afford to let this trophy slip away.

Without wasting time on a thorough inspection, he tore off a piece of black cloth to wrap up the spoils, preparing to leave before the wolf pack arrived. He swiftly made his way back to the county city.

Upon returning to the Daoist temple, Bai Yichen found several Daoists gathered outside his room.

They stood around, staring at the long-dead imposter of Zhang Feiyan and the scene ruined by the Storm Pear Blossom Needles, with no sign of Bai Yichen.

For a moment, they all looked at each other, unsure of what to do.

Bai Yichen thought for a moment and then walked forward.

The bearded Daoist in the lead, upon seeing him, hurried over and, noticing the many sword wounds on Bai Yichen's body, asked with concern, "Daoist Shaochong, are you alright?"

"It's nothing serious. But I've caused trouble for the temple," Bai Yichen replied with a bow.

The bearded Daoist breathed a sigh of relief at his words. After all, this temple had deep connections with Xuanzhen Temple, and since Bai Yichen was a Daoist of Xuanzhen Temple, if something had happened to him here, it would have been a significant problem.

This was precisely the reason why Bai Yichen had chosen to stay at this particular temple.

Bai Yichen then explained briefly, "This person was an assassin from the Heishi organization. Tonight, he disguised himself as Miss Zhang Feiyan from the Zhang family and attempted to harm me. When I exposed him, another assassin from Heishi, who was lying in ambush, attacked. I pursued the second assassin and fought them outside the city."

Bai Yichen also clarified his previous agreement with Master Zhang, matching the details to what he had said when he first arrived at the temple.

After the explanation, Bai Yichen suggested reporting the matter to the authorities.

He had chosen to return to the temple because he was representing Xuanzhen Temple on this trip and needed to handle matters appropriately from beginning to end. Reporting to the authorities was the best course of action. First, it would clear up that the person who died in the temple was a Heishi assassin impersonating Zhang Feiyan, and if anything had indeed happened to the real Zhang Feiyan, it had nothing to do with him.

Second, it would also help to expose Heishi's plot to infiltrate the Zhang family.

This way, even if he met Daoist Nun Momei in the future, it wouldn't be awkward.

If Bai Yichen had just disappeared, there was a chance he could have been framed for the incident.

The bearded Daoist agreed with his suggestion, thinking it wise to report the matter while the scene remained intact. This would document everything properly and prevent future disputes.

Thus, the Daoist arranged for a fellow Daoist to head to the county office to report the incident.

Afterward, Bai Yichen went inside to retrieve his bundle.

He then searched the fake Zhang Feiyan's body but found that, due to her disguise, she didn't carry anything of significant value.

Next, he examined the mechanism of the Storm Pear Blossom Needles, discovering that it was a single-use hidden weapon that was now useless. He couldn't help but feel a little regretful.

Bai Yichen then moved to another room prepared for him by the bearded Daoist to rest and recover.

Before long, the head constable of the county office arrived with several officers. After a round of questioning and investigation, they were shocked by what they uncovered.

Not only did the incident involve the Zhang family, but it was also connected to the Heishi organization and a Daoist from Xuanzhen Temple.

They were especially startled when Bai Yichen warned them that the Zhang family might have been infiltrated by Heishi impostors.

After verifying the facts and confirming that the body in the guest room was not Zhang Feiyan but a Heishi assassin in disguise, the head constable and his officers prepared to report the situation to the county magistrate immediately.

This was no ordinary matter; it involved both a prominent local family and a major force from the martial world, far beyond what they could handle.

Bai Yichen, meanwhile, handed a letter to the bearded Daoist, asking him to send it to Xuanzhen Temple through the temple's network.

Originally, Bai Yichen had planned to inform his temple that he would accompany the Zhang family to Yukun Mountain, but now he reported the events that had transpired instead, reassuring the temple of his safety.

Seeing that the matter had been mostly resolved, Bai Yichen exchanged a few words with the bearded Daoist before departing gracefully.

As the moon shone bright, he rekindled his energy like emerald flames.

After returning to his room, Bai Yichen continued to cultivate using the Yellow Court Yin Talisman scripture, restoring his inner breath and physical strength.

During the battle with Hei Lin, Bai Yichen had nearly exhausted his inner breath and sustained several injuries.

Although he had defended well overall, some stray sword energy had still wounded him.

Moreover, he had continuously used the Dragon Elephant Diamond Strength technique to keep up with Hei Lin, pushing his body to its limits.

To say the least, this battle was indeed perilous. In terms of combat experience, Hei Lin was not necessarily inferior to him, and his strength was even on a higher level.

Years of experience as an assassin allowed his Drizzle Sword Technique to eliminate many cumbersome moves, favoring methods that were more efficient for killing.

Bai Yichen's victory in this fight was largely due to the schemes he had from his previous life, identifying the weaknesses in the Drizzle Sword Technique and transforming them into techniques to counter his enemies.

In fact, Bai Yichen had considered modifying the sword technique himself, embedding hidden weaknesses within it.

However, at that time, many people in the organization had also learned this sword technique, including one who was also an innate master.

Moreover, he didn't possess the talent of a "martial arts genius" back then. Even if he had tried to find flaws in the Drizzle Sword Technique, it would have consumed a lot of his energy, let alone completely reworking a sword technique that had been passed down for many years.

While practicing the Sitting and Forgetting Heart Refinement method, Bai Yichen reflected on the recent battle while focusing on recovering his inner breath to ensure he could adapt to any changes.

After a stick of incense had burned down, Bai Yichen slowly concluded his training. As his eyes opened slightly, they revealed a gleaming brilliance that was captivating and made it hard for others to meet his gaze.

A life-and-death battle indeed nourished his martial path the best. The understanding Hei Lin had of swordsmanship during their fight had contributed to Bai Yichen's own advancement in swordplay through the Sitting and Forgetting Heart Refinement method.

Suddenly, Bai Yichen seemed to think of something and finally had the time to take out the black package he had obtained, opening it to take a look.

The first thing that caught his eye was two sharp swords.

One was a straight sword, its hilt inlaid with a deep blue gemstone. The blade was dark and slender, with the words "Pishui" inscribed on it.

"A fine sword!"

This sword was a level above the one he had taken from An Sha. It was perfect for replacing it.

The other sword needed no introduction.

It was the silver snake soft sword, which had evoked many memories for Bai Yichen and had almost cost him his life before he even completed his mission.

He gently stroked it, observing it closely. This silver snake soft sword should not be the original one from his past; it seemed to have been re-forged by Heishi later.

He now had a backup weapon.

After putting away the two new weapons, Bai Yichen continued with a hint of anticipation.

Next was a purple-gold token, engraved with a long, narrow sword. At a glance, Bai Yichen recognized it as a token used for the Drizzle Sword Technique.

This token must symbolize the chief of Heishi.

He wondered if it also served as a key to a certain secret chamber.

Then he looked at the next item.