To be on the safe side, Zhou Changqing decided against confronting the "visitor" in the courtyard directly.
He circulated his gold-attribute Dou Qi, letting it surge from his Dantian. It flowed downward, coursing through the meridians in his legs until it reached the acupoints in the soles of his feet.
Then, he turned and slipped away as light as a feather, not making the slightest sound.
Though he hadn't yet cultivated any Dou Techniques, Zhou Changqing was still proficient in the basic applications of Dou Qi. By infusing the acupoints in his feet, he could control his strength with perfect precision. He could even channel the Dou Qi through his shoes, forming a thin, protective layer on the soles that reduced friction with the ground, completely silencing his footsteps.
As for why he didn't use his lightning-attribute Dou Qi, it was simply too volatile. It would have been faster, but it also would have made far too much noise.
…
In the small courtyard, a young man with a scarred face sat at the stone table, sipping tea with an impatient scowl.
"Damn it, why isn't that little bastard back yet? This shouldn't be happening. No matter how slow he is, he should've made it back from the marketplace by now."
Muttering a vicious curse, the scar-faced youth felt the urge to smash his teacup on the table. But after a moment's thought, he restrained himself to avoid making any noise that might alert his prey. What if the kid happened to be returning right now and was scared off by the sound?
"Making me wait this long… When that little bastard gets back, I'm going to make him suffer!"
The youth's eyes grew colder and more sinister.
He had no idea that on the roof of the bedroom behind him, a pair of bright eyes was watching his every move.
…
"Leli? So it's this fucking idiot. And here I was thinking I'd attracted some powerful enemy."
Lying flat on the roof, Zhou Changqing looked down at the youth by the stone table and instantly recognized him. A wave of relief washed over him.
In his mind, he had imagined the intruder to be at least a Dou Shi, or at the very least, a Dou Zhe. He never expected it to be a small-fry punk who hadn't even reached the Dou Zhe rank. Of course, that didn't mean his earlier caution had been for nothing.
But now that he knew who it was, there was no longer a need to hide. He wasn't sure why this idiot was here, but it certainly wasn't for anything good. Leli had tried to cause trouble for him many times in the past. While he'd never succeeded in causing any real harm, he had been incredibly annoying.
This was the perfect opportunity to get rid of him for good.
With that thought, Zhou Changqing silently slipped off the roof and vaulted over the eastern courtyard wall. He made his landing deliberately clumsy, his feet hitting the ground with a solid, heavy impact.
Thud!
"Who's there!"
Startled by the sound, Leli shot to his feet and whipped his head toward the noise, just in time to see a figure drop down from the wall.
The sudden sound made his heart hammer in his chest. As the saying goes, a guilty conscience needs no accuser. He was here to commit a crime, and his nerves were already shot. The noise nearly made him jump out of his skin.
But when he got a clear look at the person who had come over the wall, his shock turned into wild joy.
"Hahaha! Scared the hell out of me. I was wondering who it could be, but it's just you, you little bastard!"
Leli shot a savage grin at the youth standing by the wall. In an instant, he pieced together why Zhou Changqing had climbed the wall to get in. The kid must have sensed someone was in the courtyard and was trying to sneak in for a surprise attack. After all, Leli had been sitting with his back to the eastern wall, leaving it in his blind spot.
Unfortunately for the kid, he was too weak to even climb a wall properly, making a racket like that. Leli had to admit, the boy had some awareness, but not much.
Across the yard, as if to confirm Leli's theory, a flash of chagrin crossed Zhou Changqing's face.
But just as quickly, his expression returned to its usual calm as he stared coldly at Leli. "What are you doing here?"
"Damn it, are you brainless, you little bastard? Can't you see who's in charge here? You dare to question me!"
Leli couldn't help but erupt in a stream of curses. He was losing his cool. The kid wasn't showing the fear and panic he'd expected. Instead, he was as cold and detached as always.
Besides his face, the thing Leli hated most about Zhou Changqing was that proud, aloof attitude—that look that said nothing in the world was worth his attention.
Why!
Why did this little bastard get a face that could charm thousands of women, while he was stuck with a scarred mess? Why did this weakling dare to look down on everyone?
Today, he was going to destroy that pretty face, break all his limbs, and then toss him into a cesspit to die in filth and humiliation!
As he pictured torturing Zhou Changqing to his last breath, a twisted, sadistic smile spread across Leli's face. He picked up the large saber he had placed on the stone table, drew the blade, and began walking toward Zhou Changqing, one slow step at a time.
As he closed the distance, Leli laughed like a madman. "Little bastard, you're a dead man today, but I'm a merciful guy, so I'll let you know why you're dying."
"I'm here for the four thousand gold coins you're carrying!"
"You're one lucky bastard, aren't you? Picking up a priceless saber from who knows where and selling it for a fortune."
"Too bad you don't understand that you shouldn't flash your wealth. Now, it's all mine for the taking."
"Don't worry. As a reward for holding onto my money for me, I won't let you die too quickly. I'll let you 'live' a little longer!"
By the time he finished speaking, Leli was less than three meters from Zhou Changqing. At that moment, all the jealousy and hatred in his heart seemed to melt away. He could already imagine the wonderful life he would lead after he dealt with Zhou Changqing, spending that huge sum of money however he pleased. He had recently heard that the Spring Blossom Pavilion had a new top courtesan who was exceptionally succulent, a woman who could melt a man's bones and make him forget to go home.
After today, he would definitely go have a taste and see if she was as exquisite as the rumors claimed.
Swish!
"Urk!"
Before Leli could even make a move, he felt a sudden gust of wind rush past his face. The next second, a suffocating pressure clamped down on him as his neck was seized in an iron grip.
As Leli stared in disbelief, a sharp *crack* echoed in the air, and his head was twisted at a ninety-degree angle.
"You really are a brainless fucking idiot. The king of all clowns. Don't you know villains always die from talking too much?"
"And you, a twenty-year-old piece of trash who's only at 9-Duan Dou Zhi Qi, you dare to commit a home invasion robbery? Are you always this brave?"
"Even I, a Dou Zhe, wouldn't dare do something so reckless!"
"Hmph!"
Staring down at Leli's lifeless body, Zhou Changqing spat on the ground with a string of curses. It had to be said, he had been almost excessively cautious, feigning weakness to set up a surprise attack against a mere 9-Duan Dou Zhi Qi practitioner.
He tossed the corpse aside and turned toward his bedroom. His mood was a strange mix of exhilaration and annoyance. He was thrilled to have finally crushed this disgusting toad, but now he had to deal with the body.
Fortunately, he had barely used any strength and hadn't drawn a weapon, so at least he didn't have to clean up the courtyard. Because there was no blood, he felt nothing more than a slight sense of unease. It was his first time killing someone, but he felt no other discomfort. After all, this wasn't the day he had just transmigrated; he'd had fifteen years to adapt to the rules of this world.