Chapter Twelve: The So-Called Cultivator

“Uncle Zhong!”

Tu Lu shouted explosively.

At that roar, Zhong Dahai’s body shuddered, as if startled awake. His senses returned, but the tears in his eyes flowed all the more uncontrollably, pouring down like rain.

He looked at Tu Lu with an expression that shifted between guilt and hatred, until, at last, he crouched on the ground, clutching his head.

“It’s all you, you demon, you jinx! If not for you, those fiends wouldn’t have come to the slums, no one would’ve died—it's all your fault, all because of you…”

Zhong Dahai murmured on, his voice not loud, but how could it escape Tu Lu’s notice now?

It felt as if a fissure had been violently torn open in Tu Lu’s heart; his mind buzzed, and he stood frozen.

He had considered many things before coming here—why Uncle Zhong had helped lure him, and had even found excuses for him in his heart—but he never imagined it would be like this!

For a moment, he almost believed… it really was his fault.

“No, there are indeed things I handled poorly, but… that's not a mistake. The fault lies with them!”

With that thought, he suddenly looked up. His gaze toward the Chief Steward turned utterly cold.

“Judging by your expression, you don’t intend to hand over the Thunder Stones, do you?”

The Chief Steward narrowed his eyes. “I told you, those things… don’t belong to you!”

As his words fell, the eighteen Shadow Guards moved in unison, exuding an oppressive aura.

But at this moment, Tu Lu also narrowed his eyes. Then, he suddenly chuckled, the sound oddly eerie in the current atmosphere.

“What are you laughing at?” The Chief Steward’s brow furrowed.

Tu Lu shook his head, waiting a moment before speaking. “Nothing. I just think you… aren’t very bright. Knowing I had so many Thunder Stones, and that I’ve been gone for half a day, do you really think… the Thunder Stones are still on me?”

He didn’t wait for the Chief Steward to reply; Tu Lu snorted coldly, his expression turning icy. “Your information is clearly lacking. Let me tell you, those Thunder Stones were traded away by me at the Dragon Pavilion, causing an uproar. Since they belong to the City Lord’s mansion, go ask Dragon Pavilion for them!”

“What did you say?” The Chief Steward’s expression changed.

“Nine Locks True Spirit Art—Open!”

At that instant, Tu Lu shouted, his terrifying vital energy exploding. His body shot forward like a cannonball; before the Chief Steward could react, Tu Lu pierced through the encirclement of the eighteen Shadow Guards and charged straight at him!

“Die!” Tu Lu struck with his palm.

“Not good!”

“Protect the Chief Steward!”

The dozen burly men flanking the Chief Steward were horrified and rushed to intervene.

“Out of my way!”

But Tu Lu had no intention of dealing with them. With his other hand, he clenched his fist and punched. The terrifying force sent them spitting blood and flying several meters away before they even touched him!

As Tu Lu punched, the Chief Steward finally reacted. Facing Tu Lu’s palm strike, his scalp tingled and a sense of unprecedented mortal peril surged within him.

Impossible!

He was stunned, but his body moved swiftly, retreating step by step. With a decisive push, he unleashed his strongest technique.

A massive millstone appeared in midair.

“Millstone Technique!”

His eyes reddened as he shouted fiercely.

“Even the Great Millstone won’t save you today!”

Tu Lu’s expression was cold as he struck at the millstone’s phantom. His palm fell, and with a thunderous crash, the millstone shadow lasted only an instant before shattering. Yet Tu Lu’s face changed as well, for under the massive millstone, he actually felt his vital energy tremble and his steps faltered—he was lightly injured!

He was now a Mountain-Moving realm cultivator, his vital energy far surpassing mortals, his strength measured in thousands of pounds; ordinary men were no match for him. But the Chief Steward had blocked his palm!

He didn’t know it, but on the other side, the Chief Steward was terrified.

At the moment the millstone shadow broke, his body shriveled, most of his vital essence lost, and he suffered severe backlash—blood streaming from every orifice…

Tu Lu stepped forward and easily seized him by the throat.

“You… you’re actually a cultivator!”

Though heavily wounded, the Chief Steward had not yet died. He stared at Tu Lu, incredulous.

He’d investigated Tu Lu thoroughly in the past half day—just a poor boy from the slums. Even if he had some stroke of luck and became a cultivator… it was impossible!

“When did I ever say I wasn’t a cultivator?” Tu Lu sneered.

The Chief Steward spat a mouthful of blood—out of sheer anger.

“Enough talk. Now be honest: my sister… did you catch her? And those you captured—where are they now?”

Hearing this, the Chief Steward’s eyes flashed. He was about to answer, but Tu Lu’s expression turned cold; he spun and punched, sending a ripple through the air. A distant scream rang out as a fleeing burly man was sent flying, fate uncertain!

“Trying to run? Did you ask me first?”

Tu Lu’s gaze was icy as he turned back to the Chief Steward. The Chief Steward’s face changed, and he hurriedly said, “Your sister’s fine! She escaped before we arrived!”

Seeing Tu Lu about to act, the Chief Steward suddenly shrieked, “You—you can’t kill me! I’m the Chief Steward of the City Lord’s mansion, overseeing three hundred servants! If you kill me, the City Lord will never spare you!”

Right, right! If you let me live, I’ll teach you the Great Millstone Secret Art, and the Eighteen Shadow Guard Formation—don’t underestimate them for only trapping Peak Martial Warriors; that’s because my strength is lacking. If you control them, even Mountain-Moving realm cultivators can be trapped!

And the Eighteen Shadow Guard Formation requires many corpses to forge with secret arts. You asked where the captured people went? They’re right there! If you spare me, I’ll give them to you!

“You mean… all these shadows were made from people in my slum?” Tu Lu stared, his eyes bloodshot, enunciating each word.

The Chief Steward froze. Seeing Tu Lu’s gaze, his heart turned icy.

He realized… he’d said the wrong thing!

“You… deserve death!”

Before he could say more, Tu Lu growled, tightened his grip, and snapped his neck!

“No—!”

The Chief Steward’s mouth gaped, eyes bulging, as if wanting to speak, but the sound was abruptly cut off…

Tu Lu dropped the Chief Steward and staggered upright.

It was, in the true sense, his first kill. He felt as if something inside him had been lost, but in his eyes was not a hint of regret. Not because he was cold, but because he truly believed—the Chief Steward was too wicked!

In fact, from the moment he revealed the Thunder Stones trade, he had no intention of leaving any witnesses.

Because his identity must remain hidden, at least until he broke through to the Sea-Filling realm… it could not be revealed!

At first, it was anger that drove him, but now, he felt his actions were justified.

He turned his gaze to the dozen burly men who had followed the Chief Steward…

Moments later, he left the front courtyard and entered the back.

The eighteen Shadow Guards had already been buried; such things, no matter how powerful, he could never use. As for the dozen burly men, he had crippled them completely and handed them over to Uncle Zhong. The outcome… needed no explanation.

Because he knew, Uncle Zhong resented him, but his hatred for the Chief Steward’s group was even greater. He had been powerless to resist before, but that did not mean he didn’t wish to!

However, the instant Tu Lu entered the back courtyard, his expression suddenly changed!

Something’s wrong!

He halted abruptly, breath catching, an unprecedented sense of danger enveloping his heart. Without hesitation, he activated the Dragon Order’s defenses.