C5 The Night Was Dark and Windy and It Was Easy to Make a Move

"I hear you've been running wild lately, even went so far as to break my sworn brother's hand?"

The burly man closed in, reeking of body odor.

"That was me." Su Ping'an wrinkled his nose.

"Well then, how about I break one of your hands and a leg to make it up to my brother?"

"Oh."

"What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?" The burly man assumed Su Ping'an was intimidated by his presence and stepped closer.

"Are you going to leave on your own, or do I need to help you?" Su Ping'an was puzzled.

After all, he was the sect master's prized disciple.

Why would this brute come looking for trouble?

"You little pest!" The burly man sneered and swung at Su Ping'an!

His palm strike thundered through the air, aimed to kill!

"Not very polite, are you!" Su Ping'an retorted with a cold laugh, his elbow striking out first.

In a flash, a gust of wind howled like a dragon's roar!

"Ah!"

The burly man didn't have time to react before he was sent flying with a scream of agony!

"You! You!"

He lay curled up on the ground, gasping for air, clearly on his last breath.

"Ghosts! There are ghosts!"

Seeing this, Song Qingyuan couldn't stay put. He shook like a leaf and bolted down the mountain in a frenzy.

"Who said you could leave?"

Su Ping'an sneered, his spiritual energy flaring as he pulled Song Qingyuan back in front of him.

"Spare me!"

Song Qingyuan never imagined he'd meet his end within the sect over a petty argument.

He died with his pupils dilated in terror.

Su Ping'an didn't bother with the clean-up; he simply called for Elder Chen, confident that this minor issue wouldn't be a problem for him.

"My lord, you truly are..."

Elder Chen was taken aback by the gruesome scene and inwardly relieved he hadn't crossed Su Ping'an.

"Don't ask questions, don't speak out of turn. Understood?"

That night, a figure in black infiltrated the Pill Sect's Herb Garden.

It was Su Ping'an.

He fashioned a mask to resemble Song Qingyuan and upon entering, swiftly knocked out several Pill Sect disciples without uttering a single word.

He made a beeline for the Herb Garden.

"Looks like it's finally time to put this to good use..."

Pulling a small pouch from his pocket, he unfolded it to reveal a surprisingly spacious interior, spanning dozens of square meters.

Inside lay a trove of treasures, the spoils of Su Ping'an's years as a bandit.

Such space bags were a rarity in this world.

Su Ping'an himself, despite three years of plundering goods and raiding landlords, had never come across such an item until it was bestowed upon him by the system on his tenth heist.

After ensuring there were no enchantments or barriers in the vicinity, Su Ping'an set about his looting spree with urgency and precision.

Time was of the essence, and the stakes were high!

Worried about unexpected interruptions, he worked up a sweat, barely allowing himself to catch a breath.

The medicinal garden sprawled over a thousand square meters.

Initially, Su Ping'an handled the herbs with care, gingerly placing them into his bag.

But as time pressed on, he channeled his spiritual energy, conjuring two massive hands that rapidly shoveled the herbs inside.

Luckily, the herbs were compact enough to fit into the capacious bag.

By morning, the Elite Wound Sect was in utter disarray.

The garden, meticulously nurtured by the sect master and elders for decades, was reduced to ashes in a single night.

But Su Ping'an remained indifferent to the turmoil.

The next day, he emerged nonchalant, strolling and surveying the scene as if nothing had happened.

Upon reaching the now heavily guarded medicinal garden, he feigned ignorance.

"Senior Brother, what seems to be the trouble?" he inquired with a smile.

"There's been a disturbance in the Pill Sect. A thief has made off with a trove of medicinal herbs!"

"Really? Do you know who this capable thief is?"

Inside, Su Yang was amused, though his expression remained stoic.

"The culprit is Song Qingyuan from the Pill Sect. Why do you ask?" The disciple responded curtly.

"Oh, Senior Brother Qingyuan? I had a chat with him just a few days ago. Never would have guessed he had such a duplicitous nature."

Shaking his head, Su Ping'an tsk-tsked in feigned disbelief and sighed.

"It's you! Right? It has to be you! Where's my Junior Brother?!"

Suddenly, Hee Wudao burst forth from within the Pill Sect, his face beet red, charging straight at Su Ping'an.

"Why would I know where your Junior Brother is?" Su Ping'an remained unfazed as Hee Wudao grabbed his collar, and he coolly warned, "Let go, or you'll have only yourself to blame."

Under Su Ping'an's intimidating gaze, the fury in Hee Wudao's eyes diminished by a third, and he hesitated to advance further, ultimately releasing his grip.

"Wudao? What's the situation here?"

Sect Master Yang Qingtian emerged from behind a door, eyeing the pair before posing his question.

"Master! The medicinal garden's been robbed, and this kid's definitely involved!" Hee Wudao said with a cold laugh. "He had a dispute with Junior Brother Song Qingyuan and me a few days ago. He's surely the one who stole the herbs and pinned it on Junior Brother!"

Su Ping'an gave a slight smile. "Senior Brother Hee, you shouldn't make baseless accusations. With the medicinal garden robbed, where could I possibly hide such a quantity of herbs within the sect?"

"You!" Hee Wudao was livid, "It's got to be in his quarters!"

Su Ping'an just smiled, while Yang Qingtian sighed, his gaze towards Su Ping'an flickering with uncertainty. "The sect has already turned every disciple's quarters upside down and found nothing..."

"Junior Brother Song couldn't have done this. He's always with me, and his conduct is impeccable. He would never commit such an act!"

Hee Wudao's glare at Su Ping'an was laced with venom.

"What a farce! You claim Song is always at your side, yet you have no clue where he is now?" Su Ping'an retorted with a mocking tone.

"Don't push me too far!" Hee Wudao's face reddened further, his body shaking with rage.

"Pushing you too far?" Su Ping'an scoffed. "If you're so inseparable from Song Yuanyuan, even to the extent of accompanying each other to the latrine, then enlighten us, in the presence of the sect master, where is Song Yuanyuan now?"

Unbeknownst to Hee Wudao, Song Yuanqing had already met his end at the hands of Su Ping'an. He faintly recalled his junior brother mentioning a plan to confront Su Ping'an.

He remained tight-lipped about the issue, adhering to the disciple's prohibition against private duels. Speaking up would only put him at a disadvantage.

"You two seem to be thick as thieves. Could it be that you had a hand in the herb theft as well?" Su Ping'an said with a cold laugh.

"I trust that Sect Master Yang will thoroughly investigate this matter. It would be unwise to harbor a threat so close," Su Ping'an hinted with a meaningful tone.

"That's enough. I will, of course, look into it!" Yang Qingtian declared, casting a chilly glance at the pair before he turned on his heel and strode away.

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