"Oh? And here I thought we were being quite discreet," a raspy voice responded from the shadows. Three figures emerged, each wearing dark robes with silver trim – A small moon on their shoulders.
Bai Chen's smile didn't waver. "If you wanted to be discreet, you shouldn't have let your killing intent leak so obviously."
The tallest of the three stepped forward, his face partially hidden beneath a hood. "We saw your performance at the Alchemist Association. Quite impressive for someone so... young."
"I assume this isn't a social call?" Bai Chen asked, casually adjusting his sleeve. His movements appeared relaxed, but his spiritual energy was quietly circulating through his meridians, ready to react at a moment's notice.
"Smart boy," the woman among them spoke, her voice carrying a hint of mockery. "We're here with a proposition from the Silver Moon Faction. One that's significantly more generous than whatever pittance Alchemist Yue offered you."
Bai Chen raised an eyebrow, "And you can't approach me normally because…?"
"Because," the third figure stepped forward, revealing his scar-filled face, "An open invitation leaves room for negotiations, and we don't do that in the Silver Moon Faction."
When Bai Chen heard the third figure's words, he suddenly lost all interest in them. "So you are going to threaten me? How original." He said in a mocking tone.
"Who cares whether we are original or not," The scarred man laughed. "Fifty thousand high-grade spirit stones. Double what Yue offered. Plus, access to our faction's secret pill recipes – ones that haven't been seen outside our vaults in centuries."
"That's quite generous," Bai Chen admitted. "But I've already given my word to Alchemist Yue."
"Words can be broken," the woman once again spoke, "especially when the other outcome is much more undesirable."
"And if I refuse?"
"Then we will make sure that you don't join any other faction, ever." Hearing Bai Chen's words, the tallest one spoke again as he wrapped his hands in front of his chest.
"Three Core Formation Realm martial artists against a single Peak Foundation Establishment martial artist?" Bai Chen finally got bored with playing their game and broke his facade, "Your Silver Moon Faction really knows how to bully the weak."
When the three figures heard Bai Chen's words, their expression changed, and the scarred man's eyes narrowed. "How did you—"
"Know about your cultivation level?" Bai Chen interrupted the man mid-sentence, "The same way I found that you are following me, and the same way I knew this would be the best spot for what's about to come next."
Before the three of them could react, Bai Chen waved his hand, creating a temporay barrier with his spiritual eneergy, blocking their escape route.
"Wha-what?"
When Bai Chen created the barrier, it revealed his true cultivation, scarring the three figures out of their wits.
"I don't usually look for trouble," Bai Chen said with a sigh, "but it always seems to find it way toward me."
"It's like I am the main character of this world or something," he continued to speak, not caring if the three figures heard his words. "Ah, well, since you are already here, no need to leave."
With that, Bai Chen started to release his spiritual pressure, something that was totally dependent on the strength of one's spirit will, pinning the three figures firmly at their place.
Since Bai Chen had handed his sword back to the sect, he didn't have a suitable weapon with him, so he just swung his fist at the scarred-faced man.
When Bai Chen's fist made contact with the man's head, it burst open like a watermelon, with chunks of flesh and brain flying everywhere.
Some of the chunks even flew toward Bai Chen, but he simply manifested a thin barrier to block all of them.
After dealing with the scared face man, Bai Chen disappeared from his spot, appearing next to the woman, grabbing her by the neck.
Snap
With a twist of his hand, he broke her neck and threw her body away like a broken doll.
Finally, he moved toward the tall man but, this time, instead of directly appearing next to him. He moved slowly, taking one step at a time.
Though the distance between them was short, the tall man felt like each step lasted an eternity, and the closer Bai Chen got to him, the closer he felt to death.
He tried to mobilize his spiritual sense, trying to take out his trump card from his storage ring.
But couldn't, his entire being was frozen stiff, as if he was mortal standing in front of a primal beast without any protection. For the first time in a long time, he felt fear, he was scared, extremely scared.
This was the effect brought by the difference in realms, a Core Formation Realm, even if in the same major realm as a Full Core Realm, the difference between them was like heaven and earth.
"S-spa-re m-me."
Just as Bai Chen was about to arrive in front of him, the tall man, just from his sheer will, was able to utter some words.
"Hmm," when Bai Chen heard the plea of the tall man, he raised an eyebrow, surprise coloring his face, "you can still talk? Well, it's all useless. DIE."
With a single punch in the stomach, the tall man's core was destroyed, crippling him on the spot and killing him just a few moments later.
"Damn this feels good," after killing the three figures, Bai Chen clenched his fist as the andriline rushed through his body, "no wonder those MC's from the novels killed just because someone looked at them wrong."
Bai Chen felt the urge to go back to the Alchemist Association and start a killing spree there, but he soon took a deep breath and calmed down.
"I really need to work on my state of mind. Otherwise, if my cover is blown, there would only be endless troubles and no merits," he thought to himself.
"Alright, time to go back." clearing his mind, Bai Chen started moving toward the City lord's mansion.