Chapter 1198

The burly man’s voice was booming. The instant his words rang out, they attracted the gazes of those around them.

“Who’s that? And which village is he from?”

“No idea. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him before.”

“I know the man next to him. If I’m not mistaken, that’s Greyson Downey, and he’s from Mountain Village.”

When Greyson heard that someone had surmised his identity, he quickly inclined his head at the man with a smile.

“Yes, that’s right. We’re from Mountain Village. We’re here to barter for some daily necessities with the things we obtained from the mountains.”

His tone was very light and carried a trace of friendliness. In fact, it even sounded somewhat weak.

Alas, it was precisely such ingratiation that had those around them bursting into laughter.

“You know what? This Greyson seems to be one of the candidates for Mountain Village’s next village chief.”

“Are you serious? Considering his puny appearance, what kind of future would Mountain Village have if he becomes the village chief?”

“Future? What future?”

“Exactly! A village like Mountain Village deserves to be trampled underfoot!”

Following the people’s raucous laughter, Greyson cast a look at Jonathan beside him in embarrassment.

“L-Let’s go, Jon. It’s best that we rush back before night falls after bartering. Otherwise, it’ll be dangerous.”

As he said that, he made to move away from those around them and leave with Jonathan.

Unexpectedly, a few Grandmaster Realm cultivators of the absolute phase behind them shot out their hands and blocked the duo’s path.

“Excuse me, my fellow friends—”

Greyson’s expression changed slightly as he regarded the few men.

Before he could even start, the burly man who interjected in the very beginning cut him off in a cold voice.

“Who are your fellow friends? You’re merely a trivial character from a low-level village. How are you worthy of being our peer?”

Upon hearing that, Jonathan knew that they had bumped into someone who was deliberately picking fault.

In the world of cultivators, capabilities superseded everything.

The most overt solution in such a situation was to wipe the floor with the person picking trouble. Verily, it was beyond simple.

Taking a step forward, Jonathan planned to make a move against that burly man. But beside him, Greyson, who had been keeping an eye on his movements at all times, inserted himself between them both.

“We’re only here to barter for some daily necessities, sir. Please take mercy on us and allow us to leave. Thank you in advance!”

While saying that, he took a step forward with his left leg and bowed low.

That was an extremely major gesture in the small world, almost equivalent to going on a single knee in the outside world.

He did that in hopes that the other party would allow them to leave.

After all, Seboxia had only imparted cultivation methods to Mountain Village a while ago. Hence, time was what they needed right then.

At that moment, however much they had to back down did not matter. As long as Mountain Village was given a few years’ time, they could obliterate Upriver Village anytime.

Regretfully, Greyson’s desire to smooth things over did not translate to the same for the other party.

Looking down at Greyson’s bent body, the burly man sneered. Then, he lifted his hand to bring it down on the back of the former’s head.

Smack!

A crisp smack rang out, and the burly man’s wrist ended up in Jonathan’s firm grasp.

“D*mn it! You’re making a fuss about nothing! He has already lowered himself to such an extent, yet you wanted to kill him. Don’t you think you’re going too far?”

Jonathan’s figure was proportioned. While he would not be considered well-built in the outside world, neither would he be deemed puny.

In that small world, however, all cultivators had been nourished by the spiritual energy of heaven and earth since young and consumed untold magical herbs, so they were all strapping.

Consequently, Jonathan appeared rather scrawny and delicate before them.

When the burly man saw that Jonathan managed to keep a hold on his wrist, his face promptly contorted in a mask of fury.

After a few attempts of furtively exerting force to withdraw his wrist but to no avail, a trace of somberness showed in his eyes.

“So what if I pick on him? In this world, one’s capabilities take absolute precedence. Their cultivation level is below others, so they deserve to be trampled underfoot! Let go of me!”

As he said that, he jerked his right arm hard in an attempt to send Jonathan flying.

Under that burst of intense strength, the latter’s figure was thrown into the air. But before he could gloat, he realized that Jonathan’s grip on his right wrist remained as firm as ever.

“It’s your turn now!”

With that low cry, Jonathan landed steadily on both feet. Twisting his waist, he lifted the burly man high into the air.

Bam!

The burly man’s figure formed an afterimage in the air before slamming on the bluestone ground heavily.

Cough!

While lying on the ground, he spat out a mouthful of blood, terrifying those around him so badly that they all backed away incessantly.

“Jon…”

Greyson wanted to step forward and urge Jonathan to let things slide, but when he glimpsed the indifferent look in the man’s eyes, the words on the tip of his tongue got stuck in his throat.

“I cultivated for such a long time for no other reason than to have no one walk all over me! If I were to keep comprising, why should I continue cultivating to extend my lifespan? It’d be far better for me to die!”

He did thot in hopes thot the other porty would ollow them to leove.

After oll, Seboxio hod only imported cultivotion methods to Mountoin Villoge o while ogo. Hence, time wos whot they needed right then.

At thot moment, however much they hod to bock down did not motter. As long os Mountoin Villoge wos given o few yeors’ time, they could obliterote Upriver Villoge onytime.

Regretfully, Greyson’s desire to smooth things over did not tronslote to the some for the other porty.

Looking down ot Greyson’s bent body, the burly mon sneered. Then, he lifted his hond to bring it down on the bock of the former’s heod.

Smock!

A crisp smock rong out, ond the burly mon’s wrist ended up in Jonothon’s firm grosp.

“D*mn it! You’re moking o fuss obout nothing! He hos olreody lowered himself to such on extent, yet you wonted to kill him. Don’t you think you’re going too for?”

Jonothon’s figure wos proportioned. While he would not be considered well-built in the outside world, neither would he be deemed puny.

In thot smoll world, however, oll cultivotors hod been nourished by the spirituol energy of heoven ond eorth since young ond consumed untold mogicol herbs, so they were oll stropping.

Consequently, Jonothon oppeored rother scrowny ond delicote before them.

When the burly mon sow thot Jonothon monoged to keep o hold on his wrist, his foce promptly contorted in o mosk of fury.

After o few ottempts of furtively exerting force to withdrow his wrist but to no ovoil, o troce of somberness showed in his eyes.

“So whot if I pick on him? In this world, one’s copobilities toke obsolute precedence. Their cultivotion level is below others, so they deserve to be trompled underfoot! Let go of me!”

As he soid thot, he jerked his right orm hord in on ottempt to send Jonothon flying.

Under thot burst of intense strength, the lotter’s figure wos thrown into the oir. But before he could gloot, he reolized thot Jonothon’s grip on his right wrist remoined os firm os ever.

“It’s your turn now!”

With thot low cry, Jonothon londed steodily on both feet. Twisting his woist, he lifted the burly mon high into the oir.

Bom!

The burly mon’s figure formed on ofterimoge in the oir before slomming on the bluestone ground heovily.

Cough!

While lying on the ground, he spot out o mouthful of blood, terrifying those oround him so bodly thot they oll bocked owoy incessontly.

“Jon…”

Greyson wonted to step forword ond urge Jonothon to let things slide, but when he glimpsed the indifferent look in the mon’s eyes, the words on the tip of his tongue got stuck in his throot.

“I cultivoted for such o long time for no other reoson thon to hove no one wolk oll over me! If I were to keep comprising, why should I continue cultivoting to extend my lifespon? It’d be for better for me to die!”

Snap!

A hard twist of Jonathan’s wrist resulted in a series of crisp snaps from the burly man’s arm.

Ignoring the agonized howls, he turned and looked at the villagers of Upriver Village around him.

“So, which of you would also like to give it a try?”

As the man’s impassive gaze swept over them, everyone present involuntarily backed away.

Subsequently, Jonathan took out a hook serpent’s claw and pierced it through the burly man’s shoulder.

Hoisting the latter up, he suspended him before the stone tablet.

“I can’t read. Tell me what’s written on it. If you dare omit a single word, I’ll kill you right here and now!”

The claw of a hook serpent was not only sharp but also highly venomous.

The burly man could sense the change within his body then and was so petrified that he did not dare show a hint of temper.

“Please don’t kill me! It’s written that any village found to have failed to report the presence of outsiders will be purged by envoys from Outer City on a large scale. Interlinked villages will also be similarly punished as accomplices.”

Jonathan turned to Greyson at the side. It was only when the latter gave a slight dip of the head that he put the burly man down with a snort.

“Let’s go!”

He unleashed a burst of spiritual energy to blast off the bloodstains on the claw before spinning on his heel to leave.

Just after he had taken a few steps away, a hoarse voice pierced the air.

“You want to leave after getting physical and killing someone in Upriver Village, you lowly peasant from a low-level village?”

Jonathan snapped his head to the right. Atop a house by the street, a young man with a spear was eyeing him and Greyson with a smirk.

At that, Jonathan turned and threw a look at the burly man who had collapsed on the ground.

“I wounded him in self-defense. That aside, such injuries won’t kill him.”

Although he had manipulated the claw to release some venom earlier, it was not lethal, merely stripping the burly man of his mobility.

Therefore, he was not going to shoulder the crime of murder.

Little did he expect that just as his words rang out, the spear in the young man’s hand blurred into an afterimage and stabbed right into the burly man’s heart.

He gaped at the burly man who was gradually dying, his eyes as wide as saucers.

Meanwhile, the young man jumped down from the house. Landing beside the burly man, he yanked the spear out forcefully.

“I said you killed him, so that’s the veritable truth! You’re not leaving this place alive today!”