Zhao Ya reached out and grasped the exposed arrow tail, using considerable force to pull it out from the tree.
The crossbow arrow was just over twenty centimeters long, entirely pitch black, also made of some unknown metal. It felt heavy in the hand, quite burdensome to hold.
Zhao Ya examined it closely for a while and discovered the arrowhead was cross-shaped and incredibly sharp. It had pierced through several big trees without sustaining any damage.
This, too, should be a masterpiece from the Mechanical Sect.
Seeing this, Zhao Ya found himself increasingly intrigued by the Mechanical Sect because this crossbow arrow represented extremely advanced metal refining craftsmanship.
Paired with this hand crossbow which resembled black technology, Zhao Ya was really curious to know what else the people from the Mechanical Sect could not accomplish.
After some probing, Zhao Ya successfully strapped the hand crossbow to his arm and carefully inserted the crossbow arrow into the launch hole.
As gears turned and the spring tightened, the crossbow arrow was reloaded.
Moreover, a safety switch was thoughtfully installed at the wrist to prevent accidental firing.
With this hand crossbow, Zhao Ya significantly compensated for his weakness in long-distance attacks.
Though there was only one crossbow arrow, if used properly, it could play a decisive role at a critical moment.
Zhao Ya toyed with it, unable to let it go, and only then returned satisfied.
Meanwhile, Hei Yunzi lay in the snow, still struggling to mobilize his Qi blood, trying to escape from this place.
Although the process was arduous, persistent efforts yielded some results.
His originally scattered Qi blood was partly consolidated, and his left leg and right hand finally regained some sensation.
Hei Yunzi rejoiced, although most of his bones and tendons were severely injured, any slight movement caused intense pain, yet compared to his life, this pain was insignificant.
With tenacious willpower, Hei Yunzi gradually moved his body.
He remembered there’s a gentle slope not too far ahead. If he could climb there, he could roll down the mountain by inertia, greatly increasing his chance of escaping alive.
Clinging to this hope, Hei Yunzi grinded his teeth and moved, but then a cold wind blew, followed by a soft sigh heard beside him.
"Why bother? Even when your legs were fine you couldn’t outrun me, let alone now."
Upon hearing this voice, Hei Yunzi felt his blood freeze instantly.
His worst fear had come true.
When he managed to turn his head with difficulty, he saw a tall and elegant youth standing there.
Although the facial features were very similar to the man earlier, this youth appeared younger.
Hei Yunzi showed a confused expression.
Zhao Ya knew that Hei Yunzi was puzzled by the change in his appearance.
After all, he had only been gone for a little over a quarter-hour, yet significant transformations occurred on him. Anyone would be bewildered.
He was too lazy to explain and walked over to Hei Yunzi.
"Actually, I didn’t want to kill you. After all, capturing you alive and bringing you back might earn me more rewards from the sect. But now, I can’t let you live."
He had obtained the hand crossbow and a large amount of Grade Eight dried meat from Hei Yunzi, all things that must remain undisclosed.
Though the Azure Dragon Temple has an unwritten rule that items acquired during missions are extra rewards for the executor and won’t be intervened upon much, this situation was different. The hand crossbow captured this time was a rare big weapon. Zhao Ya intended to use it as his secret weapon.
Therefore, Hei Yunzi naturally couldn’t be kept.
If Hei Yunzi were brought back and disclosed the events, wouldn’t that expose Zhao Ya directly?
Upon hearing Zhao Ya’s words, Hei Yunzi appeared utterly hopeless but ultimately didn’t utter a plea.
He also knew that words were useless at this stage.
After all, he had lived well these past few years; he wouldn’t consider it a loss even if he died.
But there was one thing he wanted to know before dying.
"Could you tell me your name, let me die knowing?" Hei Yunzi asked sternly.
Seeing Hei Yunzi so dignified even facing death, Zhao Ya chuckled, drew the Cold Iron Saber, and abruptly said two words.
"No way!"
After speaking, the saber swung like the wind and instantly sliced through Hei Yunzi’s neck.
Hei Yunzi was startled, not expecting the youth in front of him to act so unpredictably.
Logically speaking, shouldn’t he say a few empty words to demonstrate his prowess?
Why did he immediately draw his saber?
But these questions were quickly crushed by the encroaching darkness.
A line of blood spread on his neck, and his head was sent flying by the gushing blood.
Zhao Ya caught the airborne head, dodged away from the blood, and then looked at Hei Yunzi’s head.
His face still held the shock and bewilderment of his dying moment.
Zhao Ya remarked blandly, "Whether knowledgeable ghost or not, dead is dead, there’s no need for so many trifles."
Although Zhao Ya had not encountered any paranormal incidents since his crossing, who could guarantee there were no sinister arts in this world?
If this guy learned his name and then used some sinister magic, wouldn’t that bring trouble to himself?
Even if there was the slightest possibility, Zhao Ya was unwilling to take that risk.
Hei Yunzi’s belongings had already been thoroughly looted by Zhao Ya, so Zhao Ya ignored the corpse on the ground. He only took off Hei Yunzi’s outer garment and wrapped the head within.