Chapter 97

As the lanterns were lit, one after another, the escorts walked out of the Fuwei Escort Agency, having just returned from guarding a shipment; most were covered in dust.

Jiang Yi brushed the dust off his body and looked at Kong Yu beside him, "Junior Brother Kong Yu, how about going to my place for a drink? I’ll have your sister-in-law fix us two small dishes, and let’s have some exotic beast meat."

Jiang Yi patted the silver he had just received from the escort agency, his face full of smiles.

Kong Yu’s brows furrowed slightly, "Senior Brother, alcohol and lust are harmful to the body. As martial artists, it’s better to touch less alcohol."

Jiang Yi shook his head, "I failed to ascend the dragon; my cultivation base for this life is basically at this point. It doesn't matter if I quit or not.

If only Senior Brother Zhu Yang were here; he would probably be pulling me along, telling me to walk faster."

Kong Yu said, "Senior Brother Zhu Yang passed away many days ago; why must you still take it so to heart?"

Senior Brother Jiang Yi hadn't been addicted to alcohol before; he only drank occasionally. He knew this was caused by the death of Senior Brother Zhu Yang.

Senior Brother Jiang Yi and Senior Brother Zhu Yang had a deep friendship; Zhu Yang had saved Senior Brother Jiang Yi while guarding a shipment, so Jiang Yi had always held a grudge over Zhu Yang’s death and wanted revenge.

But the martial arts examination strictly forbade revenge, so Senior Brother Jiang Yi could only bury this hatred in his heart.

"Whenever I think that Senior Brother Zhu Yang is dead, and that Xu Yang is still living well, I can't sleep."

Jiang Yi looked at Kong Yu seriously, "Promise me, Senior Brother, that once we go to the Purple Sun Gate, we must find a way to kill Xu Yang and avenge Senior Brother Zhu."

Kong Yu nodded, "Rest assured, Senior Brother Jiang, I will."

Jiang Yi smiled, "Then I can rest easy. With your talent, he will surely die. Go on, I’ll have a couple of drinks and then head back."

"Don't drink too much!"

Kong Yu gave a word of caution and strode away.

"It’s a pity I can't kill you with my own hands, but it’s the same if Junior Brother Kong Yu kills you."

Jiang Yi watched Kong Yu leave, turned, and walked into another street. When he passed a liquor shop, he bought a jar of wine to carry in his hand and bought some cooked food before heading home.

"Who?"

When passing through an alley, Jiang Yi suddenly felt something was wrong. A faint sound of wind came from behind him, approaching him rapidly.

The sound was extremely small; if he hadn't been at the middle stage of Great Completion in Qi Gathering, it would have been almost impossible to detect.

"Clang..."

The wine jar in his hand fell to the ground and shattered, emitting a strong aroma of wine. Jiang Yi’s whole body tensed, and his true qi surged.

He turned around rapidly, and as he threw out a palm, he saw a black shadow rapidly enlarging in his eyes like a ghost, closing in on him at high speed.

"Boom!"

True qi left his palm like a torrent, striking the air and emitting a roar.

"His reaction is quite fast, and his five senses are sharp enough. He is worthy of being an expert who almost ascended the dragon," Xu Yang sighed inwardly.

Even with the Great Completion of the Flying Swallow Technique, it was impossible to sneak up on an expert at the Great Completion of Qi Gathering without a sound. Within three zhang of the opponent, the sound of the wind would inevitably be caught by them.

Jiang Yi had provoked him many times during the martial arts examination and had murderous intent. After Yang Jun died, he had even wanted to frame him for the matter.

He had wanted to kill Jiang Yi back then. If such a person who didn't follow the rules was let go, he might seek revenge on Xu Qing or trouble the Qiu family related to him after he left.

It was just that if he had made a move back then, the Fierce Wind Hall would inevitably have suspected him.

Now, after a period of dilution, even if Jiang Yi died, the Fierce Wind Hall wouldn't suspect him; and even if they did, they could only duel him in the Purple Sun Gate.

He didn't fear this at all.

If he didn't clear out such a person who didn't follow the rules, he wouldn't be able to leave with peace of mind.

"Bang!"

True qi gathered on his hand, and his fist tore through the air, piercing through Jiang Yi’s true qi like a great spear.

Xu Yang was like a bolt of thunder; Jiang Yi’s true qi didn't block him for even a moment.

"An expert!" Jiang Yi’s expression changed drastically.

The opponent could easily crush his palm force; his strength must be above his own. If he didn't handle this well, he would likely be finished here tonight.

But who would want to kill him?

And an expert with such powerful cultivation.

It was a pity the opponent’s face was covered with cloth, so he couldn't tell who it was.

"Drink!"

He didn't have time to think too much. Seeing the opponent’s fist was already close at hand, he could only condense all his true qi into his arms, crossing them to protect his front.

The next moment, the opponent’s fist had already slammed into his arms.

"Bang!"

The protective true qi that he had condensed with his life’s cultivation was instantly shattered by the terrifying fist. He didn't know how many meridians in his body had shattered under the force of the recoil.

The overflowing force shot out in all directions. Amidst "puchi" sounds, his sleeves were shredded and exploded, and the bricks and stones all around were shattered.

Following that, the fist slammed heavily into his arms, which had lost the protection of true qi. Jiang Yi felt a force like a mountain collapse or a tsunami crashing in; his strength was as fragile as tofu under this force.

"Crack!"

A crisp sound of bone breaking pierced the night, accompanied by the sight of blood splattering. His arms were broken by the terrifying fist force, with only some skin and flesh left connecting them.

"Ah!"

He only had time to let out a short, sharp scream before he felt a pure and overbearing true qi rush from his arms into his body, wreaking havoc in his meridians.

Wherever this terrifying true qi passed, it was like a blade cutting through; all his meridians were shattered.

He almost thought the person who came to kill him was a marrow-cleansing expert who had refined qi into steel, because the true qi of a Qi-Gathering martial artist could never be so overbearing.

"Who is the senior?"

As he was blasted away, Jiang Yi tried his best in mid-air to figure out who wanted to kill him. He asked himself that he hadn't offended an expert with such terrifying cultivation.

Xu Yang said nothing, chasing after him like a bolt of thunder. In mid-air, he pressed a palm onto Jiang Yi’s chest, and a vicious Wind-Thunder Force was released.

"Bang!"

A muffled sound came from Jiang Yi’s body, as if something had exploded inside him; it was Xu Yang who had already shattered his heart with the Wind-Thunder Force.

In an instant, Jiang Yi lost the luster in his eyes, and his expression froze.

"Xu Yang!"

Before death, he recognized the identity of the person who killed him through his eyes—Xu Yang, the Xu Yang he had always wanted to kill.

"Bang!"

Jiang Yi’s corpse fell to the ground, causing the ground to tremble. His two shattered arms could no longer stay attached and fell off his body.

"The corpse cannot be left here."

Without a corpse, even if the Fierce Wind Hall and the Fuwei Escort Agency discovered Jiang Yi was missing, they would only focus on searching for him for a while.

Xu Yang picked up the two broken arms and stuffed them into Jiang Yi’s chest, then grabbed the corpse and used the Flying Swallow Technique to fly toward the outside of the city like a giant bird.

After running wildly for the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, he arrived at the cave where he had previously disposed of the Jade Butterfly’s corpse, felt for the money bag, and threw the corpse directly into the cave, which was dozens of meters deep.

"He actually carried so much money on him?"

He opened the money bag and saw there was nearly fifteen taels.

"One more to go!"

After putting the money away, he looked in the direction of the Great River Gang.

Since Guan Young Lady had been investigating him, this person couldn't be left alive either. Before leaving, he had to eliminate all future troubles as much as possible.

The Great River Gang’s main altar was also the former main altar of the Sishui Gang.

Once Zhang Sishui and his son were dead, the members of the Sishui Gang either died or fled, but the building remained.

After Guan Young Lady established the Great River Gang, he occupied this place as the Great River Gang’s main altar.

A shrill scream pierced the night. Luo Dehu was tied to a rack, his upper body clothes stripped off, and there were wounds with rolled-back skin everywhere.

In front of him, a member of the Great River Gang brandished a leather whip. With every whip that fell, he let out a scream. After a dozen whips, he fainted directly.

"Gang Leader, he has fainted." The member who executed the whipping cupped his hands toward Guan Young Lady not far away.

Guan Young Lady sat on a tiger-skin chair and said, "Wake him up with cold water."

Behind him, Qian Jiaxing felt his hands and feet go cold, realizing for the first time how terrifying it was to mix with gangs.

What Luo Dehu did, in his view, wasn't a big deal at all—he just sold some unimportant information about the Great River Gang in exchange for some money—but the consequences were more serious than he had imagined.

"Gang Leader, spare my life, I won't dare to do it again."

After a basin of cold water, Luo Dehu woke up and begged for mercy with a face full of fear.

"Betraying the gang, according to gang rules, three knives and six holes. Bring the legal blade." Guan Young Lady’s expression was indifferent.

The person who executed the whipping dropped the whip and left, soon respectfully bringing over a dagger tied with red cloth.

The bright legal blade flashed under the firelight, emitting a cold, chilling gleam.

Luo Dehu trembled all over, "Gang Leader, spare my life. Your subordinate is friends with Dragon-Ascending geniuses like Lu Ren, Xu Yang, and Zhang Yong. I beg you to spare my life for their sake; your subordinate is still useful."

Seeing that he was about to be subjected to "three knives and six holes," he had no choice but to bring up his friendship with Xu Yang and the others.

Guan Young Lady sneered, "Why do you think I only caught you back now? I gave you time to go find them, but they clearly aren't your friends."

Luo Dehu’s face turned ashen. Back then, he was the first to know Xu Yang, but because Xu Yang’s family was poor, he immediately looked down on him. Later, because he fawned over Lu Ren, he ridiculed Xu Yang many times.

If he had treated Xu Yang sincerely, with Xu Yang’s loyal personality, he wouldn't have ignored his life or death today.

Regret!

"You do the execution!" Guan Young Lady suddenly said to Qian Jiaxing behind him.

In the shadows, Xu Yang watched this scene with interest.

"Yes, Gang Leader!"

Qian Jiaxing trembled all over, but still walked out slowly and reached out to take the legal blade.

"A-Xing, we are friends; we practiced martial arts together at the Mighty Far Hall. Quickly help me beg the Gang Leader for mercy," Luo Dehu begged.

Qian Jiaxing remained unmoved, "Betraying the gang, three knives and six holes. Go well."

How could he possibly beg for mercy for Luo Dehu? Guan Young Lady knew their relationship and still let him execute the gang rules; it was clearly to test him. At this time, let alone begging for mercy, if he hesitated at all, he might end up with the same fate as Luo Dehu.

"Puchi!"

The legal blade in his hand flashed, and the blade pierced directly through Luo Dehu’s back, blood spraying along the blade.

Luo Dehu trembled all over, looking at Qian Jiaxing with a face full of disbelief.

He actually attacked him without the slightest hesitation?

Pulling out the blade, Qian Jiaxing was expressionless, and stabbed again, piercing Luo Dehu’s body once more.

"You will soon come to keep me company..." Luo Dehu said with his final voice.

He had already told Xu Yang about the Great River Gang investigating him. A Dragon-Ascending genius would never let others investigate him secretly behind his back.