Chapter 172

The bandit village in the mountains yielded no clues, and here Qiao Feng likewise had no latest whereabouts of Mao Dong Mountain, so Bai Lang felt he still had to act on those 'cooperating parties' in the city. Since practicing at Mao Dong Mountain requires boys and girls, there will likely be people helping him gather boys and girls— the beggar gang's ruffians inside and outside the city. And Bai Lang currently has a list of 'suspects' in his hands.

'Yo, still a local gentry.' Bai Lang didn't prepare to look for those ruffians and proletarians first; he first sought those on the list who had wealth and status. Bai Lang wasn't the kind of ruffian who could bear to lose face; faced with the storage bracelets exchangeable in the Huaiyang City Commander's Residence, he couldn't say 'lend me to use.' So if there were spoils again this time, he probably couldn't carry them away. Bai Lang wouldn't feel heartbroken anyway; he could just catch a few more and redeem them with points.

This local gentry bore the surname Jiang; upon seeing his name, Bai Lang selected him—'It's you, Jiang Tiansheng.'

He enjoyed a reputation as a great benefactor locally, building bridges and roads and aiding the populace; in famine years he not only gave out porridge but also spent money to buy those children as servants, which counted as good deeds. However, the Commander's Residence suspected he was actually turning those children over to Mao Dong Mountain for its training—'Over these years, Mao Dong Mountain's training has killed at least a thousand children; he likely has a share in that.'

But this man had local influence and no evidence could be found, making the Commander's Residence reluctant to act. Bai Lang had no such scruples; he simply mounted his horse and rode toward the locality—Jiang Tiansheng was in Changnan City, located upstream of the Xiang River, across the river from the Hengduan Mountains, about two hundred li from Huaiyang City. After likewise spending several days Bai Lang finally arrived, yet upon reaching the place he saw a troop coming out to meet him.

'But are you Mr. Bai Lang?' the leading middle-aged man asked, nodding and bowing as he invited Bai Lang to the city's largest and most luxurious teahouse. 'Yes, that's me. Who are you?' Bai Lang looked at the leading middle-aged man before him, 'I am Jiang Tiansheng.'

Is this middle-aged man before him Jiang Tiansheng? Bai Lang looked at the information in his hand, which described Jiang Tiansheng's appearance, and it seemed to match one-to-one—'Mr. Jiang, fine, lead the way; I happen to have a few questions for you.' Bai Lang strode forward, leading his horse and following this middle-aged man and his retinue of guards. At this point Bai Lang's height had reached 1.9 meters; he probably could not grow much more, likely stopping at around 192 or 194 cm.

He just didn't know whether the Arhat Vajra Fist would cause a sudden height increase— the Southern Dipper Holy Fist likely lacked that ability, since none of the Southern Dipper Six Holy Fists exceeded 1.9 meters; they were usually around 1.8 meters.

But these martial arts have not yet been fully integrated; Bai Lang felt that the Turning Like Desire technique could be completely incorporated into his own martial system, though perhaps it would require ten or twenty years of arduous practice. After all he was still young, his age in this world had not yet reached twenty, making him an absolute exception among exceptions among Innate Experts— whose Innate Expert is not achieved in their thirties or forties during their prime? Such privilege belongs only to the great sects; ordinary martial talents, lacking the backing of a great sect or the court, achieving Innate Expert in their sixties or seventies is still considered 'young and promising.'

Yet despite achieving Innate Expert at such a young age, Bai Lang still had little fame in this world— but if the next ranking were released, this fellow would likely leap straight onto the Earth Ranking, surpassing those young experts on the Human Ranking. After all he was already an Innate Expert, with no need to play on the Human Ranking. 'I wonder what nickname…' Bai Lang thought, entering the teahouse unconcerned.

Confident in himself, Bai Lang did not fear that these people would set a trap to assassinate him in the teahouse; it was not some half-official status of the Silver Badge Commander's Residence, but the divine skill he had cultivated. The fourth level of the Golden Bell Shield already protected his viscera; ordinary poisons could not easily harm him. As for Innate Experts? Aside from him, was anyone else present? Could a hidden-aura Innate Expert be lying in wait just to kill him?

There probably would be; otherwise how could Jiang Tiansheng recognize Bai Lang and know his movements? The Commander's Residence having a mole is nothing strange to Bai Lang. Besides, he isn't tasked with catching moles; his job is simply to go down the list one by one, finally find Mao Dong Mountain and kill him— as for how many sordid secrets lie within, does it matter much to Bai Lang?

Host and guest seated, Bai Lang sat upright in his chair, holding no wine cup, and directly gazed at Jiang Tiansheng before him. 'Where is Mao Dong Mountain? How can one find him?' Bai Lang asked calmly. As for any pleasantries, Bai Lang now had no desire to utter them; this person's attitude could only indicate one thing— he was definitely connected to Mao Dong Mountain. Jiang Tiansheng seemed to have realized this as well, yet he still denied knowing Mao Dong Mountain.

Indeed, Mao Dong Mountain's reputation is too foul to whitewash; Jiang Tiansheng directly said, 'I, old man, do not know this person, nor do I know where he is; as for why I know you, Mr. Bai, would come, it is naturally because I wish to befriend an Innate Expert like you.' Bai Lang smiled, 'Surely you play a good hand of Taiji— well, well, it seems you won't speak.' Bai Lang waved his hand, then his figure elongated, and in the blink of an eye he extended his palm shaped like a tiger's claw and grabbed down.

The Innate Expert's vigorous energy surged; this claw could not be blocked by the great benefactor before him— unless he too were an Innate Expert, but now it seemed he was not, for Bai Lang seized his head in one grasp. Yet before Bai Lang could exert force, the hair on this man's head suddenly turned into blades. 'Huh? What's your relation to Guan Ba? No, it should be unrelated, but it feels somewhat akin to those who act with purpose.'

This too used hair as a weapon, and what was worse than Guan Ba was that the hair was laced with poison. Bai Lang now felt a slight numbness and itch in his palm; without looking, he channeled Internal Force through the Golden Bell Shield and struck out with a palm. The guards rushing forward were immediately beaten into a pulp, and Bai Lang consequently spread the poison onto that unfortunate fellow. Even if Bai Lang restrained his force, that person was still torn apart by the fierce palm strike.

Instantly the scene filled with blood and gore.

'This skill is not bad, but what makes you think you can oppose an Innate Expert? Ha! Today you'll probably complete this bounty— speak plainly, when is Mao Dong Mountain arriving, or has he already arrived?' Bai Lang's Innate Expert aura flowed, stirring up a strong whirlwind; those guards, posturing as if bravely charging, merely let Jiang Tiansheng face Bai Lang alone. Of course the great benefactor Jiang could not react— he was busy trying to escape Bai Lang's grasp, having no spare attention for his own guards.