Chapter 352: Enemies Should Be Untied, Not Bound

352. Chapter 352: Enemies Should Be Untied, Not Bound

"Master, Master."

The next day, Jiang Cheng had just stepped out when a hurried voice came from behind.

He turned his head.

He saw an elderly man, accompanied by a guard, jogging toward him.

"What a coincidence, Master—just stepped out and ran into you."

The elder ran to Jiang Cheng's side, halted, and gave a kindly smile.

Jiang Cheng was speechless.

Did he really think Jiang Cheng couldn't see through it?

The other party had deliberately waited for him to leave home before appearing.

Indeed, the old man before him was the grandfather of the woman in last night's living room, Sixth Rank Alchemical Master Xu Hai.

"Hahaha, Master, since it's such a coincidence, let's travel together."

Xu Hai also knew Jiang Cheng had seen through him, but as long as the latter didn't call it out, he pretended nothing had happened.

"Master, last night, Xiao Jing—did she disturb your rest?"

Jiang Cheng shook his head.

"Good, then."

Xu Hai exhaled as if relieved, "I've told her several times to return early. Yesterday she might have been engrossed in conversation and forgot my words, but as long as she didn't disturb you, Master, otherwise—I truly don't know how to apologize to you."

Jiang Cheng glanced at him.

He thought to himself that the fellow's skin was unusually thick.

"That girl Xiao Jing is good at everything except she's a bit haughty; ordinary people can't catch her eye, but you, Master, are different."

Xu Hai shifted his tone, "After she returned last night, she couldn't stop praising you."

The two guards behind them exchanged a glance, understanding without words.

"Is that so?"

Even a fool like Jiang Cheng could read between the lines.

The old man wanted to introduce his granddaughter to him.

"Indeed, Master."

Xu Hai nodded as if a chick pecking at grain.

"Xiao Jing is also a Spiritual Thought Master, a Level 4 Spirit Thought Master. I'm not bragging, but among her peers that's quite rare."

"It is indeed rare."

"Right?"

Xu Hai smiled, "She previously had little interest in Refining Alchemy, but after meeting you, Master, she changed her mind. Master, could you spare some time to teach her? Not much—once every few days would suffice."

"We'll talk about it later."

Jiang Cheng replied perfunctorily.

"Fine, fine."

Xu Hai was unfazed.

He hadn't expected an immediate success.

After all, everyone lives here; you see each other whether looking up or down.

Each time he saw him, he would bring it up, until one day the latter finally agreed.

Jiang Cheng could probably guess Xu Hai's intention.

So he decided to keep a little distance from him in the future, not to be so easily "accidentally" encountered.

In a flash, another two or three days passed.

That day.

In the City North Enforcement Bureau, inside the director's office.

Wang Tong sat in his office chair, looking at a middle-aged man before him who handed over several reports, his brows furrowing tighter.

After a while, he looked up and said, "So, you still haven't found any identity information about the murderer?"

The middle-aged man shook his head, his voice a bit hoarse.

"The killer came prepared, wearing a human skin mask. Even if a few surveillance cameras captured him, investigators still couldn't identify him. I think further investigation will likely yield no results."

Wang Tong frowned.

If anyone else in the bureau said that, he would surely be rebuked. But this man was different.

Because the other party was a Ten-level Force Warrior, his personal bodyguard.

After a moment of silence, he asked, "What about the other side?"

"It's already clarified; it basically matches what Hong Bin said on the phone."

The middle-aged man said, "When he was a killer for the Dawn Society, he acted against people from Kuangfeng Martial Arts School. Not only Xie Tian's two disciples, but also the ordinary folks in the shop were wiped out."

"This time, besides Xie Tian and several of his disciples, the people in the newly opened shop were also completely slaughtered. It's a bit too coincidental, so I think he could be the murderer this time."

"Is that so?"

Wang Tong's pupils contracted sharply at the words.

"Jingshan, I heard Hong Bin say that when he joined the Dawn Society, he was only a Level One Force Warrior, right? To kill an Eight-level Force Warrior so quickly?"

"That's one of my doubts as well."

Liu Jingshan nodded.

"Xie Tian has been an Eight-level Force Warrior for a while. To kill him, someone who has just become an Eight-level Force Warrior certainly couldn't do it; they'd need to be of the same tier, or Nine-level, Ten-level. That guy couldn't break through that fast, I feel it's very possible the Black Market is helping him."

"What?"

Wang Tong widened his eyes.

The people of the Black Market never meddle in others' grudges; they only think about doing business.

But now? 'That kid is not ordinary.'

Liu Jingshan explained: 'I sent people to inquire; in the Black Market recently, a genius alchemist appeared, and in just two months became a Seven-level Alchemist.'

'Seven, Seven-level?'

Hearing this, Wang Tong couldn't help but let out an exclamation.

You're not joking, right? Becoming Seven-level in less than two months?

Such strength is enough to qualify for entering the Inner City.

Suddenly, he thought of something, and did not dare to say: 'You wouldn't be telling me that the genius alchemist is that kid, would you?'

Liu Jingshan nodded.

His time joining the Black Market coincides with the defection from the Dawn Society; although he never shows his true face, recently his true identity in the Black Market is no longer a secret, though many see through but don't speak of it.

Gu Zhangkong that kid has always wanted to achieve something in the Outer City District to gain his father's attention and enter the family core; thus, he values this alchemist greatly, giving him defensive treasures and assigning Ten-level Force Warriors as guards. I think he proposed the demand to kill Xie Tian, and Gu Zhangkong would likely agree, so the following events happened.

Wang Tong's face grew increasingly grim.

'Are you sure these are true? Not just hearsay?'

'Absolutely certain.'

Liu Jingshan said without hesitation.

When he investigated this information, he also found it hard to believe.

But many people say this, which speaks volumes.

Undeniably, there truly exist geniuses in this world who achieve in far less time what ordinary people could never reach in a lifetime.

'Jingshan, what do you think we should do next?' Wang Tong asked.

'This...'

Liu Jingshan hesitated for a moment.

I think, even if the murderer really is him, we don't need to worry too much; the people of the Black Market know exactly who can be provoked and who cannot; they killed Xie Tian just to avenge him, to vent their anger.

As for Hong Bin that guy, being afraid of death, he said those things on the phone, hoping to use Chief Wang's hand to help him eliminate his rival; if we really did that, we'd fall into his trap, and moreover that kid is highly regarded in the Black Market, making it hard to move against him.

'Not bad.'

Wang Tong deeply agreed.

'But doing nothing isn't safe either; how about this: I'll find time to go specially and give him a gift.'

I don't know if Hong Bin's words had an effect, but these past few nights he has dreamed at times of his family lying in a pool of blood.

This made him uneasy.

Fortunately, now there is a clue.

The jianghu is not about fighting and killing, but about human relations; even if everyone were enemies before, if the benefits are sufficient, they can become friends and make money together.

'That kid is no exception.' (End of chapter)