Chapter 33: Ambush

For the time that followed, the two chatted while enjoying the fine food, the atmosphere quite harmonious.

Their line of sight happened to overlook the center of the main hall.

Just then, an elegant sound of a zither drifted over from not far away, extremely pleasant to the ear.

Following this, a woman dressed in a bright red robe with a charming face flew toward the central high platform, holding onto silk ribbons from mid-air, her posture most graceful.

The woman arrived at the high platform, sat cross-legged, and began to gently pluck the zither.

The moving sound of the zither spread in all directions.

This woman was none other than the top performer of the Mandarin Duck Pavilion, Zhao Yuanjing.

Below, countless guests were mesmerized, looking at the woman on the stage with fiery faces, their scorching gazes seemingly wanting to melt her.

Even some of the women were filled with intoxication.

Yue Shulan was likewise lost in the zither music, her face one of enjoyment.

"Warning, warning... Host is being affected by unknown energy, please distance yourself as soon as possible..."

At this moment, the panel deep in his mind issued a frantic warning, causing Lu Changsheng's intoxicated mind to instantly snap awake.

"What a terrifying influence; who exactly is this woman?"

His heart felt as if it had fallen into an ice cellar, yet he dared not show the slightest abnormality on his body.

His face remained as intoxicated as before.

Before long, the song ended, and the guests on the stage only then came to their senses with faces full of regret.

The most terrifying part was that none of them felt they had been influenced, as if it were only natural.

"Master Jing's technique is becoming increasingly mature; it makes one's heart feel very ethereal."

Yue Shulan's face was one of satisfaction.

Lu Changsheng smiled but did not speak.

In his heart, however, he was extremely vigilant.

Zhao Yuanjing had been at this Mandarin Duck Pavilion for several years; he knew nothing of her true identity or her purpose.

It was like a dark cloud hovering over the entire Changping County.

Lu Changsheng decided that until his strength was sufficient, he would never approach the Mandarin Duck Pavilion again.

The other party clearly harbored a massive conspiracy.

However, it was not realistic for him to report it now.

His status was low and his words carried little weight; it would be hard to gain anyone's trust. Furthermore, the other party was certainly prepared, and perhaps by the time investigators arrived, she would have already changed into a different skin. Exposing himself then would likely be even more dangerous.

Lu Changsheng decided not to disclose this matter for the time being.

Afterward, Lu Changsheng exchanged a few more words with Yue Shulan before rising to take his leave.

Watching Lu Changsheng's retreating back, the woman dressed as a maid looked puzzled.

"Why did Miss spend such a high price to befriend an ordinary martial artist? And without even getting a definitive answer from him."

Yue Shulan smiled faintly: "An ordinary martial artist? He is not ordinary. Being able to escape from the hands of the Wenxiang Sect is enough to prove this person's capability."

"It is just that this person's character is resilient and he is immune to both soft and hard tactics; one can only move him with sincerity."

"Ordinary beauty will only make him increasingly vigilant."

It was also the first time Yue Shulan had doubted her own appearance.

…………

After returning to his residence, Lu Changsheng absorbed that stalk of Spiritual Medicine.

Looking at the 8 newly added Source Energy Points on the panel, he was quite satisfied.

This ginseng was nearly 150 years old, and the Source Energy Points it provided were quite good.

Over the next few days, Lu Changsheng did not rashly strike out, but instead carefully gathered various intelligence on the Sanhe Gang.

Through his multi-faceted investigation, he discovered quite a bit of useful information.

The Sanhe Gang was a large gang with a history of several decades in Changping County.

In recent years, its power had grown increasingly strong.

The main reason was that their old rival, the Shark Gang, had fallen into a decline, and coupled with high-level members defecting to the Sanhe Gang, its development had become even more unscrupulous.

The entire gang's membership had already exceeded two thousand people.

If it weren't for their fear of the official authorities, they would likely have already moved to annex the Shark Gang.

Of course, to maintain the balance of power, the Sanhe Gang also possessed many martial arts experts.

Under its banner were the Fenglei Hall, Fire Hall, Shadow Hall, and others—six major halls in total—and there was no shortage of Bone-forging strongmen.

As for the strength of the Gang Leader Huang Tianba and the two Deputy Gang Leaders, it was even more astonishing.

At night, everything was quiet.

Lu Changsheng lay on the bed, thinking carefully.

He had already preliminarily thought out his next plan.

With his current strength, forcibly causing trouble at their base would undoubtedly be like throwing an egg against a rock. Naturally, he would not be so unwise.

If he chose to ambush their trade routes, it would surely yield twice the result with half the effort.

As a large gang, the Sanhe Gang relied not only on collecting protection fees for profit but also had various brothels, gambling dens, and a medicinal herb business, and maintained close ties with the Prefecture City.

Large amounts of silver and medicinal herbs were sent to the Prefecture City to grease the palms of various factions.

Otherwise, for such a large gang, the government would never allow it to exist.

Of course, their trade routes were certainly escorted by martial artists, but most were only Skin Refining or Meat Refining martial artists.

With his own strength, as long as he acted carefully, it would naturally not be a big problem.

Having figured out his next plan, Lu Changsheng fell into a deep sleep.

The next day, early morning.

The morning sun rose.

After Lu Changsheng washed up, he took his Killing Pig Knife and walked out of the courtyard.

Before leaving, he did not forget to instruct Fang Qing and her brother to stay away from the DemonSubduingOffice family quarters.

After exiting his own courtyard, he walked unhurriedly toward the city gate.

The main street was bustling with people and very noisy.

Some sneaky figures had also been watching him the whole time.

Lu Changsheng ignored them and headed straight out of the city.

He knew these were all scouts from the Sanhe Gang, specifically there to collect various intelligence.

Before long, Lu Changsheng was out of the city.

Subsequently, he pushed off with his legs, utilized the Floating Light Sweeping Shadow body method, and sprinted rapidly toward the official road ahead.

In the blink of an eye, he disappeared into the vicinity.

………………

Sanhe Gang, Fenglei Hall base.

"Reporting to the Hall Master, that brat has left the city. Should we send people to hunt him down?"

A man in green robes knelt on one knee, his right hand making a throat-slitting gesture.

"Hmph... truly courting death. After killing my men, he still dares to leave the city. He simply does not take me seriously."

Wang Yong snorted coldly, murderous intent erupting in his eyes.

"Go find a few martial artists from outside the gang and ambush him on the road back to the city..."

"Subordinate obeys."

Wang Shouren nodded respectfully.

He naturally understood his Hall Master's meaning; even if this matter were exposed, it could not be traced back to them.

With their intelligence network, finding a few unfamiliar martial artists was not difficult.

…………

Several hours later.

In a dense forest, dozens of miles northeast of Changping County.

Lu Changsheng leaned quietly on the branch of a large tree, his gaze fixed on the intersection ahead.

This was an official road leading to Qingning Prefecture City, and merchants often traveled through here.

"Crack, crack, crack..."

Lu Changsheng activated the Shrink Bone Skill, and his entire body began to change rapidly.

His bones were also rearranging themselves.

Before long, he had transformed into a tall, sturdy man with a much rougher face.

He took out a mirror, checked himself, and was quite satisfied.

This Shrink Bone Skill was quite powerful, allowing him to completely change his identity.

Even if he ran into someone he knew well, it would be hard for them to recognize him.

Subsequently, Lu Changsheng began to wait, like an old hunter.

This wait lasted for three days.

During this time, when thirsty, he drank mountain spring water; when hungry, he ate the dry rations he had brought.

Fortunately, his martial arts cultivation was not bad, so he could naturally persist for a long time.

Having not seen the Sanhe Gang caravan pass by for a long time, he was not anxious.

As a hunter, he never lacked patience.

Every few hours, caravans would pass by on the official road, but they were all ignored by Lu Changsheng.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 34 =====