"Yang Keqing, we were just looking for you."
"You've been doing well in Chang Le Gang, enjoying its salary. You should bear its worries as well."
Yang Shengwu didn't listen, interrupting, "I will leave Chang Le Gang."
What Jia Ren said made sense; Chang Le Gang had serious hidden dangers. He didn't want to deal with the Talisman Cultivators' Association's problems only to draw the Law Enforcement Office's attention. This was far beyond the trouble a Loose Cultivator could handle. Worst comes to worst, he could fall back on his old profession and continue hunting demons.
"Leave Chang Le Gang? That's out of the question!"
"Patron Yang, you've taken the benefits of Chang Le Gang and done nothing! You can't just think of running away at the first sign of trouble."
Zhu Zaizhi and the other Chang Le Gang leaders were no longer composed, jumping with agitation.
Although Yang Shengwu had never made a move since joining Chang Le Gang, his presence as a Qi Refinement Seventh Level master had rapidly boosted the gang's development, and more and more people were joining. Without this trump card, Chang Le Gang would lack a significant advantage over other gangs. Yang Shengwu could leave Chang Le Gang, but only after Chang Le Gang had swallowed the other gangs and unified the Outer City. By then, whether he stayed or left wouldn't matter. But for now… he couldn't leave!
"Here are the ten Spirit Stones I took."
Yang Shengwu, paying no heed to the attitude of the Chang Le Gang members, took out ten Spirit Stones, dumped them on the ground, and turned to leave.
The faces of the Chang Le Gang leadership changed drastically. This wasn't an attempt to negotiate for more benefits by feigning withdrawal; he was truly determined to leave Chang Le Gang!
"Yang Shengwu, the Talisman Cultivators' Association is still searching for you. You don't want your significant other to be hunted down with you, do you?"
Zhu Zaizhi smiled, stood up from the Gang Leader's seat, and his demeanor turned cold.
"Continue to serve as a patron of Chang Le Gang, and we'll pretend this withdrawal never happened."
"And how about you help Chang Le Gang with one more small task?"
Yang Shengwu's face was livid. Staring intently at the Gang Leader, he enunciated each word, "Are you threatening me?! Do you believe I won't slaughter the entire Chang Le Gang?"
The fluctuation of Qi Refinement Seventh Level Spiritual Energy burst forth, turning the faces of the Chang Le Gang members deathly pale.
"If we die, you won't survive either."
"Your significant other has followed you here through hardships. If you die, she might end up being sold to some brothel. What a waste that would be!"
Zhu Zaizhi remained composed, seemingly unfazed by the threat. The Talisman Cultivators' Association and Yang Shengwu's significant other were simply his leverage.
"Good, very good! Leader Zhu, now I've seen what you're capable of."
"I'll do one thing for you, and Chang Le Gang can continue to use my name. The patronage will remain as usual."
Zhu Zaizhi smiled, looking completely nonchalant. "Brother Yang is a smart man. Besides the patronage, there will be an additional fifty Spirit Stones."
"All you have to do is kill this person. As soon as I have news, I will inform Brother Yang."
With that, he handed a painted scroll to Yang Shengwu.
The painting, clearly the work of a master, depicted Jia Ren with such vividness and lifelike detail that he seemed to jump off the page.
Yang Shengwu took it, freezing on the spot, stunned that Chang Le Gang wanted him to kill Jia Ren.
"There's something I want to ask: do you know who this person is?"
Who? Isn't he just a common Loose Cultivator? Does he have another identity?
Everyone couldn't help but prick up their ears, waiting for what came next.
Yang Shengwu placed his right hand behind his back where, unbeknownst to anyone, a long saber Magic Artifact had appeared. His smile was cold.
"He is my dear friend and sworn brother! You are seeking death!"
With a swing of his saber, he slashed Zhu Zaizhi's head off.
The turn of events was too sudden, catching everyone completely off guard.
One moment, Yang Shengwu had seemingly submitted, and all was harmonious. In the blink of an eye, the Chang Le Gang Leader had been beheaded.
They hadn't expected Yang Shengwu to act so madly. Did he not fear the Talisman Cultivators' Association and the Law Enforcement Office?
"Murder!"
"Hold on until the Law Enforcement Office Cultivators arrive! This man is doomed!"
The Chang Le Gang members did not give Yang Shengwu a chance to go on a killing spree. They used Defense Artifacts and Spells to protect themselves and fled in all directions.
Survive! If they could hold on until the Law Enforcement Office Cultivators arrived, then they could live.
Yang Shengwu picked up Zhu Zaizhi's Storage Bag, seething with killing intent.
Unable to resolve the troubles from the Talisman Cultivators' Association and the Law Enforcement Office, he could only entrust Yun Niang to Jia Ren's care and hide in the Great Wilderness himself. The Talisman Cultivators' Association and the Law Enforcement Office would both target him. That way, Yun Niang and Jia Ren would remain safe.
Jia Ren knew he had to act; otherwise, Yang Shengwu would likely be unable to handle this mess. If anyone with knowledge of the situation escaped, Yang Shengwu would be in serious trouble.
"KEKEKE!"
"You whelps of Chang Le Gang dare to provoke me, Mosquito Daoist? You will all die!"
Hundreds of Exotic Black Mosquitoes flew out from a Storage Bag, heading toward the fleeing Chang Le Gang members.
The Chang Le Gang members, having just escaped one peril, didn't expect to be ambushed by Exotic Black Mosquitoes.
Relying on his command of the Exotic Black Mosquitoes, Mosquito Daoist had once single-handedly fought two Ninth Level of Qi Refinement Five Elements Sect Cultivators.
Jia Ren's Exotic Black Mosquitoes hadn't reached maturity, but their combat power was nonetheless significant. For them, bullying Cultivators below Late Stage Qi-Refining was like preying on the helpless.
Low-grade Defense Artifacts and Spirit Shields were as fragile as paper, punctured with a single touch. No one could withstand the Exotic Black Mosquitoes' attacks.
Once the Exotic Black Mosquitoes made contact with skin, a victim's blood was drained in an instant, leaving behind a desiccated corpse.
The speed at which they killed was terrifying.
No wonder Mosquito Daoist, relying on his Exotic Black Mosquitoes, had earned such a fearsome reputation.
Not wanting to expose his identity, Jia Ren looked at Yang Shengwu, who was frozen in place, and threatened, "Aren't you going to scram? Or do you want me to deal with you too?"
"Many thanks, Senior, for your mercy."
Yang Shengwu hadn't expected such a turn of events.
As long as no one who knew the truth escaped, couldn't he extricate himself from this affair? It seemed he had dodged a bullet...
Yang Shengwu didn't dare to linger and fled swiftly.
The Exotic Black Mosquitoes had the area completely surrounded; apart from himself, no one could escape. Hundreds of Exotic Black Mosquitoes whizzed past, their lethality staggering. All the Chang Le Gang members fell victim to them.
The Exotic Black Mosquitoes are indeed powerful!
Jia Ren commanded the Exotic Black Mosquitoes to eliminate every last one, not even sparing the Chang Le Gang Leader's corpse, thus erasing all traces of Yang Shengwu's actions.
While the Exotic Black Mosquitoes were at work, Jia Ren didn't forget to collect the Storage Bags from the Chang Le Gang members. These were the spoils of this venture and couldn't be left for the arriving Law Enforcement Office Cultivators.
After gathering all the Storage Bags, he first stripped the Robes from several high-ranking Chang Le Gang Cultivators. While taking the Taoist Robes from the Loose Cultivators' bodies, he also threw out corpse-dissolving powder to dispose of the corpses.
Time to make a run for it! If he waited until the Law Enforcement Office Cultivators arrived, escape wouldn't be so easy.
Without hesitating, Jia Ren ordered the Exotic Black Mosquitoes into his Spirit Beast Bag, activated his Wind Control Skill, and departed swiftly.
Shortly after he left, Law Enforcement Office Cultivators arrived on flying swords.
Seeing the scene of desiccated corpses dissolving into putrid sludge, their expressions changed dramatically.
"These wounds weren't caused by Magic Artifacts, but by mosquito-type Demonic Insects. It's likely Mosquito Daoist."
A Law Enforcement Office Cultivator recovered a body not yet fully dissolved by the corpse-dissolving powder and analyzed it with a somber expression.
"Mosquito Daoist used Exotic Black Mosquitoes to kill, concealing his own involvement."
"A Remnant of Thousand Beasts Mountain dares to come to the Five Elements Sect territory?!"
"Don't think we can't find this rat!"
Several Sound Transmission Talismans flared into light and flew off in all directions.
A moment later, hundreds of streaks of light scattered across the sky above the Great Wilderness Market, searching for the fleeing Mosquito Daoist.
The Great Wilderness Market was destined for a sleepless night.
「In the Inner City of the Market」
Mosquito Daoist was in secluded meditation. For some reason, his eyelids wouldn't stop twitching.
He had a premonition of impending doom. I've been lying low until now; there shouldn't be any problems.
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