Outside Xianshi Court.
A terrifying battle erupted. On one side was a powerful figure from the Heavenly Demon Sect, exuding demonic aura, and on the other was an old servant in the Impervious Realm who had taken a Divine Blood Pill.
"They've sent out distress signals, and it won't be long before the experts from the five Divine Lord families and Yuyang Palace arrive," the hunchbacked man thought, completely overpowering the old servant. He even had the luxury to ponder, looking with disgust at the crazed and desperate old servant. "The Divine Blood Pill is indeed extraordinary. Most of my attacks are being blocked by these water currents. As long as the Divine Blood Pill sustains him, I can't break free from him."
"Within ten breaths, there's no hope of breaking free."
"Enough, I must leave. Delaying for more than ten breaths would put me in danger," the hunchbacked man decided, turning to leave.
Ten breaths of time was what he considered a safe window.
The longer he delayed...
The greater the chance that the experts from the five Divine Lord families and Yuyang Palace would arrive. Although Dongning City was vast and Xianshi Court was remote, perhaps those experts wouldn't arrive until after thirty breaths. But he didn't dare to gamble! In his view, killing Meng Chuan and the others would naturally be a good thing. But if that wasn't possible, his own life was the most important.
The strong of the Heavenly Demon Sect lurked in every corner of the human world, cautious and low-key... it was instinct!
Whoosh.
The hunchbacked man quickly turned and left, his figure blurred into an afterimage, disappearing into the night in the blink of an eye.
"Hmm?" The old servant saw the man heading in the opposite direction, not pursuing his young master and the others, so he didn't continue the fight. If he could survive... he wanted to live too.
"Young Master."
The old servant immediately rushed to where Yan Jin, Meng Chuan, and the others were.
"He's gone?" Yan Jin, Meng Chuan, and Liu Qiyue were both fearful and relieved.
"With me blocking him, he couldn't be sure of catching up to you," the old servant said, forcibly restraining his power. "And although he's strong, he's also afraid of the experts from the five Divine Lord families and Yuyang Palace arriving."
"Qiyue, put me down," Meng Chuan said hoarsely.
"Chuan, are you feeling better?" Liu Qiyue set Meng Chuan down and quickly asked.
"The injuries to my muscles and bones are not serious, but expelling this demonic aura is troublesome. I'm barely suppressing it now. It will probably take some time to completely expel it," Meng Chuan said, his body faintly wrapped in demonic aura.
Yan Jin was covered in blood, his face pale, but he still said, "Young Master Meng, Miss Liu, this incident was all because of me. If we had followed Young Master Meng's suggestion and sent someone to handle it, the Black Wolf Gang would have obediently handed over Hongyu. There wouldn't have been any complications! It was also my idea to search Xianshi Court, which led to the appearance of that Heavenly Demon Sect expert. This is all my fault."
"I also wanted to save some pitiful women," Meng Chuan said.
The old servant nearby also added, "Thank you, Young Master Meng. The Heavenly Demon Sect expert was chasing the young master too quickly, and I couldn't intervene in time. It was Young Master Meng's blade that saved the young master."
"Thank you," Yan Jin said.
"We fought side by side against the enemy; there's no need for thanks," Meng Chuan said with a smile, though he couldn't help but cough twice, his expression contorted slightly from the pain of his injuries.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Two figures landed instantly, their speed terrifying. The old servant tensed, ready for anything.
Meng Chuan, Liu Qiyue, and Yan Jin turned to look.
"Father," Meng Chuan and Liu Qiyue called out.
"Qiyue," Liu Yebai quickly went to check on his daughter.
"Chuan'er," Meng Dajiang saw the demonic aura still lingering on his son and the bloodstains on his clothes, and he panicked. He rushed forward, grabbing his son's arm, and immediately sent a stream of true qi into his son's body.
"Dad, I'm fine, really. It was Meng Chuan and this young master Yan Jin who fought with the Heavenly Demon Sect expert," Liu Qiyue said.
Liu Ye Bai finally relaxed, seeing that his daughter was indeed unharmed.
"How is Meng Chuan?" Liu Ye Bai asked.
"After the Heavenly Demon Sect expert injured Meng Chuan, he didn't get a chance to strike again, so the situation is manageable. It should take about three days to completely purge the demonic energy from Meng Chuan's body. As for the injuries to his muscles and bones, they should heal within ten days," Meng Dajiang also relaxed, though he had been terrified earlier when he saw the demonic energy surrounding his son.
An expert capable of emanating demonic energy could have killed his son in just a few moves.
Looking at it now, the outcome was relatively good.
"What about the Heavenly Demon Sect member?" Meng Dajiang inquired.
"I stopped him. He realized he couldn't kill the young masters in a short time, so he left immediately," the old servant said. "If he had fought a little longer, the two of you would have arrived and could have captured him."
Although the old servant was trying to suppress his power, waves of energy still surged from him.
"Divine Blood Pill?" Liu Ye Bai and Meng Dajiang both made their judgments and couldn't help but glance at Yan Jin.
"A servant who can produce a Divine Blood Pill? What is this Yan Jin's background?" The two of them were somewhat surprised but decided not to dwell on it. Since he had never revealed it publicly, it was unnecessary to pry. In fact, the fact that the Lord of Yuyang Palace was willing to act as their protector suggested that this young man named 'Yan Jin' was no ordinary figure.
"How did you end up encountering someone from the Heavenly Demon Sect?" Liu Ye Bai asked.
"We wanted to rescue a woman who had been kidnapped by the Black Wolf Gang. We came to Xianshi Court, believing there were more unfortunate women there, and wanted to search the place. Who would have thought the Heavenly Demon Sect expert would appear," Liu Qiyue explained.
Liu Ye Bai said coldly, "This Black Wolf Gang stronghold turns out to be a nest for the Heavenly Demon Sect? It seems we'll have to investigate the Black Wolf Gang thoroughly."
"Don't worry," Meng Dajiang's eyes also carried a chill. "Every single stronghold of the Black Wolf Gang will be thoroughly investigated. No one will escape!"
...
At the Black Wolf Gang headquarters, security was tight.
The gang leader, Liu Chang, was drinking and listening to a tune.
"Master," a figure rushed into the room.
"Hmm?" Liu Chang frowned, looking at the young man who had burst in. "Ah Quan, why are you so reckless?"
The young man glanced at the singer beside him.
"Leave us," Liu Chang ordered, and the singer obediently exited, leaving only the master and disciple in the room.
The young man respectfully said, "Master, something major has happened at Xianshi Court. Didn't I report to you before... that I suspected Protector Qiu might be involved? Occasionally, some women go missing from Xianshi Court, but they don't appear in the brothels or establishments under our Black Wolf Gang's control. Moreover, the missing women are all virgins, worth a fortune."
"Hmm, I told you to turn a blind eye. What happened?" Liu Chang asked.
"Today, Young Master Meng Chuan and a young master from Yuyang Palace came with their men to conduct a thorough search of Xianshi Court! A fearsome powerhouse suddenly appeared from Xianshi Court," the young man said. "His entire body was shrouded in green mist, his fingernails grew long in an instant, and his eyes turned emerald green. It was horrifying. He immediately attacked, trying to kill Young Master Meng Chuan and the others."
"Green mist? Fingernails growing long, eyes turning emerald green?" Liu Chang's expression changed. "What happened next?"
"The battle was utterly terrifying, resulting in many of our gang members and women from Xianshi Court being injured or killed in the chaos," the young man said urgently. "I rushed here to report to you as quickly as I could. If Young Master Meng Chuan and the others die, we'll be in huge trouble."
"Are Young Master Meng Chuan and the others still alive?" Liu Chang pressed.
"I don't know. I fled as soon as I realized things were going badly. I didn't dare stay," the young man replied.
"I see."
Liu Chang asked, "You haven't told anyone else about your suspicions regarding Protector Qiu, have you?"
"No, of course not. I've followed your instructions, Master. What should we do now?" the young man inquired.
"You've been stationed at Xianshi Court for quite some time. If the Five Divine Lord Families and Yuyang Palace investigate this matter, they might come after you," Liu Chang said. "It's currently Xu hour, third mark. The city gates close at Xu hour, fifth mark. If you leave now, you can still make it out of the city! Go to the Flying Horse Bandits in the eastern mountains and lay low for a while. If they don't find you, I'll send word for your return later. Remember... keep your trip to the Flying Horse Bandits absolutely secret."
"I understand," the young man nodded.
"Leave quickly, the sooner the better," Liu Chang urged. "Once the gates close, it won't be long before Yuyang Palace and the Five Divine Lord Families start their investigation. You won't be able to leave tomorrow."
"Understood."
The young man also felt it would be safer to leave Dongning City temporarily. He immediately left the gang and headed for the city gates.
He had only traveled a mile from the gang's headquarters when...
"Whoosh." A hidden weapon flashed by and pierced the young man's body.
His eyes widened in shock, and he quickly collapsed to the ground.
At that moment, Liu Chang, now masked, appeared beside him.
"Ah Quan, your master dares not get involved with the Heavenly Demon Sect. If the Divine Lord Families find out that I noticed something was wrong at Xianshi Court but turned a blind eye, I'll be in deep trouble. Dead men tell no tales. Don't hold it against me, Master," Liu Chang said as he swiftly carried the young man's body away.
...
A short while later, Liu Chang quietly returned to the Black Wolf Gang headquarters, unnoticed by anyone.
He leisurely painted in his study.
"Liu Chang!" A furious shout rang out.
Liu Chang rushed out of the study and saw a middle-aged man in white robes. He forced a smile and said, "Third Master, what brings you here?"
"Still asking? You good-for-nothing fool!" the white-robed man said through gritted teeth. "Managing the Black Wolf Gang has caused a disaster. A Heavenly Demon Sect demon aura-releasing powerhouse emerged at Xianshi Court!"
"What? The Heavenly Demon Sect? That has nothing to do with me, nothing at all!" Liu Chang nearly cried in fear. "Third Master, you know I wouldn't dare."
"Young Master Meng Chuan and Young Master Yan Jin from Yuyang Palace are severely injured. Madam Meng is nearly out of her mind and has already mobilized the Meng family's forces. The Lord of Yuyang Palace has also ordered Yuyang Palace's men to join the Meng family in a strict investigation. Tonight, the entire Dongning City will be in chaos," the white-robed man said angrily. "You worthless fool, come with me right now to see my elder brother."