White Lotus Sect, Water Ghost Technique

White Lotus Sect, Water Ghost Technique

Lin Mo finally stopped, panting heavily, after throwing more than a hundred punches.

Looking at Zhao Qian's mangled state, the Jade Talisman in his mind pulsed. The pulses came one after another, his fortune surging higher and higher.

[Slaying pirate leader Zhao Qian and eliminating evil for the people, Fortune gathered +220]

Adding the fortune from killing the Water Ghosts earlier, his total fortune finally barely broke through the four-hundred mark.

[Fortune: 401]

"A Second Stage Practitioner is worth this much fortune?"

He had labored away amid the Water Ghost horde for half the day, killing dozens of Water Ghosts, yet the fortune he gained was not even as fast as killing one Second Stage Practitioner.

"This must have something to do with that 'pirate leader' prefix. So they really were outsiders. It's just a pity about that pockmarked brute..."

Lin Mo sighed inwardly. He had hammered the man into the Water Ghost horde, allowing the Water Ghosts to pick up the bargain, so he had not been the killer.

He had not gained a single bit of fortune from it.

After a brief sigh, Lin Mo caught his breath. Naturally, he had not forgotten the task he had come out for, and he hurried toward Li Family Manor once more.

Thinking of that key, he finally understood. Second Master Li was still in the prison hidden in the wine cellar of the Li Family's rear courtyard. He had not answered the Prefecture City Inspector's call alongside those martial artists.

As for why, Lin Mo had no interest in digging deeper. He only wanted to deliver the news properly, then lie low for a while.

A tall tree catches the wind, and the wind shakes the tree; a man famed too highly may perish for his fame.

Lin Mo had not felt this so deeply before, but after seeing Zhao Qian's rabid-dog behavior, he felt it was necessary to take a harder look at the current situation.

His reputation was likely surpassed only by the Li Family's few pillars.

In the wine cellar of the Li Family's rear courtyard, deep within the prison.

"Second Master, Second Master, something terrible has happened! Hurry out and help!"

Lin Mo paced around the prison and shouted loudly until he spotted the lame old man sitting cross-legged on a small bed in the depths of the cell.

"Do you know my current circumstances? I am a sinner awaiting punishment. I cannot simply walk out of this prison at will."

Li Erlang opened his cloudy eyes and explained. Several wine jars lay scattered beside the bed as he spread his hands helplessly.

"The Head Patrolman has been surrounded and killed!"

"There are only a few Third Stage Practitioners in the city. If he wants to run, he can certainly escape. If I go out, my Martial Dao Realm will be crippled. That is no different from death..."

Li Erlang took a drink, still shaking his head, until Lin Mo suddenly added, "A sinner? The two great families of Changhe County—the Zhao Family Grain Store and the Qianjin Escort Agency—rebelled while the Inspector led people to clear out the Water Ghosts! This is a perfect chance to earn merit!"

"Let's go. This old man is taking the foremost merit!"

Feeling that was inappropriate, he added, "Of course, you'll get your share too, kid."

Li Erlang immediately sprang up on one leg. Where was his former aged appearance now? With one hand, he grabbed Lin Mo by the collar and said urgently:

"Kid, lead the way. This old man will first get rid of those rebellious Third Stage Practitioners, then go pay their main families a visit!"

As Li Erlang's blood and qi surged, his hair flared outward like a lion's mane. He looked exactly like a man-eating lion about to pounce.

"This... he has to be at least a Half-step Martial Master? No wonder he knows Master Yang Yun..."

Like a little chick, Lin Mo was lifted without the slightest ability to resist. The thought flashed through his mind as he pointed toward Dock Number One. The next moment, the scenery on both sides began flying backward wildly.

At Dock Number One, after only dozens of breaths spent traveling and barely three breaths after arriving, Li Erlang was already racing onward again with someone in each hand.

Lin Mo was still in his left hand. In his right were the heads of the Third Stage Practitioners who had caused trouble earlier, several of them dangling from his grip like blood-red watermelons.

Beneath the Zhao Family Grain Store, in an underground secret chamber.

Zhou Qiankun, Old Master Zhao, and the others sat in a circle. The two men wore eager, flattering smiles as they raised their cups in toast.

"Your master truly deserves to be an elder of the White Lotus Sect. This Water Ghost Technique is simply terrifying."

"Before long, we will surely bring the Li Family's river transport business under our control. When that time comes, we will certainly follow the White Lotus Sect's lead."

Old Master Zhao wore a fawning smile. None of his usual bearing as the lord of the Zhao Family Grain Store, a man above tens of thousands, remained. It was rare indeed to see him grovel so shamelessly before a Daoist Child.

"Indeed. Zhao Fugui, you have quite the spiritual insight. I believe my master will certainly take a liking to you."

The Daoist Child shook his head as he spoke. Even after calling Old Master Zhao by his true name, Zhao Fugui showed no anger. Zhou Qiankun, however, hurriedly asked from the side.

"May I ask, Immortal Master, the Water Ghosts coming ashore this time was also greatly aided by my Qianjin Escort Agency. Could my father and I obtain Immortal Destiny and cultivate Immortal Methods?"

"Immortal Destiny? Immortal Methods?" The Daoist Child sneered. "Perhaps. But you still fall short. Does your family possess any merit?"

"The Qianjin Escort Agency still has two instances of Minor Merit that have not been used..." Zhou Qiankun added.

"After this matter, your two families working together will surely be able to make up one Great Merit of the human rank. Then enter the Prefecture City Treasury and retrieve an item." The Daoist Child instructed.

"May I ask, Immortal Master, what treasure is it?"

"A treasure? It is a Dharma Seal bestowed upon our White Lotus Sect by the former dynasty's emperor. It was merely stolen by petty men."

The moment his words fell, a thunderous boom exploded beside their ears.

The underground chamber's heavy refined-iron door, along with the rock around its frame, turned to powder in an instant.

It was neither pushed open nor smashed apart. Like a frail sheet of paper, it was blasted into countless fragments by a fist wreathed in Crimson-gold Aura. Powder filled the underground chamber.

The explosive shockwave surged in first. Before the three could even react, they were violently slapped against the wall behind them, their blood and qi churning as nothing but buzzing remained in their ears.

Dust rolled away to either side like waves, and a lame figure none of the three had expected slowly hopped inside.

"Li Erlang?" Zhao Fugui's eyes widened in disbelief. "Weren't you punished by the Prefecture City Lord and thrown into the Prefecture City Water Prison? How are you still alive and out here?!"

Zhou Qiankun stood frozen in place, looking helplessly toward the Daoist Child.

The Daoist Child still tried to struggle. Black mist surged from his Daoist robe, and with a leap, he jumped into the mist, clearly intending to escape through it.

"After all these years, your White Lotus Sect still only knows these petty tricks..."

Li Erlang snorted coldly. His single leg bent and straightened, swift as an afterimage. Even with [Insightful Eye] activated, Lin Mo could barely catch his movements.

In that instant, before the Daoist Child could fully leap into the black mist, Li Erlang seized his throat and casually flung him aside.

Whether he lived or died was unknown!

"Second Master truly has not dulled with age!"

Lin Mo had been carried by Li Erlang the entire way to guide him. Now that they had finally stopped, he stepped forward and offered a timely bit of praise.

That neither-salty-nor-bland compliment seemed to please Li Erlang greatly. He stroked his beard with a smile. "You're not bad either, kid. I saw two Second Stage Practitioner corpses on the road. Did you do that?"

His eyesight is this good too?

Lin Mo knew he could not hide it from the old man before him, so he could only answer directly. "I was merely lucky."

As the two chatted merrily, Zhao Fugui tried to use the chance to flee through a hidden passage. The next instant, a pebble shot by Li Erlang pierced straight through his entire palm. His fat body rolled about in agony as he howled.

"You still want to leave?"