Jinsha Hall Master, Town in Crisis

"Did something happen in the mountains? Why are there so many wild beasts today?" An older herb gatherer muttered to himself. He had traveled the mountains year-round and was highly experienced, yet this was the first time he had encountered such a strange occurrence.

Harassed and attacked by wild beasts one after another, the group did not dare stop and continued on their way.

A resentful gleam flashed through the Triangle-eyed Man's eyes. Gritting his teeth, he pulled out another small packet and decided to take the risk.

"What are you doing?!"

A voice suddenly rang out. A tower-like figure appeared behind the Triangle-eyed Man, frightening him into trembling.

"Captain, I was bitten by mosquitoes and was about to apply some insect repellent." The sleazy man gave a fawning smile in explanation, his hairs standing on end. He had not noticed Zhou Qiming appearing behind him like a ghostly phantom at all and had been caught red-handed.

"So it's Wang Ergou. Honestly, you can't even endure this little hardship." One of the guards recognized this errand boy from the herb-gathering party and shook his head.

"Bear with it. Don't make any more little moves." Zhou Qiming's expression was stern as he rebuked Wang Ergou.

"Qiming, don't frighten him. There really are quite a lot of mosquitoes; even I've gotten several bites." Cheng Yan stepped forward to smooth things over, feeling that Zhou Qiming was making a mountain out of a molehill.

Danger lurked on every side, and the enemies who had previously attacked the Cheng Family caravan had yet to be identified. There was no need to vent his anger on an errand boy and damage morale.

"Thank you, Young Lady Yan." Wang Ergou was extremely grateful.

Once the disturbance settled, Wang Ergou behaved much more honestly as he continued onward with the group.

After only a dozen or so steps, Wang Ergou felt his scalp itch. He raised his hand to scratch it, only for a powerful arm to suddenly clamp down on him like iron pincers.

"I still think you're highly suspicious. Go die!"

Zhou Qiming's voice was icy. His palm, tempered by the Iron Cloth Skill, abruptly tightened, twisting the other man's entire arm like a braided rope. Blood immediately splattered everywhere as he let out a despairing scream.

"You... don't kill me!" Wang Ergou begged frantically.

"Zhou Qiming, you've gone too far! No matter what, this errand boy belongs to the Cheng Family. How can you just decide to kill him? Save your strength for dealing with the enemy!"

Cheng Yan was angered as well and spoke up to condemn him. She had been enduring Zhou Qiming all along, and now that she saw him injure someone at the slightest disagreement, he was clearly a murderous brute beyond control. The favorable impression she had just formed of him worsened once more.

"This guy looks shifty-eyed and rat-faced. He's no good." Zhou Qiming's single sentence left Cheng Yan speechless.

He reached out and searched him, pulling out the so-called insect repellent and dumping it all over Wang Ergou's scalp. "Tie him to a tree. Since this brat is so itchy, let him rest here to his heart's content."

With a sweep of Zhou Qiming's hand, the guards below shuddered and hurriedly obeyed.

Seeing the caravan about to abandon him here, Wang Ergou was so terrified that he pissed and shit himself, begging without end. "No! This is Beast Bait—it'll get people killed! The Jinsha Gang forced me to do it!"

With Beast Bait poured all over his head, Wang Ergou's psychological defenses completely collapsed, and he confessed everything.

At those words, everyone in the Cheng Family was enraged, shocked and furious alike.

"What? It was actually Beast Bait? What a vicious scheme! They tampered with every carriage frame in the caravan."

"I was wondering why Ergou had been acting so sneaky all along. What an ungrateful traitor!"

"It's a good thing Captain Zhou discovered it in time, or we would've been in danger."

The guards stepped forward and kicked and punched him, all still shaken by the close call. If not for Zhou Qiming's astonishing powers of observation, they might not have returned safely to town, and some of the goods and errand boys would have been lost.

Only then did Cheng Yan realize what had happened. Ashamed, she said to Zhou Qiming, "I wronged you. I nearly fell for that brat's scheme."

Yet what made Cheng Yan even more uneasy was that the Jinsha Gang stood behind it all.

The Jinsha Gang could be called a colossal force in and around the town. Its hall masters and vice gang leaders were all formidable, while its gang leader, Sha Heihu, had not made a move for years. Rumor had it that he already possessed combat strength at the Tendon Transformation level.

Even the Iron Clothes Martial Arts School had to avoid its edge, much less the Cheng Family's grasshopper-like business. Cheng Yan's face turned deathly pale. The more she thought about it, the more frightened she became. Having the Jinsha Gang set its sights on the Cheng Family meant that even if they survived, they would be skinned alive.

What terrified her even more was that, had Zhou Qiming not possessed such sharp eyes and exposed Wang Ergou, that traitor, the Cheng Family might not even have known what enemy they had provoked until the day they died.

Though the situation was equally desperate now, at least they had made preparations in advance, giving the Cheng Family a sliver of hope. At the very least, they could escort their core members to the County Town to seek refuge.

"Tie him securely to that tree."

Zhou Qiming did not care whether it was the Jinsha Gang or the Iron Sand Gang. Anyone standing in the way of his martial path would be suppressed and killed!

He had intended to deal with Sha Heihu sooner or later anyway. One debt more made no difference. Since he and the Jinsha Gang were already like fire and water, he could only be forceful to the end. If he showed weakness and fled, he would merely expose his vulnerabilities to the enemy.

"You'll die horribly! Deputy Gang Leader Jin will wipe out the Cheng Family! You're the Cheng Family's sin—"

Wang Ergou collapsed into despair as he watched Cheng Yan and the others depart.

Once the caravan had gone far away, the savage beasts in the forest followed the scent over and gnawed Wang Ergou until only bones remained. He also drew quite a bit of fire away from the Cheng Family caravan.

The bait had been concocted from the secretions of female beasts mixed with flesh and blood, and its effect was excellent. Wang Ergou had brought this upon himself.

The caravan raced onward without stopping for even a moment, wanting only to relay the news to the Cheng Family as quickly as possible.

The Jinsha Gang's appearance was like dark clouds pressing down overhead, placing enormous pressure on the Cheng Family. If this matter was not handled properly, it would become a crisis that could exterminate the entire clan.

"Since the Jinsha Gang only attacked the caravan and did not dare act openly, that means they have misgivings. Tell me about their strength."

Zhou Qiming remained calm and rational, soothing Cheng Yan and the others.

Hearing this, Cheng Yan finally let out a long breath and nodded. "I only hope we can return to the Cheng Family in time. If Deputy Gang Leader Jin is the one dealing with us, it might still be manageable. I'm afraid this may be Sha Heihu's idea."

Cheng Yan and the others acknowledged Zhou Qiming's position and standing, immediately telling him everything they knew about the enemy. Sha Heihu was suspected to be in the Tendon Transformation Realm. Vice Gang Leader Jin Buhuan was at Late Bone Forging, on the same level as Yuan Tieyi. Several hall masters beneath him were also Bone Forging Martial Artists. No wonder the Jinsha Gang had become the town's tyrant.

Having obtained the intelligence he wanted, Zhou Qiming frowned slightly. He had to raise his body tempering realm as soon as possible and cultivate more martial arts to improve his Root Bone!

Jinshui Town was still far too dangerous. Only greater strength could bring him a sense of security!

This trip had not been in vain. With this batch of Cheng Family resources, once he absorbed and digested them all, he could swiftly replenish the Root Bone Value he had expended.

By then, whether he pushed Blade Technique Limit Breaking to the third level or brought the Iron Cloth Skill to Limit Breaking, either would be enough to handle the current situation.

"Even without the Cheng Family's trouble, I would have run into the Jinsha Gang, this poisonous tumor, sooner or later. Only by taking the initiative can I seize the advantage."

Zhou Qiming came to a decision, Killing Intent flickering in his eyes. Being passive only meant taking blows. Learning of the Jinsha Gang's movements had also given him a sense of urgency—his cultivation was still improving too slowly!

"Wang Ergou really is useless. He couldn't even handle such a trivial matter."

Just as everyone was lost in their own thoughts, a group of people leaped out from behind the cliff with cold sneers. Powerful Blood Qi fluctuations radiated from every one of them. They held blades, swords, and all manner of Weapons, dressed in the standardized fitted uniforms of the Jinsha Gang.

"It's Hall Master Qiu of Earth Fiend Hall!" An older guard recognized their leader, terror appearing on his face.

Cheng Yan's pretty face went pale as she bit her lip hard, as though struck by a bolt from a clear sky. "This is bad. A hall master of the Bone Forging Realm has actually come to deal with us."

This Qiu Yun was a veteran of the Bone Forging Realm and held no low position in the Jinsha Gang, ranking among its top five. Now that he had appeared here, he would never let them leave alive.

Despair arose in everyone's hearts. Only now did they understand how terrifying the enemy attacking the caravan was. No wonder they had been unable to uncover even the slightest clue before—the Jinsha Gang was determined to swallow up the Cheng Family's business.