Zhang Lin, the head of one of the Blood Eagle Gang's halls.
With a man like that dead, news naturally reached the gang leader swiftly.
Moreover, the Blood Eagle Gang and the Iron Hand Gang were currently allied, presenting a picture of brotherly harmony. Thus, at this moment, the leaders of both gangs brought a group of hall heads and core members together, converging in the narrow passage before the headless corpse.
Rarely, they did not make things difficult for any innocent people this time. They merely questioned them about what they had witnessed.
It was not that they did not want to kill someone to vent their fury. It was simply that the fallout from the previous chaotic battle had not yet completely died down.
The hall heads and gang members did not know this, but could the two gang leaders really be unaware?
They were merely keeping the lid clamped down tight to prevent their people from losing heart!
So, for now, being a little more careful was always the right choice.
"Dressed in black, standing ramrod straight, face unseen, not saying a word from beginning to end, moving swiftly and fiercely, killing Zhang Lin in a single exchange..."
The Blood Eagle Gang's leader muttered this, unable to stop himself from glancing at the Iron Hand Gang's leader beside him.
That leader was also dressed entirely in black and stood very straight.
Besides, the entire style of the Iron Hand Gang was black. Every last one of them wore black...
"Big Brother, you know me! This has to be the Green Robe Gang's scheme!"
Seeing that everyone on the Blood Eagle Gang's side, from the leader down to the hall heads, was looking at him strangely, the Iron Hand Gang's leader could not help shouting out.
The instant he spoke, he fell straight back into the mortal world, completely lacking the bearing of an expert. Compared with the unanimous descriptions in the many testimonies, he was a world apart.
Fuck! What are you all looking at me like that for?!
The Iron Hand Gang's leader was furious inside.
If circumstances had not forced him to, would he have willingly lowered himself to the position of younger brother and endured such scornful looks?
Damn it all!
The Green Robe Gang was the worst of them all!
Within the territory influenced by the three gangs, the overall situation now appeared calm and stable, but beneath the surface, undercurrents still churned.
Simply put, the Green Robe Gang was not content with having gained only this much this time!
But with the two gangs united and hunkered down defensively, they had no way to get their teeth into them.
So, if they could make the two gangs split from within...
"Little Brother, don't let your imagination run wild. How could I possibly suspect you, Brother?"
The Blood Eagle Gang's leader came back to himself and hurriedly soothed him. Then his face filled with anger. "In the current situation, the Green Robe Gang wants to sow discord between us. Everyone knows it. A few days ago, there was even a suspicious figure lurking around near my side. I spotted them and scared them away."
"Oh? You had one over there too, Big Brother?" The Iron Hand Gang's leader was somewhat surprised, then his expression turned displeased. "I actually crossed hands with that fellow. It was an assassin from the Green Robe Gang. I even wounded him, but unfortunately, he ran too fast, and I failed to catch him in the end."
"Hmph! So it really was the Green Robe Gang!"
"Damnable, detestable Green Robe Gang!"
The two sides reached the same conclusion, and the other hall heads and core members were likewise filled with fury.
But after their anger had run its course, helplessness crept in.
"Sigh... The year's end has arrived. Our gang members have been exhausted lately, busy helping the overseers fill gaps and make up for deficient merit."
"Isn't that the truth? Hmph! We can only let the Green Robe Gang off for now. Once the new year is over, we'll settle the entire account!"
That was what they said, but in truth, they had little confidence.
Seeing the leaders raise the matter high only to set it down lightly, the hall heads were first astonished. Then fear and worry began to breed in their hearts.
A late-stage Qi Refining gang leader still had the power to protect himself. But as for their own strength—even if it exceeded Zhang Lin's, how much greater could it really be? Weren't they still only at the mid-stage of Qi Refining?
Carrying such worries in their hearts, they were on tenterhooks after dispersing, afraid that a Green Robe Gang assassin might burst out from somewhere and smash their heads to pieces.
Unease was contagious.
By the next morning, when Du En and the others went out as usual, they easily noticed this.
The main reason was that these villains, who made a living through crime, had fattened themselves by scraping away other people's hard-earned money. Their strength surpassed that of ordinary people in the Underlying Layer, making them especially conspicuous among the hunched, feeble masses.
Timidity and unease stained their eyes.
Their trembling fear showed in their every action.
What had happened?
The corpse buriers exchanged bewildered looks, while Du En silently mingled among them.
Unlike the others around him, he was currently wondering whether Zhang Lin's corpse would appear before him in some sinister form.
If it did not, then naturally everyone would be pleased.
But if it did, that would prove that the Evil Cultivator lying in wait had not only escaped eradication, but was truly targeting him!
With everyone harboring different thoughts, their footsteps never stopped.
They arrived at the Corpse Burial Wasteland.
"Huh?"
Ning Caize wore an astonished expression as he hurried over to a headless corpse. He looked it over from every angle, examining it carefully. The more he looked, the more astonished he became, and a hint of delight gradually emerged as well.
Wei Ming had no idea what was going on, and the other three were equally baffled.
"Old Ning, what's the situation?"
"Ning, do you know this corpse?"
"Enough, old fellow. Stop pretending to be mysterious."
"Exactly. Spit it out. The boss is still waiting."
"No need to rush."
Du En spoke calmly as he walked over to Ning Caize's side.
Looking at Zhang Lin's corpse, he examined it discreetly and could basically confirm that no one else had touched it.
The situation seemed to be developing in a favorable direction.
So, had what happened to Lu Xiang's corpse last time merely been a coincidence?
As he silently pondered this, Ning Caize had already finished identifying the corpse.
"It's Zhang Lin! I couldn't mistake him! This bastard..."
Unable to hold back, he muttered rapidly, many words tangled together.
Clearly, Ning Caize had suffered quite a lot at Zhang Lin's hands.
So, in the end, he suppressed the urge to cough and said excitedly, "Hahaha, that beast is finally dead! Good riddance! This is the best New Year's gift!"
As he spoke, he bared his teeth again and looked toward the others, his grin impossible to contain. "And now that Zhang Lin is dead, the other little underlings are probably already trembling in fear. Looks like we can spend this New Year happily and comfortably!"
The others also came to their senses and broke into delighted smiles.
Although they did not know which hero had done the deed, it did not matter. For now, they would simply say thanks.
Amid the celebration, Du En also gave a slight nod.
Then he spoke calmly. "All right, you've had your fun. Get to work. And Old Ning, don't get too excited, or once you come around later, you'll have plenty to suffer through."
"Cough, cough, cough, cough, cough..."
You're too late!
Ning Caize, who had choked himself with excitement, stared wide-eyed and could not help coughing violently, as if he were about to cough his lungs out.
A textbook case of joy turning to sorrow.
The others immediately came back to themselves. They were helplessly amused and could only help him catch his breath before starting work burying the corpse.
Before you continue