Blood Cloud Bandits!

The burly man suddenly pondered, "Speaking of which, the recent matters concerning the Blood Cloud Bandits have been a headache... If Tang Jie were to join, perhaps it could be resolved!"

"You all wait here. Give me a moment." With that thought, the burly man instructed the remaining soldiers to stay put and then quickly strode out of the woods.

"Senior Brother, I've really caused you trouble this time. We have to leave Qingshan Temple."

As the three of them returned to Qingshan Temple, Tang Tianhao said with a look of apology.

Now that their whereabouts were exposed, they couldn't stay at Qingshan Temple and had to leave. Du Jue would likely be considered an accomplice, so they had to leave together.

Du Jue shook his head, "I've been at Qingshan Temple for decades. It's a good time to go down the mountain and see the world."

Tang Jie was helpless. Being a wanted criminal was indeed unpleasant; he had to constantly hide. He had grown accustomed to living at Qingshan Temple, where he could cultivate peacefully without disturbance. But now that his whereabouts were exposed, he could only pack his bags and leave.

"Are you still going to pester me?"

At this moment, Tang Jie looked back and saw the burly man who had followed them. His expression darkened slightly as he spoke. He had only intended to deter these soldiers earlier, but if the other party continued to pester him, Tang Jie would not be polite anymore!

"Don't misunderstand! Don't misunderstand! I have something I want to discuss with you."

The burly man said quickly, signaling that he meant no harm. He was well aware that he was no match for the Tang Jie before him; the latter could easily kill him.

Du Jue and Tang Tianhao exchanged a glance and went into the house to pack their belongings. Regardless of anything else, they definitely couldn't stay at Qingshan Temple.

Tang Jie looked at the burly man, wanting to hear what he had to say.

The burly man coughed and said, "Tang Jie, I want to represent Fengyue City in hiring you."

"Hire me?"

Tang Jie was quite surprised. He was a wanted criminal, and this burly man wanted to hire him?

Seeing his reaction, the burly man quickly added, "Tang Jie, I can see that you're not a vicious villain, nor should you be wanted. I have a way to help you clear your name."

The burly man was a martial artist himself and spoke very directly.

"Recently, a group called the Blood Cloud Bandits has appeared near our Fengyue City. These people are not numerous, only twenty to thirty in number, but they are extremely fierce. They have continuously attacked small villages and towns, and in just one month, nearly a thousand innocent people have died. They kill and gouge out hearts, leaving no one alive, regardless of age or gender. They are extremely brutal."

The burly man recounted some events.

Tang Jie was also somewhat shocked. A group that specialized in killing people everywhere? And they killed and gouged out hearts, killing nearly a thousand people with extreme brutality!

"Our Fengyue City dispatched soldiers to encircle and suppress them, but these fellows are very cunning. They can always sense danger in advance and avoid it. They operate everywhere, and our Fengyue City authorities are helpless against them," the burly man said, his tone tinged with anger. He had personally led troops to encircle and suppress the Blood Cloud Bandits several times, but they had always returned without success.

"You mean you want to hire me to deal with these Blood Cloud Bandits?"

Tang Jie asked, not foolish enough to miss the burly man's intention for chasing after him.

"Yes, the Blood Cloud Bandits are very difficult to deal with. Once, a contingent of two hundred soldiers from our Fengyue City encountered them and engaged them. Their numbers were nearly ten times greater than the bandits, yet they were cut down like vegetables and fled in disarray. According to the accounts of the fleeing soldiers, these Blood Cloud Bandits are all terrifying martial artists, each capable of fighting ten men. They are inhumanly powerful and bloodthirsty. Soldier teams of less than a thousand men are helpless against them."

The burly man clenched his fist as he spoke.

The Blood Cloud Bandits were very formidable. Not long ago, a contingent of two hundred elite soldiers from Fengyue City faced twenty to thirty Blood Cloud Bandits and were slaughtered, with nearly half of them fleeing in defeat. The Blood Cloud Bandits suffered not a single injury!

However, if they encountered a thousand or more soldiers, these Blood Cloud Bandits would not engage in any prolonged fighting, choosing to avoid and flee without hesitation. Coupled with their stealthy movements, they had caused Fengyue City immense trouble, leaving them utterly helpless.

Therefore, to deal with the Blood Cloud Bandits, only a small, elite force could be used. Otherwise, if the numbers were too large, the Blood Cloud Bandits would simply refuse to fight.

Even a team led by an immortal cultivator from Fengyue City was killed and dismembered by the Blood Cloud Bandits, their methods brutal!

"The Blood Cloud Bandits have already been listed on the Death Warrant List as wanted criminals. If you can contribute to their extermination, this merit is enough to revoke the wanted status for you and your father!"

The burly man said with sincerity. Even ordinary immortal cultivators couldn't deal with the Blood Cloud Bandits, but having witnessed Tang Jie's strength, the burly man felt that Tang Jie's power was far superior to that of ordinary immortal cultivators. If he joined, there might be a possibility of exterminating the Blood Cloud Bandits!

"Revoke the wanted status?" This made Tang Jie's heart stir slightly. The life of constantly hiding was indeed not good. If the wanted status for him and Tang Tianhao could be revoked, it would undoubtedly be excellent!

And the Blood Cloud Bandits, who committed crimes everywhere, had caused the deaths of nearly a thousand innocent people. They had also repeatedly defeated pursuing government soldiers, and were already listed as wanted criminals on the Death Warrant List, meaning it was a fight to the death.

For example, a Level 2 Fugitive killing a Level 1 Fugitive could have their wanted status revoked, with merit offsetting the crime. However, those on the Death Warrant List had no possibility of atonement; they had committed acts that angered both gods and men and had to be eliminated!

Tang Jie himself was a Level 1 Fugitive, but if he could kill a wanted criminal on the Death Warrant List, his wanted status could also be revoked!

Tang Jie pondered for a moment, then looked at the burly man, "Where are the Blood Cloud Bandits?"

As soon as he said this, the burly man's face lit up with joy, knowing that Tang Jie had agreed.

The burly man immediately said, "The Blood Cloud Bandits have been dormant for a few days. Based on past patterns, they are bound to commit a crime in the next few days. Why don't you leave with me? Once we have news, we can act together and annihilate these Blood Cloud Bandits!"

After speaking, as if fearing Tang Jie might misunderstand, he added, "Or you can give me your contact information, and I'll find you again when there's news."

"Alright, if you play any tricks, I'll make you regret it." Tang Jie nodded slightly and issued a warning.

Although Tang Jie felt that the burly man was likely not lying, he had to be cautious. It was possible the other party wanted to pacify him and then find someone to deal with him.

"I'll wait for you outside Fengxi Village, east of Fengyue City, in three days." Tang Jie gave the burly man his contact information.

Fengxi Village was quite a distance from Fengyue City. Tang Jie had occasionally gone down the mountain during this time to purchase daily necessities in Fengxi Village. The area was spacious and flat, and anyone approaching would be immediately visible, so he wasn't afraid of the other party ambushing him with a large force.

"Okay, I'll look for you then." The burly man said joyfully.

The burly man then took his leave. But before departing, he seemed to recall something and added, "I am Sun Tielong, the captain of the Fengyue City Guard."

After agreeing to cooperate in exterminating the Blood Cloud Bandits, the burly man, Sun Tielong, led his group away.

"I hope... everything goes smoothly," Sun Tielong thought to himself.

The Blood Cloud Bandits, who could make the entire Fengyue City feel overwhelmed, were by no means easy to deal with. Even an immortal cultivator had died at their hands!

With the addition of Tang Jie, could they truly succeed in exterminating the Blood Cloud Bandits? Sun Tielong himself was unsure.