Infiltration

Screams rang out one after another. About ten minutes later, Chen Luo returned, carrying the iron rod completely soaked in blood. Seeing this scene, the Sha Lake Gang members involuntarily gasped, their eyes filled with awe as they looked at Chen Luo.

This is a ruthless person!

He killed so many people without a moment's hesitation.

Crippled Ma, who had survived the ordeal, sat on the steps, panting. Seeing Chen Luo walk back, a hint of appreciation flashed in his eyes. Regardless, Chen Luo was his disciple, and he used the Black Tiger Fist that Crippled Ma had taught him.

"Did you kill them all?"

"Not a single one left."

Chen Luo flicked his wrist, and the iron rod flew out, sticking diagonally into the ground. Residual blood dripped down, showcasing the brutality of the previous battle.

"Well done."

A Sha Lake Gang expert nearby couldn't help but exclaim.

Seeing Chen Luo's gaze sweep over, he immediately straightened up and said respectfully, "Wang Dajiang, Hall Master of the Sea Sand Hall of the Sha Lake Gang, pays his respects to the expert."

Chen Luo glanced at him, then turned his gaze back to Crippled Ma.

"How did you end up fighting them?"

"The Imperial Court wants merits, and people like us just fit the criteria." Crippled Ma had caught his breath. Even with a broken leg, ordinary people were no match for him.

"Fit the criteria?"

Chen Luo frowned, gaining a new understanding of the soldiers' depravity.

"You can tell if someone practices martial arts with one look." Crippled Ma looked at his disciple, his eyes completely different from before.

He had seen many geniuses, and he himself was a genius when he was young. But even with that much talent, he had never seen anyone reach the third realm, Bone Forging, in just one month. This was no longer a question of whether someone was a genius, but whether they were human.

However, Crippled Ma had spent many years in the Jianghu and knew what to ask and what not to ask.

So he deliberately skipped the question of Chen Luo's strength and began telling him about the origins of these soldiers and his own conjectures.

"These people set up such a big scheme. If they only killed commoners, they wouldn't be able to fool the people above. So they had to find some martial artists to be the leaders."

Just like why there were people suppressing the Mountain Strongholds outside before, the people suppressing the Gangs here were also looking for scapegoats.

As for why it was delayed until now, Chen Luo guessed there must have been some transaction he didn't know about. Those people must have used the Sha Lake Gang at first, but later, when they really couldn't find enough substitutes, they thought of discarding them like a cunning rabbit killed when the hounds are no longer needed. As local insiders, the Sha Lake Gang members naturally wouldn't sit still and wait for death, which led to the previous scene of fighting.

"Where is Junior Sister He?"

"Xiaomin was taken away by that group. They were looking for women with Qingya County household registration who matched a certain birth year and month, and Xiaomin happened to fit the criteria." When he said this, Crippled Ma's face was full of frustration.

To think that he had roamed the Jianghu for many years, and in the end, he couldn't even protect a single disciple.

"Where?"

"I am willing to lead the way for this expert."

Before Crippled Ma could reply, Wang Dajiang, who had been standing for a while, immediately jumped out. Junior Sister He, whom Chen Luo mentioned, was his niece.

He hadn't had the ability before, but now that he saw an opportunity, he naturally wanted to do his part.

Chen Luo ignored this person and looked at Crippled Ma. To him, the Sha Lake Gang members were strangers. The only person present whom he truly trusted was his Master, Crippled Ma.

"This person is trustworthy."

Crippled Ma understood Chen Luo's meaning and nodded.

"What about the others?"

"No one on the Imperial Court side is your match. The strongest is a General, a Peak Internal Training expert, skilled in using a spear."

"Alright."

After a brief exchange between master and disciple, Chen Luo prepared to rescue the person.

He had returned this time to find more 'Royal Family Brains'. Not killing people was definitely not an option. The brains of those he had just killed had all been conveniently collected by him, replacing a batch of Jianghu Wanderer brains he had collected at the mass grave earlier. It could be said to be a fruitful harvest.

He grabbed Wang Dajiang's shoulder with one hand, and his Internal Qi instantly poured into him.

Wang Dajiang was startled. Before he could react, he found himself being carried and flying towards the other side. He was a man weighing over two hundred pounds, yet in this person's hands, he was like a child, seemingly weightless. This feat alone was enough to make Wang Dajiang completely submit.

"You've passed it, it's on Willow Street to the right."

Wang Dajiang quickly corrected the direction during the flight.

Chen Luo quickly adjusted his posture and changed direction.

"It's here."

After twenty minutes, Chen Dahe pointed to a large courtyard ahead and said in a low voice.

"County Yamen?"

Chen Luo, carrying Wang Dajiang, flipped over the wall and landed, frowning slightly as he looked at the building ahead.

Compared to other ordinary civilian houses, the County Yamen was much more troublesome.

Not only were the walls high, but the guards inside were also much more formidable. Just by landing outside the wall, Chen Luo felt several powerful auras. One of them, even with him having broken through to the Bone Forging realm, made him feel threatened. It must be the Imperial Court expert his Master, Crippled Ma, had mentioned.

This is the Imperial Court, the official power of the state. It's not strange at all that they have so many experts. This is even with Qingya County being a remote location, so not many experts have come here. If there were more people, Chen Luo would definitely turn around and leave without even trying.

"I watched Xiaomin and Brother He get captured and brought here. At first, these dog officials promised not to touch our Sha Lake Gang…" As he spoke, a flicker of hatred crossed Wang Dajiang's eyes.

The Imperial Court had gone back on their word, causing many skilled members of the Sha Lake Gang to die, including some of Wang Dajiang's relatives.

"As for what the Imperial Court says, just listen and forget it."

After confirming the location, Chen Luo was ready to go in and kill.

With so many experts, the brains he harvested after killing them would definitely be even more useful!

"You should go first. You won't be able to help with what comes next."

Chen Luo reached behind him and grabbed the iron rod. He had picked up this rod from beside the body of another soldier when he left earlier; it was cleaner than the previous one. The previous one had killed too many people, leaving too strong a smell, which wasn't suitable for stealthy killing.

"I'll wait for you outside."

Wang Dajiang wasn't stupid; he knew his own limitations.

Chen Luo ignored him and walked a couple of steps along the outside of the wall. He found a spot behind the wall where there were no auras, exerted force with his feet, and leaped over in a single bound.

Wang Dajiang watched this effortless display of strength with envy.

He was just a Martial Artist in the Qi and Blood Realm, he hadn't even cultivated Internal Qi. He was fine dealing with some ordinary petty thieves on a normal day, but in a place like this, he wasn't enough.

After flipping over the courtyard wall, Chen Luo discovered that inside was a back garden.

The garden was exquisitely arranged, with paths paved with pebbles, a fish pond, and a rock garden. At the far end was a pavilion. Next to the pavilion was a bamboo waterwheel. Water flowed down from the rock garden, falling into the bamboo tubes and slowly turning the waterwheel. The bamboo tubes occasionally made a crisp sound.

"These Bandit Soldiers really know their way around. There's no trace of looting inside the Prefectural Yamen at all." Chen Luo sneered, tightening his grip on the iron rod.

He had suspected before that the County Magistrate of Qingya County was colluding with those people, and now it was confirmed.

"Let's find someone to ask for directions first."

Chen Luo determined a direction and walked along the path.

After passing the small garden, there were side rooms. Inside, several maids were helping the master of the house wash clothes. Compared to the human purgatory outside, this yamen was like another world, completely unaffected by the outside.