Thief Sect Showdown

"Xiuling, something's not right," Shen Rongqing said in a low voice. "Bao Yingchen barely made it back to the main hall. He should at least have found someone to help him detoxify."

Zhang Xiuling, busy recording this touching scene in her notebook, casually remarked to Shen Rongqing, "Perhaps the poison he's afflicted with is incurable."

Shen Rongqing shook his head repeatedly and said, "Even if there is no cure, he has already returned to his own territory, so we still have to find someone to try."

Zhang Xiuling wrote faster and faster, "Perhaps Boss First Boss had long since taken life and death lightly."

"What a joke! This is a matter of life and death! You only have one life, who doesn't want to live? Rather than saying your last words here, at least give yourself a chance to live."

Zhang Xiuling chuckled and said, "This is a realm of cultivation. Rong Qing, do you know what realms of cultivation are here?"

Shen Rongqing truly couldn't understand. "Xiuling, tell me, what realm is there here? What kind of realm truly allows one to take life and death lightly?"

"The concept of 'realm' is hard to explain," Zhang Xiuling suddenly lowered her voice, "If you haven't yet taken a detached view of life and death, then don't talk so much."

You're in business; you know too little about gangs. If you keep talking, things could get very dangerous.

This is the difference between Zhang Xiuling and Shen Rongqing. Both are talented women, but Shen Rongqing is a businesswoman, while Zhang Xiuling is the head of the Hundred Flowers Gate.

Shen Rongqing still couldn't understand. "Xiuling, don't you want to know the truth?"

Zhang Xiuling used her superb writing skills to write a few sentences on a notebook and presented them to Shen Rongqing:

"Rong Qing, not all truths are the same. Merchants value genuine goods at fair prices, while gangs believe in seeing is believing."

Inside the gate, what you can see is real, and what you can't see is fake.

Bao Yingchen is dead, you see, that's true.

Shen Jinzhong shed tears, you saw it, and it's true.

According to the rules, the second gold seal is now to be replaced with Big Gold Seal. The rules are real, and the gold seal is also real.

You've seen all of this; what you've seen is true. It's best not to speculate about things you can't see.

After reading these lines, Shen Rongqing quieted down.

Everyone present saw what just happened; it's real.

In comparison, all her doubts were meaningless and would only bring her trouble, or even death.

Next, Shen Jinzhong has two things to do.

First, Bao Yingchen a proper burial. Whether as a sworn brother or a subordinate in the sect, this was Shen Jinzhong's duty.

Secondly, the internal traitor must be dealt with. Bao Yingchen has already said everything, and the traitor has been identified as Dong Kaibin.

Dong Kaibin was still in a daze and didn't know how to defend himself.

Actually, he didn't need to worry about explaining himself, because Shen Jinzhong wouldn't give him a chance to explain.

Several disciples pinned Dong Kaibin to the table, and Shen Jinzhong immediately raised his knife.

This was also Li Qi's instruction: there should be no hesitation, no room for maneuver, and no moment of argument or maneuvering.

Dong Kaibin also possessed cultivation; he was a fifth-level Sufferance Cultivator.

He also had subordinates, and several close followers were in the main hall.

He tried to escape using his skills, but Shen Jinzhong subdued him on the spot.

He called for his attendants, but they all had knives to their throats.

Dong Kaibin shouted hoarsely, "I knew nothing about what the Chu family did!"

It was too late for him to shout; Shen Jinzhong chopped off his head with a single blow.

Seeing the blood gushing out, He Yuxiu felt sorry.

What a waste of this pot of good mutton.

Someone at the table muttered quietly, "Was this really done by the Chu family?"

Shen Jinzhong gritted his teeth and said, "Even the Chu family doesn't dare to come. If he didn't do this, who else could it be?"

Yes, the Chu family did not come.

Shen Jinzhong hosted a hot pot dinner, but he didn't invite the Chu family. So why did the Chu family come?

This is not the time to reason; what matters now is sentiment and atmosphere.

By killing Dong Kaibin and avenging the First Boss, Shen Jinzhong had satisfied his loyalty and created the right atmosphere.

Next came the funeral arrangements. The guests who had come to the banquet naturally couldn't break the rules of etiquette, so they all went to the coffin to pay their respects.

As for the autopsy, no one dared to mention it, just as Zhang Xiuling had said: Bao Yingchen, and that was that.

Shen Jinzhong was dressed in mourning clothes, heartbroken, and almost fainted from crying.

He Yuxiu lit an incense stick for Bao Yingchen and said to Shen Jinzhong, "The accomplices have been dealt with, but are we just going to leave the mastermind unattended?"

"What are you saying, Sister Xiu?" Shen Jinzhong gritted his teeth and said, "The Three Heroes Gate and the Chu family are sworn enemies!"

"Okay!" He Yuxiu nodded. "I'll remember those words. Old Bao, if he's alive, he'll hear me!"

Amidst the comings and goings of guests, a man dressed in a suit and wearing a top hat entered the funeral hall.

He nudged Shen Jinzhong from behind; otherwise, Shen Jinzhong wouldn't have known this person had arrived.

"Seventh Master," Shen Jinzhong greeted him quietly as he approached the corner, "I've sent someone to look for what you wanted; it should be here soon."

Li Banfeng nodded and asked, "Everything went smoothly, right?"

"Smoothly. Once my elder brother is buried, everything else will be much easier."

"Don't wait any longer, keep the funeral simple." Li Banfeng was a little worried; if they waited any longer, the cabbage might develop problems.

Shen Jinzhong was also very anxious. "Tonight is not an option. I have already told the guests that the burial will be arranged tomorrow."

"The burial is tomorrow," Zhang Xiuling said with a sigh, putting away her notebook. "Shen Jinzhong is really in a hurry."

Shen Rongqing lowered her voice and said, "With the funeral being done so hastily, hasn't anyone become suspicious?"

Zhang Xiuling nodded and said, "Yes, and there's more than one. But what if we suspect something? It's just a thought in our minds."

Thinking about it more is useless; if we can't figure it out, perhaps decades, even a hundred years from now, there will still be people who can't understand it.

But what difference does it make whether I understand or not? The current First Boss of the Three Heroes Gate is Shen Jinzhong.

Li Qi and Shen Jinzhong were talking in the mourning hall when Xie Juncong, the First Boss the Ghost Hand Gate, came in to offer incense.

"You must be Seventh Master?" Xie Juncong stepped forward and greeted him.

Li Banfeng was somewhat surprised; not many people would notice him immediately.

Shen Jinzhong stepped forward to introduce him, "This is Xie Juncong, First Boss head of the Ghost Hand Gate."

Upon hearing the Ghost Hand Gate, Li Banfeng felt an urge to pin the kind old man to the ground and beat him up.

The timing and occasion were inappropriate, so Li Banfeng held back for the time being. Xie Juncong sighed, "When Old Bao was leaving, he said he had accepted you as a friend."

He's a true hero, and I admire him. From now on, I consider you my friend!

"Senior Xie, you are a man of high moral character and great prestige. I have long admired your name..." Li Banfeng was very moved and made up a few lies from the bottom of his heart to get rid of Xie Juncong.

Bai Wuchuan, the leader of the White Crane Gang, entered the mourning hall. He hadn't noticed Li Banfeng at first, but when he saw Xie Juncong talking to Li Banfeng, he went over and chatted with him for a bit.

"Seventh Master, the White Crane Gang didn't have much contact with you before, but Bao Lao's friend is my friend, Bai Wuchuan's friend."

Li Banfeng returned the greeting with clasped hands, and after Bai Wuchuan left, Li Banfeng asked, "What is the background of the White Crane Gang?"

Shen Jinzhong said, "In Pro State, the White Crane Gang is also a large gang. This gang is full of body cultivators, and there are two factions within the gang: the Transformed Body Cultivator and the Evolved Body Cultivator."

Li Banfeng didn't know much about body cultivation, so he asked, "What are Transformed Body Cultivator and Evolved Body Cultivator?"

"To put it simply, Transformed Body Cultivator is a human turning into a beast, while Evolved Body Cultivator is a beast turning into a human."

Bai Wuchuan is Transformed Body Cultivator, and he only took over the position last year. Logically speaking, this position of Gang Leader shouldn't have been his turn.

He had a senior brother who Evolved Body Cultivator; he was a human transformed from Immortal Crane. It was said that Shut-in Cultivator for twenty years and had achieved great success.

A year ago, his senior brother emerged from seclusion, preparing to take over as the Gang Leader, but unexpectedly disappeared in the Medicine King Gully.

An Immortal Crane went missing in the Medicine King Gully.

Li Banfeng felt like he had seen this person before.

That person seems to have crashed headfirst into the border line and vanished into thin air!

To be able to become the Gang Leader, this person must have considerable cultivation.

It seems I should try to avoid seclusion in the future. Seclusion for too long might lead to some crazy behavior.

While he was pondering, Li Haoyun, the head of Hibiscus Studio, entered the mourning hall. He had just seen Bai Wuchuan and Li Qi talking, so he came up to greet them as well.

"Seventh Master, we're from the same clan, please look out for me in the future!"

After exchanging a few polite words, Li Haoyun left. Li Banfeng then asked, "What kind of business does Hibiscus Studio do?"

"The bookstore business," Shen Jinzhong raised his eyebrows, "Of the three-tenths of the bookstores in Green Water City belong to Hibiscus Studio, which is located in Belt Ridge. Hibiscus Studio also has a lot of business."

Hibiscus Studio, Li Haoyun.

Li Banfeng inexplicably felt a sense of familiarity with this person.

Several more guests arrived, and one of his men came to Shen Jinzhong's Shen Jinzhong and handed him a Rosewood Box.

Shen Jinzhong dismissed his men and handed the Rosewood Box to Li Banfeng: "Seventh Master, I've got what you wanted."

Li Banfeng took the box, opened it, and found a pair of Judge's Brush inside.

This is the good gift that Chu Huaijun gave to Bao Yingchen.

Li Banfeng picked up the Judge's Brush and fiddled with it for a moment.

It is indeed a fine weapon, with exquisite workmanship and materials.

After listening for a moment, Li Banfeng heard no sound.

He has the Discern Spiritual Sounds Technique; if he cannot hear any sound, it proves that the Judge's Brush has no spiritual power at all.

"Is it really worth Bao Yingchen risking his life for just this pair of weapons?" Li Banfeng found it hard to believe.

Seeing that Li Banfeng's expression was off, Shen Jinzhong quickly explained, "Seventh Master, we need to make this clear. I gave this to you as soon as I found it, and I haven't touched it."

Li Banfeng looked around the courtyard and saw Xie Juncong, the Ghost Hand Gate, walking towards the gate.

What is the relationship between the Three Heroes Gate and the Ghost Hand Gate?

Shen Jinzhong sighed and said, "How should I put it, dealing with a gang like this..."

Offending him would easily cause trouble, and getting closer to them would only bring more trouble. So, I'll just try to get along with them as long as we don't fall out.

Li Banfeng took two steps to stand behind Xie Juncong and asked, "Senior Xie, are you heading back? Shall I see you off?"

Xie Juncong shook his head and said, "I'm not leaving tonight. I want to see Old Bao off on his final journey."

He said he wouldn't leave.

Didn't he take the things?

Li Banfeng didn't ask any more questions and turned to leave.

Seeing that Li Banfeng had walked away, Xie Juncong took out a white cotton glove from his sleeve.

He took the gloves from Li Banfeng. Although he didn't know what the gloves were for, thieves had the ability to identify treasures, and he knew that they were a very valuable magic weapon.

Xie Juncong sighed inwardly, "Young man, you can suspect me, so you seem to have some intelligence, but you dare to test me so easily, you still lack experience."

Xie Juncong checked the time and waited until after 2 a. m., taking advantage of everyone's exhaustion, he found an opportunity to leave the Golden Seal Hall.

The timing of a theft and repair is entirely up to the thief.

What is the most suitable time?

The main hall of the Three Heroes Gate is heavily guarded. Even Xie Juncong wouldn't dare say he was completely confident he could sneak in.

Now that Shen Jinzhong is inviting him to hot pot, and he's openly walking into the lobby, this is the perfect opportunity.

As for whether Shen Jinzhong will seek revenge later, it's hard to say, but Xie Juncong can distinguish between primary and secondary matters; the task assigned by He Jiaqing is more important to him.

As the saying goes, you need to catch a thief red-handed. Without evidence, even if you find him, Xie Juncong won't admit it.

Moreover, Shen Jinzhong had just become the Big Gold Seal and his position was not yet secure, so Xie Juncong was not afraid that he would break off relations.

When Xie Juncong returned to the old house next to the Hou Tang City God Temple, he took out a pair of Judge's Brush and was about to contact Wan Jinxian to hand over the treasure to He Jiaqing when he suddenly felt that the Judge's Brush familiar.

It's not just that it looks familiar; this is the Judge's Brush's Judge's Brush that he had someone make, the one he used to switch out in the Golden Seal Hall!

Why were they switched back again?

Where did the real stuff go?

Xie Juncong was stunned for a moment, then touched his inner pocket and found that the gloves he had taken from Li Banfeng were also gone.

He spat out the Judge's Brush from Portable Abode glove, sneered, and said, "This old geezer, he'll take anything. He's lived to such an old age, yet he's still so reckless."

"Honey, take a look at this. What do you think of its quality?"

Li Banfeng smiled and said, "You're an expert. Your judgment is definitely correct."

He took a pair of Judge's Brush, approached his own Judge's Brush, and softly called out, "A'Bi, your two brothers have come to see you. Since you both look alike, I won't give you separate names."

From now on, this one will be called "Second Stroke," and the other one "Third Stroke." You'll still call it "Cheap Stroke." Is that alright?

Judge's Brush was asleep and ignored Li Banfeng.

The Judge's Brush ranked second voluntarily switched places with the Judge's Brush ranked third, as he didn't really want to be the second pen.

After waiting for a long time, the two new pens seemed to have no connection with the original Judge's Judge's Brush.

Li Banfeng frowned and said, "What kind of logic is that?"

Buzz~

Portable Abode suddenly spoke up, "Seventh Brother, bring this to the third house so I can take a look at it for you."

Li Banfeng, carrying the Judge's Brush, arrived at the third house.

Portable Abode Shenju said sternly, "Seventh Brother, put down your pen first, allow this old man to examine it carefully!"

"Put it down..." the glove said nervously.

"A'Tao, don't say anything more!" Portable Abode's tone became even more serious.

Li Banfeng placed a pair of Judge's Brush on the ground.

"What a treasure! Hahaha!" Portable Abode laughed loudly, and the pair of Judge's Brush instantly melted, seeped into the ground, and disappeared.

Li Banfeng was stunned for a moment, then angrily said, "You Old Thief, are you trying to rob me outright?"

PS: Why would Portable Abode) be scrambling for this?