Jiang Xiang Gang

The police officers were right in front of him. What should Chu Yunlong do now?

Explain to the police, "I don't know that person!"

That would be useless. He would be taken back to the police station.

And his identity was far from clean. He absolutely could not go to the station.

Say something else?

The police gave Chu Yunlong no chance to speak. They swung their clubs and struck straight at his head.

Bang!

With one blow, blood appeared on Chu Yunlong's forehead.

He did not even dare fight back. Left with no choice, he dodged the two officers and charged out of the ticket hall.

Outside the ticket hall, Chu Yunlong did not see Li Banfeng.

Of course he could not see him. The moment Li Banfeng rushed out of the ticket hall, he entered the Portable Abode and tossed the key into the wild grass outside the door.

"Where did that little bastard run off to?" Chu Yunlong cursed, only to suddenly feel a sharp pain at the back of his head.

Bang! Bang!

The police had chased out of the ticket hall, swinging their clubs and continuing to strike at his head.

Chu Yunlong clutched his head and ran toward the overpass. There were many forks there, so he might have a chance to escape.

Chu Yunlong ran ahead, with the two police officers chasing behind.

Li Banfeng emerged from the Portable Abode, watched the three figures recede into the distance, and silently followed after them.

It was time to test his legs. He could not follow too fast, nor could he fall too far behind. He had to keep the right speed and distance.

In truth, Li Banfeng did not have a good grasp of his speed. He still could not fully control his legs. At his closest, he was less than ten meters from the two officers, nearly getting spotted.

Luckily, he was a House Cultivator, and he had just come out of his house. A subtle special aura clung to him, causing the police to overlook his presence.

And Chu Yunlong was busy evading pursuit, so he did not notice Li Banfeng behind him either.

After running through three whole alleys and all the way into the desolate outskirts, the police were tired from running and tired from beating him. They stopped chasing.

His face covered in blood, Chu Yunlong braced his hands on his knees and panted heavily inside an abandoned residence.

He could not understand Li Banfeng's earlier actions. He did not understand why Li Banfeng had forced his way into the ticket hall.

Though Li Banfeng had come from an Outer State, no matter where he came from or where he boarded, he needed a Travel Permit to enter or leave any place in Pro State. Those were the rules.

Did he not understand the rules?

Then how had he gotten to Medicine King Gully?

Unless some important figure had crossed the rules and bought him a ticket.

Even if an important figure really had bought him a ticket, he should not have forced his way into the ticket office.

In Pro State, forcing one's way into a ticket office led to very serious consequences.

As his breathing gradually steadied, Chu Yunlong wiped the blood from his face, and his emotions gradually settled as well.

Could there have been another reason behind Li Banfeng suddenly causing such a scene without warning?

Did he know I was going to make a move against him?

Did he deliberately provoke the ticket seller to get away from me?

Judging by his speed, he was clearly a Travel Cultivator. Travel Cultivators truly had the ability to sense danger.

In other words, his earlier argument with the ticket seller had all been an act!

He sensed my killing intent and deliberately caused trouble, hoping to escape through it.

That little brat was quite crafty!

Where could he have gone now?

He had been empty-handed just now, with no backpack. That treasure was not on him.

If I were him, I would definitely move that treasure now.

How could I catch him?

I should immediately have my disciples search around the station. Li Banfeng would not dare carry the Copper Lotus on him, so he had likely hidden it near the station...

As he pondered, a sickle more than ten centimeters long lay across Chu Yunlong's neck.

"Who?" Chu Yunlong was startled. Though his perception was not particularly strong, he had roamed the jianghu for many years. No one should have been able to get so close to him so easily.

Unless the other party's cultivation was far above his.

Or unless the other party was a House Cultivator.

If the gap in cultivation was too vast, Chu Yunlong could only await death.

If the other party was a House Cultivator, Chu Yunlong was not too worried. He had ways of dealing with House Cultivators.

"Brother, let's put down the blade first. Great waters do not flood the Dragon King's temple; we can talk things over—"

With a wet pfft, the sickle blade entered Chu Yunlong's neck, and warm blood sprayed out.

Chu Yunlong was horrified. He had intended to exchange passwords and feel out the other party's background, but he had not expected him to strike immediately.

"Who sent you after me?" Li Banfeng asked calmly, holding the sickle.

It was him!

It was Li Banfeng!

Chu Yunlong was dumbfounded. How had Li Banfeng gotten close to him?

I did not sense a trace of his aura!

Was he a House Cultivator?

Impossible. By his earlier judgment, he was clearly a Travel Cultivator.

Was his cultivation far above mine?

But the sect master had said he had no cultivation before. He was a White Lamb, a fledgling.

It seemed the sect master's information was not reliable.

Hiss—

The blade sank a little deeper into his neck as Li Banfeng asked, "You won't talk?"

Pain and fear did not lie. Li Banfeng had struck so ruthlessly that Chu Yunlong firmly believed he was absolutely not a fledgling.

The sect master might have been deceived by him.

More likely, I was deceived by the sect master!

He was clearly a ruthless man, yet he insisted on calling him a fledgling. The sect master had done this sort of thing before.

The blade slowly continued to sink into his neck, making Chu Yunlong abandon any thought of resisting or stalling.

"This was our boss's order!"

"Don't speak foreign gibberish. Say something I can understand!" Li Banfeng moved the blade within Chu Yunlong's wound.

Chu Yunlong did not dare use underworld slang again. "The sect master sent me."

"What sect are you from? And who is this sect master?"

"We are members of the Jiang Xiang Gang. Our sect master's surname is Xiao. His name is Xiao Zhengong."

Li Banfeng frowned. "Have I met your sect master?"

"Probably, perhaps. I'm not too sure about that..." Chu Yunlong was telling the truth. He truly did not know what dealings Xiao Zhengong had had with Li Banfeng.

Li Banfeng tightened his wrist, and the sickle blade continued to seep toward Chu Yunlong's throat.

Anyone accustomed to the jianghu knew that there was no reasoning with someone like Li Banfeng. Chu Yunlong could only reveal everything he knew.

"Our sect master is from an Outer State. He is with the Dark Star Bureau. You may know him."

Someone from the Dark Star Bureau!

"What does your sect master want with me?"

"He said you have a treasure on you. He told us to kill you and take the treasure back." As he spoke, Chu Yunlong reached toward the knife at his waist.

His movement was very subtle.

In this situation, he had no other choice. He could only risk his life in one desperate gamble.

Li Banfeng was still considering Xiao Zhengong's identity.

The Jiang Xiang Gang came after me for the Copper Lotus.

It seemed Xiao Zhengong was the Team Leader Xiao the big-eyed man had mentioned on the phone!

He was the one who gave the order to shoot me dead!

Li Banfeng asked again, "How many people does your Jiang Xiang Gang have? Are they all hunting me down?"

Upon hearing this, Chu Yunlong did not draw his knife at once.

Li Banfeng had not even heard of the Jiang Xiang Gang. He seemed to know nothing whatsoever about Pro State.

Against someone like this, there was no need to take risks. He could outwit him entirely.

With that thought, Chu Yunlong said, "The Jiang Xiang Gang's disciples are spread across Pro State. There are more than ten thousand of us altogether. The sect master has already given the order. Right now, every Jiang Xiang Gang disciple is looking for you.

"Friend, I can tell that you are no ordinary man. Spare my life, and I will be your inside man within the gang. The moment I hear anything, I will tell you in advance. As long as you are a little careful, they definitely will not find you.

"Once this wave passes, I will find a few friends and help you buy a ticket so you can return to an Outer State. By then, even if the sect master wants to find you, he will have to follow the Outer State's rules. It will not be like here in Pro State, where they can kill whenever they please."

Chu Yunlong had already gripped his dagger. He was a Martial Cultivator. He was slightly slower than a Travel Cultivator, but as long as he got one chance to strike, Li Banfeng would undoubtedly die.

Li Banfeng nodded. "Once I return to an Outer State, I'll hide my name and identity. Your sect master will never find me again."

Chu Yunlong replied sincerely, "Leave this to me! Within three days, I can get the ticket. We can be considered friends after a fight. I have truly made up my mind to be your friend.

"Whether in the Jiang Xiang Gang or Medicine King Gully, ask around about my name, Chu Yunlong, and you will know what kind of man I am!"

"Your name is Chu Yunlong?" Li Banfeng greatly admired the name. "You can tell from that name alone that you're a good man!"

You can tell someone is a good man from his name?

That made no sense!

But Chu Yunlong naturally would not argue with Li Banfeng. "I, Chu Yunlong, have walked the jianghu all my life and never done anything to betray a friend. Since fate has brought us together, even if I must stake this life of mine, I will make sure you remain safe and sound!"

Hearing this, Li Banfeng was deeply moved. "Brother, your situation in the gang is dangerous too. You must protect yourself as well. Whatever happens between us, you absolutely must not tell anyone else!"

"Of course. Brother, rest assured. Heaven knows, earth knows, you know, and I know. There will definitely be no one else who knows."

Chu Yunlong had sized things up. This Li Banfeng's cultivation was not low, and his mind was fairly sharp, but he had come from an Outer State after all. His heart was not ruthless enough, and his hand was not vicious enough. He had no capital to survive in Pro State.

A few words would be enough to trick him. A person like this truly was a fledgling. The sect master had not been wrong after all.

Luckily, he had not fought Li Banfeng head-on just now. He would wait for him to withdraw the blade before striking. That would be the safest course.

As long as Li Banfeng moved the blade away from his neck, he could take Li Banfeng's life the very next second.

Thinking this, Chu Yunlong added, "Brother, you must believe me!"

"Brother, I believe you. I'll leave what comes next to you." Li Banfeng's wrist loosened slightly.

"Leave the rest to me. Brother, take care on your way." Chu Yunlong tightened his grip on the knife hilt, waiting only for Li Banfeng to withdraw the sickle before striking at once.

"Brother, take care on your way!" Li Banfeng withdrew the sickle and cut Chu Yunlong's throat.

Chu Yunlong clutched his neck and stared at Li Banfeng in horror.

Li Banfeng had withdrawn the sickle, but he had cut Chu Yunlong's neck first.

His wrist had loosened slightly earlier so he could exert force more easily.

How could this be?

Had he not already fallen for it?

Shouldn't I be the one dying now?

Why did this happen...

This bastard was truly sinister and vicious!

If I had known, I should have fought him head-on from the start!

Despair filled Chu Yunlong's blurred vision.

Li Banfeng comforted him, "Go well on the road. Don't be so nervous. This really does hurt, but it will pass after hurting for a while.

"You don't need to worry. I definitely believe you. You can't talk anymore, so you definitely won't tell anyone about what happened between us.

"Relax a little more. Yes, no need to be so tense. Close your eyes. Stop staring at me like that. I actually feel rather guilty."

PS: Our Ban Feng feels quite guilty. Everyone, hurry and comfort him.

(End of chapter)