I'm here to send you on your way

"Hmm, my Master is an accomplished recluse from the Heavenly Sword Sect. She happened to pass by the Martial Arts School and saved me. From now on, I will follow my Master to cultivate..."

"Junior Brother Qin, thank you for saving me... I'm leaving..."

Jin Qiao'er looked at Qin Shuang, gratitude showing in her beautiful eyes.

"You're leaving?... Then I'll give you the Divine Intent..."

Qin Shuang looked at Jin Qiao'er, thought for a moment, and said.

Since she was leaving, and he had already mastered the Tiger Roar Divine Intent Skill, the Tiger Roar Divine Intent was no longer needed. It wouldn't hurt to return it to her.

"Junior Brother Qin, you can talk about the Tiger Roar Divine Intent after you've learned it. I'll come back to see you when my cultivation is successful."

Jin Qiao'er quickly waved her hand and said.

"Alright."

Qin Shuang nodded upon hearing this.

"I'm going now, my Master is over there."

Jin Qiao'er looked behind the alley, to a parasol tree by a small path. Standing there was a beautiful woman in her thirties. She was dressed very simply and carried an ancient sword on her back, giving off a transcendent aura.

"Take care!"

Qin Shuang waved at Jin Qiao'er.

"Take care!"

Jin Qiao'er waved back at Qin Shuang and walked towards the woman. In the blink of an eye, Jin Qiao'er and the woman had vanished.

"Such speed, what is her Master's cultivation level?"

Qin Shuang rubbed his eyes, utterly shocked. He only saw the leaves of the parasol tree swaying in the wind, and Jin Qiao'er and her Master were nowhere to be seen, as if they had never appeared.

"First, I need to find out Liang Chang's residence."

Qin Shuang collected his thoughts, picked up the cage, and turned to head down the long street.

He knew in his heart that with the Simplification System, his strength would one day be as powerful as Jin Qiao'er's Master!

Qin Shuang carried the dragonfly cage and headed towards the East Gate Wharf.

As far as he knew, the East Gate Wharf branch that Liang Chang presided over had businesses such as wharf shipping, the Good Fortune Casino, restaurants, shops, and a marketplace under its command. Liang Chang often stayed at the East Gate Wharf, so wandering around the wharf was the best way to find his residence.

As Qin Shuang approached the East Gate Wharf, he saw a burly man wearing a black eyepatch, accompanied by three Flying Eagle Gang disciples, walking out of a great hall.

"Huh? Young Shopkeeper Qin, you're in the mood to fly your birds here? Have you got the one thousand taels of silver you owe me ready?"

"Less than four days left!"

Liang Chang spotted Qin Shuang at a glance and immediately strode over to him, speaking with an arrogant air.

"Rest assured, Hall Master Liang. I will mortgage the restaurant to the Timely Rain pawnshop by then, and I will definitely pay you back on time by the end of the month!" Qin Shuang looked at Liang Chang and offered a faint smile.

He had already activated the Blood Locking Art at the Proficient level, locking away all of his Qi and Blood. At this moment, he appeared to be nothing more than an ordinary youth.

"What? You intend to pawn the restaurant for a thousand taels?"

Hearing Qin Shuang's words, Liang Chang frowned, feeling a bit anxious. "You idiot! Are you stupid? If you pawn the restaurant and can't pay the money back later, the restaurant will belong to the pawnshop! Besides, the interest is sky-high. You'd be better off giving the restaurant to me; I'll give you an extra hundred taels of silver for your future living expenses. What do you think?"

Liang Chang knew clearly that the Timely Rain pawnshop was a famous business in the Tianchu Dynasty, with branches in all the large cities across the Sixteen Prefectures. If Fusheng Restaurant were pawned to Timely Rain, he could forget about ever getting his hands on it.

As a mere hall master of the Flying Eagle Gang, he certainly couldn't compete with such a behemoth.

This bastard Qin Shuang was completely ruining his plans!

Hearing Liang Chang's malicious words, a surge of killing intent rose in Qin Shuang's heart. He cupped his hands and said, "Hall Master Liang, how about this? Let me consider it, and I will give you an answer tomorrow during the day, how about that?"

"Fine. Think it over carefully tonight. Since you can't pay it back anyway, pawning it to Timely Rain for a thousand taels isn't as good as giving it to me. I'll give you an extra hundred taels—I don't need to teach you which is more cost-effective, do I?"

Hearing Qin Shuang's words, Liang Chang's eyes flashed, and he nodded.

With four days left, he couldn't let the duck that had already reached his mouth fly away.

"No need to wait until tonight!"

Qin Shuang watched the backs of Liang Chang and his men as they left. His gaze turned cold, and he quietly followed them.

"Hall Master, that bastard surnamed Qin actually wants to pawn the restaurant. If he can't pay it back later, it'll be equivalent to selling it to the pawnshop!" Xiao Guizi said fawningly, walking beside Liang Chang.

Xiao Guizi, whose name was Chen Gui, was from the same village as Hall Master Liang Chang. He had joined the Flying Eagle Gang alongside Liang Jiyao to follow Liang Chang.

"That scoundrel has a broken brain. Once we get the deed to the restaurant, we'll sell him to Pushen Hall. With that delicate skin of his, he should be worth twenty taels of silver!"

As Liang Chang spoke, the corners of his mouth curled up, and a look of anticipation appeared in his eyes.

He had done this kind of ruthless exploitation many times before. Through such methods, he had risen to the position of hall master in just a few short years and had accumulated quite a bit of wealth.

"As expected of the Hall Master, what a brilliant move!"

Chen Gui gave Liang Chang a fawning thumbs-up.

Liang Jiyao's courtyard was located five miles from the East Gate Wharf, nestled among a row of Blue Brick Tiled Houses. It was the third courtyard in the row, with a line of Willow Trees at the entrance, their green silk-like branches hanging down, with the occasional Dragonfly darting between them.

Liang Chang ordered Chen Gui to pry open the door to Liang Jiyao's home so they could go inside and take a look.

"Strange, the things haven't been touched, the quilt isn't folded... but the person is gone..."

Liang Chang stood in his nephew Liang Jiyao's room, looking at the messy room, a bad premonition rising in his heart.

"Save... uh~~~"

Just then, a cry for help rang out from the kitchen. It only managed to utter the word 'save' before falling silent.

"A Zhen?"

Liang Chang drew his saber, his eyes flashing with electricity, and cautiously retreated from the room. He moved to the main hall and looked towards the kitchen. Just now, he had heard his subordinate Su Zhen's cry for help from the kitchen.

The kitchen was quiet, not a sound.

Liang Chang remembered that his subordinate Su Zhen had gone to check the kitchen. He immediately said to Chen Gui and another subordinate beside him, "Chen Gui, Big Head, you two go check the kitchen!"

As a hall master, Liang Chang was naturally cautious. Even though he was already in the Bone Forging Realm and possessed Qi and Blood Wolf Smoke, he didn't dare to be careless. He knew very well that in the jianghu, a moment of carelessness could lead to capsizing the boat.

Using his subordinates as bait was something he often did.

"Yes... yes... Hall Master!"

Chen Gui and Big Head trembled as they approached the kitchen. They reached the kitchen door and saw nothing. The two exchanged glances, and under the pressure of Hall Master Liang Chang's gaze, they walked into the kitchen.

"You... uh~~~~"

Chen Gui stepped into the kitchen and immediately saw a familiar face appear behind the door. Just as he was about to speak, his throat was grabbed by a large hand. He was lifted up like a chick, unable to utter the words that followed.

At this moment.

Chen Gui's heart was in turmoil. He never expected that the person attacking him would be Qin Shuang, the young shopkeeper of Fusheng Restaurant!

That youth they had considered a waste, a pushover!

His hands gripped Qin Shuang's arms, struggling desperately, but he felt as if that arm was made of steel, unmovable!

"Crack!"

"Crack!"

With two cracking sounds, Chen Gui and Big Head's neck bones were snapped by Qin Shuang. Their heads lolled to their shoulders, their eyes filled with fear and despair.

"Xiao Guizi!"

Liang Chang heard the sounds from the kitchen and felt a chill run down his spine. He slowly retreated. Just then, a familiar figure appeared at the kitchen entrance.

"Liang Chang, I'm here to send you on your way."

Qin Shuang looked at Liang Chang and said calmly, a chilling killing intent appearing in his eyes.

"You!"

Liang Chang looked at Qin Shuang, his eyes filled with shock, and muttered, "It seems Jiyao has already died by your hand!"