Before the man arrived, his voice had already carried into the hall. A burly man stood outside the door, more than eight feet tall, with dark skin and a resolute face.
He strode forward with the bearing of a dragon and tiger, followed closely by a crowd of Black Tiger Gang members. The man was none other than Tang Heihu, leader of the Black Tiger Gang.
Your Hall Master tricked me into coming here, intending to take my life. And now you're telling me I'm not even allowed to fight back?
A dozen or so people filed into the hall. As Su Ye finished speaking, Tang Heihu let out a sudden roar. "All I know is that you killed someone first. Even if you're an official of the yamen, don't you dare twist the facts!"
"Twist the facts? Huang Qianqing used your Black Tiger Gang's power to run rampant in Kaoshan Town and abduct women by force. Did you know that?" Su Ye glanced at the man in front and spoke calmly.
Tang Heihu's face darkened. He waved his hand and shouted, "Enough excuses! Once you've entered the Black Tiger Gang's territory, you follow my rules!"
"You look like the sort of constable who works for the county yamen. Surrender quietly, and perhaps I'll let you keep some dignity."
"Dignity? You think you can give me that?"
At his words, Tang Heihu gave a feral grin. "Good, good. You've got some nerve, kid!"
As he spoke, he stretched out his right hand. The young man standing behind him immediately understood.
He took a black iron sledgehammer from two lackeys behind him and hurried back. Tang Heihu lifted the hammer in one hand as if it weighed nothing, then suddenly brought it crashing down.
"Whoosh!"
A faint golden glow rose over the hammer's surface. It carried the force of a thousand jun. Before the hammerhead even reached him, Su Ye felt an immense pressure bearing down on him.
So this was the true qi possessed by someone at the Meridian Mirror realm.
Feeling the golden glow covering the sledgehammer, Su Ye grinned. Internal Cultivation could actually empower a weapon, unlike Qi and Blood Power, which only flowed within the body.
Rather than Qi and Blood Power, it would be more accurate to call it the result of blood quality being greatly enhanced. His gaze fell on the rapidly descending hammer.
Relying on his powerful physique, Su Ye retreated half a step in the blink of an eye. The hammerhead skimmed past his chest.
"Rumble!"
A tremendous crash rang out. The ground split into a spiderweb of cracks, and the tables and chairs inside the room shuddered.
Visible rings of air swept out, carrying flying bits of stone. Countless tiny holes appeared in the wooden walls. Su Ye quickly raised his foot and planted it on the hammerhead.
Tang Heihu's face turned ashen. "You arrogant brat!"
The veins on both his hands bulged. Like a black bear, Tang Heihu's broad arms suddenly strained with effort—but an incredibly awkward scene unfolded before everyone's eyes.
Whether he tried lifting or dragging it, the sledgehammer wouldn't budge an inch. Tang Heihu's face flushed red. He looked around and roared, "This move is devastatingly powerful! Everyone, get out!"
His shout echoed through the hall, leaving the lackeys at a loss. Only after meeting Tang Heihu's fierce gaze did they finally understand. They hurried out the door and retreated dozens of meters.
Once everyone had left, Tang Heihu quickly shut the door, then dropped to his knees with astonishing speed. With an embarrassed smile, he said, "This humble one failed to recognize your greatness. Please, sir, spare me!"
Su Ye was speechless at Tang Heihu's reaction. Then he considered that, as the leader of a gang, Tang Heihu knew how to bend when he couldn't fight. A person who could adapt like that was a clever one.
Otherwise, the Black Tiger Gang could never have grown to its current size.
"You're quicker to change sides than a book turning pages. I'll give you that," Su Ye said coolly.
Tang Heihu immediately picked up the thread. "I had no choice, sir. As the leader of a gang, I couldn't just stand by and do nothing. My brothers are all watching. You understand, don't you?"
"This was all my fault. I failed to recognize your greatness."
As he spoke, Tang Heihu couldn't stop kowtowing. "Sir, I have plenty of silver and Martial Arts manuals, and a thousand or so men under my command. From now on, you may call on me as you please."
The young man before him was terrifyingly strong. Tang Heihu was already at the second layer of the Meridian Mirror realm, yet this man had stopped the sledgehammer from moving a fraction of an inch with nothing but the strength of one leg.
This was definitely a big shot. Only a few people in Linshan County could surpass him, and not one of them could do what this man had just done.
Hearing this, Su Ye tamped down the stirring in his heart and spoke calmly. "What Martial Arts do you have? Bring them here for me to see."
"Please wait a moment, sir."
Tang Heihu hurried to his feet, opened the door, and whispered a few words to the young man from earlier.
He quickly returned to the hall, helped Su Ye take a seat, then picked up the teapot from the table and served him attentively. "May I ask how I should address you, sir?"
Tang Heihu looked extremely uneasy. Su Ye didn't make things difficult for him any further. After giving his name, he asked, "Have you noticed anything unusual in Linshan County lately?"
"Unusual? If you ask whether anything's been different, then yes. Quite a few people have gone missing in the city recently. The yamen's response has been strange, too. They act like they're dealing with it, but in secret, they don't send any constables to investigate."
"When did it start? How many people have gone missing?" Su Ye pressed.
After hearing the news from Big Black, he'd thought Magistrate Chen and his people only planned to target those outside the city. From what he was hearing now, something strange had likely been happening in the county seat for some time.
Tang Heihu was puzzled. Lord Su was a constable from the yamen and ought to know more about this than he did. Though he didn't understand, he answered honestly:
"Not long after the Demon Suppression Division left. As for how many people have gone missing, there must be at least dozens, maybe even a hundred."
Over a hundred people?
This must have been the Corpse Demon Cult's doing. It was no wonder Su Ye suspected them. They'd been active in the city all along. It would have been stranger if they'd stayed quiet. As he pondered this,
the young man who'd gone to fetch the Martial Arts returned to the hall as quietly as he could and waited for instructions.
The young man was Tang Heihu's adopted son. He was quick-witted, and seeing how dramatically his adoptive father had changed his attitude, he grew even more respectful.
"What are you standing there for? Hurry up and bring them over!" Tang Heihu barked.
At his order, the young man carried four booklets in both hands and bowed as he walked over to Su Ye.
Su Ye glanced at him but said nothing. He simply opened the four books one by one.
Recorded [Meteor Hammer Technique · Mortal Grade High Rank]
Recorded [Demon Subduing Fist · Mortal Grade High Rank]
Recorded [Fierce Sun Art · Yellow Grade Low Rank]
Recorded [Sky Rending Leg · Mortal Grade High Rank]
After the system had recorded all the Martial Arts, Tang Heihu called the gang members outside into the room. Then he turned to Su Ye and said ingratiatingly:
"Those two, Huang Ren and his nephew, were nothing but petty thieves. To die at the hands of a hero like you, sir, is a blessing they earned in their previous life."
"Remember this! If Lord Su needs anything from now on, we'll do everything we can to help. Anyone who dares slack off will be dealt with according to gang rules!"
Everyone stared at him, stunned. They had no idea what their leader was up to. A few clever ones saw what was happening, and some shameless flatterers hurried to show their support.
"Huang Ren and his nephew did all sorts of despicable things. They disgusted people and ruined the Black Tiger Gang's reputation."
"Now Lord Su has stepped in and taken care of those two beasts. He's truly a just official, like the great sages of old!"
"We'll do whatever Lord Su asks of us. We have not a single complaint."
Su Ye remained impassive, ignoring their flattery. He waved for them to leave, then turned to Tang Heihu and asked about the martial factions in Yunzhou.
"Sir, if you want to know about the martial factions in Wan'an Prefecture—or all of Yunzhou—you've come to the right person."
"Don't be fooled by my lack of strength. I've been in the martial world for many years, so I'm well-informed."
Tang Heihu hastily refilled Su Ye's tea and continued, "Take the Vajra Gate on Mount Yuxiu, for example. They're famous for body-tempering, and their temple is full of experts. They have several body-tempering martial artists who can rival those at the Core Condensation realm."
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