After the time it took to burn an incense stick.
Chen Xuan left Baishui Town in silence, carrying a heavy bundle on his back.
The Baishui Town treasury contained chests of silver ingots, along with jewelry, antiques, calligraphy, and paintings, but he did not possess a treasure such as a Storage Ring.
Thus, aside from the banknotes, Chen Xuan only took several boxes of gold leaves, five hundred taels in total.
The ratio between gold and silver was one to ten.
Five hundred taels of gold amounted to five thousand taels of silver.
There were as much as thirty-one thousand taels in banknotes.
"Thirty-six thousand taels, plus the five thousand seven hundred taels I originally had..."
Chen Xuan calculated silently in his heart.
He now possessed over forty thousand taels, more than enough to bid for a Marrow Cleansing Pill.
Although he could have brought people from the Qingshi Branch and emptied the Baishui Town treasury, if he did that, the matter of him destroying the Baishui Town Branch could no longer be concealed. He would inevitably suffer the Blood Wolf Gang's retaliation.
That was not what Chen Xuan wanted.
The Ninth Layer of Body Tempering might already be an inhuman existence in the eyes of ordinary people, but before an Overlord-Tier Faction like the Blood Fiend Devil Sect, it amounted to nothing.
He was still not powerful enough. It was not yet time to reveal himself.
Before dawn.
Chen Xuan returned to the Qingshi Branch.
Without alerting anyone, he returned in silence.
Several hours later.
News that the Blood Wolf Gang's Baishui Town Branch had been wiped out reached Lianshan City.
The Blood Wolf Gang's main headquarters.
Qin Sihai's face was so gloomy it seemed water could drip from it.
Several gang members who had fled back from Baishui Town knelt in the main hall. Every one of them trembled from head to toe, not daring even to breathe loudly.
"One person." Qin Sihai's voice was terrifyingly calm. "There was only one person. He killed Han Tieshan and Elder Zhao, looted the treasury, then swaggered away?"
"Y-Yes, Gang Leader." One gang member said in a trembling voice, "That man was a master swordsman. One Sword, Six Shadows—none of the brothers could stop him. Branch Leader Han's Iron Bone Technique was broken by just a few of his strikes. Elder Zhao's Flying Star Life-Taking Needle hit him, yet it did not even pierce his skin..."
"It did not even pierce his skin?" Qin Sihai suddenly clenched the iron balls in his hand, producing a shrill grinding sound. "Elder Zhao's Flying Star Life-Taking Needle specializes in breaking protective force. Even Zhuqi Realm experts must fear it by three parts, and you are telling me it did not even pierce his skin?"
"Mercy, Gang Leader! Mercy, Gang Leader!" The gang member collapsed facedown on the floor in terror. "This subordinate saw it with his own eyes. Elder Zhao used the Life-Taking Needle in the end and activated his origin true qi, yet that man only suffered a slight tear in his skin. He did not sustain any fatal injuries at all..."
The main hall fell deathly silent.
Qin Sihai remained silent for a long time.
Even after activating his origin true qi, he had failed to kill him. This person had certainly cultivated a top-tier martial art that tempered both the inside and outside.
The Three Great Sects did not lack top-tier martial arts, but top-tier martial arts that cultivated both internally and externally were scarce even among the Three Great Sects.
"Investigate." Qin Sihai finally spoke, his voice as cold as iron. "Send word to every one of our sect's strongholds in Tiannan Prefecture. Post wanted notices for this man. A sword master who also cultivates a top-tier martial art that tempers both inside and outside—there are not many people in Tiannan Prefecture with such strength. Once he makes a move, he can be identified."
"Yes!"
The gang member scrambled away on hands and knees.
"A sword master... could he be from Ten Thousand Sword Villa?"
Qin Sihai leaned back in his chair, his gaze dark.
However, if Ten Thousand Sword Villa had truly acted, they would not have left behind such obvious traces. This seemed more like an attempt to shift the blame.
Or rather, a misdirection.
If he truly had people investigate the disciples of Ten Thousand Sword Villa, he feared they would find nothing.
There were quite a few sword techniques capable of achieving One Sword, Six Shadows.
Ten Thousand Sword Villa's Fenguang Lueying Sword Technique and Phantom Sword Technique, as well as Guiyuan Sect's Jinghong Sword Technique, were all renowned for their speed and could achieve One Sword, Six Shadows. The Blood Fiend Devil Sect also possessed the Nine Shadow Killing Sword.
"Who exactly was it?"
Qin Sihai furrowed his brows tightly.
He did not care about the Baishui Town treasury being looted.
But with the Baishui Town Branch destroyed and Han Tieshan and Zhao Hanjiang dead, the Blood Wolf Gang had suddenly lost two Ninth Stage of Body Tempering, Huajin Realm generals. The Red Sun Gang and Iron Sword Sect certainly would not let this once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity slip by. They would move to seize Baishui Town while they could.
Very soon.
The Blood Wolf Gang's wanted notices were posted at the gates of Beicheng.
The contents of the wanted notice were simple: anyone who provided clues about the culprit who had destroyed the Baishui Town Branch would receive a reward of ten thousand taels of silver if the culprit was ultimately confirmed.
A reward of ten thousand taels of silver.
The moment that figure emerged, all of Lianshan City was shaken.
Ten thousand taels of silver were enough for an ordinary person to spend over ten lifetimes.
For a time, the streets and alleys of Lianshan City were all discussing the matter.
"Have you heard? The Blood Wolf Gang's Baishui Town Branch was wiped out. Even Branch Leader Han Tieshan died. The culprit was one person, a sword master who cultivated a top-tier martial art that tempered both inside and outside."
"One person did it? Is that true?"
"It is absolutely true. My cousin's wife's younger brother works for the Blood Wolf Gang. He personally saw Han Tieshan's corpse carried back, his chest pierced through by a single sword. He was dead as dead could be."
"Tsk, tsk. What kind of person was so formidable? Han Tieshan cultivated the Iron Bone Technique and was nicknamed Iron Wall, Bronze Rampart, yet he was actually killed by a single sword strike."
"Who knows? That person had his face covered, and no one saw his appearance clearly. They only know he used a sword and could produce One Sword, Six Shadows. He also cultivated a top-tier technique that tempered both inside and outside. Even Elder Zhao's Flying Star Life-Taking Needle could not break his defenses."
"Elder Zhao? Which Elder Zhao?"
"Zhao Hanjiang from over twenty years ago—the Flying Star Life-Taking Needle, specializing in breaking protective force..."
"Zhao Hanjiang was once a Zhuqi Realm expert. Later, he offended Ten Thousand Sword Villa and was hunted down. Who would have thought he had been hiding in the Blood Wolf Gang?"
"..."
The news spread quickly.
In less than an hour, the entirety of Lianshan City knew about it.
The Red Sun Gang's main headquarters.
Sun Tianxing sat in a grand armchair, holding a cup of tea, his expression calm.
"A bounty of ten thousand taels of silver?" Sun Tianxing took a sip of tea, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly. "Qin Sihai has been driven frantic."
"Gang Leader, should we investigate as well?" A subordinate asked. "Such an expert has suddenly appeared in Lianshan City. We must be on guard."
"Investigate what?" Sun Tianxing set down his teacup. "It was not our people who did it. Let Qin Sihai run himself ragged. Our focus should be on Baishui Town. Since the Blood Wolf Gang cannot hold it, we should take it over."
"The people of Baishui Town have grown all kinds of medicinal herbs since their ancestors' time. This is a huge piece of fat. The Blood Wolf Gang has lost two Ninth Stage of Body Tempering generals and lacks the strength to compete with us, but the Iron Sword Sect likely will not give up!"
The subordinate spoke in a deep voice.
"Then negotiate. Immediately arrange a meeting with the Iron Sword Sect's sect master for me." Sun Tianxing said calmly, "Sometimes, the martial world does not have to be all about fighting and killing. We can sit down and talk. It is better for everyone to cooperate and divide Baishui Town's benefits than to fight over it until no one gets anything."
A shrewd gleam flashed through Sun Tianxing's eyes.
Having managed affairs in Lianshan City for so many years, he knew well that in the martial world, cooperation could sometimes bring greater benefits than confrontation.
The subordinate nodded in acknowledgment, then withdrew to make the necessary arrangements.
The Qingshi Branch.
News of the Blood Wolf Gang's Baishui Town Branch being wiped out also reached Qingshi Town. The townspeople discussed it fervently, and it became a hot topic after meals and over tea.
At the Red Sun Gang's Qingshi Branch, a group of gang members gathered together to discuss who had done it.
Among them, one person felt deeply uneasy.
That person was Liu An.
The branch leader had asked him to organize information on the Blood Wolf Gang's various branches a few days ago. He had thought the branch leader would lead the brothers in attacking one of those branches, yet after that day, the branch leader never sought him out again.
Who would have thought that the Baishui Town Branch would be wiped out, with two Ninth Stage of Body Tempering, Huajin Realm experts beaten to death.
"Could the branch leader have done it?"
Liu An was doubtful in his heart.
But he did not dare ask.
There were some things that were better known less than more.
If one knew too many secrets, perhaps one day one might stumble into the water and drown.
Before you continue