A Dark and Stormy Night for Murder

Lu Yun pondered for a while before finally reaching a conclusion.

If he wanted to quickly obtain a large number of spiritual items in a short time, there was only one way.

Robbery.

It had always been this way since ancient times. Without control over the distribution of upper-level resources, it was difficult to accumulate the initial capital.

Relying on this meager salary to add points to his martial arts was simply a fool's dream.

As for how to rob, and whom to rob, that too was a profound subject.

First, the Red Flame Army and the City Lord's Manor were off-limits. They belonged to his own side.

Then there were the three great families. Their clans were teeming with experts and were not easy to provoke, so they could only be ruled out.

That left only the Canal Gang and the Black Tiger Gang.

These two gangs had risen through gray-market industries. They had done no small number of things in secret, from forcing decent women into prostitution to robbing travelers on the road.

Lu Yun felt no psychological burden whatsoever about looting their spiritual-item warehouses.

What was more, the Canal Gang had no small grudge against him.

Qing'er's disappearance was very likely connected to them.

Thinking of this, Lu Yun made up his mind: the Canal Gang it was.

Over the next two days.

Lu Yun left early and returned late, secretly observing the Canal Gang's entire operation.

Even personnel transfers and guard rotation times were under his watch.

He did not even spare the Black Tiger Gang's key personnel.

Before long, he had selected the place to strike: a dock in the western part of the city.

This place was closest to the military camp, allowing him to return quickly after the job.

Not only that, but the route back would pass through the Black Tiger Gang's territory.

That was right—Lu Yun had already laid out a detailed plan.

Once the operation succeeded, he would toss the tools of the crime into the home of a Black Tiger Gang martial artist at the peak of Internal Strength.

He would make the other man carry this black pot.

As for whether the Canal Gang believed it, that was no longer his concern.

For him, it was enough to muddy the waters and confuse the public.

Better yet, the two sides could bite each other like dogs and start fighting, thoroughly churning up the waters so he could fish in troubled waters.

Late at night.

In the western city, beneath a silent roofline.

Lu Yun held a long spear and wore black night clothes, his entire body swallowed by darkness like a ghost.

He opened the panel.

He tapped twice on [Bone-Shrinking Art] and [Turtle Breath Art].

"Life span -2 years."

[Bone-Shrinking Art] (Mastery), [Turtle Breath Art] (Mastery).

Remaining lifespan: 5 years.

For today's operation, Lu Yun had specifically raised both skills to Mastery.

As he began to circulate [Bone-Shrinking Art].

"Crack, crack, crack..."

His entire body rapidly grew taller, while his facial features swiftly changed as well.

Before long, he had become a different person, with a lean, tall face.

"Not bad. My build is eighty or ninety percent similar to Cao Dahai's from the Black Tiger Gang."

"With the cover of night on top of that, no one would believe it wasn't him."

Lu Yun was quite satisfied.

Cao Dahai was the scapegoat he had chosen. His strength was neither too high nor too low—just right.

Then Lu Yun dashed toward the street ahead.

"Whoosh..."

The Shadow Following movement technique was exceptionally suited for short-distance bursts.

He made not a sound in the darkness.

Soon, he reached the bank of a great river and plunged headfirst into its icy waters.

This river was a tributary of the Cang River. It ran through the entire city before finally joining the Cang River, and the Canal Gang had quite a few strongholds and warehouses along it.

Lu Yun's target was the one closest to the western part of the city.

As he swam, he circulated the [Turtle Breath Art], greatly reducing his body's needs from the outside world.

That was the wondrous aspect of the [Turtle Breath Art]: it could vastly unleash the potential of the flesh.

This was only at the Major Accomplishment realm. If he continued to deduce it after reaching Perfection, could there come a day when he could roam through rivers, lakes, and seas as freely as he did on land?

The riverbed was dark all around, but Lu Yun's powerful vitality kept him from feeling the slightest chill.

After the time it took to drink a cup of tea.

Lu Yun swam to the side of a dock.

Looking up, he saw seven or eight Canal Gang men ahead, weapons in hand as they patrolled back and forth across the open ground.

Behind the crowd stood a wooden house not far from the riverbank.

People occasionally went in and out, moving goods.

"Ugh... what's the point of patrolling in this damned weather? Who would dare come provoke our Canal Gang? We'd be better off crawling into Xiao Hong's bed..."

One man muttered with a disgruntled expression.

"Isn't that so? Who told us to be at the very bottom? Just endure it."

Several other men began complaining as well.

"Hmph... none of you fucking want to work anymore? What the hell are you complaining about? I haven't even said anything."

At that moment, a burly man in black strode out of the house.

The man's face was fierce, a steel saber in hand. His body was packed with bulging muscle, enough to strike fear into anyone who saw him.

This man was the person in charge of this Canal Gang dock: Tan Jianghe.

"We wouldn't dare."

The lackeys wore fearful expressions.

Tan Jianghe, at the mid-stage Internal Strength realm, was not someone they could afford to offend.

Just as Tan Jianghe reached the shore, a sharp flash of cold light suddenly burst from the water's surface. Like a bolt of lightning, it shot toward Tan Jianghe's head.

"Not good, there's an intruder!"

Tan Jianghe's eyes split wide with rage, terror flooding his heart.

At that moment, he smelled the stench of death.

The attacker was absolutely an expert, and he had even launched such a shameless sneak attack. Tan Jianghe had no time to defend himself at all.

"Ah..."

He desperately circulated his vitality, trying to raise his saber to defend himself, but he was still one step too late.

Bang...

His huge head exploded like a watermelon, blood gushing everywhere as his headless body toppled backward.

With a single thrust, Tan Jianghe was dead beyond all doubt.

From the instant Lu Yun erupted into action to the moment his opponent was killed, not even a breath had passed.

The Canal Gang lackeys all stared at Lu Yun in utter horror.

Their bodies seemed frozen in place as they trembled uncontrollably.

"A powerful enemy is attacking! Hurry and call for help!"

Having finally come to their senses, the lackeys let out shrill, miserable screams.

Lu Yun raised his spear and charged in, like a tiger entering a flock of sheep.

With the spear whistling through the air, just a few sweeping strikes slaughtered every Qi-Nourishing martial artist present.

Blood flowed across the open ground, leaving a scene of utter devastation.

Then he immediately rushed toward the warehouse ahead.

Whoosh...

After taking several great strides, he burst into the building. With a quick sweep of his gaze, he found a small pile of Origin Stones and all kinds of herbs neatly arranged on shelves.

"Good heavens, I've struck it rich this time. The resources at a single stronghold are already this plentiful—no wonder they're a major gang."

Lu Yun's eyes lit up at the sight.

[Energy reaction detected. Absorb?]

At that moment, a crisp notification sounded.

"Absorb."

[Lifespan +1, Lifespan +1...]

As the herbs and Origin Stones on the ground vanished in large quantities, the remaining lifespan displayed on the panel began to soar rapidly.

In just a single breath, he had swept the room clean of resources.

Then, Lu Yun did not linger and immediately dashed out the door.

When Lu Yun reached the outside, he saw a large number of Canal Gang disciples rushing over from the distant street entrance.

As they ran, they shouted, "Black Tiger Gang scum are here to steal our supplies..."

"Brothers, catch up to him and kill him!"

The crowd came in full force, bristling with murderous intent.

Lu Yun merely smiled faintly. With a flicker of his steps, he vanished from where he stood.

These gang members had clearly arrived so quickly because they had heard the cries of the lackeys before they died.

But from so far away, there was no way they could catch him.

He returned along the same route. When he arrived outside Cao Dahai's house, he took off the bloodstained night clothes and tossed them into the other man's courtyard.

Afterward, he swiftly rushed toward his own military camp.

By the time he returned outside the barracks dormitory, less than half an hour had passed.

Today's operation had been a complete success.

He opened the panel.

A blue light screen appeared in the void before him.

Remaining Lifespan: 78 years.

What a windfall—this outing had added more than seventy years to his lifespan.

But opportunities like this were hard to come by. The Canal Gang would definitely be on guard now.

For the time being, Lu Yun would not strike again.

At the very least, he would wait until this storm of attention had passed.