Ambush

Qin Yang continued following the yellow-robed man, growing more astonished and even a little alarmed.

This yellow-robed man really was distributing silver to many poor commoners.

"First use deceptive tactics to amass a fortune, then hand that fortune out to the poor, turning them into followers of this organization."

After watching for a while, Qin Yang roughly understood.

If this cult were simply out to collect money, Qin Yang wouldn't have taken it too seriously.

But after witnessing this scene, he felt the true terror of the cult.

Their ambitions were likely far from small.

The number of followers they had in Linjiang City probably exceeded imagination.

Qin Yang didn't act. He first returned to Qin Manor.

Just as he was about to enter Qin Manor, he paused slightly.

On the pitch-black street, he happened to brush past a yellow-robed man.

Qin Yang kept his composure, walked past Qin Manor, ducked into an alley, and then scaled the high wall to slip back inside.

"That yellow-robed man just now wasn't one of the ones who came out of Bald Man's place."

"Which means Bald Man's place might just be one base—this cult has other bases in the city."

Qin Yang frowned slightly.

Linjiang City's chaotic, lawless environment was perfect for a cult to thrive.

He returned to his room and mulled over how to handle this.

Yao Ya definitely couldn't stay.

In his current state, he was probably completely brainwashed. Even if Qin Yang tried to reason with him, he wouldn't listen.

Keeping him around was just feeding a rat in the rice jar.

As for the cult itself.

"Stealing my money won't go unpunished."

Qin Yang gave a cold snort.

The next day.

Qin Yang brought Old Wu the accountant to personally audit Daliang Pharmacy's books.

Yao Ya seemed to have known this day would come. He didn't even argue, just admitted it outright.

Qin Yang dismissed the pharmacy staff and went to the back courtyard with Yao Ya.

"Young Master, this old man's life is worthless. Kill me or flay me, do as you please."

Yao Ya said bluntly.

He knew the current Qin Yang was nothing like the useless young master of before.

Decisive, ruthless, and merciless.

Since he'd embezzled so much from the pharmacy, there was no way the young master would let him off.

"Shopkeeper Yao, you watched me grow up."

"Let me ask you one thing. Why did you embezzle so much money?"

Qin Yang asked calmly.

He wanted to learn more about the cult.

"No comment." Yao Ya shook his head directly, refusing to say anything.

"Then go. For the sake of your years of service, I won't hold it against you."

"Take care of yourself from now on."

Qin Yang waved his hand.

To him, keeping Yao Ya alive was more useful.

Yao Ya was a bit surprised, but if he could live, of course he wanted to.

"Thank you, Young Master!"

Afraid Qin Yang might change his mind, Yao Ya cupped his fist in thanks and hurried away.

As for Daliang Pharmacy, he'd have to let a senior pharmacist try being the shopkeeper for now.

After handling the pharmacy matter, Qin Yang returned to Qin Manor to cultivate.

Until deep night.

He changed into night clothes and slipped out of Qin Manor.

Heading straight for the Bald Man's residence.

He happened to spot several yellow-robed men dispersing from the house.

He vaulted over the high wall, crept to the window where he'd poked a small hole the night before, and peered inside.

That bald man had set aside another portion of the money for himself, gathered it up, stood, lifted a brick from the floor, and stashed the coins inside.

After finishing everything, the bald man wore a satisfied grin.

He picked up the candle and headed toward his bedroom.

The moment he stepped out of the room—

A Golden Gourd Great Hammer smashed down hard on that big bald head!

With this strike, Qin Yang also applied the Mountain Fall Stance from the Po Jun Saber Technique.

Using the hammer as a saber—either way, it was a smash, and the hammer packed even more power.

Thump~

That big bald head was tough as hell.

Qin Yang had expected to pulp his skull, but instead, the head didn't crack—just deformed from the blow, the cervical spine shattered and driven down into the chest cavity.

"So he'd trained."

"This cult really isn't simple."

Qin Yang stepped over the bald man's corpse and walked straight into the room.

He pried up that brick and found stacks of silver inside, even gold ingots.

"Loaded."

Qin Yang grinned, quickly scooped up the loot, and left.

He first went to the riverside, tossed the murder weapon—the Golden Gourd Hammer—into the river, then returned to the mansion.

That way, no one would know, and who could guess it was him?

When the Yellow-robed men finished distributing the money and came back to the house, they saw the bald man's horrifically mangled corpse and were all stunned.

"Who—who did this?!"

"A thief broke in?!"

"No idea. We'd better report it to the Grand Sorcerer."

After discussing it, the Yellow-robed men sent one of them to notify their superior.

About the time it takes an incense stick to burn.

A burly, grim-faced man strode into the courtyard.

This man also had a shaved head, covered in strange, pitch-black slender runes like a Black Snake coiled atop his skull.

The big man looked at the bald sorcerer's corpse and frowned slightly.

One glance told him this wasn't a wound an ordinary person could inflict.

Even most martial artists couldn't manage it—it had to be a Blood Transference Realm martial artist, and one naturally born with immense strength.

"When you came back... did you see anyone suspicious?"

The big man asked with a frown.

"No, we didn't."

"When we got back, we just found the sorcerer's body lying here."

A Yellow-robed man shook his head.

The big man examined the corpse and noticed it was right at the threshold.

He must have been killed by a heavy weapon the moment he stepped out.

That meant the attacker had been lying in ambush, waiting for the bald man to come out.

He entered the room and had them search it. Soon, they found a hollow brick.

When they lifted the brick, there was nothing inside.

"Killed and robbed, clean and quick."

The big man snorted coldly.

With no clues left, he had no idea how to find the killer.

The only lead was that the killer used a heavy weapon.

From the wound, it looked like a Heavy Hammer.

"First, collect Feng Guan's body and take it outside the city for cremation."

"I'll send a new sorcerer tomorrow."

The big man had no choice but to swallow this loss.

After killing the big bald man and venting the pent-up frustration in his chest, Qin Yang returned to his usual training routine.

He cultivated every day, never daring to slack off.

That cult organization never came knocking, clearly unable to find any leads.

Linjiang City, however, grew increasingly chaotic.

Word had it that the major factions were brawling over the docks, spilling blood and costing many lives.

Linjiang City itself lived off the docks; with the docks in turmoil and merchant ships dwindling, prices in the city skyrocketed, driving some common folk to utter desperation and sparking a string of riots.

In the outer city, some wealthy merchants' estates were ransacked by rioting mobs, yet the County Office turned a blind eye, only maintaining order within the inner city.

This forced many merchants to either move into the inner city or hire more guards for their estates.