Chaos

Luo Jian screamed in agony as he stumbled backward, a ghastly gash opening on his right shoulder.

Qin Yang could see maggots crawling out from the wound's flesh, slowly repairing it—a sight that turned his stomach.

"How disgusting!"

His face twisted with revulsion as he gripped the Great Chopper and lunged forward in a blur.

He flashed out like a streak of light, appearing directly before Luo Jian, saber-light coiling and slashing like raging flames.

Po Jun: Fierce Fire Stance!

By now, Qin Yang had already cultivated the Po Jun Saber Technique to Great Accomplishment.

Once the Fierce Fire Stance was unleashed, the saber-light blazed fiercely, dense and relentless, hacking madly into Luo Jian's body.

Luo Jian's entire form smoked with white vapor as he shrieked grotesquely.

Without his long blade, he could only use his hands to block the scorching saber-light, the flesh on his arms shredded to pieces until only white bones remained.

"Die!"

Qin Yang gripped the Great Chopper with both hands and slammed it down like a warhammer.

Mountain Fall Stance!

As the chopper crashed down, the air boomed with a dull roar, smashing straight into Luo Jian's head!

Boom!

The skull shattered instantly, exploding apart.

Just then.

Voices and flickering torchlight came from ahead.

The commotion had clearly reached the White River Gang's Patrol Disciples stationed outside.

Qin Yang didn't linger. He turned and vanished in a flash, swiftly gone.

Soon.

White River Gang members swarmed into the courtyard.

When they saw the headless corpse on the ground, their faces filled with horror.

From the clothes, they recognized it as Gang Leader Luo Jian.

But the headless corpse was far too bizarre.

It looked as if it had been dead for ages—flesh rotting, swarming with white maggots.

"Is this really the Gang Leader?"

A Patrol Disciple swallowed hard.

"No idea. Let's wait for the Hall Master to handle it."

"Let's stay far away from this corpse."

The White River Gang disciples scrambled back, eager to put distance between themselves and the body.

After leaving, Qin Yang went to the riverside, stripped off his Night-Robes, and tossed them into the current.

Something felt deeply wrong.

The more he thought about it, the more Luo Jian seemed like he was being controlled.

Evil fiends had no reason—they wouldn't scheme to expand territory or frantically recruit people.

So who had turned Luo Jian into that grotesque thing?

Qin Yang's eyes flickered.

That kind of power could only belong to someone like Yin Hezi.

"Linjiang City is getting more dangerous by the day."

"All kinds of monsters are crawling out of the woodwork."

With a heavy heart, Qin Yang returned to his residence.

Inside a dark, shadowy mansion.

A dozen dim lanterns flickered in the room.

A White-robed Elder sat cross-legged before them, chanting ancient, sinister Incantations.

Suddenly.

One of the lanterns went out with an eerie hiss.

The White-robed Elder cracked open his eyes, glanced at the extinguished flame, and frowned lightly. "Luo Jian is dead."

The next moment, Zhou Weichan's massive frame stepped into the room.

"Luo Jian was killed," the White-robed Elder said flatly.

"Luo Jian. There seems to be a troublesome figure in his territory."

"Last time we stirred up chaos in the Outer City, we sent someone to assassinate that person in secret, but they were killed instead."

"Luo Jian's death might be related to him."

Zhou Weichan said in a deep voice.

"Mm. These past days, Luo Jian has been expanding his territory like mad, which could provoke that person."

The White-robed Elder nodded.

After using his dark arts to control Luo Jian and warp his mind, the man would only blindly follow orders, with no rationality and no regard for who he might offend.

"Then I'll go deal with him first."

Zhou Weichan said coldly.

These days, he had been investigating the destruction of several strongholds, but still had no leads.

Even during his investigation, another stronghold in the Inner City was wiped out.

Naturally, this left Zhou Weichan seething with anger, and he wanted to take it out on some unlucky bastard first.

"Mm. Make it clean. At this time, we can't afford any mistakes."

The White-robed Elder said softly.

"Rest assured, Spirit Sorcerer."

Zhou Weichan bared a vicious grin.

The next day.

News spread quickly that Luo Jian had been assassinated at his base.

Several Hall Masters of the White River Gang fought fiercely over territory, throwing the streets into chaos.

Qin Manor.

"Young Master, several streets are in complete chaos now."

"Should we close Laifu Inn for a few days?"

Qian Hai said softly.

When he heard the news of Luo Jian's death, his heart jolted.

He hadn't expected Qin Yang to be so decisive—the White River Gang had barely come looking for trouble, and Qin Yang had Luo Jian killed that very night.

"Close it."

"Uncle Qian, watch the manor for now. I'm going out."

Qin Yang had long known this outcome and showed no surprise.

Seeing Qin Yang like this, Qian Hai became even more certain.

Qin Yang left Qin Manor and was walking to a street intersection when he heard a commotion of shouting and yelling.

Two groups of people were locked in a frenzied brawl, wielding blades, swords, clubs, and staves.

Not a single shop along the street was open, and no commoners dared to come watch—only Qin Yang stood as an onlooker.

After a few glances, he quickened his pace toward another district.

From memory, this district belonged to a gang called the Fierce Wolf Gang.

It looked no different from the White River Gang's territory.

The streets were desolate, shops shuttered.

The most common sight were vagrants and beggars, along with gang members in blue robes wandering aimlessly.

Garbage piled up like small mountains on the ground, reeking with a foul stench.

Walking all the way down, Qin Yang saw only one shop open.

He stepped inside.

It appeared to be a shop selling porcelain bowls and dishes. The floor was littered with broken shards, cabinets overturned, everything in disarray.

A middle-aged man with a worried face sighed as he cleaned up.

Hearing movement, he stood up warily.

Seeing Qin Yang, he relaxed slightly.

From Qin Yang's appearance, bearing, and clothing, he clearly wasn't one of those gang thugs.

"Sir, as you can see, the shop is in this state."

"I doubt there's anything you'd want to buy."

The middle-aged man said with a bitter smile.

"It's fine. I'm not here to buy anything."

"Boss, as I walked here, I saw all the shops on the street closed."

"What happened?"

Qin Yang asked curiously.

"What else could it be? The Fierce Wolf Gang is making life impossible."

"Those Fierce Wolf Gang thugs are nothing but bandits now, bleeding us shopkeepers dry with protection money."

"They smashed up my little shop yesterday because I couldn't pay up."

The middle-aged man shook his head slightly.

"Wasn't the Fierce Wolf Gang this bad two months ago?"

"They've been getting worse lately."

Qin Yang pondered for a moment, then asked again.

"Yeah, they went mad just these past two months."

"I can't stay in this town anymore. I'll pack up and head back to my hometown."

The middle-aged man was still speaking when he felt a blur before his eyes—the young man had vanished.

"What the—"

Just as he wondered if he'd seen a ghost, he suddenly noticed a silver note lying on the counter.