Xu Hua Reappears

Yang San's heart was probably already buried in the ground.

Buried together with those dead brothers of the Heaven and Earth Alliance, heart and heart separated by less than three feet.

How was that not heart-to-heart?

Li Rui looked at the words "Unite with Fellow Disciples" on the panel.

And gave it an emphatic thumbs-up.

This time, he had obtained another S-rank rating. He was only ten points away from unlocking his next talent.

Anticipation rose in Li Rui.

Outside the Heaven and Earth Alliance's compound.

Vendors and laborers from all over the streets carried shoulder poles, creating a bustling scene of carts and crowds.

The peddlers' cries could be heard early in the morning.

"Have you heard? Captain Liu from the County Office died on his way home yesterday. What kind of vicious fiend would dare kill an official? That should make eight by now, right?"

At a breakfast stall.

Several burly men talked as they bit into fried flatbreads.

"Exactly. The Rapid Response Team is nearly out of men to kill. I heard the County Magistrate was furious and swore to execute that villain on the spot. This is practically Clear River's greatest disgrace."

"Yeah. Clear River hasn't seen anything this vile in more than ten years, has it?"

But before long.

Their topic shifted from the murderous demon to condemning the breakfast stall owner for raising the price of his fried flatbreads again.

Of course, every day's conversations ended with whose widow had the perkiest backside.

In a corner.

A bearded man stood in the shadows, coldly watching the Heaven and Earth Alliance, wariness flashing through his eyes.

The empty sleeve hanging from his left arm was particularly conspicuous.

That was right. This man was a traitorous disciple of the Huaqing Sect.

Xu Hua.

Now, even his former Huaqing Sect fellows would probably never connect this slovenly man with the dashing and handsome Xu Hua of old.

"Everyone who should be dead has already been killed. Could it be that Groom?"

Xu Hua pondered.

The Heaven and Earth Alliance's branch helmsman was at the peak of the Eighth Rank.

He was no match for him.

A Groom had somehow become a hall master of the Heaven and Earth Alliance. There had to be something wrong with that. He must have encountered Great Fortune, and most likely obtained the secret art.

But after making inquiries, he learned that Hall Master Li might not even leave his residence once a month.

Xu Hua stared at the Heaven and Earth Alliance's gates for a long while before finally turning away.

If the secret art had not been stolen by that Groom, then there was nothing he could do. He could hardly storm into the Huaqing Sect to demand it.

But giving up was even more impossible.

Back then, he had ambushed his fellow disciples and defected from the sect for the sake of that secret art. If even the secret art was gone, then everything he had done would be utterly laughable.

"Li Rui!"

At the other end.

The County Office morgue.

Kong Xiannian and Zhao Wei stood side by side, both wearing extremely grim expressions.

The wound running clear across the entire neck made one shudder at the sight of it.

Captain Liu was dead.

Just yesterday.

The same weapon, the same wound. They did not even need a coroner to examine the injury to know that Xu Hua had undoubtedly done this.

"You will pay for this provocation!"

Kong Xiannian's fury reached its peak.

He had been ordered here to capture Xu Hua, yet before he had even found the man, Captain Liu, who had been assisting him with the investigation, had died first. This was an utterly naked slap in the face.

How could he endure it?

Once word returned to the Huaqing Sect, he would surely become a laughingstock.

Zhao Wei narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Now only Li Rui remains. Why don't we lure the snake out of its hole?"

He bared his teeth in a grin.

Li Rui was now Xu Hua's only remaining target. Li Rui could definitely draw Xu Hua out.

Kong Xiannian's eyes lit up.

Zhao Wei continued, "We can lay a net over heaven and earth around the Heaven and Earth Alliance. We'll definitely find Xu Hua."

"Let's do it."

Only by capturing Xu Hua as quickly as possible could he minimize the impact of this matter. If he completed the mission before Liu Fu did, he might even earn greater esteem within the Huaqing Sect.

Zhao Wei nodded.

He did not suggest simply throwing Li Rui out as bait.

Even if he held a grudge against Li Rui, the Huaqing Sect was far stronger than the Heaven and Earth Alliance. They could not possibly tarnish their own honor by trading their own hall master's life for merit from another sect.

Even if he wanted to, the branch helmsman would never agree.

"Hall Master Li, how about I go in your place for this Huaqing Sect operation?"

Eagle Six and Li Rui had been giving each other the cold shoulder for quite some time.

Today, he suddenly came calling.

Li Rui narrowed his eyes slightly. "Deputy Hall Master Eagle, this is a rare opportunity to earn merit. I truly do not wish to miss it."

That morning, he had already received the news.

The branch helmsman had ordered every hall to send one person to assist the Huaqing Sect against the Ghost Underworld Sect.

The moment Eagle Six learned of it, he had immediately come to see him.

Even though Zhao Wei intended to favor Eagle Six, there were many things he could not cover with one hand. This order had been issued directly by the branch helmsman to every hall master and had not passed through the deputy branch helmsman.

Eagle Six said, "Hall Master Li, you are advanced in years and have no chance of entering the Huaqing Sect. Why not yield this opportunity to me?"

The reason he valued this Huaqing Sect mission so highly.

Was that he had heard an important figure from the Huaqing Sect might personally come to Clear River to wipe out the Ghost Underworld Sect.

If he could distinguish himself and catch that great figure's eye, he might have a chance to become a disciple of the Huaqing Sect.

The Heaven and Earth Alliance was not bad.

But compared to the colossal Huaqing Sect, it fell far short.

Wasn't it obvious? Other than a few hall masters advanced in years, the hall masters of every other hall were personally heading out.

"Deputy Hall Master Eagle, you are putting me in a difficult position."

Li Rui wore an embarrassed expression.

Eagle Six's eyelids twitched.

How could he fail to see that Li Rui was deliberately driving up the price, making him bleed?

But when he thought of the Great Fortune that might await him, he gritted his teeth.

"One Ninth-Rank pill worth three hundred taels."

Li Rui sneered. "Deputy Hall Master Eagle, could it be that you are content to watch the chance to join the Huaqing Sect fall into someone else's hands?"

Eagle Six's face darkened.

He had originally hoped Li Rui knew nothing about the Huaqing Sect, but that hope had come to nothing. On top of that, their relationship had already been strained.

If he did not throw down a hefty sum, this opportunity would certainly slip past him.

Eagle Six hardened his heart. "One Eighth-Rank Spirit Pill."

But to his surprise, Li Rui still shook his head. "Since Deputy Hall Master Eagle is not sincere, then please leave. Though I am old, I can still eat a shi of grain."

Eagle Six's eyes spat fire.

Greedy!

This old man was clearly taking the chance to extort him.

Shameless! Despicable!

He had already cursed Li Rui ten thousand times in his heart, but circumstances were stronger than men. He was the one asking for a favor now, and only Li Rui's agreement would do. No one else could help him.

Eagle Six was no greenhorn on his First Entry into Jianghu. No matter how furious he was, he still forced out a trace of a smile and did not fall out with Li Rui.

"Another hundred taels of silver."

"One hundred and eighty taels."

Eagle Six clenched his fists until they faintly turned white. This time, he was putting every last bit of his savings on the line.

"Fine!"

The corners of Li Rui's mouth curled upward slightly.

"Congratulations, Deputy Hall Master Eagle. The spot for the Huaqing Sect mission is yours."

Hearing Li Rui's airy words, Eagle Six nearly coughed up blood.

Why did this old man look more and more like those treacherous auctioneers at the city's auctions?