Do Your Leaders Always Talk Like That!?

Once the five junior sisters had fully rested, Jiang Beiran led them onward. But perhaps they had been left with a bit of a psychological shadow; all five walked with exceptional caution, terrified of stepping into another Formation Technique.

Cautious as they were, they still followed Jiang Beiran closely, afraid of falling behind.

Relying on his powerful spiritual power, Jiang Beiran followed the lingering aura left by that thief out of the woods and soon arrived outside a cave.

"It should be here."

After standing at the cave entrance and sensing it for a while, Jiang Beiran found that the people inside were basically all ordinary folk. Only one had any cultivation at all, and that was merely Qi Refining Second Order.

Withdrawing his spiritual power, Jiang Beiran turned to the five junior sisters and asked, "Come, let me test you. Once you've confirmed that all the thieves are in the cave, what should you do?"

After thinking for a moment, Liu Zijin was the first to answer. "Rush in and seize the leader. This is called capturing the thief by first capturing the king."

Jiang Beiran shook his head after hearing that and looked at Liu Zijin with disappointment. "Reckless. This isn't a war. What use is catching the leader? Won't the other thieves still scatter like birds and beasts?"

Liu Zijin immediately lowered her head. "Senior Brother's reprimand is justified." Having said that, another idea sprang into her mind. Just as she was about to speak, Yu Shimei spoke first. "Then should we first determine how many exits this cave has?"

"Smart. That should be the top priority."

At those words, Liu Zijin and Fang Qiuyue both revealed regretful expressions, though for rather different reasons.

After reminding them of a few more details, Jiang Beiran nodded. "All right. Remember what I just said. None of the thieves inside are your match. Go make your move."

"Yes!" The five junior sisters answered in unison and began capturing the thieves according to Jiang Beiran's plan.

Just as Jiang Beiran had said, the thieves in the cave were mostly ordinary people, utterly no match for Liu Zijin and the others. Those who were knocked unconscious were knocked unconscious, and those who surrendered on their knees surrendered on their knees.

Eh... that man actually didn't set up a Formation Technique in his own den?

The reason Jiang Beiran had not entered with the five junior sisters was that he had assumed there would be other defensive formations inside. Breaking a formation from outside was far easier than breaking it from within.

Yet to his surprise, there was no sign whatsoever of any formation inside being triggered.

Quite the odd fellow too.

With that inward remark, Jiang Beiran strode lightly into the cave.

Mm~ They've got a pretty good grasp of their strength.

Looking at the several thieves sprawled crookedly near the entrance, Jiang Beiran could tell at a glance that each had been knocked unconscious with a single blow. They had all passed out very "peacefully."

When he reached the deepest part of the cave, Jiang Beiran saw several junior sisters cleaning up the battlefield, gathering the unconscious thieves in one place.

"Nicely done." Jiang Beiran nodded at them in praise.

"Senior Brother, he's the leader of this group." At that moment, Liu Zijin dragged a young man tied up like a zongzi before Jiang Beiran.

"Mm, got it," Jiang Beiran answered casually.

"Then I'll go tie up the rest of the thieves."

"Go ahead."

Once Liu Zijin had left, Jiang Beiran crouched down and looked curiously at the calm-faced young man. "Why aren't you shouting something like 'Let me go' like the other thieves?"

"Would you let me go if I shouted?" The Youth Leader lifted his eyes and glanced at Jiang Beiran.

"I would. As long as you shout it, I'll let you go." Jiang Beiran nodded.

"Tch, quit putting on that hypocritical act." The Youth Leader turned his head away disdainfully.

"Oh." After saying that, Jiang Beiran sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and began circulating the Returning Heart Skill.

This left the Youth Leader rather baffled, unable to tell what Jiang Beiran was trying to do.

"Hey, you caught me, so hurry up and send me to the authorities for your reward. What are you sitting here for?"

"No rush, no rush." Jiang Beiran smiled and shook his head.

And so, an eerie silence fell between the two of them.

A few minutes later, unable to bear the strange atmosphere any longer, the leader finally spoke. "Since you were able to get here... did you break the formation outside?"

Here it comes.

Based on his many years of experience catching thieves, Jiang Beiran had summed up one principle: if he started by bombarding them with questions, most thieves would only raise their heads and reply, "Cut the nonsense. Kill me if you want, flay me if you want. I don't know what you're talking about."

That made interrogation extremely troublesome.

So Jiang Beiran simply did the opposite. He left them hanging. Once their hostility gradually ebbed away, they would come speak to him of their own accord.

Opening his eyes, Jiang Beiran looked at the Youth Leader. "You set up that formation? It was quite interesting."

The Youth Leader proudly raised his chin. "If I hadn't lacked materials, you definitely wouldn't have escaped."

"Mm, that formation did have some pedigree. Where did you learn it?"

"Hmph! I won't tell you."

"Oh." Jiang Beiran closed his eyes again and continued meditating.

"You!" The Youth Leader grew anxious. "Don't you know to press me with a few more questions, or negotiate terms with me?"

"Are you teaching me how to do things?" Jiang Beiran opened his eyes and asked.

"I...!"

If he had not been tied up, the Youth Leader would have charged at Jiang Beiran and fought him to mutual destruction. This guy was far too infuriating!

After taking two heavy breaths, the Youth Leader looked toward the female Qi Refining cultivators tying up his underlings and shouted, "Hey! Do your leaders always talk like that?"

Liu Zijin and the others had been holding back their laughter so hard they were nearly suffering internal injuries, but after hearing the young man's question, they all chose not to answer and silently continued tying people up.

"Senior Brother, we'll bring in the thieves by the cave entrance too."

"Mm, go ahead." Jiang Beiran nodded.

Watching Liu Zijin and the others leave together, the Youth Leader, whose temper had been worn away completely, said, "If I tell you where I learned that Formation Technique, can you let me go?"

"No. I have no interest in a formation that can't even trap me."

"That's only because my skill isn't good enough! This formation is called the Minor Sixfold Mind-Seizing Formation. If it were set up properly, even a Profound King would be trapped upon entering!"

"Oh."

"I'm telling the truth! That's what the book says! It's just that no one taught me, so I never mastered it. Otherwise, you definitely wouldn't have gotten out."

"A book?" Jiang Beiran asked.

Seeing that Jiang Beiran finally seemed interested, the Youth Leader nodded repeatedly. "Yes! I dug it up while robbing tombs in the past! It's very valuable! As long as you're willing to let me go, I'll give you that book!"

"Not interested."

At that moment, the five junior sisters returned and saluted Jiang Beiran. "Senior Brother, all the thieves have been tied up."

"Good, then let's go." Jiang Beiran stood up as he spoke.

"Hey! Don't! The Formation Techniques in that book are really powerful! If you don't believe me, I'll take you to see it. It's on the Back Mountain, I'm telling the truth!!!"