Immortality by Merit and Sin Coins

Chapter 68: Chapter 65: This Person Ought to Serve Me

”Master Lin! The gang has summoned you.”

Dong Cheng hurried into the courtyard, his expression a mixture of fear and relief.

He knew Lin Shu had gone to the South Suburbs last night.

But he never imagined that in a single night, not only would four members of the Fierce Wolf Hall die, but the entire Cunning Fox Hall would be slaughtered to the last man!

The moment he heard the news, Dong Cheng felt like the sky was falling.

Although the Government Office had hung fifty corpses and issued a notice.

But he knew better than anyone that if the Government Office had truly intended to act and had arranged an operation, that Junior Constable Chang would have been taken home and locked up long ago. There would have been no need for Dong Cheng to deliver a message—after all, the County Captain was his relative.

’It didn’t take a genius to figure it out. It could only have been Master Lin!’

Thankfully, the Government Office took the blame. Otherwise, if any clues were discovered, Dong Cheng could already imagine how terrifying the Gang Leader’s wrath would be.

”My dear lord, you really are...”

Dong Cheng couldn’t find the words to describe the young man before him. He let out a long breath and slapped himself hard across the face.

’This ends here. I’ll take this secret to my grave.’

”Let’s go.”

Lin Shu straightened his clothes.

’So many gang members have gone missing, and all while preparing the Hundred Heart Birthday Gift. If Xia Mingtang hadn’t come to Sifang Street, this would’ve been discovered long ago.’

’I originally planned to use the Government Office to distract the Black Water Gang, to buy a few more days for their investigation.’

’But I never expected Gu Nanzhi to just take the credit.’

’With such a brazen provocation, even if some in the gang suspected something was amiss, they’d have to grit their teeth and push back to avoid looking weak.’

’This whole mess ended up clearing me entirely.’

’The earlier thought about the city gates opening was just a fleeting one.’

Lin Shu wasn’t that optimistic.

He hadn’t even placed all his hopes on Yu Sheng, so why would he wait for a woman he’d only met twice to get him out?

As for what that County Captain was thinking, he would only find out once they met.

”Master Lin, have you met the Gang Leader before?”

Dong Cheng, walking behind him, suddenly grew wary.

’Master Lin joins the Cunning Fox Hall, and the foxes are gone. He meets Tian Jingyuan, and Tian Jingyuan dies. Now he’s going to see the Gang Leader...’

Of course, he didn’t think Master Lin was a match for a Foundation Establishment expert, but he still had to be wary of his violent nature, lest he offend someone.

”The Black Water Gang has three Foundation Establishment experts. The First Leader, Mountain-Smashing Dragon, was hot-tempered in his youth. He and the Second Leader, Sea-Covering Dragon, became a couple, adventured abroad, and later returned to the city to establish the gang with their own hands. Over the years, his temper is said to have mellowed out a lot... but that’s just a rumor.”

Dong Cheng shook his head and continued, ”The Third Leader, Overseas Dragon, joined the gang halfway. He was originally the young master of the Cheng Family. He grew up outside the city, learned many skills, and then came back to visit his family, only to get trapped here. He broke through to the Foundation Establishment Stage just a few years ago.”

”I heard the Cheng Family has a grudge against the County Yamen, so he simply threw in his lot with the Black Water Gang...”

”Which Cheng Family?” Lin Shu suddenly stopped and glanced sideways at him.

”What other Cheng Family could it be? The one that sells medicinal herbs.” Dong Cheng was stunned. Why was he completely ignoring the First and Second Leaders, and was instead interested in this Overseas Dragon, the one with the least seniority and lowest profile?

He scratched his head. ”What’s wrong?”

”Nothing.”

Lin Shu looked away.

’Miss Yun seemed to have said that the master of the Cheng Family only had one daughter and never mentioned any son.’

’But she’s just a handmaiden of low status, so it’s normal for her not to know certain things.’

’Besides, she’s quite guarded. What she said might not have been the whole truth.’

’But I have to admit, the more I hear this Third Leader’s story, the more familiar it sounds.’

’So familiar it’s as if it were lifted directly from a certain County Captain.’

”You have no idea. Ever since they got the backing of our Third Leader, and with the Cheng Family mastering the art of cultivating medicinal herbs, their family has become more and more powerful.”

As he gossiped, Dong Cheng almost forgot his earlier worries, clicking his tongue in amazement.

...

A nervous tension hung over all of West City.

The moment the Government Office posted the notice, any commoner with half a brain, regardless of what they were doing, scurried back home to hide.

The Fierce Wolves gathered, the White Tigers patrolled the streets.

Even the three dragons who nested in North City seemed to have shown themselves.

Having lost their numerous foxes, the remaining forty or fifty men were enough to silence the entire city.

At this moment, they were all gathered in the pavilion.

In the seat of honor was an old man with gray hair and a white beard. His face was a web of deep wrinkles, showing his advanced age, but a finger-long scar at the corner of his eye added an air of the underworld.

He was feigning sleep with his eyes closed, his knuckles tapping lightly on the table.

Beside him sat a stout woman in a red robe embroidered with gold thread, her expression grim.

Clearly, these were the First and Second Leaders.

As for that Overseas Dragon, he sat about ten feet away, yawning incessantly.

The Fierce Wolves were silent.

Even the Tigers reined in their tempers for the moment. But when they saw two figures arrive late, their expressions turned fierce again.

...

’Damn, I got too carried away with the chitchat. Looks like things are already wrapping up here.’

Dong Cheng trembled slightly. He already had a guilty conscience, and now he didn’t even dare to lift his head.

In contrast, Master Lin was completely unfazed, as if this had nothing to do with him at all.

’I really need to work on my thick skin!’

”Reporting to the Gang Leader, we’ve investigated.”

Suddenly, two figures flew in, cupped their fists, and said, ”Aside from the Corpse Hanging Notice, the Government Office hasn’t sent anyone to hunt for gang members, nor have they made any other moves.”

”Should we... do something?” the man asked tentatively, looking up.

The Cunning Fox Hall might have seemed weak, but they were actually responsible for supplying the other three halls. For example, they scoured for Immortal Relics, various medicinal herbs, and the... things that the White Tiger Hall was fond of.

Furthermore, whenever there was news in the city, they relied on the Goulan Opera Troupe under their control to gather intelligence, allowing everyone to get the information right away.

Now that they were gone, it was as if the eyes and ears of the Black Water Gang had been covered.

...

Mountain-Smashing Dragon stopped tapping on the table and slowly opened his eyes.

He was silent for a long time before saying hoarsely, ”Fierce Wolf Hall is to heighten its alert. We’ll observe for a while before deciding anything.”

The two sides had been at a stalemate for years. This sudden, uncharacteristic move from the other side might indicate some change that they needed to understand first.

As soon as he said this, everyone’s expression changed.

The foxes were all dead, and the Fierce Wolf Hall had lost several members too.

And that was it?!

In the corner, the Overseas Dragon lifted his eyelids, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

*Huuu.*

Mountain-Smashing Dragon sensed the barely-concealed doubt from his subordinates. He let out a slow breath.

’Ten years ago, I truly would have wanted to replace the Government Office, but now I see things differently. Things are good this way. We can freely feast on the flesh and blood of half the city. Outside Black Water City, what Foundation Establishment Cultivator could enjoy such treatment? When the city gates finally open, as long as I haven’t committed any major crimes, I can just walk away. The Court probably wouldn’t waste too much energy on me.’

”Ahem!” The stout woman beside him suddenly coughed lightly, as if to remind him of something.

...

Mountain-Smashing Dragon suddenly realized something, but it was too late to take back what he’d said. His expression froze.

”If you ask me,”

With those words, Cheng Yi slowly stood up, casually glancing at the head seat. ”If you’re really getting too old, maybe you should just retire. What do you think?”

This sudden turn of events clearly stunned everyone once again.

The Third Leader, a man with little seniority and a low profile, was now openly provoking the Gang Leader. Could it be that he wanted to take his place?

But what shocked them even more was that,

although the Gang Leader’s face was twitching, clearly furious, he just clenched his fists and forcibly suppressed his anger.

It was unclear what he was so afraid of.

...

Lin Shu watched this scene quietly.

’Something has felt off ever since I walked in.’

’It’s not that the three leaders have vastly different auras. After all, Dong Cheng said this Overseas Dragon returned from the outside. Being young, he should indeed be more like Immortal Sect Cultivators such as Gu Nanzhi and Yan Jin.’

’The problem is, he isn’t like those two Immortal Sect Disciples, either.’

’Yan Jin has an air of desperation about her, and judging by her readiness to act this morning, she’s clearly on the verge of losing control of her violent impulses.’

’Gu Nanzhi is slightly better off, having a higher Realm, but no matter how normal her expression, she can’t hide that deep, soul-crushing exhaustion.’

’But this Overseas Dragon... he seems tired, yawning nonstop.’

’But no matter how you look at it, all he shows is irritation. Beneath that facade, he’s missing a certain emotion—a sense of being lost.’

’The more irritated and bored he seems, the more he looks like an outsider!’

”Tsk.”

He had just intended to make an appearance and leave.

For some reason, Yu Sheng’s words suddenly came to mind.

*’If she were that Immortal Descendant, she would choose to imprison this place with a Magical Artifact, leave a wisp of Divine Thought, and if that wasn’t secure enough... she would send a disciple to keep an eye on things.’*

’That little chick spouts so much nonsense.’

’But this time... why does it sound more and more like the truth?’

Lin Shu shifted into a more comfortable position, a strange glint flashing in his eyes.

At the same time, the Overseas Dragon actually fell silent, his expression returning to normal.

It was as if he had just blurted out a complaint and was done with it.

He didn’t continue provoking the First Leader. Instead, he turned toward a certain spot and said, ”Care for a chat?”

Stunned, everyone followed his gaze.

And their eyes all fell upon the handsome young man.

’Greedy Wolf?’

As if deliberately putting on a show for everyone, Cheng Yi walked slowly toward the young man.

Meanwhile, the anger that the First Leader had just managed to suppress flared up again.

Mountain-Smashing Dragon’s gaze was ice-cold, but it wasn’t directed at Cheng Yi. Instead, he stared straight at Lin Shu, his killing intent rising.

It was as if he would strike and take Lin Shu’s life the moment he dared to agree!

The atmosphere grew tense.

Anyone with eyes could see that Cheng Yi was blatantly using him to provoke the First Leader.

Any Qi Cultivation Cultivator with half a brain would stay far away from the infighting between two Foundation Establishment Cultivators, lest they get caught in the crossfire.

But Lin Shu appeared exceptionally relaxed. He met the other’s gaze and said calmly, ”Sure.”

Seeing this, Cheng Yi froze for a second.

Then, he actually let out a satisfied laugh.

’Excellent! Truly greedy, and truly arrogant!’