A Loose Cultivator's Path to Longevity

Chapter 43: Chapter 42: Red Lake

The Law Enforcement Team arrived quickly.

To Lü Zhong’s surprise, the squad leader was someone he’d met before.

It was Wei Tie, the former Tributor from Jiangwei Pavilion. His tower-like frame was unforgettable, and his cultivation had clearly improved. His aura was much stronger than before.

’He must be at the Qi Refining Fifth Layer,’ Lü Zhong guessed inwardly.

Seeing it was Lü Zhong, Wei Tie’s expression remained unchanged, but he was inwardly surprised.

He hadn’t expected the insignificant fish-selling boy from the past to now be living in a private courtyard house.

Even as a Law Enforcement Team squad leader, he had to grit his teeth and scrape together a large sum of Spirit Stones to afford a private courtyard house of his own.

”Captain, this is Talisman Master Lü Zhong. The Seven Profound Arrow Avoidance Talismans he makes are quite well-known in the Workshop Market,” a well-informed subordinate whispered a reminder from the side.

It seemed every Law Enforcement Team squad had someone like this.

When the squad leader was too busy with cultivation to keep up with the latest news, these people were responsible for providing reminders to help them know how to treat different people.

’So he’s a Talisman Maker, no wonder...’ A hint of jealousy crept into Wei Tie’s heart at the thought.

If it were possible, he too would have wanted to learn a trade—be it Talisman Making or Artifact Refining—anything would be better than his current job, where he constantly risked his life.

The outcome of a large sum of Spirit Stones going down the drain proved that he was only suited to be a Martial Artist.

Snapping back to the present, Wei Tie had no intention of lowering his own status. He glanced at Lü Zhong and said to the man beside him, ”Mawu, you go question him.”

A Law Enforcement Team member with a pockmarked face nodded and began to question Lü Zhong.

”...That’s the long and short of it. Oh, right, you can have this Token as well.” Lü Zhong gave a clipped version of events, only saying the intruder had broken in to steal something and that he’d killed him in self-defense. He also didn’t forget to hand over the Token.

But unexpectedly, when the team member named Mawu took the Token and looked at it, his expression changed drastically.

Lü Zhong saw this and thought, ’It’s just a Token. Is there any need for such an exaggerated reaction?’

Wei Tie took the Token, gave Lü Zhong a deep look, and handed it to his subordinate, saying in a low voice, ”Examine it again, carefully. Confirm if this belongs to a Wooden Token Assassin from the Red Lake Gang!”

The Red Lake Gang was a famous group of Loose Cultivators in the wilderness.

They numbered in the hundreds and were so powerful that even the Law Enforcement Team would give them a wide berth. However, they never engaged in roadside robbery; instead, they were famous for training assassins, making them a specialized assassin organization.

The Red Lake Gang categorized their assassins by rank. Based on the various levels of their cultivation, they used Wooden, Iron, and Gold Tokens to differentiate them, allowing them to charge fees according to rank.

A Wooden Token Assassin was equivalent to someone at the Qi Refining Third Layer.

After a careful inspection, they confirmed the Wooden Token was indeed from the Red Lake Gang; it bore their highly distinctive mark.

Knowing the result, Wei Tie looked at Lü Zhong again, his gaze now completely different.

To face a Red Lake Assassin one-on-one and emerge completely unscathed was something no ordinary person could do.

The combat abilities of most Loose Cultivators were extremely poor. Forget about defeating an assassin of the same level; even someone with a Qi Refining Middle Stage Cultivation had a high chance of failing against a Wooden Token Assassin.

Not at all like the current situation, where one had been taken down by a Talisman Maker.

And what’s more...

Wei Tie could see that Lü Zhong’s methods were extremely vicious. Every single one of the wounds on the assassin’s body was aimed at a vital point. It was clear he had no intention of leaving his opponent alive.

This was not the modus operandi of a typical Loose Cultivator from the Workshop Market.

From this perspective, Lü Zhong seemed more like the assassin.

He either didn’t strike, or when he did, he struck to kill.

At this thought, Wei Tie cupped his hands toward Lü Zhong and said politely, ”Fellow Daoist Lü, we will definitely investigate this matter concerning the Red Lake Assassin. We will inform you if we find anything.”

”I’ll be counting on you, Captain Wei,” Lü Zhong said, startled for a moment, before cupping his hands in return.

Soon, the Law Enforcement Team left with the body.

He saw them to the door, only to discover a crowd of onlookers had gathered outside.

It made sense. How could a major incident that alerted the Law Enforcement Team not attract curious spectators?

’Well, after tonight, I suppose I’m going to be famous.’

Lü Zhong’s gaze swept casually across the crowd and happened to meet the eyes of a figure within it.

Despite the dim light, he recognized him at a glance. It was Lin Zhongze.

When their eyes met, the man’s gaze darted about evasively, and his expression was flustered. A single look was enough to tell he had a guilty conscience.

’He really is terrible at hiding what’s on his mind...’ Lü Zhong thought to himself.

A sudden idea flashed through his mind, and he strode quickly toward Lin Zhongze.

”Speak up! Did you hire that assassin?!”

Hearing this, the crowd burst into an uproar.

Among them, some Loose Cultivators who knew Lin Zhongze now wore thoughtful expressions.

”I... I don’t know what you’re talking about! I was just passing by.” Lin Zhongze had only come to check on the result. He never imagined that not only would the assassin he hired be killed, but he himself would be confronted by Lü Zhong.

Thinking of a plausible excuse, he instantly calmed down and continued to defend himself, ”I live nearby at Number 19 Ningyuan Lane. It’s perfectly normal for me to come over after hearing a commotion.”

”That’s right, I can vouch for him. Fellow Daoist Lin does live on Ningyuan Lane.”

”Fellow Daoist, you must be mistaken. Given Fellow Daoist Lin’s character, he would never do such a thing.”

Hearing others speak up for him, Lin Zhongze became even more composed.

”Is that so? Then perhaps I really was mistaken.” Lü Zhong put on a guilty expression. His goal wasn’t to make Lin Zhongze confess, but merely to startle him.

Since his objective was achieved, admitting a mistake was no big deal.

Soon, the crowd dispersed.

Lü Zhong returned home, first using his Qi Observation Skill to confirm no one was watching him. Only then did he use the Concealing Breath and Concealing Trace Techniques before vaulting over his courtyard wall.

’I didn’t know where you lived before. I can’t believe you just blurted it out yourself.’

That certainly saved him some trouble.

He observed for a moment with his Qi Observation Skill, then headed toward Ningyuan Lane.

Lü Zhong had a few impressions of Ningyuan Lane. It was a residential area with living conditions better than row houses but worse than private courtyards, consisting mostly of small, one-bedroom, one-hall tiled houses.

The monthly rent was only one Spirit Stone, making it the same class as the small, dilapidated hovel he used to live in.

Arriving at Number 19 Ningyuan Lane, Lü Zhong’s vision became black and white. Seeing no trace of anyone inside, he frowned and thought, ’He’s not home. Could he have left the Workshop Market?’

His gaze shifted toward the south side of the Workshop Market, in the direction of the abandoned settlement he had explored before.

He recalled the letter hiring the hitman. Perhaps Lin Zhongze had gone there.

’The probability is low, but it’s worth a try.’ Lü Zhong thought. This was an excellent opportunity. Otherwise, if Lin Zhongze kept hiding inside the Workshop Market, he would never have a chance to strike.

Although Lin Zhongze had a cultivation at the Qi Refining Fourth Layer, if Lü Zhong could find the right moment, it wasn’t impossible for him to successfully ambush his target.

’If there’s no opportunity, I’ll deal with it later!’

With this in mind, Lü Zhong hesitated no longer and strode quickly toward the Workshop Market’s exit.