The Jiangxiang Gang

The constables were right in front of him. What was Chu Yunlong supposed to do now? Explain to them, "I don't know that guy!"? Useless. They would only drag him back to the station. His own past was far from clean, and setting foot in a constabulary was out of the question. Say something else? The constables gave Chu Yunlong no chance to speak. One swung a truncheon straight at his head. *Thwack!* A single blow drew blood from Chu Yunlong's forehead. He didn't dare fight back. Left with no choice, he dodged past the two constables and bolted out of the ticketing hall. Once outside, Chu Yunlong saw no sign of Li Banfeng. Of course he didn't. The instant Li Banfeng charged out of the ticketing hall, he had ducked straight into the Portable Abode, tossing the key into the overgrown grass outside the door. "Where did that little bastard run off to?" Chu Yunlong cursed, only for a searing pain to strike the back of his head. *Crack! Thud!* The constables had chased him out of the ticketing hall, swinging their batons to lay into his skull once more. Clutching his head, Chu Yunlong sprinted toward the overpass, where numerous forks offered a chance to slip away. Chu Yunlong fled in front, two constables in hot pursuit. Li Banfeng stepped out of the Portable Abode. Watching the three figures vanish into the distance, he trailed them without making a sound. The test of his legs had arrived. He couldn't follow too fast, nor could he lag too far behind; he had to master the right pace and distance. In truth, Li Banfeng didn't gauge his speed well at all. He still couldn't control his feet. At the closest point, he was less than ten meters behind the two constables and nearly got spotted. Fortunately, he was a Dwelling Cultivator fresh out of his house, cloaked in that peculiar, unobtrusive aura that made the constables overlook his presence. And Chu Yunlong, frantic to evade capture, never noticed Li Banfeng behind them either. After barreling through three full alleys all the way into the desolate outskirts, the constables grew tired of running and hitting, and gave up the chase. Blood streaked Chu Yunlong's face as he braced his hands against his knees, panting heavily inside an abandoned residence. He couldn't fathom Li Banfeng's earlier actions. Why on earth had the man forced his way into the ticketing office? Even if he hailed from the Outer States, regardless of where he came from or boarded the train, a travel permit was mandatory for entering or leaving any part of Puluo Province. That was the rule. Did he not know the rules? Then how had he arrived in Yaowanggou in the first place? Unless some prominent figure had bypassed the rules and bought a ticket on his behalf. Even if some big shot had indeed bought him a ticket, he shouldn't have barged into the ticket counter. In Puluo Province, forcing one's way into a ticket counter carried dire consequences. As his breathing gradually steadied, Chu Yunlong wiped the blood from his face, his mind settling as well. Li Banfeng making a scene out of nowhere like that... could there have been another reason? Did he know I was about to make a move on him? Did he provoke the ticket clerk on purpose just to slip out of my clutches? Judging by his speed, he was clearly a journey cultivator, and journey cultivators possessed the ability to sense danger. Which meant his argument with the clerk had all been an act! He sensed my killing intent and deliberately caused a scene to escape. That little whelp is pretty sly! Where could he go now? Earlier, I saw his hands were empty, no backpack—he didn't have the treasure on him. If I were him, I'd definitely be moving the treasure right now. How do I catch him? Have my disciples search the station area immediately. Li Banfeng wouldn't dare carry the bronze lotus on him; it's probably stashed somewhere near the station... Mid-thought, a sickle over ten centimeters long came to rest across Chu Yunlong's neck. "Who is it?" Chu Yunlong started. Though his perception wasn't exceptionally sharp, having walked the underworld for years, he shouldn't have been snuck up on so easily. Unless the newcomer's cultivation far surpassed his own. Or perhaps the intruder was a Dwelling Cultivator. If the gap in cultivation was truly that vast, Chu Yunlong could only wait for death. If it was a Dwelling Cultivator, he wasn't nearly as worried; he had ways of dealing with them. "Hold on, brother, let's put the steel down first. The flood waters don't wash away the Dragon King's temple, we can talk this through—" *Squelch.* The sickle's blade sliced into Chu Yunlong's neck, and warm blood gushed out. Chu Yunlong was horrified. He had intended to talk shop and size each other up, never expecting the other to strike without hesitation. "Who sent you after me?" Li Banfeng asked calmly, sickle in hand. It's him! It's Li Banfeng! Chu Yunlong was dumbstruck. How did Li Banfeng get this close to me? Without me sensing a single trace of his presence? Is he a Dwelling Cultivator? Impossible. Going by his earlier assessment, the man was plainly a journey cultivator. Is his cultivation far beyond mine? Yet the sect leader said he had no cultivation before, that he was a white lamb, a raw rookie. Looks like the sect leader's intel wasn't reliable at all. *Hiss—* The blade dug a little deeper into his neck. Li Banfeng asked, "Not talking?" Pain and fear did not lie. Striking this ruthlessly, Li Banfeng was definitely no rookie. The sect leader might have been fooled by him. Or more likely—I was fooled by the sect leader! Claiming a ruthless bastard is just a harmless rookie—the sect leader had pulled that stunt before. The blade slowly pressed deeper into his flesh once more, shattering any notion Chu Yunlong had of resisting or stalling. "It was an order from our big boss!" "Cut the gibberish. Speak a language I understand!" Li Banfeng gave the blade a slight twist inside Chu Yunlong's wound. Chu Yunlong didn't dare use thieves' cant again. "The sect leader sent me." "What sect are you? And who is your sect leader?" "We're from the Jiangxiang Gang. Our sect leader's surname is Xiao—Xiao Zhenggong." Li Banfeng frowned. "Have I ever met your sect leader?" "I suppose so, but I'm not really sure..." Chu Yunlong spoke the truth. Whatever dealings Xiao Zhenggong had with Li Banfeng, he genuinely had no idea. Li Banfeng tightened his wrist, letting the blade sink further toward the windpipe. Anyone seasoned in the underworld knew that men like Li Banfeng couldn't be reasoned with. Chu Yunlong could only spill everything he knew: "Our sect leader is an outsider from the Outer States. He's with the Dark Star Bureau. Maybe you know him." Someone from the Dark Star Bureau! "What does your sect leader want with me?" "He said you have a treasure on you. He told us to kill you and take it back." As he spoke, Chu Yunlong crept a hand toward the knife at his waist. His movement was subtle. Cornered like this, he had no choice but to stake his life on a desperate gamble. Li Banfeng was still pondering Xiao Zhenggong's identity. The Jiangxiang Gang came for me because of the bronze lotus. So Xiao Zhenggong was the 'Captain Xiao' Big Eyes mentioned on the phone! He was the one who gave the order to shoot me dead! Li Banfeng asked again, "How many people are in your Jiangxiang Gang? Are they all hunting me?" Hearing this, Chu Yunlong held off on drawing his knife. Li Banfeng hadn't even heard of the Jiangxiang Gang; he seemed completely ignorant of Puluo Province. Dealing with someone like this didn't require risking life and limb—he could easily outwit him. With that in mind, Chu Yunlong said, "Disciples of the Jiangxiang Gang are spread all over Puluo Province, numbering over ten thousand in all. The sect leader gave the order, and right now every single one of them is searching for you. "Friend, I can tell you're no ordinary man. Spare my life, and I'll be your inside man in the gang. The moment there's wind of anything, I'll give you advance warning. As long as you stay a little cautious, they'll never find you. "Once this heat dies down, I'll find a few friends to help buy you a train ticket back to the Outer States. When you're there, even if the sect leader wants to come after you, he'll have to play by Outer State rules. It won't be like here in Puluo Province, where killing is done on a whim." Chu Yunlong's fingers closed around the hilt of his dagger. He was a Martial Cultivator; his speed was slightly inferior to a journey cultivator's, but so long as he got a single opening to strike, Li Banfeng would be a dead man. Li Banfeng nodded. "Once I'm back in the Outer States, I'll change my name and lie low. Your sect leader will never find me again." Chu Yunlong replied in an earnest tone, "Leave it to me! Within three days, I can get that ticket. We didn't start off on the right foot, but that's how true friendships begin. I sincerely want to call you my brother. "Whether in the Jiangxiang Gang or throughout Yaowanggou, ask around about Chu Yunlong's name, and you'll know what kind of man I am!" "Your name is Chu Yunlong?" Li Banfeng seemed quite taken with the name. "Sounds like a good man just from the name alone!" A good man from his name alone? That makes no sense at all! Naturally, Chu Yunlong wouldn't argue with him. "In all my years walking the underworld, I, Chu Yunlong, have never wronged a friend. Since fate has brought us together, even if I have to put my life on the line, I swear I'll keep you safe and sound!" Li Banfeng looked deeply moved. "Brother, things in your gang are dangerous. You must protect yourself as well. Whatever you do, don't tell anyone about what happened between us!" "Naturally. Rest easy, brother. Heaven knows, earth knows, you know, and I know—not a single soul else will ever find out." Chu Yunlong felt assured. Li Banfeng's cultivation wasn't low and his mind was fairly sharp, but he was an outsider from the Outer States after all. He wasn't vicious enough, wasn't ruthless enough. In Puluo Province, he simply lacked what it took to stay alive. Fooled by a few sweet words—a guy like this really was a rookie. The sect leader hadn't been wrong after all. Good thing I didn't fight him head-on earlier. Waiting for him to pull back his blade before striking—that's the safe way. The instant Li Banfeng moved the blade from his neck, Chu Yunlong would claim his life the very next second. With that thought, Chu Yunlong added, "Brother, you must trust me!" "Brother, I trust you. I'm counting on you for what comes next." Li Banfeng's wrist slackened slightly. "Leave the rest to me. Brother, take care on your way." Chu Yunlong gripped the hilt, waiting only for Li Banfeng to pull back his sickle so he could strike instantly. "Brother, safe travels!" Li Banfeng pulled back his sickle, slicing Chu Yunlong's throat wide open. Chu Yunlong clutched his neck, staring at Li Banfeng in horror. Li Banfeng had pulled back his blade, but he had slit Chu Yunlong's throat in the process. That slight slackening of his wrist earlier had just been to wind up the cut. How could this happen? Didn't he fall for it? Shouldn't he be the one dying right now? Why did this happen... This bastard... is truly vicious! If I had known, I should have fought him to the death from the start! Chu Yunlong's blurring vision was filled with despair. Li Banfeng offered words of comfort: "Have a safe journey. Don't be so tense. It hurts, I know, but the pain will pass in a moment. "No need to worry, I definitely trust you. Since you can't speak anymore, you definitely won't tell anyone about what happened between us. "Relax a little more. That's it, no need to be so tense. Close your eyes, stop staring at me like that. Honestly, I feel quite guilty."