Wails in the Basement

Xiao Zhenggong's thoughts were still caught on why potential hidden dangers needed to be thoroughly eradicated. He had even been concocting a whole speech to make Li Qi realize the gravity of the situation. He intended to tell Li Qi that his friend in the Outer States was in dire straits, and if Li Qi wanted to save that friend, what kind of price he would have to pay. Through this speech, Xiao Zhenggong wanted to display a relatively amicable attitude before Li Qi, thereby managing to bluff his way through tonight's banquet. His thoughts followed the gentle slope Li Qi had prepared for him, tumbling downward, halting only when five bullets drilled through his skull. This was Ling Miaoying's pistol—devastatingly powerful. Having taken five shots, Xiao Zhenggong's thoughts came to a near-complete stop. He scrambled up and fled for his life. The physique of a high-level martial cultivator was tough, but how could he outrun Li Qi? Li Qi closed the distance in two strides from behind. Then his figure blurred, vanishing from Xiao Zhenggong's line of sight. He used Viewing Flowers from Horseback, but Xiao Zhenggong's body did not explode. The reason was simple: Xiao Zhenggong's brain had suffered severe damage, leaving him oblivious to Li Qi's existence. The prerequisite for Viewing Flowers from Horseback was not met. Now Xiao Zhenggong had only one shred of awareness left: he had to escape, flee to the safest place. The safest place was the basement beneath the lake. As for whether going down there would expose Zhao Xiaowan or compromise his entire plan, he had no capacity to think about such things. Compared to his life, none of that mattered to him anymore. Viewing Flowers from Horseback failed, but it was no trouble. Li Banfeng appeared behind Xiao Zhenggong and delivered a heavy stomp. Dust and crushed stone sprayed into the air. Xiao Zhenggong's back became a mangled mess of flesh and blood, yet he kept barreling forward. Li Qi stomped again, laying bare Xiao Zhenggong's spine. When Li Qi drove his foot down a third time, the back of Xiao Zhenggong's skull fractured, brains oozed out, and he crumpled to the ground, motionless. Li Banfeng checked by Xiao Zhenggong's nostrils—he was still breathing. Still breathing? Excellent! Li Banfeng scooped up Xiao Zhenggong, slipped behind the rockery, opened the companion dwelling, and tossed Xiao Zhenggong into the room. Back when dealing with Gu Rusong, Sun Tiecheng had employed the Technique of Ironclad Evidence to thoroughly destroy Gu Rusong's soul. Sun Tiecheng had mentioned at the time that he feared the Inner States had contingency measures. Xiao Zhenggong also dealt with the Inner States, and on very intimate terms at that. If Xiao Zhenggong had died outright, Li Qi would have genuinely worried about leaving behind some hidden threat. Once he was in his wife's belly, all potential threats would be thoroughly eliminated. "Darling, eat while it's hot!" Seeing Xiao Zhenggong, the gramophone asked no questions and dug right in. Li Qi shut the door to the companion dwelling, pocketed the key, and tugged down the brim of his hat. Xiao Zhenggong had wanted to destroy the Jiangxiang Gang himself, using the trick of faking his death to transform the gang into the Flying General Battalion, thereby laundering this notorious organization into legitimacy. Li Qi had deduced Xiao Zhenggong's intentions; he just wasn't satisfied with the part about faking his death. Why fake it? Isn't dying for real so much better? No need to wait for any Flying General Battalion, either. I'll fulfill your wishes tonight. He Yuxiu had already made her move on her end. Just as Li Qi was about to hurry over to assist, he suddenly heard the glove speak: "Master, there's good stuff here!" "What kind of good stuff?" "Priceless good stuff! Master, give me a hand, and I'll bring this treasure back for you." "Now is not the time." Li Qi was in a hurry to return to the fray. "Master, it'll just take a moment, won't hold you up long at all. This looks like the thing our Old Master loves most. It has spiritual intelligence, and I'm afraid it might run off on its own." *Railroad tracks?* With Xiao Zhenggong eliminated, the few remaining small fry in the Jiangxiang Gang were hardly difficult to deal with; sparing a little time wouldn't be an issue. Li Qi circled around to the front of the rockery and saw two guards standing in place. Swinging his sickle, he slit their throats clean through. The glove entered the cavern, spotted the stone spikes on the wall, and said to Li Banfeng, "These are indeed good stuff, but they won't be easy to pry loose. Master, use Sever Path and Open Road to clear a way for me." Li Banfeng looked at the stone door beside the stone spikes. The door was open, pitch-black within, with stone steps leading underground. *What place is down there?* The basement possessed sound-dampening craftwork, so Li Banfeng couldn't hear a thing even with the Qiansi Earring, yet he still worried someone might be below. The glove also noticed the stone door and lowered its voice. "Master, keep your strength even. Don't make a sound. We mustn't startle these two darlings, nor disturb anyone inside." Li Banfeng asked, "You think there's someone inside too?" The glove listened for a moment. "I don't think there's anyone, but just to be safe, I'll close this door shortly. Once we finish our proper business, we can deal with it." Li Banfeng carefully applied his technique, carving out a path beside the stone spikes. *** Inside the basement, He Jiaqing was still trying to maneuver around Lu Xiaolan. "Xiaolan, be good. Give Zhao Xiaowan to me." "Zhao Xiaowan?" Lu Xiaolan gritted her teeth. "I am Zhao Xiaowan! If you have the guts, come take it!" "You are Zhao Xiaowan?" He Jiaqing let out a laugh. With a calm expression, Lu Xiaolan said, "What, you don't believe me? I went to the Inner States. Zhao Xiaowan's soul has been trapped there all along, and it now resides inside my body. I've gained some of her power. The current me is Zhao Xiaowan." He Jiaqing sighed. "Is this the speech Xiao Zhenggong prepared for you? He had you impersonate Zhao Xiaowan to help him wipe out the Jiangxiang Gang, and then turn it into the Flying General Battalion. He would become the supreme commander, and you would be his renowned general—that's the sequence, isn't it?" Lu Xiaolan took a sharp breath. He Jiaqing was completely right. He had grasped her weakness once again. He Jiaqing continued, "Xiaolan, from the day I met you, none of your thoughts could ever escape me. You approached me intentionally back in college, and on the train you tried to plot against me. When you lie, you look as childish as an infant to me. "First, hand over the spear in your hands. That spear is the real Zhao Xiaowan, and you know that better than anyone." Lu Xiaolan took a step back. "I won't give it to you! Stay back!" "Give me the spear. I haven't forgotten our marriage contract. Since having you, I haven't touched another woman. Once this passes, we'll still be a proper husband and wife." Lu Xiaolan's hands trembled, and her eyes grew moist. She was moved! Daboynes, watching from the secret room, couldn't comprehend it. A few lies, and she was falling for it just like that? He had never come into contact with Fool Cultivator techniques, but he knew the situation was extremely perilous. He wanted to launch a surprise attack on He Jiaqing, but He Jiaqing called out, "Detective Spider, don't be rash. You get what you pay for—I understand your rules. You should also understand the situation here. How much money would it take to buy your life?" Daboynes stopped listening to He Jiaqing. He knew there was a vast gulf between his strength and He Jiaqing's. If his thoughts were guided by He Jiaqing as well, he might end up abandoning resistance. In circumstances like this, if he gave up resisting, all of Daboynes's years of rough-and-tumble experience told him he would surely die. Yet what could he use to resist? A head-on clash offered no chance; their combat capabilities were on completely different tiers. A surprise attack had no chance either, as He Jiaqing had already detected him. The only chance left was Zhao Xiaowan. Daboynes's spider silk had been clinging to that spear all along. From the current situation, the sole reason He Jiaqing still had the patience to maneuver around Lu Xiaolan was out of sheer dread toward that spear. Daboynes's body shuddered, and the spear in Lu Xiaolan's hand quivered with it, its imposing aura violently erupting in an instant. He Jiaqing turned pale with fright. "Xiaolan, calm down!" Daboynes had guessed right. He Jiaqing wasn't afraid of Lu Xiaolan, but he truly feared Zhao Xiaowan. If Zhao Xiaowan struck, his head could roll at any second. Under that surge of aura, Lu Xiaolan seemed to snap to her senses. Pointing the spear at He Jiaqing, she said, "Are you afraid?" He Jiaqing pressed his palms down. "Xiaolan, set her down first. We can talk this through slowly." "Set her down? In your dreams!" Lu Xiaolan slowly backed away. He Jiaqing matched her step for step. Lu Xiaolan retreated into the secret room. Daboynes operated the mechanism, and the secret room's door slammed shut. A mere door like this could never hold He Jiaqing. He felt around the edge of the door for a moment and quickly located the mechanism within the seam. He Jiaqing plucked a strand of hair and slid it into the crack. The hair slithered like a slender snake within the seam. Before long, the mechanism was bypassed, the stone door loosened, and with a gentle push from He Jiaqing, the door swung open. The secret room was small, completely vacant, without a person in sight. *Art of concealment?* No. A person could conceal their form, but the spear's imposing aura would not vanish. Lu Xiaolan and Daboynes had departed this chamber. The critical question was, where had they gone? This secret room had another exit—where did that exit lead? It likely led outside the basement. Things were growing tricky; he had to find that exit quickly and run down Lu Xiaolan and Daboynes. He Jiaqing swept his gaze across the room, and a slab of rock on the ceiling caught his attention. The seams around this rock differed from the others. Supporting the rock with one hand, He Jiaqing pressed upward gently, carefully regulating his force fraction by fraction. Having pressed it upward just over an inch, the mechanism was unlocked, yet the exit failed to appear. *Wrong technique?* He Jiaqing plucked another hair. He felt quite pained about it; he had lost a good deal of hair lately, and his volume was severely limited. The hair wove through the crevices for a long while before returning to He Jiaqing's palm. Nothing wrong with the technique; the mechanism had indeed been bypassed. Then why hadn't the exit appeared? After trying several more times, He Jiaqing discovered a grave problem: the mechanism in the ceiling seemed to have lost its core hub, severing its link to the exit. *How could the mechanism's hub be gone?* Realizing things had gone terribly wrong, He Jiaqing hurried back toward the entrance. Rushing up the stone steps, He Jiaqing found the stone door firmly shut. He frantically probed the seam, trying to unlock the mechanism. The situation was identical to the secret room: the mechanism was quickly bypassed, but the stone door would not budge. *Break through by force!* He Jiaqing exerted more power, attempting to demolish the stone door, but failed. *Liquid form!* He Jiaqing dissolved into liquid, attempting to squeeze through the gap of the door. Blue smoke curled up from the crack, instantly boiling the liquid into steam. The steam coalesced back into He Jiaqing. Scorched and charred all over, he stared at the stone door in astonishment. What formidable craftwork! Who built this basement? Who shut this stone door? Who took away the mechanism's core hub? He Jiaqing's head buzzed. He realized he might never get out. *** Holding a pair of stone spikes, the glove said with immense delight, "Master, give these to the Old Master, and there will definitely be tons of room for leeway in the future!" Li Qi smiled. "Stow them away. Let's send the Jiangxiang Gang on their way first." *** In the main hall of the main building, He Yuxiu had captured Hall Master Yao Zhiyi alive, snapped his arms and legs, bound him in iron chains, and tossed him aside. Several Jiangxiang Gang members tried to rescue their hall master, but a swarm of flying insects surged from Lu Yuanxin's body, reducing those disciples to bare bones in an instant. Chu the Second seized a Jiangxiang Gang member, shoved his head into a boiling hot pot, and flayed the man's face while it was still scalding hot. When another disciple rushed close, Chu the Second flipped open his skull with a chopstick, splashing brains across the table. Critick picked up a roasted chicken, shook off the brains, and ate it. One Jiangxiang Gang member possessed decent cultivation and tried to ambush Chu the Second from behind, but Lu Chunying kicked him into a stumble. Tan Fucheng quickly caught the man, seated him on a chair, and said, "Sit properly and don't move." That disciple genuinely didn't move, watching helplessly as Tan Fucheng slit his throat. The Jiangxiang Gang headquarters originally possessed formidable combat strength, but that was under organized command. Now their gang leader was dead, their hall master captured alive, and the rest were either fighting or fleeing in total chaos. Someone faintly caught sight of a silhouette flashing before their eyes, and in the next breath, the man blew apart into mangled gore. After slaying dozens of people in succession, Li Banfeng contacted Luo Zhengnan, telling him to bring men to mop up. "Old Luo, they're all old friends from the gang. You haven't forgotten old ties, have you?" "Seventh Master, I could never forget old ties. I'll see them off on their final journey." *** Daboynes crouched by the lake shore, sensing the surroundings through his spider silk. He Jiaqing had deduced correctly: the basement had another exit. Daboynes had brought Lu Xiaolan out, slipping away a step ahead of Li Qi taking the stone spikes. Lu Xiaolan said, "Let's go quickly. The spear's aura is hard to control. They'll find us soon enough, and then we won't be able to leave even if we want to." Daboynes shook his head. "Wait a bit longer. I'm looking for something very important." "What on earth are you looking for?" "A corpse. Xiao Zhenggong's corpse." *** Luo Zhengnan soon brought men to the headquarters. After reminiscing with his old acquaintances from the gang, he sent them on their way one by one. "Seventh Master, where is Gang Leader Xiao? I wanted to see him one last time." Li Qi shook his head. "Dead. Not even a corpse remains." Luo Zhengnan sighed. "What a pity. I still had many things I wanted to ask him." Li Qi smiled. "Had I known, I would have left him with a breath to let you ask a few questions." "Forget it, no need. Just speaking with him made my blood boil anyway. Let me have a word with Yao Zhiyi." Luo Zhengnan squatted before Yao Zhiyi and asked, "Old brother, still remember me?" Yao Zhiyi startled. "Luo Zhengnan? Aren't you dead...?" Luo Zhengnan patted Yao Zhiyi's cheek. "Even at this point, you still don't know how to speak pleasant words. Aren't you afraid I'll cut out your tongue?" Yao Zhiyi shook his head repeatedly. "Old Luo, what happened to you had nothing to do with me! It was all ordered by the gang leader and carried out by Pei Yikou!" "Then let's not talk about my affairs for now. Let's talk about the gang's business. What kind of act is this Flying General Battalion really putting on?" Things having come to this, Yao Zhiyi held back no longer. "The gang leader said the Jiangxiang Gang had run out of road, so he planned to change banners. Somehow he got connected with Iron Sheep Mountain and had their stronghold master, Lu Xiaolan, impersonate Flying General Zhao Xiaowan, raising the banner of the Flying General Battalion." *Lu Xiaolan?* *The one impersonating the Flying General was actually her?* How utterly shameless—she actually dared to use Zhao Xiaowan's name. Li Qi asked, "Was Lu Xiaolan the one behind the extermination of the Qianzhu Mountain bandits earlier?" Yao Zhiyi happened to know the inside story. "It can't really be called an extermination, just an internal turf war. Iron Sheep Mountain and Qianzhu Mountain had always been in conflict. Lu Xiaolan went up the mountain, killed their stronghold master, and absorbed all his bandit troops. Then they spread word that the Flying General was ridding the people of evil. "Gang Leader Xiao recruited a few scribes to publicize the matter, and just like that, the Flying General Battalion's banner was hoisted." Luo Zhengnan wasn't convinced. "Old Yao, now that things are where they are, don't you dare lie to me." Yao Zhiyi said, "Brother Luo, how would I dare lie to you? Every single word I just told you is the absolute truth!" Luo Zhengnan said, "I've heard of Qianzhu Mountain; they have real ability. What kind of weight does Lu Xiaolan carry? You expect me to believe she went up Qianzhu Mountain single-handedly and killed their master?" Yao Zhiyi shook his head frantically. "I never said she went up alone! She took plenty of men and infiltrated the mountain before striking. Besides, Gang Leader Xiao gave her a treasure back then." "What treasure?" "Zhao Xiaowan. The Zhao Xiaowan that transformed into a spear! That's the real deal! Just bringing it before your eyes, that aura alone makes people unable to lift their heads!" Hearing about that spear, veins bulged on both Luo Zhengnan's and Li Banfeng's foreheads. Luo Zhengnan was furious! Back then, he had nearly thrown away his life at Tiemenbao for that spear, only to hand it over to Xiao Zhenggong. Xiao Zhenggong had gone back on his word, never delivering on making him deputy gang leader. Thinking back on it made Luo Zhengnan grind his teeth with rage. Li Banfeng, on the other hand, was straining to hold back laughter. That spear had been crafted by Bronze Lotus; its name wasn't Zhao Xiaowan, it was Bluffing Tiger. It had originally been intended merely to deceive Luo Zhengnan, yet who could have guessed it would fool so many people? Luo Zhengnan asked, "With such a vital item, how could Xiao Zhenggong ever hand it to Lu Xiaolan?" Yao Zhiyi said, "Lu Xiaolan has real skills. She has a foreign devil by her side who has connections with the Inner States. That foreign devil even got someone to make a body double for the gang leader, crafted so realistically that even the blood was identical. No one could spot a flaw!" *A body double made so realistically?* *Could it be the Technique of Flesh Laying?* Even the Technique of Flesh Laying couldn't replicate the blood to be entirely identical. What other methods were involved? Li Banfeng found this quite intriguing. Luo Zhengnan asked, "Where is Lu Xiaolan now?" Yao Zhiyi said, "Beneath the lake, there's a basement. Lu Xiaolan and that foreign devil are both down there. That basement uses special craftwork, a treasure the foreign devil brought from the Inner States. It can't be opened from the inside, only entered from the outside. They must still be down there! I'll take you to see." *A basement beneath the lake?* Li Banfeng was taken aback. He had seen the entrance to a basement inside the cavern. Could Lu Xiaolan and Daboynes have been inside back then? Yao Zhiyi's legs had been broken by He Yuxiu, rendering him unable to walk. Luo Zhengnan had his men bring a cart and wheeled him over. Upon entering the cavern, the stone door was shut tight, with no seam visible from the outside. Luo Zhengnan frowned. "Where's this basement you spoke of?" Yao Zhiyi panicked. "Th-there was a pair of stone spikes next to this main door, those stone spikes..." Li Banfeng demanded angrily, "Where are the stone spikes?" "Th-they were right here!" Yao Zhiyi didn't know how to explain. The stone spikes originally embedded in the wall were gone. Li Banfeng asked again, "Where is that corpse you mentioned? The one identical to the real thing!" Yao Zhiyi said, "It's kept in the rear building. I'll take you to see it." Luo Zhengnan had his men push the cart to the rear building. Entering the building and arriving at the third room on the second floor, they pushed the door open to find a bed with a shroud laid out, but no corpse. Luo Zhengnan seized Yao Zhiyi. "Old Yao, fooling me is one thing, but our Seventh Master is right here—you dare lie to him too?" Li Qi was infuriated. "Yao Zhiyi, what audacity! Old Luo, I leave this man to you." Yao Zhiyi cried, "Brother Luo, every word I spoke is the truth! You must believe me!" "Believe you?" Luo Zhengnan had someone bring a chisel. "You used to always ask me where the hole in my head came from. "Now I'll show you how that hole came to be—blow by blow, I'll show you." *** Having dealt with Yao Zhiyi, Luo Zhengnan sighed. "This fellow had tough bones; couldn't get a thing out of him." Li Banfeng shook his head. "Forget it. The Jiangxiang Gang is no more, your grudge is settled, and that knot in your heart can be unraveled. Why bother with the rest?" Luo Zhengnan sighed. "I truly don't care about the other matters, but I simply cannot let go of Zhao Xiaowan. "That spear is a peerless treasure. It was originally yours, bought away by my relentless pestering. Now I want to retrieve that spear and present it to Seventh Master once more." Li Banfeng waved his hand. "It's nothing crucial; no need to fret over it." Li Banfeng genuinely didn't care. The glove whispered secretly, "Master, should I put that pair of spikes back so we can take a look down there?" "Look at who? What's there to look at?" Was Lu Xiaolan pleasant to look at? Or was the Bluffing Tiger spear a sight to behold? Li Banfeng couldn't be bothered with either. If Lu Xiaolan wasn't down there, going would be a waste of time. If Lu Xiaolan was down there, then let her stay down there. If that basement truly couldn't be opened from the inside, she could just remain inside. Back then, she had survived for so long in the He family ancestral residence; staying a few extra days now wouldn't hurt. Actually, the analogy wasn't entirely apt. The situation in the basement was different from the He family ancestral residence. Stray cats could enter and exit the He family ancestral residence, but not even a bug could get into this basement. He Jiaqing was nearly driven mad with anxiety. With his cultivation, he actually couldn't find a way out. *Did Lu Xiaolan do this?* He Jiaqing gritted his teeth and cursed, "Why must you be so venomous?!" *** Lu Xiaolan asked, "Why do you insist on carrying this corpse?" Daboynes said, "Because this corpse was made using Xiao Zhenggong's blood." "What use is his blood?" "Ordinary blood is useless, but this blood is extraordinary. This is blood I collected from him a month ago. It contains a portion of his soul and memories." Lu Xiaolan still didn't understand. "What do you want his soul and memories for?" Daboynes said, "Because the real Xiao Zhenggong is very likely dead. The memories within this corpse concern a vital secret." "What secret?" Daboynes looked at Lu Xiaolan. "By cooperating with us, Xiao Zhenggong not only had to lose the Jiangxiang Gang, but he also had to relinquish an important identity in the Outer States." Lu Xiaolan said, "I've heard about his identity. A deputy team leader in the Dark Star Bureau—hardly anyone remarkable." Daboynes shook his head. "His post might not be high, but his role was exceptionally important. The Dark Star Bureau holds many critical secrets. Xiao Zhenggong had already secured the secrets he wanted, which was why he was willing to abandon his post in the Dark Star Bureau and return to Puluo Province." "What secret was it really? Is it a confirmed fact, or just your wild guess?" Daboynes shook his head. "This isn't a wild guess; it's a reasonable deduction. It's just a shame that his blood dates back to a month ago. Any vital information from the past month likely cannot be traced." *** Critick drank a glass of red wine, wiped his mouth with a napkin, straightened his white lab coat, stood up, and said to Li Banfeng, "I'm full." Li Banfeng said, "Once you're full, please see yourself out." Critick walked to the door and hoisted the large iron canister of disinfectant onto his back. The iron canister was light. He Jiaqing had gone out, but hadn't returned. Where did he go? Was the matter accomplished? Critick didn't care, nor did it truly matter to him. He was only responsible for bringing He Jiaqing here. His mission had long since been completed.