Chapter 350: Jiang Xiangbang No Longer Has Luo Zhengnan

"Hall Master Pei, it's been so many years since we last met!" Luo Zhengnan entered the living room.

"Hall Master Luo, that's my fault. The guild has been bogged down with so many messy affairs these past few years that I haven't had a chance to visit you."

"What do you mean, 'visit'? You're practically insulting me. When did we two brothers become so formal?"

Pei Yuzeng, the Hall Master of Jiangxiang Gang's Qingyan City branch, was known to those very familiar with him by the nickname "Pei One-Bite."

He was a powerfully built man with well-defined features, a friendly demeanor, and a gentle way of speaking, giving people a sense of instant familiarity.

After a few pleasantries, they both took their seats.

Pei Yuzeng then got to the point: "Brother Luo, I'm here to discuss something very important with you."

Luo Zhengnan quickly dismissed his subordinates and led Pei Yuzeng into the study. "Brother Pei, what is it?"

"Something big has happened in our gang. The Guild Master has encountered a mortal enemy in an outer province."

Luo Zhengnan was startled. "Which mortal enemy?"

Pei Yuzeng suddenly spewed forth a burst of intense flames.

Luo Zhengnan, completely unresponsive, was instantly reduced to a pile of ashes.

Pei Yuzeng took off his outer robe, swept it across the room, collecting all the ashes. The room was left impeccably clean, without a single trace.

"Pei One-Bite," who left no ashes behind when he killed, this was his unique skill.

This unique skill was not complex at all; it essentially comprised three methods.

First, there was no warning. Since entering the path, Pei Yuzeng had rigorously trained this move. Before striking, his face would show no expression, his body no movement. He might be mid-sentence, eating, or even standing next to someone in the outhouse urinating, when suddenly a burst of fire would erupt, sending the person directly on their way.

Second, the flames were incredibly fierce. He either didn't strike, or when he did, he was confident he could reduce someone to ashes. Fire Cultivators at the fifth level could all breathe fire, but only Pei Yuzeng had mastered this technique to its extreme.

Third, he left no trace. Aside from killing the person, Pei Yuzeng harmed nothing else. Just like now, not a single book in the study was damaged, not a hint of scorch mark was left on the walls, and even all the smoky odor was absorbed by his clothes.

The room looked exactly the same when he left as it did when he entered, with no changes whatsoever, except for the absence of Luo Zhengnan.

This was an example of taking a simple method to its extreme. But while this method was effective against strangers, wouldn't acquaintances be more wary?

Luo Zhengnan was an acquaintance, so why did he fall for it?

Pei Yuzeng possessed methods to make people lower their guard. This involved decades of experience and various spiritual artifacts he carried. Before acting, he would make extremely precise preparations, meticulously considering every word and every movement, and accounting for all possible unexpected factors.

But what if a special situation arose, where someone simply refused to see him, or if they did, they wouldn't speak to him, maintaining a distance of over ten meters, and kept a group of guards nearby? How would he handle that?

In such a situation, Pei Yuzeng would not strike. This was also a significant reason why he never failed.

When he came to see Luo Zhengnan today, Pei Yuzeng had already prepared himself not to strike, as he knew Luo Zhengnan was a very cautious person.

However, he didn't expect things to progress so smoothly. Pei Yuzeng donned his outer robe, exited the study, and walked directly towards the main gate.

Sun Xingbing, the Stickman, stepped forward and said, "Hall Master Pei, are you leaving already?"

Pei Yuzeng sighed. "I had a bit of a disagreement with your Hall Master Luo. Never mind, it's all gang business. Please help me persuade your Hall Master later not to let this matter spoil our good relations."

His words were perfectly calibrated, not raising the slightest suspicion in Sun Xingbing.

Sun Xingbing was indeed worried about damaging their relations. Since Hall Master Luo was unwilling to see him out, he escorted Pei Yuzeng out on the Hall Master's behalf.

On the rooftop, Luo Zhengnan silently watched Pei Yuzeng's retreating back.

Wasn't he burned to death? How was he still standing here?

Luo Zhengnan was not burned to death. What was burned was a puppet he had hidden in the room, a puppet made from bones and flesh.

This puppet could walk, move, and speak, but there was a subtle difference in its appearance compared to Luo Zhengnan.

There were two reasons he dared to use it earlier: first, his subordinates, seeing a guest, stood respectfully in the living room and did not dare to stare at him.

Second, Pei Yuzeng had not seen him for many years and would not notice the subtle difference between the puppet and Luo Zhengnan himself.

At this moment, Luo Zhengnan had an antenna inserted into his head, tracking the ashes on Pei Yuzeng's person.

Before long, Luo Zhengnan heard a sound.

"Guild Master, it's done."

"Well done. You will be handsomely rewarded."

Pei Yuzeng was talking to Xiao Zhenggong.

It was indeed Xiao Zhenggong who wanted to kill me!

This grudge must be repaid, but I can no longer stay in the Jiangxiang Gang.

Where could I go?

Luo Zhengnan did think of a place; he couldn't say it was absolutely safe, but at least it was remote enough.

The main question was whether that place would accept him.

Li Banfeng arrived at Qiu's Pharmacy, startling Qiu Zhiheng. "Old Seven, why are you back?"

It wasn't time for a shift change yet.

Li Banfeng replied, "Brother Qiu, we don't need to stay on the mountain anymore. Someone is looking after Elder Yao's home."

"Who?"

"Someone we couldn't have imagined. Brother Qiu, you should go visit Elder Yao every now and then, and while you're there, get acquainted with this expert." Li Banfeng roughly explained the situation but did not mention Elder Xu's identity. Whether Qiu Zhiheng could truly get to know Elder Xu would depend on his own fortune.

That night, Li Banfeng stayed at the pharmacy. The next morning, the assistant Ding Youming found out a piece of news: "Luo Zhengnan is missing. The Jiangxiang Gang members are frantically searching for him."

Qiu Zhiheng was stunned. "How could Luo Zhengnan go missing?"

Luo Zhengnan was so shrewd in his actions and had been in Yaowang Ditch for so many years; there weren't many people who could scheme against him here.

Qiu Zhiheng continued to send people to gather information. By afternoon, the news was largely confirmed.

Pei Yuzeng, the Hall Master of Jiangxiang Gang's Qingyan City branch, had visited last night. He met Luo Zhengnan, and there had been no news of Luo Zhengnan since.

"Pei Yuzeng, 'Pei One-Bite,' who leaves no ashes when he kills." Qiu Zhiheng had heard of his reputation. "Old Seven, this means the Jiangxiang Gang sent someone to kill Luo Zhengnan."

Li Banfeng pondered for a moment. "Why would they kill Luo Zhengnan? Is it related to Elder Yao's situation?

Was the leaking of Elder Yao's residence also related to the Jiangxiang Gang?"

Qiu Zhiheng lit a cigarette and sighed softly. "I can't figure this out for now. It's rare for the Jiangxiang Gang to have someone with a humane touch, and now he's just gone.

Old Seven, be extra careful these days. I'm worried the Jiangxiang Gang might be coming after us."

"I'm planning to leave Yaowang Ditch. You be careful too."

A few days later, Li Banfeng arranged a travel permit and train ticket for Little Genzi, sending him back to Lushui City on his own.

Genzi always carried his bucket, and Li Banfeng, worried he might clash with other passengers, specifically bought him a private compartment.

Genzi was in his compartment mixing 'golden liquid' when someone smelled it and pushed the door open, entering directly.

Seeing this, Genzi quickly put away the bucket, sat casually on his seat, and asked, "Is something wrong?"

The man who entered had a long face, small eyes, and gaunt cheeks. Carrying a briefcase, he looked at Little Genzi and said, "Were you just mixing 'golden liquid'?"

Genzi shook his head repeatedly. "What 'golden liquid' do I have here? You've got the wrong place. Go check next door."

The man chuckled, "Your bucket is still right there. How could I be wrong? Don't worry, I'm here to talk business with you."

"Talk business with me?" Little Genzi was taken aback. "What kind of business?"

The man looked at Little Genzi's bucket and asked, "I'd like to buy a bucket."

"You want to buy *this*?" Little Genzi suspected he had misheard.

"Twenty thousand for one bucket. If you think that's not enough, we can discuss the price." The man made his offer.

Genzi frowned. "What do you need this for?"

Don't underestimate this bucket of 'golden liquid'; one spoonful could kill a person.

"Don't worry, it's definitely not for anything bad," the man chuckled. "My name is Zhang Wanlong, and I'm a Cultivator of the Plough. If this business deal goes through, we can do even bigger trades in the future."

"You're a Cultivator of the Plough?" Little Genzi sized Zhang Wanlong up and down. Dressed in a gray and white checkered suit, he didn't look like a farmer at all.

"You don't believe me?" Zhang Wanlong took a small flowerpot from his briefcase. It was much smaller than the palm of his hand. He sprinkled a seed into the pot, watered it, and in less than five minutes, the seed sprouted, grew stems, leaves, and bloomed, transforming into a jasmine plant.

He expected Genzi to be very surprised, but to his astonishment, Genzi's expression remained perfectly calm.

Genzi was a man of experience, someone who had traveled with a grandmaster of cultivation. What was this little trick to him?

"My friend," Genzi said, "it's not that I don't believe you, but this trick of yours doesn't prove you're a Cultivator of the Plough."

Zhang Wanlong was taken aback. "What do you mean? Are there other sects with this ability?"

"Of course, Herb Cultivators! Their plants grow even faster than yours!"

Zhang Wanlong gave a thumbs-up. "Brother, knowing about Herb Cultivators shows you have good insight. Herb Cultivation is one of the origins of Plough Cultivation; the ancestral masters of Plough Cultivation came from Herb Cultivation. Indeed, it's hard to distinguish between the two. Now, take a look at *this* skill of mine!"

As he spoke, Zhang Wanlong dropped two more drops of liquid medicine onto the jasmine. After waiting for more than ten minutes, a sunflower bloomed on the jasmine branch, specifically where the liquid medicine had been applied.

A sunflower blooming on a jasmine branch—this was not something a Herb Cultivator could achieve.

But the real display of skill came next: the large head of the sunflower turned its "face" towards the train window, and a mouth suddenly grew on its disc. It chuckled twice, and its voice sounded like that of a lively seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl.

Genzi nodded in admiration. "Impressive skill, Brother Zhang. We can do this business!"

Deep in the mountains, in Elder Yao's house, Elder Xu sighed softly and muttered to himself:

"When opportunity strikes, no one can stop it. Whether he has learned well or you have learned poorly, it's up to your own fate."

Li Banfeng set off for the new territory, following Elder Yao's map to Iron Gate Fortress.

The journey through the new territory was not particularly arduous. Elder Yao's map helped him avoid most risks, and the occasional strange creatures he encountered posed no threat to Li Banfeng.

However, Li Banfeng was not careless. Battling strange creatures in the new territory was about more than just brute force. Special entities like the "Venerable Offer-Taker" and the "Playful Lure-Woman" could trap one with the slightest misstep.

Upon reaching Iron Gate Fortress, Li Banfeng emerged from Peach Blossom Lake. Seizing the moment when no one was around, he quickly retreated to his portable residence to put on his clothes.

His visit to Iron Gate Fortress this time was for no other reason than to withdraw some money, return it to the Gloves, and incidentally check on the situation within the fortress.

Li Banfeng also deliberately changed his attire, dressing as a vegetable farmer and carrying two baskets of green vegetables as he entered Iron Gate Fortress.

At the gate, the gatekeeper stopped Li Banfeng and asked, "Are you here to sell vegetables?"

Li Banfeng nodded.

"Have you paid the deposit?"

"Good. The rules set originally are being enforced. To do business in Iron Gate Fortress, a deposit must be paid. Anyone who sells inferior goods as superior, or uses tricks to deceive people here, will have their deposit confiscated and will not be allowed back into the fortress in the future."

Li Banfeng feigned ignorance. "This is my first time here. I've never heard of having to pay a deposit to do business."

"Well, if you haven't heard, I'm telling you now: you can't sell here without paying the deposit."

Li Banfeng set down his vegetable baskets. "Then I won't sell. I'll just go in and see if business is good."

This was fine; he was allowed to enter.

Li Banfeng entered the fortress. Iron Gate Fortress was his favorite place; every street, every alley, every blade of grass, every tree—he felt he couldn't see enough of it.

There were significant changes within the fortress. Without the exploitation of the Fortress Master, the House Cultivators were living well. Many families had renovated their houses, and some had even expanded their residences.

Of course, some things remained unchanged. A woman who came to collect ready-made clothes was constantly driving down prices. House Cultivator Li Zhijuan, who was an excellent tailor and relied on this for her livelihood, found the prices so suppressed that there was almost no profit left, yet she still agreed. The reason was simple: she always did business with this woman, she was used to it, and she didn't want to jeopardize their amicable relations.

This was a common flaw of House Cultivators: they weren't good at negotiating with people.

Even with business conducted like this, she still prioritized harmony!

Li Banfeng stepped forward, intending to reprimand the woman collecting clothes, when he suddenly heard someone call out, "Sir, excellent sorghum wine, please take a look."

Li Banfeng turned his head and was stunned for a long time.

Luo Zhengnan held a jar of sorghum wine and said, "Fortress Master, I've been waiting for you for days."