Chapter 41: Jiang Xiang Helps

With the constables right in front of him, what should Chu Yunlong do now?

Explain to the constables, "I don't know that person!"

That wouldn't work; they would take him back to the police station.

Given his less-than-clean background, the police station was absolutely out of the question.

Say something else?

The constables didn't give Chu Yunlong a chance to speak, swinging their bat directly at his head.

Thwack!

With one strike, Chu Yunlong's forehead started bleeding.

He didn't dare fight back. Helpless, he could only evade the two constables and rush out of the ticket hall.

Outside the ticket hall, Chu Yunlong didn't see Li Banfeng.

Of course, he couldn't see him. After rushing out of the ticket hall, Li Banfeng immediately entered his portable dwelling and threw the key into the tall grass outside the door.

"Where did that little bastard go?" Chu Yunlong cursed, then suddenly felt a sharp pain at the back of his head.

Thwack! Thwack!

The constables chased him out of the ticket hall, swinging their clubs and continuing to strike at his head.

Chu Yunlong clutched his head and ran towards the overpass, where there were many branching paths, offering a chance to escape.

Chu Yunlong ran ahead, with the two constables in pursuit.

Li Banfeng emerged from his portable dwelling, watched the three figures disappear into the distance, and silently followed.

It was a test of his agility; he couldn't follow too fast or stray too far, needing to maintain the right speed and distance.

In truth, Li Banfeng wasn't very good at controlling his speed. He still couldn't control his movements, and at one point, he was less than ten meters from the two constables, almost being discovered.

Fortunately, he was a Dwelling Cultivator, and having just emerged from a dwelling, he carried a special, unobtrusive aura that caused the constables to overlook his presence.

Chu Yunlong, preoccupied with evading his pursuers, also didn't notice Li Banfeng behind him.

After running through three alleys and escaping all the way to the desolate outskirts, the constables were tired from running and hitting, so they gave up the chase.

Chu Yunlong, his face covered in blood, leaned on his knees, panting heavily inside an abandoned house.

He couldn't comprehend Li Banfeng's earlier actions. He didn't understand why Li Banfeng had forcefully entered the ticket hall.

Even though he was from out-of-state, no matter where he came from or where he boarded a train, entering or exiting anywhere in Puluo State required a travel permit—that was the rule.

Didn't he understand the rules?

Then how did he get to Yaowanggou?

Unless a powerful figure had bypassed the rules and bought him a ticket.

Even if a powerful figure had indeed bought him a ticket, he still shouldn't have forced his way into the ticket room.

In Puluo State, forcing entry into a ticket room led to very serious consequences.

His breathing slowly normalized, and Chu Yunlong wiped the blood from his face, his mood also calming down.

Li Banfeng's sudden commotion earlier, could there be another reason for it?

Did he know I was about to act against him?

Did he deliberately provoke the ticket agent to get away from me?

Judging by his speed, he was clearly a Travel Cultivator, and Travel Cultivators indeed had the ability to sense danger.

In other words, his earlier argument with the ticket agent was all an act!

He sensed my killing intent, deliberately caused trouble, and intended to escape using that distraction.

This kid is quite cunning!

Where could he go now?

Earlier, I saw he was empty-handed, without a backpack, so he wasn't carrying that treasure.

If I were him, I would definitely go move that treasure now.

How can I catch him?

I should immediately order my disciples to search near the station. Li Banfeng wouldn't dare carry the bronze lotus with him, so it's probably hidden somewhere near the station...

As he pondered, a sickle over ten centimeters long was held across Chu Yunlong's neck.

"Who's there?" Chu Yunlong exclaimed in surprise. Although his sensory perception wasn't extremely strong, having been in the martial world for many years, he shouldn't have been approached so easily.

Unless the other party's cultivation was far superior to his.

Or perhaps the other party was a Dwelling Cultivator.

If the cultivation gap was too vast, Chu Yunlong could only wait for death.

If the other party was a Dwelling Cultivator, Chu Yunlong wasn't too worried; he had ways to deal with them.

"My friend, let's put down the weapon first. There's no need for us to be adversaries; we can talk things through..."

The sickle's blade sliced into Chu Yunlong's neck, and warm blood spurted out.

Chu Yunlong was greatly alarmed. He had intended to negotiate, but he hadn't expected the other party to strike immediately.

"Who sent you to find me?" Li Banfeng asked calmly, holding the sickle.

It's him!

It's Li Banfeng!

Chu Yunlong was stunned. How could Li Banfeng have gotten so close to him?

He hadn't sensed any aura at all?

Was he a Dwelling Cultivator?

Impossible. Based on his previous assessment, he was clearly a Travel Cultivator.

Was his cultivation far above mine?

But the sect leader said he had no cultivation before, that he was a complete novice, a greenhorn.

The sect leader's information seemed unreliable.

The blade embedded a little deeper into his neck. Li Banfeng asked, "You won't talk?"

Pain and fear didn't lie. Li Banfeng's ruthless strike made Chu Yunlong firmly believe that Li Banfeng was definitely no greenhorn.

Perhaps the sect leader had been deceived by him.

What was even more likely was that he had been deceived by the sect leader!

Claiming a ruthless person was a novice—the sect leader had pulled such stunts before.

As the blade slowly began to dig further into his neck, Chu Yunlong abandoned any thought of resisting or delaying.

"This is our gang leader's order!"

"Don't speak in riddles; say something I can understand!" Li Banfeng twisted the blade inside Chu Yunlong's wound.

Chu Yunlong no longer dared to speak in slang: "The sect leader sent me."

"What sect are you from? And who is your sect leader?"

"We are from the Jiangxiang Gang. Our sect leader's surname is Xiao, and his name is Xiao Zhenggong."

Li Banfeng frowned. "Have I met your sect leader?"

"You probably have, but I'm not entirely sure..." Chu Yunlong was telling the truth; he genuinely didn't know what interactions Xiao Zhenggong had with Li Banfeng.

Li Banfeng tightened his grip, and the sickle's blade continued to penetrate deeper into the throat.

Anyone familiar with the martial world knew that people like Li Banfeng were unreasonable, so Chu Yunlong could only spill everything he knew:

"Our sect leader is from out-of-state. He's with the Dark Star Bureau; you might know him."

Someone from the Dark Star Bureau!

"What does your sect leader want with me?"

"He said you have a treasure on you, and he told us to kill you and take it back." As he spoke, Chu Yunlong's hand moved towards the knife at his waist.

His movement was very subtle.

In this situation, he had no choice but to risk his life for a fight.

Li Banfeng was still pondering Xiao Zhenggong's identity.

The Jiangxiang Gang came looking for me because of the bronze lotus.

It seemed Xiao Zhenggong was the Captain Xiao mentioned by the Big-Eyed Man on the phone!

He was the one who ordered my assassination!

Li Banfeng asked again, "How many people are in your Jiangxiang Gang? Are all of them hunting me?"

Upon hearing this, Chu Yunlong didn't immediately pull out his knife.

Li Banfeng hadn't even heard of the Jiangxiang Gang; he seemed completely ignorant about Puluo State.

To deal with such a person, he didn't necessarily have to take risks; he could outsmart him.

Thinking this, Chu Yunlong said, "The disciples of the Jiangxiang Gang are spread throughout Puluo State, numbering over ten thousand in total. The sect leader has already given the order, and now all Jiangxiang Gang disciples are looking for you.

"Friend, I can tell you're no ordinary person. If you spare my life, I'll be your inside man within the gang. I'll inform you immediately if I hear anything, and as long as you're a little careful, they definitely won't find you.

"Once this wave of trouble passes, I'll find some friends to help you buy a train ticket back to out-of-state. At that point, even if the sect leader wants to find you, he'll have to follow the rules of out-of-state, unlike here in Puluo State where they just kill without warning."

Chu Yunlong had already gripped his dagger. He was a Martial Cultivator, slightly slower than a Travel Cultivator, but as long as he got a chance to strike, Li Banfeng would surely die.

Li Banfeng nodded. "Once I return to out-of-state, I'll live under an assumed name, and your sect leader will never find me again."

Chu Yunlong responded with sincere earnestness, "Leave this to me! I can get you a train ticket within three days. We've become friends through this conflict, and I sincerely consider you my friend.

"Whether in the Jiangxiang Gang or Yaowanggou, just ask around about my name, Chu Yunlong, and you'll know what kind of person I am!"

"Your name is Chu Yunlong?" Li Banfeng greatly admired the name. "Just by hearing it, I can tell you're a good person!"

You can tell a good person just by their name?

That's illogical!

But Chu Yunlong naturally wouldn't argue with Li Banfeng: "I, Chu Yunlong, have never done anything to betray a friend in my travels. Since fate has brought us together, I'll stake my life to ensure your safety!"

Hearing this, Li Banfeng was deeply moved: "Brother, it's dangerous for you within the gang. Make sure to protect yourself too. And whatever happens between us, please don't tell anyone!"

"Of course. Brother, don't worry. This matter is known only to heaven, earth, you, and me. Absolutely no one else will know."

Chu Yunlong felt confident. This Li Banfeng's cultivation wasn't low, and his mind was agile, but ultimately, he was from out-of-state, not ruthless or cruel enough, and simply lacked the means to survive in Puluo State.

He could be fooled with just a few words. Such a person really was a novice; the sect leader hadn't been wrong after all.

It was a good thing he hadn't engaged him head-on earlier. Waiting for him to withdraw his blade before striking was the safer approach.

As soon as Li Banfeng moved the blade from his neck, in the very next second, he could take Li Banfeng's life.

With this thought, Chu Yunlong added, "Brother, you absolutely must trust me!"

"Brother, I trust you. I'll leave everything else to you," Li Banfeng said, his wrist slightly loosening.

"Leave the rest to me. Brother, travel safely." Chu Yunlong tightened his grip on his dagger, waiting only for Li Banfeng to withdraw the blade before striking.

"Brother, take care on your journey!" Li Banfeng withdrew the sickle, severing Chu Yunlong's throat.

Chu Yunlong clutched his neck, staring at Li Banfeng in horror.

Li Banfeng had indeed withdrawn his blade, but not before cutting Chu Yunlong's throat.

The slight loosening of his wrist earlier had been to facilitate the strike.

How could this happen?

Hadn't he already fallen for it?

Shouldn't he be the one dying now?

Why... why this way?

This bastard is truly sinister!

If only he had known, he should have fought him head-on from the start!

Despair filled Chu Yunlong's fading vision.

Li Banfeng offered comfort, "Have a good journey. Don't be so tense. It really hurts, but the pain will pass soon.

"Don't worry, I definitely trust you. Since you can't speak anymore, you certainly won't tell anyone about what happened between us.

"Just relax a little more, yes, don't be so tense. Close your eyes, don't keep staring at me like that. I actually feel quite guilty."