Chapter 471: The Basement's Lament

Xiao Zhenggong's mind was still fixated on the need to thoroughly eliminate potential threats. He was even devising an argument to make Li Qi realize the gravity of the situation. He planned to tell Li Qi that his friend from another state was in a terrible predicament and to explain the cost involved if Li Qi wanted to save him. Xiao Zhenggong hoped this narrative would allow him to appear somewhat friendly to Li Qi and thus navigate through the evening's banquet. His thoughts flowed down the path Li Qi had laid out, extending further and further, until five bullets pierced his head, bringing his thoughts to an abrupt halt.

It was Ling Miaoying's handgun, incredibly powerful. After taking five shots, Xiao Zhenggong's thoughts almost completely ceased. He quickly got up and fled. A high-level martial cultivator's physique was tough, but how could he outrun Li Qi? Li Qi caught up to Xiao Zhenggong in two strides from behind, then shimmered and vanished from his sight. He used "Fleeting Glimpse," but Xiao Zhenggong's body didn't explode. The reason was simple: Xiao Zhenggong's brain was severely damaged and couldn't perceive Li Qi's presence, rendering the prerequisite for "Fleeting Glimpse" invalid.

Now, Xiao Zhenggong had only one thought: to flee for his life, to the safest possible place. The safest place was the basement beneath the lake. As for whether going there would expose Zhao Xiaowan or his entire plan, he couldn't think about such things; compared to his life, they were insignificant. "Fleeting Glimpse" didn't work, but that didn't matter. Li Banfeng appeared behind Xiao Zhenggong and stomped his foot. Debris and dust flew everywhere. Xiao Zhenggong's back was a bloody mess, yet he continued to sprint. Li Qi delivered another kick, exposing Xiao Zhenggong's spine. When Li Qi stomped for the third time, the back of Xiao Zhenggong's head cracked open, his brain matter spilled out, and he collapsed.

Li Banfeng touched Xiao Zhenggong's nostril; he was still breathing. Good, he's breathing! Li Banfeng picked up Xiao Zhenggong, went behind the rock garden, opened his portable dwelling, and threw Xiao Zhenggong inside. When dealing with Gu Rusong, Sun Tiecheng used the "Ironclad Evidence" technique, completely destroying Gu Rusong's soul. At the time, Sun Tiecheng had mentioned he feared the Inner State might have a contingency plan. Xiao Zhenggong also had very close ties with the Inner State. If he were truly dead, Li Qi was genuinely concerned about potential lingering problems. Once he was inside his wife's belly, any potential threats would be completely eradicated.

"Wife, eat it while it's hot!"

The phonograph saw Xiao Zhenggong and, without asking questions, immediately devoured him. Li Qi closed the door of the portable dwelling, put away the key, and pulled down his hat brim. Xiao Zhenggong had intended to destroy the Jiangxiang Gang himself, using a feigned death and resurrection to transform it into the Flying General Camp, thereby whitewashing the infamous gang. Li Qi had deduced Xiao Zhenggong's intentions, but he was dissatisfied with the "feigned death" part. Why feign death? It would be so much better if he were truly dead! There's no need to wait for the Flying General Camp; tonight, I'll grant you your wish.

He Yuxiu had already taken action. Li Qi was about to rush to support her when he suddenly heard Gauntlet say, "Boss, there's something good here!"

"What's good?"

"Something priceless, boss. Help me out, and I'll bring this good stuff back for you."

"Now's not the time." Li Qi was eager to return to the battlefield.

"Boss, it'll only take a moment, won't delay you much. This seems to be something our old man liked best. It has a spirit, and I'm afraid it might run off on its own."

Rails?

With Xiao Zhenggong eliminated, the remaining few members of the Jiangxiang Gang were indeed not difficult to handle, so taking a little time wouldn't be a big issue. Li Qi circled to the front of the rock garden, saw two guards standing still, raised his scythe, and slit their throats directly. Gauntlet entered the cave and saw the stone cones on the wall. He said to Li Banfeng, "These are indeed good things, but they're hard to remove. Boss, please use 'Broken Path' to clear a way for me." Li Banfeng looked at the stone door next to the stone cones. The door was open, and inside it was pitch black, with stone steps leading underground.

What kind of place was below? The basement had soundproofing techniques. Li Banfeng couldn't hear any sound even with his "Thread-Pulling Earrings," but he still worried someone might be down there. Gauntlet also saw the stone door. He lowered his voice and said, "Boss, apply even force; don't make any noise. Let's not startle these treasures or alert anyone inside." Li Banfeng asked, "You think there's someone inside too?" Gauntlet listened for a moment then said, "I don't think there's anyone inside. To be safe, I'll close this door shortly. Once we're done with the main business, we can deal with it." Li Banfeng carefully used his technique, opening a path next to the stone cones.

In the basement, He Jiaqing was still trying to maneuver around Lu Xiaolan.

"Xiaolan, be obedient and give me Zhao Xiaowan."

"Zhao Xiaowan?" Lu Xiaolan gritted her teeth. "I am Zhao Xiaowan! If you're capable, come and take me!"

"You are Zhao Xiaowan?" He Jiaqing chuckled.

Lu Xiaolan calmly stated, "What, you don't believe me? I went to the Inner State, and Zhao Xiaowan's soul has been trapped there. Her soul parasitic in my body, and I've gained some of her power. Now, I am Zhao Xiaowan."

He Jiaqing sighed, "Is that the story Xiao Zhenggong helped you concoct? He wants you to impersonate Zhao Xiaowan, help him destroy the Jiangxiang Gang, and then turn the Jiangxiang Gang into the Flying General Camp. At that point, he'll be the leader, and you'll be his famous general under him. Is that the sequence?"

Lu Xiaolan was startled; He Jiaqing was correct. He Jiaqing had once again hit her weak spot. He Jiaqing continued, "Xiaolan, from the day I met you, you couldn't hide any of your thoughts from me. You actively approached me in college, and you tried to ambush me on the train. The way you lie seems childish to me, like a child's. First, give me the long spear in your hand. That spear is the true Zhao Xiaowan; you know that better than anyone."

Lu Xiaolan stepped back and said, "No, I won't! Don't come any closer!"

"Give me the spear. I haven't forgotten our engagement. Since you've been in my life, I haven't touched another woman. Once this is over, we'll still be proper husband and wife."

Lu Xiaolan's hands trembled, and her eyes welled up slightly. She was moved!

Inside the secret room, Dabo Yiens couldn't quite understand. Could just a few lies truly deceive Lu Xiaolan? He had never encountered "Foolish Cultivation Techniques," but he knew the situation was dire. He wanted to launch a surprise attack on He Jiaqing, but then he heard He Jiaqing shout, "Spider Detective, don't be impulsive. I understand your rule: you do as much as you're paid. You should also understand the current situation here. How much money can buy your life?"

Dabo Yiens stopped listening to He Jiaqing. He knew there was a significant gap between his strength and He Jiaqing's. If his thoughts were further influenced by He Jiaqing, he might give up resisting. In such a situation, if he gave up resistance, according to Dabo Yiens' years of experience, he would surely die. But what could he use to resist? A direct confrontation was impossible; their combat strengths were not on the same level. A sneak attack was also out of the question, as He Jiaqing had already discovered him. The only chance left was Zhao Xiaowan.

Dabo Yiens' spider silk had always been attached to this long spear. From the current situation, He Jiaqing was still willing to negotiate with Lu Xiaolan, entirely out of fear of that spear. Dabo Yiens' body twitched, and the long spear in Lu Xiaolan's hand trembled in response, its power instantly surging. He Jiaqing's face paled in alarm. "Xiaolan, calm down." Dabo Yiens' conjecture was correct. He Jiaqing wasn't afraid of Lu Xiaolan, but he genuinely feared Zhao Xiaowan. If Zhao Xiaowan attacked, she could easily decapitate him at any moment.

Under the imposing pressure, Lu Xiaolan seemed to sober up considerably. Holding the long spear, she pointed it at He Jiaqing and asked, "Are you afraid?" He Jiaqing pressed his palm down. "Xiaolan, put her down first, and we can talk slowly."

"Put her down? You're dreaming!" Lu Xiaolan slowly retreated. He Jiaqing followed her step by step. Lu Xiaolan retreated back into the secret room. Dabo Yiens manipulated the mechanism, and the secret room door closed. Just one door couldn't possibly stop He Jiaqing. He fumbled at the edge of the door for a moment and quickly found the mechanism located within the crack. He Jiaqing pulled out a strand of hair and inserted it into the door crack. The hair moved like a thin snake within the gap. Before long, the mechanism was disarmed, the stone door loosened, and He Jiaqing gently pushed it open.

The secret room was small and empty; there was no one inside. Invisibility art? No. A person could be invisible, but the long spear's power wouldn't vanish. Lu Xiaolan and Dabo Yiens had left this secret room. The crucial question was: where did they go? This secret room had another exit. Where would that exit lead? It should lead outside the basement. Things were getting tricky. He needed to find this exit quickly and catch up to Lu Xiaolan and Dabo Yiens.

He Jiaqing scanned the room. A rock on the ceiling caught his attention. The cracks around this rock were different from the others. He Jiaqing supported the rock with one hand, gently pressing upward, meticulously controlling the force, millimeter by millimeter. After pressing down a little over an inch, the mechanism was disarmed, but the exit didn't appear. Wrong technique? He Jiaqing pulled out another strand of hair. He felt a pang of regret; he had lost a lot of hair recently, and his hair volume was very limited. The hair moved through the stone crack for a long time before returning to He Jiaqing's palm. The technique was fine; the mechanism was indeed disarmed. But why hadn't the exit appeared?

After several attempts, He Jiaqing discovered a serious problem: the mechanism on the ceiling seemed to have lost its core, losing its connection to the exit. How could the core of the mechanism be gone? He Jiaqing realized something was terribly wrong and hurried towards the entrance. Following the stone steps up the stairs, He Jiaqing found the stone door tightly shut. He quickly fumbled within the crack, attempting to disarm the mechanism. The situation was the same as in the secret room: the mechanism was quickly disarmed, but the stone door wouldn't open. Force it open! He Jiaqing applied more force, attempting to forcibly break open the stone door, but he failed. Water Transformation! He Jiaqing transformed into a liquid, attempting to slip through the door crack. However, green smoke emerged from the crack, instantly incinerating the liquid into steam. The steam coalesced back into He Jiaqing, who was now covered in burns, staring in astonishment at the stone door before him.

What powerful craftsmanship! Who built this basement? Who closed this stone door? Who took the core of the mechanism? He Jiaqing's head buzzed. He realized he might not be able to get out.

Gauntlet held a pair of stone cones, delighted. "Boss, give these to the old man. He'll surely have plenty of opportunities to make use of them later." Li Qi smiled, "Put them away. Let's send the Jiangxiang Gang on their way first."

In the main hall, He Yuxiu had captured Deacon Yao Zhiyi alive, twisted his limbs, chained him, and thrown him aside. Several Jiangxiang Gang disciples attempted to rescue the deacon. Lu Yuanxin released a swarm of flying insects, and the disciples were instantly gnawed down to skeletons. Chu Er grabbed a Jiangxiang Gang disciple, held his head in a boiling hotpot, and promptly peeled off his face while it was still hot. Another Jiangxiang Gang disciple approached, only for Chu Er to flip open his skull with chopsticks, splattering his brain matter all over the table. Cui Tike picked up a roasted chicken, shook off the brain matter, and ate the chicken. One Jiangxiang Gang disciple, whose cultivation was decent, attempted to ambush Chu Er from behind but was tripped by Lu Chunying. Tan Fucheng quickly helped the Jiangxiang Gang disciple to a chair and told him, "Sit still and don't move." The Jiangxiang Gang disciple remained perfectly still, watching as Tan Fucheng slit his throat.

The Jiangxiang Gang's main headquarters originally had decent combat strength, but that was when they were organized. Now, with their leader dead and the deacon captured alive, the remaining members were a chaotic mess, some fighting, some fleeing. Someone vaguely saw a figure flash before their eyes. In the blink of an eye, that person exploded into a bloody pulp. After killing dozens of people, Li Banfeng contacted Luo Zhengnan, asking him to bring people to clean up.

"Old Luo, we're all old friends from the gang. You haven't forgotten our past ties, have you?"

"Seventh Master, I could never forget our past ties. I'm here to send them off on their final journey."

Dabo Yiens squatted by the lake, sensing the surrounding situation through his spider silk. He Jiaqing's deduction was correct: the basement had another exit. Dabo Yiens, along with Lu Xiaolan, had already emerged just before Li Qi took the stone cones. Lu Xiaolan said, "Let's go quickly. The spear's power is hard to control. They'll find us soon, and then we won't be able to leave." Dabo Yiens shook his head. "Wait a little longer. I need to find something else very important."

"What exactly are you looking for?"

"A corpse. Xiao Zhenggong's corpse."

Luo Zhengnan soon arrived at the main headquarters with his men. He chatted with his old friends from the gang before sending them off one by one.

"Seventh Master, where's Guild Leader Xiao? I still wanted to see him."

Li Qi shook his head. "Dead. Nothing left of his body."

Luo Zhengnan sighed, "What a pity. I still had so many things to ask him."

Li Qi smiled, "If I had known, I would have left him some breath for you to question him."

"Never mind, I won't ask him. Talking to him just makes me angry. I'll have a few words with Yao Zhiyi instead."

Luo Zhengnan squatted in front of Yao Zhiyi and asked, "Brother, do you still remember me?"

Yao Zhiyi was startled. "Luo Zhengnan, aren't you dead...?"

Luo Zhengnan patted Yao Zhiyi's face. "It's come to this, and you still don't know how to say something pleasant? Aren't you afraid I'll cut out your tongue?"

Yao Zhiyi shook his head repeatedly. "Old Luo, your matter has nothing to do with me. This was all ordered by the Guild Leader and carried out by Pei Yikou."

"Then let's not talk about my affairs for now. Let's talk about our gang's business. What exactly is this Flying General Camp about?"

Since things had come to this, Yao Zhiyi no longer concealed anything. "The Guild Leader said the Jiangxiang Gang had no future, so he planned to change its banner. Somehow, he got connected with Iron Sheep Mountain and invited their leader, Lu Xiaolan, to impersonate the Flying General Zhao Xiaowan, establishing the Flying General Camp brand."

Lu Xiaolan? She was impersonating the Flying General? How shameless! How dare she use Zhao Xiaowan's name? Li Qi asked, "Was it Lu Xiaolan who previously annihilated the bandits of Thousand Pearl Mountain?"

Yao Zhiyi actually knew the inside story. "It wasn't an annihilation; it was more like an internal conflict. Iron Sheep Mountain and Thousand Pearl Mountain had always been at odds. Lu Xiaolan went up the mountain, killed Thousand Pearl Mountain's leader, and took over all his bandit soldiers. They then spread the word that the Flying General had eliminated the wicked and brought peace. Guild Leader Xiao brought in a few scribes to publicize the matter, and that's how the Flying General Camp's reputation was established."

Luo Zhengnan was skeptical. "Old Yao, now that it's come to this, don't lie to me."

Yao Zhiyi said, "Brother Luo, how dare I lie to you? Every word I just told you is true!"

Luo Zhengnan said, "I've heard of Thousand Pearl Mountain; they have some real capabilities. What's Lu Xiaolan's true strength? You're saying she went up Thousand Pearl Mountain alone and killed their leader? How can I believe you?"

Yao Zhiyi shook his head repeatedly. "I never said she went up the mountain alone. She brought many people and infiltrated the mountain to act. Moreover, Guild Leader Xiao also gave her a treasure at the time."

"What treasure?"

"Zhao Xiaowan, Zhao Xiaowan transformed into a long spear. This is the real deal. Just holding it, its aura is so overwhelming that people can't even lift their heads."

Upon hearing about this long spear, the veins on Luo Zhengnan's and Li Banfeng's foreheads throbbed. Luo Zhengnan was seething with hatred! He had almost lost his life at Iron Gate Fort for this spear, only to hand it over to Xiao Zhenggong. Xiao Zhenggong then went back on his word, failing to fulfill the promise of vice-leader. Remembering this, Luo Zhengnan still felt his teeth ache with frustration. Li Banfeng was trying to suppress his laughter. That long spear was made from a bronze lotus. It wasn't called Zhao Xiaowan; it was called Blasting Tiger. It was originally just meant to trick Luo Zhengnan, but who knew it would end up tricking so many people?

Luo Zhengnan said, "How could Xiao Zhenggong hand over something so important to Lu Xiaolan?"

Yao Zhiyi said, "Lu Xiaolan has real capability. She has a 'fake foreigner' with her who has ties to the Inner State. This 'fake foreigner' even found someone to create a corpse for the Guild Leader that looked exactly like a real one, even the blood was identical. No one could find any flaws!"

A corpse made to look exactly like a real one? It couldn't be the "Body Construction" technique, could it? Even the "Body Construction" technique couldn't make the blood identical. What other methods were involved here? Li Banfeng was very interested in this.

Luo Zhengnan asked, "Where is Lu Xiaolan now?"

Yao Zhiyi said, "They're under the lake, in a basement. Lu Xiaolan and the 'fake foreigner' are both there. That basement has special craftsmanship; it's a treasure the 'fake foreigner' brought from the Inner State. 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 under the lake? Li Banfeng was taken aback. He had seen the basement entrance in the cave. Were Lu Xiaolan and Dabo Yiens living in the basement at that time?

Yao Zhiyi's legs had been broken by He Yuxiu, so he couldn't walk. Luo Zhengnan had someone bring a small cart and pushed him over. Once they entered the cave, the stone door was tightly closed, with no visible cracks from the outside. Luo Zhengnan frowned. "Where did you say that basement was?"

Yao Zhiyi panicked. "Here, next to this main door, there was a pair of stone cones. These stone cones..."

Li Banfeng angrily demanded, "Where are the stone cones?"

"They, they were right here!" Yao Zhiyi didn't know how to explain; the stone cones that had been embedded in the wall were gone.

Li Banfeng then asked, "Where is the corpse you mentioned? The one that looked exactly like a real one!"

Yao Zhiyi said, "It's in the back building. I'll take you to see it."

Luo Zhengnan had someone push the cart to the back building. Inside, on the third room of the second floor, they pushed open the door and saw a bed with a shroud, but no corpse. Luo Zhengnan grabbed Yao Zhiyi. "Old Yao, lying to me is one thing, but with our Seventh Master here, how dare you lie?"

Li Qi was furious. "Yao Zhiyi, you have some nerve. Old Luo, I'm leaving this person to your discretion."

Yao Zhiyi said, "Brother Luo, every word I said is true! You must believe me!"

"Believe you?" Luo Zhengnan had someone bring a chisel. "You used to always ask me how the hole in my head got there. Now, I'll tell you how that hole got there, blow by blow."

After dealing with Yao Zhiyi, Luo Zhengnan sighed, "This guy is stubborn; we couldn't get anything out of him."

Li Banfeng shook his head. "Forget it. The Jiangxiang Gang is gone, your revenge is exacted, and this burden on your heart is lifted. Why bother with other matters?"

Luo Zhengnan sighed, "I truly don't care about other things, but I'm genuinely enraged about Zhao Xiaowan's matter. That long spear is a rare treasure; it was originally yours, and I stubbornly bought it from you. Now, I want to retrieve that spear and offer it back to Seventh Master."

Li Banfeng waved his hand. "It's nothing important; there's no need to rush for it."

Li Banfeng genuinely wasn't in a hurry. Gauntlet secretly whispered, "Boss, how about I put those cones back, and we can go down and take a look?"

"Look at whom? What's there to see?"

Is Lu Xiaolan pretty? Or is the Blasting Tiger spear pretty? Li Banfeng wasn't interested in seeing either. If Lu Xiaolan wasn't down there, going would be pointless. If Lu Xiaolan was down there, then let her stay there. If this basement truly couldn't be opened from the inside, then she could just stay there. She didn't die after staying so long in the He family's old house, so staying a few more days now wouldn't hurt. Actually, this analogy wasn't entirely accurate. The situation in the basement was different from the He family's old house. Wild cats could enter and exit the He family's old house, but not even an insect could get into this basement.

He Jiaqing was going mad with anxiety. Despite his cultivation level, he couldn't find a way out. Was this Lu Xiaolan's doing? He Jiaqing gritted his teeth and cursed, "Why are you so malicious?"

Lu Xiaolan asked, "Why do you insist on carrying this corpse?"

Dabo Yiens said, "Because this corpse was made from Xiao Zhenggong's blood."

"What's his blood for?"

"Ordinary blood isn't useful, but this blood is special. I collected it from him a month ago, and it contains a part of his soul and memories."

Lu Xiaolan still didn't understand. "What do you need his soul and memories for?"

Dabo Yiens said, "Because the real Xiao Zhenggong is likely dead. The memories within this corpse are related to an important secret."

"What secret?"

Dabo Yiens looked at Lu Xiaolan and said, "Xiao Zhenggong's cooperation with us means he'll not only lose the Jiangxiang Gang, but he'll also lose his important identity in the outer state."

Lu Xiaolan said, "I've heard about his identity. He's a deputy captain of the Dark Star Bureau, not a particularly remarkable figure."

Dabo Yiens shook his head. "His position might not be high, but his identity is crucial. The Dark Star Bureau holds many important secrets. Xiao Zhenggong had already acquired the secrets he wanted, which is why he was willing to abandon his position at the Dark Star Bureau and return to Puluo State."

"What exactly is this secret? Is it real, or are you just guessing?"

Dabo Yiens shook his head. "This isn't guessing; it's a reasonable deduction. Unfortunately, his blood is from a month ago, so important information from the past month likely cannot be traced."

Cui Tike drank a glass of red wine, wiped his mouth with a napkin, adjusted his white coat, and stood up, saying to Li Banfeng, "I'm full."

Li Banfeng said, "If you're full, please head back."

Cui Tike walked to the door and slung the large iron can of disinfectant onto his back. The iron can was light. He Jiaqing had gone out but hadn't returned. Where did he go? Was the task completed? Cui Tike didn't care; this matter was indeed unimportant to him. He was only responsible for bringing He Jiaqing here, and his mission had been completed long ago.