Chapter 1107: Bang Bang Bang

Wang Chongxiao finally understood all of this. Jiang Fan was not at all the naive and gullible person he appeared to be. He was a wily old fox, even more cunning than Wang Chongxiao himself!

"Jiang Fan! It's you, isn't it?"

*Thump, thump, thump!*

His answer came in the form of three blows from a spiked mace. Wang Chongxiao, dizzy and disoriented from the blows, stumbled and roared:

"That's right! You're the one who knocked me out and took my spiked mace! At the Tiger Demon Emperor's cave, you knocked me unconscious, stole my Mountain River Cauldron, plundered everyone's belongings, and framed me! And at the East Sea Ancient Giant's location, you stripped me of everything until I was left with only my underwear!"

He instantly realized all of this. Wang Chongxiao was so enraged that his lungs felt like they would burst, and he began to curse:

"Jiang Fan, you bastard! You keep scheming against *me* specifically!"

*Thump, thump, thump!*

Three more blows from the spiked mace followed. Wang Chongxiao's vision blurred, but he continued to curse, relying on his last vestiges of willpower.

"Jiang Fan, you bastard..."

*Thump, thump, thump!*

"You bas..."

*Thump, thump, thump!*

"You..."

Finally, Wang Chongxiao collapsed to the ground with a thud.

Jiang Fan held the spiked mace, panting. "You dog, how did your head get harder than iron?" he muttered. "Knocking you out almost took half my life!"

He pulled open the cassock. Without another word, he began his usual routine: a body search.

Last time, Reverend Six Paths had plundered too thoroughly, so after searching, Jiang Fan found no treasures. "Ah, right, that replicating eye," he thought. Jiang Fan looked at Wang Chongxiao's abdomen and slapped his stomach. With a retch, a yellowish-brown spherical pearl was vomited out. Jiang Fan recognized it.

The small pagoda of the Myriad Phenomena Empty Realm Master had once observed Wang Chongxiao emerging from underground, relying on this very pearl. With it, he seemed able to burrow underground. Why would Jiang Fan be polite with Wang Chongxiao? He immediately pocketed it.

He then slapped Wang Chongxiao's abdomen again, trying to dislodge the replicating green eye. After several attempts, Wang Chongxiao's bile was expelled, but the eye remained firmly embedded in his abdomen. Jiang Fan immediately drew his purple sword and snorted, "If I cut open your belly, can't I still dig you out?"

Just as he was about to raise his sword and stab down, the green eye seemed to sense danger and actively emerged from the body. It oozed out drop by drop from the pores in liquid form, then solidified into a palm-sized green eye. At first glance, it bore some resemblance to the Heaven-Monitoring Precious Mirror. The difference was, it seemed to be alive. It stared at Jiang Fan with a hint of displeasure in its gaze.

Jiang Fan was surprised: "Is this a spiritual artifact, or some kind of bloodline manifestation?" "Never mind," he decided, "it's mine now." He immediately sealed the eye in a jade box.

Now was not the time to study such things. He retrieved several pitch-black chains. These were the chains that had once bound the Heaven-Slaying Furnace, later snapping during its eruption. Reverend Six Paths had picked them up and used them to bind the ancient giant. Now, they were perfect for binding Wang Chongxiao.

He wrapped Wang Chongxiao from head to toe, leaving only one eye, his nose, and his crown chakra exposed. Then he tossed him into the Spatial Bronze Mirror. Jian Weishuang was idly picking at her fingers when a chain-bound, human-shaped "dumpling" suddenly dropped in, startling her.

"Did this person violate a heavenly rule?" Jian Weishuang asked.

Jiang Fan's voice transmitted in. "Do you have any clubs or maces?"

Jian Weishuang thought for a moment, then raised her hand and gestured. A row of clubs appeared before her. Among them were small spiked maces as thick as an arm, slender, willow-leaf-shaped flexible whips that could inflict severe pain, and meteor hammers larger than Jiang Fan's head. Roughly counted, there were more than a dozen of them, all strange and varied in appearance.

Jiang Fan was astonished: "Why do you have so many clubs and hammers?"

Jian Weishuang picked up a meteor hammer and swung it viciously through the air. "For beating my brother," she stated.

A line of sweat appeared on Jiang Fan's forehead. What kind of life did Jian Linyuan live?

Shaking his head, he said, "Alright. Pick a suitable one. When this person wakes up, your job is to knock him out again. His head seems to have developed a knack for taking blows after being hit so many times. Hit him hard; don't be afraid of killing him."

Jian Weishuang swung the meteor hammer in her hand and said in surprise: "So this is the favor you want from me? Alright, this is my specialty." She rubbed her hands together, waiting by Wang Chongxiao, eagerly anticipating his awakening. She wouldn't be bored in the days to come.

With Wang Chongxiao taken care of, Jiang Fan's anxious heart finally settled. As long as Wang Chongxiao didn't show his face, he could continue to bear the blame in Jiang Fan's stead. "Brother Wang, bear with this for a while," he mused. "In ten or eight years, when I no longer fear Venerable Heart Demon, I will release you."

Having done all this, he immediately left the dry well, feigning urgency as he headed towards the corner where the commotion was. Just as he arrived nearby, Venerable Heart Demon's deep voice boomed: "Where have you been? You're only just arriving now!"

Jiang Fan quickly cupped his hands and replied, "Master, I was searching for suspicious individuals on your behalf."

Venerable Heart Demon grumbled, "Searching for what else? It's that Wang Chongxiao right by your side!"

Jiang Fan feigned great surprise: "It was him?! This person is audacious and cunning; no wonder he actively tried to befriend me. So, he already knew I was your disciple, Master, and was trying to extract information from me! What a sly old fox! Master, I've been careless in my friendships; please punish me!"

Seeing Jiang Fan's apparent concern for him, how could Venerable Heart Demon blame him? He sighed deeply: "Never mind. Not only were you unaware, but even I was completely in the dark. The person least likely to cultivate the Void Stream Thunder Force, a member of the Grand Yin Sect, actually cultivated this technique. Who would believe it?"

"Tell me everything you know about this person."

Jiang Fan recounted everything he knew, without omission. "Your disciple doesn't know much," he said, "but based on my encounters with him, he is extremely cunning. He probably won't show his face again anytime soon."

Seeing Venerable Heart Demon's eyebrows furrow into a knot, he added: "Master, my sect, the Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets, can help you inquire about his whereabouts. Furthermore, your disciple knows some people in the Three Divine Sect and the Seven Great Teachings. I can also ask them for help in finding Wang Chongxiao."

Venerable Heart Demon remembered that even Bodhisattva Heaven-Listening had come forward to protect Jiang Fan. His eyes lit up slightly. This nominal disciple had established connections all over Taicang within just two or three months. He was more well-connected than Venerable Heart Demon himself. If Jiang Fan was willing to help, it would be far more effective than working alone.

He smiled, descended, and lightly patted Jiang Fan's shoulder, saying, "Jiang Fan, my disciple, you truly impress me." He then observed Jiang Fan's cultivation and found that he had reached the Four Aperture Nascent Soul stage. He was even more surprised.

"I didn't realize your fortuitous encounters were so powerful. In just a few months, you successfully passed your tribulation and advanced to the mid-stage Nascent Soul realm in one go," Venerable Heart Demon said. "I want to reward you with something, but I can't be too casual about it."

If he were merely at the Golden Core stage or early Nascent Soul, any casual reward would suffice. But for a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, he needed to carefully consider what would be a good reward.

Jiang Fan's eyes flashed, and he respectfully cupped his hands, saying: "Master, your disciple doesn't want a reward. I only ask for your permission to personally kill someone!"

Venerable Heart Demon said in surprise: "Who?"

Jiang Fan's voice turned slightly cold: "Wei Wuji!"