"I won't take the Spirit Stones. The faction I joined gives ten a month, plus an extra Elixir allowance. It's safe and worry-free."

"I'm thinking of turning the Demon-Spottng Talisman into a faction benefit and selling it within the faction for one Spirit Stone. That way, fewer Cultivators will buy them, and the risk will also be lower."

Yang Shengwu hid in the Outer City and, after being recruited, joined a faction. Even so, he still hadn't forgotten to sell the Demon-Spottng Talisman.

Factions are just a game for mortals. Cultivators have more mature Sects, and if a faction grows too large, it digs at the roots of the Five Elements Sect.

Who knows how many years a faction can last?

By comparison, the Demon-Spottng Talisman is a long-term business. Without the Talisman Cultivators' Association to suppress them, the income potential was higher, and it was safer too.

"A faction? It's just small-time play after all."

"Your faction isn't Chang Le Gang, is it?"

Yang Shengwu replied, "You really can't hide anything from Brother Jia. Indeed, it is Chang Le Gang."

Chang Le Gang has a master at the Qi Refinement Seventh Level. Unexpectedly, this person was Yang Shengwu...

"Forbidden Pills are a hidden danger; don't draw fire onto yourself."

No matter which power it is, they will suppress Forbidden Pills. Once too many Loose Cultivators take them, chaos is bound to ensue.

Why hasn't the Law Enforcement Office made a move?

Jia Ren, who had seen too many "shearing the sheep" schemes in his previous life, understood their mindset.

Of course, you fatten the pig before slaughtering it! If you suppress Chang Le Gang now and remove the hidden danger, what can you get? Reputation? Stability in the Outer City?

The Law Enforcement Office doesn't care. Their reputation is already notorious.

To sit by and watch Chang Le Gang grow, gaining plenty of Spirit Stones—wouldn't it be better to slaughter the fattened pig then? They would gain reputation and make a profit in Spirit Stones as well. Especially the latter, that's what they truly seek.

Jia Ren explained the situation to prevent Yang Shengwu from getting in too deep.

What followed was a long silence. After a moment, Yang Shengwu responded, "I will leave Chang Le Gang tomorrow."

Good that he took the advice.

Jia Ren left the stone house and noticed someone observing from a distance. The Talisman Cultivators' Association? Watching Yang Shengwu? Or me?

Jia Ren soon had his answer; before he had gone even a hundred feet, the person followed him quickly.

"Fellow Daoist, please wait."

The person approaching had reddened eyes and clearly was not in a normal mental state.

Could it be that he's taken too many Ascension Pills or Bliss Pills? Forbidden Pills really are harmful! "Fellow Daoist, please wait" is never a good sign. It brings to mind a certain jinx. Definitely not good. Jia Ren didn't want to deal with someone high on Ascension Pills, so he decisively fled.

"You..."

Just as the person was about to use the Wind Control Skill to chase him, he froze on the spot.

Jia Ren's figure was already out of sight.

Too fast...

"It's over, the plan is no use now..."

He had thought the opportunity to take revenge for Rouge had arrived, but Jia Ren fled immediately. The follow-up plan ended in failure before it even began.

How was he supposed to get revenge now?

He hurried away without noticing that an Exotic Black Mosquito quietly followed behind him.

"Chang Le Gang, huh?"

The now-vanished Jia Ren reappeared in the shadow of a stone house, staring at the departing figure.

Perhaps due to his advancement in Realm, his mindset had changed significantly compared to before. If someone meant to harm him, he believed it was always best to find the source of the problem, not just wait for trouble to arrive. If he had the strength to solve it, he wouldn't mind nipping the danger in the bud.

Under the Thousand Illusion Face Technique, Jia Ren's appearance underwent a transformation. He was three inches shorter, his hair half black and half white, and his figure lean and wiry, with Exotic Black Mosquitoes swirling around him. His disguised aura was so lifelike, it showed considerable skill.

The Mosquito Daoist!

That's right, Jia Ren was disguised as the Mosquito Daoist.

He shouldn't personally handle dangerous affairs. If real trouble arose, the Mosquito Daoist could take the blame.

After completing everything, Jia Ren quickly followed.

"Gang Leader, there's been a problem."

"The plan has failed!"

It was a large, modified stone house, at least three times the size of a regular one. Inside the stone house were five chairs, each occupied by the most influential people of Chang Le Gang.

Chang Le Gang Leader Zhu Zaizhi sat imposingly on the main seat, his face expressionless as he looked at the Loose Cultivator kneeling before him.

"I've put no small amount of effort into this matter. If the plan had succeeded, even those at the Late Stage Qi-Refining would be guaranteed a burial-less death."

"You're not having second thoughts, are you? Or do you no longer wish to take revenge for Rouge?"

Zhu Zaizhi stood up, his eyes fierce as he looked down on the kneeling Loose Cultivator.

The Loose Cultivator's face was unnaturally flushed, a side effect of consuming too many Ascension Pills.

"Chang Le Gang has treated me well, and there's been an unlimited supply of Bliss Pills and Ascension Pills. How could I forget such great kindness?"

"This person is far too cunning. I called out to him, but he didn't stop. Even if I had used the Blood Burning Technique on the spot, I couldn't have touched a hair on him..."

"Not to mention, the plan to frame him as a Demon Cultivator by attacking when an opportunity presented itself—and thereby use the authorities to kill him—was now useless."

Rouge had been gone for a long time. She must have died at the hands of the Loose Cultivator surnamed Jia. Jia Ren was as elusive as a ghost, his movements unpredictable, leaving Chang Le Gang without recourse. If rival gangs learned of this, they could use it to damage Chang Le Gang's morale.

Until today, when Jia Ren was discovered by accident, and the message was sent to Chang Le Gang.

As a leading figure and veteran of Chang Le Gang, Rouge had numerous paramours and diehard loyalists. Her death was keenly felt. Over the past half-month, many gang members had still been searching for the murderer. For the stability and morale of Chang Le Gang, this threat had to be eliminated.

Kill Jia Ren? It would not be easy for Chang Le Gang to accomplish this. There was only one expert in the gang capable of killing Jia Ren, and he wasn't necessarily someone they could command.

If open confrontation wouldn't work, they would resort to underhanded tactics. Chang Le Gang had no shortage of individuals whose minds had been addled by Ascension Pills, so it wasn't hard to find one of Rouge's admirers.

Using a vicious Blood Burning Technique, the practitioner would self-destruct on the spot. Anyone who came into contact with even a trace of the resulting blood would be tainted by Blood Demon Qi. Then, the Loose Cultivator surnamed Jia would be branded a Demon Cultivator. The Law Enforcement Office was always ruthless towards Demon Cultivators. Regardless of the truth, the Loose Cultivator surnamed Jia would be as good as dead.

The plan was sound, but they hadn't expected it to fail at the very first step.

The target fled too fast to pursue...

Jia Ren had already reached the roof of the stone house, his aura concealed like a stone, undetectable by anyone present.

Such a vicious scheme! To frame me as a Demon Cultivator and use the Law Enforcement Office to kill me? The Law Enforcement Office wouldn't bother distinguishing truth from falsehood. Killing a Demon Cultivator earns merit, so even a falsely accused one would be treated as a true Demon Cultivator. Even if I avoided the Law Enforcement Office, I'd still be tormented by the Blood Demon Qi. That poisonous Blood Demon Qi pollutes Spiritual Power, and with no known cure, my Cultivation Level would decline. I might truly become a Demon Cultivator. If I hadn't been vigilant, trouble would have already found me. Since you're seeking death yourselves, don't blame me for being ruthless!

"Rouge was a great contributor to Chang Le Gang. We cannot let her die unavenged."

"Please, Honored Guest Cultivator, take action. We cannot allow this person to live."

"We can't let this fellow take ten Spirit Stones a month for doing nothing."

Chang Le Gang wasn't ruled solely by Zhu Zaizhi's word. Most of the Elders present had been won over by Rouge's seductive arts and had engaged in frequent dual cultivation with her. With the flower-like beauty Rouge dead, they harbored a bone-deep hatred for Jia Ren and didn't mind paying any price to eliminate the murderer.

"Coincidentally, I have matters to discuss with you as well."

Just as Jia Ren was about to make his move, Yang Shengwu arrived from outside the house.

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