Inside the temporary tent.

Chen Jing followed Mo Wuge

Lu Gang and several other members were discussing something when Mo Wuge led Chen Jing in, and they all stopped their discussion at the same time.

Chen Jing felt like he was being scrutinized by everyone, and he also saw the six leaders of the Black Hand Gang here.

Wearing his signature black wide-brimmed hat and lightweight armor with gauntlets and leg guards, with long and short swords on the table in front of him, Lu Gang, a Qi Realm warrior, was a warrior.

The red-haired woman in a light-colored ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) is unknown.

The "Priest" clad in full armor is a corpse cultivator at the Dan realm.

Huang Yuanlong, carrying two swords, was of unknown cultivation level, but he was likely a combat cultivator.

Mo Wujiang, bald with blue runes, was of unknown cultivation level and type of cultivator. Could his surname, Mo, mean he was a Mohist cultivator? No, the last time he fought, he used fireballs, not grenades or RPGs. Chen Jing silently scoffed to himself.

There was also a last woman with long black hair, black eyes, and cold features, whom Chen Jing did not recognize.

Chen Jing looked at them and thought, "I wonder if there are any Blood Realm cultivators among these people... or if only those at the Core Realm and above are qualified to sit here."

Chen Jing knew in his heart that these people were unlikely to be all the elites of the Black Hand Gang. The Black Hand Gang would definitely leave people to guard the house, especially after he raided the house last time...

At the same time, he imitated Mo Wuge, bowing to these people while suppressing his inner thoughts and feigning excitement.

Chen Jing was worried that some of these people might have abilities like "mind reading." He knew too little about cultivators. Regardless of whether they did or not, it was always better to take precautions first.

This ability comes from when Chen Jing entered the Blood Realm, allowing him to adjust his thoughts and state in a more detached manner, making him more adept at deception.

Chen Jing saw Lu Gang, the Black Hand, give him a warm smile. Lu Gang stood up, walked up to him, and patted Chen Jing's uninjured hand on the shoulder.

"Sit down, sit down. Join our gang from now on, and we'll all be family."

Chen Jing sat down in the chair somewhat awkwardly, while Mo Wuge stood beside him.

Lu Gang, the Black Hand, laughed heartily and said generously, "I've seen your file. You're the most talented one among those invited to this trial. You're a promising talent, and your performance hasn't disappointed me."

“However,” Lu Gang’s tone changed, “our gang has very strict requirements. Even I can’t let a newcomer join. Our rule is that newcomers must complete a task on their own to prove that they are reliable and won’t drag their comrades down.”

Just as Chen Jinggang was about to ask what it was, Lu Gang laughed and said, "But you're different."

Chen Jing was completely bewildered, experiencing the same feeling Li Aidan had.

Lu Gang, the Black Hand, said, "Your performance has been excellent. We have decided to recruit you as a regular member of the Black Hand gang. Hehe, don't underestimate a regular member. Once you accumulate enough merit, you can even exchange it for pills to become a cultivator. When you reach the Dan realm, you will be a core member, on par with me."

"Pills?" Chen Jing expressed his confusion perfectly.

“In ancient times, the world was full of spiritual energy. Anyone could cultivate by practicing cultivation techniques and absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth through meditation,” Lu Gang said. “But the world is different now. There is no longer so much spiritual energy that is easy to absorb. To become a cultivator, the first thing you need is a pill made from something that gathers spiritual energy.”

"Specifically, when you get back, go find Mo Wujiang at his pawnshop and let him explain things to you slowly. You just need to know that you can't become a cultivator without elixirs," said Lu Gang, the Black Hand. "He will also tell you more about the gang. Here's the token, take it."

He took out a black pendant, the symbol of the Black Hand gang. Lu Gang of Black Hand solemnly placed it on the table and said to Chen Jing, "With this token, you are a member of the Black Hand gang. Traitors will be stabbed three times and have six holes in their bodies, understand?"

Chen Jing glanced at the token and said earnestly, "I swear to be loyal to Black Hand to the death!"

...

Almost no hunting parties dared to choose to spend the night outside Ash City, and the Blackhand gang was no exception.

Because everyone knows that at night, even the weakest ordinary wandering spirits will transform from their physical form into a ghost-like illusory state. Ordinary weapons and bullets will simply pass through them, but they can still harm humans and are extremely difficult to fight.

This is also one of the origins of the name "wandering spirit".

After completing the hunt and providing emergency treatment to the wounded, they immediately began preparations to return to the city.

The Black Hand also announced that those who performed exceptionally well in this trial would become ordinary members, while those who did not become members received a substantial cash reward and were informed that there would be subsequent trials they could choose to participate in.

Only Chen Jing, Dao Nan, and Li Aidan were directly recruited into the Black Hand gang.

However, the Meijing Dojo is completely helpless; people even deliberately avoid discussing them.

At the city gate of Ash City.

Upon arriving in Ash City, Chen Jing clearly felt that the field of vision was wider and the fog was thinner.

Perhaps due to the previous rain, the fog was as thin as it had been when Chen Jing arrived.

The guards were not as strict as before, and it seemed that Black Hand had given up on capturing the group of assassins. The defenses on the city gates and walls had returned to normal.

That's true... Chen Jing thought. They probably tried very hard to catch him but failed. If they continued to maintain the status quo, the people in the city would probably start to complain.

The group entered the city without any questioning, and no one, including the city guards, dared to stop them.

Previously, Lu Gang, the mastermind behind the gang, had told Chen Jing that he would have one day off before he had to report to the ship area to meet the gang members and be assigned tasks. Of course, it wouldn't be a difficult task, because he was currently injured in the arm and needed time to heal.

Anyway, he managed to sneak in... Chen Jing thought. The scene of the blood sacrifice on the big ship flashed through his mind again.

At least during his recovery period, Chen Jing felt that he wouldn't have anything very important to do, so he could sneak into the large ship and find out about the blood sacrifice.

He thought about it and decided to go home first to let everyone know he was safe.

With the Black Hand's power over him, he was met with awe from the patrolling guards he occasionally encountered on the road. Although Black Hand Lu Gang did not openly rule the city, and the city lord Liu Hua was the true ruler, many people knew who the real big shot who controlled the city was.

After navigating the winding path, Chen Jing arrived at his rented room with light steps.

Suddenly, his eyes sharpened.

In front of the house, four or five guards were blocking the doorway, and Li Huaxing was confronting them.

"One of the assassin's accomplices who escaped from Lord Blackhand's ship is hiding here. Hand her over, or you will be considered a harborer!" the guard shouted, brandishing his gun.