Blood debts must be repaid in blood

The granary of Qixia'ao is filled with vitality from the clouds.

Huifeng Silk Shop and Sangzi Cotton Field in Fucheng have also quietly taken root.

However, a long-simmering, blood-stained resentment lingered in the hearts of the core members, never dissipating.

The bloodstains from the Linshan Town massacre are still fresh!

Besides the artisans who were abducted by the Ministry of Works and some of whom have now been rescued, several stubborn artisans who led the resistance and their families were also slaughtered on the spot!

Those wielding the butcher's knife were not the government officials on the surface, but the "Eshui Gang," a gang that occupied the docks of Linshan Town, doing dirty work for the powerful and rich and drinking human blood!

"It's been verified."

Commander Ling Feng, a young man whose eyes held even greater depth and reverence after returning from the Cloud Peak, bowed slightly.

His voice was as cold as tempered iron, “Li Kui, the leader of the Eshui Gang, nicknamed ‘River Crocodile,’ will be holding a grand 50th birthday banquet at the ‘Drunken Immortal Pavilion’ in Qingzhou City in three days. The second-in-command, ‘Poisonous Scholar,’ the third-in-command, ‘Rolling Meat,’ and more than 30 core henchmen will all be there. They will… drink their celebratory wine on silver stained with the blood of artisans!”

Ling Zhan stood with his hands behind his back on the newly reinforced lookout post, his gaze fixed on the direction of the prefectural city, his eyes filled with a palpable killing intent.

"A birthday banquet? That saves us the trouble of searching for them one by one. Prepare the 'Black Scale Crossbow'."

—This is a newly made, specially modified crossbow from Qixia'ao, its bolts coated with a deadly poison that kills on contact with blood. "The whole team is dressed in night clothes; we'll move at midnight."

"mother!"

A clear, youthful voice, tinged with suppressed rage, rang out. Douya Chenhong stepped forward; the fifteen-year-old boy was nearly an adult, his handsome face displaying a resolve beyond his years and a deep-seated hatred. "The Eshui Gang is utterly wicked, and Li Kui even personally murdered Uncle Zhang! I... volunteer to join the team!"

He took a deep breath. "I know the city's geography by heart! The waterways in the back alley of 'Drunken Immortal Pavilion,' all the hidden doors, and even the structure of the kitchen's corner door are all in the 'Geography Section of Linjiang Prefecture Gazetteer' and the maps I personally surveyed! They can serve as scouts and will surely not make mistakes!"

Ling Zhan scrutinized his son. Douya disliked fighting and killing the most, and that's why he took the imperial examination to avoid military service.

But at this moment, the flame in the boy's eyes contained hatred, but it was also a necessary tempering process for growth.

She paused for a moment, then nodded: "Approved. Your only responsibilities are leading the way, providing support, and covering the rear; you are not allowed to engage the enemy!"

“Ling Feng, if he loses even a single hair, I will hold you responsible.”

"Yes, Madam!"

Ling Feng responded in a deep voice. Bean Sprout clenched his fist excitedly, his knuckles turning white.

At midnight, in Qingzhou Prefecture.

The once bustling "Drunken Immortal Pavilion" was now a mess of dishes and had fallen silent.

Most of the Eshui Gang members were dead drunk, sprawled haphazardly in the halls and rooms, snoring loudly. In the most luxurious room on the top floor, Gang Leader Li Kui embraced a stolen courtesan, snoring thunderously, with his ghost-headed knife, which had drunk the blood of countless people, lying beside him on his pillow.

The Shen family guards were like ghosts blending into the night.

With the precise guidance of the bean sprouts—which waterway had the slowest and quietest flow, which hidden door had an old mechanism that was easy to open, and which roof cast the darkest shadow—they swept over the last line of defense of the Drunken Immortal Pavilion like an invisible tide.

Bean Sprout personally fixed the seemingly sturdy latch on the corner door of the kitchen, which he had actually tampered with earlier.

His movements were clean and swift, without disturbing any living creatures.

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh—!"

The poisoned "Black Scale Crossbow" bolts whistled through the darkness, almost drowned out by the snores, precisely piercing the throats or vital organs of the drunkards. The deadly poison was so potent that even a muffled groan became a luxury.

Ling Feng led the main force like tigers pouncing on their prey, rushing straight to the top floor.

Bean Sprout and another capable guard hid in the shadows of the staircase and in the blind spot outside the window, their hearts pounding and their palms sweating.

Their eyes, however, were fixed on every possible passage like those of a hawk, fulfilling their duty of covering the rear and providing support.

On the top floor, the luxurious carved wooden door was kicked open with a powerful kick by Ling Feng!

The loud noise finally woke Li Kui up!

He roared, his obese body bursting with disproportionate agility as he grabbed the steel knife beside his pillow.

However, the cold light had already arrived!

Several poisoned crossbow bolts, accompanied by the shriek of death, pierced his thick chest and fleshy neck!

His massive body stiffened abruptly, staring incredulously at the group of deadly figures before him. A wheezing sound escaped his throat as he struggled to utter a few words: "Who... dares to touch... the Blackwater... Gang..."

"A blood debt must be a blood debtor."

Ling Feng's voice was as cold as the winds of the deepest hell. His figure moved with lightning speed, and with a flash of cold light, the dagger in his hand severed Li Kui's thick carotid artery with unparalleled precision. Hot blood spurted out, staining the brocade quilt red.

The singer next to her only had time to let out a short scream before Ling Feng knocked her unconscious with a chop to the neck.

From infiltration to evacuation, it took only the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

More than 30 core members of the Eshui Gang all died at a drunken banquet!

The Shen family guards vanished like the receding tide, leaving behind only corpses scattered on the ground and an overwhelming stench of blood.

At the scene, a bloodstained, tattered wooden plaque, bearing a blurred "沉" (chen) character and imitating the markings of an old workshop, was deliberately left beside Li Kui's severed head—a misleading clue that Ling Zhan had thrown to the authorities.

The coldest hour before dawn, outside the town gate of Linshan Town.

The wind, carrying a biting chill, howled as it swept across the empty official road, stirring up dust and lashing against the ancient city walls made of blue bricks.

On the city wall, a few dim lanterns swayed in the wind.

The flickering light and shadow stretched the shivering figures of the night watchmen into long, distorted shapes, like shadow puppets pasted on the wall.

In the shadows of the battlements, Ling Zhan's figure blended into the darkness.

The dark blue outfit was soaked with both old and new bloodstains, which had solidified into a hard shell, exuding a heavy aura of rust and death.

Only those eyes shone with a terrifying light, like the alpha wolf locking onto its prey on a snowy plain.

Her prey lay on the cold stone.

The headless corpse of bandit leader Li Kui, and the tightly bound second-in-command "Poison Scholar" and third-in-command "Rolling Meat" who were barely alive.

Shen Yan rushed forward, his eyes bloodshot, his pent-up hatred finding an outlet. He let out a muffled roar.

With all his strength and pent-up hatred, he slashed down with his long sword!

Click!

Li Kui's headless corpse was instantly split in two, blood splattering onto the city bricks.

Ling Zhan knelt on one knee beside the dying "Poison Scholar".

The movements were characterized by a chilling focus.

She drew the long, narrow, sleek sword from her waist, its lines as smooth as autumn water, yet stained with blood.

He took a relatively clean piece of cloth from the corpse and carefully wiped the blade, stroke by stroke. The cloth rubbed against the steel, producing a dull, grating sound that was eerily clear in the dead silence of dawn. Each wipe removed a dark red stain, revealing the cold, menacing gleam of the blade beneath.

Wiping away the last trace of blood, Ling Zhan slightly twitched his wrist.

Buzz—!

The blade emitted a low, melodious hum, as if a living creature were thirsty for a drink.

She swiftly and cleanly sheathed the knife with a backhand motion.

He stood up, his heavy, multi-layered boots slamming down on the "poisonous scholar's" chest, the clear sound of bones cracking sending shivers down one's spine.

Looking down coldly at the face at his feet, twisted and deformed by excruciating pain and extreme fear—ashen as a corpse, eyes bulging, mouth agape in vain, as if frozen in a silent scream.

"Don't play dead, I know you're still clinging to life."

Ling Zhan's voice wasn't loud, but it pierced the wind like an ice pick, striking the ears of everyone present.

With a slight increase in pressure, the Poison Scholar's battered body convulsed violently once more.

"I'll give you a quick death. Where are the families of the artisans who aren't all dead?"

The scabbard struck the city bricks beside it with a heavy thud, producing a dull, death knell-like sound.

The poisonous scholar made a gurgling sound as blood and foam churned in his throat.

In his unfocused pupils, the last vestige of survival burned fiercely.

His lips moved, his voice barely audible, like a mosquito's buzz: "...Live...alive...yes..."

"Explain yourself!" Ling Zhan's foot pressed down like an anvil, causing his sternum to groan under the unbearable pressure.

"Cough... young... young women... children..."

The scholar, with his last ounce of strength, managed to squeeze out fragmented words: "...'good-looking'...'strong-boned'...I didn't kill them...I kept them...they're useful..."

"Where are you locked up?!" Ling Zhan's voice suddenly rose, and the scabbard slammed down again!

Poison Scholar trembled violently, his pupils dilating sharply as he saw the undisguised destructive storm in Ling Zhan's eyes.

His remaining will completely collapsed: "...Outside Qingzhou City...outside the city...a nunnery...a nunnery..."

"Which temple?!" Ling Zhan shouted, his foot stomping so hard it almost broke through the floor tiles.

“…Ci…Ciyun Nunnery!”

"Blackwater Gang—what's going on?"

"We are... a branch..."

With his last breath, the scholar shouted out these five words, then his head lolled to the side and he died.

"Ciyun Nunnery?"

"Blackwater Gang?"

Ling Zhan repeated himself, a cold smile curving his lips, his mockery and murderous intent palpable. "Heh, a 'noble' from the capital, just waiting to pick out the best goods. The pretty ones for playthings, the strong ones for slaves... What a 'merciful' deal."

Xuan Chenzi, who had been standing silently behind Ling Zhan, slowly stepped forward.

He wore a faded dark blue Taoist robe, carried an ancient sword on his back, held a silver whisk in his hand, and had a gaunt face.

His deep, pool-like eyes narrowed slightly.

The projectile was precisely aimed at the temple nestled in the mountain valley outside the town, its outline of green tiles and white walls peeking out in the dim morning light.

A wisp of smoke, symbolizing the morning lessons, rises gently and blends into the gray-blue sky.

"Hmph! What a magnificent 'Ciyun Nunnery' with its flourishing incense offerings!"

Xuan Chenzi's voice was not loud, but every word was clear, carrying a coldness and disdain that showed his understanding of the world.

"This is a filthy place that puts up a false front for something else! When I traveled here years ago, I sensed that this temple was haunted by evil spirits and was definitely not a benevolent place. The backyard, where worshippers are not allowed, has high walls and thick gates, and strong, burly soldiers patrol it during the day with fierce eyes. Are they really Buddhist protectors? Moreover, there are often heavy carts with deep ruts and well-covered carriages coming and going at night, and what they carry is definitely not incense offerings! It seems that this place is clearly the entrance to a demon's den that hides filth and transports people!"

Ling Zhan did not speak again.

She turned around abruptly, the hem of her clothes drawing a sharp arc in the cold wind: "Let's go, let's go take a look."

An hour later, below the city, the suppressed gasps and commotion of the early riseers gradually rose.

The three headless corpses were suspended upside down by hemp ropes at the highest point of the city gate.

And beside them, two heads swayed stiffly in the cold wind, the heads of the tough guy and the poisonous scholar.

Like a blood-red thunderclap, it shattered the tranquility of the morning.

Ling Zhan, who had now reached the mountain valley, fixed his gaze on the seemingly peaceful landscape of green tiles and white walls.

The swirling incense smoke, the faint chanting of Buddhist hymns—

"This evil Buddha, who has been wearing the cloak of compassion for decades, will today be punished by this humble Taoist priest on behalf of Heaven. I will smash its golden body and destroy its demonic lair!"

Xuan Chenzi flicked his whisk, his beard and hair fluttered slightly, and his eyes flashed with a sharp light.

Ling Zhan waved his hand decisively: "Let's go! Ciyun Nunnery! Confirm everything before we take action."

Before the words were even finished, he was already like an arrow released from a bow.

They swiftly descended the high stone steps, as fast as a cheetah pouncing on its prey.

Xuan Chenzi's Taoist robe fluttered lightly, his steps seemed graceful, but his speed was by no means slow, like a blue cloud following closely behind.

Ling Feng, Shen Yan, and the others, their killing intent palpable, followed closely behind.

At the city gate, a cacophony of terrified voices could be heard.

In the distance, the wisp of smoke from Ciyun Temple, symbolizing the "morning prayers," continued to rise slowly and steadily.

It blended into the gray, gloomy sky, which seemed to foreshadow a bloody storm.

------