147: Returning to the Original Shot

"Black-Faced Judge, you mustn't be deceived by that scoundrel Fang Biao; he's a great villain!"

Li Lao Er mustered his courage and shouted loudly to Han Yi.

"Sir, can I leave now?"

Fang Biao, whose body had been trembling, also stopped shaking.

Han Yi was noncommittal, offering no response, merely lifting the foot he had placed on Fang Biao.

"Thank you, Sir!"

After getting up, Fang Biao respectfully bowed deeply. There was a hint of smugness in his heart; he hadn't expected the Black-Faced Judge, who was rumored to be meticulous and never leave villains alive, to be so easily fooled by him.

After returning, he definitely had to brag about it!

However, the most important thing was to report it promptly. Even if it meant joining forces with the Gushen Sect, they had to kill this Black-Faced Judge!

Although Fang Biao's thoughts were sinister, no trace of abnormality could be seen on his face. He quickly ran towards the door without stopping.

Whoosh!

Like a startled swan taking flight, or a Dragon soaring through the heavens.

In the wide-eyed gaze of Li Lao Er, the Black-Faced Judge, who had been standing still, floated lightly onto Fang Biao's head like a flying swallow, yet Fang Biao remained completely unaware.

Thud!

Suddenly, Han Yi delivered a fierce punch to Fang Biao's back, a muffled thud following?

"You, you played dirty..."

Fang Biao's spine broke on the spot, and his upper body folded backward at a strange angle.

'The vitality of this Late Refining Bone Stage Martial Artist is indeed stronger than those two Early Refining Bone Stage Martial Artists from before...'

"I did promise to let you go if you answered my questions truthfully. But first, you didn't answer honestly. Second, I let you go, but I never said I would spare you..."

Han Yi smiled faintly, patiently explaining to the wide-eyed Fang Biao. No matter how strong a Refining Bone Stage Martial Artist's vitality was, with a broken spine, sustaining himself for even this short while was his limit.

For someone like Fang Biao, who wouldn't even spare pregnant women, a lust-driven individual, and furthermore, during Han Yi's interrogation just now, even though Fang Biao was evasive about certain matters and refused to reveal the truth, Han Yi's mind was sharp enough to deduce from these fragments that Fang Biao was truly a wicked person, overflowing with evil!

Therefore, Han Yi, lacking the persona of the Black-Faced Judge, absolutely could not let Fang Biao go!

Ever since that day, when Han Yi learned of Xiao He's death and saw his lingering remains, he resolved to thoroughly investigate the Gushen Sect matter.

Thus, he came to the vicinity of Changning Ward and Changle Ward, using the Yan Shen Technique to Incarnate as the Black-Faced Judge, secretly investigating.

Of course, the iron pen in his hand was merely a prop; what he truly relied on was his fists.

As for the Xuan Tie Sword, he temporarily left it at home. After all, the Xuan Tie Sword was too conspicuous, and it was inconvenient to carry while secretly investigating.

"Black-Faced Judge Sir, my wife and I will remember your kindness for the rest of our lives..."

At this moment, Li Lao Er and his wife cautiously approached, respectfully bowing deeply. They were filled with reverence for Han Yi, who was disguised as the Black-Faced Judge. Their previous idea of joining the Gushen Sect had long been thrown to the winds and vanished without a trace.

"No need for formalities, no need for formalities..."

Han Yi quickly helped Li Lao Er and his wife up. Having lived as an ordinary person in his previous life, he always felt some empathy for these common folk, which was why his actions had been discovered these past few days.

"Go on, go on, don't come back. Even leaving the city is better than staying here!"

Han Yi stood before the wooden door, which bore numerous kick marks, and instructed Li Lao Er and his wife. He had just given them some silver, intending for them to leave this place.

After all, Fang Biao was a member of the Ba Da Sect. A Refining Bone Stage Martial Artist goes out to collect money, only to mysteriously disappear. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that Li Lao Er and his wife would be implicated.

So, Han Yi simply gave them some money to leave as soon as possible. This was all he could do. If others were unwilling to leave, he would have no choice and would no longer persuade them.

For example, Shopkeeper Liu of Liu's Rice Shop, although Han Yi had warned him early on, Shopkeeper Liu was unwilling to leave due to his family's business...

Good words are hard to persuade a doomed ghost...

Dusk was falling, and night deepened.

In Changning Ward, on the streets, unlike the bustling cries of vendors in Yuqing Ward and Heyue Ward, the sounds here were chaotic, mixed with the cries of women and the laughter of men. From time to time, there were also the crackling sounds of sticks hitting flesh.

"Feng Hu, Wu Shun, you two take a few people to Changle Ward's territory to check it out. We received information from our informant that the Ba Da Sect seems to be gathering people, I don't know what kind of trouble they're planning! Dammit, if they dare to cause trouble, Feng Hu, find someone to report to me first, and then Wu Shun, you go straight up and fight them!"

A bald man with only half a face roared on the street in front of the door. His heart was filled with anger. Zhu Tong's death hadn't been investigated clearly yet, and now the Ba Da Sect, which had just ceased hostilities, was inexplicably starting trouble again!

The street here was relatively clean, with a dozen or so houses. Judging by their external decoration alone, they clearly belonged to the same force.

This was a branch altar of the Gushen Sect. The surrounding houses were long empty, leaving only messy rooms.

Inside a residential house, Han Yi was completely shrouded in darkness, staring intently at the movements across the way.

Although there was no direct evidence to show that the strange illness Xiao He contracted was caused by the Gushen Sect, based on Han Yi's speculation, even if there was no direct connection, the Gushen Sect must have played a role in fanning the flames and secretly doing evil!

Not to mention, based on Han Yi's observations and inquiries over the past few days, this branch altar, day in and day out, was either abusing civilian women or oppressing the common people. So, he decided to eradicate this branch altar to vent his anger.

In the past few days, by interrogating Disciples of Gangs hostile to the Gushen Sect, and by staking out the Gushen Sect's stronghold entrance daily, he had generally ascertained the strength of this branch altar.

Most of the cult members here were of around Refining Bone Stage strength. He only occasionally saw a few Lianxue Stage Martial Artists, and he didn't find any Tongmai Stage Martial Masters, which slightly eased his mind.

This branch altar had one altar master and six hall masters, all of whom were Lianxue Stage Martial Artists.

The altar master was the bald, burly man who was shouting at the entrance earlier. His name was Jiang Cheng, and his comprehensive value was '75~92'. He was at the Late Blood Refinement Stage. It was said that his half-face was licked off by a Vicious Beast comparable to a Tongmai Stage Martial Artist, a black-furred bear, when he was young in the mountains. He played dead, endured the excruciating pain, and only narrowly survived.

Jiang Cheng also turned misfortune into a blessing, finding a martial arts Secret Manual next to a pile of withered bones in the black-furred bear's cave, thus rising to prominence.

According to Han Yi's inquiries over the past few days, Jiang Cheng was ruthless, extremely patient, and skilled at fighting the strong with the weak and the few with the many, making him extremely tricky. He was also the opponent Han Yi regarded most highly.

As for the six hall masters, excluding Zhu Tong, who was killed by Han Yi, three others were stationed at other strongholds year-round. This meant that, besides the altar master Jiang Cheng, this branch altar also had Feng Hu and Wu Shun, two Lianxue Stage Martial Artists.

Feng Hu and Wu Shun's strength was similar to Zhu Tong's. Even in a one-on-two fight, Han Yi was confident he could take them down. However, if there was an additional Late Blood Refinement Stage Jiang Cheng, Han Yi was unsure. Perhaps he could still take all three down, but he might get injured, or even attract reinforcements due to taking too long!

But at this moment, for some reason, today, Jiang Cheng seemed to have received some order and suddenly sent Feng Hu and Wu Shun out. At this time, the branch altar was understaffed, making it the best time for Han Yi to strike!

Jiang Cheng was cautious and meticulous in his actions. He also understood that this was when the stronghold was at its weakest. He shouted loudly, directing his cult members to stand guard and patrol. Although many Disciples complained, under Jiang Cheng's long-term intimidation, they still formed groups of three and diligently stood guard around the stronghold.

"Damn it, us three brothers are suffering out here in the cold, while the altar master is back in his room warming up with pretty girls!"

"Dammit, and he won't even let us drink! How can we endure this ghostly weather without a swig of spicy wine!"

A burly man with a short spear tucked into his lower back and a torch in his hand walked along, grumbling.

"Hmm, Xiao Li Zi, Lao Wang, are you two dead? Why aren't you saying anything in this cold weather!"

The burly man waited for a long time but heard no reply from his companions, so he asked.

He then turned his head to look in the direction of his companions. He didn't think much of it until he looked, and then he was startled. Behind him, Lao Wang's body lay in the alley, his head missing, leaving only an empty chest cavity staring at him like a black hole. In the corner of another box, what appeared to be another corpse lay.

"Ene..."

The burly man was greatly alarmed, his body shaking violently. His slightly tipsy mind instantly cleared, and as he rapidly retreated, he tried to shout out a warning.

Whoosh!

But before he could shout it out, a small stone, which came from who knew where, struck his Danzhong acupoint, and the unfinished warning was choked in his throat.

'Where? Who is it?'

Rustle~

As soon as the burly man retreated to the corner of the wall, he faintly felt dust falling from above his head. He subconsciously looked up.

A masked Black-Clothed Man was spread-eagled, in a "big" character shape, propped against both sides of the alley wall.

At this moment, the Black-Clothed Man relaxed his limbs, and his body descended through the air like an eagle pouncing on a rabbit. An iron fist, carrying a fierce gust of wind, descended upon the burly man's head like Mount Tai pressing down.

The burly man's face turned ashen, and his mind had already deduced the consequences of being hit by this iron fist. Although his Danzhong acupoint was sealed and he couldn't shout, at this critical moment of life and death, he used the short spear techniques he had diligently practiced for decades, circulated all his strength, drew the short spear tucked into his lower back, and turned to thrust!

This was—the Horse-Turning Spear!