Chapter 44: Departure!
Seeing Li Yanchu’s calm demeanor, Zhang Zhiliang felt slightly more at ease.
He took a moment to organize his words and began to confess, “We are…”
Suddenly, Zhang Zhiliang’s face turned ashen, his eyes rolled back, as if someone had clutched his throat. The same thing happened to Wang Wanrong behind him.
In a flash, Li Yanchu struck with force.
The Forty-Two Divine Astral Hands, Dragonbind Hand!
Both hands shot out at once, and the intense surge of blood and qi instantly raised the temperature in the air around him.
Swoosh! Swoosh!
Two shadowy figures, invisible to the naked eye, were forcibly seized by Li Yanchu. He held them in a crushing grip.
“Mere parlor tricks, and you dare show off before me?” Li Yanchu said with a faint smile.
Zhang Zhiliang and Wang Wanrong had just brushed past death’s door, gasping for breath like drowning victims pulled from the depths. Though their mortal eyes couldn’t see what Li Yanchu was holding, they felt an inexplicable chill in the air. Had they not been standing beside him, that icy aura alone might have overwhelmed them.
From Li Yanchu’s palms, a wave of blood and qi burst forth. The pure yang qi and blood instantly obliterated the two spirit entities in his grasp.
“What was that just now?!” Wang Wanrong asked in fear.
“You all have been implanted with yin spirits. No, to be precise, they're not yet complete yin spirits, merely spiritual entities. They're tools placed by someone behind the scenes to silence you,” Li Yanchu explained.
Wang Wanrong trembled uncontrollably, hardly able to believe it. She never imagined the gang she'd joined could be so ruthless!
Li Yanchu glanced at the two of them, smiling faintly, “Seems like you two have grasped some crucial secrets.”
Zhang Zhiliang spoke with lingering fear, “We owe our lives entirely to your intervention.”
Having experienced the sort of silencing commonly depicted in dramas, the two became even more cooperative in their confessions.
Earlier, when Li Yanchu destroyed the spiritual entity, they'd vaguely glimpsed a horrifying, twisted human face filled with hatred and resentment in his hand. It had sent chills down their spines.
After Zhang Zhiliang and Wang Wanrong explained what had happened, even Li Yanchu felt somewhat surprised. It turned out these two belonged to the Five Lakes Gang. Under their gang leader's orders, they'd hidden certain items near Qingyi Goddess Temple.
“You're saying you don't know what exactly you buried?” Li Yanchu asked.
“That's right,” Zhang Zhiliang replied. “Each time, we were merely instructed to inspect the sites.”
Inwardly, Li Yanchu grew curious about this Five Lakes Gang leader he had never met. Why would the leader of a martial arts gang secretly dispatch people to bury something near Lady Qingyi Temple, and regularly inspect it afterward?
Li Yanchu turned serious, stating, “This matter is of great importance. I need to report it to the authorities. However, I can guarantee your safety. Consider it an opportunity to redeem yourselves.”
As soon as Li Yanchu spoke, a strong sense of wariness filled Zhang Zhiliang's eyes. Wang Wanrong, on the other hand, appeared calmer, her inner thoughts unreadable. In the end, both of them were taken to the yamen, where they were interrogated personally by Head Constable Wang.
With Li Yanchu's guarantee, they avoided severe interrogation methods. Soon afterward, Head Constable Wang led men to inspect the location where the two had buried the items.
Li Yanchu didn't accompany them; after all, this was a matter under the authorities' jurisdiction, and he had no intention of interfering too deeply. However, the news Head Constable Wang brought back was truly shocking.
“Gunpowder?!” Li Yanchu frowned. “You mean the Five Lakes Gang secretly buried gunpowder near Lady Qingyi Temple?”
“Precisely!” Head Constable Wang replied grimly. “The Five Lakes Gang harbors treacherous intentions, they plan to destroy Lady Qingyi Temple.”
Li Yanchu had never anticipated they were hiding gunpowder. He had assumed it might be something related to a feng shui arrangement or protective artifacts. He never expected them to be so ruthless!
In the Kingdom of Qian, gunpowder was strictly regulated by the imperial court, a prohibited substance civilians were forbidden to possess. This alone spelled certain doom for the Five Lakes Gang!
Head Constable Wang urgently reported the matter overnight to Magistrate Xu, who flew into a rage upon hearing the news.
The Lady Qingyi Temple Festival was only two days away, and many wealthy merchants, prominent young masters, and ladies from distinguished families would gather there to worship at Qingyi Goddess Temple. Should Lady Qingyi Temple explode at that time, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Forget losing his official position, even having his entire family executed wouldn't be an exaggeration.
Although Magistrate Xu was a scholar, when it came to decisiveness and ruthlessness, he wasn't inferior to a military general. He immediately made a decision and declared, “I will eradicate the Five Lakes Gang and arrest all involved, without exception!”
A chilling glint flashed through Magistrate Xu’s eyes.
Then, Magistrate Xu addressed Li Yanchu, “Given the gravity of the situation, I wish to invite you to assist Head Constable Wang in apprehending the rebellious members of the Five Lakes Gang.”
The Five Lakes Gang wielded substantial influence, and their members were all ruthless outlaws, difficult to handle. Their three leaders were martial experts, especially their gang leader, who had been infamous in Wei City in his younger years.
The current plan was to swiftly eradicate the Five Lakes Gang with decisive force, as any delay could complicate matters further. County Magistrate Xu immediately invited Li Yanchu to join the operation, knowing this young Daoist’s martial prowess was formidable.
Li Yanchu agreed without hesitation. The Five Lakes Gang was certainly no easy target. Their second-in-command, Luo Beixiao, had even once schemed against Fang Qinglan.
Later, Li Yanchu had investigated the Five Lakes Gang himself. Originally, the gang had been relatively disciplined, enjoying a decent reputation among both the common people and the authorities. They primarily handled waterway transportation, much like ancient cargo guilds.
But in recent years, their discipline had deteriorated significantly. Acts of bullying commoners and extorting passing merchant ships became frequent occurrences. Several violent internal struggles broke out, during which many senior members were deposed or killed in clashes.
Ruthless disciples seized power, taking complete control of the gang. Rumor had it they even harbored murderers, robbers, and mountain bandits. However, the Five Lakes Gang was influential in Wei City; without definitive proof, the authorities had refrained from openly confronting them.
This time, Magistrate Xu intended to uproot the Five Lakes Gang entirely, using their illegal possession of gunpowder as justification. Given their history, Li Yanchu gladly accepted the invitation to participate.
That very night, a force of over a hundred people, composed of officers and local militia, marched aggressively toward the outskirts of the city. The atmosphere was oppressive and solemn, brimming with lethal intent. They moved like a sharpened saber.
At the front rode two figures atop strong horses. One was Head Constable Wang from the Wei City government office, and the other was the currently renowned Li Yanchu.
Many townspeople secretly peeked out through door and window gaps, quickly retreating in fear. Their hearts raced anxiously.
With such a significant movement from the authorities, tonight was bound to be restless in Wei City.
***
Li Yanchu rode atop a speckled buckskin horse, with Head Constable Wang riding alongside him. Behind them was a fierce, hundred-strong squadron holding torches, radiating murderous intent.
Fang Qinglan had remained behind to guard Lady Qingyi Temple, in case criminals caused trouble amidst the chaos. As for Bai Hongtu, he was likely enjoying himself somewhere in an entertainment district, making it too troublesome to find him.
Thus, this mission fell entirely upon Li Yanchu and Head Constable Wang.
The Five Lakes Gang relied on waterways, their business being river transportation. Their headquarters was located outside the city. No one had ever imagined that a martial-arts gang like theirs would dare secretly stockpile gunpowder.
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