89: Organizing the results

The moonlight was like water, spilling onto the silent mountain forest.

Chen Linsheng's figure was like lightning, rapidly moving through the dense forest, alternating between [Eight Steps Catching Cicada] and [Spirit Monkey Hundred Changes], making his silhouette flicker in the night, hard to capture.

He didn't go home directly but took a long detour. After confirming no one was following, he sped toward the cliff in his memory where he had hunted the giant python.

The terrain there was steep and sparsely populated, making it an excellent spot to temporarily hide and sort out his harvest.

Before long, he reached the top of the cliff.

The night wind whistled, blowing his sleeves. Below him was a bottomless valley, and in the distance, the lights of Qinghe County were like scattered stars, yet they felt worlds apart from his current state of mind.

Leaning behind a large rock sheltered from the wind, he slowly calmed the blood qi that was still somewhat surging within his body.

Only at this moment did his tense nerves truly relax, and an indescribable sense of excitement and exhilaration welled up in his heart.

"I seem to... have underestimated myself," Chen Linsheng whispered to himself, his eyes flashing with brilliance.

Reviewing the brief but intense battle just now, from instantly killing Zhang Yuchen to head-on clashing with and finally killing the Envoy of the White Lotus Sect, Wei Jingtong, the entire process could be described as overwhelming.

Especially the exchange with Wei Jingtong; the opponent's ghost-like Movement Technique and eerie palm techniques had indeed caught him off guard at first, but when he truly let loose, meeting hardness with hardness and breaking skill with power, the opponent actually seemed so... fragile?

"That's right. My past opponents, whether they were fellow disciples from the martial arts hall, bandits wiped out by the Water Patrol Division, or even Essence Spirits like the Jade Water Toad, never truly forced out my full potential. The Foundation of ten times Skin Quenching from the Hunyuan True Body, the majestic blood qi brought by the Perfection quenching of ninety-six muscles, the dual defense of the Major Achievement Golden Bell Shield and Iron Clothes Art, the unique force of the Python Dragon Strength fused with icy Evil Qi, and the enhancement of Martial Skills by the Layered Waves exertion technique..."

He inventoried his trump cards one by one, and the more he did, the clearer his mind became.

"My comprehensive strength has long surpassed the ordinary Flesh Refining Realm! Even facing a Flesh Refining Realm Peak in perfect condition, like Wei Jingtong, who has an extraordinary background and masters Spirit Rank Martial Skills, I can still win! If not for his eerie Movement Technique, I might have killed him even faster!"

This realization caused a surge of powerful self-confidence in his heart.

He had always known he was progressing, but he lacked a sufficiently weighty reference point.

Today's battle with Wei Jingtong was like a mirror, clearly reflecting exactly how much combat power he possessed now.

"Even if that White Lotus Cult Heretic's body had no issues and he was at his Peak, I would still be confident in making him stay!"

This thought was like the sun breaking through the clouds, sweeping away the slight haze and uncertainty that had accumulated in his chest for a long time.

That was a trace of instinctive worry hidden deep in his heart when facing giants like the Black Mountain Gang and the White Lotus Sect, now replaced by a strong confidence in his strength.

He let out a long breath of turbid air. This breath was long and steady, condensing into a white streak in the cold air that didn't dissipate for a long time, as if exhaling all his past caution and endurance.

In its place was a more composed and sharper temperament.

With his mindset shifted, Chen Linsheng wasted no more time and began to carefully inventory the spoils of war scavenged from Wei Jingtong.

First to catch his eye was a thick stack of banknotes. The denominations were not small, totaling perhaps several thousand taels—undoubtedly a windfall.

Next were some bottles and jars. He carefully opened them to identify the contents. Some were Medicinal Pills with eerie colors and a fishy-sweet smell, clearly poison pills or the White Lotus Sect's peculiar sinister pills; he didn't dare use them for now.

The other part consisted of pills brimming with blood qi and a fragrant medicinal scent, exactly the Cultivate Medicinal Pills suitable for Flesh Refining Realm Martial Artists. Their quality was quite a bit better than the blood qi pills he refined, numbering about a dozen.

Besides these, there was a silver-shining Judge's Pen about a foot long. The tip glinted coldly, clearly not a writing instrument but a specialized weapon. It was of extraordinary quality and felt heavy in the hand, containing at least a significant amount of rare metals.

"Keeping this thing is a liability; it's easy to be exposed." Chen Linsheng weighed the silver pen, already having a plan. "I need to find an opportunity to find a reliable blacksmith shop to melt it down. Not only can I dispose of the stolen goods, but I can also see if any special metals can be extracted, just in time to forge a handy weapon for myself again."

His strength had exploded now, and that Solid Iron Long Spear indeed felt light and unhandy when swung.

If he could incorporate the Materials from this silver pen and reforge a heavier, tougher, and sharper spear, his strength could increase another notch.

Finally, his gaze fell on a piece of yellowish parchment that felt flexible to the touch.

He carefully unfolded it, and by the bright moonlight, a line of ancient and elegant handwriting came into view—

White Crane Wind and Cloud Song!

"Low Grade Spirit Rank Movement Technique!"

Chen Linsheng's breathing suddenly quickened, and an irrepressible joy erupted in his eyes!

He quickly scanned the contents of the parchment. Although it was just a brief glance, the Concept described—"transforming into a white crane, stirring wind and clouds, soaring through the air like a shadow, moving a hundred steps in an instant"—as well as the complex and exquisite blood qi circulation routes and footwork formulas, made his heart surge.

"It really is a Spirit Rank Martial Skill! And an extremely precious Movement Technique at that!"

Chen Linsheng clenched his fists in excitement.

His previous Movement Techniques, [Eight Steps Catching Cicada], excelled at short-distance linear bursts, while [Spirit Monkey Hundred Changes] focused more on agile maneuvering in complex forest terrain.

Although both had their merits, their grades were not high. When facing Wei Jingtong's ghostly and unpredictable White Crane Wind and Cloud Song, they indeed paled in comparison.

If it weren't for his super-strong dynamic vision and crisis premonition brought by [Tracking Perfection], as well as his Major Achievement [Golden Bell Shield] tanking the damage, he might have really let the opponent maneuver or even escape using the movement advantage.

"With this White Crane Wind and Cloud Song, my shortcomings will be greatly compensated!" Chen Linsheng's eyes were bright. "Speed, flexibility, and evasion ability will all receive a qualitative leap! At that time, with the Startled Swan Spear and Hunyuan Palm enhanced by the Layered Waves exertion for offense, the Golden Bell Shield and Iron Clothes Art for defense, and the White Crane Wind and Cloud Song for movement... my actual combat ability will no longer have any obvious weaknesses!"

He almost immediately decided that his next focus for Cultivation, besides continuing to push the Hunyuan True Body and Hundred Refinements Steel Body, would be to grind these three Movement Techniques!

He wanted to master and integrate Eight Steps Catching Cicada, Spirit Monkey Hundred Changes, and White Crane Wind and Cloud Song, learning from each to form his own, more powerful movement system!

Carefully putting away the parchment and packing it with the other spoils, he hid them close to his body. Standing on the edge of the cliff, Chen Linsheng looked toward the direction of the Black Mountain Gang Headquarters, a cold arc curling at the corner of his mouth.

Zhang Yuchen was gone, Wei Jingtong was dead, and an important pawn of the White Lotus Sect in Qinghe County had been plucked out. It would surely cause quite a stir, wouldn't it?

...Meanwhile, at the Black Mountain Gang Headquarters.

Zhang Zhifeng returned from the County Office with a body full of fatigue and suppressed anger. Spending half a day dealing with County Commandant Wang with false pleasantries had left him feeling extremely stifled.

Returning to his study, he casually asked about Zhang Yuchen's whereabouts. His subordinates reported that the Young Gang Leader had gone out by carriage in the afternoon and had not yet returned.

Zhang Zhifeng didn't care at first, thinking his son couldn't stand the loneliness and had gone out to relax or conduct that "necessary hunting."

Although he didn't like causing trouble at a time like this, he also knew it was a necessary means to maintain Zhang Yuchen's state, only cursing "doesn't know how to be restrained" under his breath.

However, when he finished handling some gang affairs and remembered to go to the secret chamber to check on Wei Jingtong's injuries and needs, he found the secret chamber empty, with only bloodstains on the ground that hadn't been completely cleaned, emitting a faint fishy smell.

"Where is Wei Jingtong?" Zhang Zhifeng's face darkened as he asked a confidant guarding nearby.

"Reporting to the Gang Leader, the Envoy seemed to leave in a hurry this afternoon. We didn't dare ask."

"Left?" Zhang Zhifeng's brow furrowed, a bad premonition welling up in his heart. Wei Jingtong was heavily injured and needed a lot of blood food and rest; why would he suddenly go out?

Had he discovered some target worth his personal action? Or... had his injuries worsened, and he lost his mind?

He suppressed the unease in his heart and ordered, "Send people to look! See where the Envoy and Chen'er went! Report back immediately as soon as there's news!"

Time passed minute by minute, and the night grew deeper.

The people sent out returned one after another, but none brought back any definite news.

There was no sign of them at several places Zhang Yuchen frequented or the areas where Wei Jingtong might be active. The two seemed to have vanished into thin air.

The unease in Zhang Zhifeng's heart grew stronger and stronger. He paced irritably in his study, his right eyelid twitching even more violently.

"Could it be... something really happened?" He didn't dare think about the worst-case scenario.

Zhang Yuchen was his hope, the future of the Black Mountain Gang!

Wei Jingtong was even more of an important figure in the White Lotus Sect. If something happened on his turf, he simply couldn't withstand the White Lotus Sect's wrath!

"Search! Give it your all to search! Investigate every unusual person and event this afternoon, everyone who might have come into contact with them—investigate them all clearly!"

Zhang Zhifeng roared at his subordinates, his face terrifyingly distorted.

However, Chen Linsheng had acted cleanly, handled the scene appropriately, and struck on a relatively quiet road. What could the Black Mountain Gang find in a short time?

It wasn't until late into the night that a gang member responsible for patrolling that area reported tremblingly that they seemed to have heard some strange noises on the road leading to the villa outside the city, but when they rushed over, they only saw some messy wheel tracks and signs of a fight, with no sign of anyone, and they weren't sure if it was related to the Young Gang Leader.

Hearing this news, Zhang Zhifeng's vision suddenly went dark, and a chill rushed from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head!

He staggered a step, steadying himself only by holding onto the table, his face turning pale instantly.

"It's over..."

He muttered to himself, his voice full of despair and violence.

Regardless of whether Zhang Yuchen and Wei Jingtong were alive or dead, the disappearance itself already meant that a huge trouble had descended!

And the source of all this—the first ones he thought of were the Yangwei Martial Arts Hall, Zhao Zheng, and Martial Uncle!

"Zhao Zheng! Martial Uncle! It's you! It must be you!"

Zhang Zhifeng's eyes were bloodshot, looking like a madman as he swept everything off the desk onto the floor with a crash.

"I want you... to pay in blood!"

A cold, murderous low growl echoed within the silent Black Mountain Gang Headquarters.

At this moment, Chen Linsheng, atop the cliff, was still unaware of all this.

He was immersed in the joy of obtaining a Spirit Rank Movement Technique and planning his future cultivation, adjusting his breathing, preparing to quietly return home before dawn.