"Hey, you three. Even though our business isn't great today, this isn't a hangout spot. You've been here a while now, not ordering drinks or requesting for the ladies. Are you treating this place like a teahouse?"
The middle-aged woman, wearing heavy makeup, approached them with a look of dissatisfaction. She was likely the parlor manager.
The three young men were dressed nicely, giving the impression that they were from wealthy families. However, they had been sitting here for quite some time without ordering any drinks or requesting the company of girls.
They didn't seem like paying customers at all, so the parlor manager approached them with the intention of urging them to leave.
In a brothel like this, idle guests were not welcomed. It was only because business was slow today that they had tolerated their presence for so long.
"You don't like that we aren't spending any money, right?" Chu Liang lifted his gaze, looking at her calmly.
And he then spoke slowly, enunciating each word: "Bring us a fruit platter."
Pfft.
Upon hearing this, Lin Bei and Shang Ziliang couldn't help but smile awkwardly.
"Bro! The fruit platter is the cheapest item on the menu. Yet, you're ordering it with such arrogance and aloofness."
Shang Ziliang whispered, "Big Bro, why don't we request the company of a few good girls, or at least order some drinks and snacks? My treat."
Despite having his sword coins deducted, he remained a second-generation rich kid with plenty of gold and silver.
Chu Liang was about to say something when he felt the Crimson Executioner within the White Pagoda starting to vibrate.
His relaxed gaze instantly sharpened as he glanced toward the door.
A carriage was slowly passing by outside, trailed by a vendor pushing a cart home. The vendor looked inconspicuous. Both the carriage and the cart passed in front of the brothel in succession.
How could a mere vendor exude the blood-stained aura capable of stirring the Crimson Executioner?
It wasn't easy to provoke the Crimson Executioner's wrath. Chu Liang had estimated earlier that it would take at least twenty or more innocent lives to accumulate the necessary blood-stained aura to incite it.
"Something's wrong," Chu Liang whispered. "Lin Bei, come with me quietly."
"Shang, stay here and keep an eye on the surroundings in the red-light district," Chu Liang said in a low voice before immediately rising to his feet and heading outside.
Upon hearing these words, Shang Ziliang suddenly snapped to attention, sitting up straight.
It was Lin Bei who patted him on his shoulder, reassuring him, "Don't worry. Even if the sky falls, Chu Liang and I will hold it up. Just keep calm and pay attention to the surroundings."
He exuded the demeanor of a protective older brother.
Chu Liang stepped outside and followed the vendor closely.
As he felt worried that the vendor might catch on, he avoided using his divine sense to observe and refrained from staring for too long. Instead, he walked casually, occasionally glancing in the vendor's direction.
Some cultivators were highly sensitive to being observed through divine senses. If someone spied on them for too long without them knowing, they would eventually be aware of it.
After some time, Chu Liang noticed that the vendor was indeed following the carriage. Upon realization, Chu Liang shifted his focus away from the vendor and began to follow the carriage.
Meanwhile, Lin Bei followed Chu Liang from a distance. He was ready to provide support whenever needed, awaiting only a signal from Chu Liang.
The carriage continued out of the red-light district and turned onto quieter streets. Eventually, they were enveloped by silence, with no one else in sight. The vendor disappeared as well..
However, Chu Liang, who had been trailing them all along, knew that the vendor was lurking in the darkness, waiting for the opportune moment to strike.
He was eighty or ninety percent sure that this vendor was a cultivator from the diabolical sect.
Chu Liang had no intention of waiting any longer. Even if the vendor wasn't the actual heart-extracting murderer, he was definitely up to no good. Fighting him here wouldn't alert anyone in the red-light district.
Almost at the same moment he decided to make his move, the vendor also made a move!
Like a black arrow, he lunged out of the darkness and swiftly leaped onto the carriage, his movements light as if he were a large gecko clinging to the top.
He was very careful, revealing only a hint of foundational qi fluctuations, barely detectable by anyone.
If it weren't for Chu Liang spotting him, the two people on the carriage would have been dead today!
As the vendor was about to strike, Chu Liang's attack shot out from the darkness.
Swoosh—
A silent streak of green light traced an unpredictable path and landed behind the target.
Sizzle—
It was the Razor Leaf!
Of all Chu Liang's divine skills, this one was the most covert and ideal for launching a surprise attack.
The reason he didn't use the Crimson Executioner to take the life of the vendor immediately was because its power was too great. Not only could it have killed the diabolical cultivator, but it could have also harmed the civilians nearby. Additionally, there was a high probability that the force would damage the items this vendor carried.
Moreover, when conditions permitted, capturing alive was a better choice than direct killing, as it allowed for a better understanding of the situation.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"
The vendor who had just been crouching on the carriage let out a miserable cry as he was deeply slashed from behind. Only then did he notice Chu Liang's figure behind him and attempted to flee by flipping over!
At this point, he didn't care about revealing fluctuations of his foundational qi as he leaped up and attempted to escape by flying away!
Obviously, Chu Liang couldn't let him get away. He called the Razor Leaf back only to hurl it away again.
Suddenly, the Razor Leaf transformed into a ferocious green snake in mid-air!
He activated the movement-restricting inscription!
Hiss~
The green snake opened its enormous mouth, its fangs biting into the vendor's neck. Blood spurted out! If he hadn't blocked the attack with his arms, that bite would have surely bitten off his head!
But now, he found himself trapped between the jaws of the green snake, unable to move at all.
Chu Liang dashed to his side. Upon sensing the vendor's aura, he knew that the vendor was indeed at the peak of the third realm.
This vendor was clearly the serial killer!
He was an unconventional cultivator who wasn't considered strong, making him an easy target for Chu Liang even at his current level.
But even as an unconventional cultivator, he possessed the ability to easily slaughter mortals. What would this world become if it lost its protectors? It was simply unimaginable.
...
Yang Yuhu sat on a pavilion facing the street, releasing white spots of light from his hand. They drifted and spread throughout the city as he sat quietly, deeply immersed in his sensing.
This was the Mirage Flutterbug, a type of insect native to Penglai's territory. This Mirage Flutterbug could sense every subtle fluctuation of foundational qi.
During the day, Yang Yuhu visited all the crime scenes, capturing traces of the culprit's foundational qi. If the culprit were to use their divine skill, regardless of how subtle the fluctuation of their foundational qi, Yang Yuhu would be able to sense it.
He sat quietly on the pavilion, calm and composed. When the moon reached its zenith, he suddenly opened his eyes!
There it is!
His figure flickered, like a white light, and in an instant, he had already crossed half the city!
He was as swift as lightning!
Despite moving swiftly, when he arrived, all he saw was Chu Liang restraining the diabolical cultivator with the Razor Leaf, which was in the form of a green snake.
What?
Yang Yuhu was taken aback and filled with suspicion. How did this disciple from Mount Shu arrive faster than him?
How did he do it?
The shock only lasted for a moment when another change suddenly occurred.
A shadowy figure swept by like a gust of wind, arriving next to the vendor.
With a quick strike of their palm, they pushed the green snake back, carried the vendor, and swiftly departed!
"Hey, you three. Even though our business isn't great today, this isn't a hangout spot. You've been here a while now, not ordering drinks or requesting for the ladies. Are you treating this place like a teahouse?"
The middle-aged woman, wearing heavy makeup, approached them with a look of dissatisfaction. She was likely the parlor manager.
The three young men were dressed nicely, giving the impression that they were from wealthy families. However, they had been sitting here for quite some time without ordering any drinks or requesting the company of girls.
They didn't seem like paying customers at all, so the parlor manager approached them with the intention of urging them to leave.
In a brothel like this, idle guests were not welcomed. It was only because business was slow today that they had tolerated their presence for so long.
"You don't like that we aren't spending any money, right?" Chu Liang lifted his gaze, looking at her calmly.
And he then spoke slowly, enunciating each word: "Bring us a fruit platter."
Pfft.
Upon hearing this, Lin Bei and Shang Ziliang couldn't help but smile awkwardly.
"Bro! The fruit platter is the cheapest item on the menu. Yet, you're ordering it with such arrogance and aloofness."
Shang Ziliang whispered, "Big Bro, why don't we request the company of a few good girls, or at least order some drinks and snacks? My treat."
Despite having his sword coins deducted, he remained a second-generation rich kid with plenty of gold and silver.
Chu Liang was about to say something when he felt the Crimson Executioner within the White Pagoda starting to vibrate.
His relaxed gaze instantly sharpened as he glanced toward the door.
A carriage was slowly passing by outside, trailed by a vendor pushing a cart home. The vendor looked inconspicuous. Both the carriage and the cart passed in front of the brothel in succession.
How could a mere vendor exude the blood-stained aura capable of stirring the Crimson Executioner?
It wasn't easy to provoke the Crimson Executioner's wrath. Chu Liang had estimated earlier that it would take at least twenty or more innocent lives to accumulate the necessary blood-stained aura to incite it.
"Something's wrong," Chu Liang whispered. "Lin Bei, come with me quietly."
"Shang, stay here and keep an eye on the surroundings in the red-light district," Chu Liang said in a low voice before immediately rising to his feet and heading outside.
Upon hearing these words, Shang Ziliang suddenly snapped to attention, sitting up straight.
It was Lin Bei who patted him on his shoulder, reassuring him, "Don't worry. Even if the sky falls, Chu Liang and I will hold it up. Just keep calm and pay attention to the surroundings."
He exuded the demeanor of a protective older brother.
Chu Liang stepped outside and followed the vendor closely.
As he felt worried that the vendor might catch on, he avoided using his divine sense to observe and refrained from staring for too long. Instead, he walked casually, occasionally glancing in the vendor's direction.
Some cultivators were highly sensitive to being observed through divine senses. If someone spied on them for too long without them knowing, they would eventually be aware of it.
After some time, Chu Liang noticed that the vendor was indeed following the carriage. Upon realization, Chu Liang shifted his focus away from the vendor and began to follow the carriage.
Meanwhile, Lin Bei followed Chu Liang from a distance. He was ready to provide support whenever needed, awaiting only a signal from Chu Liang.
The carriage continued out of the red-light district and turned onto quieter streets. Eventually, they were enveloped by silence, with no one else in sight. The vendor disappeared as well..
However, Chu Liang, who had been trailing them all along, knew that the vendor was lurking in the darkness, waiting for the opportune moment to strike.
He was eighty or ninety percent sure that this vendor was a cultivator from the diabolical sect.
Chu Liang had no intention of waiting any longer. Even if the vendor wasn't the actual heart-extracting murderer, he was definitely up to no good. Fighting him here wouldn't alert anyone in the red-light district.
Almost at the same moment he decided to make his move, the vendor also made a move!
Like a black arrow, he lunged out of the darkness and swiftly leaped onto the carriage, his movements light as if he were a large gecko clinging to the top.
He was very careful, revealing only a hint of foundational qi fluctuations, barely detectable by anyone.
If it weren't for Chu Liang spotting him, the two people on the carriage would have been dead today!
As the vendor was about to strike, Chu Liang's attack shot out from the darkness.
Swoosh—
A silent streak of green light traced an unpredictable path and landed behind the target.
Sizzle—
It was the Razor Leaf!
Of all Chu Liang's divine skills, this one was the most covert and ideal for launching a surprise attack.
The reason he didn't use the Crimson Executioner to take the life of the vendor immediately was because its power was too great. Not only could it have killed the diabolical cultivator, but it could have also harmed the civilians nearby. Additionally, there was a high probability that the force would damage the items this vendor carried.
Moreover, when conditions permitted, capturing alive was a better choice than direct killing, as it allowed for a better understanding of the situation.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"
The vendor who had just been crouching on the carriage let out a miserable cry as he was deeply slashed from behind. Only then did he notice Chu Liang's figure behind him and attempted to flee by flipping over!
At this point, he didn't care about revealing fluctuations of his foundational qi as he leaped up and attempted to escape by flying away!
Obviously, Chu Liang couldn't let him get away. He called the Razor Leaf back only to hurl it away again.
Suddenly, the Razor Leaf transformed into a ferocious green snake in mid-air!
He activated the movement-restricting inscription!
Hiss~
The green snake opened its enormous mouth, its fangs biting into the vendor's neck. Blood spurted out! If he hadn't blocked the attack with his arms, that bite would have surely bitten off his head!
But now, he found himself trapped between the jaws of the green snake, unable to move at all.
Chu Liang dashed to his side. Upon sensing the vendor's aura, he knew that the vendor was indeed at the peak of the third realm.
This vendor was clearly the serial killer!
He was an unconventional cultivator who wasn't considered strong, making him an easy target for Chu Liang even at his current level.
But even as an unconventional cultivator, he possessed the ability to easily slaughter mortals. What would this world become if it lost its protectors? It was simply unimaginable.
...
Yang Yuhu sat on a pavilion facing the street, releasing white spots of light from his hand. They drifted and spread throughout the city as he sat quietly, deeply immersed in his sensing.
This was the Mirage Flutterbug, a type of insect native to Penglai's territory. This Mirage Flutterbug could sense every subtle fluctuation of foundational qi.
During the day, Yang Yuhu visited all the crime scenes, capturing traces of the culprit's foundational qi. If the culprit were to use their divine skill, regardless of how subtle the fluctuation of their foundational qi, Yang Yuhu would be able to sense it.
He sat quietly on the pavilion, calm and composed. When the moon reached its zenith, he suddenly opened his eyes!
There it is!
His figure flickered, like a white light, and in an instant, he had already crossed half the city!
He was as swift as lightning!
Despite moving swiftly, when he arrived, all he saw was Chu Liang restraining the diabolical cultivator with the Razor Leaf, which was in the form of a green snake.
What?
Yang Yuhu was taken aback and filled with suspicion. How did this disciple from Mount Shu arrive faster than him?
How did he do it?
The shock only lasted for a moment when another change suddenly occurred.
A shadowy figure swept by like a gust of wind, arriving next to the vendor.
With a quick strike of their palm, they pushed the green snake back, carried the vendor, and swiftly departed!
