Martial Arts: I Have a Wilderness World

Chapter 625: Chapter 321: The Entire City is Shaken

Captain Zhang carefully investigated the scene.

He moved closer to the seven corpses. His heart tightened when he saw the severed necks. The stumps of the four decapitated heads were covered by a film of black Yin Evil Qi, which had sealed the wounds and prevented any blood from flowing out.

The Yin Evil Qi emanated a bizarre aura. The slightest touch sent a cold, stinging pain through his finger, and he could even feel a sense of terror originating from his Divine Soul!

He hastily used his Spiritual Power to dispel that tiny bit of black Yin Evil Qi. Then, he examined the surroundings.

The hall’s tables and chairs were neatly arranged, and there were no signs of a struggle on the floor. Everything seemed so peaceful, yet a great terror was hidden beneath the calm. He grew even more shocked. ’No signs of a fight at all, and all seven died sitting in their chairs... It means they had no ability to resist!’

’Could a Golden Core Cultivator have really been involved?’

The captain’s guard went up instantly. He took out a Sound Transmission Jade Scroll to report the situation. This strange Yin Evil Qi was extremely rare.

Soon, a report came through the Sound Transmission Jade Scroll: the leaders of the other two gangs had also been killed. Their fate was identical to that of the Wind and Thunder Gang! This news horrified the patrol captain even more.

After a moment, an aged voice came from the Sound Transmission Jade Scroll: "All three teams, check the corpses’ necks for the mark of a black skull."

The patrol captain froze for a second, then moved closer to the bodies again, carefully inspecting their necks.

Sure enough, obscured by the Yin Evil Qi, he could faintly make out the mark of a black skull.

His heart sank, and he quickly reported the discovery.

"So it really is you, Black Skull!" the voice on the other end of the Sound Transmission Jade Scroll murmured, before issuing an order: "Send all the corpses to the Corpse Collection Manor. Unauthorized personnel are not to approach."

"Yes, sir!" The patrol captain didn’t dare to delay and immediately ordered his team members into action.

The team members carried out the order at once, ignoring the protests of the gang disciples. They forcibly placed all the corpses into their Storage Pouches and sent them to the Corpse Collection Manor.

The gang disciples could only watch, filled with anger and helplessness, as their Gang Leader and higher-ups were taken away. Faced with the authority of the Sect’s patrol, they didn’t dare make a rash move, nor did they have the courage to stop them.

At that moment, the entire gang was shrouded in fear and unease. They had overheard the name spoken through the Sound Transmission Jade Scroll: Black Skull!

The name echoed in their minds like a curse. Soon, the name of Black Skull had spread.

This was destined to be a sleepless night.

Overnight, the leaders of three major gangs had all been assassinated, and the incident was connected to someone named Black Skull. The news swept through all of Zi’an County like a tempest.

Soon, some of the more knowledgeable people began to recall who that person was.

Inside a dimly lit tavern in the West District, the atmosphere was somber. An experienced old Loose Cultivator sat in a corner, stroking his chin, lost in thought. A hint of confusion and recollection flickered in his eyes, as if he were trying hard to remember something important.

"Could... could this be Black Skull, the assassin from the Shadow Alliance who vanished fifteen years ago? The only one to have mastered the Shadow Killing Secret Technique?" a middle-aged man stammered, his voice filled with a terror that suggested he recalled something horrific.

"Black Skull? Is it really him? He was said to be a Gold Medal Assassin of the Shadow Alliance back in the day! He never failed a single mission he undertook. He even successfully assassinated a Golden Core Early Stage Cultivator, making a name for himself in that one battle. No one has ever seen his true face. I heard he finally vanished while trying to assassinate the talented young lady of a Four-Star Family."

A Foundation Establishment Level Loose Cultivator spoke, his tone reminiscent and his face showing a trace of awe and emotion. "I thought he was dead. Who would have thought he’d be living in seclusion in Zi’an County?"

As the news continued to spread, all of Zi’an County was thrown into a flurry of discussion.

People speculated wildly about Black Skull’s identity and purpose, and a sense of fear and unease filled the air.

After learning of Black Skull’s reappearance, the various other powers in the East District and North District grew extremely vigilant, increasing patrols both within their family compounds and in the surrounding areas. They dispatched more personnel to reinforce key positions. At the same time, they discussed the matter and planned their response.

Soon, a sketch of Lin Changfeng’s appearance from when he accepted the mission that afternoon was circulated throughout the city for the search. Although a person’s face could be changed at will, the Carefree Immortal Sect had to take action. They couldn’t just stand by and let a mysterious assassin run rampant in the city.

「Meanwhile」

Back in the courtyard in the North District, the youth returned and immediately handed all the Elixirs and Spirit Stones to Lin Changfeng.

Lin Changfeng had already changed his appearance. He was no longer a decrepit old man but now looked like a middle-aged man in the Qi Cultivation Stage. His face was resolute and his eyes were deep, giving off an imposing aura that suggested he was a high-ranking member of some powerful faction.

The youth said respectfully, "Master, it’s all been taken care of. Those people are still searching everywhere."

Listening to the report, Lin Changfeng gave a sneer. "Hmph, finding me won’t be so easy. The Shadow Killing Secret Technique has many uses. Concealing and altering one’s cultivation aura is just the most basic. After I’ve disguised myself, even the Divine Sense of a Golden Core Cultivator would have trouble detecting me."

"They’ll probably search this place tonight. Just act normal. With this Foundation Establishment Pill, that makes five. Five Foundation Establishment Pills as a medicinal catalyst should be enough to restore Xiao Ling’s Dantian. I’m going to refine the Spirit Revival Pill. You just stay here."

Lin Changfeng looked at the Elixirs in his hand, his eyes filled with anticipation and resolve.

"Yes, Master!" The youth cupped his hands, his eyes showing his admiration for Lin Changfeng.

Lin Changfeng took the Elixirs and quietly entered the room. He glanced at the boy sleeping soundly on the bed, a gentle, loving look on his face.

Soon, he left and went to the room across the hall.

The small courtyard was calm and peaceful, as if the night’s events had nothing to do with them. But the storm in Zi’an County was just beginning.

「Dawn was breaking.」

The back courtyard of the Sect’s office.

The bodies from the three One-Star Level Cultivation Immortality Gangs—over a dozen of them—were laid out silently in the center of the courtyard. The heads of the seven decapitated corpses had been meticulously reattached by the Corpse Sewers from the Corpse Collection Manor.

Surrounding the bodies were five people of various ages: youths, middle-aged men, and an old man.

After the four of them had each finished their careful examinations, their gazes fell in unison on the old man in the lead, and they all nodded slightly.

The old man’s expression was calm, but his eyes held a hint of doubt and contemplation. He murmured, "This guy suddenly shows up just for a single Foundation Establishment Pill? I remember back then, he only started on the path of cultivation in his forties. He possessed an extremely rare Wind Spirit Root and advanced by leaps and bounds with that Cultivation Technique from the Shadow Alliance. He was already at the Foundation Establishment Late Stage back then.

"After disappearing for fifteen years, if his Cultivation had improved, he should have reached the Golden Core Realm. At the very least, he ought to be at Foundation Establishment Great Perfection. There’s really no need for him to reappear after fifteen years in seclusion just for one Foundation Establishment Pill."

A young man in black robes stood with his hands cupped respectfully. "Elder Zhang," he said, "according to reports, he had a boy with him when he accepted the mission this afternoon. Some Loose Cultivators also mentioned that the boy is his grandson. He’s always kept the boy with him, making a living by selling Spirit Medicine at a stall in the West District."

Another middle-aged man, dressed in navy blue, continued, "Lately, we’ve noticed a number of Foundation Establishment Pills appearing in Zi’an County. Our investigation so far has linked this matter to a Loose Cultivator and a boy. The former has already vanished, while the latter has settled in the South District.

"Based on our analysis, the source of the Foundation Establishment Pills is heavily connected to that boy. Furthermore, over the past six months, four families have had valuable items go missing, but none of them have made it public. Instead, they’ve been searching secretly.

"These four families are the very ones that the Loose Cultivator privately sold Foundation Establishment Pills to. Therefore, your subordinate speculates that the items they lost were those same Foundation Establishment Pills. Black Skull’s target this time was a Foundation Establishment Pill, so it’s likely related to the items those four families lost."

At this point, another young man asked doubtfully, "If he has five Foundation Establishment Pills, could they be for his grandson? Five Foundation Establishment Pills are enough to break through to the Foundation Establishment Realm, even for a Qi Cultivation Great Perfection cultivator with Five Spirit Roots or Five Spirit Bones. His grandson is only about ten years old. Could he really be close to Foundation Establishment already? That’s impossible, isn’t it? Not even someone with a Single Spirit Root could progress that quickly."