Chapter 74: Poisonous Insect

Chapter 74: Chapter 74: Poisonous Insect

"Oh? What treasure?" A hint of wariness flashed in the eyes of the Great River Gang Leader, You Bin, as his gaze fixed on Ye Xing’s hand.

"Haha, it’s just a small thing. Why so nervous, Master You? I’m just a little Martial Artist at the Martial Arts Second Realm. Surely you’re not afraid of me, are you?" Ye Xing laughed as he pulled the pistol from behind his waist. With a relaxed and composed expression, he offered the pistol with both hands to the black-robed man.

"Me, afraid of you? What a joke. I could take you down with one finger." The Great River Gang Leader, You Bin, scoffed. He took the pistol from Ye Xing’s hand, and the wariness in his eyes immediately vanished.

"So, what is this black lump, and what’s it for? It doesn’t feel like anything special!" The black-robed man, You Bin, fiddled with the pistol in his hand.

The black-robed man had never seen a pistol before. He turned it over and over but couldn’t make heads or tails of it. He couldn’t help but frown. "This black lump feels fragile. I could probably crush it with a light squeeze. How can this be considered a treasure?"

"Haha, this is called a pistol, and it’s very useful. It’s for setting off fireworks as a warning signal. The sound can be heard for dozens of miles around. And just like the lighters I sell in my shop, it’s reusable. Here, let me show you how to use it!" Ye Xing said with a smile.

"Tch! For fireworks? What kind of treasure is a firework!" The black-robed man’s gaze was filled with disdain as he sneered, "You can keep this ’treasure’ for yourself. The profits are still split ninety-ten!" With that, he tossed the pistol back to Ye Xing as if throwing away trash.

Ye Xing caught the pistol, a look of anxiety appearing on his face. "Master You, this pistol really is the best kind of firework. If you’re attacked, you can use it to quickly alert the entire gang. How about I give you this pistol, and we split the profits eighty-twenty?"

"This firework is really useful. Let me give you a demonstration, and you’ll see!" As Ye Xing spoke, he fiddled with the pistol, turning it over and over, before subtly and casually aiming the muzzle at the black-robed man’s heart.

"Hah, my Great River Gang doesn’t lack for fireworks. Even the best ones aren’t of much use," the black-robed man said with a mocking expression, still sneering.

Suddenly—

BANG!

A gunshot rang out abruptly as a bullet burst from the barrel, shooting like a flash of lightning toward the black-robed man’s heart.

’This speed? What a terrifying Hidden Weapon!’

The black-robed man’s expression changed drastically. He hastily circulated his True Qi, trying to dodge. However, Ye Xing was extremely close to him, and with the bullet’s terrifying speed after leaving the barrel, the two-meter distance was covered in an instant.

PFFT!

The bullet left a trail as it tore into the black-robed man’s chest, sending a few drops of blood flying.

The black-robed man, You Bin, collapsed at the sound. The powerful Life Force from his Martial Arts Sixth Realm cultivation kept him from dying instantly. He twitched all over, his eyes filled with utter shock, terror, rage, and unwillingness to accept his fate.

"Fireworks might be useless, but this pistol of mine is something that can take your life. Tell me, does that count as a treasure now?" A cold light glinted in Ye Xing’s eyes.

It could be said that everything Ye Xing had done up to this point was preparation for this one shot. Giving the pistol to the black-robed man, deliberately calling it a firework—it was all to lower the man’s guard. Otherwise, given the black-robed man’s Martial Arts Sixth Realm cultivation, four realms higher than Ye Xing’s, he would have likely dodged the moment Ye Xing even brought out the pistol, long before he could even aim.

It was a matter of life and death; Ye Xing would not have fired so easily without absolute confidence. Fortunately, after his little performance, he had finally found the perfect opportunity to shoot, hitting the black-robed man in a single strike.

"You dared to kill my Demon Beast companion, and you even tried to steal my property? You must have a death wish! If I hadn’t been in a hurry to get home and had gone to the Beast Taming Pavilion first... Heh, what’s a Martial Arts Sixth Realm expert to me? Go to hell!" Ye Xing sneered, raised the pistol, aimed the muzzle at the Great River Gang Leader’s head on the ground, and pulled the trigger without hesitation.

BANG!

The bullet flew out and blasted straight through the head of the black-robed man on the ground, splattering blood and brains everywhere. The terrified and resentful look in the black-robed man’s eyes quickly dimmed, his life completely extinguished. He couldn’t be any more dead.

"That firework... was actually a Hidden Weapon! The... the Gang Leader is dead? What a terrifying Hidden Weapon!"

"This guy is a top-tier Hidden Weapon master! Run!"

The two Great River Gang Squad Leaders, Xue Yong and Hong Hai, looked terrified. They activated their Body Technique and Lightweight Skill and turned to flee toward the Ye Mansion gate at top speed.

Ye Xing’s ’Hidden Weapon’ had truly terrified the two men. With their Martial Arts Third Realm cultivation, they couldn’t even see a shadow of the ’Hidden Weapon’ as it flew. How the hell were they supposed to fight that? Running for their lives was the only thing that mattered.

"If you two take one more step, believe it or not, I can kill you both in a single breath!" Ye Xing shouted in a cold, deep voice.

The Great River Gang Squad Leaders, Xue Yong and Hong Hai, were both at the Martial Arts Third Realm. Although Ye Xing was only at the Martial Arts Second Realm, with the pistol in his hand, the difference in their Cultivation wasn’t that large. He could indeed kill them both in a direct confrontation.

The Great River Gang’s Squad Leaders, Xue Yong and Hong Hai, came to an abrupt halt. They froze, then slowly turned around to face Ye Xing, their expressions anxious and uneasy. They had no doubt about his words. It was no joke; even their Gang Leader, Master You, a Martial Artist of the Sixth Realm, had died to that Hidden Weapon. They stood no chance of escape.

"Do you two want to live, or do you want to die?" Ye Xing asked coolly, a cold glint in his eyes.

"Live! We want to live! Of course we don’t want to die!"

"We want to live! Only an idiot would want to die! You... you’re willing to spare us?"

The Great River Gang Squad Leaders, Xue Yong and Hong Hai, were incredibly anxious. Cold sweat beaded on their foreheads as they asked nervously. Their lives were completely in Ye Xing’s hands; it would be strange if they weren’t nervous.

"Letting you go? That’s impossible, of course."

Hong Hai and Xue Yong’s faces instantly paled.

"However, I happen to be short a few people to run errands. If you two don’t want to die, I suppose I can reluctantly take you in," Ye Xing said. "I’ll give you three breaths’ time to consider." ’After all,’ he thought, ’Xue Yong and Hong Hai are at the Martial Arts Third Realm. They could still be useful.’

"No need to consider! We agree!" Hong Hai and Xue Yong replied hastily.

"You agreed so quickly? You know, siding with me means betraying the Great River Gang. Aren’t you afraid?" Ye Xing asked with a smile.

"We’re not afraid! In our Great River Gang, the Gang Leader was the strongest. Since you even killed our Gang Leader, the others are no match for you at all," Hong Hai and Xue Yong said quickly. "Please don’t kill us! We will serve you with all our hearts!"

"Heh, good!" Ye Xing’s eyes shifted as he said coolly, "Hold out your hands, palms up."

"Palms up?" Xue Yong and Hong Hai exchanged a confused look, but they didn’t dare disobey Ye Xing’s command and immediately held out their hands.

"Listen up. Close your eyes right now and don’t move! If either of you dares to open your eyes, I’ll send you to the afterlife immediately!" Ye Xing said coldly, then took a dark green bottle from his pouch.

He opened the cap, and a strong herbal scent wafted out. Inside were tiny, ink-green insects, each about the size of a grain of rice, squirming slowly.

Ye Xing casually grabbed two of the insects and placed them in the palms of Hong Hai and Xue Yong.