Chapter 277: Chapter 123: Xuanzhen Sect
Outside the county walls, the Yuhe River meandered, its surface shimmering under the moonlight.
A sprawling stronghold stood on the riverbank. Its walls, built from bluestone and logs, towered over ten feet high. Black banners of the River Gang were planted atop them, snapping in the night wind.
This was the headquarters of the River Gang, one of the top factions in Yuhe County. They controlled dozens of miles of waterway, both upstream and downstream, boasted over a thousand members, and held a fearsome reputation in the Jianghu.
Its Gang Leader, Li Tieyun, had mastered his Iron Sand Palm to a sublime degree and was widely recognized as a top-tier expert below the Huajin realm.
Some time ago, he had joined forces with Yang Jing to annihilate the notorious Flying Horse Thieves. Not only had he received a commendation from the authorities, but the River Gang’s prestige had also reached its peak.
In recent days, however, a pall of fear and unease had fallen over the River Gang Stronghold.
The usual ferocity was gone from the members’ faces. They tiptoed about and spoke in hushed voices, as if something terrifying was lurking in the shadows.
Inside the main hall, flickering lamplight cast the agitated shadow of Li Tieyun.
He was a burly man, shirtless at the moment, his bronze skin covered in scars. His brow was knitted tightly as he paced back and forth, his steps thudding against the bluestone floor.
"Gang Leader! Gang Leader—!"
Suddenly, a panicked cry shattered the silence. A gang member scrambled into the hall, his face deathly pale.
Li Tieyun stopped short and barked, "What’s the panic? Is the sky falling?"
The gang member swallowed hard and whispered, "G-Gang Leader... G-Gang Leader He... he’s... dead!"
"What?!" Li Tieyun looked as though he’d been struck by lightning, his expression instantly turning grim.
He had paid a hefty sum to hire He Yun as an ally. He Yun had reached the Dark Energy realm with his Body Technique, the Wind-Following Step, and was now at the Peak of Dark Energy. In terms of speed, he was among the best in all of Yuhe County.
’An expert like that, dead just like that?’
"Where’s the body? Lead the way!" Li Tieyun grabbed the gang member’s arm with enough force to nearly shatter his bones.
The man grimaced in pain but dared not make a sound, quickly leading Li Tieyun toward the rear of the stronghold.
After navigating a few winding paths, they arrived outside a secluded courtyard. A crowd of gang members had already gathered, their faces grim. Torches illuminated the area as brightly as day, the flickering flames casting an eerie glow on their faces.
"The Gang Leader’s here!" someone shouted, and the crowd quickly parted to make way.
Li Tieyun strode into the courtyard, his gaze immediately falling on the ground in the center.
A body lay there. It was He Yun.
His eyes were wide open, his face frozen in a look of incredulous terror. A small, bloody hole pierced his chest, the surrounding cloth soaked in blood. He was long dead.
"Brother He!" Li Tieyun cried out, rushing forward and kneeling. He felt for He Yun’s carotid artery, only to find it ice-cold.
Shock, fury, and guilt churned within him.
He had been the one to invite He Yun, and now that he had been killed within the River Gang Stronghold, the blame was inescapable.
What chilled him to the bone was that He Yun, despite his incredible speed, had been killed in a single blow without even a cry for help. ’Who could have done this?’
The torchlight flickered in the night wind, illuminating Li Tieyun’s grim face.
’He knew that anyone who could kill He Yun so silently was no ordinary person.’
A deeper chill crept up from the soles of his feet, seeming to envelop the entire River Gang Stronghold.
"Gang Leader, what... what should we do?" Vice Gang Leader Ma Chaoyun’s face was pale, his voice trembling. "Dozens of our men have been dying mysteriously every day for the past few days. Now, even an expert with incredible speed like Gang Leader He has been murdered... The killer is hiding in the shadows, appearing and disappearing like a ghost. There’s no way for us to defend against this!"
At his side, the fleshy muscles on Vice Gang Leader Xiang Yongfeng’s face twitched, his eyes filled with a mix of aggression and anxiety. "He’s right, Gang Leader! Vice Gang Leader Wang died a few days ago, and the total number of dead members is nearly two hundred! People are secretly deserting every day. If this goes on any longer, the killer won’t even have to act—the River Gang will just collapse on its own!"
The other chieftains nearby quickly agreed, their gazes all turning to Li Tieyun at once—a mixture of fear, hope, and above all, despair.
At this moment, the master of the River Gang was their only hope.
Li Tieyun’s fists were clenched so tightly his nails nearly dug into his flesh.
’How could he not be tormented? He had run the River Gang for decades. The stronghold walls were sturdy, and the armory held enough heavy crossbows and sharp arrows to arm half the gang. His men were all hardened veterans, seasoned by years of fighting on the waterways. Ordinary bandits or minor factions wouldn’t have stood a chance.’
’Even if a lone Huajin Powerhouse tried to force their way in, they could hold them off for a time using the stronghold’s fortifications and volleys of arrows.’
’But this killer was too strange.’
’They never showed themselves, only picking off isolated members. Every kill was clean and efficient, leaving not a single trace of disturbance.’
’He Yun’s Wind-Following Step was phantom-fast; an ordinary Dark Energy master couldn’t even get near him. Yet he was still killed in a single blow. The killer’s methods were ruthless and precise—far beyond what any common expert could achieve.’
’This kind of killing from the shadows was far more terrifying than any direct assault.’
’You don’t know who the killer is or when they will appear. You can only watch as the people around you fall one by one. That feeling of powerlessness was enough to shatter the strongest will.’
"Everyone, quiet!" Li Tieyun took a deep breath, suppressing the storm raging in his heart. In a low voice, he said, "I’ve already sent for aid from the Jiang Family. Their experts will be here soon. Everyone, remain calm!"
"The Jiang Family?" Ma Chaoyun’s eyes lit up.
Xiang Yongfeng also let out a sigh of relief. "If the Jiang Family is willing to help, then we’ll be fine!"
The Jiang Family was one of the six great families of Yuhe County. Not only did they have two Huajin Powerhouses presiding over the family, but they also had dozens of Dark Energy masters. Their strength was immense.
