Chapter 297: Chapter 128: Mysterious Token, Celebration After the Calamity
The powerful recovery granted by his Indestructible True Skill, boosted by the Hundred Herbs Spirit Pill, meant that despite his terrifying appearance, he was actually no longer in serious danger.
Just then, the sound of hurried footsteps and a shout came from the distance. "Young Hero Yang! Young Hero Yang!"
It was the voice of the Jiang Family Third Elder.
Yang Jing looked up and saw a figure running toward him at a quick pace. It was indeed the Jiang Family Third Elder.
When he saw the scene in the woods, especially the sight of Yang Jing covered in wounds and looking like a man drenched in blood, he was so startled that he faltered in his steps.
"Young Hero Yang! You’re..." The Third Elder hurried forward, his gaze sweeping over Yang Jing.
Yang Jing waved a hand and pointed at the corpse on the ground. "Don’t worry, Third Elder. I’m fine. They’re just superficial wounds."
Only then did the Third Elder breathe a sigh of relief, his eyes falling on Li Hongyu’s body on the ground.
The corpse’s limbs were twisted, its Dantian had caved in, and its state was gruesome. It was clear the man had suffered a brutal ordeal before dying.
He sucked in a sharp breath and turned to Yang Jing. "This... this is the villain?"
Yang Jing nodded. "That’s him. He admitted that he is Li Hongyu, the second-in-command of the Flying Horse Thieves. He came here for revenge against the River Gang..."
Yang Jing recounted the process of how he had caught up to Li Hongyu, fought him, and ultimately killed him.
As for the sordid details Li Hongyu had revealed before his death about Li Qianxiong and his sister-in-law, Yang Jing didn’t mention a word.
Those Jianghu secrets were too filthy. Revealing them would serve no purpose and only stir up more trouble.
The Third Elder stared at Li Hongyu’s face for a moment, a flash of understanding in his eyes. ’So it really was him! When the Flying Horse Thieves were destroyed, he vanished without a trace. To think he’d break through to the Huajin realm and dare to come back and cause trouble!’
He paused, then looked at Yang Jing, his tone filled with admiration. "It’s all thanks to you, Young Hero Yang. Otherwise, who knows how long this disaster would have continued."
Yang Jing shook his head. "Third Elder, you’re being too modest. I didn’t do this alone. We were only able to kill Li Hongyu because everyone worked together."
"You’re the one who’s too humble," the Jiang Family Third Elder said, looking from the corpse on the ground back to Yang Jing, his eyes filled with astonishment.
’From the moment I heard the explosion until I got here, I was sprinting with all my might. It couldn’t have been more than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, yet Yang Jing has already taken care of Li Hongyu, a Huajin Powerhouse.
Even if Li Hongyu only recently broke through, he was still a Huajin Powerhouse.
Even if it were me, I don’t think I could have done what Yang Jing did.
Besides, Li Hongyu had that exploding hidden weapon. If I had been in his place, I might have been severely injured by it and ended up being killed by Li Hongyu instead.’
The Jiang Family Third Elder looked at Yang Jing. ’To possess such strength at such a young age is truly astonishing.’
He silently raised his assessment of Yang Jing yet another level.
’From the looks of it, Yang Jing’s strength is likely no less than my own, a veteran Huajin master. Given time, who knows how far he’ll go.’
"Let’s go back," Yang Jing said. "We should let Gang Leader Li and the others know that Li Hongyu has been killed, to put their minds at ease."
The Third Elder nodded quickly. "We should. Everyone in the River Gang must be in a state of panic right now. If we drag this out for another two days, even if Li Hongyu doesn’t kill them all, they’ll fall into disarray on their own."
He paused, glanced at the wounds all over Yang Jing’s body, and asked with concern, "Shouldn’t you rest for a bit and tend to your wounds?"
Yang Jing shook his head. "No need. The most important thing is to get back quickly and set everyone’s mind at ease."
"Alright." The Jiang Family Third Elder didn’t press further. He bent down, grabbed Li Hongyu’s corpse, and slung it over his shoulder like a dead dog. "Young Hero Yang, you can focus on recovering on the way. I’ll carry this fiend’s body."
Yang Jing nodded and thanked him.
The two of them headed back toward the River Gang Stronghold side by side.
In the dark of the night, the Jiang Family Third Elder carried the corpse with steady steps, his gaze toward Yang Jing growing ever more respectful.
After realizing Yang Jing’s current level of strength, he had begun to treat him entirely as an equal. His words now carried a hint of trying to win him over and show goodwill. He would occasionally even ask for some insights on cultivating his Body Technique, and Yang Jing, not holding back, would briefly exchange a few pointers.
...
Meanwhile, the River Gang Stronghold was brightly lit. All the gang members had gathered in the central courtyard, the flickering torchlight illuminating their faces.
Murmurs rippled through the crowd, their voices filled with apprehension.
"Do you think Young Hero Yang and the Third Elder can catch up to that killer?"
"It’s hard to say. That fiend is too cunning. The Third Elder chased him before and he still managed to escape."
"I hope they succeed. If this keeps up, I’m really going to lose my mind..."
Li Tieyun, Ma Chaoyun, and Xiang Yongfeng stood before the gates of the River Gang Stronghold, their brows furrowed as they stared intently into the darkness beyond.
Li Tieyun’s palms were slick with sweat, his heart fraught with anxiety.
If the fiend escaped again this time, it would alert him to their plans. He would surely become more cautious, and catching him in the future would be next to impossible.
At that point, the River Gang’s morale would shatter, and he feared they truly wouldn’t be able to hold on.
"Gang Leader, look!"
Ma Chaoyun, standing beside him, suddenly pointed forward, his voice holding a barely perceptible tremble.
Li Tieyun and Xiang Yongfeng snapped their heads up, and all the gang members followed his gesture, looking in the same direction.
Under the anxious gazes of the crowd, a figure slowly began to emerge from the darkness ahead.
The figure’s gait was steady as he approached the stronghold, step by step. He seemed to be carrying something in his hand, which swung gently with his stride.
Li Tieyun narrowed his eyes, trying to get a better look in the faint torchlight from the gates. The figure’s silhouette, his gait... it looked a bit like the Jiang Family Third Elder.
But his heart skipped a beat, and an ominous thought surfaced uncontrollably.
