Chapter 236: Above Monsters
“White Feather Gang?”
“Are you sure?”
Hearing this name, Lin Qi was momentarily stunned.
Last midnight, Wu Zhuoqun had contacted him on behalf of the human race senior officials to inform and congratulate him on becoming the fifth Vice City Lord of the City of Light Chasing, so he had commissioned the human race senior officials to investigate which faction was behind the assassination.
After all, being targeted by a major power that could hire the Red Moon Merchant Guild was no small matter. If he did not stay alert, he might not even know how he died when the time came.
Moreover, the most important point was that only by identifying the faction behind the scenes could he deal with it. Otherwise, he would always be on the passive side, with no chance to counterattack at all.
The human race had existed in the City of Light Chasing since its founding. Even though it had declined over the years, its information network in the City of Light Chasing was not something ordinary major powers could compare to. It was far faster than him investigating alone.
It was just that this result truly exceeded his expectations.
In his memory, the White Feather Gang was nothing more than a Wilderness Gang in the City of Light Chasing. Although it later rose aggressively and climbed high in the rankings of Wilderness Gangs, and even once tried to suppress the Obsidian Martial Arts Hall, after he became a martial artist, he had long thrown the White Feather Gang to the back of his mind.
It was hard to imagine that the White Feather Gang, which had only just gained a foothold in the suburbs, could actually afford to hire the Red Moon Merchant Guild. Even if the current Obsidian Martial Arts Hall were sold, it would never be able to come up with that amount of money.
“This can be confirmed.” Wu Zhuoqun nodded, took out a Memory Chip, and handed it to Lin Qi, saying, “All the evidence is in here.”
In fact, when they investigated who had hired the Red Moon Merchant Guild, they also could not believe that a gang that had only just established itself in the suburbs could possibly hire the Red Moon Merchant Guild.
But after multiple investigations and repeated solid evidence, they could confirm it was not fake. After all, there were only a few forces that had grudges with the Obsidian Martial Arts Hall, and among those capable of spending so much wealth at once, whether it was the ape clan or the winged tribe in the City of Light Chasing, or even the three-eyed tribe and the half-scale race, it would be difficult for them to take out such an amount.
With that many Energy Crystals, it would be better to act personally.
By the end of the investigation, there was only one left: the White Feather Gang, which they had excluded from the beginning.
Once they looked into the White Feather Gang, they were shocked. Since establishing itself in the suburbs, the White Feather Gang had become unimaginably wealthy. The various martial artist resources they possessed would make even the families in the city proper envious, and all of these martial artist resources had been delivered into the hands of the White Feather Gang through the channels of the Red Moon Merchant Guild.
Although the Red Moon Merchant Guild operated very covertly, within the City of Light Chasing, there was no faction that could escape the monitoring of the City Guard. It was just that usually they turned a blind eye.
“One thousand five hundred Energy Crystals, Isaac really is rich.” Looking at the evidence in the Memory Chip, Lin Qi could not help but click his tongue in amazement.
The footage showed the Red Moon Merchant Guild secretly handing Isaac one thousand five hundred Energy Crystals. This clearly indicated that Isaac had obtained them through some transaction with the Red Moon Merchant Guild.
“We suspect Isaac sold something to the Red Moon Merchant Guild, and these one thousand five hundred Energy Crystals were only the final payment,” Wu Zhuoqun explained. “A considerable portion should have been used to hire the Red Moon Merchant Guild.”
“With such solid evidence, if I capture Isaac now, that should not be considered a violation of the city’s rules, right?” After finishing all the evidence, Lin Qi could not help but look at Wu Zhuoqun and ask.
“Of course. As the victim, Hall Master Lin, you have full authority to deal with him, and the major cities will not interfere.” Wu Zhuoqun nodded, but his expression turned a bit awkward as he said, “However, after Isaac learned that the assassination failed, he fled the City of Light Chasing at the first opportunity.”
Lin Qi was not surprised by this and asked again, “Do you know where he went?”
When an assassin failed, the Red Moon Merchant Guild would definitely know at once, and informing the employer was only natural. As long as Isaac was not stupid, he should understand he could no longer stay in the City of Light Chasing. After all, Lin Qi was now a Vice City Lord Level expert, and the manpower and resources he could mobilize were far beyond what he had before.
As long as he had time, finding the mastermind within the City of Light Chasing was only a matter of time.
“We do.” Wu Zhuoqun’s expression turned a bit dark. “We even sent people to capture Isaac immediately, but he was one step faster. He is now under the shelter of the Smiling Skull. One of the captains in charge of the pursuit was killed by the Smiling Skull, who declared that the matter ends here and that Isaac is now one of theirs.”
“Smiling Skull? What kind of faction is that, to dare kill members of the Garrison who were carrying out a mission for the City of Light Chasing?” Lin Qi was full of confusion. “Is the Smiling Skull not afraid of the City of Light Chasing’s retaliation?”
Any Garrison members dispatched by a city to carry out a mission represented the will of that city. Especially someone like Isaac, who had openly violated the city’s Iron Rule; for someone to obstruct and kill the pursuers during his capture was a direct slap in the face to the City of Light Chasing. It would be strange if the City of Light Chasing did not retaliate.
And a city’s retaliation was no joke. Even other cities would have to pay a heavy price.
“The Smiling Skull, in our Wushan Region, is listed alongside the Domain City and the Red Moon Merchant Guild as one of the three untouchable existences.” Seeing Lin Qi’s confusion, Wu Zhuoqun explained, “But not many people know this name, because they never operate within the cities of the Wushan Region. They have always entrenched themselves in the Mountain of the Dead.”
“The Mountain of the Dead is a nest of monsters. Even an existence as strong as a City Lord faces a great risk of falling if they enter. Yet this faction, the Smiling Skull, can come and go freely, and they can even smuggle items from the flowing light region on the far side of the Mountain of the Dead. It is said that some of the Red Moon Merchant Guild’s supply channels come from the Smiling Skull.”
“The three untouchable existences of the Wushan Region?” This was the first time Lin Qi had heard of it, and he frowned. “So this means I have no way to deal with Isaac now?”
He had no intention of letting off anyone who had taken part in trying to assassinate him.
If not for his lucky spiritual breakthrough this time, Fred might really have succeeded in assassinating him. After all, he was currently only an Organ Refining Realm Martial Artist, and his physical fitness could not compare to Fred, who was at the Extreme Advanced Level Bone Forging Realm.
Not to mention that Isaac was so rich. A full one thousand five hundred Energy Crystals. If he could get his hands on that, the matter of the Cultivation Tower would be settled outright, and he would even have a large surplus.
“As long as Isaac remains in the Mountain of the Dead, we have no way.” Wu Zhuoqun shook his head. “The strength of the Smiling Skull is extremely terrifying. If not for their wariness of the Domain City, the major cities of our Wushan Region would likely already be living under their shadow.”
“But Hall Master Lin, you do not need to worry. Isaac likely no longer has the means to hire the Red Moon Merchant Guild. The price for the Red Moon Merchant Guild to assassinate a Vice City Lord is something even a City Lord level figure would struggle to pay. Furthermore, Isaac becoming one of the Smiling Skull this time must have cost him dearly.”
“The members recruited by the Smiling Skull are either martial artists trained internally or martial artists with extremely high talent. Ordinary martial artists have no chance of joining. For someone of Isaac’s age to be accepted and sheltered by the Smiling Skull, the price he paid is likely no less than what it cost to hire the Red Moon Merchant Guild to assassinate you.”
“Isaac probably no longer has the financial power to do anything. As for the other members of the White Feather Gang, we have already cleared them out.”
“Alright, I understand.” Lin Qi nodded after hearing this.
Although it was a pity he could not kill Isaac for now, the strength of the Smiling Skull was not something he could shake at the moment. He could only wait patiently until the players grew stronger, and then make his move.
“If you ever need anything in the future, Hall Master Lin, feel free to contact me. Whether it is issues with lord hunting in the wilderness or manpower needed for the construction of Chiyue Town, we can help.” Wu Zhuoqun said.
“The construction of Chiyue Town indeed requires many people, but what our Obsidian Martial Arts Hall most wants right now is to increase the number of martial arts hall disciples. Could I trouble you to help promote us in the various cities and towns?” Looking at Wu Zhuoqun, who was eager to help, Lin Qi understood that this was the human race senior officials of the City of Light Chasing extending goodwill, and he did not intend to refuse.
For now, if he wanted to grow quickly, the humans of the City of Light Chasing were definitely one of his greatest supports. After all, there were gaps and tensions between the various races of this world, and none of them wanted other races to climb higher.
At this time, he had become a Vice City Lord of the City of Light Chasing. Although many family disciples from all races in the city had joined, those who entered the Obsidian Martial Arts Hall were merely the discarded children of those families. They would never let their truly outstanding disciples join the Obsidian Martial Arts Hall.
A group like this might not have much trouble becoming martial artists, but becoming Bone Forging Realm Experts would be difficult. Even with the hall’s resources, the number of those who could reach the Bone Forging Realm would be very small, let alone become his future support.
In contrast, the human side was different. They had sent over talented individuals almost immediately. With the backing of the hall’s resources, the number of future Bone Forging Realm Experts they could produce would definitely not be small.
Only with a large number of Bone Forging Realm Experts would he be able to guard the various resources occupied and plundered by the players. Otherwise, with only a limited number of players, there was no way to defend the vast resources needed to cultivate them.
However, the human population in the City of Light Chasing alone was still far too small. To raise his administrator permissions to Level Three, he needed one million martial arts hall disciples. Even if he recruited all the somewhat talented humans in the City of Light Chasing, reaching one hundred thousand would already be good, let alone one million.
To achieve this, he could only recruit from other cities and towns.
“No problem. I will go back and prepare right away. In just a few days, the news that the Obsidian Martial Arts Hall is recruiting will spread throughout all the major cities and towns of the Wushan Region.” Wu Zhuoqun’s eyes lit up.
He had not expected Lin Qi to have such ambition, not only wanting to recruit people from the City of Light Chasing, but also from other cities and towns. Leaving aside the resources required, just the effort of cultivating all these people was something that no Top-tier Bone Forging Realm or Vice City Lord in the entire City of Light Chasing would be willing to undertake. Most of them focused solely on their own cultivation.
Someone like his teacher, Liu Tianzong, who was willing to spend considerable effort cultivating a few disciples and guiding some promising newcomers, was already very rare.
Behavior like Lin Qi’s was almost unimaginable.
If this really came to pass, then the rise of their human race was truly in sight.
As the hall master of the Obsidian Martial Arts Hall, Lin Qi had now become the representative of the human race in the City of Light Chasing. The stronger the Obsidian Martial Arts Hall grew, the greater the discourse power and status of the human race in the City of Light Chasing would become.
As soon as Wu Zhuoqun finished speaking, he left the lounge with Lin Yan without another word, clearly very excited by this proposal and eager to round up talents from all the major cities.
Shortly after Wu Zhuoqun left, Lin Qi, wearing Fred’s Tier 2 Battle Armor, quietly headed alone straight for the stronghold of the White Feather Gang.
Isaac had originally been nothing more than a gang leader of an ordinary Wilderness Gang, with no backing behind him.
Now that Lin Qi had already become a Bone Forging Realm Expert, Isaac still dared to target him and even spent so many Energy Crystals. There was only one possible reason for such an action.
Lin Qi must possess something that Isaac wanted, something that required him dead.
Back in Crimson Moon Mountain, Lin Qi had already realized that the White Feather Gang must have taken something from deep underground there. But in his view, whatever it was, it could not be more important than a Small Energy Vein.
But now, it all made sense.
The real treasure beneath Crimson Moon Mountain was not the Small Energy Vein at all. That Small Energy Vein was not even worth mentioning.
From Isaac’s transaction with the Red Moon Merchant Guild alone, it was clear this was a fortune beyond imagination.
If Isaac had hidden these things securely, there would have been no need to have Lin Qi killed. He could have simply gone elsewhere to lie low and develop. The only reason he did not do so was that he could not.
And with the players occupying the White Feather Gang’s stronghold first and Isaac attempting to assassinate Lin Qi immediately after, the answer was self-evident.
The things Isaac had hidden were in the White Feather Gang’s stronghold.
Lin Qi did not dare let anyone else know about what Isaac had hidden. The items Isaac sold to the Red Moon Merchant Guild were already of unimaginable value. If others learned of what he had stashed away, then even as a Vice City Lord of the City of Light Chasing, Lin Qi might not be able to keep it safe and might even lose his life over it.
So he did not plan to tell anyone. Going alone was the best choice.
White Feather Gang stronghold.
With Lin Qi’s arrival, the players mining Energy Ore in the White Feather Gang stronghold were not surprised at all, just as if he were simply appearing at the mine vein in Crimson Moon Mountain as usual for plot reasons, supervising to boost his presence. One by one, they continued mining quietly, afraid that others would get more Energy Ore than them.
The most nervous of all was Yi Ye Fu Yun, who was leading the team.
“The hall master coming here, he is not planning to calculate how much ore we have skimmed off, is he?” Yi Ye Fu Yun watched the wandering Lin Qi inside the cave, extremely nervous.
They were not yet core disciples and did not have permission to establish a stronghold at the White Feather Gang’s location, yet they had sent people here to mine in bulk. This was clearly exploiting a loophole in the system, allowing them to avoid handing over 50 percent of the Energy Ore to the martial arts hall.
“That is definitely possible. Maybe the devs noticed this loophole and had the hall master come personally to check things out. It might be like the Mithril Ore vein I discovered before and get directly confiscated.” Fang Zhen, at his side, also watched Lin Qi carefully and suggested, “I think we should call more people over and offer them a higher commission. While we can still mine, we should dig as much as we can. If it gets confiscated, we won’t get anything later.”
“Alright, I will head back and call more people over now.” Yi Ye Fu Yun nodded and hurried into action.
After Lin Qi carefully inspected the entire cave, he initially thought he had guessed wrong.
Until a player digging into the rock wall suddenly let out a terrified scream that echoed through the whole cave, and Lin Qi rushed over immediately.
Inside the newly broken rock wall of that tunnel lay a player foaming at the mouth. Within the rock wall there was a small hollow space, inside which stood a transparent container about as tall as a person.
At this moment, a crack had appeared in the transparent container, and just from that crack alone, the spiritual pressure and qi and blood leaking out had directly killed the player.
Even when Lin Qi got within fifty meters of the container, an unprecedented sense of fear arose in his heart.
“What is going on?”
Looking at the humanoid arm segment stored within the transparent container, Lin Qi was completely shocked.
That arm segment was clearly withered to the extreme, its cells utterly dead, nothing more than a true corpse part, yet he could clearly feel a suppression of his Life Level coming from it. It was simply unimaginable what kind of lifeform this had belonged to.
He had to know that even if a high-level lord stood before him now, he would not feel fear. Yet in this moment, he felt fear from a severed arm. It was beyond belief.
(The chapter ends here.)
