Now the adventure has begun. After I set off from the place, I found an elderly man in his late years warning me not to stay where I was. He said it was dangerous and that I was still young with a long life ahead, so it was unwise for me to remain in such a place. I thanked him and told him I could handle myself. I asked if he knew of any nearby village or city. He replied that there was a village called Yu Ling Sun about two kilometers and seven hundred meters from here. It's not far and could be reached in fifty minutes on foot, or in fifteen minutes for an average practitioner. I thanked the old man and bid him farewell.
I began my journey, trying to reach the village before sunset, and I managed to arrive in five minutes. I entered a tavern and ordered a glass of cold water. After placing my order, I noticed many eyes were on me—perhaps due to my tattered clothing or maybe because they intended to rob me. I asked a young man sitting nearby if there were any criminals or gangs controlling the village, or even a family or sect. He replied, "Brother, there are two gangs that control the surrounding villages, including this one. They are the Shu Yu Bang and the Hei Jin Bang. They've been at war for a long time, a gang war that claimed hundreds or even thousands of lives. Beyond that, they commit many crimes. Four months ago, they started killing anyone who didn't pay them for lodging—even though they don't legally own the land."
Now I understood why I was being watched—they assumed I was from a wealthy family or a sword expert due to the rare sword on my back. But how could they think that when all my clothes were torn? I left the tavern and looked for a place to stay. I found a small wooden hut, but before I could enter, three men stopped me with their swords raised. They demanded I hand over everything. I told them I had nothing, but they didn't believe me. One of them tried to strike me with his sword, but I didn't give them a chance. I twisted the first one's arm, broke his neck, and took his sword. The other two attacked, but I split their swords in half. I didn't kill them immediately. I asked, "Who are you and who sent you?" One replied while trembling, "We're from the village of Shu Bai Ling. Our squad leader sent us to take your belongings and then kill you. We were going to use your corpse afterward."
I asked again, "What were you going to do with my body?" He answered, "Our leader practices demonic arts. He uses corpses to advance his strength and make pills from melted corpses and sacrificial offerings." I asked, "What are the power levels?" He said, "There are third-rank, second-rank, and first-rank levels—these are the minor realms. Then there are greater realms: Peak Realm, Sword Integration Realm, and Transcendence Realm." I thanked him for answering, but said I couldn't let them live. I raised my sword and in the blink of an eye, cut their bodies into hundreds of pieces, then buried what remained of their corpses far away. It was time to sleep, and I realized I needed to understand more about the realms I must reach.
The next morning, I woke up, put on my robe, and set off to investigate the gang. As I left the village, I saw a cart driven by two people with voices coming from inside. I stood in front of it, pretending to be a traveler. A man at the back of the cart holding a sword looked at me threateningly and said, "Get out of the way." I replied, "I'm just a traveler. Do you have some water? I haven't tasted any in days." He said, "Fine, follow me to the river." I followed him, and as he filled his jar, I grabbed my sword and broke his neck. I hid the body, snuck up behind the driver, broke his hand, and stabbed him. I entered through the back of the cart and found babies and women. I freed them. One woman in her prime said, "Sir warrior, we were enslaved for not paying a fee in the name of protection. If we paid, they'd take a portion of our resources. If we didn't, we were enslaved, sent to brothels, made into servants, or even sacrificed. The children are taken, trained as killers, or adopted by noble families. Thank you for saving us. Without you, we would have met a terrible fate."
Now I understood their scheme—they demand money for protection, take resources, enslave or exploit those who refuse, and mold children into tools. This vile clan must be destroyed—not for justice, but to end this form of colonization. I returned to the same tavern and met the same man as before. He greeted me, "How are you, noble sir?" I replied, "I'm fine, no problems. By the way, are there any families close to or tied to the two gangs?" He said, "Yes, there is one powerful family opposed to them—the Tang family. They're influential and constantly disrupt the gang's plans. The Tang intend to seize a village rumored to have a cave with millennium-old ginseng and rare herbs, but the gang already took it."
I said, "Alright, I have to go. I've got a lot to do." I left and thought of a simple plan: I'll disguise myself as a gang member, kill the clan leader's son, eliminate their fighters, then assassinate the vice leader. When an army loses its leaders, it's like a ship without a rudder—chaotic and directionless. I followed a gang member to a secluded place, launched my first attack, then a second, and brought him down. I took his clothes, hid the body, and joined the group.
I asked one of them if he knew where Sichuan was. He said it was about 1200 meters away. I heard that the young heir of the Tang family was coming here to join the Kun Yun Yong Dang sect—one of the top ten sects. He was accepted as a disciple of an elder due to his incredible talent. After he finished speaking, they began drinking wine. I seized the chance and left.
This was my opportunity. If he was coming today, I needed a way to catch their attention. There were three carriages, and usually, the main one with the prince is in the middle. I had to either disguise myself as a worker or, if not possible, eliminate them silently. I grabbed my sword and climbed a hill to get a view. I saw the three carriages guarded by about sixty-five fighters and noticed twelve people in three groups of four observing from afar—likely spies from the Tang family. My mission was to eliminate the spies, then move on to the guards.
I targeted the first group, which was two hundred meters away from the others. I hid my presence and approached from behind, but they sensed me and surrounded me. One said, "You're agile and hard to track, but your aura gave you away." I didn't let him finish. I split his blade and struck him down. The other two were silenced before they could call for help. I cut off their heads and used my aura to erase their remains—black shards scattered from their bodies before vanishing.
This time, I planned to kill the remaining two groups at once to prevent them from alerting the others. I perfected my stealth, found a way to conceal my presence completely, and attacked while they were drinking wine. In an instant, I beheaded them all and erased the evidence.
Now came the assassination of the young master. But bypassing eighty fighters was nearly impossible, especially since one man at the front emitted a massive aura, sensing even the faintest presence. I devised a plan to move against the wind to avoid being scented, step lightly on the edges, shift direction every thirty steps, and backtrack slightly to hide my traces with branches or scattered plants. One mistake and I'd be caught. I began my movement but tripped over a bird that suddenly flew out. The commander looked my way, but I quickly relocated. Luckily, he didn't see me. I sneaked to the back and hid under a bed.
Eventually, the prince entered and said it was time to sleep. I waited for him to close his eyes, then struck with my sword. But he opened his eyes and began speaking to me telepathically. "If you let me live, I'll reward you and give you what you want. Just remove your sword and I'll signal my guards using telepathy. You should know your situation." I replied, "You won't give me anything. You'll interrogate, kill, enslave, or turn me into a spy. I don't trust you. As for signaling, I can cut the link." He tried to send a signal, but I severed it with my sword.
Shocked, he said, "Impossible. You've reached the Sword Integration Realm?" I replied, "I don't even know my own level, but how come someone as talented as you didn't resist?" He said, "My power is sealed by my master from the Black Dragon Sect. I was supposed to go train in the valley to master the seal." I debated whether to kill him or spare him. If I killed him, the Tang family would hunt me. If I spared him, he might become an ally or a future clan head who could use his influence to wipe out the gang.
I decided not to kill him and instead shared with him the aura technique Kojirou left me. I placed my finger on his forehead and transferred the knowledge. I said, "This isn't free. You'll swear a soul oath. If you break the rules, you'll either die or lose your cultivation." I added, "First, don't reveal my identity. Second, fulfill one request. Third, if you betray or exploit me, I'll kill you, and the contract will finish you first. Fourth, don't speak of anything that happened between us. And lastly, help me destroy the White Phantom and Black Soul gangs."
He smiled faintly and said, "I accept all the conditions and the soul oath. I look forward to working with you." I replied, "Sorry, I must go. I still have plans to bring down the Choi Bai Ling and Hei Bai Ling gangs." Good. I had turned an enemy into an ally. Fate is strange—your enemy can become your friend, and your friend your enemy. There is no peace from joy, and no safety from evil. Life is a storm. Even the smallest shift can change everything. I had to return and establish my residence quickly to destroy the gang from within, while the Tang family crushed them legally by exposing their crimes using the documents hidden in the White Phantom gang's leader's office.