Chapter 41: Chapter 41: Ruthless and Merciless

Little Liang Mountain

The assassins of Tingyu Tower have returned, bringing along an Array Master aide.

Array Master Shang Boxiang gazed at the formation on Little Liang Mountain, his brows furrowed.

“Fellow Daoist Yan, something’s wrong with the array! The patterns inside are complicated, with the airflow overturning unpredictably. It doesn’t resemble an Illusion Array, but rather a Killing Array, extremely hazardous. I can’t break this array.” Array Master Shang Boxiang observed for a long while, then helplessly looked at Yan Zongli, apologetically stating.

“It seems the array has been changed, this kid is not easy to deal with!” Yan Zongli said darkly, his face gloomy.

Yan Zongli regretted taking this task; he initially thought dealing with a Qi Refining Seventh Layer servant disciple would be easy. Who knew this guy was a formidable Array Master, tripping them up the first time, forcing him to use a precious Tier Two Spirit Talisman to escape the Illusion Array.

This time, Yan Zongli went all-out, bringing in an Array Master to assist, thinking they could break the array and complete their assassination task.

Who knew!

The person on the mountain was too cautious, having enhanced the array with a more powerful Killing Array, now holed up in Little Liang Mountain, refusing to come out!

Yan Zongli was truly at a loss!

“Fellow Daoist Yan, what’s your plan next? Do you intend to abandon the task?” Array Master Shang Boxiang looked at Yan Zongli, curiously asking.

“I can’t cancel! The employer paid a hefty sum of Spirit Stones, this task must be completed, we’ll just have to continue watching! I refuse to believe he can stay cooped up on the mountain forever!” Yan Zongli gritted his teeth, looking towards Little Liang Mountain.

Array Master Shang Boxiang fell into silence, unsure of how to persuade him.

Tingyu Tower has always valued its reputation; once a task is accepted, it must be completed. Moreover, the employer paid a large sum of Spirit Stones for it, this task must go through no matter what.

Unless encountering a formidable character that Tingyu Tower couldn’t afford to provoke, like an expert capable of challenging across domains or someone with a powerful background enough to overturn Tingyu Tower, only then would Tingyu Tower cease actions.

“Fellow Daoist Shang, from now on, I’ll be watching here, not attempting the array! Thank you for your assistance! Let’s talk sometime soon.” Yan Zongli said, clasping his hands in thanks toward Array Master Shang Boxiang.

Array Master Shang Boxiang knowingly nodded, rose, and left via Sword Control.

Compared to forceful slaying, waiting in ambush is much more laborious. If the target doesn’t emerge, one must keep watching.

Yan Zongli’s task, no one knows when it’ll be completed, Array Master Shang Boxiang naturally wouldn’t stay with him to wait.

…

Time passed quickly; fifteen days went by.

Yan Zongli hid near Little Liang Mountain, awaiting eagerly, staring intently, yet never once spotting the target, nor witnessing any changes in the array.

Just then, a battered figure walked out from the array.

Yan Zongli perked up, quickly pursuing.

That man appeared to be around forty in bone age, donned in black, of sturdy build, with a face full of beard, looked nothing like the target.

However, Yan Zongli had been waiting in bitterness at the foot of Little Liang Mountain for so long, at one point suspecting the target wasn’t on the mountain after all. He desperately craved intelligence from the mountain, with no hesitation at all, lunged forward to capture alive.

“Who!” Pang Zhixiong was startled out of his wits, countering with a swing of his fist.

Before his eyes, a cloud of white powder blurred his vision.

“Despicable!” Pang Zhixiong felt a sharp impact on his forehead, stars flashing before his eyes, and promptly blacked out.

By the time Pang Zhixiong awoke again, his hands and feet were already bound to a tree trunk. An old man with a vulture-like face was casting a gloomy glance at him, his weapons and storage bag had all been taken away, placed to one side.

“Answer my questions; if there’s even a hint of deceit, I’ll end you!” Yan Zongli toyed with a sharp dagger in his hand, gazing coldly at Pang Zhixiong’s lower body.

“I’ll talk, I’ll talk, whatever questions you ask, I won’t dare to conceal anything.” Pang Shixiong tightened his sphincter, nodding fervently like pounding garlic.

“Who are you? How did you get to Little Liang Mountain, and what’s going on up there?” Yan Zongli directly cut to the point.

“I am Pang Zhixiong, a member of the Profound Wolf Gang. Together with two other brothers, we were entrusted by a Qing Xuan Sect disciple, Lin Qiu Hai, to deal with a servant disciple on Little Liang Mountain. Who knew there was an Illusion Array set up there, trapping the three of us inside for over ten days. I don’t know much about the situation on the mountain!” Concerned as it was about his future happiness, Pang Shixiong dared not conceal, truthfully explaining.

Yan Zongli slightly frowned, believing Pang Shixiong’s words. According to the intelligence provided by the employer, before seeking Tingyu Tower, he tried resolve through the Profound Wolf Gang first. Unable to resolve, he then commissioned Tingyu Tower.

It turned out the three fools from Profound Wolf Gang had been trapped in the Illusion Array all along.

“How did you escape? What about the other two?” Yan Zongli continued probing.

“I was let out by him, he asked me to go buy a hundred sheets of Talisman Paper and send it up the mountain; otherwise, my two brothers would be trapped in the array forever.” Pang Shixiong said, utterly aggrieved, complaining with tearless eyes.

Too miserable!

They had been trapped in the Illusion Array for a full fifteen days, exposed to the elements, hungry and thirsty, enduring hardships.

Now, finally having a chance at freedom, they weren’t even off the mountain yet when a despicable old man ambushed them, truly unlucky.

“Senior, please let me go! If I don’t buy the Talisman Paper up there, my two brothers surely won’t survive!” Pang Shixiong tearfully implored Yan Zongli, pleading earnestly.

A man spills blood but not tears, full of chivalry. For the lives of his two brothers, Pang Shixiong couldn’t help but shed tears, begging Yan Zongli for leniency.

Yan Zongli was unmoved, frowning as he asked, “He only asked you to buy Talisman Paper, nothing else?”

“That’s right! I asked him, and he said he had enough food and drink and lacked nothing. He wants all this Talisman Paper, seemingly to learn Talisman Painting!” Pang Shixiong quickly replied.

Upon hearing this, Yan Zongli was deeply frustrated!

Having watched the mountain for fifteen days, that godforsaken brat’s vigilance was truly formidable!

Even with needs, he refused to come down the mountain and would rather have someone buy it.

It seemed he wouldn’t easily descend the mountain!

“Senior, you’re also after the person up there, right? Why don’t we cooperate! Save my two brothers, and we’ll flatten Little Liang Mountain together.” Pang Shixiong detected Yan Zongli’s intent and quickly proposed.

Yan Zongli shot Pang Shixiong a cold glance, no way would he cooperate with three fools!

Want to buy Talisman Paper? No way would Yan Zongli let him succeed!

As Pang Shixiong was about to say more, Yan Zongli swung forward, his dagger smoothly piercing Pang Shixiong’s heart.

Pang Shixiong’s eyes bulged wide, full of disbelief, fixating on Yan Zongli, unable to believe he just died at the hands of this man.

After disposing of Pang Shixiong, Yan Zongli pulled out the blood-stained dagger, wiping it clean on him, then turned to leave.

Moments later, a Puppet Spider in the bushes twitched slightly, Li Mu disengaged the Divine Sense attaching from the Sentry Spider, observing the entire scene with clarity.

Unexpectedly, the old man was that vicious and ruthless, killing as if slaughtering chickens, his face void of any emotional changes, shocking Li Mu greatly.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep