Taiyi Dao Fruit

The other big men had initially seen courage arise within when the captain withstood the pressure, but to their surprise, he used the most ruthless tone to utter the most cowardly words; with a twist in his speech, they were at once demoralized.

Even more, he politely left money for the wine and food, completely unlike his usual fierce demeanor when killing and plundering.

So what else could they do?

Of course, they gave in as well.

The big men might have been reckless and foolish, but they absolutely trusted the captain's judgment; since the captain had cowered, they had to endure as well.

"Let's go! Who's afraid?"

"Right! We're leaving!"

The big men put on their raincoats, clamoring as they swarmed out from under the wooden shed, pushed the empty escort cart, and moved forward in the heavy rain. In no time, they vanished from sight amidst the curtain of rain.

Their departure was so prompt that even Luu Wangji, who had come to pressure them, watched in utter amazement.

"Don't be surprised; this is what it's like when you've been around the block," Qi Changsheng commented with an air of nonchalance, "There's a saying in Jianghu, 'Setting out fresh, you feel invincible, but in less than three months, every step becomes a struggle.' When you first set out, you think the world is your oyster, but once you've learned your lessons, you understand what it means to struggle for every inch."

"Those who understand this saying greatly increase their chances of survival. Those who don't, nine out of ten become ghosts in a foreign land."

At this point, Qi Changsheng also showed a sigh of emotion.

Like Jiang Li, he came from a background without any resources as an Outer Disciple, relying solely on completing tasks to earn good deeds for exchange. Because of his research into Artifact Dao, Qi Changsheng needed even more good deeds, and he carried out tasks more often, making his experience in Jianghu second to none.

This time, following Jiang Li out was not only to avoid debt but also to provide Jiang Li with experiential support and keep them from falling into traps.

"Innkeeper, take good care of our horses, bring a pot of clean tea, and serve a few of your specialty dishes."

While calling out his order, Qi Changsheng found a seat further inside.

Once the clean tea and dishes were served, Jiang Li took out a talisman and threw it into the teapot and let the True Qi flow through the dishes. After seeing there were no abnormalities, he said, "It's not poisoned, we can eat."

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As the rain grew heavier, the road became increasingly difficult to navigate, and the men from the Escort Agency had only gone a few miles before they had to stop and seek shelter under a large tree.

"Boss, I've never seen you this weak before. That guy didn't seem that tough," the man who had earlier suggested changing their profession sidled up to the captain, teasing.

"You don't know shit, I was the one who bore the brunt of his presence for you all," the captain cursed. "That kid's Eighth Rank, I'm Eighth Rank too, but obviously, he's not the captain, and yet I am your captain. Use your pig brain to think about whether we could have made a move or not."

The captain then gave the man's head a hard slap, continuing, "Plus, I'm not being weak; I'm just doing what I said. I said I'd slaughter anyone who made a move, and that includes me too!"

"Right, right, right!"

The others burst into laughter.

However, the rain continued to pour down more heavily, as if the celestial river had reversed its flow, pouring all its water down to the human realm.

Soon, the rainwater reached their ankles as it flowed ceaselessly, tainted by the yellow mud, and rushed past turbulently.

"Damn it, there's a severe drought to the north, yet why is the rain so heavy here? If people from the next state knew, they'd be green with envy," the man muttered, "When I get back, I'll have to talk to Little Peach at the Chunman Building about this oddity."

His words again prompted laughter from the group.

However, at that moment, a plain statement cut in like a blade, a sudden icy chill sweeping over everyone's hearts, "You just said, you're from the drought region?"

"Boom!"

A blinding flash of light suddenly pierced through, and before the thunderous sound had even faded, the smell of burning flesh assaulted their noses.

The man who had spoken was struck by the light, his body charred black, emitting plumes of steam, clearly devoid of life.

"Since you're from the drought region, it seems you can't be left alive."

The sound of thunder began to resonate, as if someone was striking the ground repeatedly with a large hammer.

"Thud thud thud—"

"Boom!"

The tree that provided shelter from the rain suddenly split in two, and the thick trunk hurtling towards them sent the men flying through the air, vomiting blood incessantly. They crashed onto the muddy road and couldn't even muster the strength to get up, clearly beyond saving.

The Captain had a premonition and managed to dodge the trunk just in time, narrowly escaping, but the fierce wind still struck his face, causing sharp pain.

"Split up and run!"

The Captain, having avoided the sudden catastrophe, shouted this command without looking back at the others and took off running, leaving behind his last order.

As he sprinted, he couldn't resist looking back and was shocked to see a towering figure, nearly ten feet tall, effortlessly grabbing a man and crushing him to death as an eagle would a chick.

The strength of the Escort Agency's Big Men was one thing, with bodies muscular enough to carry hundreds of pounds, yet compared to this gargantuan figure, they were as powerless as children.

The disparity was just too great.

"Boom!"

Lightning flickered, and the blinding brilliance illuminated the massive figure in yellow robes, the ferocious face marked with yellow patterns, and the Yellow Turban wrapped around the head, all of which sent shivers down the Captain's spine.

"Yellow Turban Powerful Warriors! The Taiping Sect's Yellow Turban Warriors!"

The Captain, eyes bulging and face pale as death, instinctively reversed the flow of his blood and Qi, risking internal injury to push his body to its limits in a desperate flight.

The northern drought! The Yellow Turban Warriors! The Taiping Sect!

Just linking these three terms together was enough to send the Captain's mind into turmoil.

"You've noticed..."

That cutting remark from earlier echoed once more as a figure wrapped in lightning dashed through the rain, catching up to the Captain in a blink and running parallel to him.

"Then you need to die even more."

A murderous intent surfaced in the words as electric snakes shot forth, carving a sorrowful arc through the sky.

"Die!"

The Captain's eyes flared with rage as he furiously swung out his heavy knife, with a burly phantom faintly appearing behind him.

Knife and thunder clashed, lightning sped forth, and thunder roared boisterously, and in an instant—

"Boom!"

The heavy knife shattered, and Thunder Light whitened the Captain's face.

...

"Thunder."

Several miles away in the tavern, Jiang Li gently tapped on the wooden table, "I sensed a dark cloud hanging over the Captain, foretelling a life-and-death crisis, but I never expected his death to come this swiftly."

"The Captain is dead?" Qi Changsheng put down his teacup.

Jiang Li nodded.

'And moreover, he was killed by a Thunder Technique, and this aura of thunder...'

The Karma Collection flipped rapidly, and soon a page from the near past appeared before his eyes.

'It's Law Order! The Taiping Sect's Decree Dao Fruit.'

Jiang Li had already pinpointed the suspect.

But the real question at hand was why the Taiping Sect would target the Escort Agency's people first.

It seemed that they, his own group, were the more likely targets. To kill the Escort Agency men yet alert his own group was thoroughly unwise.