Cultivation System: Stronger with Age
Chapter 48 - 43 Flying Thief Clues, Zhang Wu’s Wedding Banquet

Chapter 48: Chapter 43 Flying Thief Clues, Zhang Wu’s Wedding Banquet

Several hours later, as the sun set over the western hills, Lin Xuankong, known for his exceptional stamina, stood at the entrance of Sishui Street.

He glanced at the Black Tiger Gang banners hanging from storefronts along Sishui Street. I’ve searched most of Great Marsh Prefecture City; now, only the Black Tiger Gang’s territory remains unchecked! The search radius of the Manluo Demon Pearl is six miles. Its search efficiency far surpassed that of a Dragon Blood Dog. It was comparable to deploying dozens, even hundreds, of Dragon Blood Dogs, or tens of thousands of people searching at once! If Great Marsh Prefecture City weren’t a major city in the Great Xia Dynasty—second only to the Capital City Liang City and with a geographical area comparable to a first-tier city from his previous life—he would have finished searching long ago! The only thing that seemed to limit the Manluo Demon Pearl’s search speed was Lin Xuankong’s own running speed!

「Two cups of tea later, the moon hung over the willow tips.」

Lin Xuankong, wearing a bamboo hat and swiftly moving through Black Tiger Gang territory, stopped at a corner of the Qingshui Street junction, his right hand reaching for the Manluo Demon Pearl in his bosom. This was already one of the last remaining areas of the Black Tiger Gang’s territory.

Lin Xuankong looked at the moon above the wooden building beside him. If the Manluo Demon Pearl doesn’t react in the central areas of these territories, there’s only one possibility: the two Flying Thieves aren’t in Great Marsh Prefecture City. But I can only search the Outer City during the daytime tomorrow! The Outer City is, after all, fraught with danger. Although there are no demons near the twenty-nine towns of the Yin Talisman Sect, the Outer City territories of other sects and prominent families harbor demons to varying degrees. Venturing out alone at night, in the pitch dark, I might stumble into the hunting grounds of some powerful demons...

As he mulled this over, he quietly infused some Qi Blood into the Demon Pearl. To his surprise, the Manluo Demon Pearl suddenly reacted: fine Demon Grass sprouted from it, pointing west.

A flicker in Lin Xuankong’s eyes, and he quickly slipped the Wandering Dragon Exorcism Hand onto his right hand before leaping towards the direction indicated by the Demon Pearl.

Although Great Marsh Prefecture City had no curfew at night, it was still a feudal era. Aside from some brothels and pleasure houses, most commoners went to bed early, engaging in their sole form of nighttime entertainment!

At this hour, the streets were almost deserted. Lin Xuankong dashed along the bluestone road, his speed extreme. In just over ten breaths, he arrived near a wooden building with a spacious backyard.

Suddenly, a cacophony of sounds drifted from the distance.

Lin Xuankong looked in that direction. At the end of the street, a large mansion was brightly lit, from which came continuous shouts of a drinking game: "Six, six, six, eight horses...!" People were clearly toasting and drinking.

Large red lanterns bearing the word ’Happiness’ hung at the mansion’s main gate, where two sentinels were drinking. It looks like a celebration, Lin Xuankong mused. Probably some bigwig or a Steward from the Black Tiger Gang is marrying a new wife or concubine!

Retracting his gaze, Lin Xuankong focused on the wooden building indicated by the Manluo Demon Pearl.

He was somewhat puzzled. Normally, if the Flying Thieves were here, the Manluo Demon Pearl should have immediately extended to bind them! Yet now, the Manluo Demon Pearl’s tendrils merely swayed, not rapidly extending... Could it be that the two Flying Thieves had resided here for an extended period, leaving behind a strong residual aura, thus causing the Demon Pearl to indicate this location?

But since he had arrived, he had to take a look!

Lin Xuankong silently circulated his Qi Blood, enveloping his entire body in a protective layer, then vaulted noiselessly into the courtyard.

When he silently slipped through a rear window onto the first floor of the wooden building, the distinct stench of blood assailed his nostrils!

Lin Xuankong immediately became alert.

While circulating Qi Blood to protect himself, he held both the Manluo Demon Pearl and the Twin Vine Demon Pearl in his right hand and six steel balls in his left. Then, he proceeded towards the bedroom from which the bloody smell emanated.

A few breaths later, Lin Xuankong stood by the wooden bed in the bedroom, his face cold as he surveyed the scene.

Beside the bed lay a young, robust man, his eyes wide open in an unseeing stare. He was bound securely with hemp ropes, his mouth gagged with a large wad of dirty cloth.

On the wooden bed, towards which the dead man’s face was turned, lay a completely naked woman. Her body was in a terrible state, and a wound nearly severed her neck, which was surrounded by viscous blood. Numerous flies buzzed around the two corpses.

Lin Xuankong frowned at the sight for a few moments, then exited the bedroom and cautiously proceeded to the second floor.

Upon reaching the second floor, he spotted two sets of black night-prowler suits tossed onto a wooden bed. He slowed his movements and searched meticulously, eventually finding a white Forehead Scale wedged in a gap between the floorboards!

Picking up the Marsh Python Forehead Scale, Lin Xuankong frowned. It seems I arrived a step too late! The two Flying Thieves must have returned here briefly after looting the third warehouse, then hastily left with their spoils, even leaving a Forehead Scale behind in their rush. Considering my earlier searches, those ferocious and brutal Flying Thieves must have already left Great Marsh Prefecture City. I just don’t know which part of the Outer City they’ve fled to! However, based on the estimated time of the couple’s death in the wooden building, the thieves shouldn’t have left too long ago. If I search the Outer City tomorrow, I can definitely catch them, seize the stolen goods, and become the first to complete the Silver Jade Honor Task!

Leaping out of the wooden building, Lin Xuankong’s mood grew heavier as he thought of the couple’s tragic deaths. In this world where martial prowess reigns supreme, the lives of ordinary folk are as insignificant as grass, snuffed out so miserably and degradingly!

He couldn’t help but recall his own past. Back then, if not for the Young Lady’s help when I confronted Zhang Wu, Ma Xiong, Wang Qiluo, and the others, my death would likely have been no better than this couple’s, perhaps even more wretched!

He turned, crushed the iron lock on the wooden building’s main door with his hand, and pushed the door open. Hopefully, some neighbors will discover this tragically deceased couple tomorrow, ensuring they don’t remain unburied!

Shaking his head, he started walking towards the end of the street. But after just a couple of steps, he abruptly halted, his gaze turning frigid as he looked towards the two Black Tiger Gang sentinels at the street entrance.

At that moment, one of the heavily intoxicated Gang Members was saying cheerfully, "Old Qi, do you think Vice Steward Zhang is targeting the Zhuo Family for their Divine Protection Elixir, or for that Zhuo Yunbing?"

Old Qi chuckled. "The Divine Protection Elixir isn’t sold exclusively by the Zhuo Family... So, of course, the boss is after that delicate little beauty!"

"That’s true. But that Zhuo Yunbing wench is quite resilient; she’s escaped twice! Still, after tonight, once the boss has had his way with her... she probably won’t want to run anymore, HEH HEH HEH!"

Standing in the distance, Lin Xuankong’s face turned icy. Zhang Wu, that filthy degenerate! A leopard truly can’t change its spots!

Recalling his past days, lived constantly on edge due to Zhang Wu’s machinations, the vicious pursuit and disdain from Ma Xiong, and the disgusting plots and vile expressions of Wang Po, a wave of hatred surged through Lin Xuankong.

For the past ten-odd days, while I’ve been away in the Outer City on tasks, that filthy degenerate has been living it up! Now that I’ve nearly reached Perfection in the Second Layer, and I’m right at his doorstep, how can I allow this degenerate to continue his revelry, day after day, constantly taking new brides!

With this thought, Lin Xuankong put on his bamboo hat, retrieved a mask from his bosom, and secured it to his face. He then leaped onto the roof of the wooden building and began to traverse the rooftops, moving swiftly.

Soon after, he stood on the courtyard wall of Zhang Wu’s mansion with three courtyards.

The courtyard teemed with Black Tiger Gang Members, making utter fools of themselves in their drunkenness, but Zhang Wu was nowhere in sight. Lin Xuankong scanned the area, then silently drifted down, landing before the window of the bridal chamber, which glowed with the light of red candles.

Moistening his finger with saliva, he gently poked a hole in the window paper and peered inside.

Through the flickering red candlelight, he saw a beautiful woman in bridal attire. She was bound tightly to the bed with sturdy hemp ropes, struggling to break free. Zhang Wu, his eyes bleary with drink, sat by the bed holding two wine cups.