Chapter 51: The Assassin in the Black Market
Everyone said the black market outside the city is very dangerous, but Lin Jiang didn't believe it before.
But now Lin Jiang believes it, and he doesn't know if it's too late.
The moment he saw the corpse, Lin Jiang took a big step back, and then the guards of the black market appeared.
"Uncle Tao, it's Uncle Tao."
"Who killed Uncle Tao?"
"It's you."
A group of people saw Lin Jiang and immediately surrounded him.
"Friend, you may be very sad right now, but please don't accuse me without evidence. How can someone at my level of cultivation, in the Qi Refining Period, kill your esteemed sect's Building Foundation Period Martial Uncle?"
"Qi Refining Period？"
In an instant, more than ten divine consciousnesses locked onto Lin Jiang, confirming that he was indeed in the Qi Refining Period. The group of people became puzzled.
"Boom!"
Just at that moment, a loud noise came from the black market, followed by the sound of battle.
"The murderer is here. Pursue and apprehend!"
A deep voice sounded, and the faces of the surrounding guards changed dramatically. They quickly rushed towards the depths of the black market.
This disturbance was very significant. People had already started to run out. Lin Jiang also followed suit. Some wanted to dash out of Sanjiang Estuary, but at that moment, the formation was tightly closed, not allowing anyone to leave, lest the murderer escape as well.
Lin Jiang had anticipated this outcome early on, so he went straight back to the inn. By now, the inn was also on high alert, and everyone entering or leaving had to confirm their identities.
None of the guests who returned from the black market went back to their rooms. Instead, they gathered in the lobby of the inn, discussing the events that had just happened. There were various opinions and discussions.
Someone said it was a troublemaker sent by a competitor, while others said it was an enemy seeking revenge, and some even said it was a hired assassin from an assassin organization.
Amidst the various discussions, more and more people returned to the inn. Lin Jiang looked up and was surprised to see their neighbor here too.
She also saw Lin Jiang, but didn't say much. She went straight upstairs. Many people were going upstairs at this time, and Lin Jiang followed suit.
Coincidentally, they met again. Lin Jiang couldn't help but whisper to her, "Run quickly! The people at the inn are going to report you."
Upon hearing Lin Jiang's whisper, she suddenly stopped and turned around, staring coldly at Lin Jiang. Lin Jiang pointed at her sleeve. "Silly girl, your sleeve is still stained with blood. It was seen long ago. Haven't you seen the inn staff sneaking away?"
"Boom!"
In the next moment, the neighbor suddenly soared into the sky, smashing through the roof of the inn, alarming a large group of people.
Lin Jiang almost burst out cursing. "I kindly tried to help you, and you go and break the roof. How are we going to sleep tonight?"
"Where are they? Where are they?"
The innkeeper brought a few people with him. They were all guards from Sanjiang Estuary.
"Excuse me, where is everyone?"
"Just look at the roof and you'll see, innkeeper. How am I supposed to sleep tonight?"
Lin Jiang pointed at the roof and then at his room. Half of the roof was gone. How can I sleep at all tonight?
"Please don't bother me, taoist friend. Just give me another room."
The innkeeper said, as sounds of fighting could be heard outside the inn. Everyone inside the inn felt as if they were facing a great enemy. No one would be able to sleep peacefully tonight.
Lin Jiang felt the same way, even if he changed rooms. Who would dare to sleep soundly? No one knew what was happening outside. If trouble knocked at the door, no one would survive.
They endured the night like this. Early the next morning, many cultivators fled Sanjiang Estuary. No one could stop them. Sanjiang Estuary had no choice but to let them go. They still had to do business in the future and couldn't afford to offend people too much.
As Lin Jiang and his group returned to Yunzhong City, news of the attack on Sanjiang Estuary spread. By the afternoon, Lin Jiang learned some details about the previous night.
Last night, Sanjiang Estuary was attacked by a group of assassins called Dark Night. This assassin group was formed only in the past two hundred years and has done many cases before, but most of them were against individuals, especially independent cultivators, so they were not very famous.
Last night was their moment of fame. They didn't just kill the dead person Lin Jiang saw in Sanjiang Estuary, they assassinated a total of five people – one at the golden core stage and four at the building foundation period. Afterwards, they were discovered by the people at Sanjiang Estuary and fought for over two hours before successfully escaping.
Sanjiang Estuary is one of the most powerful towns outside the city. After the events of last night, it has been greatly weakened and suffered significant damages, causing a huge impact.
Even Yunzhong City has been alarmed now. The Dark Night Organization has been listed as a must-kill bounty on the wanted list, with over thirty exposed assassins, ranging from Qi Refining, Building Foundation, to Golden Core stages.
"This is just my luck! I rarely leave the city, and the one time I do, I encounter such trouble. I won't go out anymore in the future."
After returning to Yunzhong City, Lin Jiang was subjected to questioning, which made him very angry. His luck seemed to be off, so he decided to stay low in the city for now. Survival is the top priority.
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"Wait a moment."
On this day, when Lin Jiang came back from the large market, he heard a deep voice at the door. He turned around and saw that his neighbor had returned.
"Do you have something to tell me?"
"Thank you for everything that day."
"No need, we are neighbors."
Lin Jiang tried to smile. Being neighbors wasn't important, what mattered was that she had the ability to build foundations. Lin Jiang thought it would be better to know a few friends who could build foundations, to expand his circle of friends.
"I don't owe you anything, what do you want?"
"What do you mean?"
"Techniques, secrets, medicine, valuable stones. Just name it."
"Is it necessary to be so distant? You owe me a favor, can't I ask for your help in the future?"
"That can work too. Take this talisman with you. If you need me to do something, activate the talisman and I will come to your house. Then I can help you with something not too extreme, like perhaps taking care of someone."
"Thank you very much."
Lin Jiang took the magical charm. It was a special kind of charm that could assist him. He also knew how to draw it.
"Oh, I don't even know your name yet."
After the neighbor gave Lin Jiang the magical charm, they turned around to leave. Lin Jiang quickly spoke up.
The neighbor paused and then said, "My name is Zhang Ruifang."
When Lin Jiang heard this name, he was amazed. Finally, he remembered. Zhang Ruifang was Zhang Ruifeng's sister, the talkative one.
Lin Jiang tried hard to recall the details of his interactions with Zhang Ruifang, but he realized that they didn't have much history together. Despite being neighbors for many years, Zhang Ruifang was very quiet. Lin Jiang only remembered inviting her to eat snacks from the big marketplace and they rarely spoke to each other. They probably didn't exchange more than ten sentences in a year.
On the other hand, he had many conversations with her brother Zhang Ruifeng.
"What happened to the Zhang family? Weren't they prosperous? How did Zhang Ruifang become an assassin?"
Lin Jiang returned home and thought about this matter. He remembered that many people in the Zhang family were disciples of the Zhonghang Sect. Even if they were outer disciples, their foundations were stronger than those of independent cultivators like him.
However, being an assassin is not a good profession in the cultivation world. The major sects and families despise it and almost always eradicate assassin organizations. So, it is certain that something has happened to the Zhang family.
"Should I go back and take a look?"
"No, I can't go back. Since I have severed all ties with my previous identity as Lin Jiang, I can't go back. Zhang Ruifang is already suspicious that I am the previous Lin Jiang. If I go back and she sees me, it might expose the secret. We are not related or close in any way."
Lin Jiang quickly dismissed the idea of going back to take a look. He and Zhang Ruifang are not related or close, they are just ordinary neighbors. If the secret is exposed, it could easily lead to trouble. Lin Jiang doesn't want to take that risk.
·······
"Fang'er, how did it go?"
Zhang Ruifang entered the house and a man greeted her, asking softly.
"I gave him a communication talisman and owe him a favor. I'll repay him in the future."
"I mean, are you sure he is the Jiang Lin from back then?"
"No, it should not be him."
"But I have a feeling that I won't be wrong."
"Even if it is him, so what? Everyone has their own secrets. He didn't bully your mother back then, on the contrary, he helped her a lot. You should be grateful instead of wanting to kill him."
Zhang Ruifang looked at the man in front of her and said, "This man is called Cao Yang. He is her husband and the person who guided her into the organization. He also has another identity, he is the son of Liu Bai Xue who used to sell goods at South City Market."
"I never thought of killing him. I just want to know his secret. Someone who can live in Yunzhong City for so many years must be very wealthy, Fang Er. We need money, we need resources, so that we can become stronger and seek revenge for my mother and your brother."
"I will seek revenge for my brother myself, you don't need to worry."
"It's difficult. In the Battle of Sanjiang Estuary, the organization was fully exposed. Many high-ranking members were killed, and both the Zhonghang Sect and the Cloud Sword Sect made their moves. The organization wants us to stay silent and hidden. In the upcoming years, we won't be able to make any money or continue our cultivation. What are we going to do about our revenge?"
Cao Yang said. In the Battle of Sanjiang Estuary, the Dark Night Organization suffered heavy losses. The losses were not caused by the battle itself, but by the Zhonghang Sect and the Cloud Sword Sect attacking from behind. Many of our high-ranking members were also killed. The organization has been severely crippled and has become a thorn in the eyes of both sects. They have decided to go into hiding and will not do any business for several years. They have lost their biggest source of wealth.
"Cao Yang, I don't want you to be a person who ignores right and wrong for the sake of hatred. Jiang Lin took care of your mother a lot back then. Even if he is just the neighbor, you shouldn't lay a hand on him."
Zhang Ruifang looked at Cao Yang and spoke seriously. Cao Yang knew that Zhang Ruifang was serious, so he stopped talking about this for now.
"Fine, fine, let's not mess with him anymore. But tell me, how did Jiang Lin help my mother back then?"
"Hmm, back then..."
Zhang Ruifang nodded and told the story. The years at South City Market were her happiest moments. With her brother by her side, everything was peaceful at home. They would do some small business every day and earn money. Life was simple yet fulfilling.
Even that brother Jiang Lin, who seemed unfriendly, was kind to her. He bought her many delicious treats. At that time, their family had a low income, and her brother couldn't bear to buy snacks. It was that brother Jiang Lin who bought them for her.
The little details of life, perhaps forgotten by others, but she remembered them clearly. She would never forget them in her lifetime.
