Tang San led the group cautiously out of the warehouse. As he gazed at the brightly lit buildings in the distance, a flash of ruthlessness crossed his eyes.
Just by looking at these structures, he knew they must house the craftsmen responsible for crafting hidden weapons. But the sheer number of people was overwhelming.
Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, we'll settle the rest of the score later!
Tang San raised his head, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. "Let's go."
This was the first time Xiao Wu had seen such an expression on Tang San's face, and it pained her heart. As she looked around at the surrounding buildings, a wave of intense disgust welled up within her.
The group managed to evade several patrol teams and visited two more warehouses before setting their sights on a large workshop not far away.
Flender surveyed the surroundings. "There are six workshops in total. To save time, let's split up."
Tang San nodded. As a Soul Saint-level powerhouse, Flender's mobility was indeed restricted by staying with him.
As soon as Flender left, the group sprang into action.
But just as Tang San and the others were heading toward the last two workshops, an unexpected incident occurred.
Due to his low cultivation level, Yu Xiaogang's movement speed was slightly slower, and he accidentally made some noise while evading a patrol team.
Tang San and the others froze in place, their hearts sinking.
"Who's there!"
The patrol team was instantly alarmed. The four members cautiously moved toward the location where Tang San and the others were hiding. "Who's there? Stop joking around and come out. If we catch you, we'll hand you over to your captain."
Tang San exchanged glances with the group, then placed a finger to his lips, signaling everyone to stay silent.
"Old Li, maybe you misheard?" one patrol member whispered.
Another member also seemed puzzled. "That can't be. Did I really hear it alone?"
"Well, actually, I heard it too. Do you think it could be... that kind of thing?"
The timid speculation immediately frightened the other three, who huddled together and raised their copper gongs. "It's fine... The four of us together are strong enough to ward off any evil."
"Compared to ghosts, I'm more afraid of being sent back to prison and executed..."
"Who isn't? If I can just hold on for another year or so, I'll be exempt from the death penalty..." The mention of prison and execution suddenly emboldened them. The four of them pressed tightly together and slowly moved toward Yu Xiaogang's hiding spot.
As the footsteps grew closer, beads of sweat became clearly visible on Yu Xiaogang's forehead.
A cold glint flashed in Tang San's eyes as he activated Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, instantly appearing at the side of the four patrol members.
With a few hidden weapons, the patrol members immediately collapsed. Tang San and Liu Erlong quickly moved forward to catch them, preventing any noise.
However, each of the four patrol members was holding a copper gong, and despite Tang San and Liu Erlong's quick reactions, one of the gongs fell to the ground.
Thud—
The sound of the gong hitting the ground wasn't loud, just a slightly muffled thud, but it was enough to attract the attention of those nearby.
Hearing the increasing number of footsteps around them, Tang San's heart grew anxious. "How could such a small noise draw so many people?"
"We can't delay any longer. We need to leave now." Yu Xiaogang's expression gradually changed, his voice slightly hoarse as he urged them.
Tang San glanced at Yu Xiaogang. Success was within reach, and he couldn't give up now. "Teacher, you all go ahead. I'll catch up soon."
"Brother San, I won't leave you behind," Xiao Wu said, her eyes filled with determination.
Tang San looked at her tenderly, gently patting her head, and smiled. "Xiao Wu, don't be foolish. Only if you leave can I truly act without restraint."
"Brother San..." Tears welled up in Xiao Wu's eyes.
Tang San took a deep breath and swiftly entered the factory using Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track.
"Xiao Wu, go quickly. Don't be foolish and hold Xiao San back."
Liu Erlong glanced at her goddaughter, who was still hesitating, and stepped forward to grab her arm, dragging her away.
The three of them carefully retraced their steps. Not long after, the factory behind them burst into roaring flames.
Accompanying the flames were the sounds of frantic gong strikes.
Xiao Wu looked back but still couldn't see Tang San. She glanced around and, spotting the warehouse from earlier, kicked it open and threw a fire starter inside.
Liu Erlong was startled but didn't say much, quickly pulling Xiao Wu away.
"This side is on fire too! Hurry and put it out!" Just as the three were about to leave, urgent shouts and running footsteps approached.
The situation at the factory and warehouse quickly caught the attention of the factory workers. They rushed out of their dormitories, barely dressed, and joined the firefighting efforts.
The Soul Masters protecting the factory also arrived one by one, carefully observing the unusual activity around them.
"Something's happened? Is it him?" Li Xun looked up through the window at the distant flames, threw his pen on the table, and abruptly stood up.
"Brother, what's wrong?" Ning Rongrong, hearing Li Xun's movements, opened her eyes groggily from the bed and asked.
"The factory area is on fire. I'm going to check it out," Li Xun said calmly, putting on his coat and walking out of the room, carefully closing the door behind him.
"Perception Feedback." Li Xun closed his eyes and tapped his forehead with a finger. His Head Soul Bone emitted a faint glow.
His spiritual power spread out like radar, centered around him. The usage was too broad, so he focused and stretched his spiritual power toward the factory area.
Through his spiritual power, he could clearly sense the restless horses tied at the warehouse entrance.
By now, the fire had already started, and the workers who had hurried over quickly led the horses away.
Li Xun shifted his gaze, controlling his spiritual power to scan back and forth. Suddenly, a figure darted past a small tree.
He quickly focused his spiritual power, predicting where the figure would go next, and fixed his spiritual power on a small tree in advance.
Soon, the figure passed by as he had anticipated.
Although the figure moved quickly, under Li Xun's intense concentration, it was like watching a slow-motion animation.
"Tang San?" Li Xun withdrew his spiritual power, took a signal device from his Soul Guiding Device, aimed it at the sky, and pulled the trigger. A brilliant firework suddenly burst into the sky.
"Director, someone discovered the bodies of four ordinary prisoners and two condemned Soul Masters."
Ning Yuan, dressed in black, ran over. "Although the fire has mostly been controlled by the Soul Masters, one processing plant and three warehouses have been severely damaged."
Ning Yuan approached Li Xun, wiping the ashes from his face. "There were two groups of intruders. One of them had a flying Soul Master who was incredibly powerful. Our personnel assigned to protect the factory were no match for him, and the death row prisoners were instantly killed upon confrontation."
"So many casualties? That's a few more than we anticipated," Li Xun was taken aback, as this was somewhat unexpected.
"Make sure to comfort the families of the deceased and finalize the compensation. Even for the death row prisoners, don't skimp on this expense," Li Xun said, lifting his gaze toward the direction of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School. Just then, three streaks of light sped down from the mountain peak.