In a nameless mountain range in Wanhua City.
Roar!
A deafening beast roar sounded from deep within the mountain forest, and the next moment, a fierce beast resembling a giant lizard charged out of the forest, like a land tank, smashing the ancient trees along the way.
The left flank of the giant lizard fierce beast had a large wound more than two meters long, revealing raw red flesh when it moved. Despite this, its body was still full of fierce and tyrannical aura. Such a severe injury seemed to be nothing to it.
As the overlord of the depths of this mountain forest, it usually hid beneath the ground. However, today its brownish-yellow pupils were filled with fear, and it fled downhill in a panic, as if there was some monstrous flood behind it, making it have no courage to resist at all.
Amidst a large cloud of dust was a mass of black mist as thick as ink, drifting towards the giant lizard. The speed of the black mist seemed not fast, but the distance between the two was rapidly closing, which made the giant lizard even more frantic, rushing downhill recklessly.
Finally, it seemed to realize that it could not escape the black mist's pursuit at all.
A faint yellow light surged on the surface of the giant lizard's body, and then it quickly submerged into the ground. Its speed was extremely fast, not inferior to its speed on the ground.
In the blink of an eye, more than half of its body had submerged underground. But the next moment, its body trembled, and the two hind legs still exposed outside frantically kicked, trying to pull its body out of the ground.
However, its movement quickly stopped, like a statue, frozen in place, unmoving. Strands of black mist floated out from the ground, like black snakes entering the giant lizard's body.
In just a few breaths, the giant lizard moved again, pulling its body out of the ground, but its original brownish-yellow pupils were already like ink.
At this moment, a thick black mist also spread from the depths of the mountain forest, enveloping the giant lizard.
Wrapped in the thick black mist, the giant lizard took heavy steps and walked downhill.
Its seemingly heavy steps unleashed extremely swift speed, each step covering a distance of more than ten zhang. In just a few breaths, it had disappeared into the mountain forest.
At this time, three figures were coming up the mountain from the foot of the mountain. The three of them moved agilely and quickly, and each of them faintly exuded a strong aura. They were clearly three Blood Transportation Warriors.
The leader of the three was a one-eyed man, the strongest among them, a Late Stage Blood Transportation Martial Artist. The other two were slightly weaker, but they were also mid-stage Blood Transportation experts.
These three called themselves the Three Tigers of Tainnan. They were bandits who had fled from Tiannan Prefecture to Linjiang Prefecture. The three were blood brothers and practiced the same martial art. Each of them was a skilled practitioner in the Blood Transportation Realm, and their combined combat power soared when they cooperated with each other.
Therefore, after causing trouble in Tiannan Prefecture, they fled all the way to Linjiang Prefecture. However, in Linjiang Prefecture, they still could not suppress their cruel nature and committed several massacres, using quite brutal methods. But the three were quite cunning, only committing crimes between the various County Towns in Linjiang Prefecture and not staying long in any single County Town.
So they remained at large for several months.
"Third Brother, are you sure that information is reliable? Although that Earth Rock Giant Lizard is only an Elementary Level Spirit Beast, it is a genuine Spirit Beast. If the intelligence is wrong, our three brothers may not be able to handle it..."
The one-eyed strong man walking at the front asked a bald man behind him without stopping his steps.
"Don't worry, Leader, there's no mistake. I got this information from that kid from the Wang family in Ping County. That kid is still in my cellar. If he dares to lie to me, I'll skin him when I get back..."
The bald man showed a confident look on his face and said with a chuckle.
At this moment, another man also spoke.
"Brother, don't worry. Even if it's a Spirit Beast, it's still just a beast. We don't have to worry about any trouble at all. What's more, even if this Earth Rock Giant Lizard wasn't seriously injured and was in good condition, with the strength of us three brothers, even if we can't take it down, it's not difficult to protect ourselves and retreat. It's just a trip, that's all."
"That's right, Second Brother is right. We don't lose anything. If that Earth Rock Giant Lizard is really seriously injured, we've hit the jackpot, and we might make a killing."
The bald man quickly chimed in to agree.
"Then let's hurry. Spirit Beasts have good recovery abilities. If we delay for too long, there's no guarantee that its injuries won't improve. It will take more effort to deal with it then."
Seeing this, the one-eyed man leading the way did not say anything more. He quickened his pace and galloped towards the depths of the mountain forest.
The two behind him were not to be outdone, and they all quickened their pace to follow. After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.
Roar——
A beast roar came from the front. Hearing this cry, the three of them exchanged glances and saw a hint of pleasant surprise in each other's eyes.
"Could this roar be that Earth Rock Giant Lizard!?"
The bald man, Third Brother, couldn't help but say excitedly.
"No mistake, it should be that big guy. Hurry up, don't let it escape!"
Second Brother immediately burst out laughing and shouted.
The one-eyed man leading the way, however, was a little puzzled.
"Didn't they say this beast's lair was deep in this mountain forest? Why is it here?"
Seeing the doubt on Brother's face, Second Brother and Third Brother didn't feel anything was wrong and urged him.
"Why think so much? Brother, since that guy is right ahead, we'll know when we go take a look. If something is really wrong, we can just leave, that's all."
"Okay, let's go take a look!"
The one-eyed strong man also had this idea and was about to go investigate.
Just as the three of them made a move, they saw a mass of black mist suddenly appear in front of them.
The black mist was quite thick, rolling down from above. Although the area was not large, only a few zhang, there seemed to be a huge outline looming within it.
"This... what the hell is this!?"
Seeing the rapidly approaching black mist, the three brothers stopped in their tracks, their eyes full of surprise. The three of them had traveled across two prefectures and could definitely be considered well-informed, but they couldn't tell what this black mist was.
"Something's not right. There seems to be something inside. Let's retreat first."
The one-eyed man reacted quickly. Being able to evade official pursuit at the Blood Transportation Realm, besides their brothers' considerable strength, relied more on their carefulness and caution.
So at this moment, seeing the constantly approaching black mist, he immediately made a decision. The two brothers behind him also had no objection. However, when they turned around, they saw a scene that filled their hearts with horror. Unbeknownst to them, strands of black mist were floating up from the ground behind them, already blocking their retreat.
"Damn... what's going on!?"
The bald strong man, in his shock, couldn't help but curse.
"Don't just stand there, go, left!"
The one-eyed strong man, Leader, let out a low roar and charged to the left.
However, the figure that had just rushed out stopped again because a ferocious head had emerged from the ground.
"This is... Earth Rock Giant Lizard!!"
The moment he saw this head, he recognized its identity.
Without giving the three of them a chance to react, as the Earth Rock Giant Lizard appeared, the surrounding black mist immediately surged over like a wave, engulfing the three of them.
...
"Junior Brother Lin, don't worry, leave this matter to me, your Senior Brother. Ping County, Zhoushan, and Wen County are all within the business scope of my Zhao family, and we usually have a lot of business dealings with those three County Towns. I will get you the information within three days at most."
Wanhua City, inside a luxurious restaurant private room.
Zhao Kongfang raised his wine cup, took a gulp, and patted his chest, swearing solemnly.
"In that case, thank you, Senior Brother."
Across the square table, Lin Sheng spoke with a smile.
"Ah! What are you saying? You're still being distant with your Senior Brother."
Zhao Kongfang waved his hand and said somewhat displeasedly, but soon a look of doubt appeared on his face again.
"Speaking of which, Master, why are you collecting this information? Could it be that you've suddenly opened up and become interested in women? But you have Miss Cao by your side, so why bother looking far and wide? According to me, the young ladies from these County Towns may not necessarily be better than Miss Cao."
Saying this, he still couldn't quite figure it out, frowned, and continued.
"But Master, if you're looking, you should be looking for those young virgins. Why specifically ask me to inquire about girls who are about to get married? Could it be something..."
Zhao Kongfang seemed to understand something all of a sudden, his eyes widened a bit, and he sized Lin Sheng up and down.
Knowing that if he let the other party imagine freely, he didn't know where his thoughts would go, Lin Sheng, annoyed, quickly interrupted him.
"I'm asking you to inquire about this for that Jade Faced Man Kong Qi."
He had no intention of hiding it. After all, once his whereabouts were found, it would be difficult to hide anyway, so he might as well say it directly. Moreover, there was no need to hide these things.
"Jade Faced Man Kong Qi?"
Hearing this name, Zhao Kongfang was startled, a look of confusion appeared on his face, and he muttered softly, as if thinking about something. After a long while, he finally recalled from memory who this familiar name belonged to.
"Don't tell me it's that Jade Faced Man Kong Qi, ranked thirty-ninth on the Black Rank? That flower thief!"
He stared at Lin Sheng with wide eyes. Although his words were full of surprise, seeing the other party's calm face, it was clear that he had guessed correctly.
"Master, do you know that everyone on the Black Rank is a fierce person? Although this Jade Faced Man Kong Qi is ranked lower on the Black Rank, his strength is absolutely not to be underestimated."
"I know, but the reward for Kong Qi is quite generous. If I encounter such a villain, I naturally can't let him go. Moreover, Kong Qi comes from a background of flower thieves, and his specialties are disguise and movement techniques. His true combat power shouldn't be that high."
As if he had long expected the other party to have such a reaction, Lin Sheng picked up his teacup, took a light sip, and said slowly and unhurriedly.
"How can it be as simple as you say? The fierce villains on the Black Rank? Each one of them has at least dozens or hundreds of lives on their hands."
Zhao Kongfang said, already clapping his hands. Soon, a servant boy came in from outside the private room. After whispering a few words to him, the servant boy hurried out.
"Wait, I'll bring back the information about this Jade Faced Man Kong Qi for you soon."
The situation was indeed as Zhao Kongfang said. After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the servant boy had already run back, with several sheets of paper in his hand.
They were densely covered with words.
Waving his hand to dismiss the servant boy, Zhao Kongfang then picked up the paper, quickly scanned it with his eyes, and then directly handed it to Lin Sheng.
"Here, look. The first page has information about Kong Qi, and the second page lists the Martial Artists who have died by his hand in the past few months."
Lin Sheng was indeed a little curious. He only knew roughly about Kong Qi's information. From the mouth of the person in charge of the station, he only knew that Kong Qi was very likely to be hiding in the three County Towns mentioned above. As for other information, he didn't know much.
His gaze fell on the paper in his hand, and soon a look of surprise appeared on his face.
He hadn't expected it. He had originally thought he was just a petty thief, but he hadn't expected this so-called Jade Faced Man Kong Qi to also be proficient in assassination techniques.
Moreover, there were as many as four Late Stage Blood Transportation experts who died by his hand. Without exception, they were all killed with a single clean blow.
Although the true combat power of these four Late Stage Blood Transportation experts might not be equal to Kong Qi's, it wasn't far off. The reason they were so easily defeated was entirely because they were assassinated. They didn't even see the other party's true face before they died.
"How, are you scared? This Kong Qi is skilled in disguise and facial alteration techniques, and his movement techniques are even more superb. He simply won't confront people head-on. Otherwise, how could he commit such crimes and still be at large?"
Seeing the surprised look on Lin Sheng's face, Zhao Kongfang said with a calm expression.
"So, listen to your Senior Brother's advice and dismiss this idea as soon as possible. If you need money, just tell your Senior Brother, and your Senior Brother will lend it to you. It's just..."
"No need, I'd like to give it a try..."
He originally thought that after seeing this information, Lin Sheng would choose to give up. However, upon hearing the words that came out of Lin Sheng's mouth, Zhao Kongfang's words stopped abruptly. He frowned and said solemnly.
"Junior Brother Lin, didn't you see that it says so many Late Stage Blood Transportation experts have fallen? This Kong Qi is even a bit more troublesome than Fei Long. You've just broken through to the Blood Transportation Realm. Last time, there were experts from the Blade Breaking Escort Agency there, but this time there are none..."
Seeing Zhao Kongfang become serious, Lin Sheng quickly changed his words.
"Don't worry, Second Senior Brother, I know the risks. I won't confront that Kong Qi directly. I'm just curious. Besides, that Kong Qi is elusive, how can he be found just by saying you want to find him?"
"That's true, but remember your Senior Brother's words. Be sure to stay calm and patient. Master, you still have a bright future ahead of you. Don't ruin your life because of a moment of carelessness."
Hearing Lin Sheng's words, Zhao Kongfang's expression softened considerably. Thinking carefully, what he said made sense. Kong Qi's hiding skills were so good, how could he be easily found? Although he thought this, he still didn't forget to instruct Lin Sheng.
"I understand."
In response, Lin Sheng just smiled and nodded.
"Speaking of this Kong Qi, that Drill Ground Rat has been causing quite a stir lately."
Zhao Kongfang seemed to remember something at this moment and said casually.
"Drill Ground Rat?"
Hearing this name, Lin Sheng quickly recalled it.
The first time he heard this name was when he encountered Liu Tianci and Ouyang Lengshui confronting each other on the street that day.