Chapter 191: Chapter 113: Resentful Spirit Fusion, Lin Luoxue Severely Wounded; Cao Feng’s Regret, Unleashing a Storm

An old lantern on the main hall’s beam swayed in the draft blowing through.

Chu Fan fell silent for a moment, his gaze fixed on Cao Feng. "Master, regarding the actions of the Seven Stars Gang’s leadership... are you truly aware of everything?"

Cao Feng’s brow furrowed, and then he let out a long sigh, his voice as weathered as the rings of an old tree. "Once you’re part of the martial world, you can’t always do as you please."

"The Seven Stars Gang grew out of a Horse Gang. It was never some righteous and noble sect. Bullying the weak and collecting protection money... that was just business as usual."

"That’s just the way of the world..."

"Take Xingning Street, which you manage. Don’t the merchants there have to pay their dues? We take that money to grease palms up and down the ladder, placating the Government Office and other powers... In this martial world, which of the major gangs is completely clean? None of them are any good."

As Chu Fan listened, the last trace of doubt in his heart scattered like mist in the wind...

’Master Cao only knew about the gang’s usual shady dealings.’

’He had no idea about the evil the Seven Stars Gang concealed in the shadows—an evil so profound that not even sunlight could pierce it!’

"Master, what they’re doing goes far beyond that!"

Chu Fan’s voice was low, yet every word struck with the force of a chisel.

No longer hesitating, he recounted everything: the foul-smelling pit outside the city, the heaps of children’s skeletons, and how he had slain Qin Fei and wounded Lin Luoxue. He only omitted any mention of the Paperman, Yue Mankong.

The room fell deathly silent...

Cao Feng and Zhao Tianxing felt a chill shoot from the soles of their feet to the crowns of their heads, as if they had been plunged into a freezing cavern!

The shock and disbelief in their eyes were practically overflowing.

The depravity of the Seven Stars Gang was far beyond what they could have imagined.

And Chu Fan had actually slain the Cyan Wood Hall Master and wounded the Hall Master of the Punishment Hall!

Every single revelation completely upended their worldview!

After a long moment, Cao Feng collapsed back into his chair with a THUMP. His shoulders sagged, and he seemed to age ten years in that instant.

’He should have been ecstatic that his disciple possessed such skill.’

’But the Seven Stars Gang’s atrocities, deeds that would anger both heaven and man, shrouded his heart like a black fog, filling him with a suffocating anguish.’

"How could this be..."

he murmured, his gaze drifting out the window. The sky was pitch-black, an unnerving, absolute darkness.

"When the Seven Stars Gang started recruiting displaced people en masse, I felt something wasn’t right. I had Cao Yan look into it. But Cao Yan and Qingxue were watched so closely, they never had a single opportunity."

Cao Feng looked toward the main gate, his voice trembling. "I suspected they might be involved in some business that couldn’t see the light of day, but..."

"If I had just been more ruthless back then, if I’d led the Cao and Li Families to seize control of the Seven Stars Gang, would any of this have happened?"

Zhao Tianxing opened his mouth, wanting to offer some words of comfort, but his throat was painfully dry. He couldn’t force out a single word.

"Master, this is not the time for regrets."

Chu Fan took a step forward, his voice grave. "I can’t defeat the gang’s leaders on my own. But if you, Senior Sister Qingxue, and I join forces, killing them won’t be difficult!"

"I’ve already eliminated Qin Fei and severely wounded Lin Luoxue..."

"Now is the perfect time to strike!"

"Now?" Cao Feng jolted and snapped his head up, a spark of light finally returning to his eyes.

But before he could speak, Chu Fan took another deep breath and slapped the side of his head. His voice trembled as he said, "Master, I don’t know how to describe my current state... I merged with a Resentful Spirit."

"That Resentful Spirit wasn’t just Nuannuan. It was an amalgamation of the Resentful Souls and hatred of countless children."

"I absorbed all of their memories..."

"For that one moment, it was as if I lived through countless lifetimes, being tortured and killed by them over and over again!"

Chu Fan clenched his fists, his voice hoarse. "I saw everything with my own eyes! I experienced all of their suffering!"

"If I don’t slaughter them, the hatred I’m carrying will become uncontrollable, and I’ll have no way to release it!"

"Damn it!" Seeing Chu Fan’s agitated state, Cao Feng shot to his feet. "I can’t believe I forgot about this! I may not know much about Resentful Spirits, but I’ve heard the rumors!"

"You merged with a Resentful Spirit. Even though you’ve separated now, you’ve probably been tainted by it! Damn it all!"

He paced around the main hall, stepping over scattered bamboo slips and scrolls. The sound of his footsteps echoed in the empty room, each one like a hammer blow to the heart.

"I’m so useless..."

The rims of his eyes reddened, and his voice choked with emotion. "My own disciple is suffering this terrible ordeal, and I’m utterly powerless to help!"

"If I had only been more ruthless back then and seized control of the Seven Stars Gang, none of this would be happening now!"

Just then, a break in the dark clouds allowed a sliver of moonlight to filter into the main hall, illuminating Cao Feng’s face.

His eyes suddenly lit up, as if he were grasping at a final straw. "To the Demon Suppression Bureau! I’ve heard the Great Yan Demon Suppression Bureau has methods to suppress the taint!"

"We’ll get word to the Demon Suppression Bureau and let them deal with the Moon Worship Sect! Meanwhile, we will join forces and tear down the corrupt Seven Stars Gang ourselves!"

Zhao Tianxing’s spirits lifted instantly. He leaned in closer. "Master Cao, what’s our plan?!"

"This has nothing to do with you!" Cao Feng glared at him. The force of his exclamation made the wine gourd on the table tremble, spilling a few drops that vanished instantly into the stone tiles. "Are you trying to get yourself killed by one of the Hall Masters?"

"I... My Moon Eclipse Arrow has reached the stage of Great Success! I have more than enough power to kill a few Incense Masters!" Zhao Tianxing stammered defensively, his hand instinctively reaching for the Bengyue Bow on his back.

Cao Feng ignored him and turned to Chu Fan, his voice growing deeper. "How did it feel, killing those animals?"

Chu Fan tilted his head back slightly. The bloodshot veins in his eyes had yet to fade, but his tone was filled with grim resolve. "It felt incredible! My only regret is that I didn’t kill more of them!"

"Good!" Cao Feng clenched his fist, a terrifying aura, much like Lin Luoxue’s, erupting from him. "Tianxing, go to the Li Family and find Qingxue. She’s still trying to break through her bottleneck, but we’re out of time."

"Cao Yan is away and hasn’t returned... Fan, you’re with me. We’re going to the Hurricane Hall. First, we’ll cut down that Gale Hall Master, Xiao Tianyuan! Then we’ll go to the Deacon Hall and kill the Hall Master of the Deacon Hall, Wu Quan!"

"What?" Zhao Tianxing was stunned. "We’re making our move now? Without any planning? Shouldn’t we get help from the masters in the Cao and Li Families?"

"What do you know!" Cao Feng scoffed, his tone decisive. "Fan has already slain the Cyan Wood Hall Master and severely wounded Lin Luoxue. Striking now is the only way to catch them completely off guard!"

"I didn’t make a move before for three reasons. First, out of consideration for old loyalties. Second, my old injuries left me in no condition to face them all. And third, Cao Yan and Qingxue hadn’t grown strong enough yet. But now..."

"Any old loyalties were ground to dust by their filthy deeds. These animals have dragged the Seven Stars Gang into unrighteousness. They all deserve to die!"

"Cao Yan and Qingxue can now hold their own, and Chu Fan is far beyond his peers... If we don’t eliminate them now, it will be much harder to act once they band together!"

"Even if we could kill them then, I’m afraid the price would be many more lives!"

With that, he slapped Zhao Tianxing on the shoulder, the force so great it made him stagger. "Go find Qingxue. Tell her to meet us at the Hurricane Hall."

"Yes!" Zhao Tianxing turned to run but was yanked back by Cao Feng.

Cao Feng lowered his voice, his gaze sweeping the area outside the courtyard. "There are always lookouts around my home. We’ll take care of them first."

Zhao Tianxing froze. The excitement drained from his face in an instant—he hadn’t sensed a thing!

Cao Feng and Chu Fan exchanged a look. Cao Feng jutted his chin toward the main gate. Chu Fan nodded and went out with Zhao Tianxing.

The old locust tree at the alley’s entrance had lost all its leaves, its bare branches pointing to the sky.

Under the tree, a middle-aged man was squatting and hammering a piece of iron. The rhythm of his strikes was erratic, but his eyes kept drifting toward the main hall.

At the corner of the street, a young man clutched a broom, which rested motionless on the ground. His gaze was glued to the courtyard gate, oblivious to the thick layer of fallen leaves at his feet.

Chu Fan and Zhao Tianxing said nothing, walking straight toward the middle-aged man.

As they approached, Chu Fan moved like the wind, striking the man’s neck with a Hand Blade! The man had just started to open his mouth when a GURGLE escaped his throat, and he crumpled to the ground.

At almost the same instant, Zhao Tianxing unslung his bow and nocked an arrow. He drew the string until the bow was a full moon, the arrowhead glinting in the moonlight. With a WHOOSH, he sent it flying toward the street corner.

Before the young man could even turn around, the arrow pierced him through the back of his heart. Droplets of blood spattered onto the stone slabs, freezing almost instantly.

The two of them dragged the bodies into the courtyard and dusted off their hands. Just as they stepped back outside, they saw Cao Feng emerging from a side gate, wine gourd in hand.

Zhao Tianxing nodded and turned, heading for the Li Family’s estate.

Cao Feng, meanwhile, led Chu Fan straight toward the Hurricane Hall.

This Seven Stars Gang Sub-Branch had three halls...

Cyan Wood Hall, Deacon Hall, and Hurricane Hall.

The vermilion-lacquered doors of the Hurricane Hall were carved with the likeness of a Taotie Beast Head, and the eyes of the stone lions flanking the entrance were painted blood-red.

Two guards in black uniforms stepped forward to block them, their curved sabers already half-drawn. "Guardian Cao, please wait. Allow this subordinate to enter and announce you to the Hall Master!"

The corners of Cao Feng’s mouth were curved in a smile, but there was not a trace of warmth in his eyes.

A distinguished Guardian, forced to wait at the door to see a Hall Master. He had endured this humiliation for years.

If Chu Fan hadn’t given him the courage, if the Seven Stars Gang’s crimes hadn’t shattered his last reservations, he probably would have waited until Qingxue’s breakthrough before daring to hold his head high again.

Just as one of the guards was about to turn, Cao Feng’s hands shot out and clamped around both their necks.

Two soft CRACKS were completely drowned out by the shouts of a drinking game from within the hall.

The two guards didn’t even have a chance to scream before they collapsed limply to the ground.

Cao Feng tossed the bodies aside. They slammed against the wall next to the door, their feet still twitching faintly.

He and Chu Fan picked up the two Long Sabers from the ground and walked shoulder to shoulder into the Hurricane Hall.

Candlelight streamed from the crack in the door, stretching their shadows long, like two blades poised to strike.

The men inside were still shouting, playing drinking games, and had yet to notice anything amiss at the entrance.

A storm, beginning quietly in the Hurricane Hall, was about to sweep through the entire Seven Stars Gang.

And yet the men inside the Hurricane Hall, along with everyone else in the Seven Stars Gang, remained completely oblivious...