Chapter 318: Pulling Off a Heist

Suddenly, a commotion erupted outside, followed by the sound of smashing and crashing.

Bang!

A figure flew through the air and slammed into the gate of Chen Luo’s courtyard, landing with a heavy thud.

A woman in white robes strode in, her longsword still dripping with blood.

“Who authorized you to misuse gang resources to purchase these useless corpses?!”

“The Lord Envoy,” Wei Jiang, the Acting Altar Master, stammered in terror from the ground. He never imagined that the gang, thriving as it was, would suddenly attract the attention of a Lord Envoy—a self-proclaimed disciple of the Lord Envoy, tasked with overseeing gang affairs. In recent months, Wei Jiang had abused his authority to amass skulls, squandering vast resources. Such conspicuous activity had inevitably drawn the attention of those with vested interests. He had assumed the Lord Envoy’s backing would shield him from consequences, but instead of external enemies, internal strife had surfaced first.

“Utter nonsense!”

Enraged, the woman stomped her foot onto Wei Jiang’s chest.

“The Lord Envoy is still here. In any case, he couldn’t possibly be here right now. You’re either lying to me, or someone has the audacity to steal resources from the Azure Dragon Gang.” The woman turned her gaze toward the Cultivation Chamber.

She had made such a commotion outside precisely to draw out whoever was inside.

To her surprise, the person inside remained remarkably composed, refusing to emerge despite the ruckus.

“Friend inside, care to say a word?”

The white-robed woman gripped her treasured sword, her eyes fixed on the Cultivation Chamber as she awaited a response.

“Enough. Settle down, everyone. Yu Ping, come in. Your timing is perfect; I have matters for you to handle.” The aura of a Core Formation cultivator emanated from within, causing the white-robed woman’s expression to shift. But in the next instant, a powerful force erupted from the Cultivation Chamber, coalescing into a hand that seized her and dragged her inside.

A Core Formation True Person?

The white-robed woman never expected to find a Core Formation True Person here. The Azure Dragon Gang, a motley group mired in street-level affairs, wouldn’t normally attract even Foundation Establishment cultivators. How could they possibly draw out a Core Formation True Person? Could the person inside truly be the Lord Envoy?

The Cultivation Chamber was sparsely furnished.

Apart from a meditation cushion, the only other object was a Pill Furnace. In the center sat a masked figure clad in a cyan robe, his gaze fixed intently on Yu Ping.

This isn’t the Lord Envoy!

Yu Ping recognized him instantly. As Xue Ning’s appointed disciple in this territory, she knew her master’s true identity. For years, she had managed most of the Sea Island Gang’s affairs and served as the liaison with the mute slave. Though the man before her possessed the cultivation of a Core Formation True Person, his aura was entirely different from her Teacher’s. While she couldn’t discern his exact cultivation level, she could easily distinguish between Ghost Cultivators and Immortal Cultivators.

“Who exactly are you, Senior? Why would you come to a small gang like ours?”

“I am the Lord Envoy,” Chen Luo replied meaningfully.

Yu Ping’s expression shifted. Though Chen Luo hadn’t stated it explicitly, she instantly understood his implication: regardless of who the previous Lord Envoy had been, from this moment forward, this man was the true Lord Envoy.

“I have a task for you. I need to leave for a while, so I’m entrusting the material collection to you.”

Yu Ping listened to Chen Luo’s words, momentarily unsure how to respond.

Chen Luo had initially believed Altar Master Wei Jiang had been deceived, but it now seemed clear that something had happened to his Master. The True Person before him had likely killed her teacher; otherwise, outsiders couldn’t possibly know about the Sea Island Gang’s layout.

“Is there a problem?” Chen Luo asked, his gaze growing colder as he looked at Yu Ping.

He had seen her in Xue Ning’s lingering memories. All of Yu Ping’s cultivation had been taught by Xue Ning, and the two shared a special bond. Yu Ping’s abilities and resourcefulness were impressive. If she were willing to pledge allegiance, it would greatly facilitate Chen Luo’s future cultivation, especially in spreading his teachings, which required precisely such talent.

“Very well!” Yu Ping gritted her teeth and nodded in agreement to Chen Luo’s demand, but immediately asked, “However, I have one question. Where is my Master now?”

“Fellow Daoist Xue Ning has already passed away. We were close friends, and she told me everything about the Sea Island Gang, including…” As Chen Luo spoke, a wisp of blue-gray Restriction materialized in his palm. This was none other than Xue Ning’s signature Soul Restriction.

The Restriction flowed, transforming into countless silken threads that danced between Chen Luo’s fingertips. Such mastery could only be achieved through years of practice.

“I understand now.”

Yu Ping’s expression softened.

The Soul Restriction was Xue Ning’s unique technique. Only someone with a close relationship could manipulate it with such proficiency.

“Excellent.”

Chen Luo smiled and released the Soul Restriction.

His fabricated excuse hadn’t been in vain. Whether they believed it or not was irrelevant; what mattered was that it provided a face-saving explanation.

Several days later, after delegating all the trivial matters to Yu Ping, Chen Luo changed into gray cloth robes, suppressed his aura to the early Foundation Establishment stage, applied a simple disguise, and, armed with the preparations Altar Master Wei had provided, set sail for Black Horn Island.

Xue Ning’s third ‘relic’ was in the possession of the Great King of Black Horn. Chen Luo had no intention of relinquishing something already within his grasp.

Without the Soul Restriction, even if the Great King of Black Horn obtained the item, he would never discover its true purpose.

Following the main street, Chen Luo stopped at a courtyard deep within the island. Pushing open the gate, he entered an empty courtyard where several Foundation Establishment cultivators were already waiting. Their gazes turned toward him as he stepped inside.

“Gu Demon Khan Jiu?” one of them asked.

“That’s me.”

Chen Luo now appeared as a middle-aged man with long, flowing black hair and sharp, knife-like eyebrows. His demeanor exuded an overwhelming confidence, as if he were the only one capable of handling the task at hand. This imposing appearance was deliberately modeled after his old friend, Brother Han Jiu, from years past.

For some time, Chen Luo had been instructing Altar Master Wei to gather intelligence on the Great King of Black Horn. Recently, they had stumbled upon the perfect opportunity.

This group of individuals represented that opportunity.

Once Chen Luo’s identity was confirmed, the others finally relaxed.

“Now that everyone’s here, let’s discuss the plan. Our target this time is the Great King of Black Horn’s Water Mansion.”

These audacious individuals were none other than Marauder Cultivators. After discovering their existence, Chen Luo had instructed Altar Master Wei to infiltrate their ranks under the guise of Gu Demon Khan Jiu. Following several rounds of probing and testing, the time for action had finally arrived.

Since they were already plotting against the Great King of Black Horn, Chen Luo figured it was less troublesome to simply hire a group of Marauder Cultivators to handle the job directly.

These professionals had their own intelligence networks, allowing them to track the Great King of Black Horn’s movements. The timing of their operation coincided with the Great King’s departure from the Water Mansion, leaving them to deal only with a few Second-Tier Water Demons.

“In that case, it’s settled. We’ll move out in three days. No one leaves until the job is done.”

The Foundation Establishment cultivator leading this venture surveyed the group with a cold, calculating gaze.

Marauder Cultivators had their own code:

No questions about identity, no inquiries into backgrounds. They worked together on dirty jobs, shared the spoils, and vanished afterward as strangers.

“I’m in.”