Chapter 209 Race Against Time

Chapter 209 Race Against Time

As Wu Long went forward with a pondering expression, Old Yen soon rejoined him at the same respectful distance.

"Place a few eyes on the Wu Family Manor for now, and have them report any suspicious activity or if the preparations for a marriage ceremony are about to be complete. Once you're done with that, lead me to the poison provider and then the organization of the ambushers"

"Yes" n-/o-(V--e-)l/)B(-I-.n

Old Yen knew that he would need a considerable amount of money to hire reliable people even with his connections, but since he was using the accumulated finances of his own organization as well as what Wu Long gave him, he simply nodded. His life was a lot more precious to him than all of these.

He also inexplicably found himself a little at comfort, since when he was in charge of his organization, he would always be worried about someone stronger than him showing up and ruining the years of his work.

But when it actually happened, he discovered that he was liberated from worry, as he now had nothing to lose but his life. He was also now listening to the orders of someone much stronger than him, and it gave a sense of security since his life would be guaranteed as long as Wu Long was stronger than his enemies, which he did not doubt. The ease with which Wu Long decimated Old Yen's organization, and no worry about the imperial authority in his demeanor after doing so showed that he was someone Old Yen could not even fathom. There was a strange charisma in Wu Long's absolute confidence and a compelling, commanding feeling to listen when he spoke.

"Collect all evidence you can as well. I am going to need it later"

Old Yen nodded and went off to execute the orders he received as Wu Long returned from his stroll to the place filled with talk and tinkering laughter of heavenly beauties.

When Old Yen returned he led Wu Long to the seemingly normal pharmacy, where an old man met them with a business smile.

"How may I help you, dear customers?"

"Cut the crap you old sharlatan, you know why we're here"

"Old Yen, it seems you not only lost your organization but even became a lap dog to the one who destroyed it"

The old man's face became mocking as he heard Old Yen's reply to his greeting.

"Don't try to confuse me, we're all busy people"

"Hehe, be careful, on these streets, respect is very valuable as you know, and once lost it is something not easily recovered"

"Ha! You seem to forget how I gained respect in the first place"

Old Yen's face became a little menacing as the old man continued to mockingly stare at him.

"Heh, you are a little late though..."

Several people came out of the inner parts of the pharmacy and more came in from the outside, switching the tablet outside from "open" to "closed".

"...you might have negotiated with me if you arrived first"

"You will regret this"

Old Ye shook his head.

These people were definitely skilled, and he even knew some of them. If it was a trap for him he might have been in deep trouble by now. But he was not worried even a little.

Wu Long did not bother taking out a weapon, and Spiritual Qi ran along his hands. If one looked closely it would look very similar to the way Jade Palms of Serenity circulated along the palms and fingers, but there was a fundamental difference between that Dual Cultivation Technique and this Combat Technique, even though they shared some principles.

The people around sprang into action, targeting mainly Wu Long, while he adjusted his position so that the formation in which they were attacking instantly lost its effectiveness as they would now all be in each other's way.

He evaded an attack, pushing the attacker's hand further away with his, and made a single strike to the neck, switching his attention to the next one. The one he struck was pushed away and held his throat with both hands, his weapon falling to the floor. Spiritual Qi was wreaking havoc inside his body, while the outside looked completely fine. After some time his eyes turned completely bloodshot and he started crying bloody tears as he fell to the floor, convulsing in agony that lasted and lasted, still not taking away his life.

Wu Long dealt each attacker only a single strike either to the back, chest, or neck, which all yielded the same result as the first one. Each opponent lasted only one exchange since not one of them could make more than one attack before receiving their dose of Wu Long's Spiritual Qi. By the time he incapacitated nearly all of the attackers, the first one still showed no signs of the final throes.

Old Yen who first had to defend was now only a spectator, as he watched in horror at the sheer agony people lying around on the floor were in.

"O-Old Yen, you know me right? This is-... this is simply business..."

The old man's face was now contorted into a smile that was not a smile, his eyes full of fear and pleading. The last two of the attackers also fell to their knees before Wu Long, throwing away their weapons and kowtowing, their foreheads pressed against the floor between their hands.

"Haa~ these guys are only like this now, after almost all of them are gone. See, that's why I said you are quick-witted since I knew that I did not need this amount of persuasion to get you to listen"

Wu Long smiled at Old Yen, who gulped and nodded with a bead of sweat going down the side of his forehead, as Wu Long's "persuasion" tactics were definitely something he did not want to experience. When he attacked his organization, he gave everyone in it a quick painless death, where they lost their lives before they even realized it.

Wu Long then placed his hands behind his back and went around the store, looking at the various products and medicines. Old Yen understood and turned to the old man while the last two of the attackers were still pressing their foreheads on the floor, not daring to move even a muscle, and the others were contorting in agony all around them.

"Haa~ I told you that you would regret this. But it is not all lost, give up what you know, as well as all the records that could be used as evidence and you might just have a way out"

Old Yen said and the old man nodded, he rattled off a few names that belonged to the Night Market as well as gave up his books of record, all the while praising Wu Long's benevolence.

Old Yen then turned to the two kneeling on the floor, as he, to his horror found the others still alive, small puddles of bloody tears accumulating under their faces.

"You two, speak"

"We... we are people of Bo Rinliu, he... he must know, the others were hired separately"

Old Yen nodded as he knew some of the attackers, but they were free hands, so whoever hired them was likely doing so through a broker.

"I know which broker is common for all of them, we can go"

Old Yen reported to Wu Long, who nodded and only took a step toward the exit when he stopped.

"You wouldn't have any Yang attribute medicine by chance?"

Wu Long asked the old man and the latter looked at Old Yen with astonishment in his eyes, as it seemed that he was being extorted. Old Yen simply shrugged his shoulders with 'you reap what you sow' written all over his expression.

The old man obviously did not have any other choice but to give up everything, as Old Yen collected the weapons and spatial rings from the attackers.

"Are we... um... going to leave them like this?"

Old Yen asked and Wu Long indifferently looked at the people writhing in agony. Old Yen was prepared to end their lives himself if Wu Long found it too tedious. But...

"Yes"

A shudder went through everyone who was not lying on the floor in convulsions at this short, cold reply with no hint of hesitation or even a shadow of sympathy.

'Haa~ it seems I am going to hear an earful from Inspector Po again'

Old Yen thought as he looked around him.

"Let's go, it is a race against time now"

Wu Long said as he was already walking away.

"Eh? There was no report about anything unusual from the eyes and ears I placed yet"

"With this, whoever is behind them knows that they are in trouble, and they are going to start erasing their tracks"

Wu Long said, and Old Yen immediately understood, the brokers they were going to, and the group responsible for the ambush of Wu Long in the past could be erased very soon to make them lose the trail. The people who attacked them just now could be sent to really deal with them, but they are also a probing force to test out the level of the threat. And the fact that they failed would move the people behind them to start cleaning up very soon.