Chapter 382: The Four Evil Sects (3)

Chapter 382: Chapter 185: The Four Evil Sects (3)

“It’s embarrassing to say, Young Hero Jiang, but at first, I honestly didn’t notice a thing.

“It wasn’t until after they made their move that I finally recognized him. The so-called Patriarch of the Zhou family was actually Bo Yan of the Divine Sect, head of the Heterodox Manor’s ‘Four Evil Sects’!”

“The Four Evil Sects?”

Jiang Ran pondered for a moment, his brow furrowed slightly.

“Chief Cheng, you must be referring to the ‘Ox, Ghost, Snake, and God’ sects of the Heterodox Manor, correct?”

“Precisely!”

Cheng Tianyang nodded.

“Bo Yan of the Divine Sect, Qu Zhi of the Snake Sect, Hai Dan of the Ghost Sect, and Fumo of the Niu Sect.

“These are the current Four Evil Sects of the Heterodox Manor…

“And among them, aside from Ghost Sect Hai Dan, who only ascended to his position twenty years ago, the other three are all masters who have been active in the martial world for at least thirty years.

“I wonder if you’ve heard of the Ghost Sect from thirty years ago, Young Hero Jiang… Its leader was a remnant of the Search Divine Sect, a man named Liao Chengfeng.”

Ghost Sect Liao Chengfeng!

Of course, Jiang Ran knew of him.

The Hidden Shadow Enchanting God Step that Jiang Ran often used was, in fact, an ultimate skill of the Search Divine Sect.

“Then what is the relationship between this Ghost Sect Hai Dan and Liao Chengfeng?”

Whenever Liao Chengfeng was mentioned in the martial world, he was always described as a remnant of the Search Divine Sect.

‘Hai Dan is probably not a member of the Search Divine Sect, then.’

“They have no relationship to speak of. If you must connect them, it’s that in his early years, Liao Chengfeng was only able to run rampant under the name of the ‘Ghost Sect’ because he was borrowing the power of the Heterodox Manor.

“It’s just a pity that the Search Divine Sect offended too many people.

“In the end, not even the Heterodox Manor could protect Liao Chengfeng.

“And so, he vanished from the martial world, his whereabouts unknown.”

“He’s already dead,”

Jiang Ran said.

“A while ago, I encountered him in Benma County, near Cangzhou Prefecture. He died in the melee that day.”

Cheng Tianyang was taken aback for a moment, then nodded slightly.

“It’s for the best that he’s dead. In any case, that’s all ancient history, not worth dwelling on.

“The ones who attacked me this time were led by the Four Evil Sects. All four of them have now gathered in Evergreen Mansion.

“Along with them were Lady Wu, Jin Sanding, and a whole host of other masters from the Heterodox Manor…

“I was caught completely off guard. I was hit by Qu Zhi of the Snake Sect’s ‘Seven-Inch Qi-Locking Finger’ and could only use less than half of my martial prowess. On top of that, it was a deliberate ambush against an unsuspecting target. The timing, the location, the advantage—none of it was on my side.

“In the end, I was utterly defeated!”

As Cheng Tianyang spoke, his face was filled with bitterness. “The Celestial Yang Escort Agency is known as the Golden Cicada First Escort Agency. This time, I’ve truly brought it shame.”

“The Heterodox Manor are not easy to deal with. They specialize in trickery, making them impossible to guard against.

“To be ambushed when you were unprepared… ending up like this is nothing to be ashamed of, Chief Cheng.”

Jiang Ran said:

“Chief Cheng, do you know what exactly you were escorting on this mission?”

“A shipment of porcelain,”

Cheng Tianyang said.

“The person who entrusted this shipment to me is a reputable and wealthy merchant with a clean background.

“And the Zhou family, on their end, are also legitimate businessmen.

“I was familiar with both parties. It’s just that the Heterodox Manor has face-changing techniques that are so realistic I couldn’t see through the deception at first.

“However, if I had been given more time to think it over, I believe I would have eventually noticed something was amiss.”

Jiang Ran nodded. ‘That explains why the Heterodox Manor, despite having such an opportunity, still wanted to kill everyone to silence them.’

‘Not only that, but if what Ximen Feng said was true, it seems they also wanted to abduct Chief Cheng.’

‘What their purpose was in all of this is hard to say…’

‘It was most likely related to the Chongshan Sect.’

‘But that’s not the most pressing matter right now.’

‘The most crucial thing now is that the Heterodox Manor couldn’t possibly achieve some terrible goal with just a batch of exquisite porcelain.’

Jiang Ran considered this. ‘Either the goods were swapped, or something else was hidden within the normal cargo… But as for what was hidden, no one knows.’

Just as he was thinking this, he saw Cheng Tianyang turn over and sit up.

Jiang Ran was startled. “Chief Cheng, you’re heavily injured. You should rest first.”

“There’s no time to rest,”

Cheng Tianyang said.

“A shipment lost by my Celestial Yang Escort Agency must be accounted for, no matter what.

“Moreover, the Zhou family’s home was usurped. Whether they’re alive or dead, we need a definitive answer.

“I have to investigate all of this… At the very least, I must get the goods back. Otherwise, I’ll have no way to answer for this.”

Jiang Ran nodded upon hearing this, but then he suddenly remembered something and asked:

“By the way, Chief Cheng, how did you know I was at Qifeng Manor?”

‘We parted ways before the city gate, and it was only after that Ning Jiuyuan invited me. How could Cheng Tianyang be sure I’d be staying at Qifeng Manor?’

Cheng Tianyang smiled at the question and was about to speak when a WHIZZ echoed, as if a sharp arrow had just split the air.

Jiang Ran and Cheng Tianyang exchanged a look and immediately left the room. Looking up, they saw a young man standing high on a building, holding a greatbow and reaching for another arrow.

His gaze was fixed on the darkness as he drew his bow and nocked an arrow. A faint light seemed to flow along its tip.

When the bow was drawn to a full moon, he suddenly released his grip. The fletched arrow shot forth in an instant, like a shooting star chasing the moon.

A blood-curdling scream was heard from the distance.

Jiang Ran and Cheng Tianyang leaped up and saw a faint figure falling from the edge of Qifeng Mountain.

At the same time, several other figures were scrambling in a panic, looking for places to hide.

Jiang Ran raised an eyebrow.

“Who are these people?”

Li Tianyu said in a low voice:

“Don’t worry, Brother Jiang. They’re not from the Hundred Treasures Association… I can tell the difference.

“These guys climbed up the cliff. They’re either assassins from the Death Building or some other villains with ulterior motives.”

Jiang Ran nodded, but as he was about to speak, he froze.

“Lady Wu?”

Among the crowd stood a woman in black, who possessed a mature charm.

Her eyes met Jiang Ran’s from a distance. Jiang Ran immediately clapped Li Tianyu on the shoulder and pointed at the woman.

“Shoot her.”

Li Tianyu immediately nodded and fired an arrow without a second thought.

However, Lady Wu was already prepared. With a turn of her body, she gracefully floated away into the distance.

Jiang Ran’s brow furrowed slightly. He commanded Li Tianyu:

“Kill all of her companions.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, he tapped his foot and gave chase.

…

…

PS: Recommending a book, “I’m Already a Cultivator, and You Want Me to Join a Horror Amusement Park?”

Synopsis: Cowering and submissive in the cultivation world, but throwing heavy punches in the horror amusement park!