Cultivators Are So Weak in This World-Chapter 72 - 71. Decision, Part 1

On the morning street.

Two people stood by the street, one young, one old, accompanied by two black-clad guards.

On the surface, it looked like an elder taking a stroll and casually chatting with a young person by the roadside.

The old man wore a smile, while the young man’s face showed contemplation.

But in reality, the atmosphere between them was far colder than one would imagine.

"What do you mean by that, old gentleman?" Zhang Rongfang looked puzzled, then chuckled, "Could it be that you’ve gone senile? The Lin family, Sea Dragon, well well, such a grand momentum to pressure someone as insignificant as me. Isn’t that a bit too much?"

Basari chuckled.

"I think Zhang Rongfang knows exactly what I’m talking about. If you don’t want me to spread the word, it’s quite simple.

Zhang Rongfang must also know that at this moment if I reveal your whereabouts to the Lin family or Sea Dragon, what the outcome would be.

The Sea Dragon and Lin family are practically insane right now."

Zhang Rongfang’s expression remained unchanged.

"Interesting. Why doesn’t the old gentleman try it and see what charge befalls one who falsely accuses an official of the government?"

The two remained silent, simply gazing at each other.

After several minutes.

Basari slowly nodded.

"Good, you truly are a tough character who could break through the encirclement with me as a hostage. It seems Zhang Rongfang still doesn’t understand why our Black Ten Holy Clan dared to mobilize so many people to surround you.

Well, I’ve said enough today. If Zhang Rongfang figures it out, feel free to find me here later."

He extended his hand, passing over a note.

Zhang Rongfang smiled and took it, pinching the note through his sleeve, unfolded it to see.

No. 19, Minghai Street, Dongfeng Town.

"Oh, and if Zhang Rongfang has figured it out, come to this address as soon as possible. It’s best before the 11th. I recall, on the 10th, there seems to be an assignment for the ninth team regarding the pursuit of an escapee.

I hope Zhang Rongfang takes it seriously, thoroughly investigating every suspect. Ensuring the safety of every innocent, especially our pious follower from the Black Ten Holy Clan."

Zhang Rongfang also received the assignment details, but what nonsense about innocents—there was not a single Black Ten Sect follower among them.

In contrast, among the escapees being hunted down, there was indeed one from the Black Ten Sect.

Clearly, this old man intended for him to deliberately go easy at the time, secretly assisting that person in changing their identity and quietly escaping.

With those words, Basari did not linger, gently patting Zhang Rongfang’s arm before smiling and turning to leave with the two individuals at ease.

"Don’t worry, old gentleman. By that time, I will certainly enforce the law impartially, not letting a single bad person escape, nor wrongfully accusing a single good person."

Zhang Rongfang suddenly responded in a deep voice.

Basari did not turn back, seemingly not hearing, he boarded a carriage and left.

Zhang Rongfang did not linger, turning back into the courtyard.

He hadn’t expected that after hiding for just a few days, someone would be targeting him, coming to threaten him.

If it weren’t for the potential usefulness of his position, that old man might have turned hostile on the spot, or perhaps wouldn’t have come at all, exposing him directly.

Standing in the courtyard, Zhang Rongfang’s gaze passed through the inner door, landing on the Wish Wheel Separation Injury hanging on the wall.

If his matter were truly exposed, the Lin family and Sea Dragon factions would be more than he could handle now.

At least not at the moment.

His original plans and strategies were all disrupted by this unexpected situation.

*

*

*

On the carriage.

Basari held his cane, smiling at the street scene rolling by outside the window.

Fluffy willow catkins floated, blown into the carriage by the breeze. These usually annoying things always made his nose uncomfortable, but at this moment, his mood was much lighter.

"Elder, is this Zhang Ying really the one framing Sea Dragon, provoking the Lin family?" In the carriage, another guard couldn’t help but ask.

"I don’t know." Basari slightly shook his head, "The brothels he frequents are almost always different, and in this line of business, only thirty to forty percent in Tan Yang are under our watch—who knows where he goes every day?

However, our people found that when he went out at night, there was one time he pretended to go to a brothel but didn’t."

"Then why did you...?" The man was taken aback.

"If he has nothing to hide, why would he fear my words just now?" Basari smiled, "With those words, if he’s truly worried about the Lin family and Sea Dragon, he will comply.

If he complies, agreeing to my request, it means there’s something wrong in his mind.

In this way, this Zhang Ying, even if he is not the one who sabotaged Lin Qixiao, is definitely related to it.

By then, if we hand this intel to the Lin family and Sea Dragon, we’ll receive far more than just these little things."

"But, did you really have to come yourself?" The guard swallowed hard. He wasn’t sure if he was intimidated by the elder’s scheming or if he had other thoughts.

"I came personally just out of interest. After all, this Zhang Ying seems far from simple, others might not be able to handle it so accurately... This person is audacious and cunning, not an easy character to handle." Basari explained simply.

The two beside him were his confidants, whom he hoped to nurture and send out as key figures later. But as it turned out, their martial prowess was decent, yet their wit was somewhat lacking...

Unconsciously, he thought of Zhang Ying. If these two had the same prowess as Zhang Ying, perhaps he wouldn’t have to personally handle everything....

’This time, it must be quick. Otherwise, when the Spirit Court forces have their hands free, our days won’t be easy.’

The Black Ten Sect had woven an increasingly large net across Tan Yang, displeasing those above.

This task, having the ninth team act directly for a massacre, was merely a warning.

*

*

*

At night.

Zhang Rongfang led his team back from patrol, announcing the dismissal without any reprimand.

Lately, Tan Yang seemed somewhat odd.

Over at the government yamen, high-ranking officials like Minister of Criminal Justice and others were cooperating with provincial supervisors to investigate something.

The Lin family and Sea Dragon matters didn’t seem to be their primary focus. Instead, these issues were mostly pushed down to mid and lower segments at various levels.

Zhang Rongfang, during several days of patrol, saw fully armed soldiers garrisoned, entering the city and patrolling the streets.

In some places, traces of blood could occasionally be seen, not yet completely cleaned up.

Outside Tan Yang, news of uprisings in seven counties continuously came in, with troops stationed there collaborating with surrounding military forces, constantly battling the rebels, and the war seemed to be in a stalemate.

In the ninth team, two members also took leave to return home because they had relatives in the seven counties.

The door creaked open.

Zhang Rongfang walked up to the Wish Wheel Separation Injury and gently took it down.

Hesitating for a moment, he put it back.

Before mastering the Wish Wheel Skill to break limits, he had no intention of using this weapon.

Instead, using common daggers and short swords was less likely to expose him.

’It’s a pity that person’s sword and shield were extremely sharp. If only I could have taken them along back then, they would have been quite useful.’

With a sigh, Zhang Rongfang recalled the threat from the Black Ten Sect elder, Basari.

He must never expose himself.

That was his bottom line.

The problem now was that since Basari dared to come and threaten him, it meant that this matter was known to more than just him.

It meant that even if Basari died, this matter would surely spread among many people.

By then, under the pressure of the Lin family and Sea Dragon factions, he would have no choice but to flee, and might even implicate his sister-in-law Yang Hongyan.

All this time, Zhang Rongfang dared not visit his sister-in-law, for this very reason.

To survive, he had been forced to offend one trouble after another.

And once someone discovered his connection to his sister-in-law Yang Hongyan, then...

The Yang family would definitely be used by enemies as a tool to threaten him.

Just like right now.

In the moonlight, Zhang Rongfang’s face was terrifyingly sullen.

This was the price of covert actions.

He was mentally prepared from the start, but when someone actually used it against him, he realized how convenient clandestine methods were, and how severe the backlash could be.

He paced back and forth in the room, worried about being exposed, worried about implicating his sister-in-law, worried about his real identity being uncovered, worried that all his efforts over these years would be in vain.

Layer upon layer of concerns weighed heavily on him, increasing his pressure and anxiety.

"It seems... I’ll have to agree to that old guy for now, cooperate with him, and think of a way to turn the tables later..."

Zhang Rongfang felt troubled inside.

In this Great Spirit, under constant pressure, just when he saw a glimmer of hope with some effort, new troubles enveloped him once more.

Endless, never-ending.

When will it finally end?

Opening the window, he gazed at the half-exposed moon in the sky.

’I just want to live the life I desire in peace... but life seems to leave me no place to go.’

His background as a barbarian scholar blocked the path of advancement.

Without advancement, he could not enter the safe social strata.

With a sigh, Zhang Rongfang eventually closed the window and returned to the bedside.

No matter what, he resolved to take life one day at a time.

Since Basari came to talk to him personally, it meant the other party needed him, wanted to use him.

Otherwise, Basari would have no reason to say so much and could put him to death merely by reporting him.

Removing his clothes, Zhang Rongfang lay flat on the bed and closed his eyes.

This was the cost of not doing things thoroughly before. Even now, he couldn’t understand at which point he had been exposed.

With the troubles in his heart, slowly, sleepiness overcame him, and he fell into a dream.

*

*

*

In the middle of the night.

Swoosh.

Zhang Rongfang suddenly sat up straight from the bed.

"It’s about time..." He glanced at the water clock on the wall; it was around 2:15 a.m.

"Alas..." He sighed, rising to put his clothes on layer by layer.

This time, Basari had really frightened him.

If his act of arson were exposed, the consequences would be extremely dire.

Sitting by the bed, no matter how he thought, Zhang Rongfang couldn’t come up with a good solution.

"What on earth should I do about this..."

He stood up, pacing the room back and forth.

"Exactly..."

"How exactly should I kill Basari and all those who know the secret?"

There were too many people in the Black Ten Sect; missing even one would be a disaster.

And no one knew how many people Basari had shared the whole story with.

He couldn’t possibly wipe out the entire Black Ten Sect.

Moreover, Basari often moved and had no fixed abode.

To guard against assassination, the old guy always had protectors around him.

Just because he caught him off guard last time doesn’t mean a second or third attempt would find the other so unwary.

To track him down, he first needed to know where that stubborn old man lived.

Zhang Rongfang deeply realized the importance of intelligence at this moment.

These days, opponents as easy to deal with as Huaxin County’s Mi Gang were really rare....

In the end, he couldn’t bear it anymore. Whatever the case, he had to take action first.

What if killing that old man, and some nearby people, actually solved the issue?

People always harbor a fluke mentality.

Zhang Rongfang was no exception, so he decided to try killing once. After all, it wasn’t certain anyone could trace it back to him.

This was indeed the advantage of always hiding his strength.

He quickly changed into his night attire, donned a coat over it, covered his face with a mask, tucked a short sword inside, and lightly leapt out of the window, silently disappearing into the shadows of the night.