Chapter 45: Tao Wenxuan's Scheme, Advancing to the Second Layer

Chapter 45: Tao Wenxuan’s Scheme, Advancing to the Second Layer

“This Wei Jie,” Tao Wenxuan explained, “according to our intelligence, serves as the Guardian Enforcer of the Pure Land Sect. He’s an extremely powerful martial cultivator—possibly even a Vital Energy Cultivator.

His movements are elusive, making him difficult to capture. The County Courthouse offers three hundred taels of silver for his capture—two hundred from the court, and one hundred from me personally if Champion Yang can kill him.”

Tao Wenxuan shared all this information with Su Chen, clearly hoping he would take the mission. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have added his own reward.

Faced with the tempting offer, Su Chen hesitated. High rewards always came with high risks.

Tao Wenxuan had explicitly stated that Wei Jie was a Vital Energy Cultivator. The four stages of Vital Energy Cultivation created massive power gaps between each level.

Even at his current strength, Su Chen had to be cautious when facing two martial cultivators of equal skill. How much more so for someone potentially stronger?

This wasn’t just speculation. As the Pure Land Sect’s Guardian Enforcer, Wei Jie likely hadn’t reached full mastery of martial cultivation, but he was certainly at least a Strength Cultivation Nearing Perfection cultivator.

After all, even the untrained Chu Ming had two early-stage martial cultivators guarding him. This suggested that in the Pure Land Sect, cultivators of this level were merely elite enforcers. As a Guardian Enforcer, Wei Jie’s strength couldn’t possibly be worse than a mere thug’s.

“I need time to consider. Is there a deadline for this bounty?” Su Chen asked after a moment’s thought.

Hearing this, Tao Wenxuan relaxed slightly. Su Chen hadn’t outright refused, which meant there was still a chance.

Privately, Tao Wenxuan was impressed. Champion Yang’s strength seemed even greater than he’d imagined.

“There’s no deadline,” Tao Wenxuan replied, shaking his head. The bounty had been an impulsive decision, so naturally, there was no set timeframe.

Su Chen nodded and turned to leave. “If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave.”

“Champion Yang,” Tao Wenxuan called out, “if you decide to go after Wei Jie, I have a lead. He may appear in Lanye Town five days from now.”

With that, Tao Wenxuan signaled the County Clerk, who produced a portrait of Wei Jie. Su Chen glanced at it and simply said, “Understood.”

He didn’t confirm whether he would act, and Tao Wenxuan didn’t press him further. Instead, he had the County Clerk escort Su Chen out.

After Su Chen left, the County Clerk returned to the hall.

“Have Chu Ming’s men’s bodies been brought back?” Tao Wenxuan asked.

“They’ve been retrieved,” the clerk confirmed.

“Then hang them in the marketplace as a warning.”

The clerk hesitated briefly before nodding. “Yes, sir.”

“By the way,” Tao Wenxuan mused, “do you know where this Yang Guo comes from?”

The clerk shook his head. “He doesn’t seem to be from White Stone City. He appeared out of nowhere. If I had to guess, ‘Yang Guo’ is likely an alias. He’s been hiding in the outskirts of White Stone City under a false identity.”

“That makes sense,” Tao Wenxuan said. “His strength is indeed formidable. A shame he can’t be recruited.”

The clerk suggested, “If you wish to recruit him, perhaps offer a generous reward. He seems greedy—I believe it’s worth a try.”

“No,” Tao Wenxuan shook his head. “Let’s see if he survives first.”

The clerk stroked his chin thoughtfully. “You suspect he can’t defeat Wei Jie?”

Tao Wenxuan didn’t answer directly. “Do you think he’ll go to Lanye Town in five days?”

The clerk considered this. “He might go, but he may not act immediately. He seems to operate by his own cautious standards.”

He recalled how Su Chen had waited five days before killing Chu Ming. This suggested a methodical, deliberate approach.

“But…” The clerk hesitated.

“But what?”

“This news about Wei Jie appearing in Lanye Town seems too convenient. We received it immediately after Chu Ming’s death. I fear it might be a trap.”

Tao Wenxuan chuckled. “Of course it’s a trap. He probably suspects we were behind Chu Ming’s death.”

“Then why—”

“The situation in White Stone City has been stagnant for too long. It’s time for someone to shake things up.”

Tao Wenxuan shook his head, unwilling to elaborate further.

If Su Chen killed Wei Jie, it would serve his purposes perfectly. It might even expose the Pure Land Sect’s rebels, allowing him to eliminate them all at once.

If Wei Jie killed Su Chen, it wouldn’t matter much. He had no attachment to Su Chen’s survival.

The clerk fell silent before raising another concern. “Sir, bandits have been terrorizing the outskirts, causing panic within the city. If this continues, unrest may grow.”

Tao Wenxuan waved a hand dismissively. “A bunch of rabble. Ignore them. If riots break out, crush them forcefully.”

With that, he turned and left.

…

Lanye Town.

A crumbling courtyard.

The wind rustled dry grass, revealing faint shadows lurking in the darkness.

Footsteps echoed—urgent, cautious. A figure paused at the courtyard’s entrance before slipping inside.

“Guardian Enforcer,” the man knelt, addressing the wiry man in the center who was practicing martial forms.

The man ignored him, continuing his exercise. Suddenly, he lashed out with one leg, sending five or six sharp whistling sounds through the air.

As he landed on one foot, he casually crushed a stone beneath his heel with a crunch.

“Well?” he asked without looking at the kneeling man.

“Chu Ming and the Zhao brothers were killed by a one-armed man,” the subordinate reported. “He’s suspected to be Yang Guo, the Sword Bearer working for the City Authorities. Yang Guo frequently hunts fugitives for the city, and his strength suggests he may be a Vital Energy Cultivator.

However, he’s extremely elusive. We’ve been unable to trace his whereabouts.”

“Hmm, Yang Guo?” The enforcer murmured the name. “And the other matter?”

“The news of your arrival in Lanye Town five days from now has been spread as ordered.”

“Good. Keep monitoring Yang Guo and the City Authorities. Report any developments immediately.”

The enforcer waved him off. Once alone, a cold smile spread across his face.

“Elusive, are you? Let’s see if you can withstand my wrath after daring to kill my men.”

…

Meanwhile, back at his residence, Su Chen stared at the silver taels on his table, contemplating.

“Should I choose Ape’s Might or Iron Shirt? The former might only strengthen my arm, but the latter could enhance my Vital Energy itself.”

After a moment’s deliberation, he clenched his fist. “If my Vital Energy grows stronger, my overall power will skyrocket. I’ll prioritize Iron Shirt first.”

Su Chen spent one hundred taels to activate Iron Wire Fist · Residual’s Easy Mode:

[Easy Mode Activated: Soak in warm water for twenty minutes to advance Iron Wire Fist · Residual to the second layer.]

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end