The last rays of the setting sun had completely vanished, and Luobuo City was completely enveloped by darkness. Yet, it was far from silent, for the restaurants of the Jin Yin Business House were packed with people. The clinking of glasses and boisterous shouts emanating from within disturbed the entire street.
"Boss Jin, a toast to you!" The Wang family patriarch rose from his chair on the third floor of the restaurant, downing the contents of his cup in one go.
"Haha, I wouldn't dare, Patriarch, you may remain seated!" Jin Dafu laughed heartily, also rising to return the toast.
"Tonight, gathering so many heroes and valiant warriors is all thanks to Boss Jin's influence. It is only right that I toast you." The Wang family patriarch turned sideways, looking at the supernaturals drinking and feasting in the courtyard, and said with a smile.
"Patriarch, you flatter me," Jin Dafu waved his hand dismissively. "They are merely low-level cultivators at the second stage. If you were to personally show up, there would likely be tens of times more people here."
"Haha, Boss Jin is joking. How could I dare to personally recruit people? Moreover, you yourself are not it, did you not send out a night meeting summons through someone?"
The Wang family patriarch raised his wine cup to his chest, squinting with a smile.
The fundamental reason he had orchestrated this was to kill Xu Mu. By asking Jin Dafu to gather unfamiliar cultivators to raze the village, he feared alerting Yao Huo. He only wanted Xu Mu to know that he was responsible, but not for the Demon Eradication Division to have grounds to accuse him of village destruction.
Only when he remained "at large" would Xu Mu be enraged enough to seek revenge, and at that moment, he would have the opportunity to kill Xu Mu!
Otherwise, if Xu Mu were allowed to grow unchecked, he would soon become a behemoth like Yao Huo, and the Wang family would be finished!
The thought of such a consequence sent an involuntary shiver down the Wang family patriarch's spine. He sighed, his brow furrowed with worry, and asked, "Boss Jin, are you certain the Demon Eradication Division will not interfere?"
Jin Dafu chuckled, "Rest assured. Yao Huo is in seclusion, and I have already bribed his subordinates. News of this night meeting will not reach his ears."
"Excellent, Boss Jin has indeed gone to great lengths." The Wang family patriarch breathed a sigh of relief, feeling reassured. The reason he dared not personally seek out people was precisely his fear of Yao Huo from the Demon Eradication Division intervening. After all, Xu Mu was affiliated with the Demon Eradication Division. If Yao Huo were to put aside their past grievances and present a united front, not only would he be unable to kill Xu Mu, but he might even struggle to escape.
"It's no trouble at all, as long as the Patriarch does not forget our agreement," Jin Dafu said with a slight smile. He had long coveted the blood coral, having been refused several times despite offering exorbitant prices for its acquisition.
"Heh heh… Boss Jin, rest assured. From this day forth for ten years, fifty percent of the blood coral harvest will be delivered to the business house in full each year." The Wang family patriarch's face twitched slightly, his heart aching. Such a massive outflow of blood coral would severely restrict the Wang family's development, as the guest elders who sought his favor would henceforth have another avenue, making them harder for him to control!
"Sir, everything is prepared," at this moment, a masked man scurried over to Jin Dafu and handed him a scroll with both hands. Jin Dafu grunted and opened it, revealing densely packed lists of names and their life stories.
"Hmm, they all seem reliable. Have their escape routes been secured after the task is completed?" Jin Dafu asked nonchalantly.
"The routes have been arranged. It's on an island in the Southern Domain, perpetually shrouded in mist, making it extremely secluded. However, with the Demon Eradication Division's capabilities, there's still a chance they might find it..." the masked man said nervously.
Jin Dafu nodded at this, sighing, "Every business carries its own risks."
"It is time. Let them depart."
"Yes!" The masked man, as if granted a pardon, immediately cupped his fists in a respectful bow and retreated, only turning around at the turn of the stairs. He dashed down the stairs and then bellowed, "Everyone, it's time to get to work!"
"So soon?" Jin Jiao, who was in the midst of the crowd, smacked his lips and then called out as well, "Come, everyone, put down what you're doing for a moment and listen to me before we act."
All eyes turned towards him. Jin Jiao stood on the central steps, gazing at the supernaturals of various forms in the courtyard, and said with a solemn expression, "First, we must act swiftly and decisively. Follow the prearranged plan. Each person must thoroughly clear their designated area; no one is to be allowed to escape."
"Second, after completing the task, everyone must gather at the planned rendezvous point. I will activate the teleportation array to help you lie low. This could last from three to five years, or as short as a few months. Under no circumstances should you entertain any foolish notions of escaping. If you are caught by the imperial court, you all know the consequences!"
"Rest assured, Great Leader Jin, we understand these rules."
"Yes, there's no need to elaborate further."
A burly man wielding twin axes laughed loudly, and the others echoed his sentiment.
Jin Jiao recalled his previous setbacks with Xu Mu. Today was the day for revenge, and a surge of uncontainable exhilaration rose within him. "In that case, I invite you all to seize the darkness of the night and commence your operations now!"
"Annihilate Fengqing first, then kill Xu Mu!" Jin Jiao roared.
"Annihilate Fengqing first, then kill Xu Mu!"
"Annihilate Fengqing first, then kill Xu Mu!" The crowd in the courtyard echoed in unison, showing no concern of being overheard, for Jin Jiao had already used a magical artifact to seal off the space around the restaurant, preventing any sound from escaping.
However, it was at this very moment that Jin Jiao perceived something unusual through his artifact. The smile on his face froze.
"Creak."
The courtyard gate was pushed open by a young man.
"Who is this?" The man wielding twin axes, looking at Xu Mu standing at the entrance, his face delicate and holding something between his fingers, was momentarily stunned. Others also wore looks of confusion, while only a select few appeared grim. Jin Jiao and Yin Jiao's expressions rapidly shifted from shock to horror.
"You don't even know who I am, and you intend to kill me?" Xu Mu sneered. As he spoke, he pulled out numerous tear gas bombs from his pocket, pulled all their pins, and hurled them into the courtyard. The white mist emanating from them enveloped all the supernaturals present. Tears streamed from their eyes, and chaos erupted.
"Xu Mu, how dare you trespass into my Jin Yin Business House! You are courting death! Everyone, attack together!" Jin Jiao, both shocked and enraged, blocked the white mist with his golden sand and then roared with imposing vigor. However, in reality, his feet never stopped as he fled towards the stairs.
He knew everything Xu Mu had done in the Western Mountains and understood that this fellow was actually a fourth-stage lord. He had no hope of survival except to seek refuge with the two individuals on the third floor!
"You cur, you won't escape!"
Xu Mu snorted coldly, his vital energy surging. He traversed the crowd in a flash of wind. His demonic sword sliced through the white mist of the tear gas bombs in several meteor-like trajectories, sending countless heads tumbling.
"This matter has nothing to do with me!" Seeing Xu Mu moving as if through an unpopulated area, effortlessly dispatching over a dozen people before charging towards him, Jin Jiao turned pale with fear. He hurriedly carved two shimmering golden circular voids in space, from which a torrent of golden sand surged forth like a bursting dam.
"Break!" Xu Mu roared. As he charged, the Bagua array diagram appeared, with the position of 'Li' being shifted beneath his feet.
In the Five Elements, fire overcomes gold. Therefore, the power of the golden sand would be greatly reduced in this fire-attuned position. Consequently, the blood energy surging from Xu Mu's physical body easily repelled the golden sand, as if passing through dust.
"What!" Jin Jiao, astonished that Xu Mu had so easily broken through his defenses, was about to do something else when the unnervingly terrifying black sword descended directly upon him!
"Die!" Xu Mu gripped the demonic sword, slicing through Jin Jiao's golden armor with ease, like cutting through tofu, and plunging directly into his chest.
"Damn it!" As death approached, Jin Jiao clamped his hands with all his might onto the pitch-black sword, preventing it from piercing deeper.
Jin Jiao gritted his teeth, his arm muscles bulging. He tried to pull the sword out of his body, but Xu Mu's strength was too immense. He could only manage to hold it in place.
"You are truly so weak. If you have a grudge, come to me. Why did you burn Uncle Kui's house!" Xu Mu snarled, his expression contorted with rage. Kui's house held many of his precious memories; it was his last sanctuary, and now it was all destroyed!
"I was merely... following orders..." Jin Jiao's chest was impaled by the demonic sword, his entire body weak and listless. Pinned against the wall by Xu Mu, even speaking was a struggle.
"Then die!" Xu Mu roared, exerting his strength. The sword in his hand pierced Jin Jiao's heart.
"Damn it, hurry and retreat!" Upon recognizing the young man at the courtyard entrance, the Wang family patriarch angrily pounded the railing and quickly retreated, intending to leave. Jin Dafu's expression also turned unsightly. Xu Mu's ability to find this place meant their plan had been exposed. What they needed to do now was to swiftly distance themselves from it!
"We'll retreat from here, there's a secret passage!" Jin Dafu said to the Wang family patriarch who was about to flee upstairs. At the same time, he himself moved to enter a private room, but the next second, his movement abruptly stopped. Then, a thick defensive barrier of supernatural energy materialized between his hands.
*Boom!*
A golden light, as thick as a thumb, shot through the shield and struck him. Instantly, Jin Dafu's body ignited in a raging inferno. The room he was about to enter then collapsed with a thunderous roar. He looked up in shock to see an old man holding a wine gourd standing atop the spire of the restaurant.
"Wine Immortal Daoist!" Jin Dafu, struggling to extinguish the flames on his body, felt his expression worsen as he clearly saw the person above. This meant their operation was completely compromised!
"Damn it, let's go!" The Wang family patriarch, upon seeing the Wine Immortal Daoist at first glance, did not hesitate to summon the two domain lords accompanying him to cover his retreat.
"Conspiring with villains to harm your own kin, you all deserve to die!" The Wine Immortal Daoist snorted coldly, summoning his Dharma Manifestation, and his boundless Dao Origin surged forth, shaking the entire restaurant to its foundations.
*Rumble!*
With a swing of his wooden sword, he unleashed a torrent of waves. The Wang family patriarch and others turned pale with shock, simultaneously releasing their domains and their most potent abilities to resist.
*Crack!*
The collision of the Dao sword and supernatural powers sent waves of energy rippling through space, pushing aside many buildings. The dark golden light of the Dao Origin illuminated the night sky.
The four domain lords were instantly gravely wounded.
"Are you mad! How dare you summon your Dharma Manifestation here!" The Wang family patriarch's lips bled, his eyes filled with terror. He hadn't expected the Wine Immortal Daoist to personally venture to Luobuo City, nor had he anticipated such a decisive move. Although the range had been somewhat controlled, it was still unavoidable to affect the populace!
Most importantly, he feared attracting Yao Huo!
"This matter has nothing to do with me, senior, I implore you to investigate clearly!" Jin Dafu's face was also somewhat pale. He floated in the air, and several figures in the distance, fighting against the wind and waves, rushed forward and shielded him.
The Wine Immortal Daoist looked at them, his brow furrowing slightly, for they were all domain lord guest retainers of the Jin Yin Business House!
"The people below are all yours. Do you really expect me to believe you when you say this has nothing to do with you?" The Wine Immortal Daoist glanced at Xu Mu, who was currently fighting his way through the crowd below, and said calmly.
"If the senior believes it, then it truly has nothing to do with me." With the arrival of reinforcements, Jin Dafu felt somewhat more confident, but he still wished to avoid offending the Wine Immortal Daoist and the Demon Eradication Division, maintaining a remarkably humble posture.
"And if I do not believe you?" The Wine Immortal Daoist raised his Dao sword again, squinting as he asked.
"If that is the case, then I can only learn from you." Jin Dafu sighed, and then a cold glint suddenly emanated from his honest face. "Senior, if you think I would only bring these people with me when I travel, you underestimate me, Jin Dafu!"
As he spoke, dozens of exceptionally powerful auras suddenly erupted in the space. The Wine Immortal Daoist looked at the supernaturals surrounding him, his brow arching, for they were all at the fifth realm!
"You've brought out your entire reserve, but do you think this can stop me?" The Wine Immortal Daoist said with a cold laugh. These domain lords posed no threat to him.
"Senior can try." Jin Dafu waved his hand, and the supernaturals simultaneously made the same gesture. The power of the Great Dao manifested among them, immensely potent, seemingly forming some kind of formation.
"All show and no substance. Then come!"
The Wine Immortal Daoist took a sip of wine, his face filled with disdain, and then swung his sword downwards.