This compass was a Dharma artifact. It could sense the fiendish aura within a 15-kilometer radius.
Oh? Meng Chuan was astonished when he saw the black light on the compass. Such a powerful fiendish aura. It’s a Great Fiend? A Great Fiend appeared in Binhai City?
I haven’t encountered any Great Fiends after descending to this world. Meng Chuan was tempted.
Over the years, there were only nine Origins Fiends, and all of them had been sealed. Once one broke out of the seal, it would be a calamity.
Although there were more Great Fiends, they were still extremely rare. Perhaps there were dozens of them in this era, but they were scattered across the world. It was rather difficult for Meng Chuan to encounter one unless he deliberately searched for it.
To encounter a Great Fiend in Binhai City?
That night, Meng Chuan silently left Fang Manor. With the compass in hand, he tracked down the fiendish aura.
After walking for more than five kilometers, he arrived at a bustling area.
Meng Chuan looked up and saw a large number of military guards in front of a luxurious manor. There were also many esteemed guests arriving in cars.
Cars were novel items that appeared almost at the same time as firearms. A car cost more than 1,000 taels of silver, and they were a symbol of status in Binhai City.
“President Wan, please.”
“Chief Ma, the Marshal didn’t invite you. You can’t enter.”
“Mr. Wu, please.”
“Young Master Liu, please.”
One famous figure after another entered the manor.
“F**k, our Blood Axe Gang has over a hundred people. I’m the chief, but I’m not allowed to enter? Isn’t that an insult?” A man dressed in decent clothes was rather indignant as he looked at the mansion that had many nobles entering.
It was the Marshal’s residence. The Marshal was currently the most important figure in Binhai City.
Outside the manor, Meng Chuan watched from afar.
Oh? Meng Chuan saw this.
Three cars arrived in a row. Out of the three cars, six people walked toward the mansion; Fang Dalong was one of the six.
Father is also here? Meng Chuan fell into deep thought. Back then, Fang Dalong had brought his fellow men from his hometown to Binhai City and joined his good friend’s gang, the Gold Silver Gang. The Gold Silver Gang was one of the three biggest gangs in Binhai City, and Fang Dalong was ranked fifth in the Gold Silver Gang.
Meng Chuan walked over.
When the one-armed youth walked over, he didn’t attract any attention. It was as though people had instinctively ignored him.
“Please.” The usher at the door didn’t stop him. Instead, he smiled and let Meng Chuan in.
Meng Chuan walked into the manor and walked past the front yard. He arrived at a brightly lit hall, where many guests were already seated.
At the front of the hall was a tall platform. On the platform was a female singer singing. A group of dancers dressed in thin clothes was also dancing erotically. The singer was also a famous singer in Binhai City, but not many guests paid attention to her.
“Marshal has occupied more than half of Binhai City. Today, he has summoned all the famous people in Binhai City. I’m afraid he has ill intentions.”
“Humph, he hasn’t completely occupied Binhai City. If he angers the entire Binhai City, he would probably have to flee back to where he came from when everyone unites.”
“Everyone unite? It’s not that easy.”
The guests discussed secretly.
Fang Dalong sat there with a frown.
“Brothers, the Marshal hasn’t summoned us from the Gold Silver Gang since he came to Binhai City. The first time he’s summoning us is in public. Something doesn’t feel right,” said the skinny old man in the lead coldly.
“Let’s see how it goes,” said a muscular man beside him.
“Previously, he refused to meet us when we visited. He must want great things,” said a fair-skinned man gently.
“Let’s see how big his appetite is,” said Fang Dalong.
…
Meng Chuan sat at a corner table. There were two guests at the same table; they smiled and nodded at Meng Chuan, but they were somewhat puzzled. It was as though they didn’t know this person.
A warlord actually has 16 Bizarro Fiends and one Great Fiend in the residence. Meng Chuan was somewhat surprised. At such a close distance, he could already sense the deep and vast Great Fiend aura.
It far exceeded Meng Chuan’s, but an Exorcist relied on the Heaven and Earth powers to fight an enemy. One couldn’t determine their strength from the surface.
Moments later, the singing and dancing ended.
Finally, escorted by two deputy generals, a middle-aged man with sharp eyes and dressed in a military uniform walked to the center of the stage. Immediately, all the guests below the stage fell silent. The person in front of them was the most powerful person in Binhai City.
“Everyone, I’ve led the army for more than ten years. Now that the Great Yu Dynasty has finally been overthrown, many of my brothers in the military have fallen on the road. When we fight, we fight with money. I can’t even take out the money to repay my fallen brethren; I’ve let them down,” said the middle-aged man with a sigh. “I know that Binhai City is a city of heroes. Everyone here is one of the best. I’ll naturally be grateful if all of you can support me with a few taels. With your wealth, you will be my enemy if you remain stingy.”
The middle-aged man looked at a fatty sitting in the front row.
The fatty immediately shouted, “Marshal led the army into battle. We naturally have to contribute. I’m willing to give 100,000 taels of silver.”
“Thank you, President Wan.” The Marshal smiled and nodded.
The expressions of many guests changed.
President Wan wasn’t considered an important figure in Binhai City’s upper echelons, but even he had to fork out 100,000 taels of silver. Wouldn’t the faction with the highest status need to produce 1,000,000 taels of silver? This wasn’t sucking blood but cutting off one’s thigh!
“Lord Li, what about you?” The Marshal’s gaze landed on an old man next to President Wan.
“I-I’m willing to pay…” The elder gritted his teeth. “I’m willing to pay 30,000 taels of silver! Marshal, this is all the liquidated money I have.”
“That’s too stingy.” The Marshal shook his head.
Bang!
A bloody hole appeared in the elder’s glabella, and blood gushed out. It was one of the soldiers standing in the hall who had fired.
This made the entire hall jittery.
“As I said, stinginess makes you my enemy.” The Marshal’s sharp eyes were filled with killing intent. “I naturally have to kill my enemy.”
“How much money we pay depends on our own wishes. Even if you aren’t satisfied, we can discuss it. Why didn’t you give him a chance to negotiate? How could you just shoot?” An old man—who had a wart between his eyebrows—sitting in the front row spoke calmly with a gloomy expression.
“To gather money in such a way, aren’t you afraid of losing your teeth by robbing the entire Binhai City?” Another young man, who had brought his wife, scoffed.
Meng Chuan knew these two people; these two were rather famous Master Exorcists.
There were two large Exorcism sects—Soul Bell Sect and Sea Fiend Sect—in Binhai. Exorcism sects had a long heritage. With Master Exorcists and Exorcists as the core, they had guns and people in these chaotic times. They also used various Heaven and Earth powers. These were the true top factions in Binhai City.
The Marshal looked at the two and knew that they represented the sect behind them. He couldn’t help but smile. “I admire the contributions the Exorcism sects have made to countless people. I’m very satisfied with just one million taels of silver from the Soul Bell Sect and the Sea Fiend Sect.”
“And you think those tens of thousands of soldiers give you the right?�
� The young man gently stroked his wife’s hand and questioned the Marshal indifferently.
The Sea Fiend Sect had thousands of well-equipped troops., and they controlled Sea Fiends. In a head-on battle, the Sea Fiend Sect wasn’t afraid of the so-called 30,000-strong army. However, sects that had long legacies rarely fought.
Master Exorcists never feared any political intrigue or a handful of battles! Master Exorcists were the only existence in this world that could deal with fiends. They could even deal with fiends, much less mortals.
“The Marshal has waged war everywhere. Fellow brothers of the Sea Fiend Sect and Soul Bell Sect should empathize with the Marshal’s hard work.” A gray-robed elder appeared from an illusion and stood beside the Marshal.
“Sect Master Feng?”
“Sect Master Feng?”
The young man and the wart-faced elder’s expressions changed.
The gray-robed elder in front of them was the current sect master of one of the top ten large sects in the world, the Fiend Refinement Sect. The Fiend Refinement Sect focused on controlling fiends! In the Fiend Refinement Sect’s history, it had refined a total of three Great Fiends. Two of these three Great Fiends were still alive.
Although it was difficult to control them… controlling one Great Fiend was comparable to the strength of a Heavenly Master Exorcist. Sect Master Feng was the one who could control the Great Fiends in the sect. He was a true figure in the Exorcism world.
“I believe my fellow brethren from the Soul Bell Sect and Sea Fiend Sect are willing to pay a million taels of silver each,” said the gray-robed elder with a smile.
The young man and the wart-faced elder exchanged looks.
“Since Sect Master Feng has spoken, we are willing to give in to the Marshal.” The young man and the wart-faced elder could only endure it. After all, the two sects in Binhai City combined were inferior to the Fiend Refinement Sect.
Since the Fiend Refinement Sect’s Sect Master had appeared, the Fiend Refinement Sect definitely had other Master Exorcists following them.
From the looks of it, the Fiend Refinement Sect is supporting Marshal Shi in this era of chaos. Everyone in the hall understood this point.
Now that all the warlords in the world had risen, Marshal Shi’s strength wasn’t too eye-catching. He couldn’t be considered a first-tier warlord, but the first-tier warlords also had the support of powerful Exorcism factions.
Since Marshal Shi was able to gain the Fiend Refinement Sect’s support, everyone’s thoughts changed.
“My Li family is willing to support the Marshal with 200,000 taels.”
“My Fu family is willing to offer 200,000 taels.”
All parties made bids according to their strength, with the first person—President Wan—as a reference.
They weren’t afraid of the Marshal’s army, but if one added a top Exorcism faction in the world—the Fiend Refinement Sect—it was somewhat terrifying.
“My Gold Silver Gang is willing to pay one million taels,” said the Gold Silver Gang’s leader.
“The Gold Silver Gang is one of the three biggest gangs in Binhai City, and they are famous for their wealth. One million taels seem too little,” said Marshal Shi with a smile. “I think five million taels is more in line with your Gold Silver Gang’s status.”
The expressions of the Gold Silver Gang’s upper echelons changed drastically.
The Gold Silver Gang was indeed powerful, but the daily expenditure of its many members was astonishing. The gang appeared to be glamorous on the surface, but in reality, its foundation was inferior to some large merchants. Taking out one million taels was already draining the gang’s cash flow, and the gang would have to mortgage their assets in the future.
As for five million taels? It was no longer cutting off their thighs but their lives.
Marshal Shi smiled as he looked over, but his eyes were very cold. He could be lenient toward Exorcism factions and large family clans with deep backgrounds.
As for the so-called three big gangs? He didn’t plan on letting go of any of the gangs formed by a bunch of mudlarks.
“The three big gangs have equal status. I think it’s quite good for each one to offer five million taels,” said Marshal Shi.
“This…”
“Marshal!”
The other two gangs’ upper echelons also reeled with anxiety.
Gangs appeared to have many members, but they were far inferior to factions with tens of thousands of soldiers. Therefore, with a single order, the three gangs’ upper echelons had to come over. However, they didn’t expect Marshal Shi to be so ruthless.
“Don’t be in a hurry. I’ll talk to the Gold Silver Gang first. I believe they love the military and the people.” Marshal Shi looked at the Gold Silver Gang’s upper echelons, and the other two gangs’ upper echelons turned pale.
“Marshal, your actions imply that you want to devour the three gangs,” said the skinny old man.
“Isn’t the law of the jungle only natural?” Marshal Shi looked at the old man.
“We can’t produce five million taels.” The thin elder shook his head.
The muscular man beside him also said, “Even if the entire Gold Silver Gang is handed over to you, we won’t be able to gather five million taels.”
“Of course, the gang can’t produce it. After all, a lot of the gang’s money is in your families. Your families should be able to scrounge up some if you search your households,” said Marshal Shi with a smile. “Either you become my enemy, in which I kill you and send troops to search your households, or you become my friends and take the initiative to offer five million taels.”
If he really killed these upper echelons, the gang would be in chaos, and the gang members would flee with the money. It would be very difficult for him to gather the money.
If he forced these upper echelons to gather it themselves, he would be able to gain more.
“These mudlarks.” The other people in the hall watched this scene coldly.
Gangs were very different from large family clans, large merchant associations, and Exorcism sects. Gangs rose from the bottom, becoming massive forces in an era of chaos.
It was obvious that although Marshal Shi was ruthless toward the other factions, he was simply lethal toward the three big gangs.
“Does the Gold Silver Gang want to be my enemy?” Marshal Shi looked at the six upper echelons of the Gold Silver Gang.
Immediately, soldiers raised their guns and pointed them at those six people.
Fang Dalong felt extremely aggrieved.
When the rebel army was weak, they had to befriend local factions. This was the case back in his hometown.
But after the Imperial Court was completely destroyed, the rebel army became much more ferocious. When Fang Dalong saw that the situation wasn’t looking good, he sold all his fields, uprooted his family, and brought them to Binhai City. He sought refuge with his old friend and joined the Gold Silver Gang.
Unexpectedly, the Gold Silver Gang was also being coerced.
In this era of chaos, big fish eat small fish. The Gold Silver Gang is also a small fish. Fang Dalong understood this point.
Oh? Fang Dalong suddenly sensed something. He turned around and saw a one-armed youth walk to his side.
“Qi’er?” Fang Dalong was alarmed. Why is my son here?
Although Meng Chuan’s Exorcism techniques were brilliant, he was ultimately a mortal. If he was far away, he wouldn’t be able to intercept a bullet. Therefore, he stood by Fang Dalong’s side! No matter how many soldiers there were, it would be difficult for them to threaten Fang Dalong.
“Leave quickly,” urged Fang Dalong in a low voice. The soldiers were targeting the Gold Silver Gang’s upper echelons. They hadn’t targeted his son, but now that his son had appeared, wasn’t he throwing himself into a dire situation?
“It’s nothing.” Meng Chuan comforted him and looked up at Marshal Shi. “Marshal Shi, I’m very puzzled. The capital is in the north, a
nd most of the Imperial Court’s armies are gathered in the north. If you want to overthrow the Imperial Court, why did the army keep heading south and end up in Binhai City?”
The hall fell silent.
Everyone was astonished by how bold the one-armed youth was. Even the Gold Silver Gang’s upper echelons were alarmed.
“Who are you?” asked Marshal Shi coldly.
The gray-robed elder, Sect Master Feng, formed a seal with one hand in his sleeve, and his eyes glowed with purple light as he looked at Meng Chuan.
Then, his expression couldn’t help but change slightly.
Chapter 764 - Heaven Master Fang
Translator: CKtalon
It was very difficult to determine an Exorcist’s strength. It was impossible to tell how deep their understanding of talisman arts and mudras was or whether they had powerful Dharma artifacts on the surface.
At that moment, Sect Master Feng was using a mystic technique to probe the psyche strength of the person in front of him. Most Exorcists didn’t care about their bodies but focused on cultivating their souls and minds! This was because most of them had never cultivated their souls to their bodies’ limits, so they naturally didn’t need to waste time on their bodies.
What powerful psyche strength. Although Sect Master Feng was secretly alarmed, he wasn’t afraid.
The study of talisman techniques and mudra techniques required time. The older one was, the higher their realm was. The current generation’s Heaven Master Exorcists were all over 50 years old. One’s psyche grew with age.
Meng Chuan was an exception—his willpower was at the Essence Soul Eighth Tribulation realm the moment he descended! The strength of his soul depended on his body, so his soul would be as strong as his body could bear! Therefore, Meng Chuan’s peak psyche strength was before he was 30 years old.
But in this world, the older an Exorcist was, the stronger their psyche was, and the more terrifying their strength was.
“My friend,” said Sect Master Feng with a smile. “Which sect are you from?”
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