Yuan Jiu'an explained to the unconscious young man, "If we go back for the antidote now, it will arrive tomorrow morning. However, only Master Pan is familiar with the terrain here. If Master Pan goes for the antidote, we'll have to wait here."
Wang Fei understood Yuan Jiu'an's unspoken meaning. They were here for the spiritual spring, not to play games. Moreover, they weren't the only ones seeking it.
Looking at Gangzi, who lay on the ground unconscious, Wang Fei slowly closed his eyes, then opened them again, raising the pistol in his hand.
Bang, bang, bang.
After three shots, the young man named Gangzi, lying on the ground, breathed his last. Blood flowed out.
Wang Fei looked at Gangzi's corpse, his eyes cold. "Life and death are destined, wealth and honor are in heaven. Rest in peace, Gangzi."
Wang Fei's subordinates nearby showed no surprise at the scene, indicating this was not the first time.
Yuan Jiu'an, who had remained silent, frowned. Wang Fei's ruthless methods made him a dangerous potential threat.
"Master Yu, that was too brutal," Pan Lun whispered into Yu Daohhen's ear, clearly shaken by Wang Fei's actions.
Yu Daohhen nodded without speaking. Although he knew Wang Fei's group were desperate men, he hadn't expected them to be so ruthless even towards their own.
"Bao Dong, Niu Biao, dig a hole and bury Gangzi."
After Wang Fei spoke, two subordinates stepped forward. One lifted Gangzi by the head, the other by the feet, carrying the young man away.
"Young Master Yuan and the two masters, I wish to bury my brother," Wang Fei said, looking at them with a serious expression.
Yuan Jiu'an waved his hand. "No problem, no problem. It's only right. I will provide a generous severance package for that young man."
Upon hearing "severance package," Wang Fei and his subordinates' eyes lit up. They were desperate men, and brotherhood meant nothing compared to money.
The two subordinates, Bao Dong and Niu Biao, found a spot and began digging. The others sat down to rest.
"Hey, Old Biao, do you think the boss was too ruthless? Gangzi has been with us since we were kids, and now he's just gone," Bao Dong said while digging.
"Old Dong, in the eyes of people like us, only money matters. Who cares about brotherhood? Gangzi was unlucky, nothing can be done," Niu Biao sighed. He had followed Wang Fei for the money; in this line of work, brotherhood was a luxury.
"But it's also a good thing," Bao Dong chuckled. "With Gangzi dead, his share can be divided among us."
Niu Biao remained silent, but he thought the same. In this world, the only thing worth trusting was money.
Bao Dong and Niu Biao finished burying Gangzi and returned to the resting group.
Wang Fei saw them approach and said, "Since everyone is here, let's set off."
Everyone nodded, and with Pan Lun leading the way, they began their journey.
By the time the sun set and the sky darkened, they found an open space to set up tents.
Around 8 PM, most of the tents were erected. Since they were set up for two people per tent, Pan Lun and Yu Daohhen shared one, Yuan Jiu'an and Steward Liu shared another, and the rest paired up as they pleased.
Lying in the tent, Yu Daohhen said to Pan Lun, "Old Pan, do you think Young Master Yuan is suspicious?"
Pan Lun asked with some confusion, "Suspicious of what?"
Yu Daohhen shook his head. "I can't quite put my finger on it."
Pan Lun was speechless. If he thought someone was suspicious, he should be able to articulate why. "Master Yu, don't overthink it. We have a long journey tomorrow."
Yu Daohhen nodded. Perhaps it was his professional paranoia. After working in this field for so long, it was inevitable to be overly cautious of those around him.
The next morning, as Yu Daohhen was sleeping, he heard hurried footsteps approaching the tent. He snapped awake, his hand reaching for the Zhenhun Stone short sword strapped to his thigh.
The footsteps stopped outside the tent, and Pan Lun's voice called out, "Master Yu, something's happened!"
Hearing Pan Lun's voice, Yu Daohhen pulled open the tent flap. Pan Lun stood there, looking anxious.
"What's wrong? You look so flustered," Yu Daohhen asked, yawning.
Pan Lun took a moment to compose himself. "Master Yu, let's talk outside."
Yu Daohhen sensed something was wrong. He put on his shoes and stepped out of the tent, only to see everyone gathered around one of the tents.
Yu Daohhen followed Pan Lun towards the tent the crowd was surrounding.
Seeing Yu Daohhen and Pan Lun approach, one of Wang Fei's subordinates immediately raised his gun and aimed it at them.
Yu Daohhen's expression changed. He quietly asked Pan Lun, "Old Pan, what the hell is going on?"
"I don't know either. As soon as I came out of the tent, I saw them gathered outside," Pan Lun replied.
Pan Lun was also confused. He had come out to relieve himself that morning and upon returning, he saw everyone surrounding a tent, looking at him with murderous intent.
Wang Fei stared coldly at Yu Daohhen and Pan Lun. He cocked the pistol in his hand, walked over, and pressed it against Pan Lun's forehead. "Who killed my subordinate?"
Seeing that Wang Fei was serious, Pan Lun quickly raised his hands. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, big brother, is there some misunderstanding between us? Put the gun down first."
Wang Fei snorted. "Are you playing dumb with me?"
As he spoke, Wang Fei prepared to pull the trigger. Yu Daohhen narrowed his eyes and directly drew the Zhenhun Stone short sword, slashing at Wang Fei.
--
Author's Note:
Explosive updates will begin tomorrow.