Infinite Puzzle City

Chapter 869 Leave the rest to me
"clear."

Xiao Ran responded, then waved his whip and led the group straight into the mining area via a side path.

Once Xiao Ran and the others entered the mining area, a junior leader approached them: "Second Boss, you're letting them go already? That girl from earlier looked..."

Before the leader could finish speaking, he suddenly felt everything go black, and then half of his face contorted in pain.

With a "thud!", the boy flew off his horse and landed headfirst in a snowdrift.

The second-in-command cursed with a dark face, "Fuck your mother, what the hell do you know? Even Wang Wu has fallen into the hands of these people, and you still want to cause them trouble? We probably don't even have enough men to kill them."

The second-in-command has his own way of judging people and things to get to where he is today. Even with hundreds of people surrounding him, he didn't even blink an eye. He didn't really take them seriously at all.

Paying them the entrance fee and following their rules is already a great favor.

If they push their luck, their fate may not be much better than that of Wang Wu and his gang.

After cursing the petty boss, the second-in-command glared fiercely at the others around him: "You bunch of little bastards, all of you better open your eyes and tuck your tails between your legs. Damn it, these days are getting harder and harder to bear."

The second-in-command was foul-mouthed and swore, but everyone was used to it. They put away their weapons and leisurely returned to their own camp.

Meanwhile, Xiao Ran and the others rode in a horse-drawn carriage straight into the mining area.

As soon as the carriage entered, it immediately attracted the attention of many people. When they saw the familiar big red horse, some of them were horrified, while others showed greedy smiles.

The former was terrified of Wang Wu, while the latter was looking forward to what good stuff Wang Wu would bring this time.

But the next second, when Xiao Ran lifted Wang Wu's head with a tree trunk and stuck it into the carriage...

The expressions on their faces suddenly changed.

The former dared not clap and cheer, but his eyes shone brightly; the latter looked both surprised and suspicious, and unconsciously stepped back.

"You two wait here, the rest of you come with me."

After Xiao Ran jumped off the carriage, she said something to Jin Chanzi and Wu Man, and then called Qi Jinguang and the other two to get off the carriage.

The three followed behind Xiao Ran, unaware of where she was taking them.

The houses looked like haphazardly built shantytowns in an urban village, with narrow roads full of mud and gravel.

The smell in the air made Wang Yu, a young girl from the south, feel nauseous.

When they arrived at a dilapidated building, Xiao Ran looked it over from head to toe.

This building is one of the few tall buildings here.

A clearing had been cleared in front of the gate, where more than a dozen robbers were lazily lying in the sun.

As Xiao Ran and her group of four approached, the bandits frowned and said lazily, "Our boss isn't here, so we're not selling today."

Xiao Ran ignored him and turned to look at Qi Jinguang: "I've been following you out for so long, and I still haven't seen how strong you really are."

"Please give your orders, Uncle-Master, and I, Jin Guang, will be at your service!" Qi Jin Guang said with a smile.

Xiao Ran raised her hand and pointed at the bandits in front of her, "Kill them all, leave no one alive."

Qi Jinguang was taken aback upon hearing this: "Uncle-Master, didn't we say... to follow the rules?"

When I came in, I made it clear that fighting was not allowed here.

Qi Jinguang wasn't afraid; he just didn't want to cause trouble.

Hearing Qi Jinguang say this, Xiao Ran grinned mischievously: "Silly child, when two people fight, that's physical combat. If you kill them all in one go, they won't fight back."

"what?"

The three men were stunned, unable to find a reason to refute him. The four spoke softly, but without any attempt to hide their voices. The bandits lying in the sun in front exchanged glances, then began cursing and preparing to sound the alarm. Seeing this, Xiao Ran impatiently slapped Qi Jinguang: "What are you standing there for? Make your move!"

"Yes!" Qi Jinguang was no stubborn fool. Upon hearing this, he immediately took out a long sword from his spatial storage and leaped into the midst of the bandits. "Clang!"

The ancient longsword was drawn with a sound, its blade clear as water, yet carrying a righteous and awe-inspiring aura of slaying demons and monsters. It was Zhang Daoye's sword, and the sound of its blade echoed.

Qi Jinguang's figure had already turned into a wisp of green smoke, so fast that it left afterimages in the wind and snow, and rushed straight towards the more than ten bandits who were filled with shock and anger.

"Damn! They actually dare to make a move?!"

The bandit leader, who was the first to react, roared and reached for the bronze whistle at his waist.

However, a cold, moonlit sword light flashed and disappeared between his neck and his neck!
Quick! As fast as lightning!

Qi Jinguang's swordsmanship lacked the domineering and unparalleled power of Xiao Ran's, but it was extremely exquisite and fast! His figure moved across the open space like a butterfly flitting among flowers, or like a ghostly phantom.

Each flash of the sword precisely pierced a bandit's throat, heart, or brow.

Before the blood could even splatter, the target had already collapsed.

"Puff puff!"

In the blink of an eye, all the bandits in the courtyard were killed.

Xiao Ran nodded, but her expression remained unchanged.

These bandits are nothing but bullshit; they're not even E-level beginners. Killing them is no different than killing chickens.

Xiao Ran gestured for Qi Jinguang to just keep killing his way in, while she pulled over a stool, sat down, and handed a handful of melon seeds to Wang Yu.

He asked Wang Yu to peel sunflower seeds for him so he could bask in the sun.

"Uncle-Master, is this Wang Wu's lair?" Gu Bei looked around and asked Xiao Ran.

"You're quite clever, kid."

Xiao Ran nodded. "Cut the weeds and eliminate the roots. Wang Wu is dead. Before these bandits get the news, let's sweep away this trash and prevent them from becoming a menace if they run away in the future."

"Uncle-Master!" Wang Yu held out the shelled melon seeds to Xiao Ran with both hands, looking at her curiously: "Won't this cause trouble? I still don't understand, if we do this, won't those people interfere?"

Seeing Wang Yu's naivety in not yet understanding the reason, Xiao Ran could only sit up straight, take the melon seeds and say, "That's how the world is. If you have the ability, others will talk to you about human relationships. If you don't have the ability, they will only show you their butcher's knife. The so-called prohibition against fighting in the mining area means that when both sides are evenly matched, those people will stand up and choose sides as an overwhelming bargaining chip."

After hearing Xiao Ran's explanation, Wang Yu finally understood.

"Categorying dishes according to the menu?"

Xiao Ran smiled and pointed at Wang Yu's little head: "Hey, you're not stupid after all."

As the three were talking, a roar suddenly came from inside the building, followed by a figure jumping down from the second floor.

The man's short hair stood on end like a startled hedgehog. He gripped two short swords gleaming with a cold, dark blue light in his hands. His figure landed steadily on the blood-stained snow, splashing up a cloud of crimson snow foam.

He looked up and saw Xiao Ran and his two companions sitting on a bench in front of him, leisurely eating sunflower seeds. His pupils constricted sharply, and he shouted angrily, "Who are you?! How dare you attack our territory? Don't you know our leader is Jade-Faced Yama King Wu?!"

His voice was filled with shock, anger, and lingering fear; he had never expected anyone to dare to storm into their stronghold.

Xiao Ran glanced at him indifferently, as if he were a roadside stone.

This person is named Wang Xiang, Wang Wu's cousin, and his strength is not bad among C-level professionals.

His profession is "actor," and he is skilled at imitating other people's aura, movements, and even fighting styles to launch surprise attacks. He is cunning and treacherous, and a formidable and troublesome character.

But in Xiao Ran's eyes, they were nothing more than clay chickens and earthenware dogs.

Xiao Ran didn't speak, and didn't even lift her eyelids. She just gently blew the sunflower seed shells off her fingertips.

The moment Wang Xiang finished speaking, a chilling aura locked onto him!

"Buzz!"

Through the broken window on the second floor, a figure in blue fell to the ground like a shooting star! It was Qi Jinguang!

Without uttering any unnecessary words, his longsword, clear as autumn water, unleashed a chilling sword aura capable of slaying demons and monsters.

"Hey!"

The sword energy pierced the air, emitting a piercing shriek.

The condensed, almost tangible, azure sword light skimmed the ground, moving with lightning speed, slicing through the snow and blood, and striking directly at Wang Xiang's lower body!

Before the sword light even arrived, its sharpness, capable of cutting through everything, sent chills down Wang Xiang's spine, as if he were stepping barefoot onto a red-hot iron!
Wang Xiang immediately roared and leaped backward, quickly pulling a shield from his spatial storage to block in front of him.

Grade C Cursed Item: Azure Shield - Weapon Master

The shield blocked the attack, unleashing a blue aura that absorbed all the incoming sword energy. Then, the blue aura suddenly burst forth with countless sword beams, reflecting back at Qi Jinguang.

"Bang! Bang! Bang bang!"

Qi Jinguang's sword flashed, deflecting all the sword beams.

After Wang Xiang put away the shield, he quickly took out another cursed item from his space: three human skin puppets linked together.

Grade C Cursed Item: Three-Hearted Evil Doll - Spirit Master

The evil puppet was activated and transformed into three black shadows that pounced on Qi Jinguang.

It seems that every time Wang Xiang takes out a cursed item, it can evolve into a profession that is most compatible with the cursed item. Wang Yu and Gu Bei don't understand why, but Xiao Ran sees it at a glance. The reason lies in the ring on Wang Xiang's hand.

According to Wang Wu's memory, his cousin was a performer who could use specific items to impersonate other people's professions, skills, and even their moves.

Therefore, the rings on Wang Xiang's hands are the reason why he can keep changing professions.

Xiao Ran observed that this guy had two rings on each finger and one on his thumb, which meant that he could switch between eighteen different professions.

Sure enough, the cursed objects in Wang Wu's hand kept changing, with various cursed objects appearing one after another. At this point, Qi Jinguang also began to be on the defensive.

Wang Yu and Gu Bei wanted to help, but seeing that Xiao Ran remained unmoved, they could only patiently wait. "Bang bang bang!!"

Faced with these endless tricks, Qi Jinguang became more and more stable in his fight. His sword split in two, then into three, and then into millions of sword beams, with more and more sword light appearing.

Looking around, one could see that with each swing of Qi Jinguang's sword, the sword shadows were dazzling, and each sword shadow exuded an unstoppable sharpness.

It not only blocked the incoming cursed object, but also slowly enveloped Wang Xiang.

"Excellent swordsmanship!" Xiao Ran narrowed his eyes, secretly praising Qi Jinguang's swordsmanship. It seemed ordinary, but this swordsmanship was the kind that became stronger when facing stronger opponents.

It may not seem very lethal, but the longer it drags on, the more astonishing its power becomes.

Both being C-level professionals, Qi Jinguang's swordsmanship is so formidable that if the battle isn't resolved quickly, and he gradually builds up his skills, he'll be unstoppable.

Even Xiao Ran was afraid to avoid his sharp edge.

"puff!"

With a tearing sound, Wang Xiang gradually began to lose his grip, with more and more wounds being cut into his body, and even some vital organs being pierced.

Seeing this, Wang Xiang quickly took out several silver needles from his spatial storage and stuck them into himself.

Grade C Cursed Item: [Spirit Needle - Barefoot Physician]

After a few needles, his injuries were immediately healed. Then Wang Xiang took out another cursed item, a black box.

C-Rank Cursed Item: Black Box - Acrobatics Master

Wang Xiang opened the box and was about to plunge a Mencius into it.

But at that moment, Qi Jinguang suddenly made his move, wielding the [Dragon and Tiger Treasure Mirror] that Xiao Ran had previously given him.

【Dragon and Tiger Treasure Mirror - The Lead-Filling Taoist】

Privilege 1; Dragon and Tiger Golden Light Shield
The curse covers an area of ​​100 square meters in front of it, preventing entry and exit. All cursed items below grade B are weakened by one level, and special authority is reduced by 30%.
Duration: 30 minutes
Cooling time: 4 hours.

Privilege 2: Dragon Eye

The mirror light locked onto everyone inside the golden light shield; those locked onto could not hide, conceal themselves, or change their appearance.

Duration: 30 seconds

Cooling time: 30 minutes.

Privilege 3: Tiger Eyes

Those targeted by the dragon's eye will be subjected to continuous attacks from the tiger's eye.

Duration: 10 seconds

Cooling time: 2 hours.

A flash of golden light appeared, and Wang Xiang's spirits trembled instantly. His professional skill, Imitation, was forcibly terminated.

The skill terminated, and the black box that had been activated immediately lost its effect.

Now, instead of using the black box's ability to escape quickly, it was as if the box had been pinned to his head.

This is an awkward situation.

It's like when you're fighting with someone, you suddenly put a sack over your head.

Before he could climb out, beams of golden light shot out from the [Dragon and Tiger Treasure Mirror], striking Wang Xiang with a crackling sound.

In an instant, five or six bloody holes were punched into Wang Xiang's body, causing him further serious injury.

"Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!!"

The golden light emitted by the Dragon-Tiger Mirror was like a solid steel needle, piercing deeply into Wang Xiang's body and causing dazzling blossoms of blood to appear.

"Ahhh!"

Wang Xiang let out a beast-like scream, rolling and convulsing on the ground, trying to escape the relentless blows. He desperately threw off the black box that was on his head, which slammed onto the snow with a dull thud, revealing his face, twisted and deformed by excruciating pain and terror.

Just as he struggled to get up, and even instinctively reached for the other ring, a sharp aura that sent shivers down his spine suddenly locked onto his entire body!
Qi Jinguang stood still, the ancient longsword in his hand, carrying the heritage of Longhu Mountain, hummed and trembled, bursting out with dazzling golden light! The countless sword shadows that had previously split off seemed to be summoned by an invisible force, suddenly swirling back and converging madly towards the tip of the sword like hundreds of rivers flowing into the sea!

In an instant, a golden sword light, condensed to its extreme, as dazzling as the blazing sun, and faintly emitting a deep dragon's roar, emerged from the tip of the sword, condensing and surging! The space around the sword seemed to be torn apart and distorted by this unstoppable sword intent.

Wang Xiang's pupils instantly shrank to pinpoints, the chilling cold of death freezing all his struggles. His mouth gaped open, but he couldn't utter a sound, forced to watch helplessly as the golden sword light, imbued with destructive power, pierced through the void with an unyielding resolve, hurtling straight towards him!

"Wandering Dragon!"

With a clear shout, Qi Jingguang's figure merged completely with the surging golden sword light! Man is sword, and sword is man! A stream of light, as refined as gold, tore through the air, carrying a piercing shriek, and instantly crossed the "unreachable" distance of several feet in Wang Xiang's eyes!

"puff!"

There was only a faint sound, like a hot knife cutting through butter.

A flash of golden light disappeared in an instant, and Qi Jinguang's figure appeared several steps behind Wang Xiang, maintaining his posture of thrusting forward with his sword.

On the tip of that ancient longsword, a drop of crimson blood slowly slid down, dripping into the snow and spreading into a small, dazzling red plum blossom.

Wang Xiang stood frozen in place.

On his chest, near his heart, a horrifying, bowl-sized, charred, and smooth wound was clearly visible. No blood gushed out; it was as if all life had been instantly evaporated and annihilated by that single sword strike.

He looked down blankly at the huge hole in his chest, then struggled to raise his head again, as if wanting to take another look at Qi Jinguang.

However, the sparkle in his eyes, like a candle flame in the wind, quickly dimmed and went out.

"Boom!"

Wang Xiang's burly body crashed straight onto the cold, muddy, and blood-stained snow, raising a cloud of dust.

Looking at the corpse lying on the ground, Qi Jinguang finally let out a heavy sigh of relief.

Wang Xiang's strength isn't particularly outstanding, but he can mimic any profession and create all sorts of bizarre cursed objects, making him difficult to defend against.

However, Wang Xiang had obviously only been promoted recently. Although he could imitate other professions to a great extent, the result was that he was a jack of all trades and master of none.

Most of the time, he changes jobs randomly and just throws things around.

If you encounter an inexperienced person, you might be caught off guard and thrown into a panic. But if you encounter someone with a very stable mindset like Qi Jinguang, you can quickly regain your footing and find a weakness.

As the famous saying goes, if you want to practice magic tricks, then practice magic tricks; if you want to practice martial arts, then practice martial arts. You always like to mix these things together, and it's a miracle that you've survived to this day.

Qi Jinguang sheathed his sword and said to Xiao Ran, "Uncle-Master, it's all taken care of."

Xiao Ran spread her mental energy and quickly scanned the entire building before saying to Gu Bei, "Go downstairs, there's a basement over there. There are still quite a few children inside. Bring up any of them who are still breathing."

After Xiao Ran finished speaking, she specifically asked Qi Jinguang to go along as well.

The three were surprised to find a child hiding downstairs, and immediately went inside to search the building.

At this moment, Jin Chanzi and Wu Man also came over. The two put away the carriage, one leading the horse and the other sitting on the tiger.

They had witnessed what had just happened, and now that the three of them had entered the building, Wu Man glanced at Xiao Ran and said, "That's probably not a good place."

Xiao Ran didn't say anything, but just stuffed a handful of sunflower seeds into her mouth.

After waiting for about five minutes, Wang Yu ran out from inside, her eyes red, and started vomiting on the ground.

Then she suddenly stood up, grabbed an axe from the ground, rushed to Wang Xiang's corpse, and began hacking at it.

Jin Chanzi and Wu Man exchanged a glance, then looked at Xiao Ran, but neither of them tried to persuade her.

Only after Wang Xiang's body had been cleaved open did Wang Yu, distraught, drop the axe in his hand, squat down on the ground, cover his head with his hands, and begin to sob.

Her mind was filled with the images from just now.

The basement was pitch black and filled with children. These children were blind and had blank expressions. When Wang Yu explained to the children that he had come to rescue them...

These children didn't cry, didn't make a fuss, and didn't make a sound at all.

Upon inspection, Qi Jinguang discovered that even their ears had been pierced, rendering them all deaf.

When Wang Yu tenderly picked up the girl, she opened her mouth and her mutilated tongue emitted a hoarse buzzing sound.

But Wang Yu could clearly feel her calling out the word "Mom".

In that instant, Wang Yu felt as if he had been pierced through by a sharp blade, experiencing excruciating pain.

It was during this short time that Qi Jinguang and Gu Bei emerged from inside with grim expressions, leading six children. Qi Jinguang was also carrying a child in his arms, a child whose human form was no longer discernible.

In the mining area's parlance, this is called a semi-finished blood pack.

If necessary, further processing can be done to make blood bags, which requires soaking them in a bucket full of medicine.

"Uncle Master!"

Qi Jinguang walked up to Xiao Ran, then turned back and glared fiercely at the corpses on the ground: "I regret it. I shouldn't have let them die so easily."

The scene on the third floor was shocking, completely shattering Qi Jingguang's understanding of the limits of human comprehension.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Ran dropped the melon seeds in her hand, hugged the child in Qi Jinguang's arms, and said, "I showed you this not to make you hate these people, but to make you understand what kind of place this is."

"As for these children."

Xiao Ran glanced at the little one in her arms and said softly, "As long as you're still breathing, the rest... leave it to me!"

(End of this chapter)