The God of the Human Realm!

Chapter 59: The Exorbitant Bounty Shakes the Entire Prefecture [Available for purchase tomorrow!]

This man, named Shi Yong, was skilled in Eagle Claw Kung Fu, capable of splitting rocks and wood, and possessed a pair of sharp, discerning eyes that could see the smallest detail.

He was originally a bandit leader in the mountains, who gathered hundreds of people to rob villagers.

Later, he was attacked by the government for robbing a wealthy merchant caravan, and his men were almost all killed or wounded. He himself was imprisoned.

The man who guarded the flower admired his courage and strength, pardoned his crimes, and recruited him to work under his command.

There are several other figures like Shi Yong around Hua Shouren, all of whom are martial arts masters at the advanced level.

Guo Wei was no exception; he was always protected by several martial arts experts.

Besides the wandering martial artists they recruited, there were also experts trained by their families. With the world in turmoil, these large families all understood the importance of martial prowess.

It not only pooled the strength of the masses, but also did not overlook individual experts.

Powerful families like the Guo and Hua clans not only train martial artists within their own families, but also send their most talented members to major sects. This allows them to build good relationships and connections while learning advanced martial arts.

However, mastering the art of controlling one's Qi and blood is difficult; besides talent and perseverance, a bit of good luck is also required.

Therefore, even if a large family has abundant resources, not everyone can become successful. That's why they need to look out into the martial arts world and recruit talented people to work for them.

Normally, Hua Shouren would maintain a polite facade towards Shi Yong, but now, with pain in his heart, he only looked at Shi Yong with indifferent eyes.

Shi Yong's heart skipped a beat. He knew that Hua Feiyun's death had made Hua Shouren lose his patience, and now was not the time to show off. He quickly lowered his head and said respectfully, "Master, I have discovered that the angles and marks of the wounds on the dead and wounded... their martial arts styles are very similar to those of the 'Flying Yaksha' killer who caused such a stir in the prefectural city recently. Therefore, I suspect that the true identity of the 'Flying Yaksha' is also that brat surnamed Hong..."

"'Flying Yaksha,' are you sure?"

"I have some confidence in my eyesight. Although I can't be completely sure, I'm about 70 or 80 percent certain."

Hua Shouren and Guo Wei, who were standing nearby, heard this and their expressions grew even more somber.

A steward in black behind Guo Wei looked very uneasy. He suddenly spoke up: "Master, I just remembered that a while ago, a big case occurred in Qingxu County. The Huang family was wiped out. Zhang Anping, the county magistrate of Qingxu, reported that the killer was also named 'Hong Yuan'."

Guo Wei suddenly turned around and glared at the steward: "Why didn't you say so earlier?"

The steward lowered his head and said in a flustered manner, "This matter is not a big deal. I only remembered it suddenly. Moreover, the captain was in charge of this matter at the time, so I didn't pay much attention to it."

Guo Wei snorted coldly: "Go back and collect your twenty strokes of the cane yourself."

"Yes!" The steward of the Guo family responded respectfully, not daring to complain in the slightest. However, he felt bitter inside. Judging from Guo Wei's attitude, he dared not be lenient with the twenty strokes of the cane and would definitely give him a real beating.

In fact, the punishment would have been even more severe if the person in charge had been from a collateral branch of the Guo family.

More and more pieces of the puzzle about 'Hong Yuan' were being pieced together, and Guo Wei and Hua Shouren were gradually piecing together an image in their minds.

He was incredibly audacious, vicious, and eccentric, disregarding the law and the powerful!
What is most frightening is the sheer level of his martial arts skills, which have reached an astonishing degree.

Both men wore grim expressions as they searched for clues and interrogated people in Lanyue Garden for over an hour before finally returning to the manor.

The two dismissed the rest of the people and sat facing each other.

"At first I thought those people were just scared out of their wits and were exaggerating, but now it seems that it is true that this boy single-handedly defeated hundreds of strong men."

Guo Wei spoke first, his eyes filled with deep fear.

The Guo family's foundation lies in the Jintang Camp. Originally, Guo Wei was in charge of family affairs, and Guo Zhen served as the Left Commandant. However, after Guo Zhen's death, Guo Wei took over the position.

Guo Wei was well aware of military affairs and knew very well how terrifying someone could be compared to hundreds of elite and top-notch fighters.

"Even those at the microscopic level don't possess this level of combat power..."

Guo Wei said softly.

For powerful families like Guo Wei and Hua Shouren, Ruwei was no longer an unattainable grandmaster. They had naturally come into contact with him, or even witnessed his skills, and knew the range of Ruwei's combat power.

“That little beast must have been born with superhuman strength, and his intimidation on the battlefield surpasses that of the Microscopic Realm, but that doesn’t mean the Microscopic Realm can’t kill him.” Hua Shouren shook his head.

Throughout history, there have always been some exceptionally talented individuals who, even without martial arts training, can dominate the battlefield, defeating enemy generals and slaying foes. Such people are extremely rare, appearing only once every hundred years, yet they do exist.

However, while the ability to maneuver and maneuver effectively is crucial on the battlefield, it may not be as effective in the real world of martial arts.

Of course, ordinary martial artists are helpless against them, but with the adaptability of a master of subtlety, once they get close, they can even kill such a fierce general with a single blow.

Therefore, although Guo Wei and Hua Shouren were extremely solemn, they did not lose their desire for revenge.

Guo Wei pondered for a moment, then looked at Hua Shouren: "I heard that Brother Hua's beloved daughter has joined the Xuanbing Sect. I wonder if you could ask a master from the Xuanbing Sect to help?"

The three major sects of Mingzhou are extremely influential. Even an ordinary disciple would be treated with great respect by a powerful family like the Guo family.

Hua Shouren's eyes flickered, his cheek twitched, and he waved his hand, saying, "The Xuanbing Sect is located in Mingzhou Prefecture, which is quite far away and inconvenient to travel to and from. Moreover, my daughter wrote to me a few months ago that she is currently in seclusion and cultivating, so it is not appropriate to disturb her."

This is rejection.

Guo Wei felt somewhat regretful.

The Guo family and the Hua family were originally of similar power.

However, since Miss Hua joined the Xuanbing Sect a few years ago and is said to have gained the favor of the sect leader, the Hua family's power has continued to expand. Occasionally, they even dare to challenge the top three families in Linjiang Prefecture, such as the Wei family and the Xiang family.

Hua Shouren seemed afraid that Guo Wei would continue to press him, so he added, "Jin San of the Cao Gang is also dead. We can contact the Cao Gang now. With the Cao Gang's extensive network of informants, they should be able to find that little beast's whereabouts soon."

"Moreover, there is a master of subtlety within the Canal Gang; perhaps we could ask him for help..."

Guo Wei nodded: "The Cao Gang also has a stronghold in the prefectural city. We will invite people to discuss this later. Moreover, we cannot let those wandering knights and experts from both the righteous and the evil paths be idle."

Guo Wei's gaze sharpened: "In this incident at Lan Yue Garden, quite a few powerful families and gang leaders have died. We can't let them get away with it all by just taking action. Let each of our families contribute 20,000 taels, and let them contribute another 60,000 taels, making a total of 100,000 taels as a reward."

"One hundred thousand taels of silver, which martial artist wouldn't be tempted? I'm afraid even experts from other prefectures and counties would be drawn here upon hearing the news. It would be best to attract some more subtle martial arts masters as well..."

Guo Wei sneered repeatedly: "Use this 100,000 taels to make that guy surnamed Hong have nowhere to go, no way to escape to heaven or hell."

Hua Shouren looked somewhat hesitant.

Guo Wei thought he was stingy with money, so he hurriedly said, "This boy is fierce and unruly. If we can't kill him in one fell swoop, our two families will hardly be able to sleep peacefully. Moreover, we must not act rashly. We must strike with lightning speed. We must use all available resources to give him no chance to live. Brother Hua, please don't be stingy with a little money."

Guo Wei's gaze turned icy. He had only sent Guo Ju to arrest Yang Jinbao, but he hadn't expected that the other party would anticipate this and give him a show of force first.

After the other party left, Guo Wei discovered that Yang Jinbao had also fled long ago, and all the servants and concubines in his mansion had been dismissed, leaving only an old steward. Yet, for the sake of these insignificant people, the other party risked entering the city again to intimidate people in the streets.

If such a person is not killed in one blow, how ruthless would his revenge be?
Hua Shouren shook his head: "Brother Guo, you misunderstand. I was just thinking, why not ask 'Ghost Fanlou' for help?"

"Ghost Fanlou?!" Guo Wei's expression changed drastically, and he was somewhat tempted, but after thinking for a while, he shook his head: "Forget it, Ghost Fanlou is too dangerous and mysterious, and I, Guo, am not willing to deal with them."

Ghost Fanlou is one of the three major assassin organizations in the world!

In the martial arts world, they are powerful forces capable of shaking the martial arts world with a stomp of their feet. Although the Guo family and the Hua family are influential in Linjiang Prefecture, they are simply insignificant compared to Gui Fanlou.

Hua Shouren said, "Indeed, I, Hua, did not consider this carefully!"

"Since that's the case, let's not delay any longer and take action immediately. Both our families need to gather our forces. Once we detect any movement from that brat, we can mobilize all our troops at once. If we can corner him in one place, perhaps we can even save this 100,000 taels..."

The Wei Family Mansion in Dongcheng District.

Several elders of the Wei family gathered in a hall, where the brilliant lights illuminated the surroundings.

"What did the lord say?" an elder asked.

"The master has sent word that we should handle this ourselves," someone replied.

"You decide what to do?! So, the master doesn't want to get involved in this matter anymore. Sigh! They're still a member of the Wei family after all!"

"A married daughter is like water spilled from a bowl." An elder with a full head of silver hair but a ruddy complexion sneered, "She wasn't a member of the Wei family, but a member of the Zhou family. Send a letter to Zhou Wenjie. Pearl married him, so she was his woman. Now that she's dead, it's time for him to show some respect!"

"Fine!" the others nodded.

Soon, the people of Linjiang Prefecture noticed that the atmosphere in the city had changed, becoming somber and heavy, as if winter had arrived overnight.

The three major guards of the prefectural city, apart from the Iron Wall Guard, the Golden Soup Camp and the White Scale Guard, are frequently mobilized to patrol the various key roads of the prefectural city, especially the areas of the major powerful clans, which are heavily guarded and heavily defended.

The next day, shocking news spread throughout the prefectural city.

Thirty miles outside the city, a great fire broke out at Lanyue Garden. A vicious man ran rampant, killing and injuring countless members of powerful families, including the young master of the Hua family, the Left Commandant of the Golden Soup Camp, and the third leader of the Canal Gang...

It was as if a bomb had been dropped into a lake, and the city was in an uproar. Everyone was stunned by the news and couldn't believe it, but then more and more detailed information was revealed.

The perpetrator's surname is Hong Yuan. In addition to committing the major case at Lan Yue Garden, he was also the culprit behind several recent gang-annihilation massacres. He is none other than the infamous "Flying Yaksha"!
Not long after, the Hua family, the Guo family, the Cao Gang, and nearly twenty other powerful families and gangs jointly issued a bounty for the murderer.

The enormous reward caused everyone who saw it to be immediately shaken, some even unable to believe their eyes.

One hundred thousand taels!
A whopping 100,000 taels of silver!

The already bustling city was now in an uproar, confirming the rumors' authenticity. Within just a few days, the news spread from the city to all corners of the country.

Like a raging storm, the news spread rapidly to more than ten counties in Linjiang Prefecture, and even to other prefectures.

In an instant, countless people were shocked by the ruthless methods of the vicious Hong Yuan, and were also driven to madness by the prospect of a 100,000 tael bonus, losing all reason.

The righteous and the evil factions are moving in unison!

Countless martial artists flocked out, searching with all their might for Hong Yuan's whereabouts. Information about 'Hong Yuan' also spread, and within a few days, batches of martial artists poured into Qingxu and Yangquan counties.

While many martial artists were searching for clues, Hong Yuan, Yang Erhu, and Yang Jinbao had already arrived at the border between the two prefectures. They got off a small boat and looked towards the shore, where they happened to witness a sacrificial ceremony.

"Um?!"

Hong Yuan looked around, and his gaze suddenly tightened slightly.

What was initially thought to be a routine ritual turned into a surprising sight: a group of about a hundred people gathered around an altar, where an old witch dressed in flamboyant clothes and covered in wrinkles held a baby wrapped in red silk, gesturing wildly and chanting strange and jarring prayers.

A bonfire was lit in front of the old witch, and a copper basin sat on a wooden stand, surrounded by flames.

As the old witch finished her prayer, she uttered a strange phrase, raised the red silk bundle high to the sky, and the hundred or so people around her shouted in unison, kowtowing and worshipping!

Upon seeing this, Yang Erhu's face turned cold, and he was about to rush forward.

Yang Jinbao grabbed him and sighed, "What are you doing? See those people? They're all villagers from nearby. Even if you go over there now, what can you do? Can you kill them all? You can't save them."

"We'll save them every time we can."

Yang Erhu had already seen the old witch put the red silk package into the copper basin. Without delay, he rushed over. When some of the people kneeling in worship saw this uninvited guest, some of them stood up and shouted, "Who are you? Don't you see we are worshipping 'Fengyu Zun'? How dare you offend the gods?"

Some people even stood up angrily and swung their fists at him, while the old witch in front of the altar waved her hands repeatedly, directing people to come forward and arrest him.

Yang Erhu smashed through the crowd with three punches and two kicks, leaped onto the stage, snatched the package from the old witch's arms, touched the baby inside and his face turned ashen, then kicked the old witch in the chest.

At the same time, he flipped over and leaped to the other side of the fire, then kicked again, sending the copper basin and burning firewood flying into the air and falling towards the crowd.

The crowd was terrified and quickly moved away. Some people went to help the old witch, but immediately exclaimed in horror, "The witch is dead! The witch is dead..."

The rest of the crowd were also horrified and turned pale. They stopped paying attention to Yang Erhu and scattered.

"Uncle-Master, what's going on?" Hong Yuan looked at Yang Jinbao.

Yang Jinbao sighed, "What else could it be? It's just a rural folk festival. My brother and I have seen countless such festivals when we traveled around. It's nothing new to us!"

"In the many prefectures and counties of the Great Yin Dynasty, there are countless evil gods and worshippers. It is said that when the country was founded, the court once banned the worship of evil gods. However, the bans were repeatedly ignored, so the court became too lazy to manage it and let it run its course."

Hong Yuan nodded; the Great Yin Dynasty had a knack for shirking responsibility.

He suddenly remembered that on his journey from Yangquan County to Qingxu County and then to the prefectural city, although he hadn't paid much attention, he had indeed found many abandoned temples and shrines in many rural areas, county towns, and townships.

Of course, this is the first time I've ever encountered such a scene.

Yang Erhu had already walked over with the red silk bundle in his arms. His face was grim. He said to the two of them, "This child is already dead. Find a place to bury him."

Yang Jinbao took a breath and patted Hong Yuan on the shoulder: "Don't overthink it. Don't be nosy like your teacher when it comes to meddle in the worship of such lewd gods. It's fine in the countryside, but if you encounter those major sects, it will be extremely troublesome, and you might even be killed."

"It should be known that many evil god sects have been passed down since before the Great Yin Dynasty, and their foundations are unimaginably deep."

"Hmm?!" Hong Yuan nodded, then suddenly paused, seemingly having discovered a key point.

(End of this chapter)