In the world of martial arts, grind your skill level to become a saint.

Chapter 169 Trouble

"Heh—heh heh, Brother Su, let's—let's talk this out. Do you remember what I just said—"

puff!

The black arrow pierced Lu Kun's head, silencing him abruptly.

Suspicion, resentment, and despair flashed in his eyes before Lu Kun's body collapsed, lifeless.

The whole process took only a moment.

"Life is so fragile—"

Su Hao shook his head, casually searched the corpses, obtained several hundred taels of silver notes, and then left the place.

Now he has killed two leaders of the Rice Gang and discovered the Rice Gang's secrets.

At that time, the other party will definitely try every means to investigate his identity and seek revenge.

Therefore, you must be careful when going out these days.

Su Hao left Bailitun without encountering much hindrance.

They merely evaded some patrolling soldiers and then quietly left Bailitun.

Soon after Su Hao left, the Mi Gang noticed something amiss.

They all sent additional personnel to check on the situation of those who had escaped.

But they soon discovered that all the members who went to chase the fleeing man had been killed!

Even the two hall masters and the two three-blood experts were killed on the spot!

In an instant, the entire Bailitun area became lively!

A red firework rose into the sky, soaring high and exploding in mid-air, bursting into a burst of red light.

Su Hao stood atop a tree, coldly watching the bustling Bailitun below. The red light reflected off his profile, flickering in and out.

The death of two hall masters was clearly no small matter in the eyes of the Mi Gang.

This firework signifies that the Rice Gang will be arriving soon.

However, this has nothing to do with him.

Su Hao withdrew his gaze and turned to leave.

What was originally thought to be a routine forging trip turned into a whole mess.

Upon returning this time, his identity was exposed, and to evade the Rice Gang's pursuit, he had no choice but to disguise himself and change his identity.

After all, he couldn't afford to offend a big gang like the Mi Gang for the time being.

These gangs, which have become the top forces in Yanshan City, are almost all formidable.

Moreover, there are martial artists at the Bone Forging Realm stationed there.

Unless absolutely necessary, Su Hao would never want to fight a Bone Forging Realm martial artist.

He had seen Master Liu occasionally make a move before, and the speed and power he displayed, the explosive force that far exceeded that of ordinary people.

It cannot be compensated for simply by relying on certain external means.

Su Hao returned to Yanshan City as dawn was breaking.

He returned to his residence, washed up, and then lay down to rest.

Last night's series of life-or-death battles left him physically and mentally exhausted, and he needs a good rest.

Three days passed quickly.

That morning, Su Hao was cultivating in the courtyard when there was a sudden knock on the gate.

Su Hao didn't open the door immediately. Instead, he waited a moment until he was sure the person outside had gone far away before opening the door.

Outside the door, Su Hao took out a piece of paper that was under the potted plant, turned around and went back into the yard to examine it in front of the stove.

The letter was naturally sent by Zhou Zhengtang, and only he knew where I lived.

Because of the Rice Gang incident, he hadn't left his residence these past few days, but instead had been in seclusion cultivating, so he was unaware of the subsequent events concerning the Zhou family.

However, considering that the Zhou and Yan families no longer have the powerful Chu family as a competitor, they should be able to make further progress.

Su Hao opened the letter and scanned it with his eyes.

His brows furrowed slightly.

Because the letter didn't contain any good news.

"Is it because of that painting?"

Su Hao murmured.

Zhou Zhengtang thought to himself that recently, their Zhou family's business had been repeatedly sabotaged by a mysterious force.

Even some caravans were looted.

Zhou Zhengtang himself also received a letter from a mysterious visitor.

Make him return what doesn't belong to the Zhou family.

Although Zhou Zhengtang did not explicitly state in the letter what the mysterious person was referring to.

But the implication between the lines is that he and Zhou Zhengtang likely obtained the painting on the night the Chu family was wiped out!

That painting depicts flying geese over Yanshan Mountain!

Su Hao pondered for a moment, glanced at the letter, then at the dimly lit sky, and finally sighed.

He returned to his room, put on a black robe to cover his face, and went out.

Although he didn't understand why Zhou Zhengtang clearly guessed that the Wild Goose Mountain Flying Goose Painting was what those people wanted.

Yet, they still risked attacks on their family and refused to return it.

But since the other party had already made the decision, Su Hao chose to believe in and support their decision.

The other party is far from being a reckless person; there must be a reason why they kept the painting and didn't return it.

Upon arriving at the Zhou residence, Su Hao's black robes naturally aroused the suspicion of the Zhou residence's guards.

They all stopped him.

Nowadays, the Zhou residence is surrounded by patrol teams of guards.

It looks much more heavily guarded than before.

Su Hao's heart sank when he saw this.

It seems that the recent changes in the situation have put everyone in the Zhou family on high alert.

This was the first time in so long that he had seen the Zhou family so on guard; he had never seen them so vigilant, not even when they were fighting fiercely with the Chu family.

In response, he had no choice but to show his identity token, which was a white jade token.

This is the identity plaque that Zhou Zhengtang gave him as a special guest of the Zhou family.

With the token confirmed, Su Hao entered smoothly and proceeded to the courtyard where Zhou Zhengtang was located.

Su Hao glanced around and saw that no one was inside. He then sat alone in the pavilion and asked the maid Zhou Zhengtang where he was. He learned that Zhou Zhengtang was in a family meeting, so he waited quietly.

About half an hour later.

Zhou Zhengtang arrived late, and upon entering the courtyard and seeing Su Hao, the worry and melancholy on his face were replaced by a smile.

"My little brother's here!?"

Zhou Zhengtang smiled and stepped forward, sat down, and poured tea.

"Brother Zhou, is it a lot of trouble?"

Su Hao was not in the mood to discuss anything else.

He was more concerned about the Zhou family's affairs.

"Phew—" Zhou Zhengtang was stunned for a moment, and after a long while, he let out a heavy breath and said with a wry smile, "We plan to—move away from Yanshan City. Of course, this is the second option—"

"Is it that serious? Is it a problem with the painting?"

Su Hao frowned.

They originally thought that after the Zhou family destroyed the Chu family, they would be able to rise to prominence in Nanshan Town and become one of the major powerful families.

I never expected the situation to turn out like this? We're going to have to move out of Yanshan City?

"Exactly!"

When Zhou Zhengtang mentioned this, there was a hint of annoyance in his eyes.

When he thinks about the painting, he realizes he shouldn't have meddled and taken it back.

Now it's become a hot potato, mainly because he's holding onto it and can't let go.

"This painting may contain a secret, a secret known only to the Nestorian Church—"

Zhou Zhengtang seemed to be deep in thought.

Over the past few days, he has been secretly arranging for people to investigate.

The intelligence gathered from the investigation almost entirely pointed to the Nestorian Church.

Thinking of the Nestorian Christians who appeared that night after the Chu family was wiped out, he became even more restless.

What secrets does this painting, which has kept the Nestorians constantly investigating, hold?