I run a casino in the immortal realm.

Over the next three days, the prison in Liuhua County became the busiest place.

After witnessing Zheng Yifei's ruthless soul-searching techniques, the remaining seven leaders of the canal gang and the other pirate completely broke down psychologically.

Li Jianfeng got them to reveal everything they knew with almost no effort.

From the location of the transaction ledgers to the list of incense masters responsible for making contact, and the percentage of Qian Baichuan's commission each time, all the testimonies corroborated each other, forming a complete and rigorous chain of evidence.

On the evening of the third day, Zheng Yifei summoned Li Jianfeng and Ye Xiao to the back hall of the county government office.

"The evidence has been confirmed, and the case file has been completed."

Zheng Yifei placed several thick jade slips on the table and looked at Li Jianfeng: "Jianfeng, you take a hundred brothers, requisition the official boats of Liuhua County, and escort these nine Nascent Soul stage criminals, as well as the 300,000 catties of spirit salt, back to the county town by waterway."

Li Jianfeng was taken aback: "By water? Sir, the waterways are the territory of the Canal Gang. 300,000 catties of spirit salt is too conspicuous. If we transport such a large shipment by water, the Canal Gang will definitely not let it go."

"What I want is for them not to give up so easily."

Zheng Yifei sneered: "This batch of goods is Qian Baichuan's lifeline, and it is also ironclad evidence of his collusion with overseas forces. Once this batch of goods arrives safely in the county town, even if Qian Baichuan has ten heads, it won't be enough to cut them off."

He'll definitely resort to desperate measures and rob the shipment halfway through.

Night Owl's eyes flashed: "Sir, are you planning to use this shipment as bait to lure out the elite of the Grand Canal Gang, then annihilate them?"

"good."

Zheng Yifei stood up and walked to the map. "The Cao Gang has over 100,000 members in Tanzhou. If they break up and hide in various prefectures and counties, even if we only have a few hundred people, we won't be able to catch them all in ten years."

Only by inflicting heavy losses on him and forcing him to concentrate his main forces can we secure victory in one decisive battle.

He turned to Li Jianfeng and said, "Don't go too fast on this journey. Make a big show of it so that all the spies of the canal gangs along the way can see you. If you encounter any interception by the canal gangs, don't fight them head-on. Immediately form a defensive formation and hold them off."

"Understood!"

Li Jianfeng clasped his hands in acceptance of the order.

"Night Owl, you take the rest of the men and secretly follow Sword's Fleet. Without my orders, you are absolutely not to reveal your whereabouts."

"yes!"

After arranging everything, Zheng Yifei changed into casual clothes.

"Sir, aren't you coming with us?"

Li Jianfeng asked.

"I'll go ahead and rush back to the county town overnight."

A glint of light flashed in Zheng Yifei's eyes: "This case is so big that the Criminal Investigation Department can no longer suppress it. I have to deliver this great gift to Prefect Zhu's desk personally before Qian Baichuan makes a move."

Tanzhou County, a branch of the shipping guild.

This is a vast estate, complete with pavilions, terraces, waterside pavilions, and flowerpots, its luxury in no way inferior to that of the prefectural governor's mansion.

The atmosphere in the assembly hall in the backyard of the branch headquarters was extremely oppressive at this moment.

"Bang!"

A valuable purple clay teacup was smashed hard on the blue brick floor and shattered into pieces.

Seated in the main seat was a slightly plump, middle-aged man dressed in a gorgeous brocade outfit.

He was Qian Baichuan, the leader of the Tanzhou branch of the Canal Gang and a top expert at the Nascent Soul stage.

At this moment, Qian Baichuan's face, which usually wore a friendly and prosperous smile, was filled with a ferocious murderous intent.

"Can anyone tell me what's going on?"

Qian Baichuan's roar echoed in the Juyi Hall, making the eardrums of the several hall masters on both sides ache: "Such a large batch of goods from Liuhua County, 300,000 catties of spirit salt! It was taken away so silently?"

Kunan was captured, and Commander Liu and his eight men were wiped out without even sending a distress signal?

Below, the head of the intelligence department, covered in cold sweat, reported nervously, "Master, we just received a talisman from the undercover agents in Liuhua County. The one who made the move... is the newly established anti-smuggling inspection team of the Criminal Investigation Department."

"The punishment department?"

Qian Baichuan laughed in anger: "That old fox Pan Rengui accepted my 100,000 gold coins as a tribute last month, and then he sent people to investigate my goods."

"I could count the scumbags in the Criminal Investigation Department with my eyes closed! How could they possibly take down eight Nascent Soul cultivators in one go?"

"Master, the informant says... there are more than fifty Nascent Soul stage experts in that anti-smuggling inspection team."

The head of the intelligence department swallowed hard, his voice trembling.

"fart!"

Qian Baichuan slammed his hand on the table, creating a deep dent in the pure gold surface: "Fifty Nascent Soul cultivators? Even if the entire army of Tanzhou Prefecture were emptied out of the Criminal Investigation Department, they still couldn't muster fifty Nascent Soul cultivators!"

If Pan Rengui truly possessed such ability, he would have long ago become a high-ranking official in the capital. Why would he be stuck in this wretched place?

"Master, please calm down."

An elderly man with a white beard, seated at the head of the left, stood up. He was the branch's Grand Elder and Qian Baichuan's strategist. "This matter is indeed strange. I have already sent someone to the Criminal Investigation Department to inquire about it."

Two months ago, Pan Rengui announced his seclusion to break through to the Void Refinement Realm, and the newly appointed deputy envoy Zheng Yifei established a smuggling inspection team.

Moreover, the entire force of the Provincial Judicial Commissioner moved into the barracks in the western suburbs six months ago, claiming it was for closed training. Even our informants planted there couldn't get a single piece of information out of them.

"Zheng Yifei?"

Qian Baichuan narrowed his eyes, recalling the name. "Is that the young punk who solved a major case in Yuanyang Prefecture and was promoted by Zhu Zhenbang?"

"It is this man, the leader. Pan Rengui went into seclusion, obviously to avoid suspicion. This Zheng Yifei is probably a knife in Zhu Zhenbang's hand, specifically used to deal with our canal gang."

Those fifty Nascent Soul cultivators were most likely secretly mobilized by Zhu Zhenbang.

Qian Baichuan's face was so gloomy it could drip water.

If Prefect Zhu Zhenbang was behind this, then things are in serious trouble.

"Master, now is not the time to investigate the origins of these people."

Another hot-tempered hall master stepped forward and shouted: "The undercover agents have sent word that the anti-smuggling team has taken Commander Liu and the 300,000 catties of spirit salt and set off from Liuhua County on five official boats, heading towards the county seat by waterway."

If this batch of goods actually enters the county government's warehouse, our branch's crime of colluding with Crimson Fire Island will be completely confirmed!

The Grand Elder nodded in agreement: "That's right. This batch of goods absolutely cannot enter the county town. Once Zhu Zhenbang obtains irrefutable evidence and reports it to the capital, the Grand Master will definitely push our Tanzhou branch out as a scapegoat in order to protect the overall situation of the Canal Gang."

"At that time, all of us here will lose our heads."

Qian Baichuan took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. He had been operating in Tanzhou for a century and had seen all kinds of storms. He knew that he absolutely could not lose his composure at this moment.

"Immediately send an urgent message to the Jiangzhou headquarters, truthfully reporting the situation here to the Grand Master, and request his decision."

Qian Baichuan gave the order in a deep voice.

"yes!"

"in addition,"

A ruthless glint flashed in Qian Baichuan's eyes: "Since they dare to travel by water, it means they don't take our canal gang seriously. On the water, dragons must coil up, and tigers must lie low!"

He walked to the waterway map hanging on the wall, quickly scanned it, and finally stared intently at one spot.

"The mouth of a bluefish".

Qian Baichuan pointed his finger heavily at a narrow bend in the map.

"This is the only way for Liuhua County to enter the inland area. Both sides are cliffs and the water is rapid. At the narrowest point, the river is less than 30 feet wide. Large ships must slow down when they reach this point."

Qian Baichuan turned around: "Pass on my order as the leader! Summon all the Nascent Soul stage hall masters and protectors of the branch, and also draw the most elite Water Ghost Battalion and archers from the three nearby prefectures. The total number should not be too many, a thousand people will be enough, but they must all be experts at the Golden Core stage or above!"

"Before nightfall tomorrow, everyone must set up an ambush on both sides of Qingyu Mouth. I will personally lead the team!"

Qian Baichuan gritted his teeth, his face contorted with rage: "So what if they're fifty Nascent Soul cultivators? In a deadly place like Qingyu Mouth, I'll sink them all, boat and all, to the bottom of the river to feed the turtles! Get the goods and the people back for me!"

"I will obey the captain's orders!"

Inside the Hall of Righteous Gathering, a murderous aura filled the air.

A bloody battle over 300,000 jin of spirit salt is about to unfold at Qingyuzui.