Even when faced with a powerful opponent, as long as they were human and he had a blade in his hand, he could muster the courage to fight back.
After all, everyone had a head on their shoulders. One slash, and they would bleed, feel pain, and die!
But facing someone like A Ming—an opponent you couldn't kill, yet who could cut you down with a single slash—made all the weapons thrust into his body seem like mere decorations.
Their courage, born from such a worldview, instantly shattered.
They were, after all, just a gang—a minor gang in Hutou City. While they certainly had desperate men among them, claiming every single one was fearless in the face of death would be a gross exaggeration.
The remaining members of the Hyena Gang broke. They dropped their weapons and began to flee, shrieking, their escape aimless, driven only by the desire to get far away from that demon.
Unfortunately, they seemed to forget that, aside from being unkillable, this demon was also incredibly fast.
What followed was a simple harvest of lives, which robbed A Ming of much of his fun. He had hoped these men would strike him a few more times. After all, watching his prey struggle futilely, their despairing gazes and horrified shrieks, brought him immense mental satisfaction.
But it couldn't be helped. As Blind Bei had said, this gang had committed heinous sins. Furthermore, if the inn took over their human trafficking business, My Lord would be displeased upon his return.
Moreover, they needed to be made an example of. So, even if the task was repetitive and dull, he had to persevere.
Fortunately, he could treat it as sword practice.
Thrusting, cleaving, paring, chopping—one by one, the gang members' lives were reaped by A Ming's sword, until no one capable of standing remained in the entire courtyard.
Some had likely escaped, but it hardly mattered. A Ming was, after all, only one person; he couldn't yet create duplicates of himself to chase them all down.
He poked a door open with the tip of his sword. The room reeked. About twenty men dressed like Barbarians were huddled in a corner, all wounded and shackled.
When they saw A Ming, covered in blood with several weapons still embedded in his body, some immediately dropped to their knees, begging for mercy. Others trembled uncontrollably, muttering about "barbarian gods" and "this is a demon…"
A Ming shook his head, stepped out, and opened another door.
This was a wing room, likely where gang members slept.
Inside, three women, clearly not Barbarians, were tied up. They were covered in wounds; the one on the far left was already dead. The other two were barely breathing and completely naked.
"TSK. TSK…"
Evidently, with so many men cooped up in these two courtyards, the Hyena Gang, middlemen in the human trafficking trade, hadn't been able to resist seeking some 'pleasure.'
A Ming felt a sliver of relief that Blind Bei hadn't come in. If that blind man had witnessed this scene and his sense of justice had been provoked, who knew what gruesome methods he would have used to torture the Hyena Gang members to death.
Compared to Blind Bei's methods, his own sword, at least, offered them a quick end. That could be considered an immense mercy.
A Ming opened another door. This room didn't stink. Inside, about a dozen young girls, their clothes still neat, screamed and huddled together when he entered.
Because of the sudden outbreak of war, trade routes had been temporarily severed. Consequently, the Hyena Gang had accumulated a backlog of 'goods' they hadn't managed to sell.
These girls were likely intended for nobles among the Desert Barbarians, hence they were better protected.
A Ming shook his head and retreated.
Everything was pretty much settled. His only regret, perhaps, was not finding anyone in the Hyena Gang who 'glowed.' That was somewhat disappointing.
"Leave the ornaments on your body. Don't pull them out. Just walk out," Blind Bei's voice came again.
"Are you sick in the head?" A Ming retorted.
"Let's just say I am," Blind Bei replied.
"Alright."
Since the man himself admitted to being sick in the head, A Ming felt he should be magnanimous.
He walked across the blood-soaked courtyard, pushed open the ajar door, and stepped out.
Then, he saw a group of men armed with swords and spears standing beside Blind Bei's mule cart.
Closest to Blind Bei was a tall, ruddy-faced man, perhaps only a little shorter than Fanli.
Blind Bei's been taken hostage? That was A Ming's first thought, but he immediately dismissed it.
Others, if taken hostage, might not be able to alert their companions. Blind Bei, however, was clearly not one of them. Besides, this blind man was accepted by everyone as their strategist, and not just because his blindness fit the stereotypical image.
The moment A Ming appeared, looking like a walking weapon rack, the men by the mule cart instantly recoiled several steps in fright.
The numerous wounds, the thick stench of blood, the unnervingly silent Hyena Gang headquarters—none of it could be faked.
The ruddy-faced man's gaze, as he stared at A Ming, shifted from initial fear to fervent adoration—like a fan finally seeing the idol they'd obsessed over day and night!
This fervent gaze made even A Ming frown slightly.
A Ming was certain that even when he was 'sucking up' to My Lord, he wasn't this enthusiastic.
"See? I wasn't lying to you, was I?" Blind Bei said to the ruddy-faced man beside him.
"I... No, this lowly one naturally trusts you, Mister," the man replied.
Blind Bei smiled at his words, reached out, and plucked a dagger from the ruddy-faced man's belt.
The ruddy-faced man was startled but didn't stop him. He carried a saber on his back and this dagger at his waist.
Blind Bei gestured for A Ming to come closer.
A Ming took two steps forward, stopping before Blind Bei.
Then, Blind Bei raised the dagger, aimed at A Ming, and stabbed.
SHINK!
The dagger plunged into A Ming's chest.
"…" A Ming remained silent.
A Ming stood there, unmoving. Blind Bei pulled the dagger out.
"See that?"
"S-s-saw it."
The ruddy-faced man's complexion shifted, one moment dark, the next even redder, clearly cycling between the extremes of shock and ecstatic excitement.
"Oh."
SHINK!
Blind Bei stabbed A Ming again.
"…" A Ming still didn't react.
A Ming continued to stand there, unmoved.
Beads of sweat were already trickling down the ruddy-faced man's face, and his nearby subordinates also began to perspire.
"Work diligently, and in the future, you too can be like this—endless life, an undying body."
As he spoke, Blind Bei 'looked' around. Though he was blind, everyone present felt as if they were being 'watched' by him.
"You... will also have your chance."
THUD!
The ruddy-faced man dropped to his knees at once, like the most fervent of believers. His subordinates beside him quickly followed suit.
A Ming could sense that while Blind Bei was speaking, he had released his spiritual energy, lightly hypnotizing the group.
This was a fundamental trick of charlatans to enthrall their followers, akin to an artificially manufactured 'personal charisma.' It made one subconsciously want to believe him, support him, as if everything he said was absolute truth.
Blind Bei pointed towards the courtyard.
"The captives inside are not to be touched. Settle them properly. As for the valuables, deliver them to the inn."
"This subordinate obeys!" the ruddy-faced man immediately accepted the command.
"Has the Cart Gang's leader been contacted?" Blind Bei asked.
"It's arranged. Calculating the time, he should have arrived at the inn by now."
"Good."
Blind Bei beckoned to A Ming, then flicked his whip, urging the mule forward.
A Ming boarded the cart. The mule cart continued its slow advance—forward, forward, and ever forward...
Only after they had left the street did Blind Bei begin to explain to A Ming:
"That fellow just now was Hongba, the leader of the Unity Gang."
"Figured."
"Mm, the Hyena Gang was steeped in sin; they had to be eradicated. We can't take over their operations for now, but we'll always need capable subordinates."
"When did you get involved with him?"
"He suffers from some psychological ailments. Before I lost my sight, I was a psychologist. Under the guise of fortune-telling, I helped him with his condition. Thus, he trusts me deeply. Patients, you see, tend to blindly idolize doctors who can treat them."
"It's not just because of the treatment, is it?"
"Mm, naturally. With you as a living specimen right here, many things become much easier to manage. Throughout history, from commoners to emperors and generals, the pursuit of longevity has been an unparalleled obsession, surpassing any desire for gold or riches.
"We're short-handed right now. I'm even starting to regret sending Ah Li to the desert.
"We'll use the Unity Gang's men for now. There will be monthly revenue, which is far better than just barely supporting the inn.
"So, we really have 'Young and Dangerous' to thank for this. My Lord shouldn't have any objections to us collecting protection fees, then."
"Where to next?" A Ming asked, pulling out the weapons embedded in his torso.
Zhuge Liang borrowed arrows with straw boats; he's borrowing weapons with his own flesh.
"To the Three Gods Association."
"Your turn this time?"
"Mm."
"What's the plan?"
"The followers are largely innocent. In this world, the easily duped always form the majority. There's no need for a bloodbath like yours. Once we eliminate a few of their higher-ups, they'll naturally scatter like monkeys when a tree falls."
"The Cart Gang matter—is Siniang handling it?"
"By now, Siniang should already be... 'entertaining' them."
"What about the Hyena Gang's official connections? How do we deal with them?"
Every gang has patrons in high places. Hutou City, though small, functions like a proper county seat, with all the necessary components.
"The officials don't care who lives or dies down below; they only care about their 'filial piety silver'—their payoffs. For now, keep the payments flowing as usual. Once we've consolidated our control over the underworld, we'll devise a new strategy."
"I thought you'd have me kill them."
"Unnecessary. To use a gaming analogy, we're currently only in the novice village. People like us, those who 'glow,' are exceedingly rare in Hutou City, practically unheard of. But since they can differentiate Ninth Rank cultivators, if we act too recklessly and provoke a truly formidable opponent, we'll be the ones to suffer."
A Ming said nothing, his silence a tacit agreement.
If only we were stronger.
"That's why I had Liang Cheng and Xue Three accompany My Lord as laborers. Did you notice? When My Lord was unconscious, we were just ordinary people.
"During the six months My Lord was unconscious, each of us tried countless methods, yet none could restore even a sliver of our power.
"Then, My Lord awoke. Even if we just awkwardly pledged our loyalty, played up our emotions, and licked his boots a bit, our powers immediately began to return.
"So, what do you think My Lord resembles?"
Upon hearing this, A Ming fell into serious thought.
After a moment, he replied, "An Oreo."