Everyone froze. The scene fell silent.
Although many people were running about in a panic not far away, the two figures in green on the wall made them all subconsciously avoid this area.
Bai Mo was about to say something, but he swallowed his words when he suddenly caught the fervent gazes of the two disciples.
Lanshan took two steps closer with an embarrassed grin.
"Forgive us, you two sirs. We are not Robbery Cultivators, just petty thieves who pilfer now and then…"
As he spoke, he made a motion to pull off his bandana and mask.
The disciple in green leaned forward slightly, a smirk playing on his lips.
"The evidence and witnesses are all here, and we caught you red-handed. What more is there to say?"
Everyone cursed inwardly. 'This bastard's expression doesn't look like he just found Robbery Cultivators.'
'He clearly wants to use us to claim credit!'
Lanshan, however, walked right up to the base of the wall.
"You see? We've met before. How could we possibly be Robbery Cultivators?"
"Oh?" The green-robed disciple craned his neck to look.
POOF!
But Lanshan's gaze suddenly turned cold. With a flick of his fingers, a cloud of lime powder scattered like rain.
"Go fuck yourself! Just at the seventh layer and you think you can handle me!?"
Lanshan's elbows slammed into the wall. With a BOOM, the wall's bricks visibly collapsed and burst outward.
Bai Mo reacted quickly. The moment Lanshan made his move, he was already dodging out of the way.
Aside from being hit by a few small stones, he was mostly unharmed.
As expected of disciples from a sect, the collapsing wall didn't cause them to lose their composure.
The two green-robed disciples leaped up almost simultaneously. Dropping the Li family members they were holding, one with a sword and the other with a saber, they charged at Lanshan.
Blood streamed from Lanshan's arm. Without a second thought, he charged directly through the gap in the wall.
A pill vial appeared in his hand. He crushed it and swallowed the crimson pill that rolled out.
The pill entered his stomach, transforming into streams of scorching hot energy that spread through his abdomen.
BOOM!
Waves of searing heat erupted from Lanshan's body. His muscles instantly swelled, stretching his night-black clothes so tight they threatened to tear.
The Li family member who had just landed outside the gap had barely gotten to his feet when he was met with the sight of Lanshan, who was now bursting with power.
Before he could even beg for mercy, Lanshan plowed right through him. His body was sent spinning uncontrollably through the air.
Hearing the sickening crunch of his own bones, he recalled in a panic a time in his youth when he entered Celestial Barrier Mountain and was carelessly rammed by a Demon Beast ox.
THUD!
His body landed on the ground not far away, unable to move.
The two green-robed disciples looked on, shocked and uncertain, at Lanshan, whose cultivation was a layer below theirs.
"A demonic technique? A forbidden pill? Could we have found our real target!?"
Behind them, Bai Mo and the others also swallowed Qi Blood Pills.
As the pill's power erupted, Bai Mo couldn't help but let out a muffled grunt.
The hot current rampaged through his body. His veins throbbed painfully, and the surge of vigorous energy made him want to practice a set of his Cultivation Technique.
He took off running.
'A miscalculation. The essence blood of a Demon Beast is truly not to be underestimated. The qi and blood it contains are too powerful! Not something an ordinary person can withstand.'
'I'm still young. If I injure my body because of this, the loss will far outweigh the gain!'
At this moment, the others also felt a jolt of energy, and Han Meng couldn't help but let out a soft cry.
Qin Ying shot him a glare.
"Go!"
The group scattered and fled. As if given wings, they were unexpectedly fast.
The two green-robed disciples' faces darkened. Just as they were about to make a move to stop the group, a terrifying whistling sound came from behind them.
The disciple with the saber felt the hair on his neck stand up. He spun around instinctively and unleashed a diagonal slash.
CRACK!
A piece of the wall was shattered by his strike.
Looking up, he saw Lanshan standing in the gap.
He had just broken off that piece with his bare hands.
Lanshan was feeling incredibly bold at this moment. He pointed to his own neck.
"The Robbery Cultivator is right here. Where do you two think you're going?"
He strolled over to a burning pagoda tree, kicked it until it snapped, and hoisted the trunk, which was as thick as a man's waist.
"HEAVE-HO!"
The two green-robed disciples exchanged a look.
"Courting death!"
They charged forward together, clashing violently with Lanshan's flaming tree trunk.
In an instant, fiery leaves scattered everywhere.
Bai Mo didn't look back, only silently praising Lanshan's heroic camaraderie.
Not everyone had the courage and strength to brazenly attack disciples of the Enforcement Team.
With his youthful body now brimming with strength, a light leap was all it took for him to vault over the wall like a leopard cat.
A sense of unreality washed over Bai Mo.
Turning his head, he saw that Han Meng and the others had also made it out.
They exchanged a glance and darted into a dark alley.
The last thing Bai Mo saw when he looked back was the interplay of firelight and the glint of blades and swords.
Among them were many powerful figures joining the attack, carrying the savage air of those who frequented Celestial Barrier Mountain.
There were even former servants of the Li family who, amidst their looting, were the most decisive and merciless in their attacks.
Lanshan occupied only a tiny corner of this chaotic scene.
The pagoda tree in his hands had been hacked to a bare stump, while the two green-robed disciples were completely unscathed.
Only one of them had a patch of hair on the side of his head singed off, and his expression was not very pleasant.
Lanshan had suffered some injuries. He tossed the tree trunk aside, turned, and fled.
This was why the great families in the city so openly suppressed and exploited the Demon Hunting Teams and low-level Cultivators.
If they ever let up, the resulting backlash would be so severe that having one's family and clan wiped out would be considered a light outcome.
Bai Mo didn't know how long he had been walking.
A loud shout echoed from the direction of the Li Mansion.
"The Enforcement Team is on official business! Anyone who dares to linger in the Li Mansion will be executed!"
Everyone's heart trembled, knowing the Enforcement Team was beginning to take full control.
'I wonder how much loot the other Cultivators managed to grab?'
In that one hour, no matter how hard everyone tried, the lion's share would ultimately go to the Enforcement Team.
The Li family's property deeds, storefronts, and various other assets were not things that could be taken by brute force in a short time.
The flow of these profits would ultimately be diverted to the Enforcement Team, letting the men in green gorge themselves.
Bai Mo suddenly shook his head and said, "The Enforcement Team originally wanted to use the Li family to lure out the Robbery Cultivators. It seems now they didn't get everything they wanted."
Shen Yang pursed his lips.
"When I met with that Robbery Cultivator in the underground market, we set the date for the day after tomorrow."
"By then, the Li family's Patriarch would already be rotting."
Qin Ying turned to look at Bai Mo and asked, "Shopkeeper Bai, would you like to come back with us?"
"It'd be a good chance to lay low for a bit!"
Bai Mo shook his head. "Lay low from what? I have a legitimate business, a respectable shop. *Not* going back would be more suspicious."
After speaking, Bai Mo looked at the others, who were still somewhat hyper, and offered a word of advice:
"When the pill's effects wear off, the side effects will kick in."
"None of you should linger outside. Go back, drink lots of water, and stabilize the medicinal power in your bodies. Don't let it start burning your own essence blood…"
Han Meng felt that his condition was exceptionally good.
"This pill doesn't damage your foundation, right? The side effects can't be as bad as Shopkeeper Bai says, can they?"
Bai Mo shook his head. "How naive!"
"I only priced this pill at ten Spirit Stones each. Why do you think I set the price so cheap?"
With that, he turned and left on his own.
Hearing Bai Mo's words, the remaining few felt an inexplicable unease. They exchanged glances and also went their separate ways.
"What about Brother Lanshan..."
"Don't worry about him. After taking that pill, escaping from the Enforcement Team won't be a problem."
"Exactly! If we get involved, we'll just be holding him back!"
"..."
Bai Mo was a fast walker. He found a place to change his clothes and then headed toward his residence.
Bai Mo walked along the main, open road.
The dark places were very lively tonight, and Bai Mo didn't dare go near them.
Faintly, Bai Mo even felt a little uneasy.
'I should have gone with Qin Ying and the others...'
'But with the Enforcement Team's prior announcement, no one should dare to cause trouble.'
His heart tightened slightly, but thankfully, the journey was uneventful. Bai Mo saw his own shop.
A look of joy appeared on Bai Mo's face, and he quickened his pace for two steps, only to suddenly freeze.
Right in front of his shop, two trails of blood started at the door and stretched all the way to the back.