Chapter 56: Eight Fish in One Capture

"Please, don't kill me..." Ge Tianlin's voice trembled uncontrollably. The sword at his neck was mere millimeters away—so close that the sharp tip seemed to have pierced his skin.

Truth be told, he was just a third-year university student who had never faced anything like this before. Even the mere sight of blood was enough to turn his legs to jelly. The fact that he hadn't wet his pants was already remarkable.

Wang Sheng kept his sword pointed. "Take your breakfast and lead me to where you were heading earlier."

"

Huh...?

"

"Do you not understand Mandarin?"

Wang Sheng's expression grew colder. Ge Tianlin hurriedly nodded, beads of cold sweat streaming down his forehead.

Who was this mysterious swordsman? Just one look from him made Ge Tianlin feel completely powerless. The TV shows and movies from his childhood weren't exaggerating after all!

With a casual flick of his wrist, Wang Sheng struck Ge Tianlin lightly but forcefully, causing him to stumble backward.

He followed it up with a swift slash, cutting through Ge Tianlin's shirt pocket. The phone inside—one that had previously assisted the Special Investigation Unit greatly—was almost sliced in half.

Ge Tianlin turned even paler. He knew his life was now entirely in Wang Sheng's hands.

"Hurry up and lead the way. I have no intention of killing anyone. Your second uncle will have someone tending to him shortly. Whether he can retain his cultivation, however, depends on his luck."

Casting a glance at the bloody Ge Gufeng, who lay slumped against the wall, Ge Tianlin uncontrollably stammered, "O-okay..."

Wang Sheng switched his Abyss Listener to his left hand and carried it casually behind his back. His calm gaze bore into Ge Tianlin, who nervously wiped the sweat off his forehead and turned to lead the way into the depths of the alley.

Wang Sheng wasn't worried about any tricks that Ge Tianlin could pull. He kept a close distance of less than a meter, ready to use him as a human shield if needed.

As they exited the alley, Ge Tianlin tried to sit down and rest several times, but the icy sword intent emanating from Wang Sheng terrified him too much to stop. After winding through a maze of dilapidated old buildings for seven or eight minutes, they reached a shanty town—a remnant of the city's urban redevelopment.

Pointing to a small courtyard in the distance, Ge Tianlin stammered, "It's right over there at that courtyard... Big Brother, can you let me go now?"

"Deliver the food," Wang Sheng flatly ordered.

Ge Tianlin couldn't hold back his tears any longer. He turned to Wang Sheng with a mix of snot and tears streaming down his face.

"Big Brother, I'm just a student! I haven't done anything truly terrible. Please, please let me go!"

Wang Sheng simply stared at him, his expression devoid of emotion. Behind him, his longsword hummed faintly. In a flash, he moved next to Ge Tianlin and quickly hit his neck with the sword hilt, knocking him unconscious.

"Now you remember you're just a student? Last night, you were acting like some sleazy director."

Wang Sheng glanced to the side and snorted. Before the stunned gazes of the two flamboyantly dressed women nearby, he drew his sword and charged toward the courtyard that Ge Tianlin had pointed out.

With a sweep of his spiritual consciousness, he took in everything within the courtyard. There were six elderly people inside—four men and two women—all at mid-stage or early-stage Spirit Convergence Realm. They were seated at a square table, drinking porridge and eating pickled green mustards.

When the courtyard door slammed open, the six elders flinched and turned to the entrance.

Wang Sheng stepped in. His sword radiated a chilling intent that locked onto all six, making his hostility crystal clear.

For the elders, their morning had started like any other. They had woken up, enjoyed a bowl of lotus leaf porridge prepared by a kind-hearted old woman, and waited for a few trays of soup dumplings to arrive.

They never expected a young man with a longsword to interrupt their quiet moment and exude an icy aura.

"Are you the elders of the Supernatural Revelation Club?" Wang Sheng asked coldly.

An elderly woman with a headscarf shouted angrily, "Whose brat is he? Tired of living, are you?"

"Don't underestimate him! His cultivation surpasses ours!"

"Who are you?!"

Ignoring the panic in their voices, Wang Sheng charged forward. Whatever had to be said could wait until after they had been subdued.

The Spirit Convergence Realm cultivators in this city, with their diverse accents, already made their identities clear—they were elders of the Supernatural Revelation Club. They had been passing their cultivation techniques to university students for profit, exploiting their Daoist heritage.

Though Wang Sheng had caught them off guard, the elders weren't pushovers like Ge Tianlin. Their age and experience made them far more formidable.

Two elderly men skilled in hand-to-hand combat flipped the table and charged at Wang Sheng from either side. The other four leaped backward to create some distance.

"Quick, grab your weapons!"

An elderly woman pulled out talismans and began chanting, and an old man grabbed an iron rod from the corner and rushed into the fray. Another dashed inside to retrieve his weapon.

Wang Sheng clashed with the two men charging at him. Two agonized screams soon followed their short confrontation.

With swift yet elegant movements, Wang Sheng traced an overlapping Big Dipper constellation with his sword. He swayed like willow branches in the wind as he drew two arcs of blood with his sword tip.

"Damn it! The brat has incredible swordsmanship!"

"Don't blame me for being ruthless!"

The elderly woman's gaze sharpened. She pulled out an old cloth square from her pocket and tossed it into the air. Three or four venomous insects emerged from it and shot toward Wang Sheng like concealed weapons.

Wang Sheng snorted coldly. Fighting was a given; why did they have to taunt him too?

With a flash of his sword, the venomous insects were sliced apart, though the poisonous mist they released forced Wang Sheng to retreat. A fireball talisman then flew in from above, making Wang Sheng dodge once again.

Instead of retreating, the two injured old men took advantage of the situation. They launched another attack, throwing a punch and a palm strike at Wang Sheng's vital points.

However, unable to even catch a glimpse of Wang Sheng, they missed completely.

Rising swords and descending stars, let chaos roar across the heavens!!

"My apologies," Wang Sheng murmured, though his mind had already resolved not to hold back.

His sword radiance spun as he thrust his sword into the shoulder blade of the elder to his left. He then sidestepped and kicked another elder's chest with immense force. Surging forth, his true essence flipped and blasted the two elders away.

𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

The elder injured by his sword radiance fared slightly better, sustaining only superficial wounds. However, the one Wang Sheng had kicked crashed into a wall over ten meters away, coughing up blood before passing out. With his meridians disrupted, he suffered significant internal injuries.

Whoosh—

A sharp whistle pierced through the air as an arrow shot toward him!

By the time Wang Sheng thought of dodging, he had already turned and swung his sword, narrowly hitting the tail of the incoming wooden arrow. He managed to divert it just enough to graze past his cheek instead of piercing his face.

Even with all of Wang Sheng's experience from past lifetimes, this close call drenched him in cold sweat.

Wang Sheng snorted and rushed to the side room, where the arrow had been shot from. As he charged, he unleashed several sword energy waves through Abyss Listener. The elderly woman holding a square handkerchief groaned as her shoulders bled, weakening her enough to collapse.

Another wooden arrow infused with thick, powerful true essence flew straight at him. However, with the element of surprise gone, it was no longer a threat to Wang Sheng.

He raised Abyss Listener and struck the arrowhead with its tip, splitting the projectile cleanly in two.

Inside the room, the eyes of the elder holding an iron bow widened. Wang Sheng had already broken through the window, his sword slashing downward!

"Run! We're no match for him!"

"Who on earth are you? We've had no past grievances and no recent quarrels. Why are you so hostile toward us?"

Two cries echoed from the courtyard. Wang Sheng didn't even glance at the elder he had knocked unconscious, instead swiftly charging toward the two who could still move.

The result was unsurprising.

Even though they worked together, the six elders, who could only be considered rogue practitioners, stood no chance against Wang Sheng and Abyss Listener.

Wang Sheng had no intention to kill. Otherwise, it would have only taken him a few strikes.

Over ten members of the investigation team soon arrived to clean up the mess. Police reinforcements trailed behind them. By the time Bulldozer reached the scene with his team, Wang Sheng had already thoroughly inspected it.

The six elders turned out to be members of the Supernatural Revelation Club, each from a different region. They even had Daoist robes embellished with the club's emblem in their rooms.

Capturing the Protector and seven elders in less than twenty-four hours was a significant achievement. It boosted the morale of the Special Investigation Unit and provided a solid report for their captain to present to her higher-ups.

However, Wang Sheng felt far from pleased. During the final inspection, he found a phone belonging to the elderly woman whom he had knocked out.

The phone screen was still open to a YouChat group chat, where a message had already been sent, stating, "An expert is here."

This proved how crucial it was for the elderly to be proficient in using smartphones and sending quick messages.

Though just four simple words, they were enough for the remaining members of the Supernatural Revelation Club to deduce what had happened. At the very least, anyone investigating the area would notice the abnormalities here.

After pondering for a moment, Wang Sheng called Bulldozer over.

"Tell the police to stay away from here," he ordered. "Turn off their sirens and have them rerouted to some gang activity elsewhere. Then, hold a press conference about it."

Bulldozer stared blankly at him. "What?"

Why is he so unpredictable? he wondered.

"Just do it. I'll explain later."

"Alright." Bulldozer turned and relayed Wang Sheng's peculiar instructions to the diligent police officers scurrying about.

Soon, the seven elders and the Protector were tied up tightly and loaded onto transport vehicles. The investigation team members then did their best to restore the courtyard to its original state before swiftly withdrawing. While some traces of the fight couldn't be erased, it would take a thorough investigation to uncover any conclusive evidence.

Wang Sheng left the interrogation of the seven elders and the Protector to others.

Sitting in the back seat of the SUV, he exhaled lightly. "Have people monitor this courtyard. If anyone comes to investigate, follow them and see if you can track down their connections. Also, please ask your captain if I can take Chi Wen and leave now if we've caught enough people to close the case."

"Leave?" Bulldozer frowned. He fell in thought before finally understanding Wang Sheng's intentions.

If Chi Wen really turned out to be a high-ranking member of the Supernatural Revelation Club, the evidence that they had gathered so far would sentence her to several years of imprisonment.

Wang Sheng's motives were clear and straightforward—he had come here to protect his junior sister, Chi Wen.

Right now, they still had room to maneuver. Getting Chi Wen out unscathed wouldn't be difficult.

However, if things escalated and the Supernatural Revelation Club incited their disciples to cause trouble, everyone involved would find it hard to extricate themselves.

"I'll go ask," Bulldozer muttered and then sighed softly. Perhaps the sleepless nights were catching up to him; even stepping on the gas pedal felt exhausting.