Chapter 186: Investigating the Person Behind the Scenes
Duan Ling Tian shook his head and smiled as he looked at the two men who had walked over from afar. "Why did you two come out so quickly? I haven't finished playing."
Haven't finished playing?
With the scarred man, Wang Da Hu, in the lead, all of the Crimson North's Five Tigers were completely stunned when they heard what Duan Ling Tian said, and a bad premonition arose within their hearts.
They turned their heads around one by one and looked at the source of the voice. There, they saw two middle-aged men walking over shoulder to shoulder.
Above each of the two middle-aged men were 1,000 ancient mammoth silhouettes ... a total of 2,000 ancient mammoth silhouettes dashed out with them!
"Nascent...seventh level Nascent Soul martial artists!" Wang Da Hu's pupils constricted, his face filled with terror, and his legs started trembling.
His other four brothers were no better than him, as they all had ghastly pale faces and didn't even dare to raise the suggestion to flee...
What a joke!
Before a seventh level Nascent Soul martial artist, it was absolutely impossible for them to have the opportunity to flee.
Now, they only hoped that his violet-clothed youth would spare them.
Putong!
Putong!
...
Under Wang Da Hu's lead, the five of them directly knelt around Duan Ling Tian and lowered their heads. They seemed extremely dispirited.
Slap!
Wang Da Hu raised his hand and gave himself a slap, and he pleaded for mercy with a trembling voice. "Young Master... We have eyes, but we failed to see and have offended you. You're a great and magnanimous man. Just think of us as trash and spare our lives."
Now he finally realized that this youth was only just playing with them earlier.
At the same time that he was frightened to the point terror, a trace of rage seemed to arise within his heart!
This rage was naturally towards that person who paid them to kill the youth....
If he knew that the target this time had two seventh level Nascent Soul martial artists beside him, not to mention 200,000 silver, even if he were to be given 10,000,000 silver, he still wouldn't dare!
Even though the money was tempting, his life was more important.
Duan Ling Tian was startled by the actions of the five of them, as he never expected them to be so straightforward....
"Weren't you all some Crimson North's Five Tigers? Can't you have a little bit of backbone?" Duan Ling Tian glanced at Wang Da Hu before lightly smiling.
"Young Master, before you, we can only be the Crimson North's Five Cats...." Wang Da Hu had a long face as he laughed bitterly. Now he only hoped that the violet-clothed youth before him would spare the lives of him and his brothers.
"Crimson North's Five Cats? That does suit you all." Zhang Qian, who was standing beside Duan Ling Tian, couldn't help but laugh.
"Crimson North's Five Cats, make a few sounds for me." Zhao Gang laughed as well, and his calm gaze descended upon Wang Da Hu's group of five.
"Meow!" Wang Da Hu's face flushed. Although he felt embarrassed, when he thought about how his life was within their hands, he could only lower his head and cry like a cat.
"Meow!"
"Meow!"
...
The other four people started crying out as well, and their bodies that knelt started trembling.
They knew in their hearts that as long as this youth were to order it, their heads and bodies would surely be separated.
Duan Ling Tian frowned. When he saw Wang Da Hu's group of five's terrified appearances, he didn't even have the interest to teach them a lesson anymore. "I can spare your lives, but you must tell me who paid to have me killed... I wonder if you all want to continue acting the part of unyielding men and continue to abide by the so-called street rules. Or do you all want your own lives?"
"Lives, we want our lives!" Hearing that they had a chance to live, Wang Da Hu's group of five's eyes shone as they spoke at the same time.
"What? Now you don't care about rules?" A cold smile appeared on the corners of Duan Ling Tian's mouth.
Wang Da Hu's group of five laughed bitterly. Their lives were on the line, what rules would they care about? No rule was more important than their lives.
"Speak, who paid for my life?" Duan Ling Tian asked indifferently.
"Hammer Seven," Wang Da Hu said. [1]
"Hammer Seven? Do you know who he is?" Duan Ling Tian frowned.
"Yes... He's a gangster within the Imperial City's outer city." Wang Da Hu hurriedly nodded.
"Let's go, take me to him!" Duan Ling Tian looked at the sky to judge the time of day. At this time, the city gate leading to the outer city had only just opened, and after he finished dealing with this, he should be able to be back before the gate closes.
Imperial City, outer city.
Duan Ling Tian sat within a guest room in an inn and leisurely drank some tea.
Besides Zhang Qian and Zhao Gang, who were standing behind him, Wang Da Hu respectfully stood at the side with a perturbed expression.
"Wang Da Hu, didn't you say that Hammer Seven was near here? It's already been more than 10 minutes and your four brothers haven't returned. They wouldn't have walked out on you, right?" Duan Ling Tian looked at Wang Da Hu as a trace of coldness flashed within his eyes.
"Don't worry, Young Master, we Crimson North's Five Tigers...." Wang Da Hu had only just started speaking when he noticed Duan Ling Tian's fierce gaze, and he hurriedly corrected himself. "No, it's Crimson North's Five Cats... We Crimson North's Five Cats are famous for our loyalty. This is something Young Master can be at ease of."
"I hope it's as you say." Duan Ling Tian swept Wang Da Hu with his cold and indifferent gaze before continuing to drink his tea.
A cup of tea was quickly finished by him.
Right at this moment.
"Zhang Qian, open the door." Duan Ling Tian's brows knitted as he suddenly spoke.
Although Zhang Qian felt it to be slightly strange, he still went to open the room's door.
Meanwhile, he heard the sound of footsteps coming from outside, and it was the other four men of the Crimson North's Five Tigers carrying a sack as they returned.
There was obviously a person within the sack that was making crying sounds, and he was unceasingly struggling.
After they had all come in, Zhang Qian closed the door and looked at the violet-clothed youth that sat there with a carefree expression. He felt surprised inwardly.
The sound insulation effect of this inn was extremely good, and he didn't notice in the slightest that the other four members of the Crimson North's Five Tigers had returned. How did the Young Master know?
Not only Zhang Qian, but even Zhao Gang's pupils couldn't help but constrict now.
They both realized that there was still much they had to learn from the Young Master....
"Young Master, we've brought him." The other four members of the Crimson North's Five Tigers tossed the sack onto the ground. A shrill cried echoed out from within the sack before the four of them opened it up.
A young man who had his hands tied behind his back appeared before Duan Ling Tian's eyes, the young man had a ball of cloth stuffed within his mouth. He was currently making mumbling noises in rage and was furiously staring at the Crimson North's Five Tigers....
"If you dare make another noise, I don't mind taking a slice at your throat." Duan Ling Tian extended his hand, and his Violet Myrtle Flexible Sword seemed to transform into a violet bolt of lightning as it descended onto the young man's neck, causing the young man to be terrified to the point that his body trembled and he hurriedly shut his mouth.
Meanwhile, Duan Ling Tian started to size up this young man before him.
Om!
The Violet Myrtle Flexible Sword within Duan Ling Tian's hand trembled as it flicked out the ball of cloth within the young man's mouth.
Even with the ball of cloth gone, the young man still obediently kept his mouth shut and didn't dare to make a sliver of a sound, as the sword on his neck was no joke.
Duan Ling Tian stared fixedly at the young man before indifferently speaking. "You should be Hammer Seven... Speak, who asked you to get someone to kill me?"
Hammer Seven's face went deathly pale. "You...You're Duan Ling Tian?"
Slap!
Zhang Qian's body moved. He raised his hand before slapping Hammer Seven in the face, and said, with a cold and indifferent voice, "Is the Young Master's name something you can speak?"
"Yes, Young Master, Young Master." Hammer Seven was stunned by the blow and didn't dare hesitate as he hurriedly nodded.
The name "Duan Ling Tian" was spread and gave rise to much discussion within the Imperial City as of late. As long as it was a person from the Imperial City, they practically all knew who Duan Ling Tian was, and thus he naturally knew as well.
So even if someone had asked him to get someone to kill Duan Ling Tian, he didn't dare brazenly commit it. Thus, he could only find some rash people who'd only just arrived at the Imperial City and hadn't heard of Duan Ling Tian's name and get them to go kill him... He originally thought that the matter would go smoothly, but now it seemed that what happened was completely different from what he'd imagined.
He regretted it now. If he had known earlier, he wouldn't have been greedy and gotten these unreliable fellows to do the deed!
What Crimson North's Five Tigers!
The name sounds great, but in the end they were captured.
"I'm asking you who asked you to get someone to kill me?" Duan Ling Tian's gaze was fierce, and his icy-cold voice seemed to emanate from an icy cold pit....
"Young Master, I can't... If I were to speak, I'd die." Hammer Seven's face was ghastly pale as he laughed bitterly.
"Believe it or not, I can make you die right now!" Duan Ling Tian raised his hand, and the Violet Myrtle Flexible Sword flashed out with a 'whoosh' as it cut off an eyebrow hair from Hammer Seven...
Hammer Seven's face went deathly pale as he said, in panic, "Young Master, I'll speak! I'll speak!"
"Speak, who was it?" Duan Ling Tian's tone was calm, but mixed within was a breathtaking rage. He wanted to know who the heck wanted his life!
No matter who it was, he wouldn't let that person off....
"It's Hong Ji, Young Master, it's Hong Ji. He gave me 3,000,000 silver and asked me to find some honest people to deal with you," Hammer Seven hurriedly said.
"3,000,000 silver?" Wang Da Hu and the other four Crimson North's Five Tiger's faces went grim as they stared angrily at Hammer Seven.
If it wasn't for the presence of Duan Ling Tian, they'd probably have charged at Hammer Seven at the first moment and killed him... This Hammer Seven had taken 3,000,000 silver from another and only gave them 200,000 silver? And it nearly cost them their lives!
"Hong Ji?" Duan Ling Tian frowned, as he felt that the matter was becoming even more complicated.
"Young Master, I've heard of this Hong Ji. He's a local tyrant within the Imperial City outer city... Allegedly, he has a relationship with the Xiao Clan's Patriarch." Zhao Gang seemed to recall something as he slowly spoke.
Duan Ling Tian nodded, and his icy-cold gaze once again descended onto Hammer Seven as he indifferently said, "Hand over the 3,000,000 silver."
"Yes, Yes... Young Master, I have 2,800,000 silver here. The other 200,000 silver is with them." Hammer Seven obediently withdrew a stack of silver from his pocket and didn't forget to look at Wang Da Hu's group.
Wang Da Hu glared at Hammer Seven and didn't dare hesitate as he obediently withdrew the 200,000 silver.
"Wang Da Hu." Duan Ling Tian suddenly spoke.
"Young Master, I'm here." Wang Da Hu took a step forward with incomparable respect.
"Kill him, and make it clean!" Duan Ling Tian's voice was calm to the point that it was terrifying, and it caused Hammer Seven's face to go deathly pale.
But unfortunately, he didn't even have the chance to beg for mercy when Wang Da Hu punched his head apart....
Above Wang Da Hu, 100 ancient mammoth silhouettes condensed into form.
Seventh level of the Origin Core Stage!
A trace of satisfaction flashed within Wang Da Hu's eyes as he looked at Duan Ling Tian with a face full of gratitude, "Thank you, Young Master, for allowing us five brothers to vent our frustrations."
[1] TL Note - I used Hammer Seven instead of pinyin here because the name is more of a gang title than an actual name.
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