The Nine Cauldrons
chapter-74

The heavy rain caused Hong Zhenjie to be completely soaked and ice-cold. However, his heart felt even colder right now!

"Teng Qingshan, please be generous and spare me!" Hong Zhenjie gulped and said anxiously as he retreated, "I... I'll divorce my wife and take your younger sister as my first wife! In the future, your sister will be the first lady of our White Horse Gang. I... I'll give up my position of the Great Master to you. I beg of you, please spare my life."

Hong Zhenjie dropped to his knees with a thud.

Teng Qingshan looked down on the Hong Zhenjie who was kowtowing and begging to be spared.

"I beg——" Hong Zhenjie was still talking when suddenly——

A cold gleam lit up, piercing through a critical point on Teng Qingshan's chest.

"Die." Hong Zhenjie's face was flushed red and he was in a state of craziness!

From the moment that Teng Qingshan had appeared, Hong Zhenjie understood that it was impossible for Teng Qingshan to spare his life. It was because he knew the identity of the murderer. If Teng Qingshan had not revealed his identity, Hong Zhenjie would still have a chance to live. Therefore, the reason Hong Zhenjie begged for his life was so he could perform his strongest saber attack when Teng Qingshan had let his guard down!

Teng Qingshan must be killed! If Teng Qingshan did not die, then he, Hong Zhenjie, would be the one to die!

"Clank!" Teng Qingshan clamped the long saber with two fingers from his right hand as he looked at Hong Zhenjie coldly. Hong Zhenjie's tricks were but child's play to Teng Qingshan, who had gone through hitman training in the modern world. Teng Qingshan just wanted to watch Zhen Hongjie struggle and lose hope again and again to the extent that he would collapse and feel that absolute despair.

Hong Zhenjie's countenance changed drastically. He tried tugging a few times, but his saber wouldn't budge.

"What a joke! Teng Qingshan moved his right hand and the long saber he had clamped down on slashed across Hong Zhenjie's neck."

"Pffft!" Fresh blood spurted out like mist.

Hong Zhenjie's eyes widened, as if in disbelief that he had died just like that. "You, you..." He wanted to say something, but he soon fell down to the ground weakly and his eyes dimmed.

Even after killing Hong Zhenjie, Teng Qingshan felt nothing.

Teng Qingshan walked to each and every corpse and checked carefully, ensuring that all of the men had died. He checked through all one hundred and forty-six corpses quietly left amidst the heavy rain.

In the hall within Teng Qingshan's home in Teng Jia Village.

Teng Yunlong, Teng Yongfan and his wife, and Qingyu were all here. All of them were waiting anxiously.

"Will Qingshan be fine?" Yuan Lan was very worried.

"Be quiet for a while! Stop talking. Qingshan will be fine." Teng Yongfan bellowed. It was rare for him to snap at Yuan Lan. He was clearly very worried and anxious.

"Both of you should stop it." The Chief, Teng Yunlong frowned and scolded.

Qingyu sat in a corner quietly. All she did was stare outside.

"Hu!" A sudden gust of wind blew through the room and the shadow of a person appeared.

"Father, mother."

The tall and familiar figure caused all four people in the room to stand up in great surprise. Qingyu, who had been sitting in a corner, dashed into Teng Qingshan's embrace and started crying as she buried her face into his chest, "I knew that brother would be able to come back safely. Brother..." She sobbed as she said this.

"Little Yu, look! Can't you see that your older brother doesn't even have a single wound? Don't cry." Teng Qingshan smiled as he pats Qingyu on the head dotingly.

Qingyu liked this habitual act of Teng Qingshan and stopped crying after a few sobs.

"Qingshan, are you alright?" Teng Qingshan's mother, Yuan Lan, also checked Teng Qingshan anxiously.

"Why are you still asking? Didn't Qingshan say that he's fine?" Teng Yongfan shouted. However, he also took a careful look at Teng Qingshan.

Teng Qingshan could feel the concern from his family's words and gazes. It felt very heartwarming and he thought, "No matter what, I won't allow anyone to bring harm to them." He would do all that he could to destroy the ones who threatened his family and clan. He could choose not to attack, but if he were to make a move, he would definitely kill them all so that there won't be any future implications.

"Qingshan, that White Horse Battalion..." His grandfather, Teng Yunlong, asked.

"White Horse Battalion doesn't exist anymore." Teng Qingshan sat down and said.

The people in the room froze.

"Qingshan," Teng Yongfan was very astonished as he said, "Are you saying that the people from the White Horse Battalion are...?"

"They are all dead." Teng Qingshan said very calmly.

"Not a single one left?" Even Teng Yunlong could not believe this.

Teng Qingshan nodded, admitting to it.

Teng Yongfan and Teng Yunlong exchanged a glance, unable to conceal their shock. Although they knew that Teng Qingshan had gone off to kill the Young Master and the members of the White Horse Battalion, they still felt great astonishment when they found out that all members of the White Horse Battalion, the most elite group in the White Horse Gang, had been killed!

"Qingshan, does the White Horse Gang know that you were the one who had killed the entire White Horse Battalion?" Teng Yunlong asked. After all, the White Horse Gang had eight thousand core disciples. Even though they had lost some of them in the battle against the Iron Mountain Gang, there was still a lot of them. Moreover, the White Horse Gang still had a lot of peripheral followers.

If the few thousand men came charging over, how could Teng Qingshan fend them off single-handedly?

"Grandfather, don't worry. As long as you guys don't say anything, no one will know." Teng Qingshan said confidently.

Teng Yunlong quickly looked toward Teng Yongfan, Yuan Lan, and Qingyu and instructed, "Remember, this matter must be kept a secret."

"Mmm, I won't say it even if I were to be beaten to death." Qingyu quickly nodded and promised.

"Don't worry, no one will suspect me. You guys will know in a few days." Teng Qingshan was very confident. He had let twelve men go because those twelve people had not killed that many innocent lives and because he needed them to help spread the news in Yi City.

After all, besides Hong Zhenjie, all the other bandits, including the twelve, thought that a hidden weapon expert from the Iron Mountain Gang had come to seek revenge!

The storm came abruptly and stopped quickly. In less than an hour, the rain stopped.

The several thousands of people from the White Horse Gang had started packing their bags, clothes, and armors, preparing to depart. Behind the group, there was a great village. The clansmen of this village all looked at the members of the White Horse Gang in great terror.

A wooden bench was placed on the road, and the Third Master, draped with a beast hide, sat on it.

"They aren't here yet?" The Third Master frowned.

"Third Master, the Young Master had led the White Horse Battalion to recruit new members. They are probably hiding from the rain outside!" One of the bandits quickly answered.

The Third Master said, "The rain has stopped and we've waited for a while now. Zhenjie and the others should have arrived by now."

The bandit thought about it and asked, "Third Master, why don't I bring a few brothers to check it out?"

The Third Master nodded, waved his hand, and said, "Mmm, bring ten or so people and retrace the steps as you look for them. Find out where on earth the Young Master and the others are!"

"Yes, Third Master." The bandit immediate waved his hand, calling for ten over bandits a. They then rode off on horses.

...

Many of the bandits from the White horse Gang had gotten on their horses. Some of the bandits had already begun riding towards the base.

"Third Master, Third Master!" A shrilling shout rang out from afar.

Upon hearing the shrilling cry, the countenance of the Third Master, who was seated and waiting quietly, changed. He stood up abruptly and bellowed, "Why are you all howling? What happened?"

"Dead! The Young Master is dead! All of the White Horse Battalion is dead!" The shrilling cry that came from afar caused the big group of bandits who were preparing to leave to all come to a stop. They turned to look at the dozen bandits who were screaming to the top of their lungs.

The ten over bandits looked horrified as they shouted again and again, "All of them are dead! Not a single one left!"

The Third Master's countenance changed drastically!

"Brothers! Follow me!" The Third Master let out a furious bellow. He leaped onto a Scarlet Flame Horse at the side and shouted as he lashed out his horsewhip, "Giddy-up!"

The Scarlet Flame Horse ran off wildly.

"Let's go!"

The big group of bandits followed after the Third Master and galloped away.

"The White Horse Battalion is completely wiped out?" The bandits who had heard this news were all completely astonished. Then, all of them roared out as they rushed after the Third Master.

The bluster of the galloping army caused all the people in that village to all be frightened out of their wits.

"Did you guys hear that? The White Horse Gang's Young Master and the White Horse Battalion have all died."

"Who killed them?"

"Who knows? But do you see how the members of the White Horse Gang have all gone crazy? Who can fight against the attack of an army like this!" The scene of the bandits charging on crazily with the great force and vigor of a surging flood really brought great terror to everyone's heart.

...

The group of people from the White Horse Gang soon arrived at the area where a large number of corpses was located.

"Neigh~~" The bandits pulled back the reins and many warhorses came to a stop.

The Third Master leapt off the Scarlet Flame Horse and ran toward the corpses, sending mud splattering everywhere. The many bandits from the White Horse Battalion were all wearing heavy armor, but none of them had survived.

A large number of bandits at the back were all in shock.

The Third Master's countenance was very grim and he bellowed, "Quick! Check and see if anyone is still alive." The Third Master then went on to check the corpses. Soon, the Third Master found the corpse of the Young Master Hong Zhenjie. Hong Zhenjie's eyes were widened as though he had been unable to die in peace.

"Third Master! The people from the White Horse Battalion were fighting among themselves!" A bandit shouted out, terrified.

It was true that some of the dead bandits had longspears pierced through their throats. It was a group of bandits who were fighting among themselves.

"Their heads and also the helmets have been pierced through All of them have been shot by concealed weapons." Another bandit shouted.

The Third Master kept on a grim countenance and remained silent.

"It's the concealed weapon expert from the Iron Mountain Gang! It's that concealed weapon expert who sent the Great Master's weapon flying! He has come for revenge!" A bandit exclaimed.

"Third Master, we must take revenge for the Young Master!"

"Third Master..."

...

All of the bandits turned to look at the Third Leader. With the Young Master dead, the one with the highest status in the White Horse Gang was the Third Master.

"It's concealed weapons! Martial Nephew Wang He and Eldest Brother had all died because of that concealed weapon!" The Third Master's voice sounded very deep as he spoke." A large group of these people from the White Horse Battalion were killed by that same concealed weapon. As for the internal strife… It is just a scene that the murderer had made up so that we will doubt and suspect each other. This murderer is the concealed weapon expert who killed Martial Nephew Wang He and the one who indirectly caused the death of my Eldest Brother. That Wang Tieshan is probably also involved in this!"

The other bandits also agreed to this explanation.

"Third Master, what do you think we should do?" All of the bandits looked toward the Third Master.

The Third Master said coldly, "No matter what, we must first find that concealed weapon expert from the Iron Mountain Gang! After we find him, we must tear him into pieces at all costs! It'll be in memorial to Eldest Brother's and Zhenjie's souls!"

"Tear him into pieces!" All of the bandits bellowed.

Although the Third Master's face was emanating a murderous aura, he was secretly rejoicing. "Haha, the heavens are helping me! This Hong Zhenjie is an impulsive kid and yet he wishes to become the Great Master? He managed to escape yesterday, but who would have expected that he would die today! Haha, from today onward, I'm the Great Master of the White Horse Gang! Revenge? That concealed weapon expert can kill the entire White Horse Battalion. I would be seeking for trouble if I tried to seek revenge.

Although the Third Master promised that the White Horse Gang would seek revenge, he did not really think this way.

The revenge of Master Hong Si and Hong Zhenjie has nothing to do with him.

The Third Master who appeared seemingly boorish and who kept the lowest profile in the White Horse Gang, fulfilling his duties without any complaints, was, in fact, an extremely vicious person. However, with Master Hong Si alive, he did not dare to do anything. However, Master Hong Si died yesterday. Even if Hong Zhenjie had not died, this Third Master would still find a chance in the future to kill Hong Zhenjie.

"From today onward, Yi City is mine!"