Starting from Tianlong, Wudu Tianxia

Rumble!

The next night, around the second watch.

Dark, heavy clouds covered the sky, rain was beginning to fall, and rumbling thunder echoed.

After everyone in the mansion had rested, Gao Yuan took a straw hat and rushed into the rain. In the rainy night, he climbed over the wall and ran away.

Fortunately, the prefectural government office was not far from the Fan residence. He turned into the alley and arrived at the government office in no time. After glancing around and seeing that no one was there, he went to the side wall.

The outer wall of the yamen was less than ten feet high. Gao Yuan used the tree trunks to leap over it twice and jumped over.

After navigating through winding paths, avoiding the garden, storehouse, and officials' quarters, Gao Yuan finally realized he had arrived at the main hall when he saw the plaque and couplets that read "Upright and Honest."

He took out the letter, pressed it under the judge's desk with the gavel, and without looking back, Gao Yuan dashed back into the rain.

"By daylight, the people at the yamen should be able to see it!"

Gao Yuan muttered to himself.

"Now we should go and inform the Beggars' Sect!"

With the Northern Darkness Divine Skill and the blessing of the jade tablet, he believed that as long as he practiced step by step, he could open up the eight extraordinary meridians, connect the six directions, and enter the first-class realm in just a few years.

This is precisely the time to play it safe.

Zoroastrianism and all that stuff, stay away from me!

From the yamen to the Beggars' Gang's Dazhi branch, it was a straight trip of seven or eight li.

The Dazhi branch is a three-courtyard complex. The gate is simple and painted black. Although it lacks an air of wealth, it exudes a righteous and awe-inspiring presence.

Hanging on the right side are eight coarse cloth bags, overlapping each other, resembling a bunch of grapes from a distance.

Gao Yuan was not very familiar with the rules of the martial arts world and did not understand the meaning of hanging eight leather bags at the door.

He followed suit, circled the courtyard, found a spot where he could use the momentum, and leaped over the wall again to enter the courtyard.

Something's fishy!

As soon as he set foot in the courtyard, Gao Yuan noticed something strange: it was eerily quiet.

While at the yamen, he could still see the yamen runners patrolling at night, and there were lights on guard in places such as the armory and document storehouse.

"A branch of the Beggars' Sect, yet not a single bark was heard. It's impossible for them to be so lax."

"What is that?!"

After taking only a few steps, Gao Yuan felt himself trip over something. He crouched down to check and found it was the corpse of a beggar.

"Has someone attacked a branch of the Beggars' Sect?"

As he walked, he became increasingly horrified, discovering no fewer than a dozen corpses.

Raincoats and lanterns—they all appear to be night patrol disciples.

Gao Yuan was already a little nervous, but when he encountered something unusual, he immediately became alert.

He walked to the front yard, hid behind a tree, and observed the surroundings. After only a short while, his brows unconsciously furrowed.

By this time, the rain had intensified, pattering against the rooftops and falling to the ground. In front of the Beggars' Sect's Gathering Hall in the front yard, several men wearing straw raincoats and hats with weapons at their waists stood guard at the entrance.

The Gathering Righteousness Pavilion emitted a faint yellow light and was completely silent. Gao Yuan quietly moved to the window of the east pavilion, concealing himself.

The rain was heavy and the wind was strong. The lattice windows of the pavilion were tightly closed. Gao Yuan waited for a while and then heard a loud rumble of thunder.

With Lei Ming's cooperation, he tried to gently push the lattice window. It was not latched from the inside, and with a gentle push, a crack appeared in the window.

The people inside were far from the window and, due to the thunder, did not notice.

Gao Yuan peered through the crack and stared in astonished.

Inside, the place was filled with members of the Beggars' Sect, and they were surrounded by more than twenty men wielding knives.

Guo Jie of the Zoroastrian sect sat on the chair of the leader of the Gathering Righteousness Pavilion, smiling as he looked at the crowd below. Beside him stood a man in black, his hair in a crooked bun and his face stiff.

"The Beggars' Sect is nothing more than this. What Great Wisdom Branch? It's better to call it the Great Stupid Sect."

The man in black spoke with extreme sarcasm.

A Beggars' Sect disciple at the bottom angrily shouted, "The Fire Worship Cult is a bunch of despicable villains! They actually poisoned the well! Otherwise, how could a branch of the Beggars' Sect have been captured by you clowns?"

Suddenly, with a "whoosh," a person flew out from outside the Gathering Righteousness Pavilion, crashed straight to the ground, and didn't move at all.

The man's face was a bloody mess, his throat had been cut, and he had been dead for some time. The beggar in the pavilion recognized him as Wu, one of the two deputy leaders of this branch.

The Beggars' Sect disciples were outraged by the death of their deputy leader and began to hurl insults and curses.

A Beggars' Sect disciple was shocked and enraged, saying, "If you have the ability, kill us all! The Beggars' Sect will remember this grudge. What goes around comes around, and your Fire Worship Sect will pay for this blood debt sooner or later."

But then Guo Jie burst into laughter and said, "Blood for blood? You think you can pay with your blood?"

Guo Jie's laughter abruptly stopped, his eyes sharp as knives. "A bunch of stinking beggars, repeatedly ruining the Holy Cult's important affairs, they really have guts."

He stepped forward and kicked the corpse of Chief Wu on the ground with the tip of his boot. "We'll feed it all to the dogs later."

The Beggars' Sect disciples were so enraged that their eyes turned red. Some of the more hot-tempered ones could no longer contain themselves and were about to rush forward, but they were held back by their companions.

"Quan Guanqing, now you're the only one left. Will you surrender or not?"

As soon as he finished speaking, all the beggars' eyes fell on a tall, handsome young beggar in front of them.

Quan Guanqing calmed the Beggars' Sect disciples' agitation, glanced at the corpse of Chief Wu, and then looked back at Guo Jie's face.

"Master Guo is quite arrogant, killing the branch leader and destroying the branch. Isn't the Fire Worship Cult afraid of being attacked by the Beggar Clan's 100,000 disciples?"

He spoke with righteous indignation, yet he was terrified, not knowing what kind of poison Guo Jie and his men had used. He couldn't activate any internal energy at all and could only be slaughtered at their mercy.

Guo Jie raised an eyebrow and sneered: "Chief Quan, stalling for time is useless. The 'soft bone powder' in your body won't be neutralized in less than two hours. If you wait any longer, you might not even be able to hold onto a bamboo pole."

He stared at Quan Guanqing's pale face and said slowly:

"If it weren't for your position as deputy leader and your usefulness, you would already be with that dead ghost on the ground by now. If you know what's good for you, obediently abandon the darkness and join the light. It's better to be a spy for the Holy Sect in the Beggars' Sect than to be chopped up and fed to the dogs."

After Guo Jie exposed his thoughts, Quan Guanqing turned pale and remained silent.

"Stubborn to the end!" Guo Jie's face darkened, and he swung his hand sharply.

The Zoroastrian disciples pounced on them like wolves and tigers. The Beggar Clan disciples had no internal energy left and were outnumbered. In an instant, more than ten of them were cut down.

With no hope of escape, Quan Guanqing threw down his bamboo pole and shouted, "I, Quan, am willing to submit to the Holy Sect!"

Guo Jie was taken aback at first, then burst into laughter: "Hmm? Has the whole helm learned Sichuan opera face-changing? Haha."

Quan Guanqing lowered his head and looked away, his elegant face showing no trace of shame.

"A wise bird chooses a good tree to perch on. Master Guo is right. I was stubbornly deluded before, but now I have come to my senses. I hope Master Guo will give me a way out."

The remaining Beggars' Sect disciples erupted in uproar, some of the more hot-tempered ones shouting curses: "Quan Guanqing! You traitor!"

Quan Guanqing seemed oblivious to the beggars' shouts and curses.

Guo Jie crossed his arms and sneered, "Shut up! Now that Quan Guanqing has surrendered, he is a member of the Holy Sect. Except for Master Quan, all the others..."

He raised his palm and swung it down, making a throat-slitting motion.

The Zoroastrian disciples immediately rushed forward to kill everyone, while the Beggars' Sect disciples struggled and cursed, creating a cacophony of cries, shouts, and curses.

In no time, only Quan Guanqing and the members of the Fire Worship Sect remained in the Gathering Righteousness Pavilion.

Good heavens, no wonder he's the number one traitor in Tianlong!

Hiding under the window, Gao Yuan witnessed the Beggars' Gang being killed and sighed inwardly, thinking that if he had reported the news a day earlier, perhaps the outcome would not have been like this.

At this moment, he had to admire Master Quan's acting skills; no wonder Master Qiao was outmaneuvered by this kid.

……