Transforming the false into the true, I am the only one in the world who possesses the true Dharma.

The body had been cleaned up and dragged away through the back door by two of his men.

Liu Sheng, with a dozen or so men, stood before Xu Yan, trembling and afraid to look up.

Those who frequent Liuhua Lane have all seen bloodshed, but none have ever seen such a bizarre way of dying.

Wang Mazi's body was completely blackened, as if he had rolled around in coal.

Liu Sheng had followed Xu Yan for many years and had never seen Xu Yan act in this way before, so he felt that Xu Yan had become mysterious.

Xu Yan put down his teacup, paused briefly, and asked, "How strong is Zhao Hai? How many men does he have under his command?"

After transmigrating, his memories were very fragmented; he only remembered the general information and couldn't recall anything more.

Zhao Hai's ambition to seize his territory will not stop here.

Now that she has adapted to her new identity, Xu Yan's goal is to live a better life.

A hint of doubt flashed in Liu Sheng's eyes: "Boss, don't you know better than us?"

Xu Yan leaned back in his chair, his fingertips rubbing against the table: "I almost fell for Wang Mazi's trap. My thoughts are a bit muddled. Otherwise, what would I need you for?"

When Xu Yan's gaze swept over Liu Sheng, he felt as if he were being stared at by a venomous snake, and couldn't help but shudder, quickly offering an explanation.

"Zhao Hai manages about ten people, just like the people in our Willow Flower Lane."

Xu Yan stroked his chin: "Have you cultivated true qi?"

Liu Sheng hurriedly shook his head: "How could that be? With our amateur skills, how could we possibly cultivate true qi? That's something only the big boss can cultivate. The big boss said that unless we get incredibly lucky, we'll never be able to cultivate it in our entire lives."

There are two big bosses in Blackwater Street. Each of them is in charge of five alleys and also oversees five smaller bosses.

In Xu Yan's memory, the leader of Blackwater Street was named Xu Tong. He was ruthless and cruel. Once, he had a dispute with another leader and they fought for a whole day and night.

Xu Yan waved his hand: "Step back."

Liu Sheng was slightly taken aback: "Boss..."

"I said, step back." Xu Yan's tone was calm, but it carried an unquestionable meaning.

Liu Sheng shuddered, thinking of Wang Mazi's corpse, and quickly led a group of people out of the house.

After Liu Sheng left, Xu Yan's eyes darkened slightly.

The situation in Qingyang County was far more complicated than he had imagined; just one Blackwater Street alone contained dozens of leaders, both big and small.

But since we're here, we should make the most of it.

Xu Yan slowly stood up and stared at the smoke in front of him.

【Xu Yan】

[Realm Level: Early Stage of Mortal Transformation]

[Technique: Bone-Rotting Palm (Early Stage of Mortal Transformation)]

[Life money: three taels]

He used one tael of his life-saving money, and after his strength reached the early stage of the Transcendent Realm, he added another tael.

Later, he killed Wang Mazi and plundered one tael from him, so now he has a total of three taels of life money.

"Even a lion must exert its full strength to hunt a rabbit."

Xu Yan's heart stirred slightly, and the amount of his life money decreased by one tael.

"Zhao Hai still has feelings for me, so let's kill him first."

As the money disappeared, smoke appeared and condensed into words.

You've spent a fortune to cultivate the Bone-Corroding Palm technique.

【Bone-Rotting Palm (Transcendent Realm): Initial Stage → Minor Success】

[Consuming two taels of life coins allows you to continue cultivation.]

The moment Xu Yan mastered the Bone-Corroding Palm technique, his internal energy grew stronger, and a flood of chaotic memories entered his mind.

After reaching the minor mastery level, the Corrupting Bone Palm can control more true energy, and the Corrupting Bone Poison, which used to take five palm strikes to unleash, is reduced to four palm strikes, while the Corrupting Bone Poison is more damaging.

He only had two taels of silver left to live, so he didn't continue the calculations.

If this continues, he will die suddenly once his life savings run out.

Xu Yan slowly got up, picked up his coat and put it on, then walked out the door.

On the street, Liu Sheng was discussing Xu Yan's changes with his men.

When Xu Yan came out, Liu Sheng and his men immediately stood up.

"Boss!"

Xu Yan raised his hand to stop him: "I'm going to kill someone, I'll be back in a bit."

Liu Sheng stared at Xu Yan's departing figure, feeling as if he had been struck by lightning, and remained speechless for a long time.

The boss just said he's going to kill someone.

Who to kill?

……

Shuibo Lane is adjacent to Liuhua Lane.

Inside a room, a tall man opened an account book, read it, and then closed it, his fleshy face swaying slightly.

"Snapped!"

He raised his hand and threw the ledger at one of his men's faces.

"Damn it, why is my income so much less!"

The subordinate was hit by the account book and quickly knelt on the ground: "Boss Zhao, this alley is mostly inhabited by small vendors, and with the recent floods, the vendors haven't been able to pay much money."

Zhao Hai slammed his fist on the table: "What about the silver I told you to lend out? Isn't that a large sum of money?"

The subordinate said with a wry smile, "Nobody wants to lend us money. We used the boss's method to force them to sign something, but they can't pay it back."

"If you can't pay, send someone as payment," Zhao Hai sneered. "Where are they?"

The subordinate breathed a sigh of relief, scrambled to his feet, and winked at the person behind him.

Several henchmen quickly went out and soon brought three women into the house bound.

"Boss, these three families can't pay back their debts. I've arrested all the women in their families. I have signed and sealed evidence, so the authorities won't dare to interfere."

As soon as the three women entered the house, they sat on the floor and began to cry.

Zhao Hai glanced around, his gaze settling on the woman in the middle.

"I never imagined that such a stunning beauty could exist in this filthy Water Ripple Alley. Whose daughter is she?"

The woman in the middle is dressed in yellow, with delicate eyebrows and eyes.

Although she was sobbing softly, when she cried, even her voice was as beautiful as a nightingale's.

The subordinate quickly flattered, "She's from the Zhao family, the tofu seller's wife. She's a girl Zhao took in, so she's practically hers. Consider it payment for the debt."

Zhao Hai licked his lips and, in front of everyone, began to unbuckle his belt.

"Since we're going to send them to a brothel to pay off the debt anyway, we might as well let the old man have it first. I'll go first, and you guys wait in line."

The subordinate was overjoyed, his eyes filled with excitement as he looked at the woman: "Yes, sir."

These scoundrels had never seen such a beauty before. To be able to enjoy her with Zhao Hai, even if it was just picking up some junk, would be enough to brag about for a whole day.

As Zhao Hai walked, he unzipped his pants, getting closer and closer to the woman.

Suddenly, a gust of wind blew.

"Bang!"

A man flew in from outside, crashed into the wall, rolled off the wall to the ground, and spat out blood.

"Who dares to act so insolently in my Water Ripple Alley!"

Zhao Hai fastened his belt, picked up the iron knife from the table, and glared angrily at the door.

When he saw the person who came, his grip on the iron knife tightened, then loosened slightly.

"Who do we have here? It's Old Xu. What brings you here all of a sudden?"

With a single glance, a dozen or so men immediately understood and quietly surrounded Xu Yan.

Xu Yan stood inside the room, his hands behind his back, and glanced at the group of henchmen.

"Did you instigate Wang Mazi?"

Zhao Hai sneered, "So what if it is? The Dust Sand Gang doesn't forbid internal strife. Killing you will only prove my ruthlessness, and I might even reward you with a real cultivation method."

Xu Yan nodded slightly: "That's good."

Zhao Hai was taken aback: "What do you mean, 'that's good'?"

Xu Yan stepped forward, his right palm striking Zhao Hai's chest: "In that case, killing you will be effortless."