The Immortal Clan begins with deductive intelligence.

As Xu Changqing left the Hundred Treasures Pavilion, the sun was mostly obscured by thick clouds, and a strange wind blew along the main street, causing the hanging banners to flutter loudly.

Although the shopkeeper gave him a wooden plaque, which was considered a good deed, Xu Changqing knew in his heart that this was just a business tactic and he did not become complacent in the slightest because he had gained a long-term sales channel.

He paused for a moment at the street corner, his gaze sweeping over a stall selling spirit ink, and thought to himself:

"Since Yanzhen's skills have already caught the eye of experts, his tools of the trade cannot be too shabby."

Thinking of this, Xu Changqing turned around and went into "Moyunxuan", a shop specializing in the Four Treasures of the Study, and picked out two ink sticks mixed with gold powder.

This ingot was worth twelve spirit stones, but Xu Changqing paid the spirit stones without hesitation, put it in his sleeve, and then picked out a few pieces of tough talisman paper.

After leaving Moyunxuan, Xu Changqing did not linger in the market. He boarded his small boat and sped back to Cangwu Island.

Back on the island, he handed the spirit ink and talisman to Xu Yanzhen. He saw that although the young man tried his best to suppress it, he could not hide the joy in his eyes and brows.

Xu Changqing felt that the spirit stones were well spent, and after giving a few more instructions not to be greedy for quick success, he returned to his quiet room.

In the following days, apart from necessary cultivation and handling clan affairs, Xu Changqing devoted himself to guarding the Heavenly Mirror in his sea of ​​consciousness.

Outside the window, the wind and rain were gloomy, and the moisture over the marshland grew heavier.

Time flies.

Xu Changqing sat cross-legged on the futon, his eyes closed, and the Tongtianjian deep in his sea of ​​consciousness began to hum loudly.

The fog that had been covering it parted, revealing a crystal-clear map beneath.

[The simulation is complete]

[Map showing the distribution of bandits within a radius of 100 li]

On the mirror, Cangwu Island, Tiemu Island, and the surrounding reefs and waterways are clearly visible, as if viewed from the palm of one's hand.

Scattered across the map are a dozen or so scarlet dots, some deep in color and others dim and lifeless.

Most of the red dots are located in deep waters or far from the shipping lanes, far from Cangwu Island, clearly indicating that they look down on the barren edge of this great swamp.

There is only one red dot, located between Cangwu Island and Tiemu Island.

This place is only thirty miles away from the two houses by waterway. It is overgrown with reeds and has a dense network of waterways, making it an ideal hiding place.

Xu Changqing focused his mind slightly, touched the red dot with his thoughts, and lines of detailed information immediately flowed out.

[Bandit Leader: One-Eyed Owl (Seventh Level of Qi Refining), severely injured. He was seriously wounded by the dying counterattack of the He Clan Chief, and thus went into hiding here. He is currently only comparable to the peak of the fifth level of Qi Refining.]

[Under his command: Two mid-stage Qi Refining cultivators; the rest are either early-stage Qi Refining cultivators or ordinary martial artists, totaling more than ten people.]

It turned out to be a tiger with its teeth pulled.

No wonder this group is so ruthless yet acts so furtively.

After wiping out the entire He family, they chose to "appease them first, then resort to force" when dealing with the much wealthier Li family, sending only a blackmail letter and then nothing more.

It wasn't that they had changed their nature and started adhering to the rules of the martial world, but rather that the bandit leader was too badly wounded to stand up and feared that a direct attack on the Li family's formation would only worsen their injuries, or even lead to an unexpected defeat.

"Five hundred spirit stones..."

Xu Changqing tapped his knee lightly.

If the Li family obediently hand over the spirit stones, it means they have a weak backbone. Not only can we get a windfall, but we can also manipulate them at will in the future, and even use the same method to wipe out the entire family again.

Xu Changqing stood up and pushed open the wooden window.

The rain outside had stopped, leaving only the sound of water dripping from the eaves.

If that one-eyed owl had been at its peak, with a cultivation level of the seventh level of Qi Refining, even if the Xu and Li families joined forces, along with their clan-protecting formation, they might not have fared well and would have been forced to passively take the beating.

But now...

A great master at the seventh level of Qi Refining has fallen into such a state of disgrace; this is a golden opportunity.

Take advantage of his illness and kill him.

"Uncle Dayou!"

A low shout.

Before long, Xu Dayou rushed over with his pipe in hand. When he saw Xu Changqing's grim expression, his heart skipped a beat, and he even forgot to smoke.

"Chieftain, is it time to make a move?"

Xu Changqing nodded, speaking very quickly:

"Go and gather a few skilled men, bring their weapons, and don't make a fuss. Just say you're going to inspect the fishpond."

"Also, you should go to Ironwood Island yourself and tell Li Shan to bring his men and meet me at 'Ghost's Sorrow' on the outskirts of Reed Marsh in two hours."

……

Two hours later.

Outside the reed marshes lies the "Ghost's Sorrow" waterway.

This place is full of reefs and the current is swift. If a large ship accidentally enters, it will surely run aground and sink. Therefore, few people come here on ordinary days.

A hidden water fortress was faintly visible, with several wooden houses built on floating rafts and simple guard formations set up around it.

The one-eyed owl sat cross-legged on a tiger-skin chair, his bare upper body wrapped in blood-soaked bandages, his single eye filled with malice and pain.

He was holding a monster's thigh in his hand, tearing at it with his teeth, looking extremely ferocious.

"That old dog from the Li family, hasn't he sent the spirit stones yet?"

He mumbled a curse, his voice hoarse and unpleasant.

A henchman with a pointed face and monkey-like features quickly smiled obsequiously and said, "Boss, please calm down. The Li family are cowards. They're probably selling everything they own to raise money. I doubt they'd dare to try anything funny."

Outside the village, in the distance among the reeds, two small, covered boats were hidden.

Li Shan, along with four skilled members of his clan, were huddled inside the cabin.

He glanced at the gloomy sky outside, then at the desolate reed marshes in the distance, and his heart pounded.

"Clan leader, can we trust what that Xu family brat says?"

A young man from the Li family standing nearby was trembling as he held the ritual implement.

"Shut up!"

Li Shan let out a low shout, rebuking his clansmen, but cold sweat also seeped from his forehead.

"Since Xu Changqing dared to say that the bandit leader was seriously injured, he must have his own information channels. Besides, we're already on the pirate ship. If we retreat now, we'll just be waiting for them to recover and come to collect our corpses."

As they were talking, a ripple appeared on the water's surface.

A tiny, inconspicuous boat broke through the water plants and silently approached.

Xu Changqing stood at the bow of the ship, dressed in a gray-blue outfit, his expression calm.

The two boats are moored together.

Li Shan quickly leaned forward and lowered his voice, asking, "Brother Xu, is the intelligence accurate?"

"Absolutely certain."

Xu Changqing stepped onto the Li family's boat, his gaze sweeping over the few fearful young men of the Li family before finally settling on Li Shan's face.

"That bandit leader now only has the combat strength of the fifth level of Qi Refining, and his meridians are damaged, so he cannot fight for long."

"Elder Li, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I don't need to elaborate on the implications, do I?"

Upon hearing this, Li Shan's fear subsided somewhat.

"Alright! Since Brother Xu has said so, it would be too disrespectful of me to back down now!"

Li Shan gritted his teeth and took out a stack of talismans from his pocket, distributing them to his clansmen.

"Listen up, all of you! When we rush in, don't hold back! Bring on all the talismans and magical artifacts you can! If anyone dares to back down even half a step, I'll personally skin them alive!"

Xu Changqing stopped wasting words.

"I'll lead the charge and break through their defensive formation."

"Uncle Dayou will lead his men to flank from the left, while Elder Li will lead his men to intercept from the right. Remember, don't let a single one escape."

"Hand over the bandit leader to me. If the others try to escape when things get bad, bombard them with talismans, dead or alive!"