Chapter 368 - 351: Stone Wall

Chapter 368: Chapter 351: Stone Wall

Nanjiang. Winter.

The clouds hung low, scattering sporadic flurries of fine snow.

The river wind was biting, a damp, bone-chilling cold. The reeds on the bank made a whimpering sound.

In the middle of the river, an unremarkable black-canopied fishing boat bobbed gently with the waves.

At the bow, a middle-aged man in a straw raincoat and a conical hat held a green bamboo fishing rod, angling in silence.

The float bobbed in the small waves, but there was no sign of a bite for a long time. He remained as still as a meditating monk.

Suddenly, a dark figure descended from the sky, landing weightlessly on the stern. The small boat didn’t rock in the slightest.

The newcomer, dressed all in black, glanced at the Raincoat Guest fishing at the bow, then at the empty cabin. Without a word, he bent down and ducked into the low-slung space.

A moment later, he emerged with his own set of fishing gear, found a folding stool at the stern, sat down, and cast his line into the water with practiced, natural movements.

An incense stick’s time later, three more figures landed on the boat’s gunwales almost simultaneously.

They also entered the cabin directly, without a greeting.

A rustling sound of rummaging came from within, and soon, a brass kettle was placed on a small clay stove, its spout beginning to trail wisps of white steam.

A short while later, the last figure arrived, fashionably late.

This person was small and slender, with a Longsword slung at his waist. The scabbard was mottled, covered in dark red rust.

These six were the Hall Masters of the Seven Kills Association’s six halls, all except for the Play Kill Hall.

The man at the bow, clad in the raincoat, who had been sitting as still as a reef, finally lifted his fishing rod slowly.

The empty hook emerged from the water, trailing a few droplets.

He casually rested the rod against the gunwale, stood, and stooped to enter the low cabin.

He removed his conical hat, found an empty spot to sit, and his gaze swept over the five people present. "I have urgently summoned you brothers today for a thorny matter."

He paused, choosing his words carefully. "The Gang Leaders of the Xinyi Bang, Sanhe Bang, and Chaotian Bang, along with Junior Brother Hai of the Play Kill Hall—all four of them were captured two nights ago during a transaction at a desolate temple outside Nanjiang County. The other party has sent word, demanding a ransom."

As soon as he spoke, the atmosphere in the cabin instantly froze.

The hitched breaths and suddenly sharp gazes all revealed their inner shock and sense of absurdity.

’Kidnapping? Extortion?’

The Seven Kills Association was always the one kidnapping, killing, and extorting others. Since when did someone have the audacity to come after them?

"Who did it?"

A voice was the first to break the silence. It was the Mistaken Kill Hall Master, the one with the Rusted Sword who had arrived last.

The Raincoat Guest slowly shook his head. "I don’t know. The message came through Peng Anmin, the Vice Gang Leader of the Xinyi Bang."

"Peng Anmin?"

The Assassination Hall Master’s voice was high and sharp. "Could it be a trap set by the Court?"

The Robbery and Slaughter Hall Master interjected, "Have you interrogated Peng Anmin?"

The Raincoat Guest said, "He’s been interrogated. According to him, it doesn’t seem like the Court, and he knows nothing about them either. But our opponent is extremely powerful. The one who acted is at least in the Void Transformation Realm, possibly even a Divine Intent Grandmaster, or... a Great Grandmaster for all we know."

"A Great Grandmaster?"

The Combat Hall Master scoffed. "Don’t be an alarmist. You can count the number of known Great Grandmasters in Jiangzhou on one hand. Who among them would be bored enough to stoop to something as low as kidnapping and extortion?"

The Raincoat Guest’s gaze swept over the Combat Hall Master. "Now is not the time to argue about our opponent’s Cultivation. The pressing matter is to discuss a strategy. Do we rescue them or not? If we do, how? Let’s hear everyone’s thoughts."

A brief silence fell over the cabin.

Everyone was lost in their own thoughts.

The Assassination Hall Master spoke up. "What else can we do? Anyone who dares to touch a member of our Seven Kills Association must pay with blood. Find out who they are, and my Assassination Hall will act—we’ll slaughter their entire clan, leaving no one alive! Let’s see who dares to provoke us then!"

The Raincoat Guest looked at him. "The problem is, the enemy is hiding their identity and their background is a mystery. Who will make contact? How do we even begin to investigate?"

The Robbery and Slaughter Hall Master asked in a low voice, "What are they demanding for a ransom?"

"One hundred thousand boxes of Opium."

The Raincoat Guest stated the number.

"One hundred thousand boxes?!"

The Combat Hall Master almost laughed in anger. "Does he think Opium is as common as pebbles on the riverbank?"

"For someone to demand such a massive quantity of Opium, they must have some other motive."

The Assassination Hall Master stared sharply at the Raincoat Guest. "A Void Transformation Grandmaster... if we fight them head-on, our chances are slim. Have you reported this to our Master?"

The Raincoat Guest nodded. "I have sent word to Master, but there has been no reply yet."

The Mistaken Kill Hall Master seemed to lose his patience with the discussion and said bluntly, "You are the Murder Hall Master, and you’re the Chief Steward appointed by Master. We’ll do whatever you say! Why are we wasting time here?"

The Murder Hall Master, Suiyun, was silent for a moment before finally speaking. "My plan is this: we pretend to agree to the ransom to lure them to the Kao Mountain Wall. There, we will combine the power of our six halls and set a death trap. Even if we cannot kill them, we can at least trap them. When Master arrives, no matter how high their Cultivation, they will not escape death."

’The Kao Mountain Wall?’

At his words, the other five in the cabin all stiffened, their gazes filled with shock and suspicion.

That was the Seven Kills Association’s most central and secret location.

Luring such a powerful enemy there was no different from letting a wolf into the house.

Success would solve the problem once and for all, but if they failed and the enemy uncovered their secrets... ’The risk is too great!’

After a moment of dead silence, the Robbery and Slaughter Hall Master suddenly spoke. "Do we really have to rescue them?"

Suiyun was quiet for a moment before replying, "Not necessarily. But the Seven Kills Association cannot lose face. If this isn’t handled properly, what will the underworld think of us? Who will dare to work with us in the future? How will we continue to do business?"

"Hmph!"

The Mistaken Kill Hall Master slammed his hand on the hull next to him. "Then let’s rescue them! All this dithering and indecisiveness, you’re acting like a bunch of women. If this keeps up, the Seven Kills Association might as well change its name to the Turtle Man Association. It’s just some coward who’s afraid to show his face, right? I refuse to believe we can’t kill him."