In the next moment, Song Wen released his grip on the dagger.

He had suddenly realized that he could not kill Gou Hang and his lackeys here-at least, not in broad daylight with so many eyes watching.

His body actively devoured the essence blood of others, but he still had no idea whether he could control that process.

If he killed the trio right here on the street, and his body uncontrollably drained them into desiccated husks before everyone, he would have no way to defend himself. He would undoubtedly be branded an evil demon and burned alive to appease the public fury.

Song Wen stood up and called out loudly.

"Lord Gou, wait a moment."

Hearing the voice, Gou Hang turned around and stared at Song Wen.

"And you are?"

The more Gou Hang looked at Song Wen, the more familiar the youth seemed, yet he simply could not place where they had met.

Song Wen smiled warmly. "Lord Gou truly is a great man with a short memory. Back then, it was all thanks to your recommendation that I joined the Heavenly Fiend Gang and became Master Jiyin's personal disciple. I still haven't properly thanked you for your kind guidance."

A flash of realization lit up Gou Hang's eyes. "You're that scholar... Song Wen!"

Song Wen replied, "Lord Gou has an excellent memory."

A trace of apprehension flickered across Gou Hang's face.

In the past, every youth sent to Jiyin's courtyard had gone straight to see the King of Hell.

Song Wen was the very first one to walk out of that place alive.

Back then, Gou Hang had utterly swindled Song Wen, selling him off for a mere ten taels of silver. He had offended the scholar to the point of absolute enmity.

Logically, Song Wen should have detested him, yet Gou Hang could not detect a single shred of hatred on the youth's face. Instead, there was only profound gratitude.

Gou Hang asked warily, "Young Master Song, why have you called me to a halt? Is there something you need?"

Song Wen acted as though everything was perfectly natural. "To repay you for your kindness in recommending me, of course. Lord Gou, you are my benefactor."

He pulled out a silver ingot, tossed it onto the wooden table, and addressed the stall owner.

"This will cover the meal for both myself and Lord Gou. Lord Gou is an elite of our Heavenly Fiend Gang; how could he possibly care about such petty change? He merely left his residence in a hurry today and forgot his purse."

Gou Hang looked at the silver ingot on the table with covetous eyes. That was a full two taels of silver-enough for him to live like a king at the pleasure houses for two days.

He scrutinized Song Wen once more, but he truly could not find a hint of falsehood. The youth seemed entirely focused on preserving Gou Hang's public reputation.

Gou Hang began to harbor doubts.

Could it be that this Song Wen was truly a brainless fool? Did he really not realize that he had been sold out back then?

While Gou Hang was wrestling with his thoughts, the stall owner looked at the silver ingot and found himself in a difficult position.

He looked at Song Wen, stammering, "Customer... I cannot make change for this."

Song Wen replied, "No need. Keep the rest as a tip."

The stall owner could hardly believe his ears. Gou Hang had left an atrocious impression on him, and out of fear of bringing disaster upon himself, he didn't dare accept the silver lightly. However, he was deeply reluctant to let such a windfall slip through his fingers.

Seeing the owner hesitate, Song Wen added firmly, "If I tell you to take it, take it."

With that settled, Song Wen turned back to Gou Hang. "Lord Gou, where is your residence? I intend to pay a proper visit when I have some leisure."

"Number twenty-five, Copper Gong Lane," Gou Hang blurted out.

The moment the words left his mouth, he felt a pang of regret. He constantly felt that Song Wen's behavior was far too abnormal.

He should not have revealed his true address so easily.

A sense of unease welled up within him, and Gou Hang decided it was best to distance himself from Song Wen for now.

"Young Master Song, I still have gang duties to attend to today, so I must take my leave. Let us share meat and wine another day."

Song Wen smiled. "Then do not let me keep you, Lord Gou."

Gou Hang signaled his two subordinates, and the three turned and departed.

Watching their retreating figures, the warmth vanished from Song Wen's expression. His eyes grew cold and sinister, and a dark smile played at the corners of his lips.

Number twenty-five, Copper Gong Lane!

Just wait. I will be coming for you very soon.

After walking a considerable distance, Gou Hang suddenly turned around to look back at the roadside stall, but Song Wen was already gone.

The more he pondered the encounter, the more unsettled he became.

Song Wen's behavior was simply too bizarre. How could anyone in this world be so stupid as to not realize they had been human traffic?

Furthermore, Song Wen was now Jiyin's disciple. If the youth held a grudge, Gou Hang knew he wouldn't stand a chance at resisting.

Right at that moment, a procession appeared on the street ahead.

A dozen elites of the Heavenly Fiend Gang were slowly escorting an ox cart.

A muscular black ox pulled an open-air flatbed cart, upon which lay the zhang-long corpse of a white tiger with hanging eyes.

The beast's massive frame, razor-sharp claws, and jagged fangs all bore witness to its terrifying ferocity in life, causing a crowd of passersby to stop and gawk.

The gang members surrounded a young man in his twenties, raining endless praise upon him.

"The Young Gang Leader is truly extraordinary! At such a young age, he managed to hunt and kill such a fierce beast entirely on his own!"

"Tsk-tsk, look at this monster's fangs. They must be at least four cun long! And look at those sharp claws, that thick tail... It is truly incredible that the Young Gang Leader could slay it."

"Under the leadership of the Young Gang Leader, our Heavenly Fiend Gang will undoubtedly rise to greater heights in the future!"

Listening to the sycophancy of his subordinates and basking in the awestruck gazes of the crowd, Tang Liang felt a swell of absolute pride. Even the wound on his calf, where the white tiger had torn away a chunk of flesh, no longer seemed to throb with pain.

His eyes swept forward and caught sight of Gou Hang. He waved his hand and shouted across the street.

"Gou Hang! Come over here! Take a look at the white tiger this Young Gang Leader has slain!"

Gou Hang was somewhat surprised to hear Tang Liang call out to him.

As the son of Gang Leader Tang Yinian, Tang Liang was the designated Young Gang Leader of the Heavenly Fiend Gang.

Ordinarily, Tang Liang utterly despised low-ranking lackeys like Gou Hang and treated them with total disdain.

Yet today, he had actively initiated conversation.

A scheme suddenly sparked in Gou Hang's mind. He couldn't handle Song Wen himself, but Tang Liang certainly could.

Gou Hang broke into a quick jog, approaching Tang Liang with a sycophantic, obsequious bow.

"Young Gang Leader, you called for me?"

Tang Liang pointed grandly at the carcass. "What do you think of this white tiger?"

Gou Hang feigned profound astonishment. "The Young Gang Leader's might is peerless! Only a hero and champion of your caliber would possess the courage to face such a monstrous beast alone, let alone slay it!"

Tang Liang nodded in deep satisfaction.

Then, Gou Hang abruptly shifted his tone. "Regrettably..."

"Regrettably what?" Tang Liang's expression soured, his voice dropping in displeasure.

"Regrettably, no matter how powerful we martial artists become, we are still mere mortal warriors. Mortal strength ultimately has its limits. We pale in comparison to an immortal cultivator like Elder Jiyin, who can unleash devastating techniques with a mere wave of his hand."

The arrogance on Tang Liang's face gradually withered, replaced by an expression of deep-seated resentment.

He had begged Jiyin countless times, and had even had his father intervene, to ask the elder to impart the immortal arts to him. Yet Jiyin had completely dismissed their status, coldly rejecting them with a single phrase: 'You father and son lack the immortal destiny.'

Without even testing them, how could Jiyin possibly know they lacked the destiny for cultivation?