As the two thieves dissolved into two pools of blood, the entire inn fell into deathly silence.
Long San stared at the blood on the ground in disbelief, fine beads of cold sweat appearing on his forehead.
His Adam's apple bobbed, and he then glared at Ye Ling, asking sternly, "You, you cripple, what did you do?"
Ye Ling said calmly, "It's merely using his own method against him, and also... I don't like the way you address me."
*Crack!*
Ye Ling crushed the wine cup in his hand, and then the legs of the thieves in the inn were squeezed by an unknown force, their leg bones completely shattered!
*Bang! Bang! Bang!*
In the hall, everyone except Ye Ling knelt down. The excruciating pain from their shattered legs made them cry out in agony.
"Shh, you all, keep it down. Don't disturb A Yu's sleep."
Ye Ling said softly, then released his spiritual power, sealing the mouths of everyone screaming present, rendering them unable to make a sound!
The waiter who had threatened to "entertain" Ye Ling was now on the verge of fainting from fear. He kowtowed to Ye Ling with a terrified expression, making muffled sounds, seemingly begging for mercy!
After witnessing Ye Ling's methods, the waiter finally realized that Ye Ling was someone they could not afford to provoke!
All of them were courting death!
However, it was too late for the waiter's pleas. Ye Ling didn't even glance at him. He stood up and looked at Long San, allowing his mouth to speak.
Long San was now intimidated. He quickly said to Ye Ling, "You, you can't kill me. Tian Yuan, the young master of Tian Ren City, is my brother. If you kill me, Tian Yuan will definitely not let you go!"
"Brother! We admit defeat this time! If you let us go, we won't pursue the Blood Stone Ganoderma anymore, how about it?"
Ye Ling looked at Long San, who was both fearful and trying to threaten him, and couldn't help but chuckle. He said to Long San, "You want me to let you go so you can go back and get reinforcements, right?"
Although Ye Ling didn't covet the Blood Stone Ganoderma, it didn't mean Ye Ling wasn't aware of its value.
A spirit medicine of a hundred thousand years, even a common blade of grass, would be priceless, let alone the Blood Stone Ganoderma that could greatly increase one's cultivation!
Ye Ling knew with his toes that letting Long San go would only attract more flies!
Seeing that Ye Ling wasn't buying his act, Long San became even more flustered. He said to Ye Ling with feigned ferocity, "Brother! We're not the only ones after the Blood Stone Ganoderma. Killing us would be meaningless!"
"Moreover, you have no channels to sell the Blood Stone Ganoderma. Even if you take it to Tian Ren City, you definitely won't be able to sell it! It's better if we cooperate. We'll help you sell it, and we'll split it fifty-fifty... no, seventy-thirty! You take seventy, I take thirty!"
Hearing Long San's words, Ye Ling paid no attention to his proposal. Instead, he asked, "I'm very curious now, how did you know A Yu had the Blood Stone Ganoderma?"
For the past three months, A Yu had been hunting and gathering herbs in the Luo Yun Mountain Range and had no contact with outsiders. Even if A Yu dug up the Blood Stone Ganoderma, it shouldn't have become common knowledge.
But according to Long San, it seemed everyone knew that A Yu had the Blood Stone Ganoderma.
Long San didn't hide anything regarding Ye Ling's question, saying, "Brother, you also know that three months ago, an anomaly occurred in the Luo Yun Mountain Range. All the demon kings in the mountain range disappeared, and the heavenly treasures they guarded became ownerless."
"It's widely known that there is a hundred-thousand-year-old Blood Stone Ganoderma in the Luo Yun Mountain Range. Many people have been searching for it in the Luo Yun Mountain Range for the past three months. After you dug up the Blood Stone Ganoderma, you didn't deliberately conceal your tracks, so we naturally tracked you down with ease..."
"So that's how it is..."
Hearing Long San's explanation, Ye Ling finally understood why A Yu was being targeted.
However, compared to this matter, what concerned Ye Ling more was the celestial anomaly that occurred three months ago and the disappearance of all the demon kings in the Luo Yun Mountain Range!
Three months ago, it was precisely when he fell into the Nine Heavens Realm. At that time, he was severely injured and disoriented, and had no idea how he had arrived in this world.
As for the disappearance of all the demon kings in the Luo Yun Mountain Range, Ye Ling, recalling how he had unconsciously devoured two thieves last night, could vaguely guess... that the disappearance of the demon kings might be related to the dark power within him.
Seeing Ye Ling fall into silence, Long San thought Ye Ling was seriously considering his proposal. His courage grew, and he said to Ye Ling, "Brother, don't worry! I have connections in the underworld, and the young master of Tian Ren City is my brother. My connections are vast!"
"As long as you cooperate with us, no one will dare to lay their hands on the Blood Stone Ganoderma. I guarantee your safety!"
Ye Ling came back to his senses, looked at Long San with a playful expression, and teased, "Guarantee our safety? With you in your current state?"
Long San was still kneeling on the ground, trembling, and his words lacked any convincing power.
Long San quickly said, "If you don't believe me, you can wait a while. I contacted the young master of Tian Ren City earlier. He will come to collect the Blood Stone Ganoderma after the third watch!"
As he said this, Long San suddenly realized he had let slip something he shouldn't have. He quickly shut his mouth, his heart filled with apprehension.
Didn't he just reveal that he was stalling for time by saying this?
However, Ye Ling didn't care about what Long San said. After obtaining the information he wanted, he killed all the thieves in the inn except Long San. At the same time, he dragged Long San to the outside of the inn and hung him upside down at the main entrance.
Long San struggled, asking Ye Ling, "Brother, what are you doing? Aren't you afraid of retaliation from the young master of Tian Ren City?"
"Alright, I've heard that line too many times."
Ye Ling sealed Long San's mouth with spiritual power, then went to the backyard of the inn to detoxify Ding Dang. He instructed the still somewhat groggy Ding Dang, "Ding Dang, I will be healing in the living room later. You observe my performance from the shadows and record everything that happens after the third watch. If anything seems wrong, take A Yu and escape immediately, understand?"
Ding Dang was still a bit hazy but nodded.
"Good child."
Ye Ling smiled and rubbed Ding Dang's head. Then, he used his spiritual power to engrave his rune on Ding Dang's forehead, instructing, "Use the power I've given you at critical moments, understand?"
"Roar..."
Ding Dang responded.
Ye Ling smiled again, then walked back into the inn and sat down next to Long San, entering a state of meditation.
Long San struggled in mid-air, trying to escape, but as he struggled, he suddenly felt an icy, bone-chilling aura emanating from Ye Ling, making his soul tremble!
Long San looked at Ye Ling and saw that black mist was already swirling around him.
A ferocious ghost face was condensing above Ye Ling!