Chapter 100: Your Smile is Truly Wicked

The city night always had a way of intoxicating people, blurring their sense of direction. Inside the Tianxiang Club, this effect was even more pronounced among the men and women gathered there. Perhaps they were burdened by the pressures of daily life, seeking relief; or maybe they were chasing thrills, hoping to stumble upon a romance that fate never intended.

Yet Chu Tianfeng was here for a different purpose—to kill those who had no right to live.

Thanks to his invisibility technique, he entered the club almost without resistance. The powerful spiritual sense of Xiya Zi served as his guide, leading him straight to the Tianhai branch of the Tomb Robbing Sect.

The branch was housed in a small conference room where a dozen or so people sat around a long table. To Chu Tianfeng’s surprise, the leader was someone he recognized—the square-faced youth he had met months ago in Lin Qian’s clothing store. Despite the time elapsed, the young man’s cultivation had not improved; he remained at the early stage of Dark Energy cultivation.

To his sides sat two elderly men: one with a gaunt face, at the late stage of Energy Transformation, and another with a square head, at the early stage of Energy Transformation. The rest ranged from middle-aged to younger men, their powers spanning from early to peak Dark Energy.

“It’s been almost a week, and you still haven’t figured out how Chief Yin and Deputy Chief Zhuo died! What exactly have you been doing?” The square-faced youth was raging as Chu Tianfeng stepped into the room.

Silently, Chu Tianfeng crept behind him and revealed himself. The square-faced youth was unaware and continued lecturing, “There are more than forty of you, not forty pigs! If you can’t handle it, bring Tang Yi here directly!”

The gaunt elder was the first to notice Chu Tianfeng and demanded sharply, “Who are you?”

Wearing a freshly purchased young man’s mask, it was no wonder the gaunt elder did not recognize him.

With a swift motion, Chu Tianfeng’s right palm struck the gaunt elder’s shoulder. The elder tried to stand but was firmly pushed back into his seat.

“Who knows where Tang Yi’s mother is being held? Correct answers get a reward,” Chu Tianfeng said, his voice calm but firm as he surveyed the room.

“How did you get in here?” The square-faced youth asked, panic creeping into his voice.

“Wrong answer!” Chu Tianfeng gestured with his right hand, and an ice spike shot out like lightning!

A scream pierced the air. The square-faced youth had no time to react before the spike pierced his left shoulder.

“Doesn’t anyone know?” Chu Tianfeng looked around again.

The room fell silent, the people intimidated into stillness.

The two elders beside the square-faced youth exchanged glances, fear reflected in their eyes, unwilling to act rashly.

Chu Tianfeng’s right hand moved again, launching another ice spike!

Another agonized scream followed.

This time, the square-headed elder cried out briefly before the spike struck his forehead, blood gushing forth. He slumped to the ground with a thud.

“My greatest flaw is impatience,” Chu Tianfeng muttered, shaking his arm. “Anyone remember now?”

Just then, a middle-aged man near the door weakly raised his right hand. “I know. Chief Yin locked her up in my house, and my old man is watching her.”

“Is that so?” Chu Tianfeng lightly lifted the square-faced youth and tossed him to the floor. “Where exactly? Is it far?”

“Not far, in Tianhe Village, Beitong City, Su Province,” the middle-aged man replied nervously as he stood.

“Which one was Chief Yin? Please step forward,” Chu Tianfeng cracked his knuckles loudly.

There was no doubt Chu Tianfeng intended to make an example of him, to instill fear in the others.

Everyone in the room turned ashen, trembling as if their bodies were sieves.

“The chief and deputy chief were killed a week ago, and we are investigating,” the middle-aged man murmured like a mosquito’s buzz.

“Good,” Chu Tianfeng smiled smugly and stepped closer. “Anyone else want to add something?”

Unexpectedly, the two slain were the chief and deputy chief of the Tianhai branch—something Chu Tianfeng found surprising.

Beside the middle-aged man stood a chubby man who quickly rose and forced a nervous laugh as Chu Tianfeng approached.

“You laugh too cheaply!” With a flick of his right hand, an ice spike shot out without warning, embedding itself in the chubby man’s forehead.

The man collapsed, nearly toppling his chair.

Then Chu Tianfeng’s hands moved wildly, sending a volley of ice spikes flying!

Swish! Swish! Swish!

Screams echoed repeatedly.

The gaunt elder, seeing this, leapt to flee toward the door but had barely taken two steps when he felt his vital energy surge chaotically. His power instantly dissipated, and he collapsed with a heavy thud.

Chu Tianfeng ignored him and continued launching ice spikes.

Soon, the only one left in the room besides Chu Tianfeng was the cowering square-faced youth trembling on the floor.

Their cultivation was too weak, and the barrage of ice spikes was too numerous and fast for them to dodge.

The gaunt elder suffered the worst, his body riddled like a wasp’s nest.

Chu Tianfeng’s earlier palm strike had actually infused true energy into him; any rash move would mean his death at Chu Tianfeng’s hands.

The middle-aged man was quite pathetic, mumbling repeatedly, “I answered correctly, I answered correctly” as he fell.

A whistle sounded, and Xiya Zi leisurely emerged from Chu Tianfeng’s bag, flying toward the corpses.

“Please spare me—I am the young sect master of the Tomb Robbing Sect... Cao Yuancheng. If you don’t kill me, I can... I can offer you a lot of money,” the square-faced youth stammered, trembling as Chu Tianfeng approached.

“Nonsense!” Chu Tianfeng kicked him. “I just learned the young sect master is Cao Yuangong.”

At the auction in Lijiajie, number 250, Cao Yuangong had left a deep impression on him—one he could hardly forget.

“Yuangong is my elder brother; I’m the second!” the square-faced youth hurried to explain.

“You’re both wrong. Cao Yuangong is the second!” Chu Tianfeng sneered, suddenly recalling Zhang Xiaoyu’s case and casually asked, “Did your people kill Zhang Xiaoyu?”

“Zhang Xiaoyu...” The square-faced youth hesitated, then answered, “Oh, I think so. You are...”

Chu Tianfeng kicked him again. “Do you know why I’m killing you?”

“No—please don’t kill me!” the youth wailed.

With a wave of his hand, an ice spike shot directly into his throat, silencing his cries instantly.

“You’re sloppy! Leaving such a big mess with Liu Zhijian for me!” Chu Tianfeng muttered irritably.

Had the square-faced youth been more thorough, he wouldn’t have been pursued by American psychics—those enemies were truly sinister, making Chu Tianfeng’s scalp tingle just thinking about them.

Chu Tianfeng then sat patiently nearby, waiting for Xiya Zi to absorb the spirits.

Minutes later, after finishing, Xiya Zi floated back beside him.

“Go!” Chu Tianfeng, impatient, concealed himself once more and dashed out of the Tianxiang Club.

As he stepped onto the street, Xiya Zi sighed in his mind, “What a pity—so much money lost!”

At the sound, Chu Tianfeng stopped abruptly. “Where’s the money?”

He was truly desperate; the mention of money made his eyes glow golden.

“In the basement of that building just now, there’s a large safe,” Xiya Zi teased with a girlish laugh.

Chu Tianfeng spun around sharply.

At that moment, sirens blared loudly on the street.

“Xiya Zi, if you keep giving me tips after the fact, I’m cutting ties with you,” he said, rolling his eyes as he fled.

———

Tang Yi was overjoyed to hear news of her mother’s whereabouts and insisted on going immediately. They arranged to meet at the entrance of Tianhai Film Academy.

Chu Tianfeng was indifferent; he suspected there would be no formidable enemies there, so bringing Tang Yi posed little risk. He agreed.

The academy entrance was bustling as usual, adorned with colorful flags and crowded with people.

Chu Tianfeng bought some stinky tofu and mingled among the students, watching the crowd while waiting for Tang Yi.

“I heard the goddess Xu Yan finally signed with the production team. Is it true?” a male student asked his companion.

Hearing them mention Xu Yan, Chu Tianfeng pricked up his ears.

“I don’t know. There are many rumors about the goddess Xu. I heard just this morning that the crew signed her,” another male student replied eagerly.

“Reliable sources say Xu Yan really did sign and will star as the female lead Mo Xie, earning millions,” a female student chimed in.

“How do you know that?” the two boys asked, turning to her.

“Hee hee! I know her agent, Jiang Ziyue. She told me,” the girl said proudly, swaying her waist.

Chu Tianfeng nearly dropped his tofu in shock. To him, Jiang Ziyue was a typical spoiled girl who loved food and play but never worked. He couldn’t fathom why Xu Yan would hire her as an agent.

While he pondered, the screech of brakes sounded as a white car stopped at the school gate.

Chu Tianfeng glanced casually and saw Tang Yi sitting inside. He walked over unhurriedly.

“Tang Teacher, it’s me!” he tapped on the car window.

“Chu... Chu Tianfeng?” Tang Yi nearly broke down seeing the unfamiliar face.

“It’s a long trip. Want me to drive?” Chu Tianfeng gently opened the door.

Without hesitation, Tang Yi climbed into the passenger seat.

“Hurry up!” she urged as Chu Tianfeng buckled his seatbelt.

Fortunately, the highway from Tianhai to Beitong was smooth and devoid of traffic at night. They reached their destination in under two hours.

The village was utterly ordinary, with about a hundred households, each living in small villas of three or four stories. Yet few residents occupied them; some villas housed only a single elderly person.

Chu Tianfeng asked Tang Yi for a photo of her mother, deliberately studying it slowly so Xiya Zi could use her spiritual sense to search.

Afterward, the two split up: Chu Tianfeng and Tang Yi headed east through the village, while Xiya Zi searched the west alone.

Tang Yi watched as Chu Tianfeng casually went door to door without even asking questions. She was puzzled and wanted to knock but was stopped by him.

Half an hour passed with no discoveries, and Tang Yi grew impatient.

Just then, Xiya Zi’s voice came through Chu Tianfeng’s mind: “Found her! Hurry over!”