Chapter 15

Time passed by for Yang Xiaotian as usual. On the next day very early morning, cries of large birds can be heard from the sky of the city. It seems like some very important missive or something has been sent to the city through air delivery. Soon afterward, guards informed Yang Xiaotian that the Mercenary Alliance branch manager has come to meet him. Yang Xiaotian immediately went out to see the Mercenary Alliance branch manager. It looks like he has come alone and brought some big envelopes with him. Yang Xiaotian waved at him, indicating him to follow along. He brought the branch manager to the guest meeting room.

After sitting down, the branch manager said with a stony face: "Young master Yang truly has great reach and methods!"

He pushed the envelope in his hands towards Yang Xiaotian. Yang Xiaotian saw what is inside. It is the bounty he posted. The Yun capital branch made a very thorough account of his bounty notice and made it even better. They put a specific bounty on each member of the Black Tiger Gang. And the condition to receive rewards is not just capturing or killing the members but the gang leader has to be handed over to Yang Xiaotian alive. After that, everyone will be paid for their work. The total bounty is 200000 purple banknotes.

"Why did you bring them here instead of posting them immediately?" Yang Xiaotian spoke directly.

"Do you know how much chaos you are causing the city? You still..." the branch manager could not even finish speaking when Yang Xiaotian interrupted him in a very harsh tone: "You have half an hour to post the notice! If you don't, in next one hour another air mail will go to imperial city Mercenary Alliance branch!"

"You..." the branch manager's face contorted but then he took a deep breath and said: "Young master Yang, come to my office, there may still be some maneuver left for peace in the city! Farewell!"

"You have half an hour! Now fuck off!" Yang Xiaotian said in a very severe tone, the look he gave is as if he would eat the branch manager alive.

The branch manager felt a chill go down his spine. He quickly left. Half an hour later, the bounty was posted and the whole city became abuzz with excitement. They have been waiting for this for a long time. Many mercenaries began taking the jobs. They joined forces and began hunting the Black Tiger Gang. The Black Tiger Gang members were already under surveillance and unable to go out of the city. Those that already went out and entered their hideout, also suddenly found themselves surrounded by several corps of city guards. Gang members that are stuck in the city thought of charging out to escape the city to enter their hideout, while the ones stuck in the hideout thought of rushing out to enter the city. It is because of the strict lockdown that none of the parties knew that they are all in the same situation.

Before noon, the gang members within the city were wiped out. These gang members are really vile, they have committed all kinds of evil deeds, they are murderous and bloodthirsty, even after being offered a chance to surrender they attacked the mercenaries and city guards like crazed animals. As more of them fell, their names began to be cut off from the mission board in the Mercenary Alliance branch. The gang leader has been staying inside the Mercenary Alliance branch and as more of his men fell he became more and more furious. All of his hard work of nearly a decade is being torn to pieces in just a day.

At noon, a large portion of the city guards left the city along with many mercenaries to attack the gang hideout. It was a one-sided massacre but the city guards and mercenaries were not prepared for what they found in the hideout. Corpses of many women and children, dozens of women and children bound in chains, they are heavily malnourished, their eyes are almost dim, none of them could reply to any verbal inquiry. Words were quickly sent to the city, many spirit doctors and their assistants rushed to the hideout to save these severely sick people. Soon enough, some of them began talking and gave horrifying details of the abuse. All the victims here were raped and tortured on a daily basis. They were kidnapped from the city or surrounding areas. Most of them died from severe torture and malnutrition.

The dead bodies of the victim were packed into bags and taken to the funeral parlor to identify them through missing reports. The sick ones were carefully carried into the city for further treatment and to gather information on their families. The city guards and mercenaries who participated in the raid are furious and burning with rage in their hearts. The whole city is also burning in anger. As the word of this reached Yang Xiaotian, his expression became cold. At this point, he stopped caring for any more games between him and those three people. He has decided to go in, grab them and bring them out for proper punishment.

As evening approached, many mercenaries began gathering outside the Mercenary Alliance branch. There has been no news of the location of the gang leader and they want the branch manager to do something about the situation because the only way they can get paid is by handing over the gang leader to Yang Xiaotian alive and the gang leader has been missing for more than a month. At this time, Shi Haifeng arrived with a corps of city guards, he also wants to see what Yang Xiaotian does.

Soon enough, Yang Xiaotian arrived and said: "The branch manager has asked me to come for a chat. So I am here to hear what he has to say."

Many mercenaries began talking seeing him arrive. Their tones are quite amiable and some of them asked Yang Xiaotian to reach a suitable agreement with the Mercenary Alliance. Yang Xiaotian nodded with a smile and went in.

As he entered the branch manager's office. He saw that aside from the three of the culprits, there are three other people. These three new people are actually those three assistants who he intimidated after killing their friend. Yang Xiaotian showed a broad friendly smile looking at them. As soon as the three saw his smile, they became filled with fear. Because they have seen that smile before, now they are sure that Yang Xiaotian has come here to kill!

"Brat! You are still in the mood to smile? You won't be smiling for long!" the gang leader said.

"You know these three right? They have some interesting stories to tell. Do as we say and that story won't leak!" the city master said.

"You remove the condition of capture and delivery of gang leader and all will be fine!" the branch manager said.

Yang Xiaotian kept the friendly smile on his face all along. He did not even sit down before those three culprits began talking. Suddenly he moved, before the three culprits could speak once more, the branch manager was sent flying along with the chair he was sitting on and crashed on the wall. The other two opened their eyes wide in shock and before they could react, they were also sent flying along with their chairs and hit the wall.

All three of them are peak Qi Sea Formation cultivators and they could not react before they were beaten so thoroughly. Those three assistants standing at the side, have already fell on their butts and pissed themselves, they are currently hugging each other and shaking in complete despair. However, Yang Xiaotian ignored the three assistants.

The three culprits are now violently coughing out blood. Each of them was sent flying by a single kick but the force of the kick made them feel like the whole heaven and earth is crashing down on them. Yang Xiaotian slowly walked towards them and then with great force, punched each of their abdomens.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

"Qi.. sea..."

"My..Qi..."

"Cri..crippled..."

Three peak Qi Sea Formation cultivators lost their cultivation and became crippled just like that. They have lived for over 50 years, killed and tortured many people and now their lives have reached the ending they have been escaping for so long.

Yang Xiaotian took out a long rope from his satchel and tied the three culprits together. Then he began dragging them to outside. After he reached outside, all the people present looked at him in shock. They are especially shocked seeing the three people he brought out.

"That's the branch manager!"

"That's the city master!"

"That's the gang leader!"

"What is going on?"

"Why were they all inside the Mercenary Alliance branch office?"

"What happened to them? Why do they look so miserable?"

"Was it done by Yang Xiaotian?"

"Impossible! How can that be?"

Shi Haifeng is the most shocked. He can't believe what he is seeing.

"You are all wondering why the three of them were together inside the Mercenary Alliance branch office? It is simple, these three are all the leaders of the Black Tiger Gang! The three of them ran the gang together! As for how I managed to put them in their place, when people think they are above everyone else, even a little ant can take advantage of them and make them suffer!" Yang Xiaotian said in a loud and clear voice.

His words shock everyone present in the scene. Aside from the mercenaries, there are also many merchants and businessmen who came to see the end of the Black Tiger Gang. None of them can't believe what they heard. Soon enough, they got back their senses and began shouting.

"Impossible! How can this be possible?"

"So it's because of them!"

"Now it all makes sense! Why the Mercenary Alliance and city governor state never did anything against the gang! Because these people are all Black Tiger Gang!"

"Kill them! Skewer them! Burn them alive!"

Many crazy and angry screams can be heard all over the plaza.

"You don't need to believe me. There is absolute proof!" Yang Xiaotian looked at Shi Haifeng and said: "Captain Shi, please!"

Shi Haifeng let out a sigh. Then he took out a golden-colored token and loudly said: "I am the imperial investigator Shi Haifeng! Many of you know me as guard captain of the city guards but that is just a cover!"

Hearing his words, everyone in the plaza became speechless in shock. The useless guard captain they all wanted gone for being incompetent is actually an imperial investigator, it is really hard to believe.

Shi Haifeng continued: "These three culprits always threatened me and confessed many of their crimes in front of me without ever realizing my true identity! You may ask, then why they were not brought to justice earlier. It is because their families are all 1st class aristocrats in the capital and they have been using their backing to stop the imperial investigation office. However, just last week we found ample evidence against all three of their families and those families are being cleaned up as we speak! So that is how now we can clean up this city too!"

Everyone present heard these words in silence. Their hearts are filled with anger. These aristocrats do whatever they want without any consequences, they have turned the lives of countless people into living hell. And that is why common people feel vindicated knowing some aristocratic family is being punished but even then it is not at all enough.

At this time, Tang Bao from the Five Kingdom Merchant Bank arrived on the scene and loudly said: "Our Five Kingdom Merchant Bank will comply fully with the investigation of the imperial investigation office regarding the illicitly gained wealth of the three culprits. All the victims will be supported by a joint support account of the bank and the Yun kingdom home office!"

His words brought cheers from everyone present. After what they have seen and discovered today, they really needed a fresh news of relief for all the victims. Many people cheered loudly. Some among the crowd even cried, these are the people who were extorted heavily by the gang or were brutalized or abused by the gang.

Shi Haifeng looked at Yang Xiaotian with a smile and said: "Little brother Yang, can you hand over the culprit for proper judgment?"

Yang Xiaotian looked at Shi Haifeng with an innocent look. Then he took out a hammer with a large hammerhead and said: "Senior, I don't want to cause trouble for you but I really.. really.. want to beat them to death with this hammer! Can I do it?"

His words completely dumbfounded everyone present. He is actually asking permission to beat people to death. No matter how one looks at it, this is the first one of its kind!

"It's a no? Then how about I just break the majority of their bones and keep them alive? It should be possible, right? They were threatening to murder me and my family. I need to show some people that it is not so easy to get away after threatening my family!" Yang Xiaotian said in a flat tone.

Shi Haifeng said with a frown: "Law is equal for all! We can not give you preferential treatment just because you are rich!"

Yang Xiaotian looked at the spectators and asked: "What do you think about what investigator Shi said? About preferential treatment to the rich. You know that these three criminals were rich until moments ago!"

His words caused Shi Haifeng's face to freeze. The meaning of these words is very clear to him. It is a reminder that these scums received preferential treatment because of wealth and position and abused people but now that it is their turn to be abused, the law is being brought up to save them of the same torment they caused others. The crowd also began grumbling. They don't know what to think. They began talking in hushed tones.

"I know what is going through in everyone's mind! But trust me when I say that justice will be done! In three days' time, their trial will be held in public, their crimes will be read in public and their punishment will be met out in public!" Shi Haifeng said in loud voice and gave a meaningful look at Yang Xiaotian.

"Senior Shi, I will just be honest, originally I wanted nothing of this. I just wanted justice to be served. But these people have colluded with some enemies of my family and had taken contracts to exterminate my family! So I decided to go in secretly and poison them to death and then leave without any words! But I thought that I should at least give you some face and let the public see your efforts. My request is simple, some people are watching and I want them to watch clearly as to what happens when someone targets my family! I don't hope to have a falling out with senior Shi!" Yang Xiaotian said stubbornly.

And as soon as he finished, without giving Shi Haifeng time to speak, Yang Xiaotian raised his hammer and hammered down.

"Yiiiiiahhhhhhh!"

"Wooooaaaahhhhhhhhh"

"AHHHHHHHHHH"

Blood-curdling screams reverberated through the plaza as the hammer kept dropping again and again. All the spectators first looked in shock and then the majority of them turned their eyes away from the scene. The entire scene is too shocking and gruesome to see for many people. However, the mercenaries who saw the scene inside the gang hideout just clenched their fists and kept watching, in their heart, this is what they all wanted to do to these vile bastards.

Soon enough, the screaming stopped and the hammering stopped too. A few city guards quickly rushed over to check and found out that the criminals are barely holding on to their lives. Soon, spirit doctors have been called over to keep them alive. However, Yang Xiaotian has already begun leaving holding the bloody hammer in his right hand, people moved out of the way as he walked away from the plaza.

Shi Haifeng looked at Yang Xiaotian with a stony face, he can't believe that such a young boy did something so vicious in front of so many people. This will have consequences, even though he does not see anything wrong with what Yang Xiaotian did as he himself took great pleasure in it, the imperial investigator's office however is a different story. He is now thinking as to how he can smooth things out with them. He feels a severe headache coming.