Ye Wen hadn't expected this matter to be connected to the relatively well-known Heavenly Bliss Gang in the martial world. Could this Wang Mazi actually be a member?

Wang Mazi clamped a hand over his nose and nodded vigorously, then announced, "Let me tell you, I have connections with the Heavenly Bliss Gang. If you kill me, the Heavenly Bliss Gang will surely seek revenge on you in the future."

In truth, Wang Mazi had no actual ties to the gang, but the vile business of kidnapping women had indeed started because of them. Every brothel that accepted the 'goods' he painstakingly procured were all properties owned by the Heavenly Bliss Gang.

Hearing this, Ye Wen merely offered a cold sneer, "Do you think merely invoking the Heavenly Bliss Gang will stop me from killing you? I'll kill you today, and who will ever know it was me?"

These words were chillingly frigid, sending a shiver down the spine. Wang Mazi felt a wave of apprehension wash over him. He dared not doubt the truth of Ye Wen’s words; after all, he only had one life, and he wasn't so extravagant as to gamble it away carelessly.

Seeing Ye Wen not only walking toward him step by step but also drawing the long sword from his hand, Wang Mazi instantly realized this young man wasn't just talking big—it was highly probable his life would end right here.

Retreating backward, Wang Mazi started shouting pleas, "Mercy, good sir, mercy!" Only now did he grasp that playing the heroic tough guy was utterly useless; if the other party intended to kill him, they wouldn't pause to consider such posturing.

Ye Wen certainly wasn't considering much either. In his eyes, what did the Heavenly Bliss Gang have to do with him? Even if this man were a gang member, his crimes were numerous, and provoking Ye Wen meant he deserved death. Even if the Heavenly Bliss Gang sought him out later, he would still be in the right.

Of course, grudges in the Jianghu weren't settled simply by being in the right, because often people didn't argue about principles; they argued with fists. But when it came to power, Ye Wen wasn't afraid. He was determined today to cut the weeds and dig up the roots. As long as he acted cleanly and decisively, who would know he was the killer?

Ye Wen was not famous in the current martial world. To trace the crime back to him would likely take a year or half a year.

And that year or half-year would be ample time for Ye Wen to advance his cultivation another step. By then, even if the Heavenly Bliss Gang sent people to cause trouble, he would be confident in driving away any enemy who dared to provoke him.

Naturally, as a prominent gang in the martial world, the Heavenly Bliss Gang wouldn't be entirely weak, but their main headquarters was too far away. Initially, they would only dispatch personnel from the Pingzhou branch. Unfortunately, Pingzhou suffered from a weak martial landscape, meaning the Heavenly Bliss Gang's branch there was also severely limited. Even though their branch was one of the two strongest factions in Pingzhou, it was only because the region lacked any truly formidable powers.

"If that's the case, the Heavenly Bliss Gang might as well be an NPC delivering experience points to me. Why should I fear them?"

In the flash of thought, he had sorted out the various circumstances clearly. With no more time for pleasantries with Wang Mazi, he raised his sword to strike. Just as he was about to thrust, a voice from behind stopped him: "Sect Master Ye, hold a moment. Allow this old Taoist to question this fellow a few times."

Although Ye Wen’s inner strength wasn't profound yet, he practiced the Quánzhēn (Complete Truth) cultivation method, allowing him to retract his internal energy with perfect fluidity during his movements. Thus, the moment Liu Qingfeng spoke, his sword halted.

However, Wang Mazi nearly soiled himself from fright. Such abrupt tension was unbearable: "Mercy, good sir, I, Wang Mazi, swear never to commit such heinous acts again!"

Ye Wen spat, "Since you know your deeds are heinous, go to the Underworld and confess to Yama." As he spoke, he did not sheath his sword but turned to glance at Liu Qingfeng, the venerable Taoist.

Liu Qingfeng walked forward a few paces, looked at Wang Mazi, and inquired, "You claim ties to the Heavenly Bliss Gang. Do you sell the women and children you forcibly take to the Heavenly Bliss Gang's establishments?"

When it came to Jianghu experience, Liu Qingfeng certainly possessed vastly more than Ye Wen. From the few sentences Wang Mazi had uttered, the old Taoist had guessed the situation with about eighty or ninety percent accuracy.

From what he knew, although the Heavenly Bliss Gang's membership was mixed, they wouldn't stoop so low as to recruit scoundrels like this, degrading their own reputation.

Therefore, the only plausible connection this man had with the Heavenly Bliss Gang was through some form of business transaction. The Heavenly Bliss Gang operated many diverse businesses, and running brothels was certainly among them, which was why their reputation in the martial world was not particularly good. Liu Qingfeng stood there, pondering for a moment, growing more certain that his speculation was correct.

However, he hadn't expected that a gang holding some name recognition in the martial world would secretly support such thugs in kidnapping civilian women and pushing them into such miserable fates.

What angered the old Taoist even more was that they didn't even spare children of a few years old. This Heavenly Bliss Gang was simply too inhumane!

This forward questioning was precisely to confirm whether his deductions were true or false. If they were true, he would certainly have to discuss this with his senior martial brother upon his return. It was possible that the Tiger Mountain Sect would have to sever all ties with the Heavenly Bliss Gang. After all, the Tiger Mountain Sect was a decidedly righteous faction, mostly comprised of cultivators who considered themselves paragons of the orthodox path when descending the mountain. If they became too deeply entangled with lowlifes like the Heavenly Bliss Gang, and if the gang's misdeeds were exposed later while the martial world cursed them, they must ensure their own sect gates weren't dragged into the mud.

In ordinary circumstances, perhaps this degree of caution wouldn't be necessary for a minor faction, but the Heavenly Bliss Gang was one of the strongest powers in the Pingzhou region. Without a very compelling reason, it was difficult for the Tiger Mountain Sect to turn hostile against such a powerful neighbor, hence the need for extreme caution.

Wang Mazi, knowing his life was forfeit, felt that even though the old Taoist looked benevolent, he wouldn't be naive enough to believe the old man would spare him. Looking at the tip of Ye Wen's sword which had not moved from his vital points, the old Taoist hadn't said much more, indicating that once he answered the Taoist's query, it would be the moment of his demise.

Accepting his fate, a spark of defiance ignited in Wang Mazi. He declared, "Kill me if you must. I know nothing."

Ye Wen was amused, "Trying to play hardball with me? You're still too green."

Without waiting for Liu Qingfeng to intervene, he stepped forward abruptly and brought his left foot down heavily onto Wang Mazi's lower leg. This stomp was fast and sudden; Wang Mazi barely registered the blur before an excruciating, tearing pain erupted in his leg, causing him to howl uncontrollably—a sound that echoed in the darkness, perhaps for miles.

However, the location was secluded, and the local populace knew this was Wang Mazi's territory. He often dragged people who offended him here to torture them endlessly. The residents were long accustomed to the screams emanating from this spot, so no matter how miserable Wang Mazi cried out, not a single household came to investigate.

Ye Wen watched Wang Mazi scream, then glanced around when the noise subsided. Seeing no one appear, he guessed the reason: "It seems you've done a lot of evil in your time. Today is your retribution."

Once Wang Mazi quieted down, Ye Wen immediately barked, "Answer me quickly! If you refuse, I'll snap your other leg. If you still refuse, I’ll break your arms."

Ye Wen's threat was clearly not idle talk; as he spoke, his gaze shifted toward Wang Mazi’s other leg. This sight utterly terrified Wang Mazi, who immediately stopped resisting and cried out, "I'll talk! I’ll talk!"

Liu Qingfeng had slightly frowned at Ye Wen's ruthless methods, yet he understood that dealing with such a brute required severity. Thus, he had remained silent. When Wang Mazi agreed to speak, he asked once more, "The brothels that buy the women you kidnap—are they the property of the Heavenly Bliss Gang?"

"Yes, yes, they are! In fact, I only started forcing people to sell their wives and daughters because those brothels told me: 'As long as you have the goods, we'll take them all.' I figured that way, I could gain a large income, much better than just setting up scams for money."

Perhaps due to the severity of the pain, Wang Mazi spilled everything like beans from a bamboo tube: "At first, I was reluctant to agree, thinking that doing too much of this might attract trouble. But they told me that the backers of our establishment were incredibly powerful, so I shouldn't be afraid. If anything truly happened, there would be powerful figures supporting us."

"I was quite puzzled back then, not knowing who this backer was to be so assertive. But that person always refused to say. It was only once, when we were both drunk, that I managed to overhear the inebriated man mention that the one backing them was the Heavenly Bliss Gang."

After this confession, Wang Mazi slumped over, constantly moaning, "Oh, oh, oh," while clutching the thigh of his broken leg. It appeared he had indeed revealed everything he knew.

Ye Wen glanced at Liu Qingfeng, seeing the old Taoist with his eyes closed, clearly deep in thought. Ye Wen wasted no more time. He raised his sword and stabbed directly through Wang Mazi's heart.

The few brothers of Wang Mazi nearby felt their hearts turn cold upon seeing their boss dead and were about to speak when a flash of sword light enveloped their vision. When the light faded, they too had lined up to report to the Underworld.

Liu Qingfeng opened his eyes to see Ye Wen’s sword move like lightning, dispatching everyone present with a series of quick cuts. Feeling a touch of pity, he uttered, "Sect Master Ye, your methods are too severe. Now that the principal culprit is eliminated, why commit more bloodshed?"

Ye Wen casually replied, "Everyone here is a hardened criminal. If I don't eliminate them completely, will I leave them here to continue harming others?" He certainly didn't adhere to the nonsense that eliminating the main offender would stop others from causing evil. Eliminating evil entirely was the principle he followed. More importantly, by killing all these fellows, even if the Heavenly Bliss Gang investigated, it would take them a while to trace the matter back to him.

As for the old Taoist? He didn't believe the old man truly intended to let these villains off. If Liu Qingfeng had genuinely meant to stop the killing, he would have acted the moment Ye Wen drew his sword.