Chapter 057: Zuo Tianlang of the Shadow Ranking

Previously, the person who planted the Gu had used a divine transmission technique to link his spiritual consciousness with the mind of the Gu insect. At this moment, Lin Le was using the very same method; the difference was that Lin Le was reversing the process, forcibly connecting to the thoughts of the Gu master through the Gu insect.

Meanwhile, on the highway leading to the eastern part of the city, several black SUVs formed a convoy, racing forward at high speed. In the leading SUV, a middle-aged man dressed in black with a dark cloth wrapped around his head sat in the back seat. This man, gaunt and cadaverous, with sunken eyes and sallow skin, exuded an eerie and deathly aura. An ordinary person encountering him would likely feel a shiver run down their spine.

His name was Zuo Tianlang, a sixth-rank assassin ranked in the top fifty of the Shadow List. The Shadow List was recognized by the entire underground world as the most authoritative ranking of assassins—anyone who made it into the top hundred was a formidable force in that world. Zuo Tianlang hailed from the Evil Gu Sect, a notorious cult hidden deep within the hundred-thousand mountains of the southern frontier. Having trained under the Gu Matriarch since childhood, he had long since mastered sinister Gu techniques. It was precisely by relying on these treacherous arts that he had forced his way into the Shadow List’s elite.

Since the death of the Gu Matriarch, Zuo Tianlang had pursued the path of assassination for nearly twenty years. In that time, he had taken on countless contracts, rarely failing, which had earned him the title "Gu King" of the Shadow List. Originally, after completing his mission in Haizhou, Zuo Tianlang would be promoted to a seventh-rank assassin. By then, both his price and status in the underground world would leap to a new height.

Zuo Tianlang had thought that this mission in Haizhou—to assassinate the Tang family—would be easy. Unexpectedly, things had gone awry. His employer’s only requirement was discretion: to act quietly, leave no trace, and ensure that the deaths of the Tang family could not be traced back. Zuo Tianlang prepared meticulously, first staging several “accidents” as warm-ups, and finally deploying his most adept Gu poisons to eliminate the family. Everything went according to plan—the Tang family patriarch, Tang Baisheng, and his wife were on the verge of death—until, at the last moment, a brash young man had appeared out of nowhere and single-handedly ruined everything.

The mere thought of that young man, who had foiled his plan, made Zuo Tianlang’s teeth itch with hatred. But it no longer mattered. The situation had now apparently become urgent enough that even his employer could not remain patient and had discarded all concerns about secrecy, instructing Zuo Tianlang to act as he pleased, with the sole objective of taking Tang Baisheng’s life.

With these new instructions, Zuo Tianlang could finally unleash his full strength. Once the assassination was complete, he would not only rise to seventh-rank assassin but also receive fifty million as a reward. He was already planning a vacation in Hawaii once this was all over.

The vision of a life filled with luxury cars, grand mansions, and endless indulgence sent a thrill through Zuo Tianlang’s heart. Yet at that very moment, he sensed something amiss—another spiritual consciousness was stirring within his own, almost causing him to lose control.

“It’s that Drunken Life Gu!” Zuo Tianlang immediately thought of the Gu insect that had been taken from him days ago; he could clearly sense the source of the spiritual intrusion. But then, he realized something was wrong.

The Drunken Life Gu was just an insect he had refined; it could only obey his commands, and only he could control it through his own mind. How could the insect now send its consciousness back into his own mind? It was as if the current were flowing upstream!

“Could it be that young man!” Zuo Tianlang’s heart skipped a beat. He dared not hesitate. Realizing his mind was being invaded, he quickly drew on his internal energy to counterattack along the thread of spiritual connection.

A formless force shot through the spiritual link, instantly reaching the Drunken Life Gu far away. Immediately afterward, the connection between Zuo Tianlang and the Gu was completely severed.

After resolving the matter, Zuo Tianlang gave a cold snort in his heart. “A mere novice dares to challenge me? Once I finish business here, I’ll make sure to deal with you properly!” With that, he closed his eyes again to rest, as the black SUV carried him swiftly onward.

Meanwhile, in the villa on Longxi Mountain, Lin Le frowned down at the mangled corpse of the Gu insect in his hand, blown apart by dark energy. He had thought the other party would be some lowly Gu master not worthy of attention, but now realized the enemy’s spiritual power was formidable enough to kill through a spiritual link. Although this wasn’t true spiritual assassination—the insect already shared a mental bond with its master—the feat was enough to make Lin Le reassess his opponent.

He hadn’t expected such a formidable adversary to appear in this small city of Haizhou! Although his own spiritual intrusion had lasted only a few seconds, it was enough for Lin Le. The moment his consciousness entered the other’s mind, he could see the world through the man’s eyes.

Now he knew the man’s location—the highway was unmistakably the overpass leading to the eastern part of the city.

“East side?!” Lin Le suddenly realized something. “Damn, could he be targeting the Tang family?” He remembered that Tang Nianchen’s home was in the east. From the brief vision, he had sensed a murderous intent—the man was almost certainly headed there to make another attempt on the Tang family’s lives!

With no time to lose, Lin Le grabbed his car keys and rushed out the door. Moments later, his Phideon roared to life and shot down the mountainside like an arrow, speeding toward the east side of the city.

At the entrance to Jingrong Villas, the guard on duty stopped a black SUV.

“Sorry, no entry to the villa district without an invitation,” the guard said sternly to those inside.

“I can go in,” Zuo Tianlang replied in a low, emotionless voice.

At the same moment, a formless force shot from Zuo Tianlang’s eyes into the guard’s own. A second ago, the guard’s gaze had been clear; now, his eyes went blank and he replied in a wooden tone, “You… you can go in.”

For someone like Zuo Tianlang, adept in sinister arts, influencing the weak-willed with spiritual power was child’s play. The convoy of SUVs followed Zuo Tianlang, brazenly entering the Jingrong Villas.

Before he left, Zuo Tianlang casually tossed a walnut-sized sphere into the guardhouse. The sphere burst open, releasing a swarm of ant-sized insects that poured out in all directions. With these unremarkable insects at work, the entire security staff would soon be paralyzed and fall into a deep sleep.

By now, dusk had fallen. Ever since the last Gu poisoning, the Tang family had raised their guard. The estate was now crawling with two or three dozen burly bodyguards, all hired by Tang Nianchen from the best security company in Haizhou to protect the family.

In the living room, Tang Nianchen’s phone rang for the sixth time. Once again, she hung up. That damned Lin Le—she didn’t want to say another word to him. The memory of his greedy face, eager to inherit the Tang fortune, made her feel sick.

“Nianchen, is it Lin Le again?” Mrs. Tang said impatiently.

“He really is shameless—coming back and immediately clinging to Nianchen! How did our Tang family end up with such a disgrace!” Mrs. Tang cursed. “Old Tang, you should go and make things clear to that Lin fellow!”

“Don’t worry, I’m already consulting lawyers. My daughter, Tang Baisheng’s own flesh and blood, will never marry such a useless wretch,” Tang Baisheng said coldly, not looking up from his newspaper.