Dual Cultivator with a cultivation system

Wang Ming was currently near the borders of the Crimson Valley, which was said to be the home of the mountain clans, but the members of the Mu Family did not exactly know where the hideout was.

Before setting out, Wang Ming accompanied the City Lord to a secluded room, followed by two flushed women, he got some information about the mountain clans from the City Lord that eased his investigation. According to him, there is a bar established by the leader of the mountain clan where notorious figures go to have fun.

Normally, no one would know the location of the bar, but the City Lord managed to obtain the location by some means.

Wang Ming walked to the location the City Lord had mentioned and, after some searching, found the secret entrance. However, before he could enter the passage, a massive wolf-like beast suddenly jumped in front of him, growling menacingly.

"This must be the guardian the City Lord warned me about," Wang Ming thought, narrowing his eyes at the beast, which radiated the aura of the Golden Core Realm. According to the City Lord, they had once captured a member of the mountain clan and extracted some information using a special technique. Unfortunately, the prisoner died before they could learn everything.

From him, they discovered that a hidden alley frequented by the mountain clan members was nearby, and one of them knew where the corrupted beasts were created.

The troublesome part was that the entrance was guarded by this beast, which required a password. Before the City Lord's men could obtain it, the prisoner had died. Their only option was to kill the beast, but that was impossible without the array, which had been drawn in the city and could only be used there.

Grrrrr

The giant wolf growled again, as if demanding the password. In response, Wang Ming drew his sword, causing the beast's eyes to narrow dangerously. Sensing Wang Ming's intent, the wolf lunged at him with its jaws wide open.

"Heavenly Sword Art—First Form: Flickering Strikes," Wang Ming muttered, swiftly slicing the beast into pieces.

"Now, let's see what's inside," Wang Ming said as he approached the entrance. Unbeknownst to him, the moment the beast was killed, key members of the mountain clan were alerted and quickly dispatched people to investigate. But by then, Wang Ming had already entered the passage.

Veilshadow Alley

It had been almost an hour since Wang Ming entered the alley, searching for a particular place the City Lord had discovered through the memories of a clan member.

"This place is like any ordinary market, just shadier and less people," Wang Ming thought. As he explored, he found many questionable items for sale—stolen goods, the corpses of cultivators, and even slaves. Other than that, everything was similar to a regular market.

Such practices weren't uncommon; even some sects engaged in or turned a blind eye to these activities, as their disciples often bought things from places like this.

After some time, he stopped in front of a broken wooden sign that read "Veil Bar."

The bar, if it could even be called that, was located at the end of the alley, with only a few people around. The exterior was extremely dirty, with broken wood and shattered windows, far worse than the other buildings he had seen.

"I doubt they have any customers here," Wang muttered as he pulled the door and entered. The floor was stained with blood and a variety of other filth, making this place a complete dump.

The old wooden door opened with a loud creak, alerting everyone in the bar that someone had entered. The lighting inside was dim, and the place felt gloomy. Wang Ming scanned the dusty, broken tables, easily counting the few customers present. He could sense they were quite strong, with an intense bloodlust that only came from killing many people.

He wasn't surprised; he expected to encounter such people in a place like this, and he was certain they were all notorious figures.

Wang Ming could feel their gazes on him, curious about the new face in this secluded bar, especially one as young as his. He noticed the bartender standing with two hooded figures beside him, their faces hidden so well that Wang Ming couldn't tell if they were male or female. He approached the bartender and took a seat next to the hooded figures.

"A new face. What would you like, customer?" the bartender mumbled, his chubby face wearing a polite smile that failed to hide the cruelty in his eyes.

"Give me your most expensive drink," Wang Ming said, tossing a bag of gold coins onto the bar. He could feel the heated, greedy gazes on him and was sure they'd pounce when he was alone.

"Ah, a rich customer—my favorite types," the bartender said with a greedy smile as he went to fetch the drink.

Wang Ming watched the bartender pour a drink from a bottle. From the bartender's mocking looks and slight chuckles, Wang Ming could tell this was the cheapest drink available. Though he knew he was being ripped off, he didn't care. He hoped this was the person he needed to find.

"Anything else?" the bartender asked with a pleasant smile, though he seemed to be mocking Wang Ming inwardly.

"Yes, actually. Could you help me with something?" Wang Ming replied, not touching the glass.

"Of course," the bartender said, already thinking about how to squeeze more money from this apparently naive customer.

"Are you Cao Tao, the owner of this place?" Wang Ming asked with a smile. He noticed the bartender's smile falter for a moment.

"That depends on… who's asking?" the bartender replied, eyeing Wang Ming from head to toe. Wang Ming wasn't wearing sect robes but was dressed in expensive clothes.

The bartender thought to himself, He might be the son of some important leader from a clan. He wanted to avoid antagonizing someone who could have powerful backing.

"How about the person who killed the guardian beast outside the entrance?" Wang Ming said casually. The bar fell deadly silent, and then everyone burst out laughing.

"Haha, this guy must have some problems in his head."

"The beast was at the Golden Core Realm. How could someone at the Core Formation Realm have killed it?"

As the crowd continued to mock him, Wang Ming kept his gaze fixed on the bartender. The bartender's expression suddenly turned cold.

"Catch him," he said in a chilling voice, and two hooded figures sprang into action.