Undercurrents

"Big brother, you..."

Ma Qiang's face showed a hint of surprise, but he quickly understood. It was normal for people loyal to his big brother to be in Team Nine and know these things. He opened his mouth, not knowing what to say.

"Hmph, you think I don't know what you've been doing in Team Nine?"

Ma Long picked up the teacup on the table and took a sip before continuing.

"If it weren't for my influence, that old geezer Wang Sanyang would have kicked you out long ago. Martial arts cultivation isn't about bullying ordinary people to improve. It's good for that kid Lin Sheng to make you suffer a bit and temper your character."

"But big brother, I'm not reconciled! That kid humiliated me in front of so many people. If I don't get my revenge, I can't swallow this!"

Ma Qiang stopped pretending and said with a flushed face.

"Then what do you want to do!?"

Ma Long asked with a faint smile.

"I want to break his legs and make him kneel before me and apologize publicly!"

Ma Qiang immediately replied.

"That's it!?" Ma Long sneered, his expression instantly turning cold. "After he recovers from his injuries, he'll cultivate diligently, achieve some success in martial arts, and then seek revenge on you, right?"

"This..." Ma Qiang was speechless.

"If you want to do something, you have to do it thoroughly. If you offend someone with talent superior to yours, you either apologize sincerely or eliminate them before they grow. Do I have to teach you such a simple principle!?"

"But that kid was brought by Deputy Hall Master Tian. If he's eliminated, he might be in some trouble..." Ma Qiang hesitated, but before he could finish, Ma Long interrupted him.

"Hmph, he's just an ordinary kid from the slums. What's the big deal if he's eliminated? Yangping Mountain is so vast, what does a few deaths matter? And even if Tian Hu finds out, so what?"

Ma Long gripped the teacup, and the next moment, the cup shattered in his hand, turning into wisps of white powder.

Seeing this, Ma Qiang's eyes widened, but he quickly thought of something.

"Big brother, your martial arts have broken through!!"

"Not yet," Ma Long shook his head slightly.

"But I've gained some insights during my recent arduous training. If I'm lucky, I might be able to cultivate this Eagle Claw Thousand Jin Strength to the late Muscle Forging realm before the beast tide."

"Mastery of Muscle Forging! Big brother, you truly are a martial arts genius! By then, our Beast Hunter Hall will have another Deputy Hall Master!!"

Ma Qiang's face lit up with joy.

He knew his big brother's talent far surpassed his own, and he hadn't expected it to be even greater than he imagined. He was already close to breaking through to the late Muscle Forging realm, which was equivalent to the strength of a Deputy Hall Master in the Beast Hunter Hall.

Even if Tian Hu knew, so what? Could he really fall out with his big brother over a mere hunter?

With this thought, he was completely relieved and felt a surge of killing intent.

"I don't care how you plan to deal with him. Liu Jie will help you. Just do as you see fit."

Ma Long said slowly, then got up with waning interest and turned to leave.

He didn't pay much attention to Lin Sheng. He was just a young man who had just begun practicing martial arts. To him, the other party was no different from an ant.

When he learned from his informant in Team Nine, who was tasked with protecting his brother, that Ma Qiang had been injured by the other party, he had already sent people to investigate the other party's background.

Just a poor kid from the slums, with no notable background points.

If it weren't for Ma Qiang's inability to let go of the humiliation, he wouldn't have bothered with the other party.

Meanwhile, in Lin'an County City.

As night fell, in the eastern district of Crock Street.

With a bang, the tightly shut courtyard gate was kicked open from the outside.

Then, more than a dozen men armed with steel knives filed in.

"Oh no, we've been discovered!!"

At this moment, Chun Niang and Zhou Tong, who were resting in the courtyard room, their faces immediately changed.

Without any hesitation, they got up and rushed towards the window on one side of the room, smashing open the sealed window and charging out.

However, as soon as their figures landed, a large net was thrown at them from the side.

Chun Niang reacted extremely quickly. A short knife appeared in her sleeve, and with a flash of cold light, she cut a large hole in the net rope in front of her and nimbly squeezed through.

But Zhou Tong was tall, and he had a shoulder injury that hadn't been effectively treated for several days, causing the wound to worsen. His condition was not as good as before, and he reacted too slowly, getting caught squarely in the net.

Before he could struggle further, several gleaming steel knives were already pressed against his neck.

Chun Niang showed no intention of turning back to rescue him. Her petite figure erupted with unimaginable speed and agility. In just a few breaths, she had left the ambushing crowd behind her.

"Thank you for coming to my Axe Gang's territory, Chun Niang. Why didn't you give us a heads-up so that I, Sun, could welcome you?"

Before Chun Niang could breathe a sigh of relief, a rough, playful voice sounded from the dark alley ahead.

At that moment, a figure shot out from the alley towards Chun Niang, delivering a powerful palm strike. The speed was so fast that Chun Niang had no time to dodge. In a hurry, she could only raise her hand and meet the attack with her own palm.

The moment the two palms, one small and one large, made contact, Chun Niang felt an irresistible force transmitted from the other's hand. In an instant, her body was sent flying backward, crashing heavily to the ground.

"Sun Ping, why are you attacking me!!"

Blood trickled from Chun Niang's lips as she stared intently at the man slowly approaching not far away and spoke.

The person arriving was none other than Sun Ping, the deputy leader of the Axe Gang who controlled the eastern district of Crock Street, a genuine expert in the Muscle Forging realm.

However, a look of fear soon appeared on her face.

This was because another figure was also walking towards them from the other side. He was tall, with a thick, bushy beard, and his gaze towards her carried an indescribable coldness.

"Liu... Liu Yuanshan!?"

Upon clearly seeing the other man's face, Chun Niang's heart was instantly filled with despair.

At this moment, she finally understood that Sun Ping's attack on her was clearly connected to the Tooth Gang.

Facing two Muscle Forging realm martial artists, she, a Body Tempering realm martial artist, stood no chance at all.

"Brother Liu, I've found the person for you. About what you promised me..."

As Liu Yuanshan slowly approached, Sun Ping smiled and spoke.

"Don't worry, Brother Sun. I, Liu, always keep my word." As he spoke, Liu Yuanshan pulled something from his bosom and threw it over. "These three Snake Orchid Fruits are yours, Brother Sun."

Catching the item and bringing it close to his nose for a sniff, Sun Ping's smile deepened.

"Brother Liu is indeed a straightforward man. In that case, I won't disturb you any further, Brother Liu."

After clapping his hands, soon, members of the Axe Gang brought over Zhou Tong, who was bound tightly, and then Sun Ping led his men away.

Watching the group leave, Liu Yuanshan's gaze finally fell upon Zhou Tong and Chun Niang.

"We didn't kill your brother. By the time we arrived, your brother was already dead..."

Feeling the killing intent in his eyes, Chun Niang swallowed and quickly said.

"Chun Niang, what's the use of you saying that? To fall into this dog's hands, we've been defeated!!"

Zhou Tong, standing beside her, also spoke fiercely.

However, he was quickly struck on the neck by a powerful thigh, knocking him out cold.

"Take them back."

Liu Yuanshan retracted his leg and said indifferently.

"Yes, Boss."

Soon, members of the Tooth Gang emerged from both sides, took the two, and disappeared into the night.