Inside the Black Tiger Gang's main headquarters, the grand hall was brightly lit.
Candle flames swayed, illuminating Zhao Hu's face, plastered with a fawning smile.
He was bowing as he spoke to a haughty middle-aged man in embroidered robes, his tone utterly ingratiating:
"Steward Huang, your honored presence has truly brought glory to my Black Tiger Gang's humble halls!"
"This is a small token of appreciation for this month. Please accept it, and put in a few good words for us before Master Huang."
Zhao Hu held out a heavy money pouch with both hands and respectfully offered it over.
Steward Huang slightly raised his eyelids and casually accepted the pouch.
Only after weighing it in his hand and feeling its satisfying heft—
Did a faint smile of satisfaction appear on his face as he tucked the pouch into his sleeve.
Seeing this, Zhao Hu felt somewhat relieved. He hurriedly struck while the iron was hot, lowering his voice. "Steward Huang, there is one more matter..."
"Have you heard of Wang Yuan, the Panshi Fist Academy's newly accepted True Disciple?"
"That brat's talent is terrifying. He reached the First Blood Change only one month after entering the academy. Given time, he will surely become a pillar of Panshi Fist Academy—and a grave threat to our Huang Family!"
"Furthermore, he bears some private grudge against me and acts arrogant and overbearing. If the Huang Family finds it inconvenient to act, I am willing to serve like a dog or horse and eliminate this latent threat for the Huang Family!"
At that, Steward Huang gave a derisive snort. He lifted the teacup beside him and gently stirred the floating tea leaves with its lid, his tone brimming with undisguised contempt:
"A mere mud-legged nobody from the Outer City who got lucky and showed a little talent. Is he worthy of being called a threat?"
"That old bastard Zheng Shan certainly has good luck."
"You want to make a move? Fine."
He set down his teacup and cast Zhao Hu an indifferent glance.
"But remember—keep it clean."
"Don't leave behind any evidence for that old fox from Panshi Fist Academy to catch wind of."
"Otherwise..."
He did not finish the sentence, yet the chill in his gaze made Zhao Hu's heart turn cold.
Steward Huang silently added, If Zheng Shan really traces it back, we can simply hand over Zhao Hu and the Black Tiger Gang to quell his anger.
"A mere watchdog—does he think the Huang Family would go toe-to-toe with a Hua Jin Martial Master for his sake?"
Zhao Hu, however, had no idea what Steward Huang was thinking. Believing he had received approval and support, he was instantly overjoyed.
An even more obsequious smile piled onto his face. "Rest assured, Steward Huang. I will make sure it is done without gods knowing or ghosts noticing."
"It will absolutely not implicate the Huang Family!"
He rubbed his hands together, revealing a smile that every man understood, and said in a low voice:
"Steward, you have had a tiring journey. I recently found two respectable married beauties, both untouched and of exceptional looks. They are especially skilled at serving others."
"Why not have them come in to loosen your muscles and ease your fatigue?"
Upon hearing this, a lecherous glint immediately flashed through Steward Huang's eyes. The little arrogance remaining on his face turned into impatience as he licked his lips and smiled.
"Oh? Gang Leader Zhao, you are most thoughtful!"
"Then... have them brought in for a look?"
"Right away! Please wait a moment!"
Zhao Hu's face was full of delight as he turned and headed for the grand hall's entrance, intending to call Sun Miao and Liu Mang, the guards outside, to bring the women in.
Yet just as he reached the door and extended a hand toward the bolt, he found the outside utterly silent, without the slightest sound.
"Sun Miao? Liu Mang?"
Zhao Hu frowned and called out softly.
What were those two idiots doing? Had they gone off to slack around?
A faint sense that something was wrong rose in his heart, followed by an inexplicable feeling of dread.
He could never have imagined that deep within the heavily guarded headquarters of the Black Tiger Gang—
An uninvited guest had silently arrived.
Just as Zhao Hu's hand was about to touch the door bolt—
"BOOM!!!"
An earth-shaking blast suddenly erupted.
The heavy wooden doors exploded apart in an instant.
Countless wood splinters shot inward like a torrential rain!
At the same time, a large cloud of pungent quicklime mixed with fiery red chili powder swept over Zhao Hu and Steward Huang inside the doorway like a smoke bomb, covering them from head to toe.
"Cough, cough! My eyes!!"
"What is this?"
Caught completely off guard, Zhao Hu and Steward Huang were instantly smeared all over with the lime-and-chili mixture.
Their eyes, mouths, and noses erupted in searing pain. Their vision blurred, and they coughed violently as tears and snot streamed down their faces.
In that instant of chaos and obstructed vision—
A black figure, like lightning tearing through the night, charged fiercely through the shattered doorway, carrying icy Killing Intent.
The figure wielded a long spear that was jet-black from end to end, savage and imposing, like a venomous dragon emerging from its lair.
With a piercing shriek through the air, it stabbed straight at Zhao Hu's heart as he had only just forced his eyes open and was still frantically wiping his face.
The black dragon carvings coiling along the Black Dragon Spear reflected a cold, ghostly gleam beneath the candlelight, as though they had come alive and wished to devour someone!
Behind the black-clad spearman, within the shadows outside the door—
Two limp, silent corpses could vaguely be seen sprawled on the ground. They were Sun Miao and Liu Mang, the deputy gang leaders who should have been guarding the entrance.
Each had a horrifying bloody hole in his throat!
"Who goes there?"
Zhao Hu was scared out of his wits. The intense threat of death forced out every ounce of his potential.
Ignoring the burning pain in his eyes, he relied on the instincts of a Second Blood Change martial artist and his years of bloody combat experience, desperately throwing his body backward.
At the same time, he fumbled for the broadsword that had always been at hand and raised it in a panicked block!
"CLANG!!"
The tip of the Black Dragon Spear struck precisely against the blade of Zhao Hu's hastily raised broadsword, producing an ear-piercing clash of metal.
Sparks flew everywhere!
Zhao Hu only felt an irresistible force surge from the spear tip, numbing his arms and nearly knocking the broadsword from his grasp.
He staggered back seven or eight steps with a series of thuds, only barely stopping when his back slammed hard into the wall.
His blood and qi churned within his chest, and his face was filled with shock and disbelief.
"What tremendous strength. Just who are you?"
As for Steward Huang, who had been lofty and imperious only moments before, he had already been terrified out of his wits by the sudden, horrifying assault.
With a scream, he no longer cared about dignity or appearances. He scrambled and crawled beneath the heavy rosewood table, clutching his head with both hands as he trembled.
Within the grand hall, the candle flames swayed violently from the impact, flickering between light and darkness.
At the shattered doorway—
The black-clad man holding the Black Dragon Spear slowly raised his head.
His eyes shone terrifyingly brightly in the darkness, brimming with cold Killing Intent as they locked firmly onto Zhao Hu.
Hearing Zhao Hu's uncertain, startled question—
The black-clad man—Wang Yuan—curled his lips beneath his hood into a teasing smile.
A voice laden with unmistakable mockery rang out through the room:
"You were just plotting how to get rid of me without gods knowing or ghosts noticing."
"What, and now you don't recognize me in the blink of an eye?"
The voice crashed down on Zhao Hu's heart like a thunderbolt.
His eyes were bloodshot from the quicklime and terror. He stared fixedly at the savage Black Dragon Spear, then connected it with those pointed words.
A thought he could not possibly believe suddenly surfaced in his mind.
"You... you... you are... Wang Yuan?"
Zhao Hu's voice was filled with utter shock.
He pointed at Wang Yuan with trembling fingers, the muscles in his face twitching.
"Impossible! How could you possibly..."
"You clearly only reached the First Blood Change. How could you possess such strength?"
As a Second Blood Change martial artist, he had actually been completely crushed in a direct contest of strength?
This utterly overturned Zhao Hu's understanding.
Wang Yuan slowly pulled down the cloth covering his face, revealing a young face filled with cold, grim Killing Intent.
He smiled faintly, baring a row of white teeth that looked somewhat sinister in the dim light.
"Correct."
"Unfortunately, there is no reward."
Before his words had faded, crimson light flashed in Wang Yuan's eyes.
"Blood Burning Technique, activate!"
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