The Mastermind Behind the Scenes

After Bai Ze returned to his residence, he shut the door tightly and began cultivating.

Though he had only recently broken through to the middle stage of the Viscera Refining Realm, with the help of the Viscera Forging Pills, he had made obvious progress in just three short days.

Bai Ze looked at the remaining Viscera Forging Pills in his hand and thought to himself, As expected of the pills most suitable for Viscera Refining Realm cultivation. They may not compare to Body Tempering Pills, but they can still greatly speed up my breakthroughs.

With the Viscera Forging Pills I have now, I can definitely break through again within half a month.

But martial arts are still the most important. What I have now is far too ordinary, and I have already cultivated them all to the Perfection Realm.

Even if I reach the Profound Realm, they will not do much for my strength. Compared with advancing further or cultivating new martial arts, the speed at which I gain Talent Points will clearly drop by quite a bit.

With that in mind, Bai Ze planned to try his luck at the Black Market again.

After all, that was the only place where he might obtain more martial arts.

There was also another reason: Seven Wind Chasing Swords was merely a Postnatal Middle Grade martial art. Even if he cultivated it to perfection, it would not improve his strength by much.

That was precisely why he still needed to obtain a Postnatal High Grade, or even top-grade martial art. A sword technique would be best.

But there was no need to rush. It would not be too late after he used up the Viscera Forging Pills and reached Late Viscera Refining.

While Bai Ze was diligently cultivating, the entire Black Tiger Gang was also caught in a surge of Wind Rises Clouds Surge.

Though Black Panther had not openly torn off the mask, he no longer obeyed the Old Gang Leader's orders. He became increasingly reckless, and friction with the other halls never ceased.

At the same time,

Elsewhere, after the County Magistrate received the news, he looked at the several large chests before him, each filled with treasures of every kind.

The corners of his lips curled up slightly as he sneered. "It seems Black Panther is getting impatient. He actually did something so foolish."

"He wants me to hold back the Ten Thousand Blades Sect so he can seize the Black Tiger Gang Leader's position while the chance is there."

Upon hearing this, Qin Ming beside him said disdainfully, "He thinks we are helping him replace Black Tiger for thirty percent of the profits, but he does not know that what we want is all of it."

"Brother, what should we do now? If we wipe out both the Black Tiger Gang and the Ten Thousand Blades Sect this time, Changqing County will be ours from then on."

"As long as Black Panther, Song Kai, and the others die, the people beneath them will not be able to stir up any waves."

"Exactly."

The County Magistrate agreed completely. As long as those Blood Changing Realm martial artists died, the strength of the two of them would be more than enough to suppress everyone with ease.

After all, who could have imagined that the County Magistrate, whom others saw as a man too weak to truss a chicken, was actually a Blood Changing Realm martial artist?

Not only him—even in the eyes of others, Qin Ming beside him was merely at Perfected Viscera Refining.

Yet no one knew that he had successfully broken through a few months ago as well.

That was why they had secretly planned everything. Even the Old Gang Leader Black Tiger's injuries had been inflicted by the two of them.

Their purpose was to break the balance and throw the Black Tiger Gang into chaos, making them fight for power and profit.

With the Ten Thousand Blades Sect's sudden invasion added to the mix, the snipe and clam would fight while the fisherman reaped the profit.

Otherwise, dealing with them all at once would not have been easy.

The County Magistrate gestured for Qin Ming to come closer, then whispered into his ear.

Qin Ming's expression gradually changed. In the end, he laughed excitedly. "Brilliant, truly brilliant! Brother, with just one small scheme, you have made them slaughter one another."

"But Song Kai of the Ten Thousand Blades Sect is an old fox. Will he fall for it?"

"Why would he not?"

Hearing Qin Ming's question, the County Magistrate smiled with great confidence. "Do not forget—on the surface, only those three are Blood Changing Realm martial artists now."

"If Black Tiger and Black Panther fight each other to the death, and we take the chance to eliminate both of them, then he will be the only Blood Changing Realm martial artist left."

"With an opportunity to rule Changqing County alone, do you think he would give it up?"

Qin Ming could not help nodding and smiling, his eyes brimming with icy killing intent.

Rule Changqing County? Keep dreaming.

Once Song Kai led the Ten Thousand Blades Sect to eliminate the Black Tiger Gang, it would also be the day of his death.

They had planned for so long. It was finally time to reap the harvest.

Meanwhile, Black Panther knew nothing of this. He was busy dreaming of becoming the Black Tiger Gang Leader.

Seated in the main hall, he smiled and said, "Second Brother, the County Magistrate has agreed. When the time comes, he will help us conceal the news and hold back the Ten Thousand Blades Sect."

"As long as we move quickly enough, we can definitely settle everything before they have time to react."

"By then, even if they have any ideas, it will already be too late."

Scarred Leopard revealed a cruel smile upon hearing this, the scar on his face twitching.

He was equally excited. Once they dealt with the Old Gang Leader and the others, the Black Tiger Gang would belong to them. Perhaps they could even dominate Changqing County afterward.

But at that moment, Black Panther spoke with both regret and fury. "That dog of a County Magistrate is truly insatiably greedy. He actually demanded an additional thirty percent on top of the original terms before he would help us."

"Brother,"

Scarred Leopard hurriedly consoled him, "Twenty percent is not a small amount, but as long as we can take the Gang Leader's position, it is not something we cannot accept."

"Besides, once we smoothly take control of the Black Tiger Gang, we can say it is a one-time increase of thirty percent, not thirty percent more forever."

"With your Blood Changing Realm strength, Brother, would they dare object then?"

"Hahahaha!"

"Right, right."

Black Panther burst into laughter at those words, and something called ambition filled the depths of his eyes.

In his heart, if not for Song Kai of the Ten Thousand Blades Sect keeping him in check, how could he possibly allow a County Magistrate of no real consequence to stand on equal footing with them?

Though the county office had several hundred yamen runners, did the Black Tiger Gang and the Ten Thousand Blades Sect not have the same? They even had more men under their command.

As long as there were no Blood Changing Realm martial artists, they were ultimately nothing to fear.

Besides, the inexplicable death of a County Magistrate was not much of a matter.

They might not have dared do so decades ago, but the Golden Sun Dynasty was now locked in continuous war with the Tongmu Dynasty, and its control over remote regions had greatly weakened.

That was why they only handed over ten percent of their profits symbolically.

Yet this time, the other party had taken the opportunity to demand an additional thirty percent, and Black Panther could not help developing killing intent.

After resolving the Black Tiger Gang's internal troubles and taking the Gang Leader's seat, he would likely find an opportunity to strike against him as well.

Meanwhile, as the Deputy Hall Master and one of Black Panther's trusted subordinates, Bai Ze had more or less received some news.

That was why he was even more desperate to raise his strength.

With the aid of the Viscera Forging Pills during this period, he had already broken through to Late Viscera Refining. Breaking through again in the short term would likely be difficult, so he could only work on other aspects.

Around the first watch of the night,

A black figure leaped over the wall and silently left the courtyard.

With the Black Tiger Gang's situation so tense, who knew how many people were secretly watching. Bai Ze was therefore especially cautious when he left.