Him Again

Li Qi, despite being attacked, didn't make a fuss and returned home safely.

The Wave-Pushing Gang's base was also by the river, next to the shipbuilders.

Similar to how the Mighty Gang had a good relationship with the tailors, the Wave-Pushing Gang also had a good relationship with the shipbuilders.

The Wave-Pushing Gang often helped the shipbuilders by pulling new ships out for them for free, while the shipbuilders would repair old, decommissioned ships and give them to the Wave-Pushing Gang. This mutual aid helped their organizations develop a good relationship.

As the second-in-command of the Wave-Pushing Gang, Li Qi was greeted by people along the way as he returned.

"Brother Li's back! We've already slaughtered the pigs and brought them back, and they're cooking now!"

"The captain is here too, and he brought wine! I heard it's a reward from the big shots on the ship! Hurry over, Brother Li, before it's all gone!"

The boatmen and trackers gathered together, greeting Li Qi with smiles. Almost everyone had a bowl of stewed meat, slurping it down as if they wanted to eat the bowls themselves.

Five fat pigs had been brought back, and one was slaughtered. Each weighing one to two thousand catties, after removing the bones, the remaining offal and meat totaled over a thousand catties. With the two gangs combined, there were only three to four hundred people, so each person got two to three catties, more than enough.

For the trackers, the River Opening Day was like New Year's.

The Mighty Gang, unable to secure the River Opening qualification, was essentially deprived of meat for the entire year.

However... Li Qi now knew that more than a few pigs, they wanted the Ox-Strength Technique, a true sorcery.

And now, they knew he had stolen their sorcery.

But clearly, they hadn't expected Li Qi to have already mastered the Ox-Strength Technique overnight.

Let alone them, Li Qi himself hadn't expected it!

Still, Li Qi had a plan.

He walked along, acting as if nothing had happened, greeting people, but deliberately showing his wet appearance, as if he had just emerged from the water, his hair still dripping.

Because he had indeed come out of the water.

Moreover, there were some bloodstains on his clothes, which he had deliberately smeared.

Casually walking into the crowd, he suddenly stumbled and fell.

"Brother Li?!" A tracker beside him quickly put down his bowl and hurried to help him up.

"It's nothing, just slipped!" Li Qi immediately stood up himself, pushing the others away. Then, under their hesitant gazes, he quickly walked into his own room and closed the door.

This left the trackers and boatmen looking at each other in bewilderment.

"Brother Li... he seems to be injured?"

"I think I felt blood, and he didn't go into the water today, did he? Why is he all wet?"

"I'll go find Uncle Liu!" One tracker, reacting quickly, immediately ran off.

Meanwhile, Li Qi sat on the bed and waited for a while.

As expected, soon there was a knock on the door, followed by Uncle Liu's greeting.

Li Qi immediately got up, opened the door, pulled Uncle Liu in, and then slammed the door shut.

These wooden shacks had no windows, so closing the door plunged them into darkness, so there was no worry of anyone peeking.

As for Uncle Liu, he had been happily eating and drinking, but when someone outside said Li Qi was back and injured, he was startled. He immediately swallowed the meat in his mouth, finished his drink in one gulp, and rushed over.

He knew Li Qi had stolen the Mighty Gang's sorcery, so he was being extra cautious.

However, as soon as he entered, he saw Li Qi full of energy, showing no signs of injury at all.

"What's this?" Uncle Liu was a bit confused.

Li Qi made sure the door was closed, then pulled over a wooden stool to block it. He then looked at Uncle Liu and said, "Uncle Liu, don't make a fuss yet. Let's keep our voices down. Listen to me."

Upon hearing this, Uncle Liu immediately fell silent, put away his confusion, and quietly waited for Li Qi's explanation.

"On the way, I was ambushed by people from the Mighty Gang. Two of them, with wooden clubs and daggers, were trying to kill me," Li Qi said.

"What?! They've found you?" Uncle Liu's expression turned serious, and his voice rose.

"Shh!" Li Qi immediately put a finger to his lips.

Uncle Liu immediately stopped talking and lowered his voice, "What's going on? How did they know?"

"I'm not sure, but it's clear they already know, and they specifically found people to ambush me. I suspect our base might not be safe either, but they also know we're not to be trifled with, so they don't dare to start a full-blown war for now," Li Qi said, stating his guess.

"So, that's why you're faking an injury?" Uncle Liu mused.

"Yes, I suspect they have someone watching our home, monitoring us right now," Li Qi said.

If he could sneak into the Mighty Gang's home, the Mighty Gang could naturally do the same. It was just that the trackers' discipline was too poor; it was hard to maintain long-term vigilance, and the work was tiring, making it impossible to spare personnel for alertness.

"Then should we go search them out now?" Uncle Liu suggested.

"No, don't alert the enemy. I deliberately faked an injury. Uncle Liu, you should go out later and quietly spread the news of my injury, so the Mighty Gang people can relax," Li Qi instructed.

"But... what's the point of that?" Uncle Liu was a bit confused.

Certainly, faking an injury could paralyze the enemy, but what was the use of paralyzing them?

"Of course, it's useful... We can... strike first," Li Qi said, clenching his fist and punching the air forcefully!

The leader of the Mighty Gang was named Lu Shan.

The boatmen of the Mighty Gang generally called him Boss Shan, while other gangs usually called him Shan Dazhuang.

As his name suggested, his cultivation technique had given him an incredibly strong body. He could lift two thousand catties and pull a small boat by himself. Some of the strongmen in the city weren't as strong as him.

However, those who knew him well knew that he wasn't just physically strong; he was also very intelligent.

A few years ago, he had almost driven the Wave-Pushing Gang to the brink of collapse. But then, someone named Li Qi appeared out of nowhere and brought the Wave-Pushing Gang back.

And recently, it was this same Li Qi again…

"Li Qi… Li Qi." Lu Shan rubbed his temples and then touched his shiny bald head.

He hardened his heart and sent people out to intercept and kill Li Qi, but they hadn't returned yet.

Earlier that day, he had received the Divine Will Inheritance from that important figure, and the entire Mighty Gang had received it. But it turned out an outsider was also present.

The person wore a mask, but their build was very familiar.

He immediately rushed over but couldn't catch up; the person was running very fast.

Later, the Mighty Gang found another strongman. It was said that this strongman had been bumped into by a crazy person on the road, who had also ripped off his mask and punched him hard in the face.

After questioning that person carefully, Lu Shan finally confirmed it: that person was definitely Li Qi!

It was Li Qi again!

Damn it! It's always Li Qi!

This guy just wouldn't quit. If it weren't for him, there would only be one gang left in Lizhou City – the Boatman Gang!