Again, Him

Although Li Qi had been attacked, he made no fuss about it and returned safely to his own home.

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

Much like the Mighty Gang got along well with the tailors, the Wave-Pushing Gang also had a good relationship with the shipbuilders.

The Wave-Pushing Gang often helped the shipbuilders haul new boats out for free, while the shipbuilders repaired scrapped old boats and gave them to the Wave-Pushing Gang. This mutual aid had allowed the two organizations' relationship to flourish.

As the Wave-Pushing Gang's second-in-command, Li Qi was greeted everywhere he went upon his return.

"Brother Li is back! The pigs have all been slaughtered and brought back. They're cooking now!"

"The boat boss is here too, and he brought wine! I heard it was bestowed by the big shots aboard the ship! Hurry over, Brother Li, or there won't be any left!"

The boatmen and trackers gathered together, grinning as they greeted Li Qi. Nearly everyone held a bowl of stewed meat, slurping it down as though they wished they could swallow the bowls themselves.

Of the five fat pigs, one had been slaughtered as soon as it was hauled back. Each pig weighed one or two thousand catties. Once the bones and innards were removed, there was still over a thousand catties of meat and other edible bits. The two gangs combined only had three or four hundred people, so two or three catties per person was more than enough.

River Opening Day was New Year's to the trackers.

For the Mighty Gang, failing to seize River Opening qualification was practically the same as going a whole year without meat.

But... Li Qi now knew that what they wanted more than a few pigs was the Ox-Strength Technique, a genuine mystical art.

And now, they already knew that he had stolen their art.

But clearly, they had not expected Li Qi to have cultivated the Ox-Strength Technique to great mastery overnight.

Not even Li Qi himself had expected it!

Still, Li Qi had already made his calculations.

He pretended nothing was wrong as he greeted people along the way, but deliberately displayed his drenched appearance, as though he had just climbed out of the water. Even his hair was soaked.

Because he really had come out of the water.

There were also bloodstains on his clothes, which he had smeared on himself deliberately.

He walked casually into the crowd, then suddenly limped and fell to the ground.

"Brother Li?!" The trackers around him hurriedly set down their bowls and rushed over to help him up.

"I'm fine, I just slipped!" Li Qi immediately got to his feet, pushed the others away, then quickly entered his own hut and shut the door amid everyone's hesitant stares.

The trackers and boatmen looked at one another.

"Brother Li seems to be injured?"

"I think I touched blood. And he didn't go into the water today, did he? Why is he soaked through?"

"I'll get Uncle Liu!" One of the quicker-witted trackers immediately ran off.

Meanwhile, Li Qi sat on his bed and waited.

Sure enough, before long, knocking sounded outside, along with Uncle Liu calling out to him.

Li Qi immediately rose, opened the door, pulled Uncle Liu inside, then slammed it shut with a bang.

These wooden shacks had no windows to begin with. Once the door was shut, everything was pitch-black, so there was no need to worry about anyone peeking in.

As for Uncle Liu, he had been eating meat and drinking wine, delighted beyond measure. But when someone suddenly told him outside that Li Qi had returned and was injured, he was so frightened that he immediately swallowed the meat in his mouth, drained his wine in one gulp, and rushed over.

He knew Li Qi had stolen the Mighty Gang's art, so he was especially cautious.

Yet the moment he entered, he saw Li Qi brimming with energy, without the slightest sign of injury.

"What is this?" Uncle Liu was utterly baffled.

After confirming that the door was shut, Li Qi dragged over a wooden stump to block it, then looked at Uncle Liu. "Uncle Liu, don't make a fuss yet. Keep your voice down and listen to me."

At once, Uncle Liu fell silent, put away his confusion, and quietly waited for Li Qi's explanation.

"On the road, I was ambushed by Mighty Gang men. There were two of them, carrying wooden clubs and daggers. They were trying to beat me to death," Li Qi said.

"Hm?! They've already discovered you?" Uncle Liu's expression turned grave, and his voice rose.

"Shh!" Li Qi immediately raised a finger.

Uncle Liu promptly shut his mouth and lowered his voice. "What happened? How could they know?"

"I don't know, but they clearly already know. They even specifically sent people to lie in wait for me. I suspect our base isn't safe either. It's just that we aren't easy prey, so they don't dare start an all-out war for now," Li Qi voiced his guess.

"That's why you pretended to be injured?" Uncle Liu said thoughtfully.

"That's right. I suspect they have people watching our home, monitoring us right now," Li Qi said.

He could sneak into the Mighty Gang's home, and naturally the Mighty Gang could do the same. The trackers' discipline was simply too poor. It was difficult for them to maintain vigilance for long, and their work was exhausting, leaving them unable to spare manpower for guard duty.

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

"No, don't alert the snake in the grass. I deliberately pretended to be injured just now. Uncle Liu, go out later and quietly spread word of my injuries, so the Mighty Gang can rest easy," Li Qi instructed.

"But... what use would that be?" Uncle Liu did not understand.

Granted, pretending to be injured could numb the enemy's vigilance, but what was the point of numbing them?

"Of course it's useful... We can—strike first." Li Qi clenched his fist and viciously punched the air!

The Mighty Gang's leader was named Lu Shan.

The Mighty Gang's trackers generally called him Mountain Boss, while other gangs generally called him Shan Dazhuang.

True to his name, his cultivation method had given him an immensely powerful body. He could carry two thousand catties and pull a small boat by himself. Even some of the strongmen in the city were not as strong as he was.

But those familiar with him knew that he possessed not only a strong body, but also a sharp mind.

A few years ago, he had nearly squeezed the Wave-Pushing Gang to death, but then a man named Li Qi had appeared from nowhere and pulled the Wave-Pushing Gang back up.

And recently, it was Li Qi again...

"Li Qi... Li Qi." Lu Shan rubbed his temples, then stroked his gleaming bald head.

The men he had ruthlessly sent out to intercept and kill Li Qi had yet to return.

Earlier that day, he had received the Divine Will Inheritance from that High Person. The entire Mighty Gang had received it, yet there had actually been an outsider present as well.

That person had covered his face, but his build had looked familiar.

Lu Shan had immediately chased after him, but failed to catch him. That man had run very fast.

Later, the Mighty Gang found another strongman. Apparently, that man had been bumped into on the road by someone acting like a madman, who had torn open his face covering and dealt him a vicious punch to the face.

After questioning that person carefully, Lu Shan finally confirmed it. That man had definitely been Li Qi!

Li Qi again!

Damn it! It was always Li Qi!

This man was truly endless. Without him, Lizhou City would have long had only one Boatman Gang!