Stealth

An outpost, hidden within the bushes, a pair of eyes occasionally scanned the surroundings.

A gentle breeze blew past, drawing no attention whatsoever.

Jiang Ding activated his Minor Breath Concealment Technique to its fullest, his camouflage suit's optical cloaking also fully engaged. He was like a chameleon, constantly shifting its form. If it were daytime, one could still see faint transparent ripples and color changes.

Under the cover of night, all traces were concealed.

Jiang Ding circulated the Inner Qi within his Minor Heavenly Cycle. For a short period, he felt an inexhaustible supply. With a tap of his toes, he dropped from the treetops and began to climb upwards along the cliff face.

The protrusions on the cliff, and the occasional cypress trees growing there, became his stepping stones. His figure ascended rapidly, carefully avoiding any areas with complex terrain that might contain traps.

"There are capable people in Fierce Tiger Mountain Stronghold..."

Jiang Ding muttered to himself.

Even in a place like this, there were arrangements. More than a dozen outposts were scattered on both sides of the cliff, and they were not slacking off, maintaining their vigilance.

If alerted, they would sound the signal, launching a barrage of arrows and crossbow bolts, with experts blocking the path. Even someone at Inner Qi Perfection would quickly perish.

However, under the thermal imaging of the drone, these outposts were laid bare.

In an open space, a patch of soil was slightly sunken.

Jiang Ding panted slightly, finding a spot in the shade of a tree. He rested his sword and closed his eyes to regulate his breathing, restoring the Internal Force he had depleted.

After more than thirty minutes, his figure flickered and vanished from his original position.

Using the drone in the sky and the ever-burning fires within the stronghold, he effortlessly located the Hall of Righteous Gathering.

The lights were even brighter here, and the guards were more numerous and stringent.

The trees and weeds around the courtyard walls had all been cleared. The firelight illuminated every blind spot, allowing the guards to see everything in their vicinity at a glance.

"With such security, these are definitely not ordinary bandits."

Jiang Ding frowned.

Bandit organizations were bound together by the principles of righteousness and hearty feasting. You couldn't possibly manage them so strictly; they would all flee. Even a powerful leader would be useless.

His gaze fell upon a Martial Artist in the Inner Qi Realm standing guard before the main entrance of the Hall of Righteous Gathering.

This was also strange. If a Martial Artist in the Inner Qi Realm had become a bandit, it was for wealth and indulgence, not to stand guard at the door.

It would be understandable in an emergency, enduring it for a while, but this was clearly a routine.

The guard seemed to sense something and looked towards a shadow under the eaves.

Jiang Ding's heart tightened. He withdrew his gaze, rapidly circulating his Minor Breath Concealment Technique. His entire presence became infinitely close to that of a stone or dead wood. Simultaneously, his muscles tensed, ready to unleash a sword strike at any moment.

The Inner Qi Realm guard at the gate withdrew his gaze with a hint of confusion and scanned other areas.

It must have been a hallucination. The area was completely visible, with no blind spots to hide people or things. There couldn't be a problem.

"I made a big mistake!"

Jiang Ding slightly relaxed his muscles, inwardly warning himself.

"I actually stared directly at him, causing him to have some kind of premonition. This is a mistake even the most ignorant rookie wouldn't make."

He then continued to monitor the entrance with his peripheral vision. As expected, the guard could no longer sense anything.

Jiang Ding was extremely patient, waiting silently. He even had enough energy to continue refining and nourishing the fine branches of his twelve meridians after his Internal Force had fully recovered.

More than an hour later, an opportunity finally arose.

"Old Fifth, it's your shift!"

The Inner Qi Realm guard at the gate shouted jokingly towards the barracks not far away. Soon, a burly man with a full beard, carrying a steel axe on his shoulder, emerged from the barracks, looking groggy.

"Roar at you, you damn brat!"

The subordinates each brought by the two men also began to change shifts, rotating in an orderly fashion.

Jiang Ding's heart stirred, recalling the information he had obtained from Long San.

'Mountain Splitting Tiger' Zhou Kuang and 'Gold Pointing Tiger' Zhou Sheng were brothers. Both had the cultivation of Minor Accomplishment in Inner Qi and were skilled at coordinating with each other. They were the fifth and sixth brothers among the 'Seven Tigers'.

Taking advantage of the slight chaos during the shift change, Jiang Ding lightly stepped onto the courtyard wall, then took another step, moving along the rooftop towards the center of the Hall of Righteous Gathering.

The center was brightly lit at this time, with occasional sounds of string and wind instruments. 'East Mountain Flying Tiger' Lu Jingtian should not have been asleep yet.

The lamplight shone directly, creating shadows by the window. Unbeknownst to anyone, some faint, undulating transparent ripples had appeared, vanishing in an instant.

The lights were bright, yet there was no trace of smoke. A faint, exotic fragrance emanated from them, precisely the scent of whale oil, which was as valuable as silver of the same weight!

Beautiful maids in splendid attire danced gracefully, accompanied by the melodious tunes of a zither player.

Even though they were deep in the mountains, it was not much different from the luxury of royalty.

None of this managed to attract the attention of the three men seated there.

"The message has arrived."

'East Mountain Flying Tiger' Lu Jingtian, standing seven feet tall with a robust physique, had temples that were already streaked with white, yet it did not diminish his imposing presence. Every movement he made was like a fierce tiger lying in wait, compelling others to hold their breath and listen intently.

He casually released a gray carrier pigeon and said calmly, "That brat refused our price and left no room for negotiation. He stated that if the goods are not delivered to our door at the Four Seas Merchant Guild's price within three days, the transaction will be void."

"So forceful?"

A middle-aged man of great authority frowned.

"Could it be that our guess is wrong, and this Blue Fluorescent Butterfly isn't that important to him or the people in the family behind him."

Jiang Ding's expression turned cold.

The leader of the Righteousness Gang, 'Righteousness Reaching the Heavens', Yang Dongsheng!

He was also a big shot. In East Spirit Prefecture, only the master of the Dragon Tiger Martial Hall and the head of the Zheng Family were qualified to be mentioned in the same breath as him.

"That's good... at least it's not the most troublesome one."

He muttered to himself.

For Yang Dongsheng to have built such a great foundation in East Spirit Prefecture, he must have had excellent relationships with people in high positions and a close network of vested interests. However, he wasn't truly part of the Marquis's family.

If he died, the army wouldn't be mobilized.

"Impossible!"

A sinister old man in black robes stated decisively, "You don't understand. You only need to know that the materials the forces capable of refining Pills for Breaking Stages need to collect with great effort must be extremely precious things, far more valuable than the Pills for Breaking Stages themselves."

"Then why?"

Yang Dongsheng and Lu Jingtian exchanged a glance. They seemed to have great faith in the old man in black robes and offered no rebuttal.

Don't recognize him. A stranger who has reached Inner Qi Perfection...

Jiang Ding searched his mind for information but found none.

Martial Artists who have reached Inner Qi Perfection aren't like cabbage in a field; they wouldn't remain hidden and lonely for so many years for no reason. This must be an outsider.

"It's nothing more than bluffing."

The old man in black robes sneered.

"That's for the best... I was afraid that the force capable of refining Pills for Breaking Stages wouldn't be weak, and that delay would bring more trouble!" Lu Jingtian sighed, "We old fellows, our descendants are all useless. When our generation passes, the younger generation will just be ordinary people."

"This is still considered good."

The old man in black robes chuckled coldly, "Considering the number of people we've offended, when we die, there's an eighty to ninety percent chance our families will be wiped out. Do you believe it or not? Do you want to recall where the powerful figures from your youth are now?"

"It can't be that bad, can it? We're all working for those above us and have made great contributions. Brother Chou, you also came from a major sect, you should at least have a fallback, right?"

Yang Dongsheng frowned. He wasn't like these two; he had a large estate in the prefectural city, over ten wives and concubines, and dozens of children.

"Great contributions? What a load of crap!"

Lu Jingtian scoffed, "You think you've worked hard and made great contributions, but in their eyes, you're just a piece of toilet paper, a stain they wish they could get rid of sooner. There's no affection there!"

"As for major sects, they aren't good places either."