The Yan Family

The thief attempting the break-in quickly surrendered. After all, he was just a thief who struggled to even afford his next meal. Besides nimble hands and feet, he had no strength to contend with the current Li Qing.

Li Qing gripped his neck with one hand, lifting him clean off the ground.

"Are you from the Righteous Gang?" Li Qing asked coldly.

The thief, struggling in mid-air, turned red in the face, completely unable to break free from Li Qing's firm grip.

Bang!

Seeing that he was about to be choked to death, Li Qing snorted, flicked his arm, and slammed him onto the ground.

"Cough, cough, cough! Cough, cough, cough!"

"I'll talk, I'll talk! It was our boss, our boss who sent me!"

The thief clutched his neck, gasping for air as he spoke.

Having skirted the edge of death, he was thoroughly shaken and had no intention of resisting any longer.

Seeing his cooperation, Li Qing didn't press further. He casually pulled up a chair and sat down with a commanding presence.

"Tell me, what's your name."

"This humble one's name is Wei Tian. Our boss suddenly found me earlier and told me to just steal some food from your place. Who knew..."

Wei Tian trailed off, cautiously looking up at Li Qing before continuing, "Who knew you'd be so formidable! If I had another chance, I would never have dared to come!"

"What's your boss's name, and does he practice martial arts?" Li Qing continued to ask.

Facing the powerful Li Qing, Wei Tian answered truthfully, not daring to hide anything, "Our boss's name is Tian Long, and he is indeed a martial artist."

Tian Long.

What a domineering name. And he's a martial artist too. His skills probably aren't too shabby.

"Hmph, the Righteous Gang hasn't bothered me for so long. Why are you suddenly provoking me now?" Li Qing's tone remained icy.

"Ah, sir, did you have a past grievance with our gang? I truly don't know about that. I usually just steal from wherever the boss tells me to," Wei Tian stammered.

At this, Li Qing's eyes narrowed.

"You're saying you don't know about my feud with your Righteous Gang?" Li Qing's mind raced.

It had been almost a year since he dealt with the Qi family brothers. It seemed the Righteous Gang hadn't intended to pursue the matter, yet they sent someone to steal today?

This was too unusual. Without a special catalyst, they wouldn't suddenly target him.

"Sir, what are you saying? Although Obsidian City is mostly deserted now, I can't possibly know everyone," Wei Tian awkwardly scratched the back of his head.

After speaking, Wei Tian began to reflect inwardly.

In the future, when I scout other places, I must gather information beforehand and not be so reckless.

Li Qing pondered for a moment, then scrutinized Wei Tian from head to toe.

The man was thin and wiry, his eyes darting about nervously, giving off a timid impression.

"When you usually steal from people's homes, have you ever injured anyone?" Li Qing asked, staring intently into Wei Tian's eyes.

Wei Tian quickly replied, "No! I steal, I don't rob. How would I dare to hurt anyone? If I was discovered, I'd just run. Normally, no one can catch me."

So he's even a thief with a code.

Li Qing mused inwardly and then asked, "Then let me ask you again, if you had successfully stolen this time, what would your boss Tian Long have planned afterward?"

Wei Tian blinked, then honestly replied, "Probably nothing specific. Usually, after one successful theft, the boss wouldn't send me for a second time."

It seems like a test. A test of my strength?

If I hadn't been lucky enough to cultivate Outer Strength and significantly improve my senses, I might not have even detected Wei Tian's movements.

After a long period of thought, Li Qing made his decision.

He had no intention of taking Wei Tian's life, but instead said something that greatly astonished Wei Tian.

"Lead the way. I want to meet your boss."

"Huh?" Wei Tian was stunned for a moment, then his mouth fell open, unsure of what to say.

A short while later, Li Qing donned an iron armor beneath his loose, thick cotton coat and, carrying the Peerless Hammer on his back, walked out of the courtyard.

Wei Tian, leading the way, looked at the large hammer strapped to Li Qing's back and felt a pang of deep regret.

Why did I have to provoke this devil? That hammer looks much heavier than he is!

Someone who can wield such a weapon could crush me as easily as crushing an ant.

Wei Tian didn't consider escaping; he dutifully led the way.

As for what would happen when this devil met their boss, he didn't care at all. This time, all he wanted was to survive.

After passing through several streets, Wei Tian led Li Qing to a dilapidated area.

Even by the standards of the sparsely populated Obsidian City today, this place was quite chaotic.

This was the headquarters of the Righteous Gang.

Li Qing's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly as he surveyed the surroundings, then he pursed his lips and followed Wei Tian into a large hall at the end of the street.

As soon as he approached, a voice full of vigor echoed through the air.

"Hahahaha, it's a pleasure to have a distinguished guest visit!"

As the words fell, a middle-aged man, broad-shouldered and with a face full of beard, strode out of the hall, laughing heartily.

The hair on his face was thick, and even his eyebrows nearly connected, making them look like a single, straight line.

"Uncle, this is the leader of our Righteous Gang, as you can see..." Wei Tian said nervously.

Li Qing nodded, then stepped forward and said with a hearty laugh, "Haha, Heavenly Dragon Gang Leader, it's truly an honor to finally meet you!"

The Heavenly Dragon was very strong and had a long, steady breath.

However, Li Qing didn't feel much threat from this man; he was far less imposing than the Centurions of the Wu Li Army.

This man was, at best, an Outer Strength expert, still a long way from Internal Energy, and likely hadn't even touched the threshold.

"Brother Li, you're young and accomplished. To have cultivated Outer Strength at a time like this, when food is scarce, is truly remarkable!" the Heavenly Dragon said, not sparing his praise.

One shouldn't strike a smiling face. Li Qing likewise clasped his hands in a fist-and-palm salute and said, "Heavenly Dragon Gang Leader, you've built such a large gang all by yourself; I admire you even more!"

After a round of mutual flattery, the Heavenly Dragon finally dropped his smile and got straight to the point.

"Brother Li, to be perfectly honest, it wasn't my intention to have Wei Tian test you today."

"Oh? Then why did you do it, Heavenly Dragon Gang Leader?" Li Qing's smile faded as he narrowed his eyes, appearing eager to hear the explanation.

"The Yan Family!"

Upon hearing these two words, Li Qing's heart stirred slightly.

Just as he suspected...

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