The Righteous Gang's main headquarters stood in the Fenghe Street Block north of Obsidian City. This place had always been the breeding ground of chaos and danger, and also the poorest area.
Brawls erupted on this street every day, often sparked by a few scraps of Black Rye Mushroom. Then old grudges would be dragged into the fray, and the situation would spiral beyond all control.
The Righteous Gang, which took charge of this street, had no intention of maintaining order here. Without any desire to manage it, they allowed chaos to run rampant through the streets, seemingly delighted by the sight.
Just as the tightly bound Li Qing was carried before the main hall, he saw with his own eyes a short, thin youth covered in blood kneeling before the Righteous Gang's entrance, begging Tian Long to take him into the gang.
To Li Qing's surprise, Tian Long actually sent the sinister-looking youth flying with a single slash, blood splattering all over the ground.
"Hahahaha! As long as you can survive it, I'll let you join the Righteous Gang." Tian Long sheathed his blade and laughed wildly. "If you want to join my Righteous Gang, how can your life not be hard enough!"
What surprised Li Qing even more was that there was not a trace of resentment in the sinister youth's eyes. Instead, they overflowed with joy and gratitude.
Li Qing did not understand this question even after he was locked deep inside the Righteous Gang.
Only after his guards had left did Tian Long arrive at the cell with his subordinate Wei Tian, immediately untying Li Qing.
"My brother Li, I truly wronged you." Tian Long's tone was much more even this time, no longer putting on the airs of a gang leader.
That was because, after exchanging blows with Li Qing today, he had become completely certain that the young man before him was absolutely not much weaker than himself.
To keep putting on the airs of a gang leader at this point would truly make him a laughingstock.
"Heavenly Dragon Gang Leader, you jest. I proposed this plan, so why bring it up again?" Li Qing smiled.
Tian Long asked urgently, "What should we do next? Should I directly find a pretext to send you to the Yan family?"
Li Qing shook his head and said, "That would seem too deliberate. Since the Yan family encouraged you to make a move against me, they will definitely come asking you for me within the next few days. I suspect they want very much to lock me up and have me forge iron for them for the rest of my life."
"So next, we—"
"We do nothing. We only need to wait for the Yan family to take the initiative and ask for me."
As he spoke, a dangerous curve rose at the corner of Li Qing's lips.
"Good! If things truly go as you say, then the two of us can join forces and kill one Yan family Guest Elder first. The other two will no longer be anything to fear." Tian Long spoke excitedly, as though he had already seen himself sweeping through the Yan family.
However, Li Qing did not see it that way. He preferred to consider every matter from the worst possible outcome. Only then could things be safest and most secure.
"Heavenly Dragon Gang Leader, don't celebrate too soon. What I said just now is only the best-case scenario. What if the two of us fail to join forces and kill an Outer Strength expert beforehand? Or what if the Yan family has even more Outer Strength experts? What then?"
"After all, there are only two of us. Two against three is a disadvantage no matter how one looks at it. Can you fight two alone, Heavenly Dragon Gang Leader? Or does the Righteous Gang have other experts with the combat power of Outer Strength?"
Upon hearing Li Qing's question, Tian Long burst out laughing. He patted Li Qing on the shoulder and said, "Hahaha, don't worry about that, brother Li. Since I dared to ask you to deal with the Yan family, I naturally have something to rely on!"
Saying This, Tian Long's expression suddenly turned mysterious. Then he instructed Wei Tian, "Wei Tian, go call everyone from the Seven Kill Squad."
"Yes, Gang Leader!" Wei Tian responded at once.
After Wei Tian left, Tian Long said in a slightly boastful tone, "The Yan family has entrenched itself in Obsidian City and committed evil for so many years. Don't know how many families they have destroyed."
"My brother Li, to be honest, I began secretly gathering those who harbored deep, blood-soaked hatred for the Yan family ten years ago!"
"I arranged a plausible accidental death for these people, one that would absolutely not draw the Yan family's attention."
"And now, these people—"
As Tian Long's low voice fell, footsteps soon sounded outside the cell.
Accompanied by those footsteps, thirteen figures appeared before the prison cell. After entering, they shouted in perfect unison, "Greetings, Gang Leader!"
Li Qing swept his gaze over their faces, unable to keep himself from quietly marveling inwardly.
The thirteen people varied in age. The youngest looked only twelve or thirteen, while the eldest was nearly thirty.
Yet they shared one thing in common: they possessed a peculiar aura, the numbness of those unafraid to face death. The only faith supporting their survival was likely revenge.
Tian Long had secretly raised these people into death warriors. They obeyed him absolutely and were willing to sacrifice their lives for him.
From the thick calluses between their fingers and across their palms, Li Qing could tell that they all possessed martial skill. Though they had not yet stepped into the level of Outer Strength experts, everything they had mastered was the art of Killing Someone. If they fought with their lives on the line together, they might not be unable to trade one Outer Strength expert for their own lives.
Seeing clearly the look in Li Qing's eyes, Tian Long's mood instantly brightened. As though showing off the fruits of his labor, he said, "Originally, I only planned to cultivate seven people. But I never expected the Yan family to be so incapable of restraint over these years. Instead, they only grew more excessive, going from bad to worse. The Seven Kill Squad that originally had seven members has now grown to thirteen."
"So, brother Li, if you still had not appeared, then if we waited any longer, these thirteen people might very well have become twenty or thirty!"
"Now, brother Li, do you have any other concerns?"
Li Qing nodded and said solemnly, "No. Since Heavenly Dragon Gang Leader has revealed such a great secret, if I still had doubts, wouldn't it be making me seem far too timid and overcautious?"
"Hahahaha, well said! We martial cultivators must naturally act cautiously and thoroughly, but if we are too timid and restrained, then what martial arts are we even practicing?" Tian Long laughed heartily.
As the words fell, Tian Long waved his hand and dismissed all thirteen members of the Seven Kill Squad.
Li Qing watched their silent departing figures, and his heart also settled.
As long as his plan succeeded this time, with himself, Tian Long, and the thirteen members of the Seven Kill Squad, they would absolutely have a great chance of flattening the Yan family.
Even if they failed to kill one of the Yan family's Guest Elders beforehand, the situation would not become too ugly. Even if the operation truly failed, he was confident that he could escape and would not place his life in danger.