Let's Make a Plan

Early the next morning.

Having just stabilized his realm, Lu Changfeng invited Second Senior Brother Zhou Feng to a teahouse for morning tea.

Zhou Feng arranged for a Registered Disciple who had trained well to teach in his place, then gladly accepted the invitation.

Among the martial academy's senior disciples, Senior Disciple Brother Sima Ming and Master's son Zhang Yong spent all year traveling beyond Fengcheng.

It seemed they wanted to establish a branch academy in the more prosperous and safer Jiangnan Prefecture.

Third Senior Brother Liu Ye, meanwhile, was often absent from the martial academy.

Second Senior Brother Zhou Feng, on the other hand, frequently taught several disciples at the academy and lived there as well. He was the senior brother who had spent the most time with Lu Changfeng and had the deepest bond with him.

Besides training every day, Lu Changfeng often sparred with Zhou Feng in palm techniques and other martial arts.

Thus, among all his senior brothers, Lu Changfeng had the best relationship with Zhou Feng.

The two left the martial academy and made their way to a teahouse with a pleasant setting.

Two burly men stood outside the teahouse, driving away vagrants.

They stepped inside.

In the teahouse hall, a Storyteller was reciting a newly written tale.

The customers at the surrounding tables were all among the wealthy and leisurely people of the Outer City. Some had come to hear the story, while others discussed the current situation.

Their carefree elegance formed a stark contrast with the crowds of sallow, emaciated vagrants in the streets and alleys outside.

Lu Changfeng and Zhou Feng found a secluded spot suitable for conversation, sat down, and ordered a pot of tea.

Tea had risen from a few coins to ten coins per pot, and pastries cost extra.

"Junior Brother, you suddenly invited me out for tea. It can't be just to celebrate your successful breakthrough, can it?"

Zhou Feng poured a cup of tea and spoke.

Lu Changfeng smiled. "As expected, I can't hide anything from Second Senior Brother's sharp eyes."

"I invited Second Senior Brother out this time because I want to make a deal with you."

Zhou Feng was slightly puzzled. "A deal? What kind of deal?"

Lu Changfeng made a throat-slitting gesture. "Let's work something out and earn ourselves a little spending money."

Lu Changfeng laid out his idea.

Recently, as more and more refugees poured in from neighboring Qingshan Prefecture, the number of gangs in the Outer City had rapidly grown.

Every day, quite a few people died in gang conflicts.

Even the Mang Gang, the strongest gang in the Outer City, was helpless in the face of the countless new gangs springing up like bamboo shoots after rain.

The old gangs were fine; they followed rules.

But these newly emerged gangs had no rules at all. Worse still, some of them truly did have skilled fighters from Qingshan Prefecture among them.

As a result, even the Mang Gang's interests had been infringed upon considerably.

These new gangs were now practically hated by everyone in the Outer City.

Lu Changfeng's target was these new gangs.

And he had already picked one.

"The Giant Whale Gang. Its leader is a Blood Tempering Third Level Martial Artist from Qingshan Prefecture named Wang Hu."

"He has gathered several dozen people from Qingshan Prefecture under him. They occupy two small streets, collecting protection money, and have used force to compel several women to sell themselves on the streets."

"Getting rid of them would both eliminate a scourge for the people and provide me with the silver money I need to buy cultivation resources."

After Lu Changfeng finished speaking, he took a sip of tea and quietly watched for Zhou Feng's response.

Zhou Feng first asked, "Is what Master provides you not enough?"

Clearly, Zhou Feng knew that Zhang Desheng had been giving Lu Changfeng special treatment.

However, Zhou Feng was not jealous. He also felt that, given Lu Changfeng's talent, it was the treatment he deserved.

"Not enough." Lu Changfeng's response was simple and direct.

Zhou Feng nodded and did not press the issue. Instead, he asked curiously, "Changfeng, how did you find out so much about this man?"

Lu Changfeng smiled and pointed around them.

"Listen carefully to what they're saying. Teahouses are remarkably well-informed."

Ever since Zhang Desheng had taken Lu Changfeng to see blood last time, Lu Changfeng had realized that the world might undergo another sudden upheaval at any moment. He had begun frequently wandering outside and eventually settled on teahouses as the perfect place to gather the latest information useful to him.

If Fengcheng ever changed overnight, he could find a chance to slip away in advance.

With a pot of tea and a little time, Lu Changfeng could rely on a Blood Tempering Martial Artist's hearing to pick up plenty of the latest gossip from the chatting teahouse patrons.

Afterward, further investigation would allow him to determine the truth of useful information.

"So that's how it is."

"Since you've already investigated everything so thoroughly, Changfeng, why not accompany you on this trip?"

"As it happens, I've been stuck at Blood Tempering Fourth Level for so long. I've been wanting to buy more Exotic Beast Meat to break through!"

Zhou Feng's eyes brightened as well.

Zhou Feng was already twenty-six this year. His hopes of breaking through to the Sinew Transformation Realm were slim, but he still wanted to give it one more hard push.

After the two martial brothers finished discussing matters, they decided to act that very night.

That evening, the martial academy closed.

Lu Changfeng and Zhou Feng each carried a small pack out through the academy's rear entrance. A Bintie Longsword hung at Lu Changfeng's waist.

The two wandered near the street where Wang Hu was based.

They secretly observed the distribution of members within Wang Hu's Faction.

Wang Hu was a bald man over two meters tall, fat yet powerfully built, and his weapon was a pair of Twin Hammers.

Several of his subordinates were Martial Artists in the Blood Tempering Realm, but they were all only at Blood Tempering First Level and need not be taken seriously.

To capture bandits, first capture their king. Lu Changfeng formulated their battle plan: first join forces to behead Wang Hu, then face the gang members' siege together.

Finally, they would gather up the valuables.

After some covert observation, the two soon figured out which house Wang Hu was staying in.

It was a two-courtyard residence on the street. The front courtyard belonged to Wang Hu's subordinates, while the rear courtyard was Wang Hu's private territory.

After night fell, Lu Changfeng and Zhou Feng found a pitch-black alley, changed into Night Walker clothes to conceal their figures and faces, then quietly scaled the courtyard wall and waited for a chance to strike.

Wang Hu was in an excellent mood today.

Because tied to the bed in his room was a Young Maiden as beautiful as a flower.

His subordinates had spotted the girl at the market and snatched her from the hands of a Village Woman in the Outer City.

That Village Woman had chased after them all the way, only to be beaten to death with a stick by Wang Hu's subordinates.

In the end, the Young Maiden had been delivered to Wang Hu's bed and tied up there. Once Wang Hu grew tired of playing with her, she would be sent to a Secret Room on the street to do business.

With skin so delicate and flesh so tender, she would probably bring the Secret Room quite a bit more business.

Dinner had lasted a full two hours. Wang Hu drank until he was thoroughly drunk, then waved off the lackeys who came to support him.

Wang Hu staggered toward his house.

For a Blood Tempering Third Level Martial Artist to become drunk, one could imagine how much wine Wang Hu had consumed at the table. He had downed jar after jar, and no one knew how many jars in total. In any case, he had drunk every one of his subordinates into submission.

At the thought of the girl waiting for him in the room, Wang Hu quickened his pace.

Reaching the room hung with red lanterns, Wang Hu reached out and pushed open the door.

After closing the door, Wang Hu immediately saw the girl tied to the bed. Sure enough, she was a teenage Young Lady with fair, incomparably delicate skin.

"Mmm, Young Lady, there's no need to be afraid. Serve me obediently, and if you serve me well, I'll spare you the suffering of being sent to the Secret Room. From now on, you'll serve me alone!"

The girl on the bed had her mouth sealed and could not make a sound. All she could do was weep silently through muffled whimpers.

The sight made Wang Hu's beastly urges surge even stronger. With a howl, he pounced onto the bed.

Just then, the door was suddenly kicked open. A figure charged in with explosive speed, and a ferocious palm strike slammed toward Wang Hu's back!

Wang Hu's reaction was extremely sharp. Sensing danger behind him, he did not even turn his head before bending low, twisting aside, and rolling away like a lazy donkey!