Plunder

This day, Third Senior Brother Liu Ye rarely came to the martial arts hall.

It had been over half a month since his last visit.

After practicing for a while in the Training Ground, Liu Ye invited Lu Changfeng and Zhou Feng to a restaurant for a meal.

At the restaurant, Liu Ye ordered a table full of fine dishes.

Liu Ye's cultivation was still at Blood Tempering Third Level. At twenty-five years old with this cultivation, the end of his martial path was essentially in sight.

However, Liu Ye's mind wasn't really on the martial path anyway.

The Liu Family was a small clan in the Inner City, with decent business. As the eldest son, Liu Ye was bound to take over the family's affairs.

"Second Senior Brother, Junior Brother, the reason I came to find you this time is to discuss a business deal!" Liu Ye spoke up first.

Zhou Feng glared and said, "We're fellow disciples, don't beat around the bush. What is it?"

Seeing Lu Changfeng also looking at him curiously, Liu Ye revealed the content of the 'business.'

There was a small family in the Inner City called the Liu Family.

The Liu Family was a martial arts clan, relying on the Liu Family Ancestor's Muscle Tendon Realm cultivation to occupy many businesses in the Inner City.

Most of their business overlapped with the Liu Family's, creating competition.

The two families had already clashed many times before.

However, the Liu Family had ties with the Inner City's top clan, the Wang Family, so the Liu Family naturally didn't dare go too far.

Compared to Fengcheng's overlord, the Wang Family, the Liu Family was nothing.

Even if the Liu Family only had old connections with the Wang Family, it wasn't something the Liu Family dared to touch.

Recently, something happened.

Three days ago.

The Liu Family received word through channels that the Liu Family Ancestor had died of old age!

Among the Liu Family's descendants, the strongest was only at Blood Tempering Fifth Level.

With the Liu Family Ancestor dead, the Liu Family had become fish on the chopping block!

"Most importantly, we heard that the Liu Family recently cultivated a type of Exotic Beast Meat!"

Lu Changfeng was nearly dozing off from the talk of business and backing.

But the moment those three words—Exotic Beast Meat—came out, his eyes lit up!

"The Liu Family has a method for making Exotic Beast Meat?"

Liu Ye nodded affirmatively. "The information is basically confirmed."

Liu Ye continued:

"If that old man of the Liu Family had lived a few more years, they would have surely used this Exotic Beast Meat method to become nobles in Fengcheng!"

"But now that the old man is dead, those youngsters can't possibly hold onto this thing."

"So, I want to ask Second Senior Brother and you, Junior Brother, to join forces. We'll pick a day to storm the Liu Family and wipe them out!"

"Our Liu Family isn't a martial arts clan. We're willing to give you the Exotic Beast Meat recipe, plus three thousand taels of silver each as compensation!"

"Our Liu Family only wants to take over all of the Liu Family's businesses!"

Liu Ye had originally wanted to ask the Master to act.

But after seeing the Master's condition, he dropped that idea.

Besides, Zhou Feng had already broken through to Blood Tempering Fifth Level.

And the Junior Brother, with his exceptional talent, had used the Master's Exotic Beast Meat to break through to Blood Tempering Fourth Level at such a young age.

Adding his Liu Family's one Blood Tempering Fifth Level retainer, wiping out the Liu Family should be no problem.

Zhou Feng was still hesitating.

Lu Changfeng had already nodded in agreement. "I'll act. I don't need the silver, but I must have a copy of the Exotic Beast Meat recipe."

The world was growing harsher, and Lu Changfeng wanted more than ever to improve his ability to protect himself.

Raising his cultivation to Blood Tempering Fourth Level in a little over a year was impressive.

But it wasn't enough!

He had to at least step into the Muscle Tendon Realm and become a Martial Master before he could barely claim to have self-preservation.

Seeing Lu Changfeng agree, Zhou Feng nodded as well.

Zhou Feng had followed Lu Changfeng through several ventures and trusted the Junior Brother's judgment.

"Good! Then we'll move tonight!"

"Time is of the essence. The news of the Liu Family Ancestor's death hasn't spread yet. If it does, the Liu Family might not be the first to swallow the Liu Family!"

"Any doubts, fellow disciples?"

Lu Changfeng and the other shook their heads.

"Then let's enter the city! There's also a Blood Tempering Fifth Level Venerable in my household who will act together with us—time to get acquainted!"

Entering the Inner City required a recommendation qualification.

Beyond that, an entry fee had to be paid.

Two coppers per person per day.

The Liu Family naturally had plenty of recommendation slots.

Liu Ye used up two of the Liu Family's recommendation spots and generously paid for half a year's entry fee for Lu Changfeng and his companion.

By dinner time, Lu Changfeng and the other were already seated at the Liu Family's dining table.

Liu Kui, the head of the Liu Family, was in his early fifties and also Liu Ye's father.

Liu Kui was not a Martial Artist but a shrewd merchant. In his youth, he had once accompanied a noble from the Wang Family, serving as a bookboy for several years.

Relying on this connection, Liu Kui's business ventures after leaving the Wang Family went smoothly, allowing him to amass a fortune of tens of thousands in gold by now.

"Both of you are Senior Brothers of Liu Ye. This old man toasts to you—usually at the martial hall, Liu Ye has been well looked after thanks to you!" Liu Kui raised his cup and drained it in one gulp.

With a major task ahead that night, Lu Changfeng and Zhou Feng used tea in place of wine, returning the toast to Old Master Liu.

Across from them sat a middle-aged man around forty.

This man was the Venerable supported by the Liu Family, surnamed Xu, who usually handled shady matters for the Liu Family.

Lu Changfeng saw Venerable Xu's bone structure: Grade B Upper, with no talent.

Venerable Xu's current state could be considered the elite standard among ordinary Martial Artists.

Lu Changfeng, Zhou Feng, and Venerable Xu—three in total—were the team tasked with wiping out the Liu Family that night.

Liu Ye was also extremely cautious and meticulous.

After the meal, Liu Ye gathered the few of them in the study.

Liu Ye produced a map of the Liu Mansion's inner courtyard from an unknown source, marking the positions of key Liu Family members and possible storage rooms.

Being able to know the Liu Family's layout so clearly showed that the Liu Family had been planning against them for a long time, having secretly planted countless informants within the Liu Mansion.

On the Liu Family's side, the main enemy was the eldest son, Liu Hong, with a cultivation of Blood Tempering Fifth Level.

The Second Son of Liu was at Blood Tempering Third Level, the fourth son at Blood Tempering Third Level, the fifth son at Blood Tempering Second Level, and the eldest grandson at Blood Tempering Third Level.

These were all of the Liu Family's combat strength.

A strategy was quickly devised.

After entering the Liu Mansion, Venerable Xu would first hold off Liu Hong, while Lu Changfeng and Zhou Feng would slaughter the Liu Family members.

Finally, they would surround and kill Liu Hong.

To possess a treasure is to invite calamity—the Liu Family's doom was inescapable.

That night.

The night was dark and the wind high.

Lu Changfeng and his two companions, faces wrapped in black cloth, vaulted over the wall into the Liu Family's estate.

The three of them charged straight to the central courtyard, where the Liu Family's direct descendants lived.

Creak.

A door opened.

A young man seemed to be stepping out to relieve himself.

This first Liu Family descendant appeared, and Venerable Xu stepped forward, raising a short club in hand and striking him squarely on the head.

The Liu Family descendant collapsed without a sound.

The three continued forward. This time, they actively pushed open a door and slit the throat of the person inside, beheading them!

After Lu Changfeng killed several in a row, someone outside shouted loudly: "Enemy attack! Everyone wake up! Someone's attacking the Liu—"

Before the words finished, they were forcibly cut off, likely by Zhou Feng or Venerable Xu slitting his throat.

Lu Changfeng retreated from the room. Sure enough, the central courtyard was already in chaos. The awakened Liu Family disciples had begun to fight back.

Among them, a tall, bald man was already locked in battle with Venerable Xu—it was the eldest son, Liu Hong!