Contradictions within the Three Harmonies Gang

Slaying a Peak Acquired Stage martial artist. Obtained 30 Vitality Essence.

Han Zheng stood before Feng Yuan's corpse, letting out a long breath.

His arm was mottled with bruises. Though he felt no pain, he could barely lift it anymore.

He now had a clear understanding of his own strength.

Although Han Zheng hadn't yet reached the Peak Acquired Stage, he possessed three Innate Martial Skills and a deep, solid foundation.

Even facing a seasoned Peak Acquired Stage fighter like Feng Yuan, he could overpower him through sheer momentum and kill him head-on.

Earlier, Han Zheng had considered ambushing him. Now it seemed he'd been overly cautious.

He searched the corpse. Feng Yuan didn't even have a single tael of silver on him.

"Visiting a brothel without money?"

Han Zheng cursed under his breath. He'd thought he might score some unexpected loot.

Little did he know, the man had a monthly subscription—he didn't pay per visit.

With one last glance at Feng Yuan's corpse, Han Zheng left.

His arm was injured, his condition poor. Disposing of the body would only risk discovery.

Besides, there was no need. He'd come to silence the man permanently.

He doubted Gao Kaiyuan could identify the martial skill that killed Feng Yuan when his head was smashed like a watermelon.

After Han Zheng left, a tall, lean figure emerged from the darkness.

Dressed in a black-and-red constable's uniform, a waist saber at his side, it was Zhang Tianyang, the newly appointed chief constable of Black Stone County.

He walked over to Feng Yuan's corpse, examined it closely, and a faintly strange smile curled at his lips.

"White Ape Through-Arm Fist, a demonic saber art that condenses Killing Intent, and that... Vajra Fist?

No, though it's derived from Vajra Fist, it's far stronger—an Innate Martial Skill. But it doesn't match Vajra Prajna Temple's techniques either.

Tsk tsk. Fierce strikes, ruthless and decisive in combat. Even better than my first time on the battlefield.

Interesting, interesting. It seems my old teacher has taught a remarkable disciple.

Though he probably doesn't even know it himself."

Zhang Tianyang stared in the direction Han Zheng had left, another odd grin tugging at his lips.

Han Zheng had no idea that his ambush of Feng Yuan had been witnessed by Zhang Tianyang.

The fierce battle had brought him one clear benefit: the proficiency of all his martial skills had skyrocketed.

Name: Han Zheng

Cultivation: Houtian Meridian Opening Realm (305 Acupoints opened, 10 Meridians.)

Martial Arts: Houtian Realm "Iron Elephant Skill" Maxed, Houtian Realm "Vajra Fist" Maxed.

Innate Realm "Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill" Proficiency 17%, Innate Realm "Vajra Demon Subduing Seal" Proficiency 18%, Innate Realm "White Ape Through-Arm Fist" Proficiency 10%, Houtian Realm "Blood Fiend Saber Art" Proficiency 15%.

Current Status: Pain Nullification, Left Arm Minor Fracture

"Indeed, real combat is the best way to boost combat power."

Li Jingzhong had once said that the martial path had only two cores: cultivation and slaughter.

Cultivate without slaughter—no combat power.

Slaughter without cultivation—stagnant realm, unstable foundation.

Balance both—that was the true way.

Han Zheng touched his arm. He hadn't expected that using White Ape Through-Arm Fist to clash head-on with an iron spear would result in a fracture.

The physical body at the Houtian Realm was still too fragile.

When Li Jingzhong used White Ape Through-Arm Fist, he could strike Iron Pillars as if they were wooden stakes, easily clashing with blunt weapons like clubs.

Wrapping his arm in white cloth, Han Zheng sat cross-legged on his bed and began circulating the Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill, focusing his cultivation.

This Innate Realm technique didn't just train internal energy—it enhanced and transformed the physical body itself.

Some of its methods were used to inspect the body after injury, aiding recovery.

His internal energy, thick as flowing water, coursed through his Meridians, repairing the channels and Acupoints damaged in the fight.

Only the Meridians and Acupoints in Han Zheng's arm were slightly damaged—nothing serious. He'd recover fully in two days.

But the fracture would take time to heal, relying entirely on his own regenerative ability.

The next morning, Han Zheng went to the martial arts school as usual, acting as if nothing had happened.

Meanwhile, the alley where Feng Yuan had been killed was sealed off by the Three Harmonies Gang.

In truth, when Feng Yuan hadn't returned all night, his subordinates already sensed something was wrong—he almost never stayed overnight at the Drunken Flower Pavilion.

But they didn't dare go to the Drunken Flower Pavilion to look for him.

What if the boss was enjoying himself and they barged in to disturb him? That would be asking for death.

So they waited until this morning, when Feng Yuan still hadn't returned, before sensing something was wrong and rushing to the Drunken Flower Pavilion to look for him.

On the way, they found Feng Yuan's corpse, his head smashed to pieces.

"The Second Gang Leader is here!"

The Three Harmonies Gang members parted, and Gao Kaiyuan walked over with a grim expression.

Feng Yuan was the Punishment Hall Master of the Three Harmonies Gang, one of the top figures second only to the three gang leaders.

More importantly, Feng Yuan was Gao Kaiyuan's biggest supporter within the gang.

With Feng Yuan dead, it was like losing an arm.

Gao Kaiyuan carefully examined Feng Yuan's corpse, then glanced at the blade marks on the Fine Iron Silver Spear.

"The one who killed Feng Yuan used a blade, but the finishing blow was a fist technique.

The fight shouldn't have lasted long, but the attacker's moves must have been vicious and swift.

Feng Yuan has no other injuries—he must have been caught off guard, killed in one strike, his head blown apart by that powerful fist technique.

Who did this? The Black Tiger Gang and the Sky Eagle Gang don't seem to have anyone like this."

Gao Kaiyuan frowned deeply, unable to think of anyone in Black Stone County who fit both conditions.

"What has Feng Yuan been up to lately? Who did he offend?"

Gao Kaiyuan called over a few of Feng Yuan's subordinates and asked.

As Punishment Hall Master, Feng Yuan was mainly responsible for disciplining erring gang members, so he had few subordinates—less than ten.

One subordinate said, "The Hall Master hasn't been in contact with outsiders recently. He's been busy with the tasks you assigned, Second Gang Leader.

Oh, right, a few gang members were secretly skimming protection fees from the shops, and the Hall Master gave them a severe beating.

But those guys aren't even Postnatal martial artists—there's no way they could have killed the Hall Master."

Gao Kaiyuan shook his head. It probably wasn't someone from inside the gang.

All the disciples of the Three Harmonies Gang were locals from Black Stone County, their backgrounds clear as day.

Just then, another subordinate suddenly spoke up: "Oh, right, Liu San is missing too. He didn't show up this morning, so I went to his house to look for him, but he wasn't there either.

Later, when I heard about the Hall Master, I stopped looking for him."

Gao Kaiyuan's eyes flashed with sharpness. "What has Liu San been up to lately?"

"The Hall Master found quite a few people who had contact with Ma Gui. We've been taking turns helping him investigate and screen the suspects, and we're down to the last five.

Two days ago, it was Liu San's turn to check on those five, but he hasn't reported back yet."

Gao Kaiyuan clenched his fist, a cold glint in his eyes.

First Ma Gui and Wang Xiong, now Liu San and Feng Yuan.

Everyone who died was connected to that matter. Who was behind this?

Had someone discovered what he'd done?

But if they had, why not use it to blackmail him? Or spread it all over town?

Instead, they were silencing people, as if afraid he'd find out.

Strange. Truly strange.

But no matter the reason, he had to root out this person!

"With Feng Yuan dead, the gang will have to pick someone else as Punishment Hall Master.

You lot don't need to handle Hall affairs for now. Focus all your efforts on investigating the five people Feng Yuan didn't get to check!"

"Yes, Second Gang Leader!"

Feng Yuan's subordinates quickly nodded in agreement.

With their boss dead, they'd been feeling uneasy.

Now that Gao Kaiyuan was putting them to use, they'd suddenly become his men—an unexpected stroke of luck.

"Second Gang Leader, the First Gang Leader wants you to come discuss matters."

Just then, a gang member ran up, panting, and whispered to Gao Kaiyuan.

Gao Kaiyuan snorted coldly. "News sure travels fast with them!"

Flicking his sleeve, he rose and left.

As the top gang in Black Stone County, the Three Harmonies Gang's Hall was located in the bustling West City District, taking up half the street.

Over the years, the Three Harmonies Gang had not only monopolized protection fees from a third of the county's shops but also dabbled in loan sharking, prostitution, weapon shops, gambling dens, and more.

Compared to the two great families of Black Stone County, the Three Harmonies Gang only lacked some heritage.

Gao Kaiyuan stepped into the Three Harmonies Gang's meeting hall. At the head were three chairs. In the middle sat a man in his fifties, slightly aged but with sharp eyes.

He was the First Gang Leader of the Three Harmonies Gang, 'Green Scale Hand' Cao Bin.

On the right chair lounged a man of thirty-seven or eight, looking somewhat lazy.

He was the Third Gang Leader of the Three Harmonies Gang, Jiang Tai, known as the Positive Sun Hand.

Below him were over a dozen more, all high-ranking members of the Three Harmonies Gang, their strength also reaching the Peak Acquired Stage.

Among the three gangs of Black Stone County, only the Three Harmonies Gang had three martial artists at the Late Xiantian Mortal Transformation Realm, forcing the Black Tiger Gang and the Sky Eagle Gang to ally just to resist them.

In truth, with the Three Harmonies Gang's strength, steadily encroaching and completely devouring the Black Tiger Gang and Sky Eagle Gang would be no problem.

But it was precisely because the First Gang Leader, Cao Bin, and the Second Gang Leader, Gao Kaiyuan, were at odds, with frequent internal conflicts and strife, that the Three Harmonies Gang's development was held back.

Though they differed in age, the three were sworn brothers who had risen from humble beginnings.

Yet most people in this world were like this—they could share hardship but not prosperity.

As the Three Harmonies Gang's power grew, the rift between Gao Kaiyuan and Cao Bin deepened, nearly reaching the point of an open falling-out.

Striding into the hall, Gao Kaiyuan sat directly in the left-hand chair with a swaggering air.

"Big Brother, what's the rush to call me here for discussion?"

Cao Bin snorted coldly: "Feng Yuan was the Punishment Hall Master. How can I not be anxious when he dies so inexplicably in the street? Gao Kaiyuan, what exactly are you doing? First Wang Xiong died without a clear cause, and now Feng Yuan dies the same way. Who have you offended? Lately, you've been acting mysteriously on your own. Do you still have the gang in your sights at all? I need an explanation! An account!"

Gao Kaiyuan sneered: "Big Brother, have you forgotten the oath we swore when we founded the Three Harmonies Gang? We brothers are one body, sharing fortune and hardship alike, with no rank above or below. That's why our Three Harmonies Gang has three gang leaders."

At this, Gao Kaiyuan's expression suddenly darkened: "If I have to report and account everything to you, then what's the point of having three gang leaders? Why don't Third Brother and I just resign, and you can be the sole leader yourself!"

With that, Gao Kaiyuan flicked his sleeve and left. Behind him, Cao Bin smashed the teacup in his hand to pieces in fury.

The Third Gang Leader, Jiang Tai, acted as if nothing had happened, grinning: "Big Brother, don't be angry. Second Brother was just speaking in anger. You two carry on. I heard a merchant caravan brought in a batch of western wine that's quite authentic. I'll go have a taste first."

None of the surrounding gang high-ups said a word, as if they were all used to it. The conflict and strife between Cao Bin and Gao Kaiyuan had nearly been laid bare in the open.