Under the Shadow

Bang!

After Shadow left, Zheng Lang slammed his hand onto the table in fury.

"Damn that Lin Hao! How dare he target me? Who gave him the nerve? I haven't even made a move, and he already dares provoke me?" Zheng Lang paced back and forth through the main hall of Scattered Eagle Hall like a furious lion.

"Jiang Hao! Jiang Hao! Where the hell is he? Get in here!" Zheng Lang roared furiously.

"Reporting to the Hall Master, Head Jiang has gone out to handle some business. He hasn't returned yet," the gang member on guard at the entrance hurriedly replied.

"Go find him and bring him back!" Zheng Lang said, barely restraining his anger.

"Yes!" The guard answered and hurriedly turned to run outside.

After a long while, Jiang Hao finally came rushing in through the main entrance. He came to a stop, then quickly cupped his hands toward Zheng Lang. "Hall Master, you summoned me?"

"Didn't you go investigate who was spreading those rumors targeting me? Have you found anything?" Zheng Lang looked at Jiang Hao.

"Hall Master, you only just ordered me to investigate! How could there be results so quickly?" Jiang Hao said helplessly.

"Oh! Then there's no need to investigate anymore. I already know who it was!" Zheng Lang said indifferently.

"What? You already know? Then who did it?" Jiang Hao asked in astonishment.

"Lin Hao!" Zheng Lang stared at Jiang Hao.

"Lin Hao from Hunting Eagle Hall? Why? You haven't offended him, Hall Master. When they took Fu Rong Street last time, we even helped them, didn't we?" Jiang Hao said, unconvinced.

"Exactly! Why do you think that is? By the way, do you know about the trouble at Hunting Eagle Hall's gambling den on Fu Rong Street some time ago?" Zheng Lang said, scrutinizing Jiang Hao.

"Someone caused trouble at the Fu Rong Street gambling den? I had no idea! I've been busy lately and haven't paid attention to the affairs of the other halls!" Jiang Hao said, bewildered.

"Oh! Then forget it. Go handle your duties. Also, headquarters has punished us by stopping our supplies for three days. Find a way to get some from the treasury!" Zheng Lang ordered.

"Yes!" Jiang Hao replied, cupping his fists.

Zheng Lang watched Jiang Hao's departing back, sinking into deep thought. Was it really Jiang Hao acting behind my back? Or is someone else framing me? I need to investigate this thoroughly.

Tonight, the moon was dim and the stars sparse, so dark that one could not see one's hand in front of one's face.

In a dilapidated abandoned house, a tall black shadow suddenly appeared in the courtyard. After waiting for a moment, another, more slender black shadow appeared there as well.

The tall black shadow deliberately lowered his voice. "The mole you arranged has been exposed, and we haven't achieved our objective yet. Is there any way to salvage the situation?"

The slender black shadow also lowered his voice. "It's fine! I deliberately let him expose himself. The whole point was to point the finger at Scattered Eagle Hall!"

The tall black shadow said, "But that wasn't how the original plan was supposed to go."

"The plan has to change according to the circumstances," the slender black shadow replied.

"All right. My superiors only ordered me to cooperate with you. As for what to do, you call the shots!"

"I know what I'm doing. We shouldn't meet here again next time. If I need your cooperation with anything, I'll notify you separately."

Upon hearing this, the tall black shadow exerted force through his feet and vanished in an instant. The slender black shadow watched the place where he had disappeared with envy. His qinggong is incredible!

That day, after Jiang Liu finished meditating, he exhaled a breath of foul air. Ten days had passed since Wind Hall banned the spread of rumors. Looking at the much-improved proficiency values, a trace of satisfaction appeared on Jiang Liu's face. He could now spend more time on Bone Tempering and cultivating Wandering Steps.

Realm: Body Refinement (Bone Tempering 112/206)

Alchemy (Beginner 42/100)

Five Elements Fist (Perfection) (Trait: Blood and Qi Stimulation)

Wandering Steps (Minor Mastery 608/800)

Jiang Liu no longer went to Apprentice Plaza to practice. There were hardly any people there now. Everyone cultivated in the small courtyards where they lived, because these days, everyone was mainly focusing on Bone Tempering. Those who occasionally practiced Five Elements Fist would arrange to spar with one another.

Jiang Liu could only see Wang Zhuang during meals. Wang Zhuang seemed to have grown even more muscular, as if he were evolving toward a black gorilla. Then again, Wang Zhuang had always been sturdy and powerfully built. Could Bone Tempering actually make a person's bones grow larger?

Jiang Liu could not quite figure it out. After finishing his practice, he walked slowly toward Medicine Hall. Whenever he had free time, Jiang Liu would also come to ask Uncle Hai for advice on medicine. He had started rereading the medical text Doctor An Yuan had given him at the medicine shop.

As soon as Jiang Liu entered Medicine Hall, he saw Uncle Hai scolding a Medicine Hall apprentice. It seemed to be someone named Xing Jie, an apprentice who had been at Medicine Hall for a long time.

"Uncle Hai, what happened today? Why are you so furious?" Uncle Hai had always seemed like a good-natured old man. He must have been driven to this point by something today.

"That pig-brained fool nearly gave me a heart attack today. I've been teaching him for so long, yet he still can't remember anything. Today, he ruined an entire pot of precious medicinal ingredients. And I actually trusted him, thinking he could really do it! Sigh!" Uncle Hai lamented with a troubled sigh.

"Say, why do you have time to come here today? Are you here to freeload some medicinal soup?" Uncle Hai said gruffly.