Shocking the Entire City! A New Legend!

Li Changfeng's head rolled to the ground, his wide-open eyes still fixed stubbornly on the sky, as if questioning the heavens—why had a dignified Viscera Refining Realm expert died at the hands of a country brat?

No blood spurted from his severed neck.

Because every drop of blood in his body had already been thoroughly frozen into crimson ice crystals by that tyrannical Profound Nether Cold Qi.

This scene was even more horrifying and shocking than one drenched in blood.

"Dead..."

"He's really dead..."

No one knew who muttered it first from within the crowd.

Then, as though the words were contagious, they swiftly spread across the entire dock.

"A Viscera Refining Realm expert... was killed!"

"Lu Chen killed a Li Family Elder!"

"Heavens! The sky is falling!"

The dock, which had been deathly silent moments before, instantly erupted into an uproar.

Countless people went pale, their legs turning weak as they stared at the blood-soaked figure standing beside the headless corpse, their eyes filled with unprecedented terror.

That wasn't a man!

That was a demon!

A god of slaughter!

Thud!

A dull sound rang out.

Under the immense psychological blow, the two surviving Li Family Guards finally broke down.

Their knees gave way, and they dropped heavily to the ground, frantically kowtowing to Lu Chen.

"Master Lu, spare us! Master Lu, spare our lives!"

"We were only following orders! Please, Master Lu, let us go like we're nothing but a fart!"

At this moment, family honor and a Martial Artist's dignity were all worthless in the face of death.

Even a Viscera Refining Realm elder had been slaughtered like a chicken. What could two insignificant Bone Refining Realm Martial Artists like them possibly use to fight?

Lu Chen slowly turned around.

His face was pale as paper, his body swaying as if a gust of wind could knock him over.

Yet he remained standing.

Like a broken spear that still stood upright.

His indifferent gaze swept over the two kneeling men, then over the terrified onlookers in the distance, before finally settling on the members of the Black Water Gang.

Wherever his gaze passed, no one dared meet it. They all lowered their heads.

This was might!

A fearsome, brutal might carved out through blood and lives!

"Scram."

Lu Chen's lips moved slightly as he spat out a single word.

The two guards felt as though they had been granted a pardon. They scrambled to their feet, not even sparing a thought for recovering Li Changfeng's body, and ran madly toward the Tower Ship like two homeless dogs.

They wanted to flee!

Flee back to the Prefectural City!

Flee this nightmare of a place!

Lu Chen did not pursue them.

He could not pursue them anymore.

Right now, he was only forcing himself to hold on with a single breath. If those two had possessed even the slightest courage to fight desperately, perhaps he would have been the one to fall.

But he had won the gamble.

He had gambled that they had already been scared out of their wits.

"Lu... Brother Lu..."

Only then did Chen Wanli come back to his senses. He walked forward trembling, his gaze toward Lu Chen incomparably complicated.

There was shock, fear, relief—and more than anything, deep reverence.

He knew that from this day onward, the sky above the Black Water Gang had changed.

It was no longer Chen Wanli's sky.

It was Lu Chen's sky!

"Gang Leader."

Lu Chen looked at Chen Wanli. Though his voice was weak, it carried an icy hardness that brooked no doubt. "Clean this place up."

"Hang Li Changfeng's corpse from the flagpole at the Dock."

"I want everyone to know that this is the price of coming to Nujiang County to throw their weight around."

Chen Wanli's heart trembled.

Hang the corpse up as a warning?

That meant becoming mortal enemies with the Li Family, with no chance of reconciliation!

But as he looked into Lu Chen's cold eyes, he forcibly swallowed the words of dissuasion that had reached his lips.

The Lu Chen of today was no longer a subordinate he could order about at will.

This was a ferocious tiger that had grown its fangs!

"Fine."

Chen Wanli took a deep breath, then roared at the Gang Members behind him, "What are you all standing around for?! Didn't you hear the Deputy Hall Master? Hang up the corpse! Scrub this place clean!"

"Yes!"

This time, the Black Water Gang's reply shook the heavens.

If you think this book is good and don't want to lose it next time, remember to add it to your bookshelf!

Every face was filled with near-fanatical worship.

This was their Deputy Hall Master!

He dared to kill even great clans from the Prefectural City, and could even slay a Viscera Refining Realm expert!

Following a boss like this, why worry about never making something of themselves?

"Hall Master Lu is mighty!"

Zhao Tieshan raised his fist and roared.

"Hall Master Lu is mighty!"

"Hall Master Lu is mighty!"

The roars of thousands converged into a raging torrent that shot into the skies, shaking even the waters of the Nujiang River into churning waves.

Amid the deafening cheers, Lu Chen's body swayed slightly.

His vision began to blur as darkness swept in like a rising tide.

Finally... it's over...

Lu Chen heaved a sigh of relief. The taut string that had been stretched tight within him finally snapped.

His body went limp, and he fell backward.

"Boss!"

Wang Xiaoliu, who had been standing guard beside him all along, reacted swiftly and caught him.

"Quick! Get a doctor! Drag the best doctor in the city here!"

"Back to the Main Hall! Hurry!"

Amid the chaos, Lu Chen was carried back to the Black Water Gang's Main Hall, surrounded like the moon by a host of stars.

This day was destined to be written into Nujiang County's history.

The news that Lu Chen had slain Li Changfeng, a Li Family Elder, swept through all of Nujiang County in less than half a day like a Category Twelve hurricane, spreading madly even toward the surrounding counties.

In teahouses, taverns, streets, and alleyways, everyone was talking about this battle.

Some said Lu Chen was a god descended to earth; others said he was a demon reborn.

But no matter what they said, one fact could not be changed.

That was—Nujiang County had produced a true dragon!

Those forces that had been watching from the shadows, even preparing to kick someone when they were down, were scared out of their wits upon hearing the news.

The Black Water Gang's Junior Leaders who had secretly contacted the Li Family earlier packed up their valuables and fled overnight, terrified that Lu Chen would settle accounts with them.

Inside the County Yamen, when Constable Zhao Gang heard the news, the teacup in his hand fell straight to the floor and shattered into pieces. He was silent for a long while before finally saying one sentence: "From now on, whenever you see someone from the Black Water Gang, take the long way around."

Even the County Magistrate, who had always kept himself secluded, sent over a lavish gift that very night. On the surface, it was called "offering comfort to a righteous hero," but in truth, it was a roundabout way of yielding.

As for the Black Water Gang at the heart of the storm, it underwent an even greater upheaval.

While Lu Chen was unconscious, Gang Leader Chen Wanli moved with thunderous speed to purge a batch of "fence-sitters." He then publicly announced Lu Chen's promotion to the Black Water Gang's "Great Dragon Head," placing him on equal footing with the Gang Leader and even granting him veto power over War Hall affairs.

Though there were still nominally two heads at the top, everyone understood.

The one who truly called the shots in the Black Water Gang now was the young man lying in that sickbed.

Three days later.

In the Black Water Gang's Main Hall, within its most luxurious bedroom.

Lu Chen slowly opened his eyes.

Before his eyes hung bed curtains embroidered with gold thread, while the air was heavy with the rich scent of medicine.

"Chief! You're awake!"

Wang Xiaoliu, who had been keeping watch beside the bed, cried out in delight. The circles beneath his eyes were as black as a panda's; clearly, he had not slept for days.

Lu Chen shifted slightly, and a burst of agonizing pain struck him, making him suck in a sharp breath.

"Don't move! Don't move!"

Wang Xiaoliu hurriedly held him down. "The physician said you injured your foundation this time. Your meridians were severely damaged, especially your right hand—your bones were smashed to bits. It nearly became useless! You have to rest and recuperate!"

Lu Chen gave a bitter laugh.

Of course he knew just how severe his injuries were.

That move, Ice Soul Spirit Piercing Stab, possessed terrifying power, but its backlash was just as terrifying. If his physique had not been so formidable, he would likely have died on the spot.

"How are things outside now?" Lu Chen asked hoarsely.

"Hah! Do you even need to ask?"

Wang Xiaoliu immediately became animated. "In all of Nujiang County, who doesn't know Master Lu's great name now? Those families and merchant associations that used to swagger around are all obedient as grandsons now! The Gang Leader... ah, no, Gang Leader Chen said that all the gang's resources are yours to use as you please! They've even moved over the century-old ginseng and lingzhi from the treasury for you!"

As Lu Chen listened to Wang Xiaoliu's rambling, however, he felt little joy.

He turned his head toward the window.

Beyond it lay the northern sky.

The direction of Canglan Prefecture.

"Li Family..."

Lu Chen murmured to himself.

He had killed Li Changfeng. The Li Family would never let the matter rest.

This time, they had sent only an elder. What about next time?

Would the family head come in person? Would there be an even stronger Meridian Connecting Realm expert, perhaps even...

"This calm is only temporary."

Lu Chen's gaze gradually sharpened.

"Nujiang County is too small. This pool cannot raise a true dragon."

"If I want to live, if I don't want to be trampled underfoot, then I must become stronger!"

"Strong enough to make the Li Family tremble. Strong enough to make every rule in this world give way for me!"