Prince of the First Rank Arrives at the Poison Wolf Gang

After subjecting Shui Gaoge to the Manchu Ten Great Tortures, Zhao Ping'an learned a great many things from him, including information about all the powerful figures in the Profound Water Dynasty, his true identity, who had told him that Zhao Ping'an possessed a cultivation method taught by a Martial King, and much more.

In the end, Zhao Ping'an sent Shui Gaoge straight to join his ancestors.

Then he swiftly searched the corpses of the group, slung a bag of spoils over his shoulder, carried Mistress on his back, and shot upward toward the top of Thousand Guts Valley.

The steep cliffs on either side were as easy for him to traverse as flat ground.

The mere two-hundred-zhang-high cliffs were no obstacle. Zhao Ping'an reached the top in just a few bounds. After glancing at his bearings, he vanished into the mountain forest.

About a quarter of an hour later, he appeared before South Ridge City and strode inside.

Dozens of eyes at the city gate watched clearly as he entered South Ridge City with Mistress Zhao Xiuyun on his back.

"Zhao Ping'an? Was that Zhao Xiuyun of the Zhao Family?"

After confirming it again and again, the spies belonging to the various factions swiftly passed the news along.

Those with money and influence used carrier pigeons; smaller factions had to rely on their own two legs.

Every faction that received the news breathed a sigh of relief. The past day and night had worn them out. They had nearly turned all of South Ridge City upside down, even searching the headquarters of the various factions.

Though they had exposed many secrets they would rather have kept hidden, none of that mattered compared to their own lives. After all, none of them could withstand Zhao Ping'an's wrath.

His earlier attitude of wiping out the Sun Family to the last person had left them afraid to take any chances.

Among them, however, the Poison Wolf Gang was an exception.

"What did you say? Zhao Ping'an came back safe and sound through the west gate with Zhao Xiuyun on his back?"

"Yes, Gang Leader! I just confirmed it. Lots of people saw it happen. There's no way it's false."

"I understand. You may go."

"Yes, Gang Leader!"

Wu Shirong watched the hall master turn and leave, his face immediately darkening.

He hadn't expected that great man to fail. This had been his chance to rise straight to the top: not only would he obtain an incomplete Human-grade Cultivation Method, but he would also get three Fourth-grade Spiritual Medicines to help him reach the Grandmaster Realm.

Now, everything was uncertain.

That man, famed for his iron-fisted ruthlessness, would never have let Zhao Ping'an return alive if he'd obtained what he wanted.

Since Zhao Ping'an had returned safe and sound, something must have gone wrong. Wu Shirong had to prepare in advance.

"Guards!"

After a moment's thought, Wu Shirong clenched his fist and shouted toward the door.

"Gang Leader!"

"Go get the Young Gang Leader!"

"Yes, Gang Leader!"

Once the guard had left, Wu Shirong hurried back to his study and opened a concealed switch.

A narrow door, barely half a meter wide and a meter and a half tall, soundlessly slid inward into the wall, revealing a pitch-black secret chamber.

Inside lay most of the wealth Wu Shirong had amassed over the years. Now, he knew he couldn't stay in South Ridge City.

Soon, Wu Shirong carried an exquisite little chest out of the secret chamber, then closed the hidden door again.

There were still plenty of gold and silver treasures, cultivation methods, and weapons inside, but he didn't have time to take it all.

The chest in his hands held more than half the wealth he'd accumulated over the years, all converted into Gold Notes—thirty thousand taels of gold in total.

These Gold Notes had not been issued by the Profound Water Dynasty. They came from its suzerain state, the White Moon Imperial Dynasty, which had issued them jointly with the other three Imperial Dynasties. They were accepted across more than a dozen neighboring dynasties and within the four Imperial Dynasties themselves.

As a result, their exchange rate was a full thirty percent higher than that of the Gold Notes issued by the Profound Water Dynasty.

In other words, it took nearly forty thousand taels of gold to obtain the thirty thousand taels' worth of Gold Notes in the chest.

About a quarter of an hour later, a dandy strode into the main hall where Wu Shirong was. He was the same bird-walking dandy who had sent a message to Scorpion Woman, Qian Yingying, at the city gate.

His true identity was the Young Gang Leader of the Poison Wolf Gang, Wu Xiangtian.

"Father, why did you send for me so suddenly?"

"Tian'er, that great man may have failed. Zhao Ping'an has already returned to South Ridge City with his Mistress, Zhao Xiuyun. If he finds out we sold him out, then..."

"So take this chest and leave South Ridge City on Chasing Wind at once. The farther you go, the better!"

"Father, what about you? Aren't you leaving with me?"

Wu Xiangtian took the wooden chest from his father and asked anxiously.

Although he was a notorious wastrel far and wide, that was only a facade. Now twenty-five years old, his cultivation had already reached the peak of the ninth level of the Houtian Martial Artist Realm. He was just one step away from the Innate Realm, and his aptitude for cultivation was among the best in all of South Ridge City.

"Me? I can't leave. There are eyes watching my every move at all times. If I suddenly disappeared, it would draw the attention of every faction. Especially at this crucial moment, it would be like telling everyone outright that we have something to hide. Then none of us would get away!"

"Besides, that's only a precautionary guess. After some time, once the storm has passed, you can come back. I've also prepared a bottle of Third-tier Qi Gathering Pills for you. You can use this chance to break through to the Innate Realm while you're away!"

"Father! Take care!"

Seeing how resolute his father was, Wu Xiangtian's eyes reddened. He immediately dropped to the ground and kowtowed three times, then ran outside without looking back.

His mother had died in childbirth, leaving him and his father to depend on each other. So that his son wouldn't be bullied, his father—a powerful man who lorded over a corner of South Ridge City—had not touched another woman in more than twenty years. Wu Xiangtian had grown up under his father's protection, and now he had to leave.

Wu Shirong watched his only son walk out, his own eyes growing red.

If he hadn't overheard the story Zhao Ping'an had casually made up when he was drinking with Zheng Hetong, none of this would have happened. Especially now, with Zhao Ping'an himself seated in South Ridge City like a deity, every faction was doing its utmost to keep its subordinates from stirring up trouble. The Poison Wolf Gang had been developing steadily for a long time.

And now, his greed had swallowed all of that.

"Bang!..."

"Boom!..."

Wu Shirong was still mired in grief and regret when a series of violent impacts and rumbles suddenly reached his ears. Tense as he was, his expression changed at once.

But before he could go out to investigate, he saw a tall figure striding toward him, one hand gripping another figure by the throat.

The person being held by the throat was none other than his son, Wu Xiangtian.

"Tian'er!!! Zhao Ping'an?!!"