Snatching Food from a Tiger's Mouth

# Chapter 5: Snatching the Spoils from the Tiger's Maw

The shouts outside the cave echoed through the valley, accompanied by heavy, cluttered footsteps. Clearly, there were many of them, and they had already surrounded the cave mouth.

Inside, the five constables who had just survived a bloody fight tensed up immediately, instinctively gripping their weapons tighter as they looked to Li Yifan. Though they trusted his strength, the Fierce Tiger Gang's fearsome reputation was well-earned—these were no rabble like the men they'd just dealt with inside.

Li Yifan's expression didn't change. He quickly tucked the jade box containing the Blood Ginseng into his robe and quietly instructed Xiao Wang, "Watch the prisoners and the herbs." Then, saber in hand, he strode unhurriedly toward the cave entrance.

Outside, over twenty burly men in close-fitting clothes, all wielding sharp blades and wearing vicious expressions, fanned out in a semicircle, blocking the way. At their head stood an exceptionally massive man, his face covered in thick flesh, temples bulging prominently. He carried a pair of heavy Bintie Whips, and his aura was dense and overwhelming—he gave Li Yifan an even stronger sense of pressure than the scar-faced man inside!

Body Refining realm, and a skilled one at that—likely close to the mid-stage!

[Skill: Detection (Beginner: 40/100). From the opponent's stance, aura, and weapon, you determine that this man is most likely a hall master-level figure of the Fierce Tiger Gang. His combat strength is formidable, and his intentions are hostile.]

The burly man's eyes flickered with surprise when he saw Li Yifan emerge from the cave, followed by the constables in their official uniforms. That surprise quickly twisted into thick malice: "Government men? Hah! I was wondering who had the balls to pull a stunt like this—turns out it's just the county's lapdogs! Here's the deal: hand over the people and the goods inside, and I'll pretend I never saw you!"

Li Yifan's gaze swept over the crowd before settling on the burly man. His voice was calm but carried an undeniable authority: "This officer is Li Yifan, constable of Black Mountain City County Government, here on orders to suppress bandits. Who are you, to openly surround imperial officials with weapons in broad daylight? Are you looking to rebel?"

"Rebel? Hahaha!" The burly man laughed as if he'd heard the funniest joke in the world, then his face darkened. "Don't try to pin that shit on me! I'm Lei Bao of the Fierce Tiger Gang! The 'goods' in Black Wind Gorge belong to us—your county's overstepped! Leave the stuff and the people, and fuck off. Otherwise, don't blame me if my whip shows no mercy!"

He swung one of his Bintie Whips, the dull whoosh of air carrying an unmistakable threat. The gang members behind him began to clamor, blades sliding from sheaths, cold light flashing.

The atmosphere instantly became razor-sharp.

Li Yifan knew that for the man to be this brazen, he had to have backing. Either he was certain the government wouldn't dare start a full conflict with the Fierce Tiger Gang, or... someone inside the county government was propping them up. This whole scene might even be a prearranged silencing operation.

Negotiation was impossible. Only battle remained.

"It seems you're determined to defy the authorities." Li Yifan slowly raised his waist-saber. The blood and qi of his early Body Refining cultivation began to circulate faster. The Five Tiger Severing Gate Saber technique, at minor success level, activated, and Basic Breathing Technique regulated his breathing, pushing his state to its peak. "In that case, this officer will take you all down as well."

"You're asking for death!" Lei Bao roared. He hadn't expected a mere constable to be so stubborn! His massive frame lunged forward like a charging bull, his right-hand Bintie Whip crashing down at Li Yifan's head with the force of a thousand jun! The whip's wind howled, heavy and brutal—clearly a move meant to overwhelm skill with raw power.

Can't take it head-on! Li Yifan made the judgment instantly. His footwork shifted, his body swaying like a willow in the wind as he retreated diagonally, incorporating the footwork insights he'd gained into real combat. He narrowly dodged the thunderous strike!

"Boom!" The Bintie Whip slammed into the ground, sending gravel flying and leaving a small crater.

The first blow missed, and Lei Bao's left whip followed immediately, sweeping toward Li Yifan's midsection! The transition was swift and vicious.

A sharp light flashed in Li Yifan's eyes. Instead of retreating, he advanced! In the hair's breadth of an instant, he dropped low, nearly sliding along the ground into Lei Bao's open guard. His waist-saber turned into a venomous streak of cold light, stabbing straight at the exposed armpit left open by Lei Bao's swing—again, attacking where he had to defend!

"Not bad, kid!" Lei Bao was startled. He hadn't expected Li Yifan's movement to be so agile or his saber technique so cunning! He hurriedly pulled his whip back to block while kicking out fiercely!

"Clang!"

Saber and whip met. Li Yifan's arm went slightly numb. He used the impact to flip backward, dodging the kick, and landed steadily. The strength of the Bone Refining realm was indeed formidable—if he hadn't stepped into the Body Refining realm and boosted his own power, that clash would have put him at a disadvantage.

[Skill: Five Tiger Severing Gate Saber proficiency +20! Fighting a powerful opponent under immense pressure, your saber technique grows more refined and precise.]

The two exchanged several moves in an instant, too fast for the eyes to follow. Lei Bao was strong, his whips heavy, his attacks broad and thunderous. Li Yifan, relying on superior footwork and exquisite saber skill, circled and harried, targeting openings like a nimble leopard sparring with a giant bear.

The surrounding gang members and constables watched with pounding hearts, none daring to interfere. Xiao Wang and the others were sweating—they could see that Lei Bao was far stronger than the scar-faced man from before. Li Ye was fighting above his level!

The longer the fight went on, the more alarmed Lei Bao became. He found that despite his raw power, he was constantly being countered by Li Yifan's bizarre footwork and tricky saber techniques. It was like having all his strength but no way to use it—a suffocating frustration. And the force behind the kid's saber wasn't much weaker than a mid-stage Body Refining cultivator's. How the hell was this just some county constable?

Unable to finish the fight quickly, Lei Bao grew irritable. If he couldn't even take down a minor constable, how could he hold his head up in the gang?

"Fuck it! Everyone get in there! Kill these government dogs!" Lei Bao finally abandoned all pretense of face and roared the order to gang up.

The twenty-plus gang members howled and charged!

"Form up! Defensive stance!" Li Yifan remained calm under pressure and barked the command. The five constables, though nervous, had gained trust in him after the earlier cave fight. They immediately formed a small circular formation, back to back, to withstand the gang's assault.

As for Li Yifan, he was now caught in a melee with Lei Bao and several gang members!

The pressure skyrocketed!

A gang member swung a blade at him from the side. Li Yifan tracked the sound, parried with a backhand, sidestepped to avoid Lei Bao's heavy whip, and kicked another would-be ambusher in the chest, sending him flying backward with blood spraying from his mouth.

But two hands can't fight four fists, especially with a powerhouse like Lei Bao leading the attack! A whip shadow grazed Li Yifan's shoulder—not a solid hit, but the fierce wind still tore his clothes and left his skin burning with pain.

[Surrounded, on the brink of life and death, Basic Breathing Technique churns wildly, blood and qi boiling. Proficiency +15!]

Dangerous! This has to end fast!

A ruthless glint flashed in Li Yifan's eyes! He deliberately left an opening, taking a not-too-heavy blow from a gang member on his side, using the momentum to charge straight at Lei Bao!

"Good!" Lei Bao thought Li Yifan was exhausted. Overjoyed, he swung both whips together like scissors, aiming to crush Li Yifan's head!

In that split second, Li Yifan's blood and qi surged at an unprecedented speed. Basic Breathing Technique operated at its limit—he could even hear the rushing sound of blood flowing through his veins! He unleashed the most brutal and domineering move from Five Tiger Severing Gate Saber—"Cornered Beast Fight"!

He didn't dodge or evade. His waist-saber shot forward with a suicidal, mutual-destruction momentum, straight for Lei Bao's heart! He completely ignored the whips closing in on his head!

A life-for-life gamble!

Lei Bao never imagined Li Yifan would be this ferocious! He had no intention of dying alongside some minor constable! In the flash of an eye, he instinctively pulled his whips back to defend, trying to block the fatal thrust.

But that retreat broke his momentum, and his technique faltered for an instant!

Now!

Just as the saber tip was about to be deflected, it trembled strangely, tracing a tiny arc like a snake raising its head. It slipped past the Bintie Whip and, with even greater speed, drove precisely into Lei Bao's mouth—still agape from shock!

"Pfft!"

The tip emerged from the back of his head!

Lei Bao's movements froze instantly. His eyes bulged wide, filled with disbelief, terror, and despair. The Bintie Whips clattered to the ground.

Li Yifan yanked his saber free, bringing a spray of red and white with it.

Body Refining realm expert, Fierce Tiger Gang Hall Master Lei Bao, dead!

Silence!

A deathly silence!

All the Fierce Tiger Gang members were stunned, staring at Lei Bao as he crashed to the ground, as if they'd seen a ghost. The Hall Master... dead? Killed by a constable?

"The Hall Master is dead!"

"Run!"

Someone shouted, and the remaining gang members scattered in terror, fleeing into the mountains without a backward glance, scrambling and crawling.

The five constables stood dumbfounded, gazing at Li Yifan, who stood blade in hand, drenched in blood, as if looking upon a God or Devil. Killing a Fierce Tiger Gang Hall Master across realms! What astonishing combat strength!

Li Yifan leaned on his saber, breathing heavily. That burst of explosive force had drained most of his stamina and blood energy, but his spirit was abnormally high. This battle, fought with a desperate, mutual-destruction style, had been fraught with danger, but the gains were immense!

[After a life-or-death battle, potential unleashed. Basic Breathing Technique upgraded to: Mastery (1/1000)! Internal energy (true qi) begins initial condensation.]

[Skill: Five Tiger Severing Gate Saber upgraded to: Mastery (5/1000)! Saber technique enters a new realm.]

[Realm: Body Tempering Refining (Mid-stage: 30/100). Blood energy further condensed.]

Basic Breathing Technique and Five Tiger Severing Gate Saber had both reached Mastery! A purer energy was growing inside him—the seed of internal energy (true qi)! Though still faint, it meant he was transcending pure external training, stepping toward a higher level! Strength, speed, and perception all fully elevated!

"Clean the battlefield. Take the prisoners and herbs. Return to the city at once!" Li Yifan suppressed his inner joy and gave the order immediately. This place wasn't safe to linger. The Fierce Tiger Gang wouldn't let a Hall Master's death slide.

On the way back, Li Yifan regulated his breathing to recover while thinking. Killing Lei Bao had sealed a blood feud with the Fierce Tiger Gang. Next, he'd have to carefully handle the gang's retaliation and any potential trouble from within the County Government—Zhao Hu and those behind him.

But risk and opportunity went hand in hand. After this battle, his prestige in Black Mountain City would reach new heights. The three Blood Ginsengs in his bosom were the key to rapidly boosting his strength!

Back at the County Government, when Li Yifan laid Lei Bao's head and the recovered herbs worth a thousand taels of silver before the hall, the entire government erupted!

Prefect Wang stared at the gruesome head, then at Li Yifan, who radiated valor and a faint hint of Sha Qi. His hands trembled slightly as he said repeatedly, "Good! Good! Constable Li... no, Chief Constable Li! You've rid the area of a great scourge and recovered heavy stolen goods—a monumental achievement! This official immediately promotes you to Chief Constable of Black Mountain City! Reward silver... two hundred taels!"

Zhao Hu rushed over upon hearing the news. Seeing Lei Bao's head and Li Yifan's triumphant demeanor, his face turned deathly pale. His gaze toward Li Yifan was filled with terror, and any improper thoughts he might have harbored were utterly extinguished.

Li Yifan accepted the appointment and reward silver calmly. The position of Chief Constable was legitimate and would make his actions smoother.

That night, in Li Yifan's small courtyard.

He took out one Blood Ginseng and, with other auxiliary herbs, brewed a large pot of thick medicinal broth. The crimson liquid bubbled, releasing an exotic fragrance that stirred the blood.

Li Yifan stripped off his clothes and sat down in the specially made medicinal barrel. The scalding medicinal power pierced into his pores like thousands of fine needles, drilling deep into his muscles!

"Ugh..." Even with his willpower, he couldn't help but grunt. The medicinal force was too overbearing!

He immediately activated his Mastery-level Basic Breathing Technique at full power, channeling the surging medicinal energy to scour and temper every inch of muscle! Intense soreness, numbness, swelling, and pain came, as if his muscles were being torn apart and reknit!

[Using a fifty-year 'Blood Ginseng' medicinal bath, blood energy surges wildly. Basic Breathing Technique efficiency greatly increased! Body Refining realm cultivation advances rapidly!]

A night passed. When the sky began to lighten, the water in the barrel had turned clear. Li Yifan opened his eyes, a sharp light flashing! He lightly clenched his fist, and the air seemed to be crushed, emitting a faint whine. The lines of his muscles were smoother and more defined, containing explosive power.

[Realm: Body Tempering Refining (Late-stage: 80/100)!]

One Blood Ginseng had nearly carried him through the entire mid-stage of Body Refining! At this rate, using the remaining two would make Body Refining perfection imminent! He might even glimpse the Bone Refining realm!

But the tree wants stillness, yet the wind won't cease.

The next day at noon, a constable rushed in to report: "Chief Constable, something's wrong! The Fierce Tiger Gang's leader, 'Mountain-Splitting Tiger' Zhao Kuang, has brought a large group to block the city gate. He says... he wants you to hand over the murderer of Lei Bao."

What was coming had finally arrived!

Li Yifan's eyes showed no surprise, only icy battle intent. He picked up the waist saber resting across his knees and rose to his full height.

"Quite the big talk! Let's see if this 'Mountain-Splitting Tiger' has the skill to back it up!"