Zero-Dollar Shopping

Early the next morning, at the Azure Cloud Martial Hall.

The Martial Practice Field was much livelier than usual; many disciples had no heart for practicing their punches, gathering in small groups to chat.

"Have you heard? Something happened last night!"

"What happened? Tell us quickly!"

"The Black Water Gang mobilized their entire West Street branch last night! They surrounded the Zhao Family's grain shop on West Street and their pharmacy on East Street! They had their weapons drawn, and the two sides were staring each other down across the street—it looked like a fight was about to break out!"

Li Pingsheng stood on the edge of the crowd, hearing these words.

He noticed that Zhao Ming was not there today, and those around him claimed he had "caught a cold and was resting at home."

Resting?

More likely he was too scared to step outside.

"The Zhao Family isn't easy to provoke either. Why is the Black Water Gang so furious this time?"

"I heard it's because two important figures from the Black Water Gang died behind the martial hall. They are convinced the Zhao Family did it and are demanding they hand over the killer!"

"This is going to be a show worth watching!"

Just as everyone was chatting enthusiastically, a voice drowned out the noise.

"Why are you all gathered here? Have you finished gossiping and mastered your punches?"

Instructor Wu walked into the Martial Practice Field, his gaze sweeping over everyone.

The disciples scattered instantly, returning to their positions to practice.

Zhao Zhentian had taken the bait, just as expected.

The clues Li Pingsheng left behind included the Bone Whistle stained with Zhao Ming's blood essence, traces of corrosion from the Corpse Dissolving Powder, and the bodies of the two Black Water Gang dead soldiers.

Everything pointed to the Zhao Family playing dirty, killing for treasure.

Given Zhao Zhentian's personality, he wouldn't believe Zhao Ming had simply lost the Bone Whistle; he would only think the Black Water Gang had set a trap.

The struggle between the two sides had officially begun.

Li Pingsheng wiped away his sweat, calculating in his mind.

To pressure the Zhao Family, the Black Water Gang must have sent out all their elites, meaning their lair in the Inner City must be defenseless right now.

He had been worrying about how to buy high-grade demonic beast meat, and this was the perfect opportunity.

Rather than wasting time at the martial hall, it was better to take the initiative.

He had an idea.

Raid the Black Water Gang's lair!

Tonight was the best time.

Late at night.

The heavy rain had stopped, and the sky was covered by dark clouds, with no moon in sight.

The Inner City was deathly silent.

A black shadow leaped over the courtyard wall of the Azure Cloud Martial Hall.

Li Pingsheng had changed into tight-fitting night-traveling clothes, his face covered by a black cloth, leaving only his eyes exposed.

He activated the [Wind Treading] talent.

With a light tap of his toes on the rooftops, he surged forward dozens of feet at a time.

There was not a sound beneath his feet.

The streets and mansions below retreated rapidly.

Half an hour later, the headquarters of the Black Water Gang appeared before him.

Li Pingsheng did not approach, instead hiding in a large pine tree a hundred meters away, using the branches and leaves to conceal his figure as he watched the manor below.

Just as he had thought, the lights in the manor were sparse, and the usual guards were reduced to only a few patrolling squads.

Most of the elites had been deployed to confront the Zhao Family.

Those left behind were nothing but the old, the weak, and the infirm.

Li Pingsheng closed his eyes and activated the [Martial Wisdom] talent.

He could sense the footsteps of the patrol members, the sound of their yawns, and the chatter of two hidden sentries behind the rockery.

Every gap in the defenses and every blind spot in the patrols became crystal clear.

Now is the time!

Li Pingsheng leaped down from the pine tree.

He circled to the backyard, evading three waves of patrols.

Passing by the rockery, he flicked two gusts of force, striking the sleep acupoints of the two hidden sentries.

The two men collapsed to the ground, dead to the world.

The entire process did not alert a single soul.

Soon, he crept to the innermost part of the manor, standing before an independent building constructed from massive stones.

This was the treasury of the Black Water Gang.

There was no one at the entrance of the treasury; a lock made of refined steel weighing dozens of catties hung upon the heavy profound iron door.

Li Pingsheng did not have the key.

He extended his right index finger, a spark of electricity igniting at the tip, and pressed it against the keyhole.

He compressed the blood energy of Thunderclap Explosion into his fingertip.

The internal mechanism of the refined steel lock was shattered by the vibrating force.

There was not a single scratch on the exterior of the lock.

With a gentle push, the heavy iron door swung open.

A scent of gold, silver, and medicinal herbs wafted out.

Inside the treasury, rows of wooden shelves were stacked with boxes of banknotes and neatly arranged gold bars.

He unfolded a prepared bundle and swept all the banknotes and gold bars from the shelves into it.

After looting the gold and silver, his gaze shifted to the depths of the treasury.

There sat three heavy chests forged from profound iron, sealed with the Black Water Gang's official strips.

Li Pingsheng used his finger force to shatter the chest locks, and a ripple of blood energy emanated from within.

Inside the chests lay two types of items.

One was red dried meat, the prime flesh of the Tier 2 demonic beast, the Red-Scaled Pig.

The other was a paste-like substance stored in jade boxes, the bone marrow of the Tier 3 demonic beast, the Iron-Armored Savage Bull.

Both were high-level cultivation resources.

Li Pingsheng packed these three chests away as well.

Just as he was preparing to leave, his Martial Wisdom made him feel that the ground beneath his feet was somewhat off.

He crouched down and tapped the floor beneath the antique shelf, discovering that one of the bluestone slabs was suspicious.

Hooking his fingertips into the gap of the slab, he pried it open with force, revealing a hidden compartment beneath.

Lying in the compartment was a yellowed, tattered manual.

The cover bore three characters: Breath Concealment Art.

Li Pingsheng flipped through it rapidly.

The manual detailed a technique for concealing one's blood energy and disguising one's cultivation realm.

In the past, when he snuck into the Zhao Mansion at night, he relied entirely on the silent movement technique of Wind Treading and the extraordinary perception of Martial Wisdom to physically evade the sight and hearing of all guards.

But that only worked against ordinary guards and low-level martial artists.

The true experts of this world possessed keen senses and could even track enemies based on subtle changes in air temperature and fluctuations in blood energy.

Moreover, his strength was increasing too rapidly in the martial arts hall, and the lightning-attribute blood energy within his body surged like a rushing river.

Without a method to mask his cultivation, he would be exposed sooner or later.

This Breath Concealment Art was exactly what he needed to patch his only weakness.

He activated his Martial Wisdom talent, and the meridian pathways and blood energy circulation methods in the manual became clear to him instantly; he understood every difficulty.

He immediately grasped the essence of this technique.

Following the method to circulate his blood energy, the vigorous lightning-attribute blood energy in his body began to retract and fall silent.

After a few breaths, his entire presence transformed into that of an ordinary person.

It was done.

This Breath Concealment Art was perfectly suited for his current needs.

Li Pingsheng bundled up all his spoils and slung them over his back.

Just as he turned to leave, he heard the sound of a heavy object hitting the ground in the quiet outer courtyard of the manor.

This was followed by the sound of bones snapping and suppressed cries.

Someone was there!

And there was more than one!

Li Pingsheng held his breath, pushing the Breath Concealment Art to its limit.

He suppressed his heartbeat and breathing, pressing himself into the shadows behind the treasury door.

Footsteps approached from afar, moving with extreme speed and landing without a sound.

Through the crack in the door, Li Pingsheng saw a figure also dressed in tight night-traveling clothes, sprinting toward the direction of the treasury.

The man gripped a slender, flexible sword that was still dripping with blood.

The killing intent radiating from his body was even thicker than that of the late Master Scar.

Another wave of opportunists looking to loot the place?

The man in black was intimately familiar with the layout of the Black Water Gang, heading straight for the treasury.

"BANG!"

He shoved open the treasury doors, only to see the empty shelves and the steel lock with its core destroyed lying on the floor. He froze for a moment, then let out a low growl.

"Damn it! Someone beat me to it!"

He whipped his head around, his eyes glowing with a green light in the darkness, and locked onto the shadows where Li Pingsheng was hiding.