The Person Behind the Scenes

For the next three days, life remained as usual, a simple routine between two points.

He would head up Long-Abundance Mountain to gather herbs, then return to practice martial arts.

Lu Li did not go back to fish in troubled waters, as the two gangs had ceased hostilities.

This made Lu Li highly suspicious that there was someone pulling the strings behind the scenes.

One day they were fighting to the death, swearing they would never stop.

The next day, they suddenly laid down their weapons and lived in peace.

Unless both gang leaders had gone mad at the same time, Lu Li firmly refused to believe there was no one behind the curtain.

However, both gangs secretly spread rumors, claiming they were merely resting and regrouping to fight another day.

They said this after every fight, and since others had to scramble to make a living, they were naturally happy to accept it.

But Lu Li did not believe it.

In the courtyard, he set down his empty herb basket, his mind racing.

I never expected that even a small gang would have someone behind it. I just wonder which big shot it really is.

With a big shot mediating, they will surely calm down and eventually realize that someone was fishing in troubled waters, leading them to launch a series of investigations.

I have a grudge against Zhang Hu; I don't know if they will trace it back to me.

Thinking of this, Lu Li shook his head slightly.

Put yourself in their shoes—if I were a gang leader, I certainly wouldn't think it was the work of some useless peasant digging in the dirt.

Still, caution is the parent of safety; I must be even more careful not to reveal my strength.

And then there is the Incense Fragrance Sect. It has been nearly half a month since anyone returned to report back; I wonder if they have noticed.

Though it seemed fraught with danger, Lu Li had hidden himself well, and his strength was steadily improving, so he was not particularly worried.

What he needed to worry about now was the lack of silver income.

As the saying goes, a single penny can stump a hero; this was the most headache-inducing part.

Tsk, the Tiger-Subduing Fist can only take me as far as the Tendon-Refining Realm, and I'm not far off from reaching that stage myself.

I need follow-up martial arts that can reach higher levels, but where am I supposed to get them?

Even if I knew the channels, I would certainly need a large amount of silver, but right now, I don't even have the channels...

Lu Li wore a troubled expression, his gaze drifting toward Long-Abundance Mountain.

It seems it is time to venture a bit deeper into Long-Abundance Mountain. I won't go too deep at first; I'll test the waters slowly.

Now that he had broken through to the Flesh-Refining Realm, even those martial artists at the Skin-Refining Realm dared to enter the mountain, so he naturally could as well.

Lu Li began to map out a series of plans in his mind.

Beyond making money, he had another goal: to obtain a legitimate identity so he could spend his money openly.

If he were lucky enough to find a precious herb during this trip into the mountain, he would present it to the Huang Family to gain the status of a martial-arts-practicing servant.

Then, using that identity, he could continuously gather information.

Long-Abundance Mountain was rich in resources; it contained not only demonic beasts but also some things that could not see the light of day.

Of course, Lu Li did not currently know exactly what those were.

Having made up his mind, Lu Li immediately began his martial arts practice, not daring to slack off for a single day.

Inside the inner city of Changfeng County.

In an unknown room.

Four people sat around a square table.

Two of them, dressed in expensive, fine clothing with an extraordinary air, sat at the head of the table.

One had prominent cheekbones and long, disheveled hair, with eyes that appeared quite feminine.

The other had the typical physique of a middle-aged man who had let himself go, with nothing particularly remarkable about him.

The two sitting below them were both burly, tall, and fierce-looking men.

At this moment, the two glared at each other, their eyes seemingly spitting fire. Their faces were full of rage, and they kept shouting and cursing, slamming the table until it shook violently.

"Old Dog Lin, we can bicker and fight over territory all we want, but you actually assassinated my Black Wolf Gang disciples!"

"Fine! I'll endure that!"

"But you never should have killed Zhang Hu! As long as he had the chance to grow, he would have been a pillar of my Black Wolf Gang!"

"Or is it that you, a piece of trash, are afraid that my Black Wolf Gang's strength will rise and suppress you?"

"Bullshit! Old Cat Zhao, when did I ever send people to assassinate your Black Tiger Gang members? Wasn't it you, you son of a bitch, who sent people to assassinate my Blood Wolf Gang brothers?"

The two went back and forth, trading barbs and clashing head-on.

The two of them stood up in a flash.

Blood surged, killing intent billowed, and their muscles rippled and bulged; they were clearly mobilizing their strength, preparing to brawl.

"That's enough, that's enough. What kind of decorum is this, fighting and killing? Sit down and talk." The effeminate man looked displeased, tapping his knuckles lightly against the table.

His voice made both men shudder.

The two let out cold snorts and sat back down, their faces gloomy.

The effeminate man turned his head to look at the portly man: "Brother Huang He, you wouldn't be involved in these shady dealings, would you?"

Huang He took a light sip of tea, exhaled a puff of white steam, and smiled: "Wang Ju, why would I, Huang He, do such things? We are all grasshoppers on the same string."

"If the Black Tiger Gang is gone, I'll have to put in more effort. The family business is already exhausting enough; I don't want to meddle any further in gang affairs."

"If it weren't for..."

He pointed toward the north, where the county magistrate's office was located.

"I wouldn't want to get involved in any of this."

Wang Ju nodded, understanding Huang He's predicament.

Ever since they were coerced by the county magistrate, he had founded the Black Tiger Gang, and Huang He had founded the Blood Wolf Gang.

From then on, they had to worry about gang matters, leaving them no time to play with those delicate, fair-skinned youths.

Furthermore, if it were exposed that the Black Tiger Gang was founded and secretly supported by him, Wang Ju, he would surely be condemned by everyone.

Wang Ju and Huang He exchanged a glance, a suspicion already forming in their minds.

They both knew full well that they had always restrained their gangs from going too far.

Scuffles were fine, but things like destroying gangs or wiping out families were strictly forbidden; they had always maintained a balance.

Otherwise, if one side showed weakness, the other would inevitably be held accountable.

When that time came, they would be forced to use their family influence in a fit of desperation, and the situation would only spiral out of control.

This was something neither side wanted to see.

Moreover, neither of them wanted to be the county magistrate's dog.

"Do you think there might be an expert hiding in the shadows, fishing in troubled waters?" Huang He's gaze swept over Zhao Heihu and Lin Batian.

Zhao Heihu shook his head: "Unlikely. I often warn my underlings not to easily offend experts; they aren't stupid, they know who to avoid."

"The victims are all peasants. Those with status, or even those who have joined martial arts halls to train, are all treated with courtesy."

Lin Batian also nodded: "Master Huang, I have kept your words in mind. I also constantly restrain my subordinates. I truly don't know who they could have offended."

"Besides, there aren't any experts in the outer city other than those few martial arts halls."

Huang He and Wang Ju both scanned Zhao Heihu and Lin Batian.

Seeing that both men looked normal, even a bit aggrieved, they realized they weren't lying.

Huang He pondered for a moment and stood up: "In the short term, it's hard to tell. You two go back, investigate thoroughly who your subordinates might have offended, draw up a list, and resolve it yourselves."

Wang Ju also stood up, his long hair draping to his waist, making him appear even more effeminate: "Zhao Heihu, listen to Brother Huang He."

"If you find the person and can handle it, then handle it. If you can't, make the big problems small and the small ones disappear."

He narrowed his eyes: "If you dare to drag my Wang Family into this, watch your own skin!"

"You are a Flesh-Refining martial artist yourself, so handle it as you see fit!"

With that, he left with Huang He.

Lin Batian and Zhao Heihu were left in the room, looking at each other in dismay.

Now that they had calmed down, they had also begun to see the truth.

They realized that sending men to assassinate each other truly brought them no benefits.

Even if their territory grew, it wouldn't belong to them anyway.

"Shall we investigate together?" Zhao Heihu asked.

Lin Batian nodded: "To think someone has been playing us like puppets—I must slaughter him to vent the hatred in my heart!"