For the next three days, life carried on as usual, following the same routine.
He went up the mountain to gather herbs, then came back down to practice martial arts.
Lu Li didn't go fishing in troubled waters again, since the two gangs had called off their fighting.
This made him suspect that someone was pulling the strings behind the gangs.
One day, they'd been fighting to the death, swearing they wouldn't stop until one side was wiped out.
The next, they'd suddenly sheathed their weapons and made peace.
Unless both gang leaders had gone mad at the same time, Lu Li firmly believed there had to be someone behind the scenes.
The two gangs had also spread word in secret that they were taking time to recuperate and would fight again another day, and so on.
They said the same thing after every fight. Everyone else still had to scramble to earn a living, so they were happy enough with the arrangement.
But Lu Li didn't believe it.
In the courtyard, he set down his empty herb basket, his thoughts turning over and over.
I never expected even a little gang to have someone backing it. I just wonder which big shot it is.
With a big shot mediating between them, they've calmed down. They're bound to come to their senses and realize someone's been fishing in troubled waters, then launch a full investigation.
Zhang Hu and I have a grudge between us. I wonder if they'll trace it back to me.
At the thought, Lu Li gave a slight shake of his head.
Putting myself in their shoes, if I were a gang leader, I'd never think a useless peasant who digs food out of the dirt was behind this.
Still, better safe than sorry. I must be even more careful not to reveal my strength.
And there's the Incense Fragrance Sect. Nearly half a month has passed without anyone returning to report. I wonder if they've noticed.
Though danger seemed to lurk on every side, Lu Li had hidden himself well, and his strength was steadily improving. He wasn't particularly worried.
What he should worry about now was having no income.
A single coin could bring a hero to his knees. That was the real headache.
"Tsk. The Tiger-Subduing Fist can only take me to the Tendon-Refining Realm, and I'm not far from reaching it."
"I need a follow-up martial art that can take me to a higher level. But where am I supposed to get one?"
"Even if I knew where to look, it'd surely take a lot of money. And right now, I don't even know where to look..."
Lu Li's face fell as his gaze turned toward Long-Abundance Mountain.
"Looks like it's time to venture a little deeper into Long-Abundance Mountain. I won't go too far at first. I'll test the waters bit by bit."
He had already broken through to the Flesh-Refining Realm. Even Skin-Refining warriors dared to enter the mountain, so naturally he could too.
Lu Li began laying out a series of plans.
Aside from making money, he had another goal: to obtain an official identity. Only then could he spend money openly.
If he was lucky enough to find a rare medicinal herb on this trip, he would present it to the Huang Family and earn himself a position as a martial arts-trained servant.
Then, using that position, he could keep asking around for information.
Long-Abundance Mountain was rich in resources. It held not only demonic beasts, but also things that couldn't be brought into the light.
Of course, Lu Li had no idea what exactly could be found there.
Once he had made up his mind, Lu Li immediately began practicing martial arts. He couldn't afford to slack off for even a single day.
The Inner City of Changfeng County.
Inside an unremarkable house.
Four men sat around a square table.
Two of them, dressed in expensive finery and carrying an air of distinction, sat at the head of the table.
One had prominent cheekbones and long, loose hair, his features rather feminine.
The other had the typical figure of a prosperous, middle-aged man and nothing particularly remarkable about him.
The two men seated below them were both tall, burly, and powerfully built.
At that moment, they glared at each other as if their eyes were spitting fire. Their faces were full of rage as they shouted insults and pounded the table until it shook violently.
"Old Dog Lin, fine, we've always brawled and fought over territory. But you actually had my Black Wolf Gang's men assassinated!"
"Fine! I'll put up with that!"
"But you should never, ever have killed Zhang Hu. If he'd been allowed to grow, he would've become a pillar of the Black Wolf Gang!"
"Or are you just a useless coward, afraid the Black Wolf Gang would grow strong enough to crush you?"
"Bullshit! Old Cat Zhao, when did I ever send people to assassinate your Black Tiger Gang's men? Wasn't it your bastard lot who sent people to kill my Blood Wolf Gang's brothers?"
They traded accusations, neither yielding an inch.
Suddenly, both men shot to their feet.
Their blood and energy surged, their murderous intent rising as their muscles bulged and rippled. They were clearly summoning their strength, ready to fight.
"Enough, enough. What kind of conduct is this, fighting and killing at the drop of a hat? Sit down and talk." The feminine-looking man tapped the table lightly with his knuckles, displeasure on his face.
His voice made both men shudder.
They gave a cold snort and sat back down, their faces dark.
The feminine-looking man turned to the prosperous man. "Brother Huang He, you wouldn't be behind these dirty tricks, would you?"
Huang He took a small sip of tea, breathed out a puff of white steam, and smiled. "Wang Ju, why would I do such a thing? We're all grasshoppers tied to the same boat."
"If the Black Tiger Gang were gone, I'd have to do more myself. The family's affairs already give me enough trouble. I don't want to get any more involved in gang matters."
"If it weren't for..."
He pointed north, in the direction of the county yamen.
"I wouldn't want to get mixed up in this either."
Wang Ju nodded, understanding Huang He's predicament.
Ever since the county magistrate had forced them into it, Wang Ju had founded the Black Tiger Gang and Huang He the Blood Wolf Gang.
After that, they'd had no choice but to worry about gang business. They no longer had time to play with those tender-skinned young men.
And if it came out that Wang Ju had founded and secretly backed the Black Tiger Gang, people would surely point fingers at him and condemn him.
Wang Ju and Huang He exchanged a glance. They already had a suspicion in mind.
They both knew the situation well and had kept their gangs from going too far.
Brawling and squabbling were fine, but wiping out a gang or an entire family was absolutely forbidden. They had always maintained a balance.
Otherwise, if one side showed weakness, the other would surely be reprimanded.
Then, in a fit of rage, they might bring the power of their families to bear, and the trouble would only grow worse.
Neither side wanted that.
Besides, neither of them wanted to be the county magistrate's dog.
"Do you think an expert might be fishing in troubled waters behind the scenes?" Huang He asked, his gaze sweeping over Zhao Heihu and Lin Batian.
Zhao Heihu shook his head. "I don't think so. I'm always telling my underlings not to offend experts lightly. They're not idiots; they know how to read a situation."
"They've only harmed peasants. They've always been polite to people with status, even those who've entered martial arts schools and learned martial arts."
Lin Batian nodded too. "Master Huang, I've taken your words to heart. I'm always keeping my men in line as well. I honestly have no idea what big shot they might have offended."
"Besides, aside from those few martial arts schools, there aren't any experts in the Outer City."
Huang He and Wang Ju each studied Zhao Heihu and Lin Batian.
Both men looked calm, even a little aggrieved. They didn't seem to be lying.
Huang He mulled it over for a moment, then stood. "There's no way to tell much in such a short time. You two go back and look into who your men might have offended, then draw up a list and deal with it yourselves."
Wang Ju stood too. His long hair fell to his waist, making him look even more feminine. "Zhao Heihu, listen to Brother Huang He."
"If you find the person and can handle it, then handle it. If you can't, make a big matter small, and a small matter disappear."
He narrowed his eyes. "If you dare drag the Wang Family into this, watch your hide!"
"You're a Flesh-Refining warrior too. Use your own judgment!"
With that, he left with Huang He.
Lin Batian and Zhao Heihu stared at each other in the room.
Now that they had calmed down, they had come around to the same conclusion.
They realized that having someone assassinate the other side had brought them no benefit at all.
Their territory had grown, but it wasn't theirs to keep.
"Should we investigate together?" Zhao Heihu asked.
Lin Batian nodded. "He's been playing me in the palm of his hand. I won't be satisfied until I chop him to pieces!"
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