The Unknown Gaze

Fan Family Winery.

"Sister, Brother Luo Zheng recommended a disciple from his martial hall to me. Come take a look!"

The young man with delicate features held up a portrait, his face full of excitement.

Under a willow tree, a woman dressed in a light green gown was admiring the flowers.

When she turned around, the pair of ample mounds on her chest were particularly striking, their beauty further accentuated by the silk fabric wrapping them.

Fan Wanyu's eyes lit up.

"Bring it here for your sister to see."

Fan Wanyu took the portrait and studied it carefully for a moment.

"He isn't exactly handsome, but he's not hideous either. He's refined enough, I suppose. How is his martial cultivation?"

The young man chuckled.

"He passed the first Gate-Knocking at eighteen, and he's currently preparing for the second."

The light in Fan Wanyu's eyes grew even brighter.

"Did Luo Zheng tell you how long it took him to break through to Bright Force?"

The young man gave a sheepish smile.

"Well... a little over five months."

"If you ask me, Sister, you shouldn't be so picky. There aren't many people willing to propose to you in the first place, and you keep finding faults with everyone. Where in this world would you find a perfect man? Even if one existed, he wouldn't be looking for you!"

Fan Wanyu glared at her brother, knowing full well that he was right.

Although their family ran a winery and made a fortune every day, they were still considered beneath notice by the truly prominent, high-ranking families.

True disciples of martial halls or legitimate sons from the inner city would never come looking for her.

Among the many suitors, Li Chuan's conditions were actually quite decent.

Fan Wanyu thought for a moment. "What is his bone structure?"

"Inferior."

"Inferior bone structure and it took him five months to break through to Bright Force? Doesn't that mean there's no hope for a second Gate-Knocking?"

A look of disappointment flashed across Fan Wanyu's face.

If he had medium bone structure, she really might have considered it.

"What about his family background?" Fan Wanyu pressed.

"Well," the young man scratched his head, "it seems they have a breakfast shop in the outer city, a family business."

"Oh..." The enthusiasm that had ignited in Fan Wanyu was completely extinguished.

Seeing her expression, the young man grew anxious.

"Sister, you're already eighteen! If you don't marry soon, you won't be able to get married at all. You know your own situation; among those who have proposed, Li Chuan is already one of the better ones!"

"Besides, he was highly recommended by Brother Luo, and the two of them have a close relationship. That's a huge advantage!"

Fan Wanyu nodded absentmindedly.

But the thought of marrying such a man—while not exactly a bad deal—left her feeling a sense of deep unwillingness.

The man of her dreams should at least be someone like Qin Feng from the Pine Wind Martial Hall.

Or, at the very least, someone like Luo Zheng, who possessed Dark Force cultivation and a substantial family fortune!

The young man looked ashen.

"You're going to reject this too?"

"No." Fan Wanyu thought it over. "Let's stall for now and see how he develops. If he manages to pass the second Gate-Knocking by some stroke of luck, it wouldn't be impossible to give him a chance."

The young man curled his lip, thinking to himself, If he really reaches Dark Force, do you think he'd still be interested in you?

The news soon reached Pine Wind Martial Hall.

Luo Zheng held up a letter and read aloud:

"I thank Brother Li for his kind affection, but this young woman must currently assist with the family business and has no thoughts of marriage. If Brother Li is truly interested, could you perhaps wait a while?!"

"Bang!" Luo Zheng slammed the letter onto the ground. "Wait a while? What kind of suitor is asked to wait a while? I never expected Fan Wanyu to be so thick-skinned and shameless!"

Luo Zheng was filled with righteous indignation, but Li Chuan felt no disappointment at all.

He had held a casual attitude toward the matter from the start and hadn't pinned much hope on it anyway.

Being rejected was just that—a rejection. It was no big deal.

Luo Zheng had spoken with such certainty earlier, but now that he had been rejected, he couldn't quite hide his embarrassment.

After Fan Wanyu, he had presented over a dozen more portraits for Li Chuan to choose from.

However, after being rejected, Li Chuan's interest had already faded.

After being turned down several more times in succession, Luo Zheng had no choice but to give up.

Two days before New Year's Eve.

Just as Li Chuan was preparing to pack his bags to head home, an unexpected visitor showed up at his door.

Wang Youfang walked in from outside the Martial Hall, grabbed Li Chuan by the arm, and tried to push him toward the shop.

"Wait!" Li Chuan looked at him warily.

With that round face and thick beard, he couldn't help but be suspicious!

Wang Youfang let out an "oops" and said:

"What are you thinking, Brother Li? I'm a married man! I told you last time that was just a joke. I'm here for something important this time!"

Li Chuan weighed the strength of both parties, and only after ensuring he could easily take down Wang Youfang did he finally relax:

"Speak, what is it?"

During the last incident where refugees hijacked the caravan, Wang Youfang had contributed significantly.

Whenever Luo Houping had valuable medicinal herbs that needed transporting, he would call the two of them along.

After a few delivery runs, the two had become quite familiar with each other.

Wang Youfang's expression suddenly turned serious:

"The Li Family Breakfast Shop in the south of the city, right next to Old Liu Tea Shop—is that yours?"

Li Chuan's heart skipped a beat:

"What happened? Yes, it's mine!"

Wang Youfang let out a heavy sigh:

"Then you're in trouble. I was passing by there today and saw a Bright Force expert lurking in the area. I observed him for a while and noticed his gaze kept lingering on your shop!"

"I'm not mistaken; he was definitely scouting your place. I've made so many delivery runs that I've become quite sharp at observing people."

Bright Force?

Li Chuan frowned:

"I haven't made any friends who are Bright Force experts outside. I spend my days at the Martial Hall and don't have many enemies."

Unless... it was someone from the Black Bear Gang!

Wang Youfang shook his head:

"I don't know your situation, but that man looked vicious and didn't seem like a Martial Hall disciple. You should head back early and keep your guard up. If you need help, come find me."

Li Chuan looked at him:

"Many thanks, Brother Wang. If I need help, I won't stand on ceremony."

Wang Youfang laughed:

"You kid, I was just being polite! Alright, I won't keep you any longer. My wife is still waiting for me at home."

Li Chuan waved goodbye to Wang Youfang, but his eyes had already turned cold.

After he killed Liu Hu last time, the Black Bear Gang had been beaten back repeatedly by the Iron Tiger Gang.

He had assumed they were too preoccupied to worry about him, allowing him some time to develop in peace.

He never expected that after such a short time, they would send someone else—and a Bright Force expert at that.

If that man went berserk, Li Qing wouldn't be able to stop him!

If they simply wanted to buy the shop, Li Chuan could accept a friendly negotiation.

But to send someone to scout his home without even a word of greeting—what were their intentions?

The Black Bear Gang's actions had undoubtedly planted a thorn in Li Chuan's heart.

As long as Cao Yan lived, he would never be at peace!

Li Chuan stopped packing his other belongings and only took what was necessary.

He tightened his collar and turned to walk into the wind and snow.

With New Year's Eve approaching, more shops were open on the streets than usual.

The end of the year was the most profitable time; ordinary people could rest, but shops could not afford to close.

Many noisy conversations drifted into Li Chuan's ears as a result.

Most were trivial chatter, but a few contained significant information.

"I heard the Black Bear Gang has lost quite a few men recently. The Iron Tiger Gang's momentum is growing stronger by the day."

"It's not just that many people died; even their leader, Cao Yan, was surrounded by Song Jin and the Iron Tiger Gang. He only escaped the encirclement after sustaining heavy injuries."

"Hasn't the whole city been buzzing these past few days? The Iron Tiger Gang is about to take over; they're just waiting to claim Cao Yan's head!"

Li Chuan keenly captured the key points in their conversation.

Cao Yan was severely injured?

To be honest, when he first heard it, he almost couldn't resist the urge to go and kill Cao Yan to eliminate the threat once and for all.

But after calming down, he dismissed the idea.

Just how "severe" was Cao Yan's injury?

Information from street vendors wasn't necessarily accurate, and it was easy to exaggerate during casual chatter.

After all, Cao Yan was a veteran of the Bright Force, his vitality honed to perfection, and he was always surrounded by many Black Bear Gang members.

If he were to rashly throw himself into the fray, he might never make it out!

"The Iron Tiger Gang is conducting business. Old man, have you seen any trace of Cao Yan?"

A voice suddenly rang out from not far away.

Li Chuan looked up toward the sound and discovered a vigorous man with a powerful, tiger-like stride, followed by over a dozen gang members.

The stall owner's lips trembled in fear as he hurriedly replied:

"Reporting to Leader Song, I've been here selling melon seeds the whole time and haven't seen anything."

Li Chuan understood in his heart.

So this vigorous man was Song Jin, the leader of the Iron Tiger Gang?

Song Jin wore a gentle smile on his face:

"No matter, old man. If you hear or see any clues, you can come find my brothers."

"If the information is verified, there is a reward of ten taels of silver."

The stall owner quickly cupped his hands and said:

"Leader Song is benevolent and righteous. If I find any clues, I will certainly report them immediately!"

Li Chuan intended to walk past them, but unexpectedly, one of the gang members looked at him and suddenly shouted.

In an instant, the other gang members tensed their muscles, their hands reaching behind them.

Even the kind-faced Song Jin narrowed his eyes, his killing intent fully exposed.

"It's Bright Force Li!" the Triangular Eyes gang member shouted excitedly.

Li Chuan looked at him, feeling a sense of recognition.

This man had come to find him a few months ago, trying to invite him to take a part-time position at the Iron Tiger Gang with a monthly salary of two taels of silver.

The pay was generous, the attitude was polite, and even when he refused, the man remained respectful.

When Song Jin heard it wasn't someone from the Black Bear Gang, he relaxed and laughed:

"Bright Force Li? A-San, why didn't you introduce me to your new friend?"

The man with Triangular Eyes, A-San, hurriedly said:

"Leader Song, this is the top disciple of Master Liang from the Pine Wind Martial Hall. You sent me to recruit him not long ago during his Gate-Knocking."

Song Jin raised an eyebrow and scrutinized Li Chuan carefully.

At that time, he had indeed sent A-San to recruit Li Chuan, but he had heard that Li Chuan only possessed low-grade talent and had only broken through because he was pressed by the assessment deadline.

He had also heard rumors that the man liked to frequent brothels and spent all his family's money chasing women.

Therefore, Song Jin had assumed he was just a flashy, useless spear and hadn't paid much attention to him.

But now, meeting him in person, Song Jin knew those rumors were complete bullshit!

Facing the pressure of over a dozen men just moments ago, his expression hadn't changed in the slightest.

Moreover, looking into his eyes, one could see a faint trace of killing intent flowing within.

Someone who had never killed could never possess such an aura.

That wasn't something one could fake!

Although Li Chuan hadn't displayed his vitality, Song Jin knew from the calluses on his hands that his combat power was definitely not weak.

He wasn't a flashy spear at all; he was a spear meant for killing!

Song Jin cupped his hands and smiled:

"So it is Brother Li in the flesh. I am Song Jin, leader of the Iron Tiger Gang. A pleasure to meet you!"

Li Chuan returned the gesture, but not wanting to get too involved with them, he found an excuse to leave after a few brief words.

Song Jin watched Li Chuan walk away.

A-San was filled with shock, never expecting his own leader to show such respect to a Bright Force practitioner.

Li Chuan bypassed the bustling crowd and arrived at the familiar Li Family Breakfast Shop.

But he didn't rush inside; instead, he observed from the outside.

After waiting for about half a quarter of an hour, Li Chuan narrowed his eyes.

Sure enough, a man in black was loitering nearby.

He appeared to be wandering aimlessly, but his gaze was constantly drifting toward his shop!