Opportunity

After leaving Treasure Brocade Workshop and walking down the long alley to its entrance, he seemed to sense something. Turning around, he saw only a black shadow flash past at the far end of the alley. Having lived two lives, his overlapping souls gave him an edge over ordinary people in terms of spiritual perception.

A sense of urgency rose within him. He could not be sure whether the Black Tiger Gang had sent someone to watch him or whether it had merely been an accidental glance from a passerby, but no matter what, the Black Tiger Gang was a hidden threat that had to be eliminated.

Unable to make a breakthrough in his stance training anytime soon, if he wanted to improve his cultivation, he would have to practice archery and boxing—especially archery!

Over the following days, whenever Zhao Feng returned from the martial arts school, he would frantically practice archery in the open space behind the row houses. Sometimes, he even trained through the night by moonlight!

1600, 1700, 1800...

His archery progress rose steadily before his eyes. Finally, several days later, enduring the numb soreness in both arms, he fired another arrow and knocked down the crude target.

A flash of white light passed through his mind, and a line of small text appeared before his eyes.

[Archery Mastery (1/4000)]

According to the information provided by the panel, once his archery reached mastery, he could hit a stationary target ten times out of ten at seventy paces, and hit a moving target five or six times out of ten. At fifty paces, he could hit a moving target seven or eight times out of ten, while within thirty paces, he could hit a moving target ten times out of ten as well.

With mastery-level archery, he at least had a little more confidence.

Zhao Feng's plan was to go all the way and eliminate the Black Tiger Gang's leader. Then, the Black Tiger Gang would most likely fall apart and no longer have the spare attention to deal with him, resolving this hidden danger once and for all. Otherwise, he would not be able to sleep soundly.

However, while he was still planning how to strike, the Black Tiger Gang and the Three Harmonies Gang suddenly erupted into another series of bloody clashes. More than thirty gangs occupied territories of varying sizes in the outer city, and all kinds of gang fights occurred almost every day. Yet this conflict between the Black Tiger Gang and the Three Harmonies Gang was particularly brutal, lasting for several days.

Quite a few people were killed or wounded. Even the county office, which had always ignored the outer city, sent people over. Though they merely handled some cleanup afterward and made no other move, it still showed how serious the situation had become.

"The Three Harmonies Gang has the upper hand. I heard both the Black Tiger Gang's leader and deputy leader were injured."

"They've lost several territories in a row."

"The Three Harmonies Gang is getting stronger and stronger. They haven't just clashed with the Black Tiger Gang—they've fought several other gangs too, and they've come out on top every time."

"They've declared that the entire outer city will belong to them sooner or later."

People were discussing it not only in the streets; even the disciples at the martial arts school whispered about it as they practiced their punches.

Zhao Feng, standing nearby, remained calm and showed no reaction, as though it had nothing to do with him. As usual, he practiced his stance and boxing alone.

He threw a punch, and it exploded through the air with a sharp crack.

"Senior Brother Zhao made a bursting sound too."

"Our Eight Extremes Fist is said to be worth a thousand gold for a single sound. I never expected Senior Brother Zhao's comprehension to be so strong as well."

The surrounding disciples all looked at him in surprise.

The ordinarily inconspicuous Senior Brother Zhao had actually produced a bursting sound.

Huo Shan stood in the courtyard and paused slightly at the sight, but he did not go over. Instead, he turned and entered the rear courtyard.

This disciple had good comprehension and a steady mind. It was just a pity that his natural physique was too ordinary. His potential had already been exhausted, and he would not get far in the future.

Night fell, and aside from certain pleasure districts in the inner city, all of Big Stone County had sunk into darkness and silence.

In the outer city's West Mountain Ward, within a courtyard at the end of a hidden unnamed alley, shadowy figures moved beneath the dim yellow candlelight.

Several burly men in black stood guard in the courtyard with sabers in hand, while the main room was filled with the smell of medicinal broth and blood.

"Sixth Brother!" Gang leader Feng Dahu had bandages wrapped around his shoulder as he looked sorrowfully at deputy leader Ma Liu, who had just breathed his last on the bed. Ma Liu had been an old brother who had fought beside him through bloodshed, his most capable subordinate, and a fellow Bright Force martial artist. Yet he had failed to hold on for more than a few days and died beneath the Three Harmonies Gang's blades. Their headquarters had been lost as well.

"Three Harmonies Gang! Bald Zhang!" Feng Dahu gritted out each word.

"I'll fight you to the death!" He reached for his saber with one hand.

"Gang Leader, you mustn't!" Lü Tong, the strategist beside him, hurriedly stopped him.

"The Three Harmonies Gang is powerful now. Even when the deputy leader was still alive, we were no match for them. Now the deputy leader is dead, you are injured, and we've suffered heavy losses among the brothers. If we risk everything now, we'll be playing right into their hands. We'll all be finished."

"How did this happen? Why did the Three Harmonies Gang suddenly become so strong? Where did all those Bright Force martial artists come from? Where did they get the money to hire so many retainers?" Thinking of how he and the deputy leader had been surrounded and attacked by several Bright Force martial artists from the Three Harmonies Gang, Feng Dahu shuddered.

"Gang Leader, can't you see it even now? Those martial artists are not retainers at all. They were sent from outside specifically to aid the Three Harmonies Gang!" Lü Tong said.

"Who was it? The five great families? Why would they help the Three Harmonies Gang and make enemies of us?" Feng Dahu asked in astonishment. He thought carefully. Although he had little interaction with the five great families of the inner city, he understood propriety. Not only had he never dared offend anyone or any business belonging to those families, he had even prepared gifts to pay them respects during every festival, never leaving out a single family. Why were they targeting him?

"Gang Leader, it isn't the five great families. It's someone else!" Lü Tong said.

"Then who?" Who else within Big Stone County had such power?

"Gang Leader, do you remember how Black Cloud Stronghold sent people to our gang last year and demanded that we follow their lead?"

At Lü Tong's words, Feng Dahu froze before immediately recalling what had happened last year. Black Cloud Stronghold had sent people to demand that they be absorbed, with most of their annual income handed over to Black Cloud Stronghold.

"You and the deputy leader were unwilling to be controlled by others or bow beneath them, so you politely refused."

"You mean those Bright Force martial artists are from Black Cloud Stronghold?" Feng Dahu said.

"There's a ninety percent chance they are. The Three Harmonies Gang grew so powerful because they submitted to them. In truth, they are martial artists from Black Cloud Stronghold disguised as members of the Three Harmonies Gang."

"Why are you so certain?" Feng Dahu asked.

"Think about it, Gang Leader. When did the Three Harmonies Gang begin clashing with us? It was right after we refused Black Cloud Stronghold last year. Could that really be such a coincidence? And looking at the Three Harmonies Gang's actions now, they clearly were not merely fighting for territory. They were using us as an example, killing the chicken to scare the monkeys, while intimidating the other gangs into submitting to them. Their actions show that their ambitions are considerable, and there must be a powerful force backing them. Only Black Cloud Stronghold could accomplish this. Their goal is to secretly unify the entire outer city!" Lü Tong stroked his mustache and spoke with certainty.

As for Black Cloud Stronghold's purpose in unifying the outer city gangs, it was likely far more than simply controlling them from afar to collect money.

"Moreover, I suspect the county magistrate is involved too, because I sent people to investigate. One year ago..."

As Lü Tong continued, cold sweat slowly seeped down Feng Dahu's back.

The strategist was right. The more he thought about it, the more it made sense. If Black Cloud Stronghold stood behind the Three Harmonies Gang, then he had no way to contend against them. Black Cloud Stronghold had already grown immensely powerful, and even several nearby counties trembled at its name. It was said that more than one Dark Force expert was stationed at their bandit stronghold. Moreover, the county magistrate was very likely colluding with them. Thinking of the Three Harmonies Gang's sudden rise, the county office's ambiguous attitude toward it, and its sudden coldness toward the Black Tiger Gang, he felt that something was increasingly wrong. He had offered the county magistrate no small amount of tribute every year, yet he had been able to sense a change in the magistrate's attitude toward him since last year.

"Then what should we do now?"

"Gang Leader, while there are green hills, there will always be firewood. The only plan now is to make a prompt decision and withdraw from Big Stone County. The world is vast—I refuse to believe there is nowhere for our Black Tiger Gang to settle." Lü Tong said.