Action Begins

After successfully breaking through, Lu Changsheng stopped practicing his blade techniques.

With a thought, the Pig-Slaughtering Blade vanished from his hand.

All bound weapons could be stored within the Modifier Space.

After breakfast, Lu Changsheng headed out of the courtyard.

He was ready to begin acting.

Now that he had made his initial step into martial arts, he had the confidence to kill Zhao Erhu.

If he waited any longer, circumstances might change.

However, as a minor leader of the Three Rivers Gang, the man remained in the gang's gathering grounds, making it difficult for him to find an opportunity.

With Lu Changsheng's current strength, rashly barging into the other party's base and forcibly killing him would likely be seeking death.

If he were surrounded by a large number of gang members, it would also be difficult to fight his way out of the encirclement.

Everything needed to be carefully planned.

He intended to first investigate the other party's movements before deciding what to do.

Before long, Lu Changsheng left the courtyard and headed toward the street corner.

Suppressing the nauseating stench by the roadside, he proceeded along the street.

Not long after, he arrived beside a courtyard at a street corner.

Just then, a familiar conversation suddenly reached his ears.

He immediately stopped, poked his head out, and quietly observed.

One of them was Zhao Erhu, the target he had been looking for. The man had two lackeys with him.

"Master Hu, my family truly can't come up with any money."

A young man dressed in coarse linen knelt in the courtyard, begging bitterly for mercy.

"Hmph... It's written clearly in black and white. Are you trying to renege on your debt? Our Three Rivers Gang is not to be trifled with..."

Holding the promissory note, Zhao Erhu kicked the man before him aside and shouted with a face full of contempt.

The other two lackeys also wore expressions like cats toying with mice.

Chen Yuan clenched the corner of his clothes tightly, his eyes bloodshot and his heart brimming with fury.

His father had also gone missing in the escort agency incident a month ago, leaving behind a sum of silver.

Then Zhao Erhu of the Three Rivers Gang came knocking, carrying the promissory note from the gambling house where Chen Yuan had previously incurred a debt.

But the interest had already risen to an astronomical figure. The principal had only been two taels of silver, yet compounded interest had now turned it into dozens of taels. Even if he sold himself, he would not be able to repay it.

At that moment, he knew he had been set up.

He deeply regretted getting entangled in the vice of gambling and giving the other party an opening to exploit.

Even reporting it to the authorities now would be useless.

"Kid, repaying debts is only natural. We agreed on this interest..."

Zhao Erhu wore a half-smile.

"Or do you want to end up like that Lu boy?"

Hearing this from the corner by the wall, Lu Changsheng's face turned cold.

The original owner of this body had been schemed to death by the same trick.

It seemed they had targeted quite a few people.

At Zhao Erhu's words, Chen Yuan's face filled with fear, and he stammered, "I-I... will repay it... as soon as possible..."

Their homes were only two streets apart, and he knew Lu Changsheng.

He had heard about what happened to him a few days ago. Now that he saw Zhao Erhu was about to kill him, he was naturally terrified.

Just then, Chen Yuan's wife and daughter heard the commotion inside the house and hurried out.

A beautiful woman in hemp clothing came to Chen Yuan's side, her face filled with misery.

Yet her figure was quite good, her upper body curved in all the right places and rather alluring.

The beautiful woman held the hand of a girl around ten years old.

Mother and daughter clung tightly to each other, and the girl's eyes were filled with fear.

They both knew the Three Rivers Gang's notorious reputation. These people were cunning and treacherous, capable of every evil, and utterly detestable.

Now that the other party had set their sights on their family, all of them felt somewhat despairing.

Some people from the nearby streets heard the commotion and came over one after another.

Everyone silently watched the scene before them, their faces numb.

"If you can't repay the silver today, then I'll collect some interest first. Your wife and daughter will pay the debt, otherwise I'll send you to the mines to dig."

When Zhao Erhu saw the beautiful woman appear, his eyes lit up.

He had played with plenty of women, but mature, respectable beautiful women like this were quite rare, greatly stirring his interest.

Over the next few days, Lu Changsheng continued carefully monitoring the other party's movements.

Zhao Erhu was quite cautious, always keeping two lackeys by his side.

During the day, he remained within the Three Rivers Gang's territory. Every day, aside from bullying men and violating women, he collected protection money and acted with extreme arrogance.

At night, he rested deep within the gang's territory, making it difficult for Lu Changsheng to find an opportunity.

As a major gang, the Three Rivers Gang's leader was at least at the Bone Forging realm. Lu Changsheng did not dare charge into their core territory.

With the slightest carelessness, he would be discovered by hidden sentries, and even escaping would be extremely difficult.

However, after several days of observation, he found a clue.

Lu Changsheng discovered that this man seemed to have an unclear relationship with Widow Zhang by the street.

The two often exchanged amorous glances. Zhao Erhu even openly pawed at Widow Zhang, yet she showed no sign of resistance.

The two clearly had some illicit affair.

After making this discovery, Lu Changsheng changed his approach and began watching Widow Zhang instead.

For three consecutive days, he lay by the edge of a wall at night, keeping watch on Widow Zhang's courtyard.

Yet he never saw Zhao Erhu appear.

This inevitably made him somewhat suspicious.

Could my guess have been wrong?

Soon, the fifth day arrived.

That day, late at night.

The night was dark and windy, and all around was silent.

There was not a single figure on either side of the street.

Only the occasional caw of crows drifted over from nearby.

The entire street carried an eerie atmosphere.

Lu Changsheng quietly hid in a corner, watching the courtyard ahead without daring to relax in the slightest.

Just then, a tall figure came from the end of the street, walking with brisk steps.

It was Zhao Erhu.

Zhao Erhu also carried a long blade in his hand as he quickly headed into the courtyard.

After Lu Changsheng had lain in wait for many days, the other party had finally appeared here.

This bastard is cautious indeed. Even when sneaking out to steal fragrance and jade, he brings a weapon.

Lu Changsheng sneered inwardly.

Today would be the man's day of death.