Trait: Tiger Baleful Intent!

[In the first year, you practiced the Tiger-Howling Saber Technique diligently... finally breaking through to Minor Accomplishment in the sixth year.]

[You continued practicing diligently, reaching Great Accomplishment in the fourteenth year.]

[In the twenty-seventh year, your Tiger-Howling Saber Technique reached a transcendent realm. Every slash was accompanied by a tiger's roar, its might astonishing.]

[In the twenty-eighth year, you remained absorbed in the Tiger-Howling Saber Technique and gained a trace of new insight, but that glimmer of inspiration remained indistinct...]

[In the twenty-ninth year, that glimmer of inspiration appeared again...]

[In the thirty-third year, you seized that glimmer of inspiration and incorporated it into your saber technique, taking the Tiger-Howling Saber Technique a step further.]

[Tiger-Howling Saber Technique (Perfection, trait: Tiger Baleful Intent)]

[Dao Origin: 1 point]

Wei Sheng opened his eyes.

He reached over and picked up the long saber beside him.

The long saber, once unfamiliar and cold, now felt exceptionally familiar and comfortable in his hand, as though it had become part of his body.

After thirty-three years of devout dedication to the saber, his understanding of the Tiger-Howling Saber Technique had reached the very pinnacle.

"Swish, swish, swish!"

Wei Sheng swung his saber. Saber light flowed like mercury spilling across the ground, faintly carrying a soul-shaking tiger's roar-gorgeous and savage!

It took a full half day for Wei Sheng to adjust to the improvement in his saber technique.

His many days of sparring with Fire Ox had also given him a rough understanding of where his current strength stood.

"With my cultivation at Fifth Refinement Peak, using the Tiger-Howling Saber Technique at Minor Accomplishment, I'm invincible below the Six Refinements..."

If he used the Tiger-Howling Saber Technique at Great Accomplishment, he could suppress even a veteran fighter at the Six Refinements like Fire Ox.

With the Tiger-Howling Saber Technique at Perfection, killing fighters at the Six Refinements would be like slaughtering pigs and dogs!

As for the trait, Tiger Baleful Intent...

It could threaten experts at the Eight Refinements!

"But I can't unleash it yet!"

The stronger the killing move, the more Jin Force it required.

"With my Jin Force at Fifth Refinement Peak, I can only unleash a single Tiger's Roar at Perfection for now..."

In other words.

If he went all out, he could slay a veteran fighter at the Six Refinements despite the gap in their cultivation, but that single slash would exhaust his Jin Force. It was his final trump card.

"Now that my Tiger-Howling Saber Technique has reached Perfection, it's made up for my shortcomings in combat techniques...

"Next, I'll devote myself to practicing the Wild Ox and Vajra Flesh Refinement Methods, then collect two more Flesh Refinement Methods and strive to push my body to flesh refinement perfection as soon as possible!"

Having tasted the benefits of skin refinement perfection, he could hardly wait to cultivate to flesh refinement perfection.

Wei Sheng also knew that the stronger his Jin Force became, the more terrifying Tiger Baleful Intent would be.

If he reached the Ten Refinements one day, perhaps Tiger Baleful Intent alone would let him slay someone at the Twelve Refinements!

Changyou Teahouse.

"Boss!"

After emerging from seclusion, Wei Sheng first came to inspect his own territory. The moment he appeared, Ding Ying hurriedly led the disciples inside out to the entrance to welcome him.

There were quite a few unfamiliar faces among them. It was their first time seeing Wei Sheng, and they were all curious about this new member of the Five Tigers whose name resounded throughout East Prosperity Street.

Seeing how young he was, many of them looked astonished.

On the teahouse's second floor.

After sitting down, Wei Sheng looked around but saw no sign of Che Zhenzhong. Only after asking Ding Ying did he learn that Che Zhenzhong had taken some gang members to Gatehouse Street.

After Snake Eye fled in defeat, he had never dared return, and Changyou Teahouse had taken the opportunity to reclaim Gatehouse Street.

Wei Sheng now controlled two streets, managed by Ding Ying and Che Zhenzhong respectively.

"Old Ding, how many people have you recruited?"

Before going to practice his saber technique with Fire Ox, Wei Sheng had assigned Ding Ying a task: recruit new members.

Otherwise, without enough manpower, they would be unable to manage even if they reclaimed all three streets.

According to Wei Sheng's plan, managing three streets properly would require at least sixty people.

In other words, aside from Ding Ying and the other teahouse veterans, they needed fifty more recruits.

"Boss, we've recruited fifteen..." Ding Ying's voice grew quieter toward the end.

"Why so few?" Wei Sheng frowned.

Logically, given his reputation for frightening Snake Eye away, plenty of gang members should have volunteered to join him. Why were there so few?

Ding Ying hesitated before stammering:

"The rumor on the streets is that Snake Eye was frightened away because you hired some expert. It had nothing to do with you. You're only at the fourth refinement, the bottom of the Five Tiger Generals..."

I see.

They think I'm too weak, and following me offers neither prestige nor prospects.

"Boss, I failed to handle this properly..." Ding Ying was about to continue.

Wei Sheng interrupted him with a wave. "This isn't your fault."

Recruiting for a branch did not mean simply pulling someone off the street and bringing them in. They had to select from the newcomers trained by Chivalry Hall.

If someone was unwilling to come, Ding Ying lacked the standing to force them.

"Request recruits from Chivalry Hall in my name!"

"Yes!"

"Right, has Jingkong Street paid up?"

"No."

"Then take some men over and press them for payment. It's been four months since Changyou died. Five hundred taels a month makes two thousand taels in total..."

"Huh?"

Ding Ying's eyes widened.

Two thousand taels?

Boss, are you serious?

Never mind Lan Fei-even Gu Diao would refuse to pay that amount if they went to him.

Besides, who calculated accounts like that?

This hardly felt like collecting dues. It felt like picking a fight.

"Boss, th-this isn't appropriate, is it?!" Ding Ying hesitated.

"What's the problem?" Wei Sheng looked at him.

"He's afraid you'll offend Gu Diao and Wind and Cloud Hall!"

Che Zhenzhong happened to walk in. He first bowed to Wei Sheng. "I heard you were here, Boss, so I hurried right over!"

"Mm."

Wei Sheng nodded slightly, then looked at Ding Ying. "Is what Old Che just said true?"

"Yes."

With Che Zhenzhong having exposed his concerns, Ding Ying stopped hesitating and spoke plainly:

"Boss, Wind and Cloud Hall is powerful. Even Tiger Lord sometimes has to give ground before their edge... we shouldn't fall out with them."

Wei Sheng did know something about that.

Wind and Cloud Hall handled intelligence and frequently dealt with various forces. In addition, its hall master, Dapeng, was exceptionally skilled at business, and the hall's businesses flourished throughout Black Mountain.

As a result, quite a few experts had flocked to him.

To take just one example.

After Changyou died, Black Tiger could not find another fighter at the Six Refinements among his subordinates to replace him.

Wind and Cloud Hall, on the other hand, had fully ten fighters at the Six Refinements.

There was even less need to mention its fourth- and fifth-refinement fighters.

Consequently, whether in territory or overall strength, Wind and Cloud Hall was indisputably the strongest of the four halls!

Moreover, Hall Master Dapeng always shielded his own. If someone truly touched his people, even if Dapeng did not act personally, the sixth- and seventh-refinement experts under him could rush forward and tear that person apart.

"They're allowed to seize our territory, but we're not allowed to collect protection money from them? What kind of reasoning is that?"

Wei Sheng snorted.

"Just go. Tell Lan Fei that if I don't see the silver before sunset tomorrow evening, he can't blame me for disregarding our ties as fellow gang members!"

Seeing that Wei Sheng had made up his mind, Ding Ying sighed inwardly and offered no further persuasion. He acknowledged the order, then turned and went downstairs.

"Lan Fei may be weaker than Snake Eye, but Wind and Cloud Hall has plenty of experts. It wouldn't be difficult for him to invite someone at Fifth Refinement Peak to help!"

Che Zhenzhong reminded him.

"Don't worry!" Wei Sheng smiled faintly.

Dapeng did protect his own, but he cared even more about his reputation and naturally would not enter the fray himself.

The sixth- and seventh-refinement experts under him were the same.

As long as no one at the Seven Refinements appeared, even if Lan Fei brought in someone at the Six Refinements, Wei Sheng would make him see whether his precious saber was sharp!

Seeing Wei Sheng so composed dispelled a fair amount of Che Zhenzhong's worry.

Ding Ying left quickly and returned just as quickly.

"Lan Fei invited me to a banquet at Guest-Welcoming Tower tomorrow, where he'll apologize and pay up?"

Hearing the news Ding Ying brought back, Wei Sheng raised his brows slightly.

"Boss, I'm afraid this banquet won't be a friendly one," Che Zhenzhong said gravely.

Wei Sheng nodded.

If it were only a matter of paying, he could simply bring the money over. Why go to all this trouble?

"Then... should we not go?" Ding Ying asked.

"We'll go."

Wei Sheng smiled faintly. "I'd like to see just what medicine Lan Fei is selling in that gourd of his."