Invitation

"Is Master Dong still going to move against Warm Breeze Hall? Zhang Lingfeng failed to break through to Dark Force, and he no longer has Wu Yun backing him. Even with Lord Huang's permission, there's no way he can open the gambling house."

Li Si asked.

"We've already been driven into this corner. Could relations between our Baile Gang and Warm Breeze Hall possibly improve?"

Dong Wenhan's face was covered in vicious-looking flesh.

He addressed his men. "Warm Breeze Hall has been lending money everywhere lately. How much business have they stolen from our Baile Gang? They've tightened our brothers' purse strings and left their wives, children, and elders starving. Tell me, should we wipe out Warm Breeze Hall or not?"

"Yes!"

One call brought a hundred responses.

"Just give the order, Gang Leader, and we'll leave Warm Breeze Hall's corpses strewn across the fields!"

"Gang Leader, I'm willing to lead the charge and slaughter Warm Breeze Hall until not a scrap of armor remains!"

"Gang Leader, we can't swallow this insult."

The gang members clamored over one another to speak.

Warm Breeze Hall's emergence had indeed cost them plenty of lucrative pickings. If they took this opportunity to destroy it, they would once again have the final say in Baile Ward.

"Good. Rest assured, brothers. I know you've all suffered lately, and you've all been holding in your anger. I'll make Warm Breeze Hall give you an accounting."

Dong Wenhan made his solemn promise.

He had confirmed that the backer behind Chen Sanshi was merely a small landlord from Zhang Family Gully, a man whose vitality had been badly damaged after failing to break through to Dark Force.

Moreover, the man had no support from Wu Yun.

Having paid Wu Yun five hundred taels of silver for this and been made to surrender another tenth of his earnings to the authorities, how could he resist taking this opportunity to wipe out all of Warm Breeze Hall?

Once Warm Breeze Hall was no longer lending money in Baile Ward, the profits would exceed the extra tenth he had to hand over, and he could regain control over Baile Ward as well. How could Dong Wenhan pass up such a deal?

Seeing that the matter had been settled, Li Si suggested, "Gang Leader, Elder Zheng's disciple Wei He has a grudge against Zhang Lingfeng. Since we're going to eliminate Zhang Lingfeng and Warm Breeze Hall, why not make use of him? With his help, we should be able to cut out Warm Breeze Hall by the roots."

"Well said."

Dong Wenhan nodded.

He had heard of Wei He too. Had Warm Breeze Hall not been lending money in Baile Ward, Wei He might have ended up borrowing those hundred taels from their Baile Gang.

"We shouldn't delay. I suggest you win Wei He over immediately, Gang Leader. If we're late, Zhang Lingfeng might beat us to it."

Li Si urged him.

"All right. Prepare some gifts and come with me to see him."

Dong Wenhan also knew that delays could lead to unforeseen developments. Wei He was a Peak Ming Jin expert as well. If he wanted to recruit him to eliminate Zhang Lingfeng together, he had to go himself. Sending Li Si to invite him might slight the man and leave him displeased.

"Yes, I'll see to it right away."

Li Si was no ordinary man, being capable of helping Dong Wenhan manage the gambling house. He worked quickly, soon preparing several gifts and taking Dong Wenhan to find Wei He that very night.

Wei He lived in Willow Tree Alley.

The alley was right beside Baile Ward, only half an hour away.

When Dong Wenhan arrived at Wei He's courtyard gate with Li Si and two other underlings, Wei He was practicing the Black Baleful Intent Fist inside.

He had failed to break through to Dark Force.

To restore his foundation, he had borrowed a great deal more money. Creditors had frequently come demanding repayment lately, so he trained bitterly day and night, constantly improving his mastery of his fist technique, intending to attempt another breakthrough once he had sufficiently replenished his Qi and blood.

He simply refused to believe he could not break through to Dark Force.

"Who's there?"

Wei He saw firelight flickering at the gate.

"Master Wei, I'm Li Si from the Baile Gang. Master Dong would like to discuss something with you."

Holding a lantern, Li Si spoke from the gate.

Dong Wenhan stepped out from behind Li Si and cupped his hands toward Wei He, who stood in the courtyard. "Brother Wei, your Black Baleful Intent Fist already has some of Elder Zheng's mastery. At your age, your future prospects are boundless."

"So it's Master Dong. Forgive me for not coming out to welcome you."

Wei He smiled.

"You're too kind."

"Please."

Wei He invited him into the main room to sit.

Li Si followed beside them, while the other two underlings shut the courtyard gate and stood guard behind it.

"Master Dong, what guidance brings you here so late at night?"

Wei He looked at the gifts Li Si had set to one side.

"I wouldn't presume to offer guidance. I merely heard that Brother Wei recently needed silver to buy Qi and blood tonics, so I wished to make your acquaintance. This is a small token of my regard."

Dong Wenhan smiled.

Li Si opened the gift box.

Inside were a thirty-year-old ginseng root and a hundred taels of gleaming silver.

Wei He's eyelid twitched involuntarily, and he could not conceal the excitement in his eyes. Dong Wenhan took it all in.

"I can't accept a reward without earning it. Please speak, Master Dong!"

Wei He cupped his fist.

"Straight to the point! I know that you and Zhang Lingfeng..."

Dong Wenhan began.

Suddenly, he detected three breathing rhythms of differing frequencies in the room next door.

"Brother Wei, I thought you only had two elder sisters."

Dong Wenhan frowned.

"My cousin came to visit today. Perhaps they heard some noise."

Wei He explained.

"I see."

Dong Wenhan thought nothing more of it and continued, "I'd like Brother Wei to help me eliminate Zhang Lingfeng. I've learned that he once schemed against you and coerced you. Would you be willing? If you agree, I'll give you another ginseng root, fifty years old, once the deed is done."

"Master Dong, you're going to move against Warm Breeze Hall?"

Wei He's expression turned fierce.

"That's right. Warm Breeze Hall has overstepped its bounds. Unless we eradicate it, how can our Baile Gang have anywhere to stand?"

Dong Wenhan said.

"Good!"

His face full of excitement, Wei He rose and paced before Dong Wenhan, saying indignantly, "To tell you the truth, Master Dong, I previously borrowed a hundred taels of silver from Warm Breeze Hall. After I failed to break through to Dark Force, I couldn't repay it right away. Warm Breeze Hall actually detained my two elder sisters and forced me to eliminate a martial master surnamed Hong for them. I've always considered this a monstrous humiliation. If I could join forces with you to eliminate Warm Breeze Hall, it would also settle a weight on my mind."

"Good! Those are precisely the words I've been waiting for, Brother Wei!"

Overjoyed, Dong Wenhan rose and spoke excitedly.

"I ask for no other reward. I only ask that once we succeed, you let me deal with Zhang Lingfeng personally!"

Wei He seized Dong Wenhan's hands and spoke with utter seriousness.

"Of course! When the time comes, you can hack him into eight pieces!"

Dong Wenhan said delightedly.

"Thank you, Master Dong! Hahahaha!"

Wei He laughed loudly.

"Hahaha!"

Dong Wenhan could not help laughing too. He had never expected to persuade Wei He with just a few words. He tried to pull his hands back and pat Wei He's shoulder, only to discover that Wei He's hands had suddenly tightened like a pair of iron pincers, locking around his hands so firmly that he could not break free immediately.

At the same time.

Three figures darted out of the side room.

One moved as swiftly as lightning, unleashing the Iron Mountain Fist's Descending Mountain Form and driving a punch into his back, directly behind his heart.

He tried to dodge, but Wei He held his body in place. Moreover, his ambusher was far beyond a Ming Jin martial artist, leaving him unable to evade the punch.

"Bam!"

The fist struck him squarely in the back behind his heart, shattering his spine with a single blow. His body jerked upright and instantly went rigid.

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