At 10:00 PM, a dozen or so modified convertibles belonging to the Blood Mark Gang drove onto Xiuyi Street.

At this hour, the wide road was empty of pedestrians, with only the streetlights on both sides still lit. The approaching vehicles made no attempt to conceal their presence; their occupants were shouting and yelling, with some even firing guns into the air, their arrogance on full display.

"Boss, it’s this one."

A lieutenant pointed to a training hall in the distance, its lights still on. It was a large building by the river, surrounded by a concrete wall and an iron-barred gate.

Zhuo Bao glanced over and gave a signal. The car immediately stopped, and the long line of vehicles behind it followed suit. Gang members inside eagerly grabbed their weapons and jumped out, about forty to fifty of them slowly converging on the training hall.

The training hall had night patrol guards, but there were only five of them. Seeing so many members of the Blood Mark Gang approach, they grew extremely nervous and retreated behind the gate wall, raising their crossbows to aim outside.

After getting out of the car, Zhuo Bao walked at the very front. He felt a fire raging in his chest, growing stronger by the second, and he was desperate to unleash it. He held out his hand, and a lieutenant hurriedly placed a gun in it.

Zhuo Bao walked a few steps forward, gun in hand, and stopped. He stood alone, raised his gun, and fired three shots into the sky. Facing the training hall, he shouted, "Chen Chuan, co—"

However, before he could finish, a gunshot—BANG—rang out from a building diagonally across the street. The muffled crack exploded like a peal of thunder on the empty road.

Zhuo Bao froze, a large hole blooming on his forehead. His body swayed for a moment before he toppled backward, stiff as a board.

When the lieutenant heard the shot, he was still wondering, ’Which bastard fired just now? Trying to steal the boss’s thunder? Got a death wish?’ But then he saw Zhuo Bao collapse, and he froze. It wasn’t just him; all the surrounding gang members were dumbfounded.

Just then, a sharp whistle pierced the air. Patrol Officers from the Patrol Bureau emerged from the shadows on both sides of the street, raising their Datuo-style rifles and aiming them at the Blood Mark Gang members before pulling the triggers.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

The street instantly erupted with gunfire. In the darkness, the muzzle flashes were startlingly bright, visible even from a block away.

The gunfire lasted for a full two minutes. When it finally stopped, the acrid smell of gunpowder hung heavy in the air. Not one of the dozens of Blood Mark Gang members was left standing.

Xiaowu emerged from under the eaves of a building, pistol in hand. As he passed a still-twitching gang member, he put a bullet in the man’s head, and the body went still. He made a circuit of the scene, delivering a final shot to any gang members who weren’t already dead.

After confirming there were no survivors, he walked over to Zhuo Bao’s body. He aimed his pistol at the man’s head and proceeded to pull the trigger repeatedly, emptying the rest of his bullets into it.

He looked up and ordered a Patrol Officer, "Make a call. Tell the Blood Mark Gang to come collect the bodies. And tell them to behave and not provoke people they can’t afford to offend."

"Yes, sir."

Once the Patrol Officer had made the call from a nearby phone booth, Xiaowu commanded, "Move out!"

At another sharp whistle, the Patrol Officers formed neat ranks and jogged to the other end of the street. The sound of their military boots on the pavement—CRUNCH, CRUNCH, CRUNCH—gradually faded into the distance.

Inside the training hall, Chen Chuan was calmly wiping his Long Blade. He had ignored the commotion outside. When he returned from Lakefront Park earlier, he had noticed the Patrol Bureau had increased its night patrols in the area and guessed his uncle had arranged it.

They must have sent people to protect him after hearing about the recent attack, while also sending a warning to whoever was behind it.

News of the incident quickly reached those who were paying close attention.

"What? They were all wiped out?"

Shao Xiaobie looked shocked and nervous after hearing his butler’s report. "The Patrol Bureau did it? They got involved?"

The butler reassured him, "Don’t worry, Young Master. The Blood Mark Gang made the move, so it has nothing to do with us. That student apparently has family in the Patrol Bureau. They must have increased patrols in the area after the last attack, and Zhuo Bao was just unlucky enough to run right into them."

"As long as it has nothing to do with us."

Shao Xiaobie relaxed, but this new development was a headache. Now, even an idiot would know to be on guard. How was he supposed to handle this?

He felt completely out of his depth. But Shao Xiaobie had one good quality: when he knew he couldn’t handle something, he didn’t try to force it. He picked up the phone on his desk and dialed a number.

"Hey, Brother Wei? Yeah, it’s me, Xiaobie. Sigh... Brother, I’m sorry. The guys I sent couldn’t take care of him. The security around him is tight now, and frankly, I’m out of ideas..."

On Wei Jun’s end, he thought Shao Xiaobie was a useless piece of trash who couldn’t even handle a simple task without causing a huge scene. Still, people like him had their uses, so he didn’t voice any criticism. He simply said, "Xiaobie, this must have been difficult for you. I’ll take care of it from here. Don’t you worry about it anymore."

"Okay, okay, Brother Wei. Just say the word if you need anything."

After hanging up, Wei Jun sat with a grim expression, thinking for a long time. Finally, he picked up the receiver again and dialed a number in Central City. A moment later, the call went through.

"Hello, Teacher Tan? I was hoping you could take care of someone for me. I’m willing to cover the cost of your upcoming Implant surgery. Feel free to name any other conditions, Teacher... Okay, let’s discuss it in person."

He waited in his villa until the following afternoon. A car pulled up and stopped in front of the flowerbeds. First, Jing Lin got out, walked to the rear passenger door, and opened it. Only then did Tan Wang, dressed in an imported formal suit, step out and follow the butler into the villa.

Wei Jun saw them arrive and waited in his upstairs study. When Tan Wang entered, Wei Jun dismissed his butler and gestured for his guest to have a seat.

Tan Wang sat on the sofa and said with a knowing smile, "I’ve told you before, as long as you’re willing to join the Secret Snake Sect, you will be one of our own. As your sponsor, sect rules allow me to grant you one reasonable request, no extra payment required."

Wei Jun knew perfectly well that ’joining the Secret Snake Sect meant tying himself to a faction prematurely. Once he got to the Central Hospital, that status would be more of a hindrance than a help’.

He didn’t take the bait, saying instead, "Teacher, the person I want to deal with is the very same student you tried to recruit before."

The smile remained on Tan Wang’s face, but his eyes turned grim. He clearly remembered the incident—not only had his recruitment failed, but he’d been beaten up, losing so much face he could no longer remain at the academy.

Wei Jun knew his man and continued, "Teacher, if I join the Secret Snake Sect, I’ll just be one more disciple. That will help Esoteric Buddhism, but not by much. However, once I go to Central City General Hospital and graduate, I’ll be able to take over my family’s business."

"In addition to giving the Secret Snake Sect more funding, I can promise to personally cover your future cultivation resources. Teacher, I suggest you consider my terms."

Tan Wang grunted. ’Now this is an interesting offer,’ he thought. ’But this is likely his best one. If the price were any higher, Wei Jun could probably find someone else for the job.’

He considered it for a moment, then let out a soft laugh and looked up. "I accept. Where is he?"

The butler immediately handed over a prepared file.

Tan Wang gestured for Jing Lin to take the file and then stood up. "I’ll find the right time to make my move. Once it’s handled, I’m heading back to Central City to wait for you to make good on your promise." With that said, he walked out.

Wei Jun went to the window and watched Tan Wang’s car drive away from the villa. He finally felt a great sense of relief. Tan Wang was a Third Limit master; with him handling it, success was guaranteed.

In truth, he knew the Secret Snake Sect was always open for this kind of business and that Tan Wang would have likely agreed even to a lower offer. But he didn’t have the patience to haggle. It was already late August, and he had to resolve this matter before leaving for his Unlimited Defense Certificate assessment, without any further complications.

After his sedan pulled away, Tan Wang began reading Chen Chuan’s file. The beating he’d taken from He Xiaoxing was a humiliation he could never forget, and he’d been looking for a way to get back at the student involved ever since.

Unfortunately, his personal funds and his offerings to the sect were still not enough to exchange for a full set of sect Implants and secret techniques. But he didn’t need all that to crush a little bug. And now, with the money he’d just secured, he could finally get his next Implant surgery done.

After finishing the file on Chen Chuan’s recent activities, he gave a sinister smile. He glanced outside and said to Jing Lin, "Let’s go take a look at that Lakefront Park."

Not long after he changed course, the Wei Family butler received word and immediately reported to Wei Jun, "Young Master, our tail reports that Mr. Tan’s car has changed direction."

"He’s not going back to his residence?"

"No. From the direction he’s heading, it looks like he’s going toward Luhu Lake."

"Oh? Is he planning to handle it right away?" Wei Jun’s interest was piqued. He ordered, "Tell our man to keep a close watch. I want to be informed the moment something happens!"

"Yes, Young Master."

In front of the private training hall, Chen Chuan emerged, blade in hand. Once outside, he looked up at the overcast sky. The air was hot and muggy.

The security guard at the entrance said, "Brother Chen, looks like it might rain."

Chen Chuan said, "I know."

With that, he walked off. The weather had been oppressively hot and humid for days; most people were likely hoping for a torrential downpour.

Twenty-some minutes later, he arrived back at Lakefront Park. The bodies from three days ago had been cleared away, but some faint traces of the incident still remained.

The wind started to pick up, causing the reeds along the shore to sway like waves and sending ripples across the surface of the lake.

He had only been there for a moment and hadn’t even begun his drills when he heard the sound of approaching cars. Turning his head, he saw two sedans heading his way. The car in the rear stopped at a distance, while the lead vehicle pulled up about ten meters away from him.

The door opened, and Jing Lin stepped out, also dressed in an imported formal suit. Chen Chuan noticed fine, neat seams on his face and neck, as if something had been implanted there.

Jing Lin flexed his wrists and walked slowly toward him. "Chen Chuan. Bet you didn’t expect to see me."

He pulled off his gloves, tossing them to the ground to reveal hands covered in fine scales. "I lost to you last time. I’ll admit, I was careless. But that won’t happen again."

He clenched his fists. "I’m going to show you my true strength. And I’m going to repay the humiliation you dealt me, twofold." The moment he finished speaking, dirt and blades of grass flew into the air as he shot toward Chen Chuan like an arrow loosed from a bow.

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