"Se-Senior, what did you wish to ask?" Lei Xiong asked cautiously.
In jianghu, strength decided everything, including seniority. The man before him looked young, but he was undoubtedly a true Divine Strength martial artist. Lei Xiong would not dare act arrogantly against someone like that.
Lu Changsheng withdrew his hand and asked quietly, "I need any information you've got regarding the Four-Eyed Toad. And I mean any information."
"Yes, senior. So the Four-Eyed toat..." Lei Xiong proceeded to recount everything from start to finish, not daring to hide a single detail.
Some time ago, word had spread that the Four-Eyed Toad had appeared in Yan City. Its value was unquestioned, and it instantly drew martial artists from everywhere, including Lei Xiong. He had hoped to obtain it to strengthen his body and gain a chance at breaking through to the Divine Strength Realm.
"Who has the Four-Eyed Toad now?" Lu Changsheng asked again.
By now, Lu Changsheng was certain that the Four-Eyed Toad in Yan City was the very treasure required to cultivate the Celestial Treasure Refinement Secret Technique.
"I'm not entirely sure. I've been investigating the Blackwater Gang. They rule Yan City from the shadows, and if a Four-Eyed Toad appeared, they are the most likely to have obtained it. Even if they didn't, they should at least have some leads."
Lu Changsheng nodded, seemingly deep in thought. After a while, he simply turned and left.
Lei Xiong stood there dazed. Before he could gather his thoughts, Lu Changsheng's words resonated in his mind.
"By the way, it's best you don't involve yourself in the matter of the Four-Eyed toad. You may die..."
Lu Changsheng's voice still lingered, yet his figure had already vanished. Lei Xiong's expression shifted repeatedly before he finally gritted his teeth.
"Yeah, it's time I left this place. If experts of the Divine Strength Realm are getting involved with the Four-Eyed Toad, staying any longer will be dangerous."
The Four-Eyed Toad was important, but his own life was more so. So Lei Xiong turned around and left Yan City entirely. He would not wade into this muddy water any further.
Lu Changsheng lingered nearby, and when he saw Lei Xiong walk away, he nodded slightly. The man had been truthful, it seemed, and that alone spoke to a degree of honor. Lu Changsheng did not wish for him to die pointlessly for the Four-Eyed Toad. Besides, with him involved, how could Lei Xiong ever hope to seize it?
"The Blackwater Gang..."
Lu Changsheng's eyes narrowed, a peculiar glint flickering in them. Going now, during the day, would be troublesome, so he would move at night instead. With that resolve, he went straight back to the Xia residence.
***
At the Blackwater Gang headquarters, the patrol squads swept through the compound in tight rotations. From the outer perimeters to the inner halls, everything lay under strict guard.
The past days had been difficult for them. Rumor had somehow spread that the Four-Eyed Toad had fallen into their hands. As a result, countless martial artists had come probing the gang. Some had come openly, while others lurked in the shadows.
Many gang members had been injured, and the worst part was that they had no idea who the assailants were. After all, those bold enough to test the Blackwater Gang were usually Organ Refinement martial artists with some renown in the jianghu. Such opponents were not easy to deal with.
"Chief, more than a dozen of my Third Hall's men were kidnapped and tortured for three whole days. They were starved to the brink of death."
"The one who did it was Flysaber Li Huan. You must seek justice for our Third Hall."
"Chief, our Fourth Hall was ambushed as well..."
Inside the headquarters' main hall, hall masters all complained to their leader, Chief Zhang Tianwu. He wore a dark expression, as such incidents had kept occurring recently, and the Blackwater Gang failed to do anything about it. Those martial artists from jianghu appeared and vanished like shadows. What was he supposed to do?
Whooshhhh!
Suddenly, a saber flashed through the air and embedded itself in the tea table beside Zhang Tianwu. His expression changed sharply as he glared toward the hall entrance. A thin and pale man in his thirties slowly walked in.
"Flysaber Li Huan! How bold of you! Do you think the Blackwater Gang is helpless?" Zhang Tianwu growled.
Li Huan shook his head, a faint smile on his lips. "Zhang Tianwu, I have no ill intentions today. I merely wish to see the Four-Eyed Toad. I hope you can grant me this little wish."
"The Four-Eyed Toad? I myself would like to see what it looks like. Unfortunately, it is not in my hands. You've come to the wrong place," Zhang Tianwu replied without hesitation.
"So you deny me this small wish. Tell you what. If you're not hiding the Four-Eyed Toad, you wouldn't mind if I took a stroll through your headquarters?" Li Huan stared at him with a lopsided grin.
"You're pushing your luck, Li Huan! This is Yan City, the territory of my Blackwater Gang. Even with your flying saber techniques, don't think we're incapable of dealing with you."
The next moment, Zhang Tianwu swung his hand downward, and in the next moment, dozens of gang members immediately rushed in from all directions, each wielding a crossbow aiming at Li Huan.
"Oh my, such a crowd. The Blackwater Gang is truly impressive."
A silky voice drifted into everyone's ears. At the same moment, a woman in a red dress descended from above. With a flick of her wrist, she scattered a great cloud of white powder over the Blackwater Gang members.
"Ah
"What is this?"
"Agh, so itchy! It burns!"
The Blackwater Gang archers screamed in agony before collapsing. The woman in red strode into the hall. Zhang Tianwu narrowed his eyes, and his face darkened as he said, "The Cinnabar Viper, Yang Sanniang."
Zhang Tianwu realized they were in deep trouble. Yang Sanniang excelled in using poisons, and a larger crowd only played to her advantage. A single sweep of her powder would send everyone collapsing.
"Hmph. Anyone else? Come out together," Zhang Tianwu said coldly.
Boom!
Suddenly, tiles crashed down from the ceiling. A massive cauldron plunged from above and struck the hall floor, yet no sound echoed. Someone was standing beneath it, holding the cauldron aloft with both hands.
The strength to shoulder a cauldron... Is that Zhao Yuanba, the one born with divine strength?
Zhang Tianwu's eyes widened. Out of nowhere, Zhao Yuanba, Li Huan, and Yang Sanniang had stormed into their base.
More martial artists barged in. None had the reputation of the first three, but they were not to be taken lightly. Every one of them were in the Organ Refinement Stage, and it was clear they were here for the Four-Eyed Toad.
"Zhang Tianwu, hand over the Four-Eyed Toad. You could not keep it safe," Zhao Yuanba said coldly.
These individuals had not joined forces; it was merely a coincidence that they had all converged upon the Blackwater Gang at the same time. No one was a fool. The Four-Eyed Toad had emerged and then suddenly disappeared. It was only natural that the local power was being suspected.
"Chief, what do we do?"
"Is the Four-Eyed Toad really in your hands?"
"Chief, think of the greater picture..."
The hall masters of the Blackwater Gang turned pale as they saw themselves surrounded and pleaded with Zhang Tianwu to yield.