Chapter 81: Great River Gang’s Left and Right Guardians

Chapter 81: Chapter 81: Great River Gang’s Left and Right Guardians

Time trickled by, and soon an hour had almost passed.

’It still hasn’t hatched? Just what is the origin of this Demon Beast Egg? Damn, I’ve really hit the jackpot this time!’ Ye Xing’s expression was serious, but his eyes shone with delight. He had originally assumed it was just an ordinary Demon Beast Egg, perhaps from a slightly nobler bloodline at best. Now, it seemed things weren’t so simple. He had truly found a treasure.

’Worst case, it just takes a little more time. I refuse to believe I can’t hatch this thing.’ With a flicker in his eyes, Ye Xing immediately swallowed another Great Returning Pill to replenish his True Qi, then resumed channeling it into the egg.

Soon, another quarter of an hour passed. The purple Demon Beast Egg continued to endlessly absorb the True Qi that Ye Xing channeled into it.

In the middle of hatching the Demon Beast Egg, Ye Xing’s gaze suddenly shifted to the surveillance monitor in the room.

Four figures had appeared on one of the feeds, which was monitoring the path up White Cloud Mountain.

Four figures could be seen on the White Cloud Mountain path, using their Lightweight Skill to race up the trail.

The two men leading the group were a sturdy man and a slightly chubby one—none other than Xue Yong and Hong Hai. They led the way, followed by two elderly men. These elders looked to be in their sixties. Their temples were graying, but their faces were ruddy and full of vigor. They moved as if flying, a sign of their profound Cultivation.

’After all this waiting, they’re finally here. I should go and greet them.’ A smile touched Ye Xing’s lips. He stored the purple Demon Beast Egg in his Qiankun Bag, then left the Training Room and headed outside.

’The purple Demon Beast Egg isn’t likely to hatch anytime soon anyway; there’ll be plenty of time for that later. The priority right now is to deal with the two Guardians from the Great River Gang and bring the entire gang under my control. This is crucial for expanding my business. Once I successfully absorb the Great River Gang, the Ye Mansion’s power will increase dramatically. After all, the Great River Gang has over a thousand members, including more than a hundred Martial Artists. If I can command such a force, I can expand my business at will, opening shops in all the nearby towns. Gold Coins will pour in like a river.’

「Meanwhile, on the path up White Cloud Mountain.」

"Hong Hai, Xue Yong, any idea why the Gang Leader summoned us?" one of the old men asked.

"How would we know? The Gang Leader just told us to summon you two Guardians. He didn’t tell us the specific reason, and we didn’t dare ask," Hong Hai said with a small smile.

"That makes sense," the other old man said. "By the way, is the White Cloud Mountain Ye Mansion taken care of?"

"Of course! When the Gang Leader makes a move, how could he possibly fail?" Xue Yong declared. "The master of this White Cloud Mountain Ye Mansion is only at the Martial Arts Second Realm of Cultivation. Hong Hai and I would have been enough to handle him, to say nothing of our Gang Leader, who is at the Martial Arts Sixth Realm."

The Martial Dao is divided into the Postnatal and Innate Realms. The Innate Realm is a transcendent tier, incredibly difficult to break through to. The Postnatal Realm, in turn, is divided into nine levels, from the Martial Arts First Realm to the Ninth Realm. Of these, the Martial Arts First through Third Realms are known as the Qi Cultivation Stage. The Martial Arts Fourth through Sixth Realms are known as the Qi Gathering Stage. And the Martial Arts Seventh Realm through the Martial Arts Ninth Layer are called the Qi Condensation Stage. The Martial Arts First Realm is the Early-stage of Qi Cultivation, the Martial Arts Second Realm is the Mid-stage of Qi Cultivation, and the Martial Arts Third Realm is the Late-stage of Qi Cultivation. Following this pattern, the Martial Arts Seventh Realm is the Early-stage of Qi Condensation, the Martial Arts Eighth Layer is the Mid-stage of Qi Condensation, and the Martial Arts Ninth Layer is, naturally, the Late-stage of Qi Condensation.

Of course, the levels from the Martial Arts First Realm to the Martial Arts Ninth Layer refer to one’s Cultivation, specifically the depth of their Inner Strength. A Martial Artist’s combat prowess depends not only on their Inner Strength but also on the mastery of their External Skills, such as Sword Techniques and Saber Skills. With sufficiently powerful External Skills, it is possible to fight and defeat opponents of a higher realm. However, under normal circumstances, being able to fight someone even one level higher is already extremely impressive. Of course, exceptionally talented, heaven-defying geniuses are another matter entirely.

The Great River Gang’s Leader, You Bin, was a master at the Martial Arts Sixth Realm. With a Cultivation of that level, he was considered a First Class expert among the dozen or so towns surrounding Sunset City—a regional Overlord. Naturally, the two old men did not believe that the Gang Leader of their Great River Gang could possibly fail.

"Yes, when the Gang Leader makes a move, success is guaranteed." The taller, thinner old man’s eyes flickered as he asked, "By the way, is the master of the Ye Mansion really that rich? Can he really earn several hundred Gold Coins in a single day?"

"Yes, we’ve confirmed it. That much, if not more," said Hong Hai. "The man is practically a living God of Wealth. I suspect the Gang Leader called you two Guardians here to secure control over the Ye Mansion’s master and keep him firmly in the grasp of our Great River Gang, to prevent other gangs from trying to snatch him away."

"It’s a good thing Phoenix Town has no major gangs, and our Green River Town is the closest. Otherwise, another gang might have snatched him up already," the other, shorter and stockier, old man said.

Using their Lightweight Skill, the four of them moved incredibly fast. Fifteen to thirty minutes later, they arrived at the main gate of the Ye Mansion.

"The Gang Leader is inside the Ye Mansion!" Hong Hai said, his eyes glinting.

CREAK!

The two old men pushed open the main gate of the Ye Mansion.