Chapter 45: Chapter 45: Can’t Sleep at Night, So You’re Here to Tell Your Daddy a Joke?
Red Sand Gang.
Headquarters study.
Hong Wentong’s brow was furrowed as he stared at several secret letters that had just been delivered.
Su Qingliu stood below him, her face also filled with astonishment.
"The Thirteen Golden Dragons Camp, the Giant Whale Gang... they’ve actually colluded with the Bai family from the commandery seat. Gang Leader, could they be coming for us?"
She looked up at Hong Wentong.
’Why did the news only arrive now?’
"What do you think?"
Hong Wentong’s gaze was profound. "Lu Zhentian just suffered a huge loss at our hands, and Yue Kaishan is fiercely ambitious. Now that they have the Bai family from the commandery seat as an unpredictable new ally, it seems they can no longer hold themselves back."
"Are you saying they’re really going to make a move?"
Su Qingliu was shocked.
"Tonight, at the earliest!"
Hong Wentong’s tone was deep. "Immediately summon all gang members in the city. Prepare to assemble!"
"Yes, Gang Leader!"
Su Qingliu acknowledged the order and was about to hurry off, but she suddenly paused. "But what about Chen Xuan?"
’Chen Xuan just left here during the day...’
’The docks are at least seventy or eighty li from here. There’s no time to inform him.’
"Send him a carrier pigeon. Tell him to be on guard. If it comes to it, tell him to go into hiding first."
Hong Wentong said in a low voice.
"Yes!"
Su Qingliu immediately hurried away.
By now, the sky had grown completely dark.
The eastern and northern districts were still bustling and brightly lit.
All the members of the Red Sand Gang were converging on the headquarters, their hearts filled with confusion, clearly unaware of what was happening.
Just then!
BOOM!
An earth-shattering roar erupted from all directions. The sound was deafening as flames burst into the sky, as if countless explosives were detonating, one BOOM after another.
In the initial blast, an unknown number of Red Sand Gang members were killed.
"Charge! Kill those Red Sand Gang bastards!"
"Hahaha, exterminate the Red Sand Gang!"
"Kill them!"
Excited shouts echoed from the darkness on all sides.
It seemed as though countless people were charging out, their energies whistling with a piercing sound. The scene was indescribably chaotic.
The numerous members of the Red Sand Gang were all stunned.
"Who are you? How dare you attack our Red Sand Gang!"
"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"
All sorts of chaotic cries instantly rang out within the city.
Countless residents trembled in fear, quickly hiding under their beds in a state of utter panic.
...
In the low mountains not far from Clearwater Docks.
Chen Xuan’s arms moved like the wind, relentlessly smashing against a cliff face before him. A series of explosive BANGS echoed out as the entire cliff was continuously dented by his blows.
The solid rock seemed like tofu, constantly caving in and shattering.
More importantly, as he threw punch after punch, none of the force was wasted; it was all concentrated on a single point.
This all went to show that his control over his power had reached the apex.
"HUUU!"
Chen Xuan finally stopped, gently exhaling a puff of hot air.
The blood circulated throughout his body, bringing a sense of smooth satisfaction.
’Two high-grade Martial Arts, plus two great innate abilities... my strength has really increased a lot. At this point, it should be comparable to the fifth or even Sixth Layer of Transforming Force.’
Chen Xuan gazed at his two fists, which were steaming with scorching heat, glowing like red-hot iron.
’If I break through two more realms, I might be able to match the Transforming Force Ninth Layer.’
’By then, no one in Black Stone City will be able to touch me.’
’Unfortunately, retribution points are used up so quickly. It would be great if I could eat a few spirit fish before using them each time. Or, if that’s not possible, a few Qi and Blood Pills would also do the trick...’
Chen Xuan mused.
Finally, he reined in his aura and returned to his residence.
Before long, Chen Xuan summoned Jia Gui.
"Squad Leader, you want to buy Qi and Blood Pills?"
Jia Gui’s expression froze.
"Yes. Do you know of any black markets that sell them?"
Chen Xuan asked.
"That... I’m afraid not."
Jia Gui frowned and paced, looking troubled. "Qi and Blood Pills are extremely rare. They are hard currency for cultivators from the Bright Force realm all the way to Gang Energy. They’ve always been controlled by the great sects of the Martial Dao. Even if some occasionally find their way onto the market, they’re quickly snatched up by the upper echelons. They’re rarely put up for sale, and even if they are, they’re hot commodities that get bought on the spot. You might not see a sale like that more than a few times a year."
"Is that so?"
Chen Xuan’s brow tightened.
’This is really terrible.’
"What about the spirit fish? Have you continued fishing for them recently?"
Chen Xuan asked.
"Rest assured, Squad Leader. We have people in charge of it around the clock. As soon as any are caught, they’ll be sent over immediately!"
Jia Gui said.
"That’ll do."
Chen Xuan nodded lightly. "You may go."
"Yes, your subordinate takes his leave!"
Jia Gui cupped his fist and smiled.
But just as he turned around...
Suddenly, a large hand rested on his shoulder.
Jia Gui looked confused and turned back again.
He saw Chen Xuan, his expression calm. His burly frame was still, and a sharp glint seemed to appear in his dark eyes as he stared intently at the closed gate.
"Squad Leader, what is it?"
Jia Gui asked subconsciously.
"Someone’s here."
"Someone?"
Jia Gui was skeptical.
’Who else would come here besides members of our Red Sand Gang?’
"Experts. Very, very powerful experts."
Chen Xuan’s voice remained calm, as if he were completely unfazed.
He could tell just from the faint stir of the air.
The newcomers were definitely at the Transforming Force realm.
"Experts?"
Jia Gui’s face paled in alarm, and he instinctively started to back away.
"Is Squad Leader Chen home?"
Suddenly, the delicate laughter of a woman came politely from outside the courtyard.
"I am. Come in!"
Chen Xuan responded calmly.
"Then I won’t be shy!"
The delicate laughter rang out again. CREAK. The courtyard gate was pushed open from the outside.
Four or five unfamiliar figures came into view.
Four men and one woman.
The men were all burly and smiling. The woman was beautiful, dressed in a black skirt, with a faint smile on her face that was like a spring blossom.
The moment they entered, an invisible, oppressive aura seemed to blanket the entire courtyard.
"So you’re Squad Leader Chen?"
The woman in the black skirt flashed a stunningly beautiful smile as she sized up Chen Xuan.
"I am. Is there something I can help you with, madam?"
Chen Xuan smiled.
"Oh, nothing much. Someone just asked me to come take you away and, while I’m at it, slaughter everyone in your little branch here. Tell me, Squad Leader Chen, do you mind?"
The woman in black tucked a strand of long hair behind her ear, a smile playing on her lips.
"Mind? My ass!"
Chen Xuan smiled. "You motherfucker. Instead of sleeping at night, you came all the way over here to tell your old man a joke? ’Slaughter my branch’? Why don’t you go slaughter something for your own damn father and see what happens? If a single mosquito dies here, I’ll annihilate your entire family!"
"What did you say?"
The woman in black stared blankly, completely stunned.
"You dare to curse at me?"
She could hardly believe her ears.
In all these years, she had never met anyone who dared to curse at them!
Even the four men behind her burst out laughing.
Their shoulders shook as they clutched their stomachs, laughing until they ached.
"Interesting! This is just too interesting!"
A man in a green robe clutched his stomach, tears streaming from his eyes with laughter. "Third Sister, I heard him loud and clear. He really dared to curse at you! And he said he’d annihilate your whole family if one mosquito dies! Hahaha, this is going to kill me!"
SMACK!
He suddenly swatted his hand, conveniently killing a passing mosquito. He showed it to Chen Xuan and laughed. "Look, I killed a mosquito. What are you going to do about it?"
"So you’re dying of laughter, is that it?"
Chen Xuan’s tone was flat as he turned his head to look at the man in the green robe.
"Yeah, I’m really dying of laughter! I’m crying over here, hahaha..."
The green-robed man continued to roar with laughter.
But as he laughed, he suddenly sensed that something was wrong.
An intense sense of crisis welled up directly from his heart.
Every pore on his body stood on end, as if he had been targeted by some terrifying beast.
The next moment.
With a BOOM, the ground exploded. He moved with unimaginable speed.
Chen Xuan’s body seemed to teleport, appearing in front of the man in an instant. He slammed a fist viciously into his abdomen. BAM! Flesh and blood splattered as organs shot out.
Intense, overwhelming pain erupted from the green-robed man’s abdomen. His eyes bulged. His entire body lifted uncontrollably from the ground, arching backwards, a gaping hole blown clean through his torso.
He felt as if all his organs and every bone in his body had shattered in that single moment.
SPLAT!
The corpse flew backward, slamming into a wall more than ten meters away and becoming embedded in it with a spray of blood mist.
Too deep to even be pried loose.
"If you’re dying of laughter, then just die."
Chen Xuan’s tone was indifferent as he flicked his hand clean.
