“It’s not possible,” Liu Yingting muttered.

  “Are you sure?” No matter how Lu Qingshan looked at it, this demonic squirrel appeared native to the manor. He had seen its hesitation to run out of the building. Coupled with the flesh of a cultivator, it would rather turn back than escape.

  “I’m not sure,” Liu Yingting admitted. “I haven’t been focusing on family matters.”

  Lu Qingshan turned away from the topic and studied Qin Ye’s condition in great detail. The boy had clearly used his spiritual energy in that attack. He had probably overused the meager amount he had, rendering himself unconscious. But whether or not this would cause permanent damage or slow down his cultivation was not something he could assist.

  The soldiers patrolling outside had disappeared. Though the mansion was large, he couldn’t guarantee complete silence, especially with how close to the entrance they were. His flies confirmed it - people were rushing around in a frenzy. They were gathering into a group to enter the manor.

  Lu Qingshan's inner force surged. With the energy absorbed from the demon, he could feel himself drawing closer to the next stage of Mortal Shedding. Not interested in pursuing weaklings, he grabbed Qin Ye, then disappeared into the forest with Liu Yingting, a cloaked veil surrounding his profile.

  The three of them easily escaped. None of the patrols could stop him. They were instead focused on assessing the damage from the battle. He had to leave the demon’s corpse there, though. Hopefully the long sword wound would draw their attention away from an unarmed fighter like him.

  Having the royal guards do the investigation was likely a better idea. He had high hopes for them, since Marquis Zhou was famed for such deeds. Not investigating would signal many things since they too had lost people to the demon’s hunger. Their efforts shouldn’t be to find the hero who slew the demon, but instead why the demon appeared in a place thought safe and eradicated.

  Lu Qingshan disappeared back into the shadows away from the manor grounds. It was time to wait and see what would happen.

  —

  Months passed. Lu Qingshan looked up from his martial arts practice to see Miao Mei at the door. “What is the news?” he asked.

  “Qin Ye’s recovering nicely. And we’ve finally gotten word of Marquis Zhou appearing in public for the first time.”

  “Truly?” Ever since they left the Liu family manor, it had been quiet. Even the supposed entrance of Marquis Zhou hadn’t caused many waves. Lu Qingshan knew he must’ve been brought in quietly, probably for some master plan.

  It seemed the city’s major powers had known some hints about his arrival for some time. After a few weeks, the various forces in the city stayed relatively docile, with the attacks from the Furious Whale Gang dying down. Many other gangs turned their attention inwards as well.

  Lu Qingshan arrived at the main place where the Azure Wind Gang and the three brothers’ Stone Axe Gang were set to meet every two weeks. Almost all of his Elders were already there, except for Qin Ye, who still needed rest. They were only waiting for Liu Yingting and the three brothers to arrive.

  After a quick glance through his Bloodseeker Flies to confirm the Wang brothers were on their way, Lu Qingshan peeked at his stone slab. His primary focus was on the neglected martial arts on the list along with the Seven Steps Technique.

  Lu Qingshan (25 years old)

  Lifespan Remaining: 39 years

  Cultivation: Mortal Shedding - Viscera Tempering

  Seven Steps Technique (Level 3, 6723/10000)

  Black Fury Inner Force (Level 2, 35/10000)

  Soaring Crane Breathing Method (Level 2, 1103/10000)

  Flowing Cloud Inner Force (Level 2, 46/10000)

  Golden Shell Body (Level 1, 7921/10000)

  Mystic Jade Essence - Dao Fruit of Sublime Miracles - Condensing... 38%

  His martial arts were progressing nicely, though he still needed more time to open the first aperture. Lu Qingshan had learned the Flowing Cloud Inner Force and took it to the second level along with the Black Fury Inner Force. Now he moved ever-so-slightly faster and his fists burned a few degrees hotter.

  The Stone Axe Gang arrived a few minutes later while he was contemplating the direction of his next practice session. In full view of the Seven Mysteries Gate Elders, they were entirely subdued. Previously, they had been more ostentatious in other meetings, often competing against the Azure Wind Gang in words.

  Liu Yingting was unsteady on his feet when he entered the alleyway. Lu Qingshan almost went to help him, but then his eyes widened in realization.

  “Is the Hundred Poisons Body that powerful?” he whispered.

  Liu Yingting nodded. He didn’t say a word, but the other Elders were slightly shocked by the level of danger they now felt from the man’s presence. Before, they were only wary of his poisons, but something had fundamentally changed.

  “Viscera Tempering,” Wu Ruoling said, her eyes wider by a small fraction. “Congratulations.”

  “It was nothing. I owe everything to the sect master.” Liu Yingting’s gaze turned chilly towards the Azure Wind and Stone Axe Gangs. No matter how unruly they wanted to be, the Seven Mysteries Gate was well on their way to compete with the other forces in the city. Not everyone could be like Lu Qingshan running rampant.

  “We’re all here,” Lu Qingshan said. “I’m sure you’ve all heard of the news. Marquis Zhou is making a move. We need to prepare for the consequences. What have you found the past few weeks?”

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  Meng Zhang, the primary leader between the two gangs, and the one who had attended every single meeting spoke first. “Multiple forces are starting to ramp up their offensive preparations. Remember the Furious Whale Gang? They are biding their time.”

  The Azure Wind’s leader, a woman with a bright gaze, came forward to speak. “The Barbarian Bull Gang has been trying to push into our area more often than the last two months. I saw their local leader meeting with a few unfamiliar experts. Four of them, to be exact.”

  “What did they look like?”

  “They wore dark clothes, masks, and moved as fast as the wind.” The woman frowned. “I think they were Marrow Tempering experts, judging by their speed.”

  Lu Qingshan recorded it down in his mind. Another faction, or another local force? He was probably one of the only ones who didn’t care at all about the majority of major powers. Only the Song family’s hidden cultivator - which was still killing his flies from time to time - and the creator of the Liu family squirrel demon represented true threats.

  “Do you need help?” Meng Zhang asked. Liu Yingting looked upwards.

  “Probably.” The woman was hesitant to say it, but eventually nodded.

  The Stone Axe Gang had taken control of a fairly large chunk of area without incurring the Barbarian Bull Gang’s wrath. Instead of being a diametrically-opposed force like the Azure Wind Gang, they instead defeated the existing gangs and took over their ‘protection’ duties. With tolls paid to the Barbarian Bulls, they remained neutral for now.

  The three brothers never went too far. Since they showed no signs of betrayal, Lu Qingshan wasn’t too averse to helping them maintain the status quo as long as the city remained orderly. The time to liberate the citizenry from gangs had not yet arrived.

  Wu Ruoling had her own status updates. “Sect master, I’ve done what you asked for,” she said. “Expect some more of our secret medicines to come within the next month.”

  “Good.” He didn’t mention the second thing he had asked for yet. That was confidential.

  Both Liu Yingting and Li Fanghua were busy with their own cultivation, so they didn’t have much to contribute. It was time for them to make a decision on their next move.

  “I want your thoughts on the Furious Whale Gang,” Lu Qingshan said. "Should we raid them?"

  “I think they’re easy pickings,” a young man from the Stone Axe Gang said. “Last time they had a Divine Crossbow. They might be one of the most well-funded gangs in the city.”

  “But they're currently embroiled in conflict and hatred with the Barbarian Bull Gang and the royal guards," another Azure Wind Gang disciple protested. "If we intervene recklessly, we risk turning their attention onto us."

  “I saw them transporting large carriages the other day." Surprisingly, an Azure Wind Gang woman said this, and their leader nodded with her in agreement. "It could be another Divine Crossbow. The shapes and sizes match."

  Lu Qingshan nodded. That was certainly useful information, but it didn't alter his decision to leave them alone. There was little reason to attack a faraway enemy. Some of the other Azure Wind Gang disciples looked tempted at having another Divine Crossbow to add to their arsenal though.

  "We can't confirm it, but keep it in mind," Lu Qingshan said. "The royal guards…let’s also leave them alone for now. Any thoughts on the five sects?”

  Everyone looked at one another. With the current distraction being the gangs and the royal guards, the more low-profile sects had less of a spotlight. Compared to the gangs who often took in anyone willing to join, sect disciples were considered elites. No average person wanted to be the one to face a sect.

  “That leaves us the Barbarian Bull Gang, unless anyone has a better plan.” He stared at everyone in the meeting, but no one spoke up. Most nodded in agreement.

  “Good. It’s settled, then. Whatever Marquis Zhou does has nothing to do with you. When he makes a move, strike at the Barbarian Bull Gang with all you have.”

  Lu Qingshan watched the two gangs leave with a favorable look. The Wang brothers knew how to conform to the big picture. He didn’t sense any dissent in their actions. And the Azure Wind Gang had performed admirably in their expansions as well.

  It was just him and the sect’s Elders now. “Liu Yingting,” he started, “I want you to trail behind the Azure Wind Gang. Find a point to intervene in the battle with the Barbarian Bull Gang.”

  The man nodded. “You know how I fight. I'm not sure I'll learn how to control my new poisons with the little time I have, though. I will try to be careful.”

  “Yes, please try and limit the damage to our enemies.” Lu Qingshan frowned. “How lethal have your poisons become?”

  “They can threaten most Viscera Tempering experts now,” Liu Yingting said. “Even after tempering the kidneys and liver.”

  “That's not bad. Focus more on the big picture, then.”

  Lu Qingshan then looked at Meng Zhang. “You should follow the Stone Axe Gang. They’ll listen to you, won’t they?”

  “They will. I shall take my leave then, to make more preparations.”

  Meanwhile, Miao Mei and Wu Ruoling slipped into the shadows without another word. Their task was special: assassination. He would've normally given the role to Meng Zhang, but the man was busy keeping the gangs in check. With Qin Ye and Li Fanghua as the other options, he didn't really have much of a choice.

  Lu Qingshan turned to the last Elder, Li Fanghua, and was about to give her the task of guarding their current territory before she interrupted him with a smile.

  "I've reached the Mind Purification stage," she said.

  His eyes widened. "Great job," he almost shouted. Losing Qin Ye had dealt a blow to some of his plans. With another immortal cultivator by his side, he could continue looking into those plans without having to wait for Qin Ye to recover.

  "I'm not as good in battle techniques as Qin Ye," Li Fanghua said. "But I can confidently perform most of the auxiliary techniques recorded in the Lesser Qi Sensing Technique."

  "Good, good!" Lu Qingshan wanted to say more, but decided not to. Instead, he listened to recite regarding what exactly she could do. Some of her learned spells included the same concealment technique, a poison expelling technique, and an exorcism technique, along with the auxiliary techniques for each of the five elements.

  "I learned the exorcism technique when Qin Ye told me about the demon," she said. "We might face ghosts in the future."

  "Very good." Lu Qingshan was genuinely ecstatic. He allowed her to return to her family to await the incoming battle. In the meantime, he returned to Miao Mei's store to notify her two apprentices of her absence.

  A third surprise made Lu Qingshan wonder if his fortune was on the rise. He stared at his newest batch of Bloodseeker Flies tearing their way out from their pupae. A few generations descending from the survivors who had consumed a touch of demonic squirrel meat, there were only a dozen flies. But they had all reached Marrow Tempering.

  At this stage, the fly looked much larger and much more threatening. Almost at the size of his palm, a cluster of these could even tear apart Viscera Tempering martial artists who didn't have the speed to cut them down. And they were fast, too, having wings and inhuman reflexes.

  Lu Qingshan wanted the Barbarian Bull Gang to no longer have the ability to mount a counterattack. By taking most of their territory in one swift blow, other forces would think twice about intervening. He was prepared to go all out in the chaos. Every improvement in his sect made it much more likely for his plan to succeed. Now, only Qin Ye was left.