Black Water City, Sifang Street.
From the servants and maids to the street vendors, everyone feigned preoccupation with their work, deathly silent.
Only occasionally did they dare to cast a worried glance toward the end of the long street.
Everyone had heard that the Cheng Family was one of the city’s most prominent and wealthy clans.
But the family had always lived in East City, so for the common folk, their most distinct impression of them came from the herbal medicine shop on the street.
That is, until the Cheng Family arrived in West City in full force.
Only then did the people understand what it meant to have a hand in both the light and the dark.
Constables from several nearby streets had rushed over, but aside from that Young Master Chang, who dared to step into the Old Woodshed, the rest could only stand and watch resentfully from a distance.
This was the Government’s attitude.
Meanwhile, the Black Water Gang, who ruled the other half of the city, had put on an even more chilling display.
The people of Sifang Street swore an oath.
Outside of the day the Government Office issued a Corpse Hanging Notice, they had never seen so many Fierce Wolves and Tigers gathered in one place.
Any single one of these ruthless Cultivator masters could make Sifang Street tremble with just a stomp of their foot!
So many of them had descended upon this long street, all for the sake of that Old Woodshed at the very end.
"HISS!"
The vendor frying dough sticks suddenly cried out in pain, realizing he had accidentally dipped his fingertip into the wok of oil.
He had been running this stall for so many years; he rarely made such mistakes anymore.
The vendor stared into the cloudy oil, his expression complicated.
Although he hadn’t had time to change the oil yet, it seemed he no longer had to worry about someone knocking over his stall.
But he couldn’t bring himself to feel happy about it.
The rumors that had been circulating on the street recently were finally coming true.
From what the shopkeepers on the street were saying, it wouldn’t be long before a figure like Greedy Wolf Master Lin was no more in Black Water City.
’Good times never last. I should be used to it by now.’
"That old fox Liu Chuan is a sharp one."
The shopkeepers sighed, their faces a mixture of envy and jealousy. The cloth merchant had gone to a banquet in East City and somehow managed to latch onto the Cheng Family’s coattails.
They heard he’d even been gifted a residence in East City and was planning to move in a few days. He wouldn’t be on the same level as them anymore.
Too bad they could only dream about it.
Who would have thought that Liu, by marrying a good wife, would happen to know the very maidservant who caused the death of Miss Cheng all those years ago?
"Sigh, why didn’t I marry a Cheng Family maidservant back then?"
One of them stamped his foot in regret. But before the words had even faded, his expression changed.
At the other end of the long street, a young man and woman had quietly appeared.
When he got a clear look at the familiar, handsome face, the shopkeeper’s heart skipped a beat, terrified that the man might have overheard what he had just said.
But soon, he patted his chest firmly.
’What am I afraid of?’
’The Cheng Family rules the city now. With so many Cultivator masters waiting in the Old Woodshed, that Greedy Wolf should be the one who’s afraid for daring to come back.’
The Old Woodshed was packed to the brim.
Over a dozen Fierce Wolves, who normally held high status, could only stand outside the door.
They didn’t seem to think anything was wrong with this; instead, they stared inside, eager for the show to start.
Logically, the Cheng Family’s business had nothing to do with them, but as it happened, Lin Shu was involved.
The Tigers had long seen this Greedy Wolf as a thorn in their eye and a needle in their flesh. By coming to lend their support now, they could not only vent some of their anger but also curry favor with the Third Master.
It was clear from that last incident that this Overseas Dragon’s strength was nothing to scoff at; even the First Master was wary of him.
The gang members were already dissatisfied with the First Master’s passivity, so this was the perfect chance to latch onto another powerful figure.
Inside the courtyard.
The four Tributors the Cheng Family had brought were all at the Mid-stage of Qi Cultivation.
They stood in a four-sided formation, trapping the curvaceous young woman between them.
The only reason they hadn’t made a move was because two other people were standing beside Miss Yun.
One was the Government Office’s Purple Flood Dragon Chief Constable, and the other was the Black Water Gang’s Silk Wolf.
"Forcing your way into a private residence in broad daylight! This is utterly lawless!"
Chang Yi’s hand was pressed tightly on his scabbard, his gaze cold and sharp.
Although he hadn’t drawn his saber, his defiant stance before the four Tributors clearly showed his unyielding resolve.
On the other side, Yan Jin stared at the eight Tigers with a chilling glint in her eyes. It was as if the Sword Silk at her fingertips would lash out without hesitation the moment any of them dared to take a single step forward.
The aura of Qi Cultivation Perfection radiating from her made the Tigers narrow their eyes in surprise.
’To think the Black Water Gang had a Fierce Wolf with such a high Cultivation hidden in its ranks. And... she had actually chosen to side with Greedy Wolf?’
’Has she lost her mind?’
’No matter how high her Cultivation is, she’s still in the Qi Cultivation Realm. How can she possibly stop eight Practitioners of the Same Realm?’
"Everyone, calm down! Let’s talk this out."
Bai Feng swallowed his pride and stepped between Yan Jin and the group of Tigers.
He forced a placating smile. "We’re all members of the same gang. There’s no need for things to get this ugly. The First Master hasn’t made a decision about Greedy Wolf yet. We might still have to work together in the future, so let’s all just... calm down."
He had originally planned to stay out of these matters.
But after receiving the news, for reasons he couldn’t explain, his feet had carried him here against his will.
"Master, Madam, please have a seat."
Liu Chuan and Bi fawningly ordered their servants to bring over rosewood tables and chairs, and even had the finest tea prepared.
Cheng Siqi and his wife calmly passed through the crowd and settled into their seats.
Compared to Madam Cheng, whose face was nearly twitching with rage, Master Cheng was far more composed.
He lifted his teacup, gently scraped the lid against the rim, and cast his gaze toward the little widow in the crowd.
’Back then,’ he thought, ’the County Magistrate sat just like this.’

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