"Apprentice, you might not be aware of this."

Shang Yunfang stepped forward and began to explain slowly to Chen Ku, "Within Qiu Dragon Mansion, there are the 'Four Fierces and Eight Great Hammers,' referring to the four most formidable individuals in Qiu Dragon Mansion. Ranking first is Grandmaster Qin Yuxian, the president of the Qiu Dragon Martial Meeting, who wields two Threshing Drum Pot Golden Hammers. Mingsheng Nan calling you 'Little Fierce Person'… As your master, I even feel this title is too heavy for you. To consider you a junior member of the Four Fierces and Eight Great Hammers, I fear, might attract envy and jealousy from those with ill intentions."

Although his disciple Chen Ku had made a name for himself today on the banks of the Dragon River—killing three geniuses from the Fish and Dragon Association with one stick and four True Seedlings from the Firewood Iron Shop with two, shocking the entire city—Shang Yunfang, as his master, was always worried about Chen Ku becoming a target.

"Afraid of what?!"

Yang Luochen then heavily patted Chen Ku's shoulder, saying, "There's nothing to fear. If the sky falls, I will hold it up for you. It was my suggestion to let you represent us, and I allowed you to kill at the small meeting. It was also I who said that everything you did today was without a single fault. Instead, for both yourself and for Medicine King Hall, you have established the greatest merit."

Chen Ku's spirit was slightly moved; he was just about to tell his masters about the discussions by the riverside.

「A moment later.」

When Yang Luochen and Monk Yunfang heard about the other factions' appetites at the riverside discussions, their expressions immediately became grave.

"What? It turns out it's not just the Firewood Iron Shop, but also the Fish and Dragon Association..."

Yang Luochen then glanced at Shang Yunfang, saying, "This is another major issue. We must immediately go in and discuss this with the others."

At this time, Chen Ku stopped his two masters and quietly asked a question that he had almost confirmed in his heart, "Does our Medicine King Hall intend to swallow up those two organizations?"

Hearing his disciple ask this question, Yang Luochen paused. Since his disciple had achieved great merit today and was also a participant, he didn't mind telling Chen Ku everything. He then whispered via Sound Transmission into Secret, "This matter was actually brought back by your Senior Brother Kou Ming, concerning the Firewood Iron Shop… So, we had to strike first to gain the upper hand. Unexpectedly, the Fish and Dragon Association too… It seems they must also have some hidden backing, and we need to re-plan our actions."

Having said this, Yang Luochen and Shang Yunfang went into the main hall first.

As Chen Ku and Huo Xiaoxia followed them into the main hall, they were immediately greeted with a round of applause.

"Senior Brother Chen is mighty!"

"Junior Brother Chen is mighty!"

Chen Ku, looking at the applause from these people, couldn't help but think of a concern and asked Huo Xiaoxia, "Senior Sister, I killed people today, after all. Won't the government come to investigate?"

He had killed many people in secret before. But to kill publicly, causing a citywide stir, made him worry about the trouble.

Huo Xiaoxia, although she had only been there for show earlier, had still joined the hall several years before him.

After hearing this, she comforted him softly, "Don't worry. Such fights between guilds basically follow unspoken rules. The common people don't report them, and the officials don't investigate. It never escalates. In fact, the involved parties will even proactively go to the county government office to mediate, stating they've agreed to a private settlement. The government usually turns a blind eye; after all, Baojiao County's tax revenues depend on us."

Chen Ku then breathed a sigh of relief.

But as he faced the Medicine King Hall disciples cheering for him in the hall, and recalled his master saying Mingsheng Nan had quickly spread news of today's events throughout the city and even given him a nickname, he couldn't help feeling uncomfortable. He knew very well that fame attracts trouble. It wasn't that he was timid. Instead, as time passed while he was inside Medicine King Hall, he gradually sensed many hostile and unfavorable thoughts within a ten li radius of the Inner City.

"[A certain Li Yutang wishes ill upon the Host...]"

This was Li Yutang, also known as South Li, the leader of the Fish and Dragon Association and a peer of his master Yang Luochen.

"[A certain Xie Qingfeng wishes ill upon the Host...]"

This was the Thirteen Young Master.

"[There are Zhang… Wang… Chen…]"

"[There are…]"

...

A total of several hundred names, the majority emanating hostility and murderous intent from the Firewood Iron Shop and the Fish and Dragon Association.

Chen Ku had been prepared for this, but it still startled him greatly. However, recalling what his master had said about both the Firewood Iron Shop and the Fish and Dragon Association preparing to monopolize things, he understood that these hostilities had merely been brought forward because of his actions today. Acting preemptively was never wrong.

「Soon,」

Kou Ming also returned.

He had just come back, and before he even had a chance to greet Chen Ku, someone called him to attend a meeting.

Chen Ku was in his room, replaying the moment he had almost lost his life to Ma Mingfeng earlier that day.

The Skill of Witnessing is too bizarre! He sighed internally. I currently have no special means to resist it. If Ma Mingfeng isn't dead, I'm bound to encounter him again. Next time, will I be able to withstand that momentary lapse as narrowly as I did this time?

Even before the small meeting, the three major powers had already begun scheming against each other. After the small meeting, it was as good as all pretenses being dropped. Especially now, being in the limelight, I'll likely be specifically targeted. If Ma Mingfeng is alive, he'll particularly keep an eye on me. If he finds an opportunity, he might use his Skill of Witnessing to kill me.

Although the spiritual power from my three human body transformations can provide some resistance, it's not an effective solution. The best way to deal with this would be to obtain a piece of Dust-Avoiding Rhinoceros Horn or Thin Brain Oil. Or, I could try to break through to the Mystic Gate myself and gain a similar spiritual endowment… But when it comes to reaching the First Layer of the Mystic Gate, the chance of receiving a spiritual endowment is one in ten thousand. I estimate I don't have such an endowment. Unless… there's an acquired method to cultivate spiritual power.

His thoughts first turned to the Summoning God Scripture from the Peace Path, but he was also apprehensive about the many hidden dangers associated with the Demon People's evil skills.

And so, Chen Ku remained in his room, reviewing and reflecting on the day's battles.

Time slowly slipped away.

The meetings between the shopkeepers and master craftsmen of Medicine King Hall, along with Kou Ming, continued.

Chen Ku watched as the malice directed at him on the Transformation Diagram gradually increased.

He even guessed, "The bounty on me at the Grey Clothes Tower must have increased by now."

And, as he guessed, it had.

Almost just before the doors of the Grey Clothes Tower closed for the night, many Blade-Handlers and assassins who frequented the tower saw on the Bounty List that the reward for the Medicine King Hall disciple had skyrocketed from the previous ten thousand taels of silver to a whopping one hundred thousand taels of silver.

In the eyes of others, such a change in his value undoubtedly made Chen Ku seem even more deserving of his reputation.

By evening, Chen Ku figured it was time to finish work for the day and prepared to go home.

Unexpectedly, he had barely stepped out of his room when an attendant came to tell him that Master Yang Luochen and Kou Ming wanted him to wait.

"Wait?" Chen Ku was slightly curious. "Wait for what?"

But an order from his master, even if the reason was unknown, had to be obeyed.

And so, he waited for an additional two hours.

Finally, he heard that the eight people had finished their meeting.

Shortly after, Yang Luochen and Kou Ming came over.

The towering old man approached Chen Ku and said, "Boy, go change into your Night Wear. You're coming out with me tonight."

"Going out? Where?" Chen Ku asked curiously. "And change into Night Wear? Doesn't sound like we're going out to do good deeds."

"Of course we're not going out to do good deeds."

Yang Luochen's mouth curled slightly as he said, "We're going out to kill."

"Kill?"

Chen Ku's eyebrows rose. "Kill whom?"

For a moment, more than a dozen names flashed through his mind. Could Medicine King Hall be preparing to clash with the other two major powers tonight? The pace seemed too fast.

"Kill Ma Mingfeng," Kou Ming, standing behind Yang Luochen, said softly. "Junior Brother Chen, you can choose to come with us or not."

"Kill Ma Mingfeng? How?" Chen Ku asked reflexively, "After he escaped by jumping into that icy pit, he's most likely already returned to the Fish and Dragon Association. Are we... really going to attack the Fish and Dragon Association's headquarters tonight?"

He had no preparation whatsoever.

"How could that be? Although we've already torn off the facade today, it's still not time for an all-out battle. But since things have come to this, of course, we must strike first to gain the upper hand." Yang Luochen patted Chen Ku on the shoulder and said, "Disciple, today, I, your master, will rely on you again. And I'll teach you what a true trade rivalry, a real business war, is all about."

Chen Ku blinked; there was more to these words than met the eye.

Seeing Chen Ku remain silent, Yang Luochen cleared his throat and said, "Superficial business wars are full of unpredictable schemes; all that talk of forming alliances is nonsense. The real business war... is actually very simple: poison them, assassinate them, wipe out their leaders and main heirs, and you'll win."

Chen Ku was taken aback, but upon further reflection, he realized he had heard of such tactics more than once.

Yet he couldn't help but feel a chill down his spine as he said, "Then, couldn't others also assassinate and poison us?"

"That's exactly why," Kou Ming said calmly. "Both you and I are now in danger, especially you, Junior Brother. Therefore, we must strike first. Before they have a chance to assassinate us, we'll kill them. That means Ma Mingfeng. I poisoned him today, but I can't guarantee he'll die. The Fish and Dragon Association has a divine doctor who might save him. Our job now is to nail his coffin shut, to ensure his death is absolute."

"Does Senior Brother know where Ma Mingfeng is being treated?" Chen Ku asked subconsciously.

"I administered the poison, so of course, I know how to counteract it," Kou Ming said. "There's only one way: fight poison with poison. The sole catalyst needed for the cure is 'Incense Ash' imbued with the power of incense faith. Only by incorporating this into a medicine with other herbs can it penetrate Ma Mingfeng's brain.

"And the only place in Baojiao County with enough Incense Ash of the quality needed to treat Ma Mingfeng is the City God Temple. When I administered the poison, I had already considered this. The top leadership of the Fish and Dragon Association won't all go to the City God Temple; they will likely send Ma Mingfeng there with an escort of key experts. This might give us a chance to wipe them out in one fell swoop."

A jolt went through Chen Ku's heart. Such scheming… it was far too profound! Kou Ming had even factored in where Ma Mingfeng would go for treatment after being poisoned. So, this wasn't just about poisoning; it was about forcing key members of the Fish and Dragon Association to leave their headquarters. This would allow him to request Yang Luochen's help to annihilate them in one fell swoop. In this way, they would systematically devour the major and minor figures—the 'big fish and small fish'—of the Fish and Dragon Association, link by link.

Chen Ku looked at Yang Luochen and asked, "Then, Master, if you go with us, won't you be completely exposed? You're a pillar expert of Medicine King Hall. If you directly assassinate Ma Mingfeng, how is that different from openly declaring war on the Fish and Dragon Association?"

Yang Luochen chuckled. "Who said we're using our Medicine King Hall identities tonight? As long as they can't recognize us, they won't have any proof, right?"

"How could they not recognize us?"

"That's a question for Kou Ming," Yang Luochen said, looking towards him. "He has already prepared our identities."

Kou Ming smiled softly and said, "As far as I know, the Demon People of the Peace Path also use incense in their cultivation. Tonight, we just need to disguise ourselves as Demon People from the Peace Path, infiltrate the City God Temple, and steal its Incense Ash. Then Ma Mingfeng will die without treatment. Afterward, even if they suspect Medicine King Hall, they'll have no evidence. And even if they did, it would be useless—their young leader will be dead."

"But, Master, your Stick Technique is renowned. Aren't you planning to use your stick?" Chen Ku pressed.

"Disciple, there's something I haven't told you." Yang Luochen stroked his beard and said, "Actually, besides the Stick Technique, I, your master, am also proficient in a bit of a minor fist technique. The last time we killed those Demon People from the Peace Path, we seized quite a few of their Demon Talismans—enough to make our disguise convincing."

Chen Ku listened to the plan and then looked back at Kou Ming. This Senior Brother of his… could he read minds? Wasn't this the very strategy Chen Ku himself had used before? Or was it that cunning people—ahem, intelligent people—all thought alike?

"Don't just stand there. Either go change your clothes or wait here in the hall."

Yang Luochen rubbed his hands together. "It's been a long time since I've done something like this."

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