I am a high-level martial arts master.

At this moment, inside the Azure Dragon Gang.

The guest seating area was glaringly deserted.

Most of the seats were empty, with only a few dozen people scattered around.

Currently, very few people in the entire Guangming City are unafraid of the Poison Wolf Gang's power, and most guests have already gone to the west of the city to report. Those who remain here are either staunch allies of the Azure Dragon Gang, whose interests are deeply intertwined and who are practically inseparable from it, or representatives of forces that rely on the Azure Dragon Gang for protection and are already unable to extricate themselves.

They silently picked at their food, their eyes flickering, the atmosphere heavy as if lead were pressing down on their hearts.

Many people's eyes kept drifting towards the west of the city, their gazes filled with a sense of eager anticipation to leave.

"Sigh... if only I had known..."

A middle-aged man dressed as a wealthy businessman sighed softly, finding the fine wine and delicacies before him utterly tasteless.

He looked at the few empty seats next to him, where several guests should have been seated.

Clearly, after going through inner turmoil, he ultimately chose to side with the more powerful Poison Wolf Gang, and left hastily without even bothering to find an excuse.

Unlike those around him, Wang Ganshi sat calmly and quietly in the lower guest seat.

As one of the earliest bettors on Ye Li, regardless of the outcome of this apprenticeship banquet, as long as the Azure Dragon Gang survives and Ye Li doesn't die, he has already made a fortune. Therefore, he doesn't have the same psychological burden as others and calmly waits in place.

In this suffocatingly desolate scene, a table in the corner stands out conspicuously.

A young girl sat alone at the table, dressed in white as snow, her beauty exquisite and out of place with the oppressive atmosphere around her.

Bored, she gently fiddled with a small, exquisite blue bell on her fair wrist with her slender, jade-like fingers.

Surprisingly, no matter how skillfully she touched and manipulated it with her fingertips, the green bell, which should have made a clear sound, remained completely silent.

Jiang Xiyue raised her eyes, her clear gaze sweeping across the empty venue.

A faint sense of loneliness and a disappointment she herself was unaware of crept into her heart.

She came on behalf of Baibaoge. When she received the gold-embossed invitation from Canglong Gang at the Guangming branch, she didn't know why, but she subconsciously accepted the task.

Sitting on the bench now, she belatedly realized the absurdity of it all.

"It must be because that dishonest customer broke my precious item."

A hint of reproach welled up in Jiang Xiyue's heart, a reproach she herself didn't want to delve into, and her fingertips unconsciously brushed against the dumbbells again:

"I really want to find out what that guy's entry is..."

For the young girl at this moment, the only thing in Guangming City that could pique her interest was that enigmatic young man. "This oppressive atmosphere is even more boring than listening to the old accountant chanting sutras in the pavilion..."

She rested her chin on her hand, gazing upwards, where it remained empty.

"Why don't we just go back? It's just a formal apprenticeship ceremony, what's so interesting about that? We might as well practice our skills."

Just as she was lost in thought, a hoarse voice sounded from the side:

"Miss, the situation here... is somewhat beyond my expectations."

Jiang Xiyue's spirits lifted slightly. She turned half her face away, without turning her head, and silently responded with her lips:

"Oh? What did you see, Mr. Qian?"

"Although I have been focused on protecting Miss's safety and have never had any dealings with the Azure Dragon Gang, the level of the people here... is rather low!" Upon hearing the old man's explanation, Jiang Xiyue looked around and quickly realized that something was wrong.

Body Tempering Realm... Body Tempering Realm... Body Tempering Realm...

As far as Jiang Xiyue could see, every member of the Azure Dragon Gang was at the Body Tempering Realm; none of the elders or the gang leader, who were at the Acquired Realm level, were present! According to the normal rules of an apprenticeship banquet, even if the auspicious time hadn't arrived, the high-level combatants of the host family should have already appeared to greet the guests, appease them, and set the tone. However, at this moment, the entire venue seemed to have lost its spine, relying entirely on a group of Body Tempering disciples to hold it together; no wonder the atmosphere was so dejected and oppressive. So where were the Acquired Realm elders?

What about Ye Li?

As the main character of the apprenticeship banquet, why was he nowhere to be seen from beginning to end?

In an instant, his lazy expression vanished, replaced by an increasingly bright and unique brilliance.

A strong premonition of an impending storm welled up in her heart; it really was going to be a good show!

After integrating the existing information, she immediately understood the key point, and said in a pleasant, melodious voice:

"Come on, let's go to the Poison Wolf Gang. I want to see what that customer is up to!"

After saying that, she got up to leave, but the next moment she saw the gate of the Azure Dragon Gang's mansion be kicked open with a loud bang.

The commotion immediately drew everyone's attention, and everyone turned to look.

The next moment, to the astonishment of everyone present.

But then Ye Li, the host of the banquet, strode in, his white robes stained with blood, brimming with heroic spirit.

Ye Li's originally plain clothes were now soaked with deep, dark red bloodstains, as if they had been immersed in a pool of blood.

"Young Master Ye... Young Master Ye?!" someone exclaimed in disbelief.

Jiang Xiyue, who was in the corner, suddenly stood up and stared at Ye Li's appearance.

Wang Ganshi, who had been indifferent all along, also lost his composure.

At this moment, everyone in the courtyard had only one thought:

"What exactly did Ye Li do to make him look so pathetic at the apprenticeship banquet?"

As for Ye Li?

He was in an extremely cheerful mood, like a fisherman who had caught a fish as tall as a person, and he just happened to get lost at the apprenticeship banquet! Actually, he came back to change his clothes, but unfortunately he got lost and wandered into the scene by mistake.

Ignoring everyone else, Ye Li remained silent, pushed aside the gang members who came forward, and disappeared from everyone's sight, leaving them with countless questions in their minds.

"How did this happen?"

Leaving a clue in everyone's mind, Ye Li killed without burying them, disappearing without a trace.

Before they could ponder this for long, they saw countless guests streaming into the Azure Dragon Gang through the open doors. "What's going on?!"

Doubts filled everyone's minds. They all knew these people; they were all important figures in Guangming.

The question is, shouldn't they be attending the Poison Wolf Gang's apprenticeship banquet at this time?

Why are we not in the west of the city, but here instead?

Surely he couldn't possibly skip the apprenticeship banquet for Poison Wolf, could he?

And could this be related to Ye Li being covered in blood earlier?

Filled with doubt, Wang Ganshi pulled aside a friend who was a businessman in the crowd and asked:

"Didn't you go to the apprenticeship banquet in the west of the city? Why are you back so soon?"

His words attracted the attention of many people present, who all pricked up their ears to hear what had happened.

The merchant's expression was complicated. He silently looked at his friend beside him and said, "The apprenticeship banquet in the west of the city doesn't need to be held. Just now, Young Master Ye Li, in front of countless members of the Poison Wolf Gang..."

"...It scared Lu Xiuyuan to death!"

What?!

This happened in an instant, like a bolt from the blue.

The minds of everyone present exploded, leaving them completely blank!