After my rebirth, my Martial Sect will surely sweep the martial world in blood.

On the map, the areas representing the "Snake Cave" and "Sand Scorpion" forces were circled in vermilion, and the information Han Li had gathered over the past three days was densely marked next to them.

Lin Mo's fingertips traced the gambling dens and brothels frequented by "Black Snake," and then touched several important warehouse nodes in the south of the city controlled by "Scorpion Xie."

Intelligence indicates that the two men have been in frequent contact recently, and have also had contact with many of their core subordinates. More notably, they also seem to have had a secret meeting with the vice leader of the "Iron Palm Gang" in the west of the city.

"Iron Palm Clan..."

Lin Mo pondered.

This is another force in the south of the city that should not be underestimated. The gang leader, Liu Hong, can split rocks with his iron palms. His territory is adjacent to the area controlled by Lin Moxin, and they have always kept to themselves.

If they get involved, the situation will become complicated.

"Master," Han Li said solemnly, standing to the side, "according to the brothers who were keeping watch, 'Black Snake' and 'Scorpion Xie' booked out the 'Drunken Spring Breeze' restaurant last night and hosted a banquet for six or seven people. Although we didn't see all their faces clearly, two of them walked with steady steps and slightly bulging temples, so they should be experts in internal martial arts, not their own men. Moreover, our informants planted outside 'Snake Cave' have sent word that 'Black Snake' recently purchased a batch of powerful bows and crossbows, and we are currently investigating their hiding place."

Powerful bows and crossbows... this goes beyond the scope of ordinary martial arts brawls.

Lin Mo's eyes turned slightly cold; the other party's resistance and determination seemed to be even greater than he had anticipated.

It's not just a resistance to the new rules; it's more like a premeditated counterattack, aiming to eliminate both the newly established "rules" and him personally.

"Keep a close watch and find out where those crossbow bolts were hidden, as well as the origins of all the unfamiliar faces who came into contact with them."

Lin Mo instructed, "Also, withdraw our people from some small business locations on the edge of 'Snake Cave' and 'Sand Scorpion' to avoid unnecessary losses."

Han Li hesitated for a moment: "Master, wouldn't withdrawing make us appear weak?"

Lin Mo shook his head: "You have to pull your fist back to hit harder. Let them be arrogant for a few days."

Just as Lin Mo had predicted, the temporary retreat was interpreted as cowardice by "Snake Cave" and "Sand Scorpion." In the following days, the provocations intensified.

First, two of Lin Mo's shops, which were responsible for purchasing medicinal herbs, were vandalized one after another. The guards were injured, and the stock of medicinal herbs was looted. Snake-shaped darts or scorpion-tail needles were also left at the scene.

Immediately afterwards, various rumors began to circulate in the black market.

Rumors circulated that Lin Mo's new regulations were actually designed to exploit all the stall owners and line his own pockets; that Lin Mo's origins were unknown, that he was a wanted criminal hiding here, and that he would eventually attract the attention of government troops, implicating everyone; even more insidiously, rumors circulated that Lin Mo practiced an evil martial art that required absorbing the life essence of living people, and that his previous sheltering of refugees was actually a way to gather materials for his practice…

Rumors, like a poisonous fog, permeate the black market.

Although most people dared not openly question Lin Mo due to his previous ruthless methods, the seeds of doubt and fear had already been sown.

Some smaller factions that had initially remained neutral began to waver, and their business dealings with Mo Yuan became more cautious. Even within the Canal Gang, some of the former members who had initially supported Lin Mo because of his background began to waver and gossip among themselves.

"Master, we can't tolerate this any longer!" Wang Ben roared in anger, repeatedly requesting permission to fight, "Let me lead my men and raze those two vermin's lair to the ground!"

Mr. Zhou also looked worried: "Master, the rumors are rampant. If this continues, people's hearts will be scattered, and the order and prestige we have worked so hard to build may be..."

Lin Mo sat behind his desk, with Han Li's latest intelligence summary and the changes in the black market's accounts over the past few days laid out in front of him.

Revenue has indeed been affected, but the core distribution channels remain unshaken. His face betrayed no emotion, he simply said, "The higher they jump, the harder they fall. Let them gather everyone together; it'll save us the trouble of searching for them one by one."

He tapped a line of text on the intelligence report: "Sun Mang, the vice leader of the 'Iron Palm Gang,' is greedy and lecherous, and is not a close ally of the gang leader Liu Hong... Xie Xie, the 'Sand Scorpion,' has a younger brother who is addicted to gambling and owes the 'Wealthy Brothel' a large sum of money through usury. 'Black Snake' has recently become infatuated with a new courtesan at the 'Hundred Flowers Pavilion,' spending a fortune..."

Lin Mo looked up at Mr. Zhou: "How many of those East China Sea pearls we got from the last auction are still in our warehouse?"

Mr. Zhou was taken aback, then replied, "There are still two boxes left. The grains are plump and glossy, and they are quite valuable."

"Take a box, pick the ten best ones, and anonymously send them to the concubine of Vice Leader Sun of the 'Iron Palm Gang.' Also, prepare five hundred taels of gold leaves and, through the undercover agents of 'Wealthy Brothel,' pay off Xie Xie's brother's gambling debts, but make sure he knows that we are the ones who provided the money," Lin Mo instructed, his tone as calm as if he were discussing the weather.

Mr. Zhou instantly understood Lin Mo's intention: to divide and conquer! "Master's plan is brilliant! But…that 'black-tailed snake'…"

"As for the 'black-banded snake'..."

Lin Mo's lips curled into a cold smile. "Since he likes that courtesan, find a way to make her 'accidentally' learn that 'Black Snake' is being hunted by enemies and his life is hanging by a thread. Find a few unfamiliar brothers to pretend to be seeking revenge and 'ambush' him a few times on his way to 'Hundred Flowers Pavilion.' Don't kill him, but make him look pathetic and lose face."

"Yes!" Mr. Zhou perked up and immediately accepted the order.

Wang Ben was still a little confused: "Master, what... what's the point of sending money and women if there's no war?"

Lin Mo glanced at him: "War is the last resort. Subduing the enemy without fighting is the best strategy. 'Snake Cave' and 'Sand Scorpion' seem to be allied, but in reality, they each have their own calculations, and their bond of interests is not strong. It will be much easier for us to pry open the cracks from within than to launch a strong attack from the outside."

Subsequent developments confirmed Lin Mo's judgment.

After receiving the precious pearl from the East China Sea, Sun Mang's favorite concubine whispered in his ear for a few days, and Sun Mang's attitude towards the "Snake Cave" and "Sand Scorpion" alliance against Lin Mo became ambiguous. At the internal meeting of the "Iron Palm Gang", he no longer actively advocated intervention.

Xie Xie's good-for-nothing younger brother, suddenly freed from the pressure of gambling debts, became extremely grateful to Mo Yuan and spoke highly of him to his elder brother. Although Xie Xie might not have fully believed him, he at least began to have doubts about the fierce confrontation advocated by "Black Snake" and started to delay and hold back in his actions.

Meanwhile, "Black Snake" found himself in trouble. The courtesan he admired was avoiding him, and he was attacked several times on the street by "unidentified" people. Although he wasn't seriously injured, he was covered in dirt and became suspicious, causing his subordinates to be filled with unease. He suspected Lin Mo was behind it, but couldn't find any evidence. Fueled by rage, he became even more erratic and violent, even taking his anger out on his subordinates, causing resentment to grow within the organization.

The seemingly monolithic opposition alliance developed clear cracks in just a few days thanks to Lin Mo's accurate intelligence and targeted methods.

That night, Han Li sneaked into Lin Mo's study again and whispered, "Master, we've found out. The batch of crossbow bolts was hidden in an abandoned brick kiln in the west of the city, guarded by eight skilled fighters from 'Snake Cave.' In addition, the unfamiliar expert who contacted 'Black-tailed Snake' and his group has been basically confirmed to be an outer disciple of the 'Seven Fiends Sect.'"

"Seven Fiends Sect..."

A cold glint flashed in Lin Mo's eyes.

This is a martial arts sect with whom he had a grudge in a past life. Although not a direct enemy, they were still in opposing camps.

It seems that some people have already extended their tentacles, or perhaps, the "black snakes" are willing to let wolves into the house in order to fight against us.

"The time is almost right."

Lin Mo stood up. "Notify Wang Ben to gather thirty skilled men, equipped with crossbows and fire arrows. You will lead the team yourself. At midnight, the target is the abandoned brick kiln. Burn that batch of crossbow bolts, and leave no one guarding it alive."

"Yes!" Han Li accepted the order, a bloodthirsty glint in his eyes.

"Furthermore," Lin Mo continued, "we should subtly leak the information we have about the collusion between the Seven Fiends Sect disciples and the Black-tailed Snake to Xie Xie of the Sand Scorpion Gang and Liu, the leader of the Iron Palm Gang. In particular, we need to let Liu Hong know that the Seven Fiends Sect members are near his territory."

Han Li instantly understood: "Your subordinate understands! The 'Seven Fiends Sect' has a notorious reputation, and Liu Hong certainly wouldn't want to provoke them. Knowing that 'Black-tailed Snake' brought them in, he'll definitely harbor resentment! And Xie Xie is timid and suspicious; knowing that the 'Seven Fiends Sect' is involved, he'll probably avoid them like the plague!"

Lin Mo nodded: "Go ahead. After we finish this, we should go and close the net tomorrow."

Midnight was past midnight when a towering fire erupted from the direction of the abandoned brick kiln in the west of the city, illuminating half the sky. Shouts of battle and screams of agony briefly rose before quickly fading into silence.

When the news spread the next day, the black market was shaken once again.

The crossbow bolts secretly stockpiled in the "Snake Cave" were all burned, and the elite guards were wiped out. At the same time, news of the "Black Snake" colluding with the evil "Seven Fiends Sect" spread like wildfire.

In an instant, "Black Snake" was abandoned by his followers. "Sand Scorpion" Xie Scorpion immediately announced that he was severing ties with "Snake Cave". Liu Hong, the leader of "Iron Palm Gang", even sent someone to warn "Black Snake" to get out of the south of the city immediately, or "Iron Palm Gang" would be the first to not tolerate him.

The once arrogant opposition alliance crumbled instantly under Lin Mo's series of combined attacks.

All that's left is figuring out how to deal with that lone "black snake".