I run a casino in the immortal realm.

Sun Liang stared intently at Zheng Yifei, his lips moving but unable to utter a complete sound.

Zheng Yifei increased the force of his elbow, and Sun Liang's face turned from red to purple.

"I can kill you today."

When Zheng Yifei said this, his tone was as calm as if he were describing tomorrow's weather.

"But if I kill you, the Iron Fist Sect won't let it go, and the Su family's enforcement team will also get involved in the investigation. To me, these troubles are far more valuable than your life."

He loosened his grip slightly, allowing Sun Liang to breathe.

Sun Liang was panting heavily, like a drowning person being pulled out of a river.

"So, I'm giving you a chance."

Zheng Yifei stood up and looked down at Sun Liang on the ground.

"From today onwards, I will continue to pay the protection fee for Wutong Lane, five spirit stones a month, not a penny less. Your people will no longer appear at my door, no longer follow me, and no longer try to take advantage of me. We will leave each other alone."

Sun Liang struggled to sit up, supporting himself on the ground, one hand covering his throat, his eyes flashing with humiliation and resentment.

But more than anything, it was fear.

In that brief moment of close-quarters suppression, he didn't even have time to release his spiritual power before being locked down.

This fighting style was completely new to him; it was ruthless and left no room for reaction. If Zheng Yifei had wanted to kill him just now, he only needed to add a third more force to his elbow, and his throat would have been shattered.

"But if you're not willing..."

Zheng Yifei tilted his head slightly, his gaze sweeping over the gang members lying haphazardly on the ground before finally settling on Sun Liang's face.

"Then let's fight to the death. You can kill me, but the price you pay will be far beyond what you can bear. I don't mind taking a few down with me before I die."

The alley was deathly silent.

Zhang Biao stood silently behind Zheng Yifei, holding a hunting knife. His position blocked the alley entrance, and anyone who wanted to escape had to get past him first.

Sun Liang stared at Zheng Yifei for a long time.

Finally, he stood up, supporting himself on his knees, and dusted himself off.

"it is good."

Sun Liang gritted his teeth and forced out the word. He bent down, picked up the ghost-head knife, sheathed it, and turned to walk towards the alley entrance.

He took three steps and then stopped.

There was no turning back.

"Walk."

The gang members behind him scrambled to their feet, supporting their injured companion, and staggered after Sun Liang as they disappeared into the darkness at the alley entrance.

The footsteps faded into the distance.

Zhang Biao let out a long breath and sheathed his hunting knife.

"Bro, what you just did..."

Zhang Biao clicked his tongue, unsure what expression to make. "To be honest, I didn't even see how you moved. The three moves you taught me were completely different from what I used."

"The technique is the same, but the speed is different."

Zheng Yifei flexed his wrists: "With the spiritual power of the sixth level of Qi Refining, my muscle explosive power is twice as strong as before, so naturally I'm faster."

Zhang Biao nodded as if he understood, then lowered his voice and said, "Sun Liang holds grudges. He won't let this go after we've lost so much face today."

"I know."

Zheng Yifei walked back to the courtyard gate, rearranged the removed defensive array plates, filled the grooves with spirit stones, and the barrier lit up again.

"If he comes by himself, I'm not afraid, but if he tries to bring back the leader of the Iron Fist Sect..."

Zheng Yifei paused for a moment.

The leader of the Iron Fist Sect is at the peak of the ninth level of Qi Refining, and it is said that he has one foot in the threshold of Foundation Establishment.

With his current cultivation level of Qi Refining Level 6, he has no chance of winning against a peak Qi Refining Level 9 opponent in a head-on confrontation.

"But that's a matter for the future."

Zheng Yifei turned around and smiled at Zhang Biao, "Brother Zhang, you've worked hard today. Go back and get some rest. I'll come see you tomorrow."

Zhang Biao patted Zheng Yifei on the shoulder: "If you need anything, just knock on the wall. I can climb over anytime."

The gate to the courtyard was closed.

Zheng Yifei leaned against the door, his smile fading, his expression turning somber.

Sun Liang isn't the problem; he's just a watchdog. The real trouble lies with the Iron Fist Sect behind him.

What will the gang leader do if word gets back to tonight's events?

The first possibility is to tolerate it. A rogue cultivator at the sixth level of Qi Refining, with Zhou the镖头's background, is not worth the gang leader's personal intervention.

The second possibility is that the gang leader comes in person, subdues him, and makes him pay the "tribute".

The third possibility is that the gang leader felt he had lost face and decided to kill them all.

Based on his understanding of the lower-level gangs, the second possibility was most likely. A gang leader wouldn't go to great lengths for a rogue cultivator, but he also wouldn't allow his subordinates to be humiliated without any response.

Therefore, he doesn't have much time left.

I must make money as soon as possible, improve my cultivation, or—find a new backer.

Zheng Yifei walked to the Lingquan Well, filled a bucket with water, and poured it over his head.

Cool water droplets slid down his chin, and his gaze passed through the courtyard wall, looking towards the direction of Sujiafang Market in the night sky.

There, you'll find the largest casino in Suzhou.

The Su family's "Fulu Casino".

-

West District, Iron Fist Sect stronghold.

Sun Liang slammed the ghost-head knife onto the table, the blade embedding itself in the wood, and a crack appeared in the tabletop.

Ma Qi and the other gang members didn't dare to breathe.

Sun Liang had a clear red mark on his throat, a mark left by Zheng Yifei's elbow. Everyone in the West District knew that Sun Liang was a formidable character at the eighth level of Qi Refining; who would have thought that he would be pinned to the ground by a mere sixth-level Qi Refining brat?

"Boss..."

Ma Qi cautiously approached, "Should we tell the gang leader?"

Sun Liang remained silent for a long time.

The leader of the Iron Fist Sect, Qian Hu, is at the peak of the ninth level of Qi Refining.

If today's events were reported, Qian Hu could indeed slap Zheng Yifei to death.

At the same time, Qian Hu will also know that Sun Liang—a district leader at the eighth level of Qi Refining—led six people and was subdued by a rogue cultivator at the sixth level of Qi Refining.

In the Iron Fist School's rules, incompetence is more shameful than failure.

"Don't report it yet."

Sun Liang said in a deep voice.

"But boss..."

"I said I wouldn't report it yet!"

Sun Liang slammed his fist on the table.

He took a deep breath, suppressing his surging anger and humiliation.

"That kid's cultivation speed is abnormal. He went from the fourth level of Qi Refining to the sixth level in half a year. He must have a big secret. If we report this to the gang leader, all the benefits will go to the gang leader. We won't get a penny."

Sun Liang's gloomy gaze swept over everyone present.

"But if we take care of this ourselves and get our hands on his stuff, we can share it with the gang leader. We'll eat the meat, and the gang leader can have the soup."

Ma Qi's eyes lit up for a moment, but then dimmed again: "But boss, we can't beat him..."

"Can't beat them?"

Sun Liang sneered, rubbing his fingers against the red mark on his throat: "He's only at the sixth level of Qi Refining. The reason he won today was because I underestimated him. I've never seen his strange close-quarters fighting style before, and I was caught off guard. But next time, if he's prepared, can he still win?"

He paused.

"However, to be on the safe side..."

Sun Liang walked to the corner and took out a yellowed name card from a locked iron box.

The name card had three characters written on it: "Ten Thousand Snake Cave".

"Go and invite Zhao the Poison Master from the Ten Thousand Serpent Cave. He is at the eighth level of Qi Refining and is a master of poison. He can take down a person for one hundred spirit stones and has never failed."

Ma Qi gasped, "Boss, inviting outsiders? What if the gang leader finds out..."

"So it has to be done cleanly."

Sun Liang slammed the name card on the table: "Zhao the Poisoner is from out of town. He'll leave as soon as he's done. Nobody in the Iron Fist Sect knows. We just need to wait for that kid to go out again..."

Sun Liang's lips twisted into a sinister arc.

"Poisoning doesn't require close proximity."