A miraculous doctor descended from the heavens.

"The Dark Gate is an extremely mysterious cult. Compared to gangs like the Righteous Alliance and the Dragon Society, it is far more cruel, bloody, and terrifying. What we do can at least be seen in some respects; although it may be unforgivable by law, it may still be forgivable by morality. But what they do is utterly immoral and inhumane. They exist purely for profit, and only a huge sum of money can motivate them to take action. Once they do, they will definitely take a life—"

"Wait, Master, wait!" Gu Feng hurriedly interrupted him. "Why are you making this sound so mysterious? It's like a dream to me. I think this whole thing is very simple—the person behind it all just wants to ruin my reputation and make me unable to live a decent life. How did your analysis turn it into wanting to kill me?"

"What? You still haven't figured it out?" The advisor glanced at him indifferently.

"I don't understand. You said that woman came from some secret sect and her goal was to kill me. But in the chaos at the time, apart from the first few people who threw punches and kicks at me, no one used a knife on me."

"Foolish boy. To kill someone, you don't necessarily have to use knives and guns. That's precisely the brilliance of the person who orchestrated this murder." The clerk frowned slightly, his tone gradually turning somber. "This person wanted to kill you, but deliberately made it look like an 'accident.' That's why no one used a knife against you. Once a knife was used, the nature of the case would completely change, and it would be easy for people to smell premeditated murder. However, if the ringleader first used excessive force against you, and then the enraged mob followed up with a flurry of punches, it would become a chaotic beating, resulting in an 'accidental death.' As the saying goes, the law doesn't punish the masses—you were beaten to death after inciting public outrage, so your death was meaningless. You should understand such a simple principle."

Gu Feng was taken aback at first, then began to think about what he had said.

The more he thought about it, the paler his face became; the more he thought about it, the more horrified he became.

The four men who rushed at him, though unarmed, were incredibly fast, each strike aimed at his vital points.

If I hadn't struck first and taken down those four, even if I were incredibly resilient and had abundant internal energy, I would probably be in grave danger right now.

Having figured out the key details, he couldn't help but gasp sharply: "This... is terrifying. They're not just trying to teach me a lesson; they really want my life!"

"You've finally figured it out." The advisor raised his hand and wiped his forehead.

"I understand. But there's still one thing I can't figure out." Gu Feng's face was full of doubt. "If this really was a meticulously planned murder, was it designed by the patron who hired the Dark Gate, or by the Dark Gate itself?"

"Is there a difference?" the advisor asked rhetorically.

"Of course there's a difference." Gu Feng's expression turned serious. "If this assassination was designed and carried out by the Dark Gate itself, then the person who wants me dead has nothing to offer except a few stinking bucks. Dealing with such a person would be effortless for me. But if this assassination was orchestrated by the patron who provided the funds—then this person is not only ruthless but also cunning. Dealing with such a person requires utmost caution."

Upon hearing this, the clerk nodded slightly, a hint of admiration appearing in his eyes: "Good lad, it's no wonder I thought so highly of you. Indeed, you grasped it immediately."

Gu Feng's face flushed slightly, and he said somewhat nervously, "But Master, you haven't answered my question yet."

A hint of regret appeared on the clerk's face, and his voice became slightly heavy: "Unfortunately, in my judgment, it's the latter. The woman's identity has been confirmed as a member of the Dark Gate."

"Is the advisor certain?"

"Yes. Every member of the Dark Gate has a unique gate-shaped tattoo on their left buttock. This woman not only has a tattoo, but she also carries the Dark Gate's unique deadly poison. These two points alone are enough to confirm her identity. However..."

"Just what?"

"However, this method of assassination is not what the Dark Gate is good at. In the past, the murders committed by the Dark Gate were mostly point-to-point, head-on confrontations. Each assassination was carried out by at least one person, and at most two. But today's large-scale operation, which made good use of the timing, location, and people to set up this scheme, has completely deviated from the Dark Gate's usual practices. It is an unprecedented move for them. Therefore, I dare to assert that this assassination plan was personally designed by the person who wants your life."

"Were those who were caught also members of the Dark Gate?" Gu Feng asked again.

"No. Apart from that woman, none of them came from the underworld. Not even her male partner." Seeing that Gu Feng was still confused, the advisor simply laid it all out. "That woman paid a large sum of money to that man—the pickpocket who was just released from prison—to steal Ding Hanhan's wallet and cooperate with her in this charade. Those so-called 'eyewitnesses' were all hired by her. However, there's something you probably don't know—those four who 'stood up' and attacked you first were ostensibly public-spirited and helpful, but in reality, they were top-notch thugs in underground boxing matches. So, with that woman dead, almost all the leads were wiped out. This case can only be left unresolved."

"Is that so..." Gu Feng sighed deeply, "In that case, it's a bit of a pity that woman died."

"I think her death is nothing to regret." The advisor's face was expressionless. "Perhaps you think that if she doesn't die, you can use her to find the person who wanted to kill you. Actually, you're wrong. Even if she doesn't die, finding the mastermind behind it is as difficult as climbing to the sky. This woman is just an insignificant ordinary disciple in the Dark Gate. She has no right to meet with the patron. Even the person above her who takes the orders may not be qualified to meet the patron directly. Nowadays, with the internet so advanced—telephone, text messages, QQ, email, MSN... there are countless ways to exchange information. As for payment transfers, they are extremely flexible. So, even if you can find the Dark Gate, or even destroy it completely, you may not be able to find the person who actually hired you to kill."

Upon hearing this, Gu Feng finally slumped down, letting out a long sigh: "Could it be that I've truly been tricked for nothing?"

"Being tricked for nothing is better than losing your life for nothing." The clerk felt a chill and said in a hoarse voice, "You should be grateful that you were born with a strong body that can fight and take a beating. If it were someone else, they would probably be in their funeral by now."

"Master, do you think... it's possible that the five members of the Zheng family paid someone to do this?" Gu Feng asked again.

"I can't say for sure," the advisor slowly shook his head. "I can only say that anything is possible. However, based on my understanding of the five sons of the Zheng family, although they are famous and wealthy, they are all mediocre and lack great wisdom. They can certainly afford the money; but such a brilliant idea is not something they could come up with."

"Indeed." Gu Feng agreed wholeheartedly. "At first glance, this scheme seems nonsensical, even illogical. But upon closer inspection, it is truly ingenious. Who would have thought that a petty pickpocketing incident would escalate into molestation; and the perfectly timed performances of a few accomplices would transform a molestation case into a murder case. With the brains of the five members of the Zheng family—even if you forced those five heads into one—they probably couldn't come up with such a scheme."

"No, Gu Feng. Nothing in this world is absolute." The advisor waved his hand. "We must learn to see through appearances to the essence."

"So, you mean... they specifically hired a strategist to deal with me?"

The advisor chuckled, "Gu Feng, I'm finding more and more that chatting with you is a truly delightful experience. However—"

"Master! Can you please stop leaving things unsaid? But what?" Gu Feng really wanted to give the master a few good whacks on the head.

"However, no matter how pleasant our chat is, nothing beats going home to sleep with my wife. It's getting late, I have to go home."

The advisor simply uttered this remark and then strolled away leisurely.