Surviving in the chaos of battle, I'm grinding for proficiency.

The Iron Tiger Gang's residence.

Two men were guarding the gate in the front yard.

"That damn Cao Yan, he's like a rat, hiding here and there, making us search high and low!"

"The triangular-eyed man who had previously recruited Li Chuan cursed angrily."

Another man with thick eyebrows also sighed repeatedly:

"The gang leader has expanded the search area considerably, but we've still found nothing, not even a kitten..."

Suddenly a cold wind blew by.

The man with the triangular eyes shuddered and looked down to find a wad of paper at his feet!

The man with the triangular eyes rubbed his eyes, and after confirming that he wasn't seeing things, he cautiously raised his head and scanned his surroundings.

But after looking around, they found no trace of them.

It was as if this piece of paper was meant to be here.

The man with the triangular eyes picked up the paper, unfolded it, and examined it carefully by the light.

The man with thick eyebrows leaned forward and read aloud, word by word:

"Where is Cao Yan, the leader of the Black Bear Gang, hiding?"

He snatched the crumpled paper away and tried to smooth it out, only to find that there was a simple drawing underneath.

"Cao Yan is just two rooms away from us?!" The thick-browed man smirked. "Who played this prank?"

"Brother San, do you think that's possible? We've searched all the shops around here countless times; they could find even a fly."

The triangular eyes revealed a thoughtful expression:

"Indeed, we searched many times, but we didn't even find a fly from the Black Bear Gang."

The man with thick eyebrows chuckled:

"In my opinion, it's more likely that the Black Bear Gang has someone instructing them to distract us!"

"If we blindly trust him and rashly report it, won't the gang leader hold us accountable?"

"Just throw it away!"

The man with thick eyebrows made a move to tear the paper ball to pieces.

The man with the triangular eyes was so frightened that he quickly stopped him:

"What are you doing! Whether it's true or not, how can we make such a big decision on our own?"

"Let me teach you a trick: don't make decisions on things you're unsure about. Report them to the gang leader and let him decide. That way, you won't be blamed."

The man with the triangular eyes gave the thick-browed man a deep look:

"These are all ways to save your life; learn them slowly."

There was something else he didn't say.

What if... it's true?

……

Song Jin took the crumpled paper and examined it closely for a few moments:

"impossible."

The man with thick eyebrows inexplicably breathed a sigh of relief and was about to take the crumpled paper and throw it away.

"Wait, you mean someone slipped the crumpled paper in here without us noticing?" Song Jin asked, frowning.

The man with the triangular eyes quickly nodded in agreement.

Song Jin muttered to himself:

"That must be a master of the Ming Jin skill. I haven't found much of a job searching for the Black Bear Gang in the suburbs lately."

"Hiding right next to us is quite in line with Cao Yan's adventurous nature."

After a moment's thought, Song Jin made a decision.

Even if it's uncertain whether it's true or not, there are currently no better leads.

It's worth a try!

Even if we fail, there won't be any additional losses.

"Call the brothers, grab your gear, and set off immediately. Don't let a word get out!" Song Jin stood up and strode out with an imposing air.

……

Black Bear Gang's House.

Ah Liang was taking over from someone else and standing guard at the door.

He looked down at the moonlight shining through the crack in the door, but his mind was no longer on guarding the door; it had drifted far away.

"Tomorrow we'll wipe out the entire Li family. What methods should we use? Poisoning? No, poisoning is too conspicuous, and it's easy to leave clues that won't be easy to cover up..."

"An assassination? Sneak in under the cover of night, one punch each, then set the shop on fire. Nobody can find fault with that, and some big shot will clean up the mess afterward!"

Ah Liang became more and more excited as he thought about it, and all his previous drowsiness was completely driven away.

Just do it!

"What's that sound?!" Ah Liang heard a sudden burst of footsteps outside the door.

It had been unusually quiet, but now we were suddenly at the door.

This means the person has been waiting for a long time!

"Bang!"

The heavy wooden door was kicked down, and splinters of wood flew everywhere.

Song Jin, his eyes gleaming with malice, saw A Liang's figure and a sinister smile crept across his lips.

"We've finally found you!"

Alarm bells rang in Ah Liang's heart, and he was so frightened that his breathing slowed down.

How could this be? How could they suddenly come knocking on our door?!

"Bang!"

Song Jin suddenly threw a punch, which landed squarely on A Liang's head, denting his skull!

Ah Liang opened his eyes wide, sobbing as if he wanted to say something, but he could no longer speak.

He fell straight down.

One punch and he's dead!

Suddenly, shouts of fighting and killing rang out, and a large group of people poured in from the front door and the backyard.

Cao Yan's eyes were bloodshot:

"Who betrayed me!"

He glanced at the shifty-eyed man beside him:

"It's you!"

The man was so frightened that he quickly waved his hands:

"Boss, you're innocent! It wasn't me! I only dared to think it, not do it!"

Cao Yan's eyes flashed with murderous intent, and with a snap, he broke his neck!

In that instant, two Ming Jin experts, along with several skilled fighters, surrounded them.

Cao Yan spat:

"You bunch of bastards, you think you can stop me!"

……

Li Chuan lay in ambush on the only road leading to the suburbs.

He will not be at peace until Cao Yan dies today.

Even if he used someone else to do his dirty work, Cao Yan was still a veteran Ming Jin. Although he was injured, who knew how much strength he still had left?

They might have escaped.

He would not allow such a risk to exist.

If Cao Yan were to die, that would be for the best.

If he had escaped by sheer luck and survived, he would have ended his life himself.

As time went by, the sounds of fighting in the distance attracted many officials and constables, who gradually gathered around.

Li Chuan's heartbeat also gradually quickened.

If Cao Yan wants to escape, this is the only time he can do so.

Take a breath.

Two breaths.

Three breaths.

Cao Yan is here!

His black clothes were stained with blood, his left arm hung down, and he was walking unsteadily.

"These bastards are really troublesome. Luckily, I'm tough enough! Don't let me get out, or they'll all be dead!" Cao Yan spat out a mouthful of blood, his heart filled with malice.

Looking at the deserted street ahead and having dealt with the pursuers behind him, Cao Yan breathed a sigh of relief.

After a bloody battle, they finally escaped.

Safe!

As long as we escape the city, there is still hope!

Just then, Cao Yan suddenly noticed a dark figure blocking his path.

The dark figure was masked, and its appearance was not clear in the dim moonlight.

Cao Yan gave a forced smile:

"Could any kind hero please make way for me?"

The dark figure didn't reply; it simply hooked its feet on the ground and charged forward with all its might.

In the blink of an eye, he was in front of Cao Yan!

Along with it came a handful of quicklime!

Cao Yan reacted quickly, instinctively fanning himself with his arms to blow away the lime powder.

However, he moved a little slowly after being injured, and some of the substance still got into his eyes.

A violent burning sensation erupted in his pupils, causing him to open his mouth and scream.

"what!"

He had barely opened his mouth when the dark figure threw out another handful of powder.

He sucked it all up!

The burning sensation in his mouth almost made Cao Yan lose his mind.

"Despicable!" Cao Yan mobilized all his energy and threw a punch in anger.

"Um?!"

The feeling of the blows was completely wrong; it wasn't like fists hitting fists at all!

Through his blurry vision, Cao Yan saw the dark figure pull out a dagger and clash with his fist!

In that instant, the dagger pierced Cao Yan's palm, causing him to grimace in pain.

"I......!"

The shadowy figure lunged forward, its right hand climbing up swiftly like a venomous snake, until it reached Cao Yan's eyes.

If this blow lands, Cao Yan will be powerless to turn the tide!

But he was a veteran of countless battles, and he managed to react in the face of adversity.

Cao Yan ducked in the blink of an eye, narrowly avoiding a fatal blow.

To his surprise, the shadowy figure suddenly changed tactics, reaching down with two fingers to grab his throat!

"This is... Tongbei Quan?!"

Before he died, Cao Yan had many thoughts on his mind.

He couldn't remember when he had offended anyone from the Songfeng Martial Arts School.

He was cautious and never provoked those with powerful family backgrounds or potential.

The only person they had any connection with was Li Nian's useless grandson!

Could it be him?

"Snap!" The dark figure swiftly snapped Cao Yan's neck without uttering a single word.

Then, he began to grope Cao Yan's body.

A cloth bag and a secret manual.

After doing all this, the shadowy figure stomped on Cao Yan a dozen more times.

They continued until he was trampled to a bloody pulp, leaving no trace.

The dark figure vanished in an instant, as if it had never been there.