I was told I'd be a late bloomer, but I was born with the potential to achieve great things!

Ningshan City, Chunhua Restaurant.

"Brother Mo, you truly have considerable courage, daring to show yourself in Ningshan City?"

"It's just a minor challenge list; why don't you dare come?"

Inside the side room, Zou Quan, the leader of the Shadowless Thieves, looked at the burly man who stepped into the room and cupped his hands in a smile.

"But you, Brother Wang, I've been looking for you for quite a while."

"Haha, Brother Mo is joking."

Upon hearing this, Wang Hu, the leader of the Black Tiger Gang, waved his hand, and the two gang members behind him quickly closed the door and stood guard outside.

"Our Black Tiger Gang's main business is canal transport, so it's normal for us to be away from the gang for a month or two."

"Since Boss Wang is busy, I won't say anything more. My purpose in coming here is very simple: to collect the money."

As Zou Quan spoke, he picked up the wine pot, filled the wine cup, and then pushed the white porcelain-like wine cup in front of Wang Hu.

"What, you're afraid to drink?"

Seeing that Wang Hu remained unmoved, Zou Quan raised an eyebrow.

"It's just a cup of wine, what's there to be afraid of?"

Wang Hu chuckled and twirled the wine glass between two fingers of his right hand.

"It's just that Wang lost a brother, but the people and goods at Yunxia's camp were not damaged, which makes it hard for Wang to swallow his anger."

At this point, Wang Hu's eyes narrowed slightly, and a cold glint appeared in his eyes as he looked at Zou Quan sitting opposite him.

"Now that Brother Zou is here, shouldn't you give me, Wang, an explanation?"

"Explain?"

Zou Quan downed a sip of wine and calmly tapped the table.

"Coincidentally, Mr. Zou also needs an explanation."

Brother Wang, could you please answer why there were people who shouldn't have been there when I was handling matters?

"Mo Kai of the Seven Mysteries Sect is not there."

Wang Hu frowned and replied in a deep voice.

"Before he died, Ge Laosan insisted that it was done by that genius from the Seven Mysteries Sect. The sword and saber energy on my brother's corpse cannot be faked."

Zou Quan countered sharply.

"There are seven towns and thirty-two villages outside Ningshan City, with a total population of over 100,000 including those inside the city."

Brother Zou, with such a forceful attitude, aren't you truly afraid of the constables from the yamen and the itinerant swordsmen from the martial arts world swarming in?"

Wang Hu picked up the teacup on the table with two fingers, held it to his nose, and gently sniffed the pungent, strong aroma of alcohol. He then looked up and said...

"You should know that your head is worth 500 taels of silver."

"Since you've come to me, you have to pay me regardless of whether the matter is resolved or not. Not a single penny less."

Faced with the threat from the Black Tiger Gang leader, Zou Quan ignored it, poured himself another glass of wine, and then looked at Wang Hu and said.

"This is the second cup. Chief Wang, will you drink it or not?"

Wang Hu remained silent, only smiled at Zou Quan's serious expression, and then raised both hands to drink the wine in his cup in one gulp.

"This first cup of wine really didn't taste very good, but since you've said so, Brother Zou, I can give you 3000 taels of silver."

"But there's one more thing you need to do for me?"

"What is it?"

"Kill Mo Kai of the Seven Mysteries Sect."

Wang Hu put down his wine glass.

"As the saying goes, the dead can't testify. Since you keep saying that Mo Kai ruined the good thing, then bring this man's head."

Tell me more.

Zou Quan poured Wang Hu another glass of wine.

"This person is 22 years old this year and is the closed-door disciple of Wang Xuan, the current sect master of the Seven Mysteries Sect. He entered the Bone Forging Realm a year ago."

My men have fought him before and suspect he has reached the pinnacle of the Skin-Refining Realm, even condensing a golden skin.

Wang Hu looked up and drank his wine, then recounted Mo Kai's information in detail.

"500 taels."

Upon hearing this, Zou Quan pondered for a moment, then nodded.

"Add another 500 taels, and I'll kill this man for you."

"Slap slap."

Wang Hu clapped his hands with a smile.

The door opened wide, and a member of the Black Tiger Gang entered carrying a package. He respectfully placed it on the table and quickly withdrew.

"Here are 30 taels of gold and Mo Kaiping's daily information. After the matter is settled, I will give you another 500 taels of silver."

"make a deal."

Zou Quan opened the package, glanced at the gleaming gold ingots, and then got up and left.

"Big brother, are we really just going to let him go like this?"

After Zou Quan left, a man walked in, looking resentful, and said...

"Do you know how many human skin masks he has...? Also, are you sure Mo Kai of the Seven Mysteries Sect didn't go to Cloud Mist Mountain while he was making his move?"

Wang Hu did not answer, but instead asked a question.

"Our people have only heard that he went into seclusion. As for whether he has shown up... it's probably difficult to confirm in the short term."

"Then let him do it."

Wang Hu's smile vanished, and he said in a deep voice.

"Regardless of whether this person has condensed the Golden Skin, his existence is a major threat to our Black Tiger Gang. We absolutely cannot allow him to participate in the next martial arts examination alive."

"That may be true, but that's 3500 taels of silver, brother."

"alright."

Wang Hu raised his hand, got up and went to the window. After looking at the crowd coming and going at the city gate, he said.

"The money has already been paid. Instead of dwelling on this, we should think of a way to deal with those merchants who are close to the Seven Mysteries Sect."

"As long as the Seven Mysteries Sect is gone, we'll earn this money back sooner or later."

"Yes, brother."

"Recently, the government offices and martial arts schools in the city have been somewhat dissatisfied with our Black Tiger Gang. When doing these things, don't use the Black Tiger Gang's name directly."

The Black Tiger Gang is not a group of thieves who plunder everywhere; their goal is to make money.

In secret, they can act with impunity.

However, if they dare to kill people in broad daylight without restraint, the imperial court will eliminate them first.

……

The Seven Mysteries Gate.

"Brother Zhou, are you ready? Instructor Guo is coming to give us a lecture!"

Outside the courtyard, Liu Shuqing's shouts came from outside the house.

"They're here!"

Inside the house, Zhou An replied loudly, relaxing his shoulders and slacking off.

As he slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, patches of his exposed skin, shockingly red as if branded with a hot iron, began to fade rapidly.

[Golden Robe Skill (Mastery 86/800): Practice 100 times daily, mastery can be achieved in five years]

With the mastery of Iron Stake Technique, Zhou An only spent five days cultivating the Golden Robe Technique to the point of perfection.

However, it becomes increasingly difficult as you progress, but if you have enough blood-nourishing powder to enhance your qi and blood, your cultivation will be much faster.

"We need to earn enough silver to make this trip to Ningshan City."

Thinking of this, Zhou An dressed, grabbed his sword, and leaped to a distance of about ten feet.

In just a few flashes, they arrived near the entrance of the courtyard.

【Shadow Chasing Step (Minor Success 152/300): Practice 100 times daily, can be mastered in one year】

"Hurry up, everyone's waiting."

"Open the courtyard gate," Liu Shuqing urged as she paced back and forth.

"We really have to thank Old Sun this time. If it weren't for him, even if we wanted to take on patrol missions, we would have only gone to the town instead of the city at first."

"It's only been a few days, and they're already calling him Old Sun?"

"There's nothing I can do, he's paying me."

Liu Shuqing smiled wryly.

Soon, everyone gathered in the small square.

In just a moment, the burly Guo Tao walked towards them.

……