346 An Imminent War
Meng Yuliang felt a surge of relief. “It’s a misunderstanding,” he quickly said, “We’re all family. This must be some sort of misunderstanding.”
His body was drenched in blood from the consecutive blasts he had endured, his life force rapidly ebbing away. Even an expert of the fourth-level bone pattern realm, with his vigorous blood and qi, couldn’t withstand such massive blood loss.
“A misunderstanding?” Qin Huai’s voice was frosty. “Perhaps you could enlighten me. How did you acquire this human skin mask, and why did my dear third brother instruct you to impersonate me?”
“Will I live if I tell you?” Meng Yuliang asked, hope flickering in his eyes.
“Of course, you can live if you work for me,” Qin Huai responded without missing a beat.
“Heh. That’s great. I’ve long wanted to switch sides, but I haven’t found the opportunity,” Meng Yuliang confessed, excitement flaring in his eyes. “It’s a coincidence that I finally caught it today. Third Master asked me to pretend to be you because he wanted to escalate the conflict between you and the Thunderbolt Gang, instigate a war between the two gangs, and find an opportunity to kill you.”
Meng Yuliang spilled his secrets without reservation.
“Continue,” Qin Huai prompted, his voice steady.
Huang Qiguang clearly felt threatened by Qin Huai, hence he resorted to such a method. Since Qin Huai spent most of his time cultivating in his courtyard and seldom ventured outside, finding the right opportunity was a challenge.
Meng Yuliang stammered, “And then… It’s just… You’re the one who should go to hell!” With a sudden burst of energy, he sprang up and swung his fist at Qin Huai.
Crack!
A crisp snap echoed through the air. To Meng Yuliang’s misfortune, Qin Huai’s grip on his neck tightened. Meng Yuliang’s head lolled to one side, his eyes gradually losing their spark. His final words fell flat as his life was extinguished.
“How could you possibly let me off… You’re quite good at judging people,” Qin Huai said, rifling through Meng Yuliang’s pockets.
He found a hundred thousand taels of silver and a mask resembling Zhou Cunzhong. Nonchalantly, he tossed Meng Yuliang’s lifeless body onto the ground, a shower of poison powder falling from his sleeves. A sizzling sound filled the air as Meng Yuliang’s corpse began to dissolve.
“Even Zhou Cunzhong’s mask is ready?” Qin Huai examined the mask.
Without paint, Zhou Cunzhong’s features were indistinguishable. Only Qin Huai, who had seen the three small characters carved on the inside, knew.
The mask was eerily similar to Zhou Cunzhong, right down to the scar over the left eye. The lines on the mask were so precise that, without careful scrutiny, one couldn’t distinguish it from the real face.
“The person who crafted this mask is truly skilled.” Qin Huai couldn’t help but marvel. The craftsmen of this world had indeed reached the pinnacle of their art.
“Ding! You have collected a [Poison King Technique Essence], [Poison King Technique] +10%!”
“Ding! You have collected a [Silver Power Metal Light Technique Essence (Red)], [Silver Power Metal Light Technique] experience points +100,000!”
After gathering all the experience orbs on the ground, Qin Huai retraced his steps, leaving behind the desolate scene.
Though Qin Huai hadn’t slaughtered everyone at the dock, thanks to Huang Qiguang’s meddling, a war was imminent between the Blood Poison Gang and the Thunderbolt Gang. Naturally, Qin Huai’s experience points were bound to increase. As for Huang Qiguang’s interest in his identity, Qin Huai would seize the appropriate opportunity to satisfy his curiosity.
…
At the Thunderbolt Gang’s main hall, tempers were flaring.
Bang!
“That Blood Poison Gang’s Poison Dragon has crossed the line!” a man with a fiery temper fumed. The dock was under his charge, and the departing cargo that night included precious goods like gold. The chaos had driven away more than half of the creatures with demon bloodlines.
“Are you sure it was the Poison Dragon himself?” someone questioned.
“Yes, I saw it with my own eyes. I even managed to slice off his veil. It was indeed the Poison Dragon’s face,” the fourth-level bone pattern realm expert confirmed, his voice trembling.
“I suspect he knew about our shipment tonight and deliberately caused trouble,” a tall, thin man remarked with a cold snort.
“He’s young and has gained fame, so a bit of recklessness is to be expected,” the middle-aged man seated at the head of the table reasoned. He had shoulder-length hair and two iron balls in his hands.
He was Jing Ye, the leader of the Thunderbolt Gang.
“Since the Poison Dragon is overstepping his boundaries, our Thunderbolt Gang should teach him a lesson on behalf of that old man Wen Zonghao. He needs to understand the rules and the reality of Qingzhou.”
…
Meanwhile, on the flower boat, Wen Zonghao held his teacup, studying Qin Huai and his companions. “You’ve been reckless. Destroying the dock is one thing, but why leave such a mess?”
Wen Zonghao didn’t chastise Qin Huai for attacking the Thunderbolt Gang’s dock. Instead, he criticized him for not finishing the job more thoroughly.
“Foster Father is right!” Qin Huai agreed sincerely.
“Since the Thunderbolt Gang has declared war, we, the Blood Poison Gang, cannot show any signs of weakness. This battle will not be like the previous ones. We may lose some of our core members, but we must display our strength and distinct style. Let the people in the outer city see what we’re made of.”
Wen Zonghao didn’t express any resistance to the impending clash between the two sects. The Blood Poison Gang had never believed in accumulating wealth in a stable manner, ever since they began their journey with poison techniques.
“I’m counting on you!”
The three of them raised their fists in unison, pledging their commitment.
On the other hand, Huang Qi was eyeing Qin Huai with an intriguing expression. Qin Huai had openly admitted to assaulting the port. Coupled with the fact that his right-hand man, Meng Yuliang, hadn’t returned, it was clear that he had unintentionally lost a valuable ally.