Chapter 137

136. Chapter 136: Chief Biaotou (Ally Bonus: Mom Deducts Three Three)

During the time Li Yi killed Jin Jiahuan, the head of the Jin Family Gym, on another front, Master Zhao Ge, accompanied by Skinny Monkey and Zhao Qian, began visiting various factions in the city based on the information extracted under interrogation; his goal was simple: rescue any surviving disciples.

These disciples were core members of the Zhao Family Gym, loyal and reliable; Zhao Ge could never abandon them.

Their first stop was the Jin family’s dungeon; they came here because fighting sounds had already reached the Jin Family Gym, meaning its defenses must be thin—at most one or two Blood-Refining martial artists guarding it, which posed no threat to him, especially since even with his unhealed injuries, eliminating a few Blood-Refiners was effortless.

Accompanied by several screams echoing through the air.

The dungeon was instantly breached; Zhao Ge punched through enemies, none could stand against him, and even Jin family disciples fled in terror merely upon seeing his face.

“Father, will Big Brother Li be alright? Should I take the sniper rifle to lend him support? After all, Big Brother Li is facing a Qi-Aperture expert.”

At this moment, Zhao Qian followed her master and Skinny Monkey into the dungeon, yet she remained concerned for Li Yi’s safety outside.

“No need. Meng De is strong, and with my guidance, killing Jin Zhihuan, that old bastard, is no issue. Moreover, Meng De intends to use the blood of a Qi-Aperture martial artist to temper his fist intent; if we bring firearms, he’ll rely on them and lose the benefit of the trial.” Zhao Ge said.

“Besides, this firearm is our trump card—it must not be revealed unless absolutely necessary. Who knows how many enemies we’re up against? We must keep some reserves. Daughter, hide your firearm. Right now, countless eyes, visible and hidden, are watching us. If they learn it’s a weapon capable of killing Qi-Aperture experts, who wouldn’t want it? Then the imperial court will covet it, and that’ll be trouble.”

“I understand, Father,” Zhao Qian nodded.

Her sniper rifle was a life-saving trump card—but it could also become a death sentence if it drew out upper-realm martial artists; if that happened, they were finished.

Thus Zhao Ge treated the sniper rifle with extreme caution; it must not be used unless absolutely unavoidable.

Soon.

The group arrived at the dungeon and found over a dozen Zhao Family Gym disciples imprisoned inside. Their condition was slightly better than those outside the city, but they were still bloodied and battered; the only relief was that their tendons hadn’t been severed—their limbs remained intact, and with proper rest and care, they could still become pillars of the gym in the future.

“Master! Is it really you? Master, I didn’t imagine it!”

“Thank heaven! Master, you’ve come to save us!”

“Master!”

Upon seeing Zhao Ge, the disciples erupted in emotion, their eyes instantly brightening with hope.

“Good, you’re all alive. Excellent. You’re all true warriors. No more fear or dread—you’re safe now. I’m here. Everything will get better.” Zhao Ge smiled; seeing them unharmed brought him some comfort.

“Skinny Monkey, open the doors and free your senior brothers and sisters.”

“Got it, Master!” Skinny Monkey didn’t wait for the words to finish—he immediately acted, drawing his waist blade and slashing open the prison doors, unlocking the shackles.

In moments, all dozen or so Zhao Family Gym disciples were freed.

“I still need to rescue others; I can’t stay here to care for you. Bear with it for now. When today’s affairs are settled, I’ll bring you all back to the gym.” Zhao Ge spoke, knowing time was tight and they couldn’t linger.

“Master, be careful—Jin Family Gym and Han Family Gym’s Qi-Aperture experts are still hunting for you,” one disciple urgently warned.

Skinny Monkey chuckled beside him: “Don’t worry. After today, there won’t be any Jin Family Gym or Han Family Gym in San Yang City. Master brought back our Senior Brother this time. Senior Brother is incredibly powerful—he’s avenging us. All those who wronged us will die.”

“Senior Brother? Skinny Monkey, what do you mean? Explain clearly,” one disciple pressed.

“I can’t stay to explain now. I’ll tell you all later. Senior brothers and younger brothers, take care of yourselves. Tomorrow, you’ll know everything.” Skinny Monkey said.

Soon.

He followed Zhao Ge and Zhao Qian out of the dungeon.

After rescuing these disciples, Zhao Ge’s mood noticeably improved; he mounted his horse and galloped off again: “To Wei Wu Biaoju . I have some old ties with their Chief Biaotou , Hu Weiyuan. I want to see what fate our Zhao Family Gym disciples met in his hands. If that bastard adds insult to injury, don’t blame me for breaking ties—I’ll kill him myself.”

They galloped hard, heading straight for Wei Wu Escort Agency.

Soon, after passing several streets,

A stately, imposing gate appeared before them. Above the gate hung a plaque bearing golden characters: Wei Wu Escort Agency.

“Zhao Family Gym’s Master, Zhao Ge, comes to pay respects to Chief Biaotou Hu Weiyuan. Please come out and meet me!” As soon as he reined in his horse, Zhao Ge roared with martial force, his voice like a tiger’s roar, piercing metal and splitting stone, echoing instantly across the entire Biaoju .

Every disciple within Wei Wu Escort Agency heard the long roar; many turned pale with shock.

Yet, given the massive event that had erupted in San Yang City today, Wei Wu Escort Agency had inevitably heard rumors—everyone in the city had been watching Zhao Family Gym’s destruction, and whether it could rise again and seek vengeance.

After all, Zhao Ge, the Qi-Aperture Master, had not died; the banner had not fallen. There was still a chance for redemption.

Zhao Ge now chose courtesy before force—he didn’t wish to ruin past goodwill. After all, enemies’ words couldn’t be trusted; if Wei Wu Escort Agency hadn’t kicked him while he was down, storming in recklessly would make him the villain.

He was, after all, seasoned and cautious, never rash.

As his roar echoed, roughly ten breaths later, the main gate of Wei Wu Escort Agency slowly opened.

Out stepped Chief Biaotou Hu Weiyuan, accompanied by all his Biao hands—they had clearly prepared, anticipating Zhao Ge’s arrival after his reappearance.

“Hu Weiyuan greets Master Zhao,” said a stout, middle-aged man in fitted attire, around thirty, bowing with clasped fists.

Zhao Ge studied Hu Weiyuan, sensing an unfamiliar aura—his expression shifted slightly: “Your blood qi has condensed? That’s the sign of Blood-Refining entering the Aperture. Have you broken through to the Qi-Aperture realm?”

Hu Weiyuan smiled: “San Yang City is in upheaval. My Wei Wu Escort Agency, caught in the storm, couldn’t avoid being affected. So I took a gamble—broke through to Qi-Aperture. Fortune favored me, and I succeeded. But before a veteran like Master Zhao, I’m nothing but a novice.”

“Those enemies knew of our friendship. As Chief Biaotou , you feared retribution and broke through under pressure—truly bold.” Zhao Ge’s eyes flashed; he instantly grasped the full context. “Before entering the city, my Guanmendizi killed a Jin Family Blood-Refining martial artist. From him, I learned many of my disciples were captured by Wei Wu Biaoju . Is this true?”

Guanmendizi ? Killed a Jin Family Blood-Refiner?

This single sentence revealed critical information—Hu Weiyuan froze, his mind racing.

When had Zhao Ge taken a Guanmendizi ? How had he never heard of this?

And this Guanmendizi , upon appearing, killed a Blood-Refiner—his strength was extraordinary. Combined with Zhao Ge’s return to San Yang City for vengeance, it was impossible he could have done it alone. Everyone knew Zhao Ge’s soul was wounded, his power greatly diminished—even his heart’s blood might be unattainable.

In such a broken state, he wouldn’t even survive entering San Yang City—he’d be hunted down and killed immediately by the other Qi-Aperture experts.

Yet here he was, openly appearing. Such abnormality could mean only one thing: he had a powerful backing—and nine times out of ten, that backing was his Guanmendizi .

“Could it be… his Guanmendizi has reached the Qi-Aperture realm?” A shocking thought flashed into Hu Weiyuan’s mind.

If true, this was truly extraordinary.

Two Qi-Aperture experts in one family.

Only with such strength could they dare return to San Yang City for vengeance. Otherwise, the city was a death trap for Zhao Ge and his people.

Realizing this, Hu Weiyuan immediately said: “Master Zhao, your disciples—about a dozen—are indeed guests in my escort agency. But I’ve harmed not a single one. For these past days, I’ve treated them with courtesy. Regrettably, my strength is insufficient—I wanted to help more, but I could only manage these dozen. That’s my limit.”

He sighed helplessly.

“Oh? Truly?” Zhao Ge looked surprised—he hadn’t expected Hu Weiyuan to offer aid instead of kicking him while down.

“If Master Zhao doubts, just look for yourself,” Hu Weiyuan gestured immediately.

But Zhao Ge narrowed his eyes, still mounted on his horse, motionless.

Hu Weiyuan instantly realized—he slapped his forehead and laughed: “My apologies, my apologies! My oversight! Someone, bring out the Zhao Family Gym disciples. Tell them Master Zhao has returned—they should come out to reunite.”

A Biao hand obeyed and sprinted inside the Biaoju .

Soon, a series of footsteps rapidly approached.

Zhao Ge looked up—and there they were: a dozen core disciples, unharmed, standing before him. His heart leapt; he now understood—Hu Weiyuan, the Chief Biaotou , had truly offered help in the snow, not empty words.

“Master!” The disciples’ faces lit up with joy.

Zhao Ge nodded and barked: “Yuan Tianfei, you’re the eldest among these disciples. If you still recognize me as your master, obey my command: lead your junior brothers to Jin Family Gym’s dungeon, gather the remaining disciples, then occupy Jin Family Gym—secure their inner treasury, medicine room, and weapons depot.”

“Yes, Master,” said a young martial artist in his twenties, bowing—but then hesitated.

“Don’t hesitate. The Jin Family’s resident martial artist and Jin Zhihuan, that old dog, have already been killed by your Senior Brother. Jin Family is leaderless and in chaos. With your dozen men raising the Zhao Family Gym banner, Jin’s remnants will scatter like birds and beasts—they won’t dare touch you.”

Zhao Ge said immediately.

Earlier, he’d heard Li Yi’s thunderous fist energy explode—he now realized his side was done. Perfect timing to send men to take over.

“Yes, Master!” Yuan Tianfei’s face brightened with joy.

He never imagined—Jin Family Gym’s resident and master were both dead. This was truly earth-shattering news.

“What are you waiting for? Move now!” Zhao Ge barked.

The disciples immediately bowed and obeyed.

Hu Weiyuan stepped forward: “My escort agency has some fine horses—I’ll gift them to Master Zhao to aid your disciples’ mission. Go, bring out the horses quickly—no delay!”

Several Biao hands immediately sprinted back inside to fetch the horses.

Zhao Ge now narrowed his eyes slightly: “Chief Biaotou , you’ve seen the situation. My Zhao Family Gym has birthed a true dragon. Returning to San Yang City isn’t just about vengeance—it’s about reclaiming our gym and raising our banner. Jin Family Gym is finished. Next is Han Family Gym, then the Three Markets, the Canal Wharves—I will Qingsuan them all.”

Hu Weiyuan’s expression hardened—he’d known it all along.

Zhao Ge’s reappearance wasn’t just about revenge—he intended to sweep away all these factions and seize control of San Yang City. His ambition was vast.

“Chief Biaotou , you’ve done us a great favor. Why not join me now? When this is done, I, Zhao Ge, swear: the Canal Wharves and medicine trade are yours. My Zhao Family Gym won’t touch a single copper.”

The Canal Wharves and medicine trade were gold mines.

But Zhao Ge needed allies now—he had to offer grand promises. Even with all disciples gathered, they were too weak to accomplish anything.

“Master Zhao, so confident?” Hu Weiyuan’s eyes flickered—he was weighing whether to dive into this murky water.

After all, in times of upheaval, one misstep could doom an entire family.

“Hah!”

Zhao Ge laughed loudly: “My Guanmendizi is peerless in valor, born with dragon tendons and tiger bones. He’s already killed Jin Zhihuan. If you and I join forces, with my Guanmendizi , we’ll have three Qi-Aperture experts. Do you think we can’t succeed?”

Hu Weiyuan’s hand trembled slightly—his heart surged with unexpected excitement.

If true, they could indeed seize San Yang City and sweep away all the old factions.

Then Zhao Family Gym would dominate alone, and he’d secure the Canal Wharves and medicine trade—plus his Biao business. Who knew? He might even breed one or two future Qi-Aperture experts.

Wei Wu Escort Agency’s three-generation legacy was worth one bold gamble today.

“Master Zhao, if I refuse your generosity, I’d be ungrateful. Very well—my entire Wei Wu Biaoju , over a hundred Biao hands, will accompany your disciples to Jin Family Gym. If you truly seize it, from this day forward, Wei Wu Biaoju bows to Master Zhao’s lead.”

Though tempted, he hadn’t lost his head—he needed to confirm whether Jin Zhihuan was truly dead.

If true, Hu Weiyuan would bet his entire escort agency on this gamble.

If he stayed neutral now, whichever side won would crush him—it wouldn’t be worth it.

“Good. Yuan Tianfei, you’ll accompany Chief Biaotou to Jin Family Gym.”

“Yes, Master.”

Yuan Tianfei was overjoyed—if everything went smoothly, they’d gain another Qi-Aperture expert. Zhao Family Gym was truly rising again.

Zhao Ge added: “Chief Biaotou , once this is done, hurry to Han Family Gym. My disciple has likely already stormed their gate. By the time you arrive, it’ll be over. I must go to the Three Markets to rescue other gym disciples—excuse me now.”

With that, he bowed, turned his horse, and galloped off in one direction.

“Wish all senior brothers a smooth journey,” said the Skinny Monkey loudly, then mounted his horse and left.

Zhao Qian said nothing, merely bowed to everyone, then followed after.

Yuan Tianfei watched his master depart, his face still alight with excitement; he growled, “All senior brothers, prepare yourselves—we’re going to rescue the others, then take over the Jin Family Martial Hall.”

Everyone shouted in unison, equally stirred.

After days of suppression, today’s release of vengeance—how could one not rejoice?

At his side, Chief Escort Hu Yuanwei wasted no time; he immediately assembled his men, prepared swift horses, and charged straight toward the Jin Family Escort Agency.

Only moments passed.

Over a hundred men galloped forth in a single surge.

Soon.

The group arrived at the street before the Jin Family Martial Hall.

From afar, they saw chaos in the street; several corpses lay scattered, and half the gate of the Jin Family Martial Hall had been smashed clean off—as if a brutal battle had just occurred, someone having stormed in from the south, slaughtering their way straight into the hall.

“Chief Escort, I must go to the Jin family’s dungeon. I leave the rest to you.”

Yuan Tianfei, seeing this scene, knew his master’s words were true—the Jin Family Martial Hall was finished.

But rescuing fellow disciples mattered more than taking over the hall.

“Good. I’ll prepare all the medicinal pills inside the Jin Family Martial Hall for you—all will be needed by your disciples soon,” Hu Yuanwei nodded, then rode on.

Yuan Tianfei thanked him and departed with the others down another street.

But as Hu Yuanwei pressed forward, his heart grew colder.

The corpses on the ground had been shattered by some divine force, splattering blood mist across the walls.

From the scene, it was clear several Bone-Refining experts had died in a single instant.

Then, when he reached the main gate of the Jin Family Martial Hall, he saw several familiar corpses.

“Chief, look—Jin Dadao of the Jin Family Martial Hall. He’s dead too,” a guard cried, pointing to a headless body.

“It’s truly Jin Dadao. He didn’t even have time to draw his blade before he died. What a ferocious punch—crushed his skull with one blow. Fast, precise, ruthless. Let’s go inside,” Hu Yuanwei thought grimly—he had never been a match for Jin Dadao before breaking through the Meridian stage.

Yet such a man had been killed so easily, as if merely a lowly soldier swept aside.

The group spurred their horses into the martial hall; most of its occupants had fled, but a few maids, servants, and attendants were frantically looting valuables, trying to profit from the chaos.

“Send men to secure the hall—keep order,” Hu Yuanwei ordered.

Dozens of guards immediately split into teams, subduing the looters, then rushed toward the hall’s medicine storehouse, weapon armory, and other vital areas—these were the hall’s core assets, and could not be lost.

After giving his orders, Hu Yuanwei dismounted at once and strode purposefully toward the front courtyard.

Soon.

He stood before a headless corpse.

The body was withered and shriveled, as if all its blood and qi had been drained—strangely unnatural.

“It’s truly Jin Zhihuan’s corpse.”

Hu Yuanwei fell silent, then knelt and pressed his hand to the corpse’s heart. The organ was sunken and dry. His face hardened: “Jin Zhihuan had used his Heart’s Blood before death—he restored his power to its peak with it, fought to the limit, drained nearly all his blood and qi, and was finally slain outright in fair combat.”

“Who is this senior brother under Zhao Ge? How fierce.”

He rose and surveyed the battlefield.

The ground was littered with debris—sword cuts everywhere, fist energy scattered in all directions.

Merely standing at the center, one could almost imagine how brutal the battle had been.

“I am no match for Zhao Shiwu’s senior brother.”

After a brief pause, Hu Yuanwei felt a strange dread stir within him.

If such fist energy raged across his own body, he doubted he could survive ten breaths.

Jin Zhihuan, though aged, had been among the top fighters in San Yang City when restored to his peak—his blade had drunk the blood of Meridian cultivators. Yet even he had been pounded to death. How monstrous must the attacker be?

“So now that senior brother has gone to settle accounts with the Han family? The next to die will be Han Tianbao.”

Hu Yuanwei’s heart stirred with inexplicable excitement—he wanted to see this man who dared enter San Yang City alone, seize two martial halls in a single day, and slay two Meridian experts.

Thinking this, he barked: “Two squads, with me—to the Han Family Martial Hall. The rest, await Zhao Shiwu’s men and hand over control immediately. Do not touch any wealth. Violators lose their hands.”

Twenty guards instantly prepared.

“March.”

Hu Yuanwei did not linger. Since Zhao Ge’s claims were true, he too would go to cheer on Zhao Shiwu’s senior brother—and claim the Han Family Martial Hall as well.

Once these matters were settled, he could then claim his share of the grain transport and medicine trade with a clear conscience.