Chapter 112

In the black market.

"Li Ye."

As soon as Yang Deliu saw Li Rui had arrived, the sycophancy on his face appeared automatically.

"Go about your business."

Li Rui waved his hand.

Seeing Yang Deliu didn't move, and had a hesitant look on his face, he followed up with a question: "Is something the matter?"

Yang Deliu: "Li Ye, recently many people have come to Qinghe, and many want to buy a shop in the black market; I was wondering if we should raise the prices."

"Oh?"

"Who are they?"

Yang Deliu listed them like he knew them by heart: "The Zhang family, the Wang family, the Bai family from Anning Prefecture, the Nine Blades Sect, the Tiger Might Martial Arts Hall..."

He recited a long list in one breath.

Li Rui raised an eyebrow.

He had long anticipated that there would be many external forces after Qinghe established a guard battalion, but he hadn't expected so many.

Their hands had reached into the black market so quickly.

The Tiandi Alliance Qinghe Branch was powerful, but only within Qinghe.

Compared to those forces in Anning Prefecture, it was far too inferior.

Facing so many incoming forces, one Hearing Dao Xiong was already struggling to hold the fort. He thought to himself:

"They will probably at least send a Deputy Alliance Leader."

Such situations were very common in the government.

For example, in the neighboring Huayin Prefecture, there was a large county whose magistrate was a Proper Fifth-Rank, only half a rank lower than the prefect, and held immense power.

Qinghe would likely be in a similar situation.

Even those people in the county government office would all be replaced.

After pondering for a while, he turned and said to Yang Deliu: "I am aware of this matter."

After saying this, he headed toward the inner part of the black market.

Just as he walked into the black market's wooden building, a middle-aged man was already standing behind the door.

"An expert!"

Li Rui was startled.

This person had an extraordinary bearing, and the key was that his breathing was more than ten times slower than an ordinary person's; long, steady breath was an important criterion for judging a powerful martial artist.

"Deputy Branch Leader Li?"

The middle-aged man's mouth curled slightly: "My name is Zhang Hao, from the Zhang family of Hegu County."

Hegu Zhang family.

It was the Zhang family among the one alliance, two gangs, and three families.

Clearly, the other party had already figured him out quite thoroughly.

Li Rui's expression remained normal, showing not the slightest anomaly of having killed the other party's son.

"So it is Second Master Zhang."

Zhang Hao cupped his hands: "Deputy Branch Leader Li, I have come for the black market this time; the Zhang family wants to buy ten shops in the black market, please name your price, Deputy Branch Leader Li."

Ten shops!

The Zhang family truly had a grand style.

Buying nearly thirty percent of the black market's shops in one go.

Li Rui pondered: "Second Master Zhang, I, a deputy branch leader, cannot make the decision on this matter; I need to discuss it with the branch leader first."

Zhang Hao nodded: "That is as it should be."

He was quite straightforward.

After exchanging a few pleasantries with Li Rui, he waved his sleeves and left decisively.

"He is indeed of the same temperament as the rumors say."

He had long heard that this Second Master Zhang acted with lightning speed and was very capable in a fight; most of the Zhang family's expansion matters were handled by him.

"It seems the Zhang family is going to pour a lot of money into Qinghe."

Li Rui thought.

He had killed Zhang Hao's son; the hatred of killing a son was too great. Fortunately, he had done it secretly enough, otherwise Zhang Hao would definitely fight him to the death.

It wasn't that he cared that much about that son, it was merely about the Zhang family's face.

A Seventh-Rank martial artist.

Was not someone he could provoke.

"I'll tell Hearing Dao Xiong about these black market matters first."

Li Rui made up his mind.

Throwing the hot potato to his superior—this was the correct way to use a superior.

The Zhang family was just the beginning.

In the future, more forces would come to buy shops, but the black market's shops were limited; who to sell to and how many to sell were all headaches, and one would offend people at every turn.

Zhang Hao coming to the black market in person represented the Zhang family's will.

Thereby putting pressure on the Qinghe Branch first. Li Rui didn't intend to take on this pressure.

Leaving the black market.

A middle-aged guard followed Zhang Hao and whispered:

"Second Master, that old man is slippery, he definitely won't easily let us buy the shops."

Zhang Hao was unconcerned: "No matter, just an old man."

"Just beating the grass to startle the snake."

The middle-aged guard flattered: "Second Master is wise."

Zhang Hao naturally knew that Li Rui was just the black market's guard; this matter at least required Hearing Dao Xiong to make the decision, or even a Deputy Alliance Leader.

He was just using Li Rui to test the Tiandi Alliance's attitude.

Not toward the black market.

But toward the Zhang family.

The Zhang family and the Tiandi Alliance actually didn't have much interaction and had always been at peace; this matter was a good way to judge whether the two sides were enemies or friends in Qinghe.

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Thinking of this, Zhang Hao couldn't help but quicken his pace.

Having come to Qinghe, there were still many families he needed to visit in person.

As he walked, he asked: "By the way, have you found Zhang He?"

The middle-aged guard shook his head: "We have already sent people to look; Third Young Master entered the Stone River Ravine, and then the trail went cold; in all likelihood... something happened."

Zhang Hao snorted coldly: "I want to see the person if alive, and the corpse if dead."

"If he was killed by someone, we must find the murderer."

"No one can touch my Zhang family's people!"

A cold glint flashed in Zhang Hao's eyes.

For a family, external dignity is very important, otherwise, they will only be bullied by others.

He would never allow it.

The middle-aged guard cupped his hands solemnly: "Yes!"

Evening.

Li Rui walked out of Hearing Dao Xiong's mansion.

He had told Hearing Dao Xiong everything about the black market.

It could be seen.

During this period, besides him, many others had sought out Hearing Dao Xiong; after all, the Tiandi Alliance's assets in Qinghe had indeed increased.

It was fine before.

Now, wanting to hold onto everything, relying solely on Hearing Dao Xiong, an Eighth-Rank peak, was definitely not enough.

But these were not things Li Rui needed to worry about.

Returning to the residence.

He had just finished dinner with Yang Yong and Wang Zhao when a knock on the door rang out.

Upon opening the door.

He saw Zhang Yang standing at the door with a grin.

"Brother Li, I have news, good news!"

Li Rui's heart stirred, and he welcomed Zhang Yang in: "Brother Zhang, come in first and then we'll talk."

The two sat down.

Li Rui brewed a pot of tea, and only then asked unhurriedly: "Brother Zhang, what exactly is the matter that has you so excited?"

Zhang Yang drank a cup of tea.

He couldn't help but silently praise Li Rui's composure.

Mountains collapsing before one's eyes without a change in expression—that was likely what people like Li Rui were like.

He spoke: "Isn't the Annan Garrison setting up a guard battalion in our Qinghe? I heard the Assistant Regional Commander is a general surnamed Cao, but guess who is among the five Garrison Commanders?"

"An acquaintance!"

Being teased by Zhang Yang, Li Rui also became interested.

"I can't guess."

Zhang Yang grinned: "It's our Tiandi Alliance's Alliance Leader Ning!"

"Alliance Leader Ning!"

Li Rui was secretly shocked.

Recalling Hearing Dao Xiong's expression just now, he suddenly understood; no wonder Hearing Dao Xiong wasn't very concerned when he heard about the black market matters.

He had likely received the news long ago.

A great backer was coming.

Li Rui was a bit puzzled.

If it were just this, it didn't seem worth Zhang Yang being so excited.

"I was worried he wouldn't die, so I hacked him a few extra times."

Zhang Yang's mouth twitched.

This sounded very reasonable.

He made up his mind.

That even if he were to die in the future, he must not die at Li Rui's hands.