Chapter 69: Shaken Heaven-Earth Alliance

Zhao Wei is dead.

He died on the path investigating the Ghost Ming Sect.

When the rain slightly ceased and the sky turned dimly light, Dao Xiong had already received the news and waited early behind the Heaven-Earth Alliance’s gate.

Han Qin bowed slightly: “Brother Dao, Brother Zhao has been murdered—we will avenge him.”

Dao Xiong stared at Zhao Wei’s corpse.

“Who killed him?”

Han Qin hesitated slightly; based on the disciple’s account and the wounds on the body, it was likely the Ghost Mask Knife, but given his cautious nature, he could not be certain.

At that moment.

Zhu Yue spoke: “It was the Ghost Mask Knife.”

Ghost Mask Knife.

Dao Xiong’s eyelids trembled, clearly struggling to suppress his fury.

“Do you truly think the Heaven-Earth Alliance has no one left?”

The Heaven-Earth Alliance had already suffered a setback at the hands of the Ghost Ming Sect; now a vice-captain has been killed—this failure falls squarely on the captain’s shoulders.

He will surely be punished by the main headquarters.

But none of that matters; the most important thing in forming a gang or establishing a sect is face.

Minor squabbles among subordinates—even the death of a hall master—are acceptable.

But a vice-captain? No!

“Three of you, thank you for returning the body—we are deeply grateful.”

Dao Xiong bowed slightly to Han Qin and the other two.

Han Qin sighed softly.

He could clearly see that Dao Xiong was still treating them with such courtesy only because of the Huaqing Sect’s reputation.

He ventured cautiously:

“What are your plans now, Brother Dao?”

Dao Xiong’s eyes burned with killing intent.

“Revenge!”

“The Ghost Ming Sect dared kill one of our men—they must pay. If I’m not enough, there’s the vice-chairman; if that’s still not enough, we’ll summon the chairman himself!”

He spoke with iron certainty.

A flash of delight passed through Han Qin’s eyes.

He hadn’t expected Zhao Wei’s death to harden Dao Xiong instead of driving him to retreat.

He nodded inwardly.

“The Heaven-Earth Alliance has grown so rapidly for good reason—they’re real men.”

“Xuanjin Iron? That’s a fine material—when forged into blades, it enhances toughness and strength, ideal for crafting divine weapons.”

A bare-chested man weighed the golden ore in his hand.

In the forge, hammers clanged incessantly against iron, heat rushing toward them.

“Where did you get this Xuanjin Iron?”

The man asked.

Li Rui chuckled: “Do you even ask your customers that?”

The big man realized he’d spoken foolishly:

“My apologies, sir—I spoke out of turn.”

Li Rui obtained the golden ore.

He intended to use this Xuanjin Iron to forge a better weapon.

His great sword was already useful.

But if it could be sharper, it would be better.

He couldn’t go to the Heaven-Earth Alliance’s own forge—someone might connect Zhao Wei’s auction incident with his weapon crafting, and that would be trouble.

After all, Xuanjin Iron was rare in Qinghe County.

Since he couldn’t use the Alliance’s forge, he’d have to pay top price at an official workshop.

The workshop was directly under Anning Prefecture, strictly managed, and since he concealed his identity, he had no fear of being discovered.

The big man asked: “What weapon are you making with this Xuanjin Iron? For a blade or sword, this amount is too little—you’d need to blend it with other materials.”

Li Rui took down his black great sword:

“Reforged this sword—use only Xuanjin Iron.”

The big man frowned slightly: “Your sword is too heavy—even with Xuanjin Iron, the improvement won’t be great.”

“This—”

Li Rui fell silent.

He knew nothing about forging weapons.

After careful thought:

As the big man said, the piece of Xuanjin Iron he got from Zhao Wei was far too small—barely enough for a blade’s edge, but his sword was twice the size of an ordinary one.

As he pondered how to use the Xuanjin Iron:

The big man suggested: “Why not make a soft armor? Use the Xuanjin Iron on the chest—it’s tough enough, perfect for soft armor.”

“Fine.”

Li Rui’s eyes lit up.

Wealthy people traveling the martial world often wore soft armor, given by their families.

This armor was worn under clothing, invisible in daily life.

But in danger, it could block blade strikes, preventing fatal cuts.

The drawback: it couldn’t stop blunt-force trauma.

Li Rui’s great sword was barely sufficient—he needed an inner armor.

And since the armor was hidden under clothes, no one would notice his weapon used Xuanjin Iron.

Perfect.

The big man said: “Including auxiliary materials, it’s one hundred and twenty taels of silver.”

Li Rui inwardly whistled.

No wonder the imperial court banned private iron casting.

This was outrageously profitable.

“I’ll pay when I come to collect the weapon.”

The big man nodded: “Alright.”

Li Rui provided the Xuanjin Iron—its value far exceeded a hundred taels—so there was no fear he’d default.

With Zhao Wei’s death, the entire Heaven-Earth Alliance was shaken.

Rumors spread that the main headquarters had sent elite cultivators, determined to avenge him.

A vice-captain had died.

That meant power had shifted—someone else had to take his place.

Dao Xiong intensified manhunt efforts while swiftly redistributing authority.

Ge Hong took over the Civil and Military Halls.

The other two halls were assigned to Zhou Rui, who had previously lost his vice-captain position.

A stroke of unexpected fortune.

The former Vice-Captain Zhou was overjoyed for days—rumor said he drank for days straight.

Li Rui continued as usual: cultivating, reading.

In the black market:

Crowds bustled along the street; he sat alone by the window on the fifth floor, calmly flipping through a Daoist scripture.

“Master, life is so unpredictable—just yesterday, Brother Zhao was about to enter the Huaqing Sect, even the chairman might have looked at him with new respect—and now he’s dead.”

Zhao Wei’s death deeply affected Liang He.

“The more successful you become, the more cautious you must be.”

“The higher you climb, the harder you fall.”

He sat in the corner of Li Rui’s room, muttering incessantly.

Many others thought like Liang He.

Zhao Wei had been a powerful vice-captain with boundless prospects last month—now he was gone, sudden and shocking.

But the truth was—

Li Rui’s hand turning the pages showed no change.

At least in his view, Zhao Wei had done well enough—he hadn’t forgotten his place in his moment of success.

Calm, composed, knew when to advance and when to retreat.

Such a man, had he truly entered the Huaqing Sect, would have had an unlimited future.

But life is capricious—being cautious doesn’t guarantee survival.

Some things simply cannot be avoided.

He could only blame himself for crossing paths with Li Rui, a monster.

This served as a warning to Li Rui.

The real big boss never appears as a great demon; even a beggar on the street might kill you with a single palm strike.

"Take it one step at a time and cherish it."

Before absolute power, all caution and adaptability become powerless; only by growing stronger can one gain enough room to maneuver, otherwise one is simply crushed.

"Though Zhao Wei is dead, cultivation must not be neglected."

(End of Chapter)