Chapter 57: The Boss Has a Request!

"The Boss has his reservations—that's understandable."

Seeing Guan Tong fall silent instead of outright refusing, Guo Jinnian's smile deepened as he said softly, "Chen Mu is rumored to have a teacher in the Innate Realm; killing him might invite retaliation."

"But that's only a possibility!"

"To date, no one has ever seen Chen Mu's teacher. His teacher most likely doesn't exist—it's a fabrication by Chen Mu himself. Even if we grant, for the sake of argument, that Chen Mu's Innate Realm teacher truly exists, whether that teacher can even find Boss Guan is another matter entirely."

"Opportunities always come with risks. If Boss Guan breaks through to the Innate Realm himself, why fear anyone else? For instance, the restrictions imposed by the Gao family—Boss Guan could shatter them effortlessly."

"…"

Guo Jinnian kept talking.

Guan Tong remained silent, his expression unchanged—until Guo Jinnian uttered the words "Gao family," when his fists clenched violently!

Most people don't know that every gang in the outer city is secretly controlled by a powerful force behind the scenes!

Behind the Great Knife Gang lies the Gao family of the inner city.

Though the Gao family isn't among the top tier of Nan Yun Fucheng, they're firmly in the second tier, on par with the Tang family, with Innate Realm martial artists standing guard within their clan.

Both Guan Tong and his father during his tenure were supported—and controlled—by the Gao family!

Don't be fooled by Guan Tong's title as boss of the Great Knife Gang.

If the Gao family so much as frowns, he'll be forced to step down!

To put it nicely, Guan Tong is the boss; to put it bluntly, he's just a dog of the Gao family.

What if…

What if he breaks through to the Innate Realm? Would the Gao family still dare to pressure him?

"Huuu!"

Taking a deep breath to calm his racing heart, Guan Tong spoke in a low, steady voice, "I'll agree to kill Chen Mu. But afterward, the Guo family must give me one spirit weapon! A lower-grade dao will do."

"This…"

Guo Jinnian hesitated, thinking.

Seeing this, Guan Tong added, "Spirit pills and a lower-grade spirit weapon—neither can be missing. You yourself said killing Chen Mu carries great risks. Given it's about breaking through to the Innate Realm, having an extra lower-grade spirit weapon is absolutely necessary."

"... Fine."

After a moment's hesitation, Guo Jinnian nodded, "Once it's done, I'll give you another lower-grade spirit weapon—a dao."

"Deal!"

Guan Tong's lips curled upward as he extended his hand. "A pleasant cooperation."

"A pleasant cooperation," Guo Jinnian smiled, reaching out to shake Guan Tong's hand.

With the deal sealed, both were pleased.

Yet each had their own calculations.

Guo Jinnian secretly laughed—Guan Tong was a fool, lured by the Spirit Pill.

Once Chen Mu is dead, Guan Tong won't live to see the next step.

Yet Guan Tong's mind was turning just as swiftly.

He only needed to think it through slightly to guess why the Guo family wanted Chen Mu dead.

As for Chen Mu, Guan Tong actually admired him and was willing to promote him.

He had a rumored Innate Realm teacher, and he'd already established ties with the Town Guard Office.

Without the Spirit Pill and the lower-grade spirit weapon, Guan Tong would never have moved against him.

But alas—this concerns his own breakthrough to the Innate Realm. He could only say sorry.

Of course.

Kill him, yes—but how to kill him? That still needed planning.

A direct ambush or assassination would inevitably leave traces.

The Guo family feared the possible Innate Realm teacher behind Chen Mu.

Guan Tong feared him too.

The Guo family was using him as a blade—Guan Tong could just as easily find someone else to be that "blade"!

Only by keeping his own hands clean could he sever ties to the utmost degree.

…

…

Nan Yun Fucheng, inner city.

【Corpse detected. Pick up?】

"Yes!"

Thirty meters east of the morgue, beneath the courtyard wall, Chen Mu—wearing a human-skin mask—murmured inwardly and picked up two cards.

As he picked up the cards, his feet kept moving, walking slowly.

Only after distancing himself from the morgue did he reach into his pocket to inspect the cards.

One card granted two months' worth of internal energy!

The other was a Power Card!

"Not bad."

Chen Mu tucked the cards away.

With his subordinates scouring the city and countryside for news, no death, inside or outside the walls, would escape his notice.

Even if the officials carried the corpse to the morgue.

With a detection range of sixty-four meters at Postnatal Eighth Layer, Chen Mu would miss not a single functional card.

Though right now, what he wanted most was an internal energy card.

No way around it—breaking through to the ninth layer of Post-Heaven requires even more Inner Strength Cards.

……

He wandered the streets for a while and, before dark, returned to the East District.

He tucked away the human-skin mask, and the moment he stepped through the gate of the hall…

"Hall Master Chen, the Gang Leader requests your presence!"

A burly, well-built man waited behind the door. Seeing Chen Mu, he bowed respectfully and called out.

"The Gang Leader wants to see me?" Chen Mu asked, puzzled, "What's it about?"

"That, this subordinate does not know." The burly man said apologetically.

"No matter." Chen Mu smiled. "Then let's go, to see the Gang Leader."

"Hall Master Chen, after you."

Hearing this, the burly man hurried ahead to lead the way.

Chen Mu followed behind.

The two left Changlong Ward, crossed three streets, and entered a wide lane.

At last, they stepped into a quiet, secluded residence.

Just as he crossed the gate, Chen Mu saw Guan Tong standing under the eaves not far away, beckoning him and laughing heartily, "Brother Chen, come quick, come quick—this strange beast meat has been stewed just right, the flavor's soaked in perfectly."

"……This subordinate pays respects to the Gang Leader!"

Chen Mu walked over and cupped his fist in salute.

"We're brothers of our own house, why so formal." Guan Tong laughed warmly, ushering Chen Mu inside. They came to a round table and sat down facing each other.

The table was laden with a lavish spread of wine and dishes. Right at the center sat a clay pot, heated from below by charcoal, with chunks of large meat bobbing up and down in the bubbling broth.

A rich, fragrant meat aroma drifted through the room along with the rising steam.

Strange beast meat!

"Come, brother, have a cup first."

Guan Tong picked up the wine pot and poured into the empty cup in front of Chen Mu.

"Gang Leader, let me, let me do it." Chen Mu rose and reached for the wine pot.

"Just pouring wine, that's all." Guan Tong laughed and pulled his hand back slightly, then filled Chen Mu's cup to the brim, and filled his own.

"I called you here today for nothing in particular—just that I got a few jin of strange beast meat, and wanted my brother to come taste it with me."

"This strange beast meat, you know, you have to wash it down with a mouthful of wine first, then eat it to really enjoy it." Guan Tong said, lifting his cup and draining it in one go.

Chen Mu didn't drink. He picked up his chopsticks and smiled. "Then let me taste the meat first."

Saying so, he thrust his chopsticks into the clay pot, fished out a large chunk of meat, blew on it by his lips, then placed it in his mouth and chewed slowly.

"Mm~" Chen Mu nodded as he ate. "Not bad, not bad—this meat's got real bite to it."

"Haha, didn't fool you, did I." Guan Tong laughed heartily, picked up the wine pot, filled his own cup, then raised it in a gesture toward Chen Mu. "Just eating meat isn't enough—wash it down with a mouthful of wine first."

"It's fine."

Chen Mu roughly wiped his mouth with his left hand, his right hand's chopsticks picking up another chunk of meat. He blew on it, popped it into his mouth, and chewed with satisfaction.

"Haha~"

Guan Tong laughed, set down his cup, pointed at Chen Mu, and shook his head. "Brother Chen, the way you eat—anyone who didn't know would think I was mistreating you."

"How could that be."

Chen Mu wiped his mouth again with his left palm and smiled. "The Gang Leader's care for me—who in the whole gang doesn't know? Everyone's both envious and jealous!"

"Haha." Guan Tong laughed heartily. "That's because Brother Chen himself is capable. Come, let the two of us brothers clink cups."

Chen Mu still didn't pick up his cup, the smile on his lips undiminished. "I'm grateful for the Gang Leader's care, but I can't figure it out—why does the Gang Leader want to kill me?"

"……"

The smile on Guan Tong's face froze on the spot!