Chapter 82: Night Raid!

「……」

Huang Feiyang fell silent.

To say he didn't want it would be a lie.

But the most important thing in being human is self-awareness.

With the pills Chen Mu gave him, Huang Feiyang had reached Postnatal Third Stage.

Reaching this point was something his former self could never have dreamed of.

The further one advances in martial arts, the harder it becomes.

Between Postnatal Third Stage and Postnatal Fourth Stage lies a threshold Huang Feiyang cannot cross in a short time.

And a gang leader must be at least Postnatal Seventh Stage!

He is far from having that strength!

But Chen Mu should have reached it—broken through to Postnatal Seventh Stage…

That's why he's considering putting him in charge.

But 'Guan Tong' is Postnatal Ninth Stage!

True, Chen Mu could call upon his Innate Realm 'master' to kill 'Guan Tong,' then seize the opportunity to push him up as boss of the Big Knife Gang.

If it were the past, when he was still leading street brawls, Huang Feiyang would have been delighted.

Back then, he only wanted to climb higher, to rise above others.

But after becoming a lieutenant, with a group of subordinates flattering him—especially after taking over the Green Snake Gang's territory, the gang had long whispered that Huang Feiyang would be the sixth hall master.

The two brothers would both be hall masters.

It was an honor, a good thing—and also a hidden curse.

Yes, Huang Feiyang had heard some bad rumors.

About him and Chen Mu, the two brothers.

Although Boss 'Guan Tong' had shown no signs of targeting them yet, once such a trend began, what followed would be hard to predict.

Huang Feiyang, who had grown somewhat arrogant after becoming a lieutenant, immediately snapped back to clarity.

He suddenly realized that now, with his elevated status, the people and matters he had to handle were dozens of times more complex than when he was just a regular gang member.

Long ago, he had heard a saying.

The martial world is not about fighting and killing—it's about human relations and worldly ways.

He hadn't felt it then, but now he understood it deeply.

When he was alone, he feared no death, so he fought fiercely and earned the nickname 'Tiger from the Mountain.'

Now, as a lieutenant, married, and about to become a father, he had unconsciously begun to hold back.

Especially among gang members, few met a good end.

The downfall of the Green Snake Gang and the Blood Wolf Gang might well be the Big Knife Gang's tomorrow.

What would he do then?

Becoming boss wouldn't solve this.

Therefore.

Faced with Chen Mu's question, Huang Feiyang didn't know how to answer—he could only fall silent.

「……」

Huang Feiyang said nothing, and Chen Mu did not press further.

Chen Mu did not know Huang Feiyang's troubles, nor could he empathize.

But he understood one thing.

In this world where martial arts reign supreme, as long as one's strength is great enough, nothing is a problem!

……

……

After dinner.

Chen Mu returned to his room, used two Qi Cards, activated his cultivation technique, and converted their energy into his own Qi cultivation.

Innate First Stage: Qi can be projected outward, allowing levitation off the ground and short-distance gliding.

Projected blade qi or sword qi can kill at distances of several zhang.

No close combat is needed to slay an opponent.

If each stage of the Postnatal Realm brings physical enhancement, the Innate Realm primarily involves the birth, nourishment, refinement, and accumulation of Qi—physical strengthening is only a minor side effect, except for those who specialize in hardening their bodies.

Thus, the physical strength of Innate Realm cultivators is not much greater than that of Postnatal Realm cultivators.

Of course, this applies to other Innate Realm cultivators.

Chen Mu has Power Cards and Body Strengthening Cards; as long as he has enough cards, his physique can still be enhanced, though the effectiveness of Power Cards diminishes after entering the Innate Realm.

Not just Power Cards—even Internal Energy Cards are like this.

In the Innate Realm, one condenses Qi.

The energy gained from using Internal Energy Cards is far too little to form Qi.

It's not useless—it's just barely effective.

Unless used in massive quantities at once!

Quantity change leads to quality change!

Thinking of this, Chen Mu decided to store all future Internal Energy Cards he collected…

「Hmm? 」

Suddenly, Chen Mu halted his thoughts, stopped his cultivation, and activated 'Listening to the Wind,' listening outside his room.

The moon tonight was obscured by dark clouds, plunging the earth into gloom.

After dinner, everyone in the house went to sleep.

Yet at this moment, a shadow silently scaled the wall and entered.

Under "Listening to the Wind," Chen Mu heard the intruder's heartbeat, and breath so faint it was nearly absent.

Who are you?

Chen Mu rose without a sound, slipping silently to the wall beside the door, listening to the outsider's movements.

The intruder was heading straight for Chen Mu's room!

Under Chen Mu's listening, the figure crouched at the door, paused for a moment, then pulled out a thin tube, pierced a hole beneath the threshold, and released wisps of smoke into the room.

Poison!

Chen Mu held his breath, icy light flashing in his eyes.

He shifted slightly closer, focused his mind, and activated the "Reverse Fate Blade."

!

A silent mental blade struck without warning at the figure outside the door who was releasing poison.

"Ugh~!"

A muffled groan, and the figure collapsed.

Chen Mu opened the door at the right moment and kicked out, as the poisoner stared in pain and terror.

Boom!

With a soft thud, the black-clad, black-masked man fell to the ground, unconscious.

Chen Mu lifted the man with one hand, opened the door slightly, then tapped his toe and leapt upward, landing on the roof and swiftly darting away.

First out of Changping Alley, then out of the East District beyond the outer wall, he scaled the city wall and reached the outskirts.

"Bang~"

He hurled the man hard onto the ground, drew a longsword from his hand, and pressed the blade against the black-clad man's throat. As the man stirred awake, dazed and stunned, Chen Mu spoke coldly, "Who sent you?"

"…"

The black-clad man's eyes flickered, silent.

"Chir~"

Chen Mu reached forward, driving the swordtip into the black-clad man's shoulder; blood gushed out.

"Judging by your appearance, you're no death disciple. Tell me who's behind this, and I might…"

Huh~!

A cloud of white powder suddenly burst from the black-clad man's hand, engulfing both of them.

Swoosh!

Despite the swordtip still pressed to his shoulder, the black-clad man's other hand shot out three flying daggers.

Simultaneously, he pushed back hard with his waist, trying to spring upward.

Swish~

"Chir!"

His body shifted, blade-light flashed.

The black-clad man's movements froze suddenly; the next instant, "Bang!" his body crashed to the ground, a crimson line spewing blood from his neck.

A head, still covered by a black cloth, rolled twice.

【Corpse detected. Collect?】

"Yes!"

Chen Mu retracted his longsword expressionlessly, shaking off the blood.

"Ambush?"

How could he not hear the sudden acceleration of the heartbeat!

Though "Listening to the Wind" cannot monitor every person, Chen Mu always remained vigilant toward anyone near him.

Warriors who cultivate special arts can control their heartbeat and breath.

But before "Listening to the Wind," except for the two Annihilation Death Disciples of the Longevity Cult, he had never failed.

This assassin's ability to suppress his presence was decent, but nowhere near the Annihilation Death Disciples of the Longevity Cult.

Too bad…

"Huh? Memory card?"