Chapter 457: The Deal with the Heimu Family II

Heimu Fangrong's figure vanished into the night, leaving only Cheng Feng and Wei Zhuang in the courtyard, along with the mess scattered across the ground.

Cheng Feng gazed in the direction Heimu Fangrong had departed, his eyes deep, as if he could pierce through the night veil to see the Heimu Family's mansion.

"Wei Zhuang, have someone clean this place up. Also, go investigate the whereabouts of Zhang Zhi and Li Kun immediately. Don't alert them; just keep an eye on them for now." Cheng Feng turned around, his tone steady.

Wei Zhuang said indifferently, "Rest assured, it has already been arranged."

"Worthy of being a descendant of Ghost Valley, accomplished in both literature and martial arts; you truly are a good assistant."

Cheng Feng nodded, his gaze sweeping over the corpses of the men in black in the courtyard, and said coldly, "Dispose of these people cleanly; do not leave any traces behind."

"Understood." Wei Zhuang replied, then turned to go coordinate the men.

Cheng Feng stood alone in the courtyard, the night wind blowing against his robes, causing them to rustle loudly.

Under the moonlight, Cheng Feng looked at his own hands.

"True Qi Realm—with my current strength, is it really possible?"

A momentary flash of confusion flickered by.

In his past life, he was just an ordinary person!

The next morning, the Jiangshui Gang's stronghold had been thoroughly cleaned out and replaced with the banner of the Hong Sect.

Cheng Feng gathered the core members of the original Jiangshui Gang, as well as the Hong Sect loyalists he had brought with him, to hold a meeting in the main hall.

The atmosphere in the hall was somewhat heavy; the people from the original Jiangshui Gang looked at Cheng Feng in the main seat with complex expressions.

They were both grateful that Cheng Feng had not killed them all or purged dissenters the previous night, yet they also harbored doubts about this sudden meeting.

Cheng Feng's gaze swept over the crowd, and he spoke slowly: "I know you have concerns in your hearts, but from today on, the Jiangshui Gang is a thing of the past; this is the territory of the Hong Sect."

"For those willing to stay, I, Cheng Feng, guarantee that as long as you are loyal, your treatment will only be better than before. If you wish to leave, I will not stop you; I will provide travel expenses so you may find your own way."

As soon as he finished speaking, whispering broke out among the crowd. A burly man stood out; he was Zhao Hu, a hall master of the original Jiangshui Gang. He said in a deep voice, "Gang Leader Cheng, I, Zhao Hu, admire your skills, and I believe you are a real man. I will stay!"

With Zhao Hu taking the lead, the others also expressed their willingness to stay one after another. Seeing this, Cheng Feng felt slightly more at ease and immediately said, "Since everyone is willing to stay, you must abide by the rules of the Hong Sect. From now on, we must act uprightly and make a living by our skills; there is no need for bullying the good anymore."

Upon hearing this, the crowd looked at each other in dismay, then nodded in agreement.

Heaven have mercy, they were gang members after all!!!

Is it still the underworld if you don't bully the good???

Unfortunately, they couldn't beat him, so they had no choice but to nod.

Cheng Feng appointed a few more capable lieutenants to be responsible for various affairs, and the operation of the Hong Sect gradually got on the right track.

As noon approached, Cheng Feng went to Fengbo Pavilion alone.

Fengbo Pavilion was located on the outskirts of Heimu Prefecture, surrounded by river water; the environment was quiet and secluded, yet it was a perfect place for murder and silencing witnesses.

When Cheng Feng arrived at Fengbo Pavilion, the Patriarch of the Heimu Family, Heimu Canglong, was already waiting there.

Heimu Canglong looked to be in his forties, his face dignified and his eyes sharp. A powerful aura radiated from his entire body; he was clearly a Martial Artist at the peak of the Organ Refining realm.

The four men attending to him, just by looking at their aura, were also Martial Artists at the initial and middle stages of Organ Refining.

The aforementioned Heimu Fangrong was among them.

"Gang Leader Cheng truly has great courage to dare to come to the appointment alone." Heimu Canglong looked at Cheng Feng, his tone flat, yet carrying a hint of imperceptible appreciation.

Cheng Feng smiled faintly: "The Heimu Family holds the reins in Heimu Prefecture, and the Patriarch of Heimu Prefecture is renowned. I believe Patriarch Heimu would not do something like bullying the few with the many."

Heimu Canglong snorted coldly: "Hmph, enough nonsense. You had Heimu Fangrong bring a message saying you want to take over the water transport—by what right?"

Cheng Feng looked straight into Heimu Canglong's eyes and said without fear: "By strength. The Jiangshui Gang has been destroyed, and the water transport cannot be left without supervision. My Hong Sect has this strength and this capability."

"Furthermore, the Red Lotus Sect has already gained momentum and is about to threaten Heimu Prefecture. Patriarch Heimu should go look at the outside world more!"

"Nonsense!" Heimu Canglong shouted angrily, the aura on his body erupting suddenly.

"The rebels of the Red Lotus Sect deserve to be killed by everyone, not to mention that Lianshan Prefecture is still blocking the way in front. My Heimu Prefecture can respond with ease at any time; the Liu family of Lianshan Prefecture isn't dead yet!"

Cheng Feng was not afraid in the slightest and remained unmoved, as if this aura were merely a breeze brushing his face: "Good words cannot persuade a ghost that is determined to die. Forget it, just take it as me talking nonsense."

Seeing that Cheng Feng dared to face his aura pressure so easily, a flash of surprise crossed Heimu Canglong's eyes, which then turned into intense anger: "Since you refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit, then I will grant your wish!"

Before the words had faded, Heimu Canglong's figure moved like a bolt of black lightning, lunging toward Cheng Feng. His fist was clenched tight, carrying a fierce gale as it struck directly at Cheng Feng's face.

"Fierce Tiger Leaves the Mountain."

Cheng Feng had been prepared; his footwork shifted, and he easily dodged Heimu Canglong's attack.

At the same time, he clenched his right fist and threw a backhand punch, colliding with Heimu Canglong's fist.

"Boom!"

With a loud bang, both men retreated three steps. Cheng Feng felt his arm go slightly numb and was secretly shocked: "Heimu Canglong's strength is indeed formidable; he is more than a grade stronger than Heimu Fangrong."

"However, I seem to be able to handle this level. Is this the strength of physical development?"

"Hmm, not bad."

Heimu Canglong was also shaken in his heart; he had not expected Cheng Feng's strength to be so great, and he had failed to gain any advantage. "Interesting. No wonder you dare to be so arrogant."

The two fought again, fists shadowing each other and palm winds whistling.

Heimu Canglong's moves were ruthless and tricky, each one fatal; Cheng Feng, meanwhile, was both offensive and defensive, his movement agile, always able to dodge the opponent's attacks at the last hair's breadth and launch a counterattack.

For a time, internal energy surged throughout Fengbo Pavilion, and the surrounding trees were battered until branches broke and leaves fell.

The two fought fiercely for dozens of rounds, still unable to determine a winner.

The more Heimu Canglong fought, the more alarmed he became. He discovered that Cheng Feng's strength far exceeded his expectations; not only was his power great, but his resilience was full, as if he never knew fatigue.

"Kid, your strength is indeed good, but you're still too green to want to beat me!" Heimu Canglong roared, the Qi and Blood within his body surging wildly, and his moves became even more violent.

Cheng Feng's expression was solemn; he could feel Heimu Canglong's offensive becoming increasingly fierce, and he was gradually finding it somewhat strenuous.

But he did not retreat; instead, he gritted his teeth and continuously stimulated his own potential.

"Hah!" Cheng Feng shouted, using his palm as a blade to strike directly at Heimu Canglong's center.

With one slash, it was as if it possessed the power to split mountains and crack rocks, smashing toward Heimu Canglong's chest.

Seeing this, Heimu Canglong did not dare to be careless and hurriedly crossed his arms to block in front of his chest.

"Crack!"

With a crisp sound, Heimu Canglong only felt a sharp pain shoot through both his arms, and he could not help but retreat several steps, his face turning pale.

He lowered his head to look and saw that his sleeve had been shattered, and a clear red mark had appeared on his arm.