Chapter 43: Ah Nuo's Might Shakes the Danxia

Even if Shen Tang and Miss Qingli had not studied feng shui or divination, they could see at a glance that such a formation was far from ordinary.

Lu Xingzhou's voice came from below: "This dragon-tiger embrace formation, if one claims there is nothing special about it, no one would believe it. You mentioned earlier that Xiazhou was once the prefectural seat with abundant spiritual energy, but later the energy dissipated and it was downgraded to a county... Perhaps the reasons can all be traced back to this."

What Lu Xingzhou did not say was that the alchemical furnace that caused his family's extermination had been excavated from the very heart of the dragon and tiger.

It was also here that Ah Nuo was found.

Even Yuan Muyu had been drawn here by its uniqueness; the so-called divination guidance... it seemed his interest in Lu Xingzhou at that time was greater than his interest in continuing to explore other secrets, and he appeared too lazy to pursue further, simply leaving directly.

Lu Xingzhou believed that someone like her would not act without cause, and her divination would not easily be wrong; there must be something wrong here, he just lacked the conditions to pursue it before, but now he had them.

Shen Tang settled back into her wheelchair, her expression somewhat complex: "There are no higher peaks around here; such a commanding view would not normally form. How did you think to look at this formation from the air?"

Lu Xingzhou sighed: "You already know I am the original host. Back then, the old Daoist Priest here would chant day and night about the dragon-tiger embrace and the nine turns of yin and yang; I heard it so often. I just didn't understand so much when I was young, thinking he had gone mad from alchemy. But after studying many array techniques and feng shui divination over these years, returning to this old place naturally gave me some other thoughts."

Miss Qingli asked: "How did that old Daoist Priest know?"

"It must be an even older inheritance. Anyway, he was quite weak; it's unlikely he understood it himself."

"Then..." Shen Tang hesitated: "Such an important matter, you just told us directly?"

"Hah?" Lu Xingzhou laughed: "Aren't we on the same side?"

Shen Tang looked at him for a long moment, then nodded: "Yes."

Lu Xingzhou smiled: "Actually, it's because although I can see there is something special here, I cannot find a way to solve it; my learning is ultimately insufficient, and I cannot eat alone. Your two inheritances are profound; perhaps you have more hope than I do. Just don't leave me out when the time comes."

Shen Tang laughed helplessly: "How could that be?"

"Speaking of which, the Huo family has been a high-ranking family for generations, choosing to build their residence here, enclosing the tiger-shaped hill as their back mountain. I don't believe there is no reason for this. However, I do believe that the Huo family of these two generations no longer knows any of this; their attitude is completely unlike that of someone who understands..." Lu Xingzhou pondered: "I don't know if the Huo residence still has any classics or such; I will go through them these next few days while attempting to outline it with arrays. You two should think about it as well."

"Hmm..." Shen Tang said softly: "You mentioned earlier that I have other powers; indeed I do, and I have reconnected with them these past two days. My own knowledge is insufficient, so perhaps I can have them help."

"Oh? Do you trust them?"

"My mother and uncle have secretly cultivated some loyal death knights for me over the years. When the incident happened suddenly, we lost contact, but recently I have reconnected with them; they are absolutely trustworthy. Additionally, there are some powerful figures from the Tianxing Sword Sect who happened to be outside when their mountain gate was breached. They may not be reliable for secret matters, but as the sect's combat power, they are reliable."

"Looks like the strength is quite sufficient..."

Shen Tang did not lay out her secret forces and their specific strength in full detail, simply saying: "Compared to Xiazhou, they are very strong."

"What about the prefecture?"

"That is also sufficient."

Lu Xingzhou: "Lend me Qingli; I see you really don't need her anymore."

Ah Nuo: "..."

Miss Qingli said indifferently: "They are still on the way. Once they arrive, I will retire after succeeding and go out to cultivate through trials."

Lu Xingzhou said: "Don't you want to explore the mysteries here?"

Miss Qingli hesitated for a moment and said nothing.

She really did want to.

Besides, this is also a trial...

Shen Tang glanced at her irritably, feeling that this little Bai Mao would one day be sold off by Lu Xingzhou.

As they talked, the last wisp of sunset glow fell into the horizon, and the sky turned completely dark.

In the dwellings of the Danxia Gang behind them, continuous candlelight was lit. A group of people squatting at someone else's door chatting suddenly felt a bit embarrassed, and just as they were thinking of running away, they remembered that they were now their gang leader.

Shen Tang then smiled: "Since we are here, I will gather the gang members for a restructuring... You have quite a high reputation in their hearts; help me hold the ground?"

"... What reputation do I have in their hearts? A defeated dog that was driven away?"

"Within a faction, alchemists always have the highest reputation; everyone needs medical treatment at some point. Just as the people of the Tianxing Sword Sect may not look favorably on you, yet because you are an alchemist, no one wants to offend you, so they all pretend to be mute. Moreover, the Danxia Gang once flourished because of you; you are underestimating your status in their hearts..."

Lu Xingzhou smiled ambiguously: "Why do the Tianxing Sword Sect not look favorably on me?"

Shen Tang's face turned slightly red, and she turned her head away without speaking.

Lu Xingzhou laughed: "I can help you gather the Danxia Gang meeting, but to make them submit completely, I am not enough; another person is the expert."

Shen Tang was stunned: "Who?"

Lu Xingzhou casually reached out and patted Ah Nuo's head: "Her."

Shen Tang: "..."

"Oh right, send someone to notify Sheng Yuanyao..."

"Let the Xincheng Lord hold the ground?"

"No, let her come to watch the drama, otherwise I'm afraid she will scold me."

Shen Tang was speechless, half laughing and half crying.

Recently, the entire Danxia Gang had been listless; the gang leader had died mysteriously at the Huo residence, supposedly by the hands of the Huo family guards who were now on the run. Even the death of the sixth young master of the Huo family had no explanation, and the gang leader's death was as meaningless as if he had never existed. These past two days, rumors had spread that the deputy gang leader intended to sell the gang, causing panic among the Danxia Gang members, who did not know where to turn.

Although the actions of the Liu family father and daughter were hard to comment on, in terms of the gang's nature, the Danxia Gang was very typical of the righteous path. Their main business was planting and selling medicinal herbs, and the gang members mainly served as escorts and bodyguards, essentially the same as the Tianxing Sword Sect acting as bodyguards for the Emperor's merchant goods. This was the most orthodox way for a gang to establish itself, and the main body of the members were decent families from Xiazhou.

Therefore, this was indeed a very high-quality resource, whether in terms of industry or manpower, well worth absorbing and digesting.

Just as the sky turned dark, the time when all Danxia Gang members returned to the mountain, everyone heard Lu Xingzhou's voice spread across the entire mountain via a sound-transmission talisman, ordering everyone to gather at the main square of the mountain gate.

Lu Xingzhou indeed held quite a high status in the hearts of the Danxia Gang members; this voice transmission seemed to provide a backbone, and over a thousand gang members came in a rush, not a single one missing.

Seeing the stunningly beautiful woman sitting in the main seat, the vast majority of gang members were completely confused, not knowing who she was.

Lu Xingzhou took the gang leader's token handed to him by Shen Tang, and his voice spread across the entire field: "I believe everyone has heard the rumor that the deputy gang leader is about to sell the Danxia Gang. Let me explain; this is not a rumor. This evening, the deputy gang leader has officially transferred the Danxia Gang to Shen Tang, the Sect Master of the Tianxing Sword Sect."

Tianxing Sword Sect!

Many hearts skipped a beat.

The Emperor's edict supporting the remnants of the Tianxing Sword Sect had just reached here; they thought they were just eating some irrelevant gossip, but unexpectedly, this gossip hit them right on the head!

Lu Xingzhou continued: "Everyone knows that even if the Tianxing Sword Sect has fallen, it is still a third-grade sword sect foundation, and its cultivation methods far surpass those of the Danxia Gang. Effective immediately, the name of the Danxia Gang is abolished and merged into the Tianxing Sword Sect. Those who wish to join the sect will be treated equally according to the rules; if you have no intention, you may leave now, and we will not obstruct you."

"Lu Xingzhou!" A burly man with a curly beard jumped out from the front: "The deputy gang leader selling the assets did not say to remove the name of the Danxia Gang! You are settling a personal grudge!"

Lu Xingzhou said indifferently: "The gang has been sold; isn't it up to the new master whether to keep the name? What, Deputy Gang Leader Zhao has an objection? If you have an objection, why don't you buy it from the deputy gang leader? You are in a favorable position; how could the deputy gang leader refuse to sell to you? Is it because you have no money?"

Deputy Gang Leader Zhao stumbled for a moment. Buy? What was there to buy? His plan was to force Liu Yan'er to step down and get the Danxia Gang for free! He had already prepared to secretly kill that girl, but because the time was so short, he couldn't make it too obvious, so he temporarily held back. He never expected that in just these few days, Liu Yan'er would actually sell the gang!

He took a deep breath and said coldly, "The Danxia Gang is not the personal property of the Liu family; it was built through the struggles of so many old brothers. Not to mention Liu Yan'er, even if Liu Qingcang were alive, he could not have the final say on everything!"

A voice from beside them, Anuo's, spoke up, "Is that so? Then why didn't you dare say a word when Liu Qingcang went to your wife's room last month?"

"Whoosh!" Sheng Yuanyao instantly appeared beside Anuo, her eyes sparkling brightly, "I'm here, I'm here! Say more!"

Lu Xingzhou almost laughed out loud; it was his first time seeing Sheng Yuanyao dressed as an ordinary young girl, even wearing light makeup. At a glance, she looked nothing like the Commander of the Public Uniforms he usually saw, but rather like a complete young girl just there to watch the fun.

No one else recognized Sheng Yuanyao. Over there, Vice-Gang Leader Zhao's face turned green, "You brat are talking nonsense!"

Anuo said, "That day at the entrance, didn't I run into you? I asked what sound was coming from your room, and you said your wife was singing opera."

"Rascal!" Vice-Gang Leader Zhao, so angry he lost his reason, leaped forward and slashed a palm down at Anuo.

"Swish!" Sword light flashed, a blood mark appeared on Vice-Gang Leader Zhao's chest, and he stumbled backward.

Shen Tang, sitting in her wheelchair, sheathed her sword as if nothing had happened, "If you dare try to hurt someone again, it won't be just this kind of injury. Think it over, sir."

Vice-Gang Leader Zhao clutched his wound, his face flushing red and then turning pale. The wound on his chest was actually not too bad; Shen Tang had held back, but the fiery gazes of over a thousand gang members behind him were fixed on his back like thorns in his flesh; he couldn't bear this wound!

He finally stamped his foot, turned around, and fled as fast as a flying bird.

Lu Xingzhou said with a smile, "Does anyone else have objections?"

Another old man coughed twice, "Well, although Vice-Gang Leader Zhao is a bit impulsive, what he said is not without reason. The Danxia Gang was built up by everyone together..."

Actually, it was nonsense. The Danxia Gang was purely something Liu Qingcang built with the support of the Huo family; it was basically a personal enterprise, and everyone else was just a subordinate following along. But now that the father and daughter of the Liu family were gone, no one could argue against these high-ranking members insisting on saying so.

Anuo said with a smile, "Grandpa Yan, you wouldn't want everyone to know about you peeking at Sister Yan'er while she was bathing, would you..."

The old man's face changed drastically, and he stepped back a pace.

Sheng Yuanyao's eyes sparkled brightly.

Another middle-aged man coughed, "Anuo, you..."

Before he could finish speaking, Anuo said with a smile, "Hall Master Zhang, two months ago, you cheated Hall Master Wang and Steward Ye out of their pill quotas, claiming it was Gang Leader Liu's order, but actually withheld them to give to Xiao Taohong of the Yihong Lou in the east of the city..."

Hall Master Zhang broke out in a cold sweat, and a furious shout came from behind him, "Surnamed Zhang! You damn..."

"Whoosh!" Hall Master Zhang ran faster than Vice-Gang Leader Zhao, fleeing in panic from the side without choosing his path.

Anuo's gaze fell again on the high-ranking members in the front row, scanning back and forth.

The gaze seemed poisonous; all the high-ranking members stepped back a pace, their expressions inexplicably tense, "We firmly support the new Sect Master!"

Anuo propped her chin on her hand, "Hall Master Wang, you..."

Hall Master Wang was terrified, "I, Wang, firmly support all the reforms of Sect Master Shen!"

"Even if you say that, I must remind you, your wife, while you were out, is currently with her cousin..."

"Whoosh!" Hall Master Wang moved as fast as lightning and vanished instantly.

The entire hall was silent; Shen Tang and Miss Qingli stood with mouths agape.

What was expected to be a gang merger requiring killing to establish authority, with just a few words from Anuo... the heroes bowed their heads, and the dust settled.

Sheng Yuanyao turned to look at Anuo, her eyes like those of a melon-eating animal seeing a human-shaped melon.

(End of this chapter)