bookandnovel Chapter 72 Genius is merely the threshold to seeing me
Chapter 72 Genius is merely the threshold to seeing me
......
The next day, Sweetwater Lane.
The thin mist had not yet dissipated.
Zhao Tong and the other two spoke excitedly, "Blood Blade Hall... was wiped out last night!"
Gao Li's eyes widened: "I heard that the hall master Yan Liang was killed! And Li Tianren, the young leader of the Qing Shui Gang, was also killed!"
"Well done! That old dog Yan Liang deserved to die! And that Li Tianren, relying on his status as the young gang leader, was arrogant and domineering; he was no better!"
Jiang Qi paused slightly as he carried the water, then smiled and asked, "Do you know who did this?"
"I don't know!" Zhao Tong shook his head, but a look of awe flashed across his face. "To dare to kill Yan Liang and Li Tianren in the Blood Blade Hall and still escape unscathed... such strength... must be that of a master of the Strong Bone Realm!"
Gao Li pondered for a moment, then whispered, "...Could it be the gang leader? After all, we've been locked in a fierce battle with the Qingshui Gang lately, and we've lost quite a few brothers..."
Zhao Tong immediately frowned, realizing the seriousness of the problem: "If even we think this way, the Qingshui Gang will definitely suspect us even more."
After all, the deaths of Yan Liang and Li Tianren dealt a huge blow to the Qingshui Gang, while our Tieyi Gang benefited the most.
I think... the Green Water Gang will definitely not let this go, and they will probably take action soon.
"Chaos, utter chaos... There hasn't been a moment of peace in Licheng lately." Gao Li sighed, looking worried.
"Protector Jiang, who do you think it could be?" Guo Meng looked at Jiang Qi and asked in a deep voice.
Zhao Tong and Gao Li also looked over, seemingly wanting to hear Jiang Qi's analysis.
Jiang Qi pondered for a moment, then said in a deep voice, "For us, it's not really important who made the move. What's important is that Yan Liang is dead, and Protector Xiong, as well as many of our brothers, have had their grudges avenged."
He paused, then his tone turned serious: "But Zhao Tong is right, the Qingshui Gang will never let this go. All we can do is seize the time, cultivate diligently, and improve our strength!"
Master Qin once said, "Only by being strong enough can one protect oneself and those one wants to protect in chaotic times."
The group nodded in agreement.
"Protector Jiang is right!"
"Yes! Cultivate! Get stronger!"
Everyone dispersed and increased their vigilance.
Jiang Qi watched the others leave, then carried the well water into the water room.
First, start boiling the medicinal soup, and then begin your cultivation.
Last night I tried practicing "Blood Qi Forging Bones", and the bones in my hands seemed to undergo some kind of change.
He slowly clenched his fist, his knuckles cracking slightly, the power flowing more smoothly and concentrated between his bones.
"Keep going, try to get started as soon as possible..."
After a night of experimentation, he could confirm that his current twelve streams of qi and blood were sufficient for cultivating the "Blood Qi Forging Bone" technique.
Once he enters the gate, he can be considered to have truly stepped into the Bone Strengthening Realm.
......
The bandit's military headquarters, the martial arts academy.
In the early morning sunlight, gunshots flew like dragons, and a strong wind howled.
Deputy Commander Ke Jinglan, wielding a gleaming silver spear, was sparring with two of his ten Bloodthirsty Bandit lieutenants, each possessing a deep and imposing aura.
His face was cold and stern, his brows furrowed with anger, and his movements were sharp and domineering, like a venting of fury.
clang!clang!clang!
The clanging of metal against metal was as dense as rain.
Although the two deputies worked well together and were quite capable, they could only barely hold on against Ke Jinglan's storm of gunfire.
"That's enough."
Ke Jinglan suddenly put away his gun, the tip pointing diagonally at the ground, the gun trembling and emitting a buzzing sound.
His chest rose and fell slightly, but there was no joy in his eyes; instead, he was even more agitated.
The two deputies, as if granted a pardon, quickly stopped their stance, panting heavily, and clasped their hands in a salute, saying, "Commander's marksmanship has improved even more, and your momentum is unstoppable. We admire you!"
Ke Jinglan merely gave a cold "humph" and casually tossed the spear to a guard beside him, clearly in a bad mood.
Just then, a middle-aged man dressed in light black armor with deep eyes strolled in with his hands behind his back.
He did not exude a strong aura, but his every move naturally revealed the dignified demeanor of someone who had been through many battles.
"Greetings, Inspector!" Ke Jinglan and his two deputies quickly bowed respectfully.
The newcomer was none other than Lu Baixiao, the Inspector General of the Dang Kou Army.
Lu Baixiao nodded slightly, his gaze falling on Ke Jinglan, and said calmly, "Your marksmanship has reached perfection, but you are too impatient and have lost your composure."
It seems that after refining the tenth stage of Qi and Blood, his mental strength has also increased considerably.
Ke Jinglan remained silent and did not refute.
He had indeed recently successfully cultivated his tenth Qi and Blood, further enhancing his strength and making him feel that he was no less than someone at the Half-Step Strong Bone level.
But the setback at Blackfish Bay that night, and the lack of progress in the subsequent investigation, felt like a thorn stuck in his heart.
Lu Baixiao said no more and instead said, "Fifty miles north of the Li River, near the Cangyun Ferry, a group of river bandits has recently fled here. Their leader is Wu Sihai, a fugitive from Xicang County known as the 'Evil Crocodile Dragon'."
This man is ruthless by nature, and his strength has reached the half-step Strong Bone realm, making him even stronger than Qin Lie of the Ironclad Gang whom you captured. You will lead an elite team to wipe him out.
Half-step to Strong Bone? Stronger than Qin Lie?
Upon hearing this, the two deputies' faces turned serious.
These ruthless bandits are notorious and extremely difficult to deal with.
Unlike his two deputies, Ke Jinglan's eyes blazed with fighting spirit upon hearing this, and he immediately clasped his hands in a fist salute: "I obey!"
Having refined his tenth strand of Qi and Blood, his strength had greatly increased, and he was worried about having nowhere to verify it.
This "Evil Dragon" Wu Sihai sounds like a worthy opponent.
"Furthermore," Lu Baixiao added, "let Qin Lie go."
Ke Jinglan frowned: "Inspector, this person has not yet been cleared of suspicion! His Wind-Breaking Saber technique is perfect; he is the most likely suspect among the men in black from Blackfish Bay!"
"You said yourself, it's just suspicion." Lu Baixiao looked at Ke Jinglan. "Do you have solid evidence? Detaining someone based solely on swordsmanship—what will become of the prestige of our bandit army if word gets out?"
Ke Jinglan stubbornly insisted, "In Licheng, besides him, the only one who has mastered the Wind-Breaking Blade technique..."
"Besides him, it's just me." Lu Baixiao said with a half-smile. "What, Commander Ke, are you going to arrest me too?"
Ke Jinglan's breath hitched, then she lowered her head: "I wouldn't dare!"
Lu Baixiao shook his head, not wanting to dwell on the matter, and instead said:
"The results of the martial arts assessment are out. There are three promising candidates: Li Tianren, Zhang Xiao, and Jiang Qi. The results will be released tomorrow; go and see if they are suitable."
Ke Jinglan, preoccupied with investigating the man in black and the bandit suppression mission, simply nodded upon hearing this: "Yes."
His Dangkou Guards were all elites, and each one could be considered a genius. In his eyes, so-called promising talents were merely the threshold to meet him and were not worth paying attention to.
Just then.
"Reporting to the Inspector and Deputy Commander, news has come from the West City that Yan Liang, the leader of the Blood Blade Hall of the Green Water Gang, was assassinated last night inside the hall!" A bandit soldier strode into the courtyard to report.
Lu Baixiao didn't seem to care much when he heard this.
Gang feuds and leadership changes are nothing new in Licheng.
Moreover, the Dang Kou army is not under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Justice, so these matters are not their responsibility.
The bandit leader paused, then said, "The preliminary investigation by the Ministry of Justice... Yan Liang died from a knife wound. The characteristics of the wound indicate that... the killer's knife technique is suspected to be the Wind-Breaking Blade, and the skill level is extremely high, having reached perfection."