Danger is approaching

Old Liu, having frequently dealt with the Wolf Fang Gang, had a decent understanding of their leader, Hèlóng.

Despite the ‘Dragon’ in his name, Hèlóng had never truly soared like one.

He had pursued the path of strength for years, yet only became a First-tier Spirit Wielder past the age of thirty.

For the next decade, his progress stagnated, with the Second-tier remaining a distant, unattainable goal.

When Old Liu heard Hèlóng was in secluded cultivation, he scoffed.

He even saw it as an opportune moment.

With the gang leader absent, wouldn’t it be easier to extort his subordinates?

Even in a direct confrontation, Old Liu never believed he would lose to Hèlóng.

Now, however, Hèlóng stood before him with an entirely different aura.

Though no power emanated from him, Old Liu felt a prickle of unease crawl up his spine.

“Indeed,” Hèlóng replied, settling into a chair he hadn’t occupied in a long time.

“I am now a Second-tier Spirit Wielder, and I can even sense the threshold of the Third-tier.”

Old Liu’s face paled in shock, his lips trembling.

In merely a month, he had actually advanced to the Second-tier?

And was even sensing the Third-tier?

“You, you didn’t use some strange, dark potion, did you?” Old Liu forced himself to appear calm.

Hèlóng’s lips curved upward, offering no direct answer.

Instead, he said calmly, “Though I was in seclusion, I kept a close eye on matters outside.”

“Our brothers have suffered considerable bullying during this time.”

This statement immediately ignited indignation among the others, with many clamoring for revenge.

Listening to their fervent support, Hèlóng let out a soft chuckle, then looked at Old Liu once more.

“The Wolf Fang Gang will not tolerate anyone who dares to challenge us.”

“Wouldn’t you agree, Mr. Liu?”

Now, it was Old Liu’s turn to break out in a cold sweat.

“But rest assured, you are still a friend of the Wolf Fang Gang, as long as you continue to provide us with security intelligence, just as before.”

Old Liu instinctively let out a sigh of relief.

Hèlóng’s expression, however, darkened.

“The first thing we must accomplish is to avenge my dear deputy gang leader.”

Old Liu pursed his lips.

What else could he do but offer fawning agreement?

That night, in a hotel in Wufeng City.

With the doors and windows tightly shut, Mù Qīngyǔ, having reverted to her natural white hair and red eyes, lay on the bed with her legs crossed.

Although this posture caused her short skirt to ride up, revealing her fair thighs and underwear, she didn’t care, as she was alone in the room.

The young woman was contemplating a very important question:

According to the original plot, Xǔ Tiānlí was supposed to be brutally beaten by thugs at the market, suffering a miserable defeat.

This was the direct reason he would decide to accept a mysterious master and grow stronger.

But… he had actually won, and quite decisively at that.

Would this have a negative impact on the subsequent storyline?

She had initially planned to comfort him after his beating, but since he had won, what was there to comfort?

“Tsk, this is an uncontrollable situation.”

“So annoying.”

Mù Qīngyǔ clutched her white hair, complaining through gritted teeth.

“If history truly changes drastically because of this, what will happen to my plan?”

“Damn it, this isn’t the outcome I wanted.”

It wasn’t until her snowy white hair resembled a bird’s nest that the young woman lowered her hands, her hunched posture like an adult worn down by life’s struggles.

Now, two choices lay before her.

The first was to continue following the original plot, ensuring it didn’t deviate too much.

If she could endure the three-year agreement, the subsequent two years would be much simpler.

The second was to throw caution to the wind.

Since it had already deviated, she could let it develop as long as it didn’t affect her own plans.

The young woman crossed her arms, pondering for a long time like an ancient sage.

“Indeed, I still can’t be too reckless, can I?”

She never would have imagined this.

She had merely taught him some fitness exercises as a pretense, and Xǔ Tiānlí had actually… sigh, it was truly unbelievable.

If he had a truly good teacher, Xǔ Tiānlí would probably be First-tier by now, wouldn’t he?

“Hiss, First-tier?”

Mù Qīngyǔ suddenly thought of something.

“When did Xǔ Tiānlí become a First-tier Spirit Wielder again?”

She recalled the plot she had read, her crimson eyes narrowing slightly.

‘Although the incident at the market was a setback, I might still have a chance, and it’s coming soon.’

‘This time, Xǔ Tiānlí, I won’t let you escape my control.’

With a rough plan forming in her mind, the young woman let out a giggle, then lay back on the bed.

After witnessing his master’s display at the orphanage, Xǔ Tiānlí dreamed about that scene every night.

Consequently, his first thought upon waking the next day was regret.

He should have gone upstairs then to witness his master’s magnificent figure.

Perhaps he could have gained some insight from it.

No, perhaps not.

Xǔ Tiānlí knew his talent was truly abysmal.

Even if his master demonstrated directly before him, he might not succeed.

‘If not for Master’s help, I would probably be the one lying in the hospital right now.’

With a self-deprecating laugh, Xǔ Tiānlí rolled out of bed and left his room.

To be honest, as he clattered downstairs, Xǔ Tiānlí even fantasized about a wonderful scene: seeing a kind, long-haired woman in an apron making him breakfast in the kitchen.

However, reality offered nothing of the sort.

After bidding Qín Yuè farewell last night, she had vanished.

It made sense, of course.

His master had her own home; she couldn’t possibly stay with him indefinitely.

‘Since she’s an expert living in seclusion in the mountains, Ms. Qín Yuè’s home must be a simple yet very comfortable log cabin.’

‘Perhaps she even has her own plot of land, living a self-sufficient life.’

After washing up and eating a simple breakfast, Xǔ Tiānlí began his new day.

He was prepared for the third lesson, but strangely, Qín Yuè, who was supposed to meet him at the orphanage, was nowhere to be seen.

Xǔ Tiānlí spent the entire morning waiting for Qín Yuè’s arrival.

“Master… she wouldn’t have overslept, would she?”

The words had barely left his mouth when Xǔ Tiānlí felt ashamed of his presumptuous guess.

“Someone like Master would never oversleep, by any stretch of the imagination.”

Although he hadn’t seen her, according to the children’s descriptions, Qín Yuè had indeed visited the orphanage and left something for Xǔ Tiānlí.

Entering the room, Xǔ Tiānlí gazed at the ‘gift’ his master had left on the table, blinking in confusion.

“This is… a paper map of Wufeng City?”

The location of the back mountain was circled with a red ballpoint pen, its meaning unknown.

‘Could Master be telling me to find her in that place?’

Xǔ Tiānlí dared not act rashly.

It would be terrible if he misunderstood his master’s intentions.

After waiting fruitlessly for an entire morning, Xǔ Tiānlí decided to help the orphanage while he waited.

Director Wang was short-staffed and needed someone to buy daily necessities for the children.

Xǔ Tiānlí readily accepted the task.

It wasn’t his first time doing this, and he had even become familiar with the sellers.

Seeing a regular customer, the seller even gave him a discount, making Xǔ Tiānlí’s steps light on his way back.

He wanted to share the good news with Director Wang, so the extra money could be used to buy treats for the children.

Then, Xǔ Tiānlí saw the orphanage, now a scene of utter devastation.

One of the double doors had been ripped off its hinges, and the old, leafy tree in the courtyard had been toppled, as if ravaged by a tornado.

If it were truly just that, why were the children gone?

The once lively courtyard was now filled only with the sound of Xǔ Tiānlí swallowing.

Upon hearing a groan from one of the rooms, Xǔ Tiānlí rushed inside and saw Director Wang lying weakly on the ground.

“Uncle Wang, what happened?” Xǔ Tiānlí confirmed he wasn’t seriously injured, and breathed a sigh of relief.

“Run… Little Xǔ, don’t go…”

Director Wang’s words, instead of preventing Xǔ Tiānlí, only served as a reminder.

He saw a note on the table, filled with threats and provocative words, signed by the “Wolf Fang Gang.”

For a moment, Xǔ Tiānlí’s mind went blank, his breathing quickening.

‘Did I bring this danger?’

‘Am I fighting the Wolf Fang Gang?’

“Uncle Wang, have you seen Sister Qín?” Xǔ Tiānlí asked anxiously.

Director Wang merely shook his head, then fell unconscious.

‘Master still hasn’t come.’

‘Why?’

After calling the police, Xǔ Tiānlí settled the unconscious Director Wang on the bed, then stood alone, looking at the chaotic courtyard.

‘If Master were here, there would be no need to worry about those scoundrels, nor would the orphanage children have been abducted.’

‘Could it be that Master saw my talent was too poor and abandoned me?’

Negative thoughts churned in his agitated mind, leaving him momentarily at a loss.

Xǔ Tiānlí could simply wait for the Heaven’s Will Bureau to arrive and let the professionals handle the case.

However, the note explicitly stated that he had to meet them at a designated location within a limited time, or the abducted children would suffer harm.

And now, less than half an hour remained until the deadline.

Xǔ Tiānlí’s fists trembled, the fire in his eyes flaring once more.

‘Even if I’m alone, it doesn’t matter.’

‘I can’t rely on Master for everything, can I?’

Xǔ Tiānlí gradually calmed down.

With a frosty expression, he swiftly left the orphanage and headed towards the deep mountains.

Having gone up the mountain multiple times with his father when he was young, Xǔ Tiānlí was somewhat familiar with parts of the back mountain’s terrain.

Even a vague textual description allowed him to immediately deduce the exact meeting location.

He could even find multiple different paths, intending not to appear directly from the front.

During this process, Xǔ Tiānlí suddenly noticed his movements were lighter than before.

Steep slopes that were once difficult to climb were now nothing to him.

Even if sharp branches blocked his way, he could push through them directly, without worrying about them scratching his skin.

‘Is this the effect of the Qi Accumulation Art?’

The only reason Xǔ Tiānlí could think of was this.

The Qi Accumulation Art his master taught him was truly miraculous; even a ‘good-for-nothing’ like him had the qualifications to challenge Spirit Wielders after practicing it.

‘I hope the Wolf Fang Gang leader’s strength isn’t too different from his deputy’s.’