「Liang City.」
「Inside Black Tiger Hall.」
Hall Master Li Hu, dressed in black, with fierce eyes and a twisting beard, stood a full eight feet tall. His Five Rings Saber Technique was also notoriously famous. His realm had been that of an Eighth-Grade Martial Artist, but now his aura far surpassed that of an Eighth-Grade Martial Artist! Not only that, the other disciples of Black Tiger Hall were also extraordinary, almost all possessing a profound aura. The weakest among them was on the verge of stepping into the Ninth-Grade Martial Artist Realm.
Li Hu sat in the principal seat, looking at the freshly collected information, his face shifting between light and dark.
"You're saying that the people of the Profound Yellow Sect made their move?"
Hearing this, the members below also felt deep fear. It was only today that they had taken down the Fish Dragon Gang, and even killed its leader, Zhao Xiongtu. Such a feat was enough to prove that they were Liang City's number one power.
But they were also aware. Liang City was not home only to the Fish Dragon Gang; there was also the weakest Profound Yellow Sect.
The Profound Yellow Sect's sudden rise, which even led to the capture of Black Wind Stronghold, shocked them to the core. Originally, Black Wind Stronghold was to be exterminated by their Black Tiger Hall, but the duck that was practically in their mouths had been snatched away by the Profound Yellow Sect. Could they tolerate this?
A Ninth-Grade Martial Artist disciple spoke up, "Hall Master, the news is definitely true. It was indeed the Profound Yellow Sect that made the move. The Profound Yellow Sect has many Ninth-Grade masters, but it's unclear where these people came from."
Dozens of people had suddenly appeared, and they had received no news of it. The Profound Yellow Sect had certainly kept things deeply concealed!
"Gather everyone! As soon as the sky darkens, we set off. From now on, there can only be one power in Liang City!" Li Hu snorted coldly and issued a direct command.
This Ninth-Grade Martial Artist cupped his fist and acknowledged the order.
After they all withdrew, a person dressed in a black robe emerged from behind the screen, their gender obscured by the garment.
"Li Hu, don't forget our deal!" The black-robed person spoke in a sharp voice; though it seemed to be a man's, it carried a slightly feminine inflection.
Seeing this person, Li Hu quickly stood up, a sycophantic smile on his face. "Rest assured, my lord. Since our Black Tiger Hall has pledged allegiance to the Blood Demon Sect, we naturally prioritize the business of the Blood Demon Sect."
Li Hu hastily patted his chest and said, "With the Blood Demon Sect's Blood Pills to enhance our strength, the Profound Yellow Sect won't last One Hour. My lord, just wait for this humble one to take down the Profound Yellow Sect for you."
The Blood Demon Sect was one of the evil forces in Jianghu. For the people of Jianghu, this sect was almost universally despised. Take their crafting of Blood Pills, for instance. The creation of Blood Pills required a large quantity of blood from women—specifically, virgins. Over the years, the number of women who had suffered at the hands of the Blood Demon Sect totaled tens of thousands.
The Imperial Court had even dispatched the Brocade Guard to exterminate them, but in the end, only a few of their branches were wiped out. This power still existed within Jianghu, and their strength grew day by day.
Many reputable and righteous sects of Jianghu had also participated in encirclement and suppression efforts. But as their disciples suffered heavy losses, these efforts gradually faded away.
Why? The righteous sects were not foolish. Raising so many disciples was not easy, and having them slaughtered by the Blood Demon Sect pained them deeply. So, rather than wasting time with the Blood Demon Sect to no avail, they opted to leave them be.
And because of this, the Blood Demon Sect's notoriety in Jianghu continued to grow.
Among the Two Evil Sects, the Blood Demon Sect already showed subtle signs of vying for dominance in Jianghu, and its disciples were, one after another, exceptionally sinister.
Li Hu's power had increased so rapidly because he had obtained Blood Pills from the Blood Demon Sect. As for why the Blood Demon Sect had set its sights on the Profound Yellow Sect, he was unclear. Of course, he didn't want to understand.
In the face of the Blood Demon Sect, a power like Black Tiger Hall was too weak. Even the Black-robed Guardian before him could easily massacre the entire Black Tiger Hall. Li Hu was not foolish; he knew what he could know and what he could not. But he was also on guard against the Blood Demon Sect. With such overwhelming power, why would the Black-robed Guardian seek their cooperation? With the Black-robed Guardian's strength, eradicating the entire Profound Yellow Sect would naturally be a piece of cake. So why choose to have Black Tiger Hall do it? This was indeed surprising.
"It is good that you understand. Just don't disappoint me; otherwise, you know the consequences!" the Black-robed Guardian said coldly. "You'd better not harbor any other thoughts, either. I have my reasons for not taking action myself. You just need to follow my instructions, and Liang City will belong to your Black Tiger Hall in the future."
"This humble one thanks you, my lord!" Li Hu, cold sweat beading on his face, hurriedly bowed and responded with clasped fists.
The Black-robed Guardian glanced at Li Hu, then retreated behind the screen and became utterly still.
Li Hu knew that the Blood Demon Sect's Black-robed Guardian had left and let out a long sigh of relief. Dealing with such a power was akin to bargaining with a tiger for its skin. Although he was curious why the Blood Demon Sect targeted the Profound Yellow Sect, he was very clear about his own limitations. This matter was not something he could meddle in. After exterminating the Profound Yellow Sect, his Black Tiger Hall would immediately retreat to Liang City. What happened outside had nothing to do with them. As for the Government Office... wasn't it just a matter of silver? Over the years, Black Tiger Hall had paid a considerable amount of silver to the Government Office. Even today, after annihilating the Fish Dragon Gang, they had delivered a full five hundred taels of silver. So, dealing with the Profound Yellow Sect would still rely on silver to smooth things over.
After the Blood Demon Sect's Black-robed Guardian left Black Tiger Hall, the Guardian walked towards a secluded courtyard. This courtyard was the Blood Demon Sect's temporary lodging. Although their name was well-known in Jianghu, they still preferred not to be too ostentatious. Once their tracks were discovered, those reputable and righteous sects wouldn't just talk; they would send masters for the sake of their reputation. Hence the saying, "Careful sailing keeps the ship afloat for ten thousand years!"
Upon returning to the courtyard, the Black-robed Guardian glanced at a red-robed, demonic figure inside.
"Everything is arranged. After tonight, the Profound Yellow Sect will cease to exist," the Black-robed Guardian spoke coldly. "Are you absolutely certain that item is inside the Profound Yellow Sect?"
The red-robed figure was squatting by the vegetable garden in the corner, seemingly very interested in gardening, and replied with a smile, "Back then, that item was taken by Celestial Yi Daoist. Afterward, he was besieged and killed by Jianghu People, but they didn't find the item on him. Others may not know, but I am aware that Celestial Yi Daoist didn't actually die back then; he feigned death to escape, changed his name, and lived on. Half a month ago, his son Jin Fugui sent a shipment to Fengxiang Prefecture, and that item was in this shipment. However, Jin Fugui never expected that a bandit stronghold would suddenly appear outside Liang City. Black Wind Stronghold murdered and plundered the shipment, so the item naturally ended up in their hands. However, just as the Government Office planned to eliminate Black Wind Stronghold, members of the Profound Yellow Sect intervened. They destroyed the stronghold and seized all its belongings. That item must now be within the Profound Yellow Sect. It's inconvenient for us to take action ourselves, so we'll have Black Tiger Hall help us. Later, we'll go to the Profound Yellow Sect to find it."