The sky was already bright. Near the camp, the guards and Black-Silver men were all anxiously staring into the depths of the forest.
"They're out, they're out!"
Zhou Fu and Xing Gang walked out one after another. Under everyone's astonished gaze, Zhou Fu bowed slightly to Xing Gang and said, "Master, I'll take my men back first."
Xing Gang nodded and said coldly, "Okay, after we go back, I'll appoint you as the Deputy Master of the Gang, in charge of the finances."
"Thank you, Master. I won't let you down."
After that, Zhou Fu turned to the dumbfounded guards and ordered, "Pack up and set off."
The guards reacted and hurried to the camp.
Xing Gang also ordered, "Let's go!" Before he finished, his figure disappeared.
…
Eight days later, Zhou Fu returned to Ning 'an East City. Jin Peng, Huang Feng and the head of the guards, Duan Cheng, were already waiting at Zhou Fu's house.
Seeing the three of them, Zhou Fu asked directly, "How's it going?"
Huang Feng said, "Master, the power of the mid-level forces is beyond our expectations. Now there are only eight forces in our hands. As for the other fourteen … I'm incompetent."
"Eight forces?"
Zhou Fu frowned. It had been almost three months since he returned to Heyang City, but there was only so little progress.
His face darkened. He looked at Huang Feng and asked, "Give me a reason."
A heavy pressure instantly pressed down on the three of them.
Plop.
Huang Feng and the other two trembled and knelt on the ground subconsciously. They were shocked.
Especially Duan Cheng. He was now at the Peak of the First Realm of Blood Changing, and he broke through by himself without the help of elixirs like the Blood Fusing Pill.
Even so, he was still forced to kneel by Zhou Fu's gaze.
What was his master's cultivation level?
Zhou Fu looked at the three of them indifferently. A golden light flashed in his eyes.
"My … My Lord …" Huang Feng was trembling all over. In just ten seconds, his back was already soaked in cold sweat.
With a thought, Zhou Fu retracted his aura. He had secretly learned this technique from Monk Fang Guan and perfected it during his battle with Xing Gang.
He wasn't surprised that Huang Feng and Jin Peng knelt down, but Zhou Fu was stunned by Duan Cheng's reaction.
Seeing Duan Cheng's reaction, Zhou Fu thought for a moment and understood. This kind of practice should be circulated among those forces of a certain scale. 'Wild' cultivators would not receive such treatment unless they had someone to guide them, or they comprehended it on their own, or like Zhou Fu, they 'secretly learned' and perfected it on their own.
"Speak."
Huang Feng and the others felt as if they had been pardoned. He hurriedly told them the whole story.
On the night that Zhou Fu left, Jin Peng had started his plan. After a lightning-fast operation, he had subdued five families. However, when Jin Peng and the others made their move again, they had already been noticed and suffered a strong counterattack.
Following that, those people frantically investigated the whereabouts of Jin Peng and the others.
On the other hand, Jin Peng and the others were setting up suspicions while secretly launching sneak attacks. In this way, they had subdued three more families. However, they were only in a hurry to empty the other party's warehouse, but they were unable to subdue them.
After this incident, Ning An East City was in a state of panic, and all the families closed their doors tightly.
Now that things had developed to this point, the plan of Jin Peng and the others had already failed. Moreover, those people from the major forces had also noticed this big change. After investigating, they were shocked to find that the situation in the city had changed secretly. A force had quietly seized a small part of the industry. How could this be?
For a time, Jin Peng and the others were jointly ostracized by all the other forces. When Zhou Fu returned, the figures of Jin Peng and the others were already exposed to everyone. Even Zhou Fu, who was behind Jin Peng, was revealed.
"You guys have really given me a big surprise."
Zhou Fu felt very speechless. However, after thinking about it, it made sense. After all, Huang Feng and the others did not have a killing move in their hands, and those mid-level forces were not useless.
Moreover, the major forces in the city were not blind. They might not care at the time, but when they turned their heads to look, the power they could display was still very strong.
"Sir, we have sinned." Huang Feng and the others lowered their heads, waiting for Zhou Fu's punishment.
Zhou Fu sighed and said, "Okay, you guys can get up."
The three people raised their heads in surprise and looked at Zhou Fu. For a moment, no one dared to move.
"Get up."
"Yes!" The three people stood up.
Zhou Fu looked at the three people who were like three frightened quails and was so angry that he laughed.
"Okay, the three of you don't have to be like this. Forget about those mid-level forces that have not been subdued. Organize the information of those major forces and send it to me. Also, prepare the manpower. In two days, I will bring people to see those people."
"Yes!" Hearing that Zhou Fu was coming out to take charge of the situation, the three people immediately felt relieved.
Zhou Fu looked at Duan Cheng and asked, "There is a problem in the city. What about the Black Mountain Stronghold?"
Duan Cheng's expression froze and he stammered, "Sir, at the beginning, it was fine. We were suppressing the Black Mountain Stronghold, but then a few experts appeared. We couldn't beat them and three of our Blood Transformation Realm cultivators were killed. I saw that the situation couldn't be reversed, so I brought people back."
Another piece of bad news.
Zhou Fu took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. He nodded and said, "Okay, you guys can leave."
The three people looked at each other and bowed at the same time. "Yes, we will leave."
After the three people left, Zhou Fu didn't even have time to catch his breath before a frivolous voice echoed in the room.
"Oh, it seems like you're doing well."
When Zhou Fu heard this voice, he immediately stood up. "Third Young Master."
The person who came was Xing Feng. He had a smile on his face as he looked at Zhou Fu and praised, "You have good means. I didn't think that the storm in Ning 'an East City was caused by you. Not bad, not bad."
"Third Young Master is too kind." Zhou Fu walked to Xing Feng's side and sat down.
Xing Feng smiled and shook his head. "You have a lot of empty etiquette." Although he said this, he still approved of Zhou Fu's actions.
It was the kind of thing that one could not say or not care, but the other could not not care.
In his eyes, Zhou Fu was a person with scheming, means, strength, and talent. He was just a bit unlucky and fell into the schemes of several forces before he grew up. Otherwise, he would have been a big figure in the future. But now … it was up to fate.
Xing Feng asked, "Have you seen that monk?"
Zhou Fu once again stood up and saluted, "This subordinate has already met Master Fang Guan and received his guidance. I have also achieved a breakthrough in my 《Great Sun True Qi》. This subordinate thanks Third Young Master."
In any case, even if Xing Feng helped Zhou Fu for some purpose, Zhou Fu did receive a favor from the other party. Therefore, he still had to thank him. As for the rest, it depended on his own ability.
Xing Feng laughed. "That monk owed me a favor. Later, I asked him to do something. If it wasn't something today, it was something that he was not feeling well the next day. In short, he avoided all kinds of things.
Some time ago, I persuaded him in every way possible and he accepted the matter of guiding your cultivation. He understood some of my grievances. "
"By the way, you met Xing Gang on the way back, right?
How was it? "
Zhou Fu nodded and said, "Yes, I met Gang Leader Xing on the way back.
He brought people to kill me, but at that time, my cultivation had already made a breakthrough. Gang Leader saw that he couldn't take me down, so the matter was left unsettled. "
Xing Feng smiled and said, "How do you feel?"
Regarding this question, Zhou Fu pondered for a moment and then said, "Gang Leader Xing's Extreme Yang Burning Sky Skill is very domineering. My Vajra Battle Body can't withstand it.
It was the Spring Wind and Rain Body Nourishing Skill that Third Young Master gave me that allowed me to heal quickly. That's why I was in a stalemate with Gang Leader. "
Xing Feng waved his hand. "Kid, it's a little boring to talk like this. Although I gave you the skill, if you didn't have the talent and didn't fully understand the skill of the Body Refining Hall, you would have ended up dead."
He changed the topic and asked, "Since Xing Feng can't do anything to you, didn't he say anything else?"
"Yes, Gang Leader Xing said that he would promote me to Deputy Gang Leader in two days to be in charge of the gang's finances."
"Deputy Gang Leader?
Finances?
He's pouting, "Xing Feng immediately sat up straight and narrowed his eyes as he muttered these two words.
After a while, he nodded. "That's right. Deputy Gang Leader is good too. Now that Xing Gang can't kill you, it means that Shi Long can't be your opponent either.
Congratulations kid, you've been in the gang for less than a year and the position of Gang Leader has already fallen into your pocket. "
Zhou Fu cupped his hands and said, "It's all thanks to Third Young Master's nurturing."
"Hahahaha!
What a good nurturing! "
Xing Feng looked up to the sky and laughed. After a while, he stopped laughing and said, "Alright, you better remember this."
Zhou Fu said, "I will definitely not forget Third Young Master's kindness."
"Not bad, you're really not bad. Whether it's the way you do things or the way you speak, you make people feel comfortable." Xing Feng stood up and said, "I came to see you. Since I've seen you, I'll leave. Cultivate well. After all, the Large Competition will be held in the future."
"This subordinate understands."
A gust of wind blew past and Xing Feng's figure had already disappeared.
Zhou Fu stood up and looked out the door.
"I can see your movements clearly now …"
… ….
The next day, the order to appoint Zhou Fu as the Deputy Gang Leader came down. For a moment, the entire Ning 'an East City was shaken.
The name Zhou Fu was circulated among all the upper echelons of the city.
He also took two steps towards the core of Ning 'an East City from the darkness, or rather, from the corner.
Moreover, those forces that wanted to make a move against Zhou Fu also didn't make a move for a while. The chaotic situation in the East City of Ning 'an instantly quieted down, but under the surface, undercurrents were surging.
Five days later, a black-clothed man appeared in Zhou Fu's study.
"Deputy Gang Leader Zhou, this is the Gang Leader's promise on that day." The black-silver man took out an envelope and pushed it with one hand. It floated towards Zhou Fu.
Zhou Fu smiled and reached out to receive the envelope. Streaks of golden electricity flowed across the surface of the letter.
He lowered his head and opened it while saying, "If there is any damage to the things inside, I will make sure you don't dare to be a human in your next life."
The black-clothed man trembled and took two steps back. His eyes behind the mask revealed a look of fear.
"I hope Deputy Gang Leader Zhou won't blame me. This subordinate had no choice."
Zhou Fu didn't even raise his head and waved his hand.
After the black-clothed man saw the gesture, he cupped his hands and bowed. He turned around and walked out of the room. Using his movement technique, he quickly disappeared.
Zhou Fu looked at the letter in his hand. It was the Blood Yang Pill's formula. With this, he could replenish a large amount of Qi and blood and then convert it into Inner Strength.
"The improved Qi Concentration Pill can no longer satisfy me. This is only the Blood Transfusion Realm."
Zhou Fu sighed. After the Blood Transfusion Realm, there was Exuvia. There were a total of nine levels of Exuvia. What should he use to speed up his cultivation?
When he thought of this problem, Zhou Fu felt a headache coming on.
On the way back, when he was traveling with Fang Guan, Zhou Fu received Fang Guan's advice and had a deeper understanding of the Great Sun True Qi.
As a result, Zhou Fu, who was at the peak of the third level of the Bone Forging realm, naturally broke through to the sixth level of the 《Great Sun True Qi》. Not only did the quality of his inner strength increase by a lot, even the strength of Zhou Fu's body was strengthened.
And his cultivation had reached the Blood Transfusion Realm.
This was also the reason why he was able to fight Xing Gang back and forth. If he didn't break through, he would probably be a punching bag under Xing Gang's hands.
The Blood Transfusion Realm was different from the previous realms. At this level, the cultivator needed to control the Inner Strength to pierce the bone marrow, condense the blood, and let the blood nourish the body to achieve an all-round improvement.
For ordinary people, this was a slow and meticulous work realm. It required a huge amount of Qi, Blood, and Inner Strength consumption to increase the realm.
"Now that I have the Blood Yang Pill and the assistance of the Tri-Wheel Origin Transformation Divine Art, I can quickly catch up to this realm. Time … What I lack is time."
Zhou Fu sighed. It was already winter. At the beginning of spring, which was four months later, the sect's competition would begin.
And he needed to break through to the Exuvia Realm or even higher within these four months. Only then would he be able to deal with the upcoming matters.
"Four months to break through a realm …" Zhou Fu muttered to himself. He turned his head and looked towards the south. Demon Zhang Yao's figure appeared in front of his eyes.
Demon!
Only by killing the demon, under the nourishment of that cool energy, and with the help of the Blood Yang Pill, could he achieve this goal.
Moreover, he might even be able to reach a higher level.
"Young master …"
Not only that, the secret technique that Zhou Fu's young master, Shang Yuan, taught Zhou Fu before he left could also increase his strength.
Back then, he was afraid that it would consume too much energy, so he only used it once. Now that he had the Blood Yang Pill, he could use it without worry.
A series of thoughts appeared in his mind. After thinking for a while, Zhou Fu's head felt like it was about to explode. He activated the technique and suppressed the annoyance in his heart. He sighed and said, "Even the production team's donkey shouldn't rush me like this!"
Yes, Zhou Fu was in too much of a hurry.
If he increased his strength too slowly, he would be controlled by Xing Gang and Xing Feng.
If he increased his strength too quickly, he would be controlled by the person behind the scenes who led him on the path of the Body Refining Hall.
Therefore, he could only increase his strength at a speed that was beyond the knowledge of those people.
Although he might not be able to compete with them, he would at least be able to perish together with them. In other words, if they wanted to take him down, they would have to pay a price that the other party didn't want to pay.
Only by doing this would Zhou Fu have the qualifications to live. Only then would he have the hope of turning the situation around.
"Ten days, flatten the city!"