Longevity Martial Arts: Grinding Experience in the Chaotic World-Chapter 245 - 143: The Situation_2

The meaning between the lines is easy to discern.

The chaos in Canghe Prefecture arises from the conflict between Liu Yuanhu and Zhao Honglie. Although the Baohuo Sect appears to be quietly entering the fray, their involvement seems minor for now and can be discounted.

Zhao Honglie is a bandit by origin, and his followers are a chaotic mix of people. If he takes control of Canghe County, it’s likely that more unrest will follow. Liu Yuanhu, on the other hand, is different. He is already the County Magistrate of Canghe County, and his appointment papers as County Chief are en route. His rise to power is legitimate, and while this man isn’t exactly a benevolent figure, as an official of the court, at the very least, he holds some concern for the ordinary populace.

In other words, peace in Canghe County can only be achieved if Liu Yuanhu emerges victorious.

Gu Sheng holds a poor opinion of both sides. Initially, he planned to exploit both factions for his personal gain, but now it seems he needs to rethink his strategy.

Although Ge Qing appears on the surface to be merely an Alchemist, his true might must not be underestimated!

Initially, Gu Sheng didn’t care who would prevail, as both sides had their trump cards and the outcome was difficult to predict. However, thanks to Ge Qing’s seemingly casual remark, the once unclear situation suddenly crystallized.

Liu Yuanhu is bound to win!

"Looks like I need to accelerate my plans for harvesting gains!"

Black Sand Gang Headquarters

Qinghe City achieved a sweeping victory. The Black Sand Gang not only killed several of Liu Yuanhu’s sentries but also seized numerous resources.

In the past two days, they replicated this strategy against several other towns, and although they encountered forces dispatched by Liu Yuanhu, they still managed to instill impressive fear among their enemies.

Within just three short days, over thirty villages and strongholds have already pledged allegiance.

While these strongholds fall short of Gu’s Manor in strength, even the weakest among them boasts at least one Blood Refining Realm practitioner of Small Success.

Calculating from this, the Black Sand Gang with such mid-tier members has already surpassed Liu Yuanhu significantly.

Though the past few days brought one victory after another, Zhao Honglie’s brow remained etched with heaviness.

Niu Zidong and Qian Jin entered Cang Mountain three days ago.

During this time, they seemed to vanish without a trace, like a stone sinking into the sea.

The Demon Tiger’s fate would determine whether Zhao Honglie could elevate his relationship with Qian Jin, while the demon tiger’s heart blood might even allow Niu Zidong to step into the Bronze Bone Realm.

If Niu Zidong could ascend to the Bronze Bone Realm, Zhao Honglie would unhesitatingly rally his troops to attack Canghe County’s capital.

This matter was of great importance, and after so many days without news, Zhao Honglie was deeply unsettled.

Suddenly, a gust of breeze brushed his face, bringing a chilling aura of murderous intent.

The light bent strangely, and then Qian Jin materialized before him.

Qian Jin’s eyes burned with fury, and within his gaze, there seemed to be actual flames flickering. Seeing this, Zhao Honglie’s heart dropped.

He hurriedly rushed to the entrance of the headquarters to investigate, but the area was empty—Niu Zidong was nowhere to be seen.

Zhao Honglie’s face darkened, his tone carrying a chill.

"Lord Qian, where is the Demon Tiger? And where are your men who went with you?"

Faced with Zhao Honglie’s questioning, Qian Jin, filled with suppressed rage, finally erupted. A man who usually appeared genial and kind suddenly transformed from a smiling Buddha into a wrathful Vajra. fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm

"How dare you ask me such a thing? Canghe County has such powerful experts—why didn’t you warn me ahead of time?"

Qian Jin laid the entirety of the blame for this failure on Zhao Honglie’s intelligence shortcomings. In his view, had he been informed in advance of the presence of the Giant Axe Butcher, he would have been better prepared.

The Baohuo Sect’s Alchemist in Red Cloud Prefecture values the Sharpfang Blood Tiger immensely.

If he had known about the existence of a lethal figure like the Giant Axe Butcher, he could have simply shared the information and brought along a Bronze Bone Realm ally, turning the table easily.

However, Zhao Honglie stood dumbfounded after being yelled at by Qian Jin, confusion clouding his face as he asked hesitantly,

"What exactly are you talking about? I don’t understand a word of this."

Seeing Zhao Honglie’s genuine bewilderment, Qian Jin had no choice but to suppress his anger and recount everything that had transpired in Cang Mountain.

After listening to the tale, Zhao Honglie’s expression grew grave, his brows furrowing so intensely they nearly merged.

"I never expected the Giant Axe Butcher to be a master at the Bronze Bone Realm."

At that moment, Zhao Honglie thought of something troubling.

With Mo Chen aiding Liu Yuanhu and a killer like the Giant Axe Butcher assisting him, Liu Yuanhu already had enough power to overpower the Black Sand Gang. So why has he remained holed up in the city for the past few days?

Suddenly, Zhao Honglie recalled that the Giant Axe Butcher had slain several Knife Bearers before.

The Knife Bearers were now fully aligned with Liu Yuanhu.

This must mean the Giant Axe Butcher isn’t on Liu Yuanhu’s side.

Thinking this through, Zhao Honglie couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.

He glanced at the still-enraged Qian Jin and pulled out a thick stack of silver notes, pushing them toward him.

"Lord Qian, the failure of this operation was due to my lapse in intelligence. Please accept this silver as compensation for your recent troubles."

In a generous gesture, Zhao Honglie handed Qian Jin ten thousand taels of silver.

Such a massive amount was equivalent to what the Black Market and underground auction houses—major profit centers—would have earned over the course of half a year at their peak.

While the Black Sand Gang had numerous ways of making money, their expenses were equally high.

Especially with their large numbers, the daily costs of sustenance and cultivation were staggering, leaving them with an annual surplus of just over ten thousand taels.

Preparing for war had already drained Zhao Honglie of nearly all the gang’s resources. Offering so much silver to Qian Jin made his heart bleed, yet he had no choice. In this situation, he couldn’t afford to offend Qian Jin, or the Black Sand Gang would stand no chance.

Qian Jin glanced at the silver notes, compressed them lightly between two fingers to gauge the thickness, and calculated the amount mentally.

The anger vanished from his face almost instantly, replaced by concern as he asked, "In this situation, what’s your next move? Another half a month’s delay, and once the appointment papers arrive, it’ll be game over for you."

Zhao Honglie buried his face in his hands, his tone filled with frustration. "Those powerful families are fickle and unreliable. Fighting head-on now is extremely challenging."

He paused, then raised his head with a hopeful expression, looking toward Qian Jin.

"Lord Qian, your experience is vast, and your wisdom unparalleled. What insight can you share?"

Flattered by the praise, a pleased smile appeared on Qian Jin’s face.

"This might seem like a tough spot to break through, but it’s not impossible; it’s merely a matter of what you are willing to sacrifice."

Zhao Honglie’s eyes brightened as he clasped his hands together. "Please, elaborate!"

Qian Jin, sensing Zhao Honglie’s eagerness, stroked his chin with a thoughtful demeanor before speaking. "The disparity between your forces isn’t that great. With my assistance, the top-tier strength is more or less even. Liu Yuanhu’s advantage lies solely in the tall walls of Canghe County. Now, if another Bronze Bone Realm master were to join us, this situation would resolve itself effortlessly."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Honglie couldn’t help but chuckle bitterly, saying, "Yes, that makes sense, but I don’t know any other Bronze Bone masters!"

Qian Jin’s lips curled into a small grin. "I may not be particularly talented, but I’ve always enjoyed networking. In Red Cloud Prefecture, I am acquainted with several Bronze Bone practitioners. However, battles like these carry significant risks, and without a sufficient reward, even I wouldn’t feel comfortable asking them for help."

The hint was crystal clear. Zhao Honglie understood instantly.

"My Black Kill Gang’s savings have already been depleted. We are down to eight or nine thousand taels in liquid funds. But fear not—once we take over the city, I am prepared to offer all profits as compensation. I ask only that once I join the Baohuo Sect, Lord Qian continues to support me generously."

No martial artist can resist the allure of higher cultivation in martial arts.

Zhao Honglie’s ultimate goal in capturing Canghe City was to seize its wealth and resources, using them to propel himself to greater heights.

For him, the goal wasn’t merely Bone Refining or Marrow Refining; he aimed for even higher realms!

Zhao Honglie deeply understood that certain cultivation resources couldn’t be purchased with money alone, such as the "Guiding Technique."

The powerful families and sects guarded the Guiding Technique zealously, ensuring it never leaked out. For someone like Zhao Honglie, acquiring it required the support of the Baohuo Sect.

Thus, everything he was doing now was in preparation to join the Baohuo Sect—this was also why he had been currying favor with Qian Jin all this time.

The Baohuo Sect was like a large sect, and a tremendously influential one at that. Joining it required stringent qualifications, often impossible without a personal recommendation.