Chapter 87: Chapter 82: Dark Alley

A strange hum suddenly emanated from the depths of his marrow! This sound was faint at first, like the lingering resonance of metal striking metal, but it instantly soared and swelled, transforming into a continuous roar of thunder!

It wasn’t heard by his ears, but instead exploded, surged, and cleansed his four limbs, his every bone, and every inch of his marrow all at once.

Chen Qing’s body began to tremble violently and uncontrollably, so much so that he was nearly thrown from his bed.

A gut-wrenching CREAK of grating bone echoed.

An irresistible power, one of ultimate hardness and pure yang, surged from the deepest parts of his marrow along with the terrifying thunder, washing over every corner of his body!

The intense pain far surpassed any previous breakthrough attempt, as if it would tear his body apart from the inside out and melt him completely.

The veins on Chen Qing’s forehead and neck bulged like Qiu Dragons. He clenched his jaw so tightly that a trickle of crimson blood seeped from the corner of his mouth, but he desperately clung to the last sliver of clarity in his Spirit Platform, circulating his Fishing Toad Force with all his might to guide this destructive and rejuvenating tide.

The thunder rolled, cleansing his marrow and purifying his body!

Countless impurities hidden deep within his flesh and blood, in the gaps of his meridians, and even in the very source of his marrow—filth, medicinal toxins, and subtle blockages accumulated over the years—melted and dissolved under this baptism like lingering snow under a blazing sun.

TSSS…

On the surface of his skin, a layer of viscous, foul-smelling, dark, sludge-like oil and sweat, mixed with fine, dust-like, grayish-black particles, was forcibly squeezed from his pores by his rampaging qi and blood.

In the blink of an eye, Chen Qing looked as if he had just been pulled from a filthy bog, covered in a thick layer of black mud that reeked of a pungent, foul odor.

The air in the room became thick and foul.

However, beneath this layer of filth, Chen Qing’s body was undergoing an earth-shattering transformation.

His marrow was revitalized by the thunderous roar, becoming as heavy and condensed as silver mercury, and its blood-producing ability skyrocketed.

His blood, now rushing with the faint roar of a great river, grew more vibrant and took on a heavy, metallic quality, almost like lead and mercury.

His muscles, bones, and skin, tempered by the process, reached a new level of toughness. Every slight tremor now contained explosive Power.

As the last echo of thunder slowly faded from within his body, the tremors in the room ceased.

Chen Qing’s eyes flew open!

The Third Realm of the Fishing Toad Force—Thunder Sound Marrow Cleansing—was a success!

He slowly exhaled a long, turbid breath. The air shot from his lips like an arrow, traveling three feet before slowly dissipating.

He felt a sense of transparency, power, and control he had never experienced before, as if a thousand-jin burden had been lifted, as if he had broken free from invisible shackles.

His blood flowed like lead and mercury, his organs were as tough as metal, and his marrow was as dense as silver frost.

With every move, his power was fluid and unimpeded. Wherever his will went, his Power could arrive in an instant.

’Great Success in the Transmutation Force Realm?’

Chen Qing slowly curled his fingers into a fist, feeling the immense Power surging through his muscles and bones. A cold, sharp glint flashed in his eyes.

…

「County Soldier Camp, secret chamber.」

The candlelight flickered, illuminating Pang Qinhai’s face.

Spread before him was a mountain of ironclad evidence: counterfeit manifests from Renhe Pharmacy for smuggled medicine; documents from the Directorate of Grain Transport stamped with an irregular seal of passage; secret ledgers detailing silver coin transactions between the Huang and Zhu Families, the Blood River Gang, and the Weapon Forging Shop; and even signed receipts from the Songfeng Martial Arts Hall for shipments of “local specialties” that were, in fact, Armor.

These county families were often deeply rooted and intertwined. There was no telling which one was a pawn for some higher power.

Only by presenting an irrefutable chain of evidence could he convince everyone.

Pang Jiu stood respectfully with his hands at his sides, his voice low. “Sir, all the links in the chain have been connected. Master Deng Feihu has confirmed, and we have secretly informed Elder Guangchang Liu and Master Hongyun Lin as well. We only await your order.”

A cold smirk touched the corner of Pang Qinhai’s mouth.

“The net… is ready to be drawn.”

His voice was deep, laced with a long-suppressed, thunderous rage. “Send the word. We move tomorrow at 1:00 AM! Primary targets are the Huang Mansion, the Zhu Mansion, Renhe Pharmacy, the Wangyuan Escort Agency Headquarters, and the Songfeng Martial Arts Hall! Kill any who resist, no questions asked!”

“Yes, sir!”

A fierce light flashed in Pang Jiu’s eyes as his figure quickly melted back into the shadows.

Only Pang Qinhai and the dancing candlelight remained in the secret chamber.

…….

「Drunken Immortal Tower, Warm Pavilion.」

Outside the window, the cold wind howled, but inside the Warm Pavilion, a charcoal fire burned brightly.

“The Zhou Institute is a candle flickering in the wind. That old bastard Zhou Liang is grievously injured with no hope of recovery. He’s no cause for concern! But that Chen Qing…”

Shi Wenshan’s face was a grim mask, his voice like scraping sandpaper. “He ruined my disciple’s glorious future and crippled my Gao Sheng! That boy must not be allowed to live!”

Sitting opposite him were two men: Yu Ze, the Vice Gang Leader of the Blood River Gang, and Meng Tieshou, a Tributor hired by the Zhu Family at great expense.

Both men had a profound presence and sharp eyes; they were both Transmutation Force masters.

Yu Ze picked his teeth and chuckled. “Don’t you worry, Master Shi. The Patriarch has been impatient for a long time. Tomorrow at 1:00 AM is the perfect time to settle things for good! Just leave that old man Zhou Liang to me.”

Meng Tieshou was far more composed. His large, dark-skinned hand with its thick knuckles stroked the rim of his cup. “Rest assured, Brother Shi. We will do our utmost tomorrow.”

“Thank you!”

Shi Wenshan took a deep breath and said solemnly, “After this is done, Songfeng Martial Arts Hall will hand over its business from the two new shops in the West Market, as designated by the merchant association, to the Blood River Gang! Furthermore, I have a treasured three-year-old ’Fire Cloud Grass’ to gift to Tributor Meng. This herb is highly beneficial for tempering muscles and bones, especially for palm techniques!”

Yu Ze’s eyes lit up. The profits from two shops were a considerable fortune.

He immediately agreed. “Excellent! Master Shi is a man of his word! Tomorrow at 1:00 AM, I’ll personally lead my men to block the front gate of the Zhou Institute.”

Meng Tieshou looked at Shi Wenshan and nodded slowly. “My Black Baleful Hand hasn’t tasted the blood of a Transmutation Force master in a long time. Tomorrow, I will keep Zhou Liang pinned down.”

His tone was flat, yet it carried a chilling killing intent.

Shi Wenshan said coldly, “Thank you, both! Tomorrow at 1:00 AM, we meet at the Zhou Institute and kill that beast together!”

The hatred in his heart seemed to have finally found an outlet.

By the time the banquet ended, it was late at night.

The snow and wind seemed to have grown stronger, with goose-feather flakes falling thickly.

Shi Wenshan refused a carriage and trudged alone through the deep snow, one heavy step after another, heading toward the Songfeng Martial Arts Hall.

He came to a narrow, deep, and rarely traveled back alley.

High walls rose on either side, blocking the already faint light from the snow, making the alley even darker.

The cold wind howled through the alley, carrying flurries of snow and making an eerie wailing sound.

Then, in a flash, it happened!

From the shadows of the high wall to the left, a figure shot out like a specter melting into the night, without any warning!

The speed was so extreme it seemed to tear through the falling snowflakes, the force of its passage instantly plowing a deep furrow in the snow on the ground!

There was no shout, no warning, only the purest, most lethal killing intent!

A fist, wielding an irresistible and terrifying Power as heavy as a mountain, let out a low, thunderous whistle as it shot toward Shi Wenshan’s undefended left flank.

Before the Fist Edge even arrived, the focused wind it generated stabbed at Shi Wenshan’s waist with a sharp pain!

’An ambush!?’

Shi Wenshan, a master at the Great Success in Transmutation Force Realm after all, reacted in that split second, relying on reflexes honed by decades of life-and-death battles. He instantly pushed his qi and blood to their absolute limit. The veins on his entire arm bulged as he hastily threw a sharp elbow strike backward, while desperately twisting his waist and hips to the right, trying to deflect the force and dodge!

BOOM—!!!

A dull thud, like the beat of a giant drum, exploded in the narrow alley!

Shi Wenshan felt an unimaginably ferocious force slam into his left elbow! The weight, the density, the sheer dominance of that power far exceeded his expectations!

It felt less like a fist and more like a siege hammer wielding the Power of Ten Thousand Jins!

CRACK!

A faint but chilling sound of bone breaking reached Shi Wenshan’s ears!

An excruciating pain shot through his left elbow. His entire left arm went numb in an instant, his qi and blood surged in reverse, and half his body felt weak and sore!

He staggered backward several steps and slammed hard against the cold, solid brick wall on his right!

BOOM!

The wall shook violently, and accumulated snow showered down.

Stars burst before Shi Wenshan’s eyes. It felt as if his organs had been displaced, and waves of agony and dizziness washed over him.

He slid down the wall to the ground, his right hand clutching his throbbing left elbow as he looked up with a mixture of shock and fury.

He saw that the attacker had landed steadily in the center of the snowy alley, perfectly blocking his path.

The person wore dark Martial Attire suitable for moving at night and stood in the shadows, their face and expression unclear.

From their build, they seemed quite young.

The wind and snow swirled between them, whipping up the fallen snow on the ground like shattered jade.

“You insidious little bastard! You have no martial honor!”

Shi Wenshan endured the intense pain and struggled to his feet, a terrifyingly vicious glint in his eyes. “You cowardly rat, hiding your face! Who are you?!”

The man didn’t speak. He took a light step forward like a nimble ape treading on a branch, his right hand raised in a faint, beckoning gesture.

Shi Wenshan’s pupils shrank when he saw the familiar stance, and a look of shock appeared on his face.

“It’s you?! Chen Qing!”

The wind and snow seemed to freeze in that moment.

The killing intent in the alley suddenly boiled over!

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