"Dragon Head!"

Seven or eight tough-looking men in their forties and fifties dropped to their knees with a THUD. Tears streamed down their faces as they wailed like a group of children.

But these tears were born from a completely different emotion than the ones they shed before.

Leng Ping still hadn’t fully come to his senses. Anger slowly crept into his eyes as he gritted his teeth. "Marquis Qin clearly promised he wouldn’t make things difficult for you all. So why... why the hell have you all come down here to join me! Even as a ghost, I won’t let him off the hook!"

Qin Li looked at the not-quite-lucid Leng Ping, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. He simply tapped a sleep-inducing pressure point and said, "You should probably get some sleep first..."

...

"Really? I’m not really dead?"

Two hours later, Leng Ping was lying in bed, staring suspiciously at the brothers who had fought alongside him to build his empire. He shook his head sharply. "How can this be? I was certain I was dead. How am I alive again? Tell me, Marquis Qin... he... how did he do it?"

The stout old man was grinning from ear to ear, looking as blissful as a good child who’d just been given candy.

Leng Ping shot him a glare. "Chang the Third, can you have some goddamn dignity? I remember you’re a few years older than me. Can you stop grinning like an idiot?"

He then pointed a finger at the tall, thin, middle-aged man. "And you, Li Laosi! Aren’t you usually the one acting all profound? Why are you acting like a fool too? Dammit, hurry up and answer me! What... what the hell is going on?"

"Heh heh, Dragon Head, my boss! You’re not dead! You’re alive! As for how, you’ll have to ask Marquis Qin. Dammit, if it weren’t for the fact that he killed Sun Liu, I’d be tempted to kiss his feet. I’ve lived this long and this is the first time I’ve ever seen a miracle! Dragon Head, it’s a real miracle!" the tall, thin man exclaimed, waving his arms and legs around as he spoke incoherently.

Leng Ping’s face darkened with exasperation. He looked at the others and saw they were all acting more or less the same. He couldn’t help but sigh. ’Dammit,’ he thought, ’I’m not dead, that’s for sure. But it looks like my brothers have all gone insane...’

Just then, a soft knock came from the door, followed by a quiet report. "Vice Gang Leader Chang, someone from the Crown Prince has arrived..."

The men in the room were instantly jolted back to their senses. They exchanged glances, and all eyes fell upon Leng Ping.

"Son of a bitch, you bunch of blockheads are finally acting normal again!"

Leng Ping cursed. Although his life had been saved, his body was still extremely weak. He would need a period of rest to truly recover. The plan for now was to immediately arrange his own funeral... At this thought, Leng Ping couldn’t help but spit on the floor. ’What damned rotten luck,’ he thought. ’Arranging my own funeral. Where’s the justice in this world?’

"The Crown Prince? Hmph. My body isn’t even cold yet and he’s already this impatient? Is he really that afraid the gang will fall into Marquis Qin’s hands?" Leng Ping sneered. "Send them away! Tell them if they have something to say, they can say it to Marquis Qin! The Dragon Head of the Daqing Gang is Marquis Qin now!"

The stout man, Chang the Third, returned with a mask and a bottle of elixirs that Qin Li had left for Leng Ping. He said, "Dragon Head, Marquis Qin left these for you before he departed."

After Leng Ping put on the mask, everyone in the room was dumbfounded. Was this still the brother they had known for twenty or thirty years, the Gang Leader of the Daqing Gang, the legendary king of Cyan Dragon City’s underworld?

Before them stood a refined, middle-aged scholar in his forties with a fair, beardless face. Even his eyes were vastly different from before. If not for the fact that his voice hadn’t changed, they would have thought they were seeing a ghost.

Even Leng Ping himself was speechless as he looked in the mirror. A thought suddenly flashed through his mind: ’I remember when the Crown Prince ordered me to send men to kill Qin Li, he said this down-and-out noble of the Great Qi Kingdom must be the same Qin Li from Yellow Sand City. The very same one who, by some unknown means, brutally murdered the Crown Prince’s Grand Tutor, the Celestial Level expert Murong Tian, and hung his body from the highest flagpole in Cyan Dragon City with a message warning the Crown Prince!’

A sudden understanding dawned in Leng Ping’s heart, and he shivered. ’If that’s true, then this Marquis Qin’s cunning and methods are simply terrifying! To think, he could even slaughter a Celestial Level Martial Artist. And I, a mere Earth Level Martial Artist, actually sent people to cause trouble for him. Wasn’t that just courting death?’

At this thought, Leng Ping’s hatred for Crown Prince Zhao Xinghe deepened. He sneered internally, ’Crown Prince, oh Crown Prince, you must think I’m dead and are trying to snatch my gang. That’s impossible!’

’I’ve slaved away for you for years, providing you with intelligence and vast sums of money to train all sorts of talents. And in the end, the moment you hear I’m dead, you come running to scheme for my assets. What ruthless ambition. Compared to you, Marquis Qin is a real man!’

Unconsciously, Leng Ping’s heart was already leaning heavily in Qin Li’s favor. Although Qin Li had spared him mainly for the sake of the Daqing Gang, he had done so openly and honorably.

In this world, schemes are divided into the covert and the overt. Covert plots can never be brought into the light, while overt schemes, advanced honorably and forthrightly, are the true path to power.

Just then, the tall, thin man, Li Laosi, said softly, "Dragon Head, if we’re going to handle the funeral, your coffin shouldn’t be empty..."

The other Vice Gang Leaders and Elders heard this and agreed it made sense. If they were going to fake it, they had to go all the way.

Hearing this, Leng Ping pondered for a moment, then said, "Find a body double who looks similar to me. And treat his family well."

"The Crown Prince’s men are insisting on seeing Vice Gang Leader Chang!"

A trusted subordinate reported softly from outside again.

"Dammit, they just don’t quit! I’ll go kill them!" Chang the Third was over fifty and stout, but his temper was as fiery as ever. This Vice Gang Leader of the Daqing Gang, a mere ninth-rank Profound Level, had also fought his way up from a street punk alongside Leng Ping, hacking and slashing through bloody battles. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

That bloodlust hadn’t diminished one bit with age; he was still just as aggressive.

"Enough. Just send them away. Tell them we’re too overcome with grief right now. If they have business, they can discuss it after I’m buried," Leng Ping said, pursing his lips with a rather awkward expression.

After a moment’s thought, he added, "Laosi, go and bring my family over. Especially my foolish son. Don’t let anyone instigate him into doing something stupid."

The tall, thin man, Li Laosi, acknowledged the order and left through the door.

The others also filed out of the room, their faces once again masks of sorrow. Though they were now in their forties and fifties, fabulously wealthy and holding high positions, the blood of street thugs still flowed in their veins. Putting on an act like this was a piece of cake for them.

...

By this time, Qin Li had already left the Daqing Gang’s headquarters. After all, staying there too long would easily arouse suspicion. On the way, Qin Li sensed someone following him. They trailed him all the way to the head of the commercial street. The night was cool, a gentle evening breeze was blowing, and the street was deserted, with almost no one around.

Qin Li stopped and turned around, speaking nonchalantly. "You’ve been following me for a while now, and you don’t seem to have any killing intent. If you have something to say, just say it. Or are you expecting me to invite you home for tea?"

The air behind Qin Li distorted strangely, and a faint figure appeared with startling abruptness. His icy, wooden eyes fixed on Qin Li, completely devoid of emotion. An ordinary person would be scared sick by such a gaze.

Qin Li’s expression remained unchanged. He frowned slightly and said, "What’s wrong with you? Spit it out or piss off! Don’t just stand there like a post. People who know better might think you’re a person, but anyone else would think you’re a ghost... What are you staring at? Is there a flower on my face? Stop trying to scare people with that look. I’m not buying it."

Shadow was so angry he almost fainted. Now he somewhat understood the Crown Prince’s feelings—why he would fly into a rage and suffer sleepless nights at the mere mention of the name "Qin Li," no matter how many calming elixirs he took. Setting everything else aside, this guy’s sharp tongue alone was more than an ordinary person could handle.

"I want to see which is sharper, your mouth or a sword," Shadow’s voice was as icy as his presence. His speech was strange, giving the impression of someone who hadn’t spoken in years.

"Then let’s find out! Holy crap, threatening me? Who the hell do you think you are!" Qin Li pointed at Shadow, his face a mask of arrogance as he taunted, "You think a Celestial Level expert scares me? Bring it on!"

"You’re courting death!"

Shadow’s figure vanished instantly, leaving not even an afterimage in the air, a testament to his incredible speed.

BANG!

A massive explosion erupted on the deserted street.

Qin Li stumbled back five or six steps, his face a little pale. Of course, he was only displaying the power of a seventh-rank Earth Level, so the paleness was just an act.

But by the same token, Shadow didn’t get off easy either.

The air distorted slightly, and his figure reappeared three or four meters away. A trace of shock flickered across his wooden, icy face.

Although he had only intended to teach this audacious brat a lesson and hadn’t used his full strength, his opponent was just a seventh-rank Earth Level Martial Artist! So what if his combat skills were Five Elements Attribute Combat Skills? Shadow himself was a Celestial Level Martial Artist!

His rank might not be high, but Shadow’s true specialty was assassination! His stealth techniques were second to none.

Yet this kid had just pinpointed his location in mid-air and even traded a blow with him. While Shadow hadn’t lost, he hadn’t gained an advantage either.

Just now, he, a Celestial Level, had been detected while tailing an Earth Level. Now, his concealed attack had also been seen through. This forced Shadow to re-evaluate the young man. His mind raced, trying to determine if it was just a lucky guess or if Qin Li could truly detect him. ’If it’s the latter... this boy cannot be allowed to live!’

At this thought, Shadow’s eyes flickered. He stared into Qin Li’s eyes, as a person’s eyes usually don’t lie. Shadow asked coldly, "You can see me?"