In the mountain forest.

Li Tieyun, the Gang Leader of the River Gang, lay in ambush with three of his men behind a thicket of dense bushes, his gaze locked on the Flying Horse Thieves’ convoy on the mountain path.

"Gang Leader, let’s make our move!"

Among the three subordinates, a burly man with a brutish face couldn’t help but whisper. He licked his lips, his eyes fixed on the large chests on the carriages, each one filled with silver ingots. "Those Flying Horse Thieves only have two Dark Energy masters. We have four, plus you, Gang Leader, to hold the line. We’re much stronger than them! If we kill them, those one hundred thousand taels of silver will be ours!"

Li Tieyun frowned and slowly shook his head.

"No," 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

he said in a low voice, "I’ve dealt with these guys before. The Flying Horse Thieves aren’t that easy to handle. Besides..."

He paused, his tone growing solemn. "We took a deposit from Liu Zhiyi. We agreed to save his son, but now you want to steal the silver. That’s against the rules. If word gets out, the River Gang will lose face."

Hearing this, the burly man couldn’t help but purse his lips and mutter, "Gang Leader, you’re just too old-fashioned. In this world, money is power. Who cares about rules?"

Despite his words, he didn’t dare say more.

Li Tieyun’s prestige in the River Gang was immense, and his strength was second to none. Since he had made a decision, his subordinates could only obey.

Li Tieyun ignored his complaint, his gaze remaining fixed on the convoy, his eyes growing more profound.

Another hour passed before the convoy reached a narrow mountain path flanked by steep cliffs—a perfect spot for an ambush.

The burly man’s eyes lit up, and he tried to persuade him again. "Gang Leader! This is our last chance! If they go any further, they’ll almost be at Jiujiang County. I’m afraid other Flying Horse Thieves will be there to meet them. Then we’ll have no hope at all!"

He glanced at the silver carts and swallowed hard. "That Young Hall Master of the Liu Family... in my opinion, he’s probably dead or close to it. We can’t save him. But these one hundred thousand taels of silver are right in front of us! If we can get our hands on it, our River Gang will be set for years. This is a huge score!"

The other two subordinates also nodded one after another, clearly tempted.

Li Tieyun’s eyes narrowed. His sharp gaze swept past the convoy to the end of the mountain path. He then slowly shook his head, his voice low. "It’s too late."

The other three men were stunned. They quickly followed his gaze, and their expressions changed in unison.

Up ahead on the narrow path, a cloud of dust billowed as a troop of about twenty or thirty riders galloped toward them.

The few men at the front sat tall and straight in their saddles like pines, exuding exceptionally potent auras. They were clearly all Dark Energy masters.

This was especially true of the black-clad man in the lead. His face was sinister, his eyes as sharp as a falcon’s. He sat unmoving on his horse like a mountain, his mere presence exuding an immense, oppressive feeling.

"G-Gang Leader, is that the main force of the Flying Horse Thieves?" a lean man beside Li Tieyun asked, his voice tight and his expression grim and unsightly.

Li Tieyun stared intently at the black-clad man, his brow furrowed. He said gravely, "That’s the big boss of the Flying Horse Thieves, Li Qianxiong. His primary art, the ’Mountain-Splitting Palm,’ has reached the Peak of Dark Energy. Its Palm Force is ferocious and unparalleled, capable of splitting stone and shattering monuments. On top of that, he has also cultivated the ’Life-Chasing Fist’ and ’Iron Cloth Shirt,’ both to the Peak of Mingjin. His strength is unfathomable. Among the Dark Energy masters of Yuhe County, and even all of Jintai Prefecture, he is considered a truly top-tier figure."

Hearing this, the color drained even more from his subordinates’ faces. No one mentioned making a move again.

The enemy had suddenly arrived with so many experts. They had twice as many Dark Energy masters as them, not to mention a top-tier powerhouse like Li Qianxiong holding the line. To charge out now would be suicide.

On the path, when the bearded man and the one-eyed man saw the approaching riders, respectful expressions appeared on their faces, and they quickly dismounted.

Li Qianxiong pulled on his reins, his gaze sweeping over the seven silver carts. A satisfied, savage grin spread across his sinister face. "Third Brother, Sixth Brother, you’ve done well."

"It was all due to Big Brother’s master planning," the bearded man said, bowing hastily. He then pointed to the silver chests. "We’ve checked the silver. Not a single coin is missing."

Li Qianxiong nodded, swung himself off his horse, and walked to one of the silver carts. He reached out, lifted a chest lid, and grabbed a silver ingot, weighing it in his hand. The smile on his lips widened.

He lifted his eyes and scanned his surroundings, his gaze like lightning. After confirming the mountain forest was silent, he waved his hand. "Let’s go! Back to the stockade!"

The two groups merged, escorting the silver carts as they proceeded southwest in a grand, imposing procession.

The sounds of hooves and wheels mingled, echoing down the narrow mountain path, the commotion several times greater than before.

Deep within the dense forest.

Yang Jing’s gaze was locked firmly on Li Qianxiong, committing the man’s aura and physique to memory.

’It seems this man is the great leader of the Flying Horse Thieves. Judging by his condensed aura, he is clearly one of the best among those at the Peak of Dark Energy.’

’If I were to fight him, what would the outcome be?’

Yang Jing felt a certain degree of confidence.

’As long as he hasn’t entered the Huajin realm, I’m confident I can handle him.’

’After all, cultivating multiple martial arts is difficult to begin with. Trying to master each one to a profound level is harder than ascending to the heavens.’

’Even my master, Sun Yong, a Huajin Martial Artist, has only cultivated his secondary arts to the Peak of Mingjin.’

’In a small place like Yuhe County, I’ve never heard of anyone cultivating a secondary martial art to the Dark Energy realm.’

’The world is vast, and such geniuses surely exist, but they wouldn’t be found in a tiny place like Yuhe County.’

Yang Jing’s eyes grew calmer. As long as his opponent didn’t have a Huajin Powerhouse, he was confident he could hold his own.

Like a shadow in the woods, Yang Jing’s figure trailed silently behind the Flying Horse Thieves’ procession.