We're practicing all martial arts, so why did you switch to easy mode?

Chapter 178 Qiao Qiliang Enters the Blood Transport, Demon Martial Envoy, Donglin Banquet

The silver moon, like a plate, shines its light upon the earth.

The outskirts of Fengbei City.

"What did you say? Qiao Qiliang's condition has improved?"

After learning about what had happened today from Lu Dong and the others, Luo Sheng's voice rang out with a hint of surprise.

“Young Master Sheng, this is what the four of us saw with our own eyes. Qiao Qiliang’s complexion is no different from that of an ordinary person. He doesn’t look like he is seriously ill,” Lu Dong said.

"Impossible! He was poisoned with the 'Three-Day Death Powder,' and a month has passed since then. Unless we get the antidote, there's no cure and no one can save him!" Even so, Luo Sheng still found it hard to believe.

No one knew the power of the "Thirty-Year-Old Death Powder" better than him.

After ten days of poisoning, one appears no different from an ordinary person; after twenty days, the disease becomes incurable; and after thirty days, life becomes worse than death, with all organs failing and leading to death.

Qiao Qiliang was between ten and twenty years old. At this time, he should have been terminally ill. How could he possibly have the energy to interfere in the affairs of the Four Seas Gang?

Could it be that the wretched maid had been deceiving him all along? She hadn't poisoned Qiao Qiliang at all?
Thoughts raced through his mind, but he finally settled down. After a moment of changing expressions, Luo Sheng said in a deep voice, "I will investigate this matter thoroughly. As for your incompetence, go back and receive your punishment."

"Yes!" Lu Dong and the other three responded, though they were unwilling.

If Luo Sheng hadn't failed in his poisoning attempt and hadn't failed to inform the Four Seas Gang about the hidden expert Su Chen, this plan would have been a sure thing, with no possibility of failure.

But it's too late to say anything now. No matter how unwilling the four of them are, they are powerless to change the situation and can only accept reality.

"Aren't you going to make a move?" Su Chen asked softly, hiding in the shadows and waiting for his chance.

The scene before them had confirmed that Lu Dong and his three companions were members of the Luo family, and Luo Sheng had even personally confessed to the poison he had administered, making the whole matter very clear.

If it were him, he would have already taken action.

Qiao Qiliang shook his head: "Not for now. Luo Sheng is, after all, a direct descendant of the Luo family. I can't hide the fact that my condition has improved. If I kill him, the Luo family will easily suspect me and find other ways to deal with me. Let's keep him alive and kill him later."

"This doesn't seem like you." Su Chen smiled slightly. Since becoming the leader of the Four Seas Gang, Qiao Qiliang had matured a lot.

"Haha, there's no other way, the situation forces us to act. As the saying goes, 'When dealing with those stronger than us, we must think thrice before acting; when dealing with those of equal strength, we must take advantage of their strength; when dealing with those weaker than us, we must crush them directly.' Right now, it's clear that the enemy is strong and we are weak, so we can only proceed one step at a time."

"Who said this?"

"I am but a humble person."

After a pause, Qiao Qiliang chuckled and said, "Although I can't kill Luo Sheng directly, I'll have to trouble you to take care of Lu Dong and the other three."

"no problem."

Just four flies.

After Lu Dong and the other three left, Su Chen took direct action and resolved the situation.

"Sigh, if I had half of your talent, I might have already reached the Blood Transformation Realm, and I wouldn't be so controlled by the Luo Clan."

Watching Su Chen take down Lu Dong and his three companions with just a few slaps, Qiao Qiliang said with envy.

He was preoccupied with worldly affairs, and knowing full well that it would be extremely difficult to advance further, he turned to cultivating his own power.

Su Chen shrugged and smiled, "There will be opportunities."

"I hope so."

Qiao Qiliang smiled helplessly, then turned his gaze to the four corpses. "It's been a long time since I've touched a corpse. These four are all mine now."

After saying that, he ignored Su Chen and happily touched the corpse with both hands.

This time, he wasn't picky and enjoyed the pleasure of looting the corpse, not giving up any money or pills.

They handed the money and pills to Su Chen, then the two casually disposed of the four corpses before returning to the Qiao residence.

The next day, Qiao Qiliang regained control of the Sihai Gang, and everything returned to normal.

A courtyard.

It emitted an unpleasant odor.

Occasionally, passersby would walk by, covering their mouths and noses, looking at the tightly closed courtyard gate with disgust.

This situation lasted for an unknown period of time, and as the smell spread, the courtyard reeked of a foul stench for hundreds of meters around.

"Brother, why did you bring me here? It stinks!" a rough-looking man complained.

"Second brother, your elder brother is here to help you find treasure."

"It smells so bad, where did this treasure come from? And brother, I heard that someone went to this house to look for someone before and got beaten up by the owner. The people inside are not to be trifled with."

"Second brother, how could your elder brother lie to you? You don't know, but your elder brother has smelled this kind of smell before. If I'm not mistaken, it's the smell of a dead person."

"A dead person? We'd better report this to the authorities immediately."

"Shh, don't make a sound. The owner of this house may be dead. If we go now, we might still find his belongings."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's get started right away."

The two looked around and, seeing no one nearby, climbed over the wall and entered the courtyard.

As soon as I entered the yard, I was hit by a pungent smell that assaulted my nostrils and eyes.

"Ah, big brother, you, look..."

The rough-looking man barely managed to open his eyes, and was so terrified by the sight of scattered bones and dried blood that his soul seemed to leave his body.

"No, don't panic," the older brother said, trying to remain calm.

"Wha, who?"

Suddenly, the two caught a glimpse of a figure flashing inside the house, and they were immediately terrified.

Click.

"Noisy!"

A deep voice rang out, and the two woodcutters were easily dealt with.

The figure inside the house stepped out, and upon seeing the bloody scene, remained unmoved.

"As expected, Qing Shi has met with misfortune." Outside the courtyard, a man in a white cloak appeared and met with the other two.

All three were dressed in white robes and draped in white cloaks.

“If he’s dead, then we’ll find another one,” one of them said. “We can use this opportunity to test the newest blood fusion method developed within our sect. Many White Envoys say that this blood fusion method has a high success rate. If that’s true, it will be beneficial to the three of us.”

"We cannot sit idly by regarding the disappearance of Qing Shi. Whether he is truly dead or feigning death, he is a member of the Demon Martial Sect in life and in death. Let's split into three groups," the leading man said in a deep voice.

The remaining two looked at the leading man, who said, "Li Jing, go find test subjects to test the blood fusion method and cultivate new Azure Envoys."

Zhao Fei, go investigate the cause of death of Qing Shi Li Guanghao. I remember that Dafeng City is the territory of the Rebirth Sect. I will give you Wen Qingqiu's contact information later.

As for me, I'll investigate the whereabouts of the Moon Thieves and, while I'm at it, pay a visit to our old friend.

"I have no objection." The two nodded in agreement.

A moment later, the three left, and a raging fire broke out in the courtyard.

A few days passed in the blink of an eye.

The Qiao residence, a separate courtyard.

Su Chen sat cross-legged, surrounded by twenty golden needles that shone brightly.

Suddenly, the golden needles danced wildly in Su Chen's hands.

First, it transforms into a prison, trapping one side; then it connects into a line, revealing its sharp edge; then it displays various formations; finally, it all vanishes into thin air.

"The twenty golden needles have greatly enhanced my strength. Now, I can unleash eight-tenths of my full power and twelve-tenths of its potential!"

After several days of unremitting efforts, Su Chen not only improved his control over his internal energy, but also mastered many techniques for generating power using golden needles, making him even stronger.

At this rate, he will eventually be able to fully control his energy and unleash his full potential.

"Furthermore, I only need fifty more Qi and Blood Pills to upgrade my Vajra Iron Shirt to the third level. According to the principle that each level represents a realm, once I reach the third level, my strength will enter the Blood Transporting Realm!"

Su Chen was filled with anticipation, intending to refine all fifty Qi and Blood Pills he needed in one go.

After refining pills for these days, Su Chen's pill-refining skills have improved again, reaching the standard of Hong Clan's Qi and Blood Pill.

However, because he was busy cultivating and improving the Bewitching Powder and Soul-Guiding Incense, he only refined the required amount of Qi and Blood Pills for the day each day.

"Hmm, we've almost used up the Fireblood Grass, we need to buy some more."

Su Chen looked at the scattered Fireblood Grass and thought to himself.

Just as he was about to leave to find Qiao Qiliang, he saw Qiao Qiliang walking towards him with a look of great joy. He laughed loudly and said, "Guess what good thing happened to me?"

"You found money?"

"No."

"You've taken a concubine?"

"Not at all."

"Breakthrough?"

"You figured it out?!" Qiao Qiliang's expression froze upon hearing this.

Su Chen nodded. Qiao Qiliang's blood and qi were overflowing; it was too obvious. "Haha, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. I've broken through to the Blood Transformation Realm."

Qiao Qiliang grinned widely. He never expected to break through, and he was overjoyed.

After laughing, Qiao Qiliang raised an eyebrow slightly: "Want to have a competition?"

Fifteen minutes later, Qiao Qiliang rubbed his sore body and exclaimed that Su Chen was a freak.

He entered the Blood Transformation Realm and deliberately waited until his realm was stable before challenging Su Chen to a duel, but he was still brutally beaten by Su Chen.

My mood, which had just been soaring, plummeted. It's true what they say, comparisons are the thief of joy.

Ignoring Qiao Qiliang's frustration, Su Chen explained his need to purchase Fire Blood Grass.

Upon hearing this, Qiao Qiliang looked troubled: "I've come to tell you three pieces of news, two bad news and one good news. Which do you want to hear first?"

Upon hearing this, Su Chen suddenly felt a sense of unease and casually replied, "Bad news, I suppose."

"The first piece of bad news is that the Chu family is not selling Fire Blood Grass to the public. Recently, they have been frantically refining Qi and Blood Pills, which has resulted in a shortage of Fire Blood Grass for their own use, so they have canceled the sale to the public."

"And the second one?" Su Chen asked silently.

"The second piece of bad news is that the Yun Clan's Blood Strengthening Pills are sold in limited quantities. I can't fulfill your request to purchase a large quantity of Blood Strengthening Pills for the time being. This is all I have at the moment."

As he spoke, Qiao Qiliang took out a bottle of pills. Su Chen opened it and saw that there were only five Blood Strengthening Pills inside.

"And what's the good news?" Su Chen put down the pill.

Qiao Qiliang took out an invitation and said with a smile, "The good news is that this invitation is for you."

"Donglin Banquet? What is this?" Su Chen glanced at it and asked in confusion.

"The Donglin Banquet is a banquet held in the name of the prefect. Just from the name, you can tell that it is named after Donglin and can be called the top banquet in Donglin Prefecture. Without exception, the forces that can receive the invitation are all the top forces in Donglin Prefecture, and those who can participate are all from aristocratic families, powerful clans and famous sects."

"I don't think I fit either of those criteria," Su Chen said, somewhat puzzled.

"You underestimate yourself. Being the vice leader of the Four Seas Gang is enough for you. Besides, you've already reached the Blood Transformation Realm at such a young age. Among the younger generation in the entire Donglin Prefecture, you're a top-tier figure. How could you not be one?" Qiao Qiliang glared at him.

"Oh." Su Chen put away the invitation, not caring at all. He was still thinking about the Qi and Blood Pill and the Blood Strengthening Pill.

Upon seeing this, Qiao Qiliang was immediately embarrassed. "Brother, I've said so much to you, and this is your reaction?"

"No, aren't you curious about what the Donglin Banquet is all about?"

"Not just eating and drinking?"

Qiao Qiliang: "...!"

Seeing that Su Chen didn't get it, Qiao Qiliang had no choice but to explain: "Eating and drinking are just the surface. This Donglin Banquet is different from the past."

Su Chen didn't speak again, but gestured for Qiao Qiliang to continue.

Qiao Qiliang pursed his lips and said, "I learned from my father that there are three main things to discuss at this Donglin Banquet."

First, we need to discuss the division of power in the new prefecture. If we can sit down and talk it out, we should do so to avoid a major conflict.

Secondly, there's the issue of the Blood Strengthening Pill quota. This time, the Yun Clan's limited supply of Blood Strengthening Pills was probably at the behest of the clan leader. As for how it will be distributed afterward, that's beyond our knowledge.

Thirdly, it was the daughter of the lord of the manor seeking a husband.

At this point, Qiao Qiliang winked and said, "You'd better seize this opportunity!"

"roll!"

“I’m serious. There will definitely be a martial arts competition in this marriage contest. With your skills, it will be a piece of cake for you to outshine everyone and win the beauty’s heart.” Qiao Qiliang chuckled.

"Never mind that for now, I need Blood Strengthening Pills. Is there any other way?"

The Donglin Banquet is scheduled for a month from now, which is not relevant to him for the time being. His immediate priority is the matter of the elixir.

Although fifty Qi and Blood Pills are not a large number and can be replaced by other Qi and Blood Medicines, they can only alleviate the immediate crisis.

For the long term, Su Chen still hoped to find a way to obtain Qi and Blood Pills or Blood Strengthening Pills in the long term.

After all, the number of Qi and Blood Pills required for the panel now is often in the hundreds, and relying solely on substitutes for Qi and Blood Pills is far from sufficient.

Upon hearing this, Qiao Qiliang pondered for a moment and said, "If you want to buy a large quantity of Blood Strengthening Pills, you'll have to go to the black market."

Seeing that Su Chen was somewhat interested, he added, "However, there is no order in the black market right now, and it is not safe even inside the black market. If you want to go, be careful in everything you do."

Since the dramatic changes in the layout of Dafeng City, the black market is no longer as chaotic yet orderly as it once was.

Although it was preserved, it has become increasingly dangerous, with murders and robberies occurring frequently.

If there were an alternative market, probably no one would be willing to trade on the black market. After all, once you enter the black market, it's like entering a deep sea, and you're left with no chance of survival.

Su Chen nodded after hearing this: "Yes, I understand."

After seeing Qiao Qiliang off, Su Chen glanced at the sky and decided to head to the black market.

Nowadays, the black market no longer has the rule of the first and fifteenth of the lunar month; you can go to the black market anytime you want.

The black market is bustling every night.

Having not been to the black market for a long time, Su Chen almost got lost, but fortunately, the route in his memory gradually became clearer as he approached the road.

Before even reaching the black market, he saw a dense crowd, with people packed around the entrance and some martial artists setting up stalls at the door.

The surging crowds were just like the morning market in my past life.

Su Chen didn't enter the black market. After wandering around outside for a while and getting a general idea of ​​the black market price for Blood Strengthening Pills, he randomly found a place to set up a stall.

Now you can set up a stall anywhere, and there's no one to charge you.

A Blood Strengthening Pill costs one thousand taels on the black market. Su Chen didn't pay a premium this time, as the price was already quite high.

In addition to the Blood Strengthening Pill, Su Chen also noted down the Blood Enhancement Pill, Qi and Blood Pill, and sword technique manual.

The price of Qi and Blood Pills on the black market has dropped, likely due to the influence of other Qi and Blood Medicines; it has now fallen to around 250 taels.

Not long after Su Chen set up his stall, passersby noticed it and started making transactions.

There's a reason why more people mean more business. In just half a day, Su Chen had already acquired five Blood Strengthening Pills and twenty Qi and Blood Pills.

However, as Qiao Qiliang said, those who sold Blood Strengthening Pills usually sold them one by one, and rarely more than two.

We haven't acquired many sword technique manuals; so far, we've only acquired ten incomplete manuals.

Su Chen packed up and left around 9 PM when the crowd thinned out.

I learned a lot tonight; at least I don't have to worry about improving my Iron Shirt skill anymore.

"You've been targeted so quickly?"

As Su Chen packed up and left, he soon noticed someone following him. The person was skilled and daring, and there was only one of them.

Seeing that Su Chen had noticed him, he strode out and blocked Su Chen's way, saying bluntly, "I'm short of pills lately. I see you've bought so many, why don't you share some with me?"

"Splitting it? So you're saying you're not willing to pay it back?" Su Chen said with a half-smile.

"Return it? Why should I return something I borrowed through my own abilities? Kid, I advise you not to be ungrateful. I'm borrowing the pills from you now to make money peacefully. If you anger me, I'll have no choice but to lend you my head." The man in black sneered.

"How much do you want to borrow?"

"all!"

Su Chen: "...!"

The man in black noticed the change in Su Chen's eyes and sneered, "Enough with the nonsense, hand over both the pills and the money."

Snapped!
Su Chen stopped wasting words and resolved the matter with a slap.

"They dare to borrow all of their strength with such meager resources? They're asking for trouble."

Su Chen groaned softly, bent down and touched the corpse. He hadn't touched it for so long that he was a little rusty. It seemed he would have to do it more often in the future, after all, it was a skill.

After touching her, Su Chen turned and left with light steps.

Los House.

The lobby was brightly lit.

"The clan chief sent a message saying that it will take some time for the message to arrive in Fengbei City, and urged us to take two-thirds of Fengbei City's territory before the Donglin Banquet is held."

Luo Pei, the deputy patriarch of the Luo clan, asked in a deep voice, "What are your thoughts on this matter?"

He glanced around, his gaze settling on the group. The previous conspiracy had failed, causing the Luo family's plan to take over the Four Seas Gang to fall apart.

Although he was angry, he knew that this was not the time to discuss this.

At this moment, an old man on the left spoke up: "Vice Clan Chief, in my opinion, the best way is to eliminate the Qiao family once and for all and support a new city lord."

"No way! If we dare to kill Qiao Renzhou today, the Lord of the Prefecture will dare to kill me tomorrow. Then we will become the second Hong family." Someone immediately retorted as soon as he finished speaking.

"I do have a solution," the Third Elder, Luo Changxiao, said quietly.

Everyone looked at him.

Luo Changxiao glanced around and said softly, "Go directly at the Four Seas Gang and kill all their high-ranking members. Without these people, the Four Seas Gang is like a castle in the air; no matter how much territory they have, we will swallow it up."

(End of this chapter)