Chapter 91: Return

The power of the Lone Wolf Gang was on par with the Blood Axe Gang—or perhaps slightly stronger. Their leader was at the peak of the third general rank, commanding six ordinary generals as his subordinates. News had already reached them: the Blood Axe Gang had lost two generals, leaving only two and their leader remaining. Eyes gleaming with anticipation, they were ready to carve out two hefty pieces from the Blood Axe Gang.

As for swallowing the gang whole? They dared not. Should the City Lord’s Mansion grow wrathful, the very heavens and earth would tremble. In less than a day, they could be annihilated. This time, the Lone Wolf Gang’s leader took the field in person, bringing along three generals and a hundred warriors. Defeating the Blood Axe Gang would pose little challenge. Besides, they only planned to plunder and leave immediately. The Northwestern Military Academy likely wouldn’t care, and even if they did—so what? If they cared, let them take it up with the Holy Mountain; what did it have to do with them? Most of the loot would be sent to the Holy Mountain anyway. Would they really refuse meat delivered to their doorstep?

A cold smile curled on the Lone Wolf’s lips as shadows darted swiftly through the dark. The stronghold of the Blood Axe Gang soon lay in sight. They marched openly—what did it matter if the Blood Axe Gang discovered them? In the face of overwhelming force, all schemes and machinations were rendered meaningless. As for the base’s defenses, well, their own informant had already been activated. At the critical moment, those defenses would simply cease to function.

Just then, a thunderous roar shattered the night. A massive, jet-black lion burst from the Blood Axe Gang’s compound, charging straight into the ranks of the Lone Wolf Gang and sending several warriors flying. “What is that thing?” the Lone Wolf shrieked in terror. “A demon? Why is there a demon in the Blood Axe Gang?” And not just any demon—a general-level one!

But there was no time for hesitation. The ferocious beast had already slaughtered several warriors, and if it rampaged unchecked, the Lone Wolf Gang’s fighters would soon fall into chaos. Gritting his teeth, the Lone Wolf charged in with his lieutenants, and battle erupted in an instant.

Hidden within the compound, the Blood Lion bared his teeth in a silent grin and whispered, “My lord, shall we join the fray?” “No,” Fang Qingyun replied without a second thought, glancing back at the warriors behind him. “We are too few.”

Not long before, Fang Qingyun had produced Hu Guang’s severed head. With the Blood Eagle and Blood Lion’s approval, and with the help of the black lion, he had swiftly subdued the Blood Axe Gang’s remaining warriors—almost a hundred in total. The Blood Lion and Blood Eagle had detained those who seemed unreliable, cobbling together an eighty-strong team whose quality was in no way inferior to the Lone Wolf Gang’s. With Fang Qingyun and his two companions, they now had the power to stand against their foes. If they counted the base’s defenses, they could annihilate the enemy—but at a great cost. These people were his now; how could he sacrifice them so lightly?

Without hesitation, Fang Qingyun unleashed the black lion to charge in and wear down the enemy. Of course, relying on the lion alone wouldn’t be enough. He slowly raised his sniper rifle. The Blood Lion and Blood Eagle winced. The Blood Axe Gang’s defeat had come at the hands of this weapon. Had it not been for Fang Qingyun’s astonishing marksmanship and the black lion, they would never have bested the Blood Axe Gang. Now, he was one of their own. Grim satisfaction filled their hearts.

A shot rang out. Predictably, one of the Lone Wolf Gang’s generals had his head blown apart. “A sniper? A master sniper?” the Lone Wolf howled in rage. “Retreat! Fall back!” An ordinary sniper could not threaten them; even the average warrior could dodge a regular shot. This was different—one shot, one general dead. If they let this continue, they had no idea how many they would lose. The Lone Wolf made the decisive call to withdraw and regroup.

But the black lion only grew more ferocious, latching onto the Lone Wolf and attacking relentlessly, giving him no chance to escape. “Damn it!” Panic flooded the Lone Wolf’s eyes. He was terrified. If that hidden sniper took aim at him—what then? Why did the Blood Axe Gang have a sniper of this caliber? Shouldn’t the front lines have snapped up someone like this at any cost? Why was there one left over here? He had no answers, and no time to ponder. In near desperation, he fought to break free from the lion’s jaws, while his subordinates—clearly holding back—kept one eye on the sniper’s threat. This only made the black lion seem even more formidable, sowing chaos and injury among the Lone Wolf Gang.

Another shot echoed, and a warrior fell. Fang Qingyun frowned slightly. This time, the bullet had killed an ordinary fighter, not a general. With so many foes and such a chaotic melee, it was easy to hit the wrong target. “No matter, I have plenty of bullets left.” He calmly reloaded and continued firing—each shot claiming a life, another general among them.

Finally, the last general could endure no more. With a wretched scream, he turned and fled. So what if he abandoned the Lone Wolf Gang? Someone of his rank could always find a place elsewhere; there was no need to throw his life away here. “Bastard!” the Lone Wolf roared, unleashing his signature battle technique in a desperate burst. At last, he killed the battered black lion. The fleeing general hesitated, then, shamefaced, turned back, only for another black lion to charge from the Blood Axe Gang’s stronghold. This time, he ran without a second thought—and did not return.

“How could this be?” The Lone Wolf was losing heart. He considered charging into the Blood Axe Gang’s compound for a final rampage—but stopped short when he saw a young sniper standing at the gate, gun trained on him. At his flanks stood the Blood Eagle and Blood Lion, faces alight with excitement. Behind them, dozens of warriors watched coldly, itching to join the fight.

Grinding his teeth, the Lone Wolf signaled to his men and pressed the attack. “Impressive—very stubborn,” Fang Qingyun remarked blandly, raising his sniper rifle. At that moment, a figure drifted out of the Blood Axe Gang’s compound, as light as a leaf, floating toward Fang Qingyun. Though many stood around him, none took notice as he passed, as if he were invisible.

He drew closer—ten meters, five, three. His eyes narrowed, fixated on Fang Qingyun’s vital points, his entire being tensed for action. He was excited. In the blink of an eye, he could unleash his full power and strike Fang Qingyun down—heart, throat, eyes—

Eyes?

He froze. Fang Qingyun was already pressing the muzzle of his sniper rifle to the man’s brow, meeting his gaze. “What do you want?” With a mental acuity of thirty-two, Fang Qingyun had long sensed the approaching danger. Nothing amiss ahead—so it had to be behind. The Blood Lion and Blood Eagle stared in shock, watching as Fang Qingyun held the would-be assassin at gunpoint, the man having crept up unnoticed.

They dropped to their knees, frantic. “My lord, this has nothing to do with us—we swear—” “Enough, I know,” Fang Qingyun replied impatiently, pulling the trigger without ceremony. The man’s head exploded before he could utter a word. “Clean this up,” Fang Qingyun ordered, turning his aim back to the Lone Wolf.

“We surrender!” came the bitter cry from the Lone Wolf. He had seen all that had transpired. His final hope was dashed. He no longer hesitated—nor could he.

Fang Qingyun lowered his rifle and said calmly, “You two, bring the Lone Wolf here.” “Yes!” The two approached, half-panicked, half-excited, and, seeing the dazed Lone Wolf, grinned with schadenfreude, only to remember their own situation. Were they any different? After cursing inwardly, Blood Eagle said, “Come along, Lone Wolf. There’s no point staying—he could kill you at any time.” “Even if you return to your base, it’s the same,” Blood Lion added. “He has the power to wipe out your entire compound whenever he wishes.” That finally broke the Lone Wolf’s spirit. He docilely went to meet Fang Qingyun.

“Submit, will you?” Fang Qingyun greeted him evenly. “You—” The Lone Wolf stared dumbly, protesting, “Impossible! I am of the Holy Mountain—” But Fang Qingyun calmly chambered a second-tier bullet and leveled his rifle at the man. “I am merciful; I’ll give you one more chance.” The Lone Wolf’s face twisted into a ghastly smile, like a rotting chrysanthemum. “Greetings, my lord! I am mortal enemies with the Holy Mountain!”

Fang Qingyun then merged the two gangs, installing the Lone Wolf as leader, with Blood Eagle and Blood Lion as his deputies.

The Lone Wolf once asked, “Shouldn’t we keep up the appearance of being separate? What about the City Lord’s Mansion—?” “Ignore them,” Fang Qingyun replied coolly. “If the City Lord moves against you, just leave Chaos City. Of course, we will return eventually.” “...Yes.” “Don’t worry too much,” Fang Qingyun continued. “If they come after you, tell them you serve me. I am a student of the Serpent King—let them allow you to leave.” “What?” Their eyes widened. Here, at the literal front lines, the Serpent King’s reputation was immense. “Of course,” Fang Qingyun said without blinking, “Everyone from the Northwestern Military Academy is a student of the Serpent King.” The others nearly cursed aloud.

With everything in order, Fang Qingyun drove an off-road vehicle out of Chaos City, heading back to the Northwestern Military Academy. There was still some business to attend to—though nothing major.

A cold smile played on his lips.

[Origin -100]
[Origin -100]
[Psionic +1]
[Psionic +1]

Fang Qingyun began expending vast quantities of origin points to enhance his psionic power. His original plan had been to devote all his resources to physical strength, building an invincible body first. However, the recent battle had exposed the glaring weakness of his psionics. Had his psionic abilities reached general rank as well, the fight would have ended far more easily. Even so, his achievements were already enough to shock half the front lines.

Soon:
[Level +1]
[Level: Third Rank]
...
[Host: Fang Qingyun]
[Profession: Warrior]
[Level: Third Rank]
[Strength: 32 (+)]
[Speed: 33 (+)]
[Constitution: 32 (+)]
[Mind: 32 (+)]
[Psionic: 200 (+)]
[Shooting: Intermediate (+)]
[Blade Technique: Novice (+)]
[Sword Technique: Novice (+)]
[Psionic Control: Novice (+)]
[Summoned Beast: Dragon King Lion]
[Origin: 9496]

Ten thousand origin points quickly vanished, raising his psionic by 100 and boosting his level by one. Fang Qingyun noticed that the plus sign after Dragon King Lion had disappeared. Apparently, over 9,000 origin points were still not enough to evolve it—he needed at least 10,000. Fang Qingyun frowned slightly—not that it was too much, but too little. If he remembered correctly, last time... Never mind. For now, he did not plan to evolve Little Black any further. It was an excellent sparring partner; if it evolved again, he would no longer be a match for it. Little Black knew nothing of holding back—it would simply kill him. To die at his own command would be the ultimate humiliation.

Origin points would not decrease just because of his calculations. The total was set.

“Next...” Fang Qingyun carefully opened a box. Inside was a translucent purple bead—the poison bead he’d obtained from the Poisonous Swamp, its toxicity extreme. Ordinary containers would corrode, so Fang Qingyun had spent points to exchange for this special box from the Northwestern Military Academy. It was said to have some temporal properties; food stored inside would not spoil. It was only because it was so small that Fang Qingyun could afford it.

After arriving at the academy, Fang Qingyun had experimented with the bead. During a mission, he had a ninth-rank warrior ingest water that had touched the bead. Within seconds, the man died. Fang Qingyun’s own constitution now surpassed that of a ninth-rank warrior, his body at general rank. “A little won’t kill me. What I want is a slow, steady effect.” A massive dose would force him to pour all his energy into resisting the poison—what then?

After some thought, he dipped a leaf into the bead’s liquid and dropped it into his canteen. The water quickly turned pale purple, emitting a faint glow—mysterious and alluring. “Cheers,” Fang Qingyun said, downing the water in one gulp.

Three minutes later:

[Origin +1]
[Origin +1]

Exhaling, Fang Qingyun murmured, “Six hours until I get back. How much origin can I gain in that time?” His eyes sparkled with anticipation. “Student council, are you looking forward to this too?”