At the border between the Yin Emperor Dynasty and the Purple Abyss Empire, there was a lawless zone belonging to the Azure Cloud Sect, one of the seven major sects of the Eastern Continent's Immortal Martial Continent.
Within this area lay a unique town called Qingyang City.
Qingyang City had simple folk customs. The people worked hard every day, following a routine, and looked out for each other. In this cultivation world, where martial arts were revered, such a harmonious environment was rare.
However, although Qingyang City was small, that was only when compared to the benchmark cities of the empires. Compared to other towns, Qingyang City was definitely a large city, with a population of over a million residents.
Because it was a lawless zone, the Azure Cloud Sect naturally incorporated Qingyang City into its jurisdiction.
Being a prestigious sect, the Azure Cloud Sect only collected some food, medicinal herbs, and forged ironware from the City Lord's Manor at designated times each month. They didn't have any other special requirements, except for checking the city every year to see if there were any exceptionally talented children to take as disciples, which was actually a great honor.
With the Azure Cloud Sect's protection, Qingyang City developed prosperously. Merchants and commoners from various countries were willing to live and settle in this city, indirectly promoting its economic level.
Of course, the Azure Cloud Sect belonged to the mystical sects and could help Qingyang City defend against attacks from the Barbarians or demonic beasts, but they wouldn't interfere in the lives of these "mortals."
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This allowed quite a few gang organizations to arise beneath the city's veneer of prosperity, specializing in collecting protection money, brawling, and even murder to silence witnesses.
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However, these gangs all had their limits. As long as they didn't disturb the Azure Cloud Sect, the big shot in the area, everyone could live in peace.
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But for the past three months, the gangs in Qingyang City seemed to have become much more disciplined. There were no longer any instances of arbitrarily collecting protection money, or even extortion of civilians on the streets.
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This was because, in those three months, the dozens of gangs of varying sizes in Qingyang City had been almost entirely wiped out. Only three remained, and they divided their interests evenly, with their operations becoming more regulated. Naturally, this improved the peace and order.
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These three gangs were: the East Street Martial Might Martial Hall, led by Feng Xiunian, a cultivator at the third rank of the Spirit Gathering Realm.
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The West Street Uphold Might Dojo, led by He Yishou, also at the third rank of the Spirit Gathering Realm.
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And the last one, which had opened only three months ago, was an underground fighting arena called the "Fighting Club." Just from the name, one could tell it was opened by Shen Zhao.
Shen Zhao had traveled all the way from the imperial capital to this border city four months ago and settled down here.
Because he was no longer bound by a system, Shen Zhao had completely let loose. The first thing he did upon arriving in Qingyang City was to clean up the city's chaotic security.
His method was simple and crude. Standing on a platform in the square where the various gangs gathered, he shouted, "I'm not targeting anyone, but everyone here, whether standing or sitting, is trash."
Could anyone tolerate that?
Immediately, someone raised their hand and made a soul-searching question, "I protest! Surely those lying down aren't trash, right?"
"Sorry, let me correct you. You are all trash."
"Alright, just you wait!"
So, the various gangs in Qingyang City were very angry. They decided to temporarily put aside their conflicts. They forgot about petty things like the hatred of killing fathers or stealing wives, and they would first give this insignificant little person a little bit of "shock" from Qingyang City.
So, the next day, various gangs gathered over a thousand people to "have a chat" with Shen Zhao.
Facing such a scene, Shen Zhao simply shrugged it off, saying it was a small matter. He proceeded to take them on, one punch at a time, against the thousand-plus opponents. He beat the small-time thugs so badly that they regretted being born, teaching them a harsh lesson about the true meaning of "don't try to be a gangster if you haven't even finished middle school."
After this battle, Shen Zhao's "reputation spread far and wide." The thugs, now questioning their life choices, vowed to study hard and improve themselves. They immediately withdrew from the underworld and sought new paths.
This single act brought the entire Qingyang City's underworld to its knees. Almost overnight, the organizations that only knew how to bully the old vegetable sellers on the streets and rob elementary school students of their pocket money vanished, effectively cleaning up the city's bad habits.
City Lord Lu Zhantian, upon hearing the news, was so excited he almost awarded Shen Zhao a "Top Ten Youth" award.
Fortunately, the East Street Martial Might Martial Hall and the West Street Uphold Might Dojo keenly sensed that Shen Zhao's aura was extraordinary. Not only did they refrain from taking action, but they also personally delivered invitations to visit him. Thus, the three parties reached a peace agreement and formed the "Alliance of Sin."
Shen Zhao, who had single-handedly taken down over a thousand thugs with his fists, naturally became the leader of the alliance.
From then on, Qingyang City's gang structure opened a new chapter, ushering in an even more lawless era.
But there were always those who didn't believe in the supernatural. They heard there was a young upstart who was very capable and wanted to take their jobs, and they were eager to challenge the authority of the leader, Shen.
Take, for example, the leader of the "Crimson Dragon Gang," Chen Ruhai. He wanted to see just how capable this twenty-year-old leader was, daring to try and take the jobs of old-timers like him who had seen "the ups and downs."
Inside the Fighting Club, four big shots from the gangs, all exuding a thug-like aura, were gathered around a table eating hot pot.
Shen Zhao, the leader, was focused on eating. He picked up a piece of freshly cooked mutton, and devoured it without regard for its heat or image.
Opposite him sat He Yishou from the West Street Uphold Might Dojo, a short, skinny old man who looked like a matchstick figure. He was enthusiastically urging Chen Ruhai, who was sitting next to Shen Zhao, to eat more.
On Shen Zhao's right was Feng Xiunian, who was in his forties, a tall man at over six feet, with a burly physique weighing over two hundred pounds. He wore an eye patch over his left eye, a tattoo of Peppa Pig on his left arm, a tattoo of the magical girl on his right arm, and a darkly drawn portrait of a famous actor on his chest. He was both fierce and down-to-earth.
After a few rounds of drinks, Chen Ruhai smiled at He Yishou and Feng Xiunian, saying, "I'm new here, so I hope you two, my friends in the underworld, will take care of me.
Don't worry, I understand the rules of the underworld. As long as you two brothers are willing to give me a chance, I will definitely repay you handsomely in the future!"
Chen Ruhai had been jovial with Feng Xiunian and He Yishou since the beginning of the meal, but he completely ignored Shen Zhao, who was seated at the head of the table.
It was simple. Seeing Shen Zhao, a young man, what skills could he possibly have to be the Alliance Leader? He was undoubtedly a puppet propped up by those two old geezers.
He could easily handle such a small fry; giving him face was out of the question.
Besides, he couldn't bring himself to beg for favors from a junior; it would be too embarrassing for an old-timer like him.
He Yishou glanced at Shen Zhao, who was still focused on cutting his steak, and said with a smile, "Gang Leader Chen, you're being too polite. Since we're all in the same circles, we naturally help each other out. However, there are rules in our circles.
Gang Leader Chen, if you want to gain a foothold in Qingyang City, you still need our Alliance Leader's consent, don't you? You'd better ask our Alliance Leader. As long as he agrees, everything will be fine."
Feng Xiunian, who was sitting across from Chen Ruhai, also put down his chopsticks, lit a cigar (given to him by Shen Zhao), took a deep drag, and slowly exhaled a smoke ring. "Yes, Gang Leader Chen, as long as our Alliance Leader agrees to this matter, we naturally have no problem with it.
It's better for you to talk to our Alliance Leader than to talk to us. After all, if something goes wrong later and the rules are broken, there's someone you can hold responsible, isn't there?"
Chen Ruhai heard this and laughed, "You two are old hands in the game, do you really need to listen to a junior?"
As soon as he said this, Feng Xiunian and He Yishou glanced at each other, their eyes filled with mockery and ridicule.
Clearly, this Chen Ruhai didn't know how miserable he would be later. Shen Zhao was someone you could afford to offend? His methods were brutal and bloodthirsty.
However, Chen Ruhai didn't notice anything wrong. Instead, he glanced at Shen Zhao and sneered, "I think Alliance Leader Shen shouldn't have any objections, right?"
Shen Zhao ignored him, continuing to focus on his steak, and casually drinking a glass of wine, completely disregarding Chen Ruhai's attempt to provoke him.
This made Chen Ruhai even more convinced that Shen Zhao was just a puppet. He couldn't help but speak in a sarcastic tone.
"It's good for young people to have ideas, but not everyone can get by in this world. Don't think that because Qingyang City has the Azure Cloud Sect as a backer, you can rest easy. Many things aren't as simple as you think."
Then he looked around the Fighting Club, pointing at the sandbags and sneering, "You think you can act like a big shot just by putting on these martial arts displays? Save it, what matters in this world is always strength!"
Shen Zhao finished the last piece of steak, then wiped his mouth with a napkin. With a smile, he beckoned Chen Ruhai closer with a finger.
Chen Ruhai approached with a sneer. Shen Zhao immediately slapped him across the face with a resounding "Crack!", stunning him for three seconds.
Before Chen Ruhai could react, another, even harder slap landed on his other cheek. Half of his face immediately swelled up, enough to make it look like he could play basketball.
But Shen Zhao didn't stop. He continued slapping him, shouting, "If we're eating, then we're eating! What the hell are you rambling on about?
Who gave you permission to add your own lines? We were having a nice, enjoyable hot pot, and all I hear is your goddamn whining. Do you think I'm not here?"
After seven or eight slaps, Chen Ruhai's teeth were knocked out. Looking at his miserable state, he was definitely not going to be able to eat a full meal for the rest of his life.
Pathetic Chen Ruhai, with his Spirit Gathering Realm cultivation, was completely unable to muster any spiritual energy after being slapped by Shen Zhao. In fact, the more he was slapped, the less spiritual energy he had, and his cultivation was visibly dropping.
He Yishou and Feng Xiunian, those two cunning individuals, saw this and wisely turned their heads to survey the surroundings.
After ten slaps, Chen Ruhai's face was swollen to the size of a basketball court. He was sprawled on the ground like a dead dog. Only then did Shen Zhao roll up his sleeves, stop, and stand up. "In the future, don't bring these cats and dogs onto my turf unless you don't want to hang around anymore."
"Yes, yes, yes."
The two men immediately called over their underlings and told them to check on Chen Ruhai. If he was dead, they should take him out and bury him somewhere. If he was alive, they should throw him in the river and let him fend for himself. They also instructed them to deal with all the small fry of the Crimson Dragon Gang in the city.
After dealing with this trivial matter, Shen Zhao said, "The people from the Guangyuan Auction House should be arriving soon, right? The goods are ready. Old He, you handle the price negotiations. Old Feng, keep an eye out. There are a lot of new forces around Qingyang City lately. Let me know immediately if anything happens."
"Don't worry, brother. We'll handle it."