Chapter 25: The Gathering Storm

Divine Doctor Li held a preeminent position within the Wild Wolf Gang. Although he was neither a warrior nor a cultivator, his strategic acumen and medical expertise were of immense value to the gang. By any measure, he was considered a veteran figure of the organization. Consequently, even the three leaders treated him with great respect, regarding him as an equal.

*Pfft!*

Just as Old Li was about to speak, Deacon Wu, who lay unconscious on the ground, suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, his head lolling to the side on the couch. The Divine Doctor rushed to check on him, placing his hand upon the deacon’s wrist. His expression darkened instantly.

"He is... dead. Deacon Wu has no signs of life remaining!"

As the words left the Divine Doctor's lips, the faces of the three leaders turned grim.

"What? Xiao Qiang! Is Xiao Qiang dead?" The Third Leader rushed forward, shaking Wu Qiang’s corpse incessantly. "Xiao Qiang, open your eyes! Open your eyes and look at your big brother! Open your eyes... Xiao Qiang, open them!"

No one stepped in to stop him; they understood the grief that weighed upon Wu Gang, the Third Leader. Wu Gang and Wu Qiang were blood brothers who had always shared a deep bond. Under the protection of his brother and the Wild Wolf Gang, Wu Qiang had lived a life of luxury and excess, running rampant and committing all manner of evils in Peace Town. Their fraternal affection was no less profound than the bond between the three gang leaders themselves. Now that his younger brother was dead, Wu Gang was devastated.

"Third Brother, Xiao Qiang... he is gone! What you must do now is not grieve, but seek revenge!" the Second Leader said coldly. "Since this man surnamed Xu has harmed us so, we must ensure he pays a heavy price!"

Hearing this, the sorrow in the Third Leader’s eyes gradually receded, replaced by a fierce, murderous intent.

"You are right! My only goal now is to avenge Xiao Qiang! His death is all the fault of that Immortal Xu. We must not let him go! We must avenge our nephew and Xiao Qiang!" The Third Leader was now consumed by bloodlust.

"Indeed, revenge. We, the three leaders of the Wild Wolf Gang, must kill Immortal Xu, as well as that boy named Jiang Fan. Only then can the Wild Wolf Gang return to peace," the First Leader added coldly.

"Kill Immortal Xu! Old Li, what do you think?" the Second Leader asked, turning to the Divine Doctor.

"Since the three leaders have already made their decision, I will naturally support you with all my might. However, if we are to deal with Immortal Xu, we must act quickly! If this drags on, others in the Wild Wolf Gang may suffer the same fate," the Divine Doctor said, stroking his beard. "Of course, Immortal Xu is a cultivator; dealing with him will not be easy. We must employ ruthless tactics."

"Old Li, speak your mind. Whatever you need us to do, just arrange it. We three brothers trust you implicitly," the Wild Wolf Gang leader said magnanimously.

"Very well. Since the three leaders trust me, I shall lay out my thoughts..."

The Divine Doctor outlined his various schemes, and the three leaders nodded in succession. Shortly after, the Gang Leader concluded, "In that case, let us each go and prepare. We shall strike when the time is right! Only the four of us must know of this—no word must leak out. Furthermore, if Immortal Xu shows any suspicion, we must act as if nothing is amiss."

"Understood!"
"Let's do it!"

The two leaders nodded solemnly, and the Divine Doctor indicated that he understood the gravity of the situation.

In the following days, the three leaders personally oversaw the preparations to deal with the "Old Devil Xu." Meanwhile, Jiang Fan had finished his day of cultivation and returned to his room.

"In three more days, the countless water-like droplets of spiritual energy suspended within my spiritual cyclone will completely transform into ice-like crystals! By then, I should be able to sustain the *Green Wood Seal* for many more strikes," Jiang Fan thought, satisfied with his progress. He had verified his theory; today, he had successfully compressed the first droplet of spiritual energy into a crystal. Though tiny and inconspicuous, the concentration of energy within it was nearly nine times that of the gaseous spiritual energy of the same volume. This meant that if he could convert all the droplets in his cyclone into crystals, even at the second level of Qi Refining, his spiritual reserves would be nine times that of an ordinary cultivator at his stage.

"Wait, after Deacon Wu died, why did another name appear in my *Great Dao Celestial Book*? Ling Yunfei... why does that name sound so familiar?" Jiang Fan suddenly recalled the information Deacon Wang had shared with him, which included the names of the three gang leaders. "Ling Yunfei—could he be the Third Leader of the Wild Wolf Gang? That must be it! Deacon Ling must have had a very close relationship with him; he might even have been his own son. Otherwise, he would never have had the authority to take over the Daxuan Inn."

Jiang Fan’s eyes cleared with realization: "So, after I killed Deacon Ling, his father, the Third Leader, wanted to kill me for revenge, and thus the *Great Dao Celestial Book* recorded his name?"

A surge of joy filled Jiang Fan. This way, he wouldn't have to hunt for stronger enemies, nor worry about running out of targets. With Deacon Wu also dead, the names of those behind him would eventually be recorded as well. And he would not let Deacon Chen off the hook either. His list of enemies was growing. Based on his deductions, since Deacon Wu and Deacon Chen managed the Wild Wolf Gang’s three major industries on Nanping Street, their status was surely significant, and they were likely closely tied to the gang's leadership.

"Excellent! Since Deacon Wu is dead, I shall shift the 'damage' to Deacon Chen!" With that thought, Jiang Fan dove back into his frantic cultivation.

Meanwhile, at the Fengyue Pavilion on Nanping Street, Deacon Chen, who was lounging in luxury, suddenly yawned.

"Why am I suddenly so sleepy? Didn't I just take some 'Carefree Powder' to perk up? Could it be that I overindulged last night? Whatever, I'll just have the girls serve me while I lie here and enjoy myself..." Unaware of the gravity of the situation, he ordered his subordinates to bring over the "available" girls from the pavilion.

Just as he was preparing to enjoy himself, Deacon Chen yawned again. Still, he didn't pay it much mind, merely ordering, "Go, get me some potent tonics! I need to build up my strength tonight."

Soon, subordinates brought him bowls of ginseng soup and bird's nest. Deacon Chen gulped them down greedily. Yet, immediately after finishing the tonics, he yawned once more. As the night wore on, he alternated between being served by the women and fighting off yawns. By the time the night deepened, he was so overwhelmed by exhaustion that he collapsed and fell into a deep sleep.

He did not know that once he drifted off, he would never wake again.