Chapter 4

"Xiao Ye, there's an operation today. Are you coming or not?" Just as Ye Feng was silently sighing, a rough voice suddenly sounded from the entrance of the house.

Hearing the voice, Ye Feng turned around and saw a man in his thirties with a full beard standing at his doorstep, looking at him.

"Meng Ge, I'm coming. Wait for me a moment, I'll get ready, and then we'll set off!"

The man was named Zhang Meng, the captain of the Flying Tiger Team, a true martial artist. Although he was only at the second level of martial arts, compared to the poor civilians who couldn't cultivate, he was already a high-ranking existence.

This was why Ye Feng and Zhang Meng had known each other for four years. Ye Feng's diligence and self-discipline earned Zhang Meng's heartfelt admiration, so Zhang Meng treated Ye Feng very kindly, without the condescension that martial artists usually showed to civilians.

Soon, Ye Feng and Zhang Meng arrived at a crossroads outside Niu Jiao Village.

At the crossroads, about twenty teenagers around fifteen or sixteen years old were waiting. They were all members of the Flying Tiger Team.

"Heh, relying on his seniority, his face is really thick, actually making the captain come to invite him!" As Ye Feng and the others approached, a teenager around sixteen years old glanced at Ye Feng and began to mock him.

"How can you talk to him like that, Lin Ping?" As soon as the teenager finished speaking, a fifteen or sixteen-year-old boy with a cute baby face spoke up to defend Ye Feng.

"Heh, how can the dog jump out as soon as the master is called?" The teenager named Lin Ping couldn't help but glance at the baby-faced boy and said.

"Ran Hao, forget it, why bother with him? If a dog bites us, should we bite back?"

Ye Feng knew this teenager named Lin Ping, who had always been at odds with him. He was the only other person in the Flying Tiger Team, besides Ye Feng, who had cultivated the Iron Body Technique to the second level.

As the saying goes, two tigers cannot coexist on the same mountain. In a team, two people at the second level of the Iron Body Technique naturally had to suppress each other.

Moreover, the Flying Tiger Team was divided into two factions. Ye Feng and the baby-faced boy were one faction, while the others followed Lin Ping, forming the other faction.

The baby-faced boy was named Ran Hao, who had known Ye Feng for two years. His family was similar to Ye Feng's, and he could be considered one of Ye Feng's few friends. Over the past two years, Ye Feng had saved Ran Hao at least five times, so Ran Hao firmly stood by Ye Feng.

It wasn't that Ye Feng had poor interpersonal skills; rather, he was usually quiet and focused solely on cultivation. Lin Ping, on the other hand, was very good at building relationships and winning people's hearts. Moreover, most of the Flying Tiger Team members had joined the team with Lin Ping, so they naturally formed a tight-knit group.

"Ye Feng, you're asking for death..." Lin Ping hadn't expected Ye Feng to counter so sharply. In the past, when he mocked Ye Feng, Ye Feng would remain silent, and only Ran Hao would counter. Now, Ye Feng actually retaliated, which surprised him greatly.

"Enough, stop arguing! Whoever argues again, get out!" Before Lin Ping could finish speaking, Zhang Meng frowned and shouted.

As the captain of the Flying Tiger Team and a second-level martial artist, Zhang Meng had absolute authority in the team. So when he spoke, Lin Ping could only swallow his words.

In fact, Zhang Meng also gave Ye Feng a surprised look. He felt that Ye Feng had changed, becoming more composed and exuding a hint of pride, which surprised him greatly.

"We'll see who gets the better of whom later!" After stopping, Lin Ping's face showed a hint of malice as he looked at Ye Feng and said.

"I'm waiting!" Ye Feng replied indifferently.

Although Ran Hao found Ye Feng's behavior a bit strange, he was happy. In the past, he had always faced these people alone, but now Ye Feng finally retaliated, which secretly pleased him.

After they finished speaking, neither of them said anything else.

"Everyone is not new, so I won't repeat the rules... Today is a big job, and I won't tolerate any internal issues. Otherwise, don't blame me, Zhang Meng, for being ruthless!" Zhang Meng stood in front of the team, glanced at the Flying Tiger Team members, and said coldly.

As soon as Zhang Meng finished speaking, the hearts of the Flying Tiger Team members tightened. Whenever Zhang Meng said this, it meant a big reward, but it also indicated great danger. They didn't know how many of them would return alive.

However, even knowing this, none of them backed down. Life? To them, life was the least valuable thing. Sometimes, their lives were worth less than a piece of flesh from a fierce beast.

"Like before, I'll scout ahead, and Ye Feng will lead the team! Let's go!!" Seeing no one speak, Zhang Meng felt secretly pleased and said again. Then, he turned and walked out of the village.

"Hmph, we'll see who gets the better of whom later!" Lin Ping followed Zhang Meng out, but as he passed Ye Feng, he coldly snorted.

The people following Lin Ping all wore smug expressions when they saw Ye Feng.

"Third level? Heh!" Looking at Lin Ping walking away and sensing the surging blood energy in his body, Ye Feng's lips curled into a smile, and he muttered to himself.

"What did you say, Ye Feng?" Ye Feng's voice was low, and Ran Hao naturally didn't hear clearly, so he asked in confusion.

Ran Hao was still quite worried. In the Flying Tiger Team, Lin Ping had a high reputation. If it weren't for Ye Feng's seniority and his good relationship with Zhang Meng, he would have been replaced long ago.

The biggest benefit for the Flying Tiger Team members wasn't the salary from their employers but the things they could obtain in the mountains, which they couldn't buy otherwise.

Although these were unwritten rules, if Lin Ping replaced Ye Feng as the deputy leader of the Flying Tiger Team, it would be harder for them to get these things. Without these unwritten rules, they would have to join another team, which was probably Lin Ping's plan.

Joining another team would make them pure newcomers, and it wouldn't be easy to adapt.

"It's nothing, let's go!" Hearing Ran Hao's words, Ye Feng just shook his head and followed.

He hadn't expected Lin Ping to reach the third level of the Iron Body Technique.

'No wonder he didn't participate in the last operation; he was trying to break through.' Looking at Lin Ping walking away, Ye Feng thought to himself.

However, if it were before yesterday, Ye Feng would have cared, but now he felt no pressure at all.

Under Zhang Meng's lead, they quickly arrived at the entrance to the Tianlang Mountain Range.

Qing Shan Town was a small town located just outside this entrance. Although it was a small town, it was very prosperous. All martial artists entering the mountains would basically stop here to buy what they needed.

Martial artists coming out of the mountains would also sell their goods here, so there were various shops, and almost no residential buildings.

General stores, pawnshops, material shops, medicinal shops... weapon shops, and so on, everything was available. The signs on the shops on the main street almost all had different symbols, which Ye Feng knew were the emblems of various families in Qing Shuang City.

Qing Shan Town was within the territory of Qing Shuang City, so it was almost entirely controlled by the various families in Qing Shuang City.

At this moment, in Qing Shan Town, powerful men with overwhelming auras hurriedly passed by, whether entering the mountains or emerging from the mountains in tattered clothes. They all carried large and small packages, chatting with their companions as they walked.

Zhang Meng didn't stop on the main street but led Ye Feng and the others to a side street.

"Come and see, various potent medicinal pills... Blood-stopping pills... Essence-cultivating pills... on sale..."

"High-quality weapons, guaranteed to satisfy all martial artists..."

...

Although this area wasn't as prosperous as the main street, it was still crowded, especially with the vendors on both sides of the street shouting, making it even more bustling than the main street.

Ye Feng understood that if the main street was like a modern boutique, this place was like a wholesale market.

Zhang Meng didn't stop but led Ye Feng and the others to a fairly large general store. The store was a two-story building with several clerks serving customers.

This general store was a branch of the Zhang family, a third-rate family in Qing Shuang City, and the Flying Tiger Team served the Zhang family.