Chapter 72

Chu Li clasped his hands in greeting.

"Mr. Chen, you are the chief's cousin, please don't harm the chief, alright?" Xu Anxia said bluntly.

Seeing Chu Li and Chen Siyu's intimate relationship, he couldn't help but feel jealous and harbored an inexplicable hostility towards Chu Li.

Chen Siyu frowned, "Protector Xu!"

Chu Li smiled, "I won't harm my cousin."

"At this critical moment, instead of persuading the chief to escape, you want to go and see? Isn't that just courting death?!" Xu Anxia angrily questioned, "Could it be that you are one of Zhao Lun's people?"

Chu Li laughed, jealousy and anger could truly destroy a person's reason. Xu Anxia had a crush on Chen Siyu, which was quite amusing.

"Protector Xu!" Chen Siyu frowned and said unhappily, "Don't talk nonsense!"

Seeing her protect Chu Li, Xu Anxia became even angrier, "Chief, everyone is fighting for your survival, and you act so recklessly?"

"Protector Xu!" Chen Siyu's face turned cold, "I have made up my mind, let's go."

Seeing her icy gaze, Xu Anxia's words faltered and he swallowed them back, glaring fiercely at Chu Li before turning and leaving.

Chen Siyu shook her head helplessly at Chu Li. This was her current situation, lacking authority, her words carried no weight, and she was always questioned and opposed, making her every step difficult.

Chu Li smiled.

"Yue'er, you stay here," Chen Siyu said.

Yue'er hurriedly replied, "Miss, I will go with you, even if we die, we will die together!"

"You won't die, stay here and behave," Chen Siyu rolled her eyes, "What a mess you are!"

Chu Li said, "Miss Yue'er, don't worry, ... why don't you make us some midnight snacks? After a fight, we'll be hungry and can eat when we come back."

"... Alright," Yue'er reluctantly agreed, knowing she couldn't help even if she went.

Xu Anxia sneered, what a big talker, could it be that he had practiced martial arts and was a hidden expert? How ridiculous!

The three arrived at the hall, where Zhao Lun had already overwhelmed the three hall masters, their mouths bleeding as they struggled to hold on.

"Chief!" Hu Hai was surprised to see Chen Siyu and the others, glaring fiercely at Xu Anxia.

Xu Anxia glared at Chu Li.

"Clang..." The long sword of the Rain Hall Master flew out of his hand, followed by a palm strike that sent him flying.

"Bang!" The Rain Hall Master fell heavily at their feet, blood gushing from his mouth.

Chen Siyu's face changed, and everyone in the hall was shocked. If the three couldn't handle it, what about just two? Defeat was imminent!

Chu Li shook his head, suddenly appearing in front of Zhao Lun and lightly pressing his palm down.

Zhao Lun sneered, his large hand meeting the strike.

"Bang!" A dull sound echoed as Zhao Lun was thrown like a stone, crashing into the carved door of the hall.

"Crack!" The carved door shattered into pieces.

Zhao Lun flipped to his feet, roaring as he charged at Chu Li.

Chu Li's left hand was behind his back, his right palm met the attack, the Infinite Ocean Technique already at its third level, fully concentrated in his right palm.

"Bang!" Zhao Lun was sent flying straight back, spewing a stream of blood in the air, and landed heavily on the blue stone slabs outside the hall, rolling a few times before stopping.

Chu Li shook his head, picked up the long sword, and disappeared, reappearing behind Zhao Lun. A flash of the sword, a fountain of blood shot into the sky, followed by Zhao Lun's head flying into the air.

Chen Siyu's face turned pale, she bit her lower lip hard to stop herself from screaming.

Chu Li shook the long sword, the blood droplets fell to the ground, and the blade returned to its pristine state.

He flashed back to his original position and returned the sword to the Rain Hall Master.

The Rain Hall Master, He Shou, stared at him in a daze.

He had a square face, ruddy complexion, and eyebrows as white as frost, giving him a weathered appearance.

Chu Li smiled, "Hall Master He, I apologize, thank you for the sword."

"Who is this young brother...?"

"Old He, this is the chief's cousin, Mr. Chen Li!" Hu Hai chuckled, "I never expected the young master to have such martial arts skills, truly impressive, a hero emerges from the young!"

They were all founding elders, their positions earned through blood and sweat. Although Chu Li was ruthless, they didn't mind. Only Xu Anxia avoided his gaze, not daring to look at Chu Li.

Thinking of his earlier words, his face turned red with shame.

"Originally, it's the young master." He Shou sighed, swallowing a pill, and shook his head with a bitter smile, "I'm really old, no longer useful."

Chu Li smiled, "Hall Master He is still in his prime, at the peak of his powers, ... I can't always stay by my cousin's side, she still needs the support of all the elders!"

"Hehe, of course!" He Shou smiled, "Assisting the chief is our duty, we will do our best!"

Chu Li clasped his hands in a circle, "Thank you, elders!"

"Hehe... no, no..." everyone clasped their hands in return.

In the martial arts world, the strong are respected. Chu Li, though young, had such ghostly movements and formidable strength, they wouldn't dare to offend him.

Seeing Chu Li kill and decapitate without changing his expression, they knew he was ruthless.

Xu Anxia was uneasy. Although he had killed before, he had never decapitated someone with a single strike. He found Chu Li cold-hearted and not to be provoked.

Chu Li gave Chen Siyu a look.

Chen Siyu smiled, "Four hall masters, two protectors, let's go to the back garden, it's too chaotic here, not a place for conversation."

"Hehe, we'll be a bother to the chief," Hu Hai smiled.

The six went to the back garden, which was quiet and fragrant, much better than the hall. Sitting here, they felt more intimate, like a family.

Yue'er wisely brought out the midnight snacks.

Their injuries were not severe, and with the help of medicinal pills, they would recover over time. In a group attack, Zhao Lun couldn't use his full strength. If it were just one person, a single strike from Zhao Lun would likely be fatal.

"Chief, our strength is still too weak!" Hu Hai drank the meat porridge in one go, put down the white porcelain bowl, wiped his mouth, and sighed, "One Broken Mountain Palm defeated us all, it's embarrassing to say!"

Chen Siyu frowned, "The guest masters were busy tonight, if we had two of them, it would have been better."

"Two guest masters are about the same level as us, they couldn't stop Zhao Lun either!" He Shou put down his bowl and shook his head, "What do you think, Old Hu?"

"There's nothing we can do." Hu Hai shook his head, "What can we do with inferior martial arts?"

They were all of a certain age, their martial arts had reached their peak, maintaining it was already difficult, let alone advancing further.

He looked at Xu Anxia, "It's up to Little Xu!"

"Wait until he reaches the innate stage!" the Wind Hall Master, Yi Xingzhi, snorted.

He was slender, of medium height, with a thin face and a somber expression, his eyes constantly flickering as if always thinking.

Xu Anxia lowered his head in embarrassment.

He had become a protector by standing out among the less capable, but after reaching the peak of the acquired stage, he had failed to break through to the innate stage, remaining stagnant. He was anxious, but the more anxious he became, the less effective it was, always falling short.

"But with the young master here, we feel much more at ease!" Hu Hai smiled.

Chu Li shook his head, "I like to travel, I can't be confined, I can't stay in one place for too long, I will leave soon."

Chen Siyu said, "The key is to strengthen the Jingyun Gang."

"We don't have many talents in the Jingyun Gang, Little Xu is the best we have." Yi Xingzhi shook his head.

He Shou said, "I heard that the Qitian Gang has two young talents, about the same level as Little Xu, both with the potential to reach the innate stage. If they get there first, our strength will be weaker!"

They drank the porridge and discussed the gang's affairs.

Chu Li no longer spoke, using the Great Mirror Wisdom to read their thoughts, deep in thought.

Chen Siyu listened quietly, finally feeling a bit like the chief.

After finishing the porridge and chatting late into the night, they dispersed one by one.

Chen Siyu, after seeing them off, returned to the back garden and took a deep breath. She had finally dealt with Zhao Lun, removing a major threat, and the four hall masters had initially submitted. The days ahead would be much easier, the hardest part was over.

The next day, the Jingyun Gang issued a notice: Zhao Lun had broken into the Xu residence at night and was killed. His relatives could come to claim his body, the Jingyun Gang was clear about its enmity and would not involve his family.

The name of the Broken Mountain Palm was well-known in Yunzhou City. Many people had been waiting to see Xu Zhichun's predicament, but they never expected Zhao Lun to be killed, proving that the Jingyun Gang was indeed the top gang in Yunzhou City.

In the following days, Yunzhou City returned to peace.

Chen Siyu took the position of chief, with Chu Li's presence, the four hall masters were very obedient. The concept of the strong being respected was deeply ingrained, and with Chen Siyu backed by formidable martial arts, they had no choice but to behave.

Ten days later, the Wind Hall Master was assassinated in his sleep, decapitated. He was writing a letter to the Qitian Gang when he was killed.

The three remaining hall masters of the Jingyun Gang knew who was behind it, and they were terrified.

Chu Li's skills were like a ghost, killing them would be easy. Yi Xingzhi was an insider, and they had not discovered it in all these years!

They suspected it was a frame-up, that the chief wanted to remove Yi Xingzhi to promote a confidant and fully control the Jingyun Gang.

While they were suspicious, Chu Li left silently, returning to the Duke's residence.

Before leaving, Chu Li gave Chen Siyu his address, telling her to send someone to Chongming City if anything happened, and he would come as soon as possible.

He specifically instructed that the messenger should go to his house in the city, not the Duke's residence, to avoid drawing attention and causing trouble.

Chen Siyu understood that if someone was followed and saw the messenger going to the Duke's residence, the Jingyun Gang would become a public enemy in the martial arts world.

The address Chu Li left was another small house he had secretly bought, employing a servant. He never went there himself, and no one knew he was the owner.