Translator: AnubisTL
City Lord Qin's words were already giving the Great River Gang's Gang Leader a great deal of face. Everyone present turned their attention to Jia Dachun.
Jia Dachun himself remained silent, neither speaking nor responding, simply maintaining his silence.
Seeing this, City Lord Qin's voice grew three degrees colder:
"Gang Leader Jia, do you agree or not? Just give us an answer."
He had already switched from calling Jia Dachun by his name to "Gang Leader Jia," and anyone could sense the growing distance and coldness in his tone.
Watching this unfold, Li Qing, who had been almost invisible until now, finally began to understand the true nature of the Birthday Banquet.
It wasn't just a peace-making feast; it was clearly a trap set for Jia Dachun.
Interesting.
Jia Dachun still refused to respond, and the atmosphere in the manor grew increasingly tense.
At this moment, Ge Wen, the Guild Master of the Red Fish Merchant Guild, stepped in to mediate:
"Heh, it seems Gang Leader Jia needs a moment to think. City Lord Qin, didn't you say there would be more wine at this Birthday Banquet? Quickly bring it out so we can all enjoy ourselves! Hahaha! It's getting harder and harder to get a decent drink these days."
Qin Xiu snorted coldly but nodded in agreement.
Soon, servants from the City Lord's Manor brought in the wine. There wasn't much—only three jars in total, barely enough for each table to get two or three pots.
It was clear that the supply of alcohol in the World of Eternal Night was dwindling.
As the faint aroma of wine wafted through the air, the atmosphere at the Birthday Banquet gradually relaxed.
Everyone cherished the wine in their hands, sipping it cautiously in small sips, afraid of drinking too quickly.
Only two people at the banquet didn't immediately raise their cups: Li Qing and Jia Dachun.
Li Qing, though fond of drinking, clearly found this restrained, miserly approach unsatisfying. He couldn't be bothered with such a paltry amount and simply passed his cup to Koloda beside him.
Many others followed suit. The subordinates brought by the other Gang Leaders also tactfully offered their wine to their leaders.
Witnessing how precious alcohol was in this world sparked a new idea in Li Qing's mind. Perhaps he could use it to win people over or trade for things he wanted in the future.
Jia Dachun also waited. Only after everyone else had finished drinking and he was certain nothing would go wrong did he finally raise his cup and drain it in one gulp.
Bang!
Setting down his cup, Jia Dachun wiped his mouth and spoke: "City Lord Qin, you said you'd investigate the killer. But how can I be sure you're not just framing some random person to take the blame?"
"The three men I helped in the middle of the fight were all top-tier experts. Even an External Strength Martial Artist would have struggled to take them down."
Qin Xiu's face was completely expressionless, his voice icy cold. "What's this? Do you not trust even this old man?"
Clang!
Suddenly, Jia Dachun's eyes turned bloodshot. He flipped the table over in a rage, his voice filled with fury.
"Damn it! This wine's poisoned! You drugged it!"
The entire table's spread of food and drink crashed to the floor in a chaotic mess.
At these words, every Gang Leader in attendance panicked, their eyes darting between Jia Dachun and City Lord Qin in terror. They had all drunk the wine. If something was truly wrong, none of them would escape.
Yet Qin Xiu and Ge Wen remained unperturbed, leisurely sipping their wine and savoring their dishes.
"Gang Leader Jia, what makes you say that? Everyone here has drunk the wine, including Brother Ge and myself. Why haven't we noticed any problems?"
That's right, it seems perfectly fine!
The few people seated at Jia Dachun's table belatedly realized they hadn't detected anything amiss with the wine either.
But Jia Dachun's breathing grew increasingly labored. He felt his strength draining away, his limbs growing weak and shaky.
"The cup... it's the cup!"
Jia Dachun had already figured out what was going on. His eyes were bloodshot as he glared at Ge Wen and Qin Xiu on the high seats with utter hatred.
"So it was you, the City Lord's Manor, who killed my three brothers from the gang!"
"No wonder I've been searching for so long without finding any evidence from other gangs. It was you all along, Qin Xiu, you old bastard!"
"That's right, you two old bastards had the motive. You couldn't stand seeing someone else break through to the Inner Strength realm, could you?"
Boom!
Jia Dachun forcibly channeled his inner strength, stirring his vital energy and blood to suppress the medicinal power coursing through his body.
Judging by the terrifying aura he now exuded, there was no doubt that Jia Dachun had indeed broken through to the Inner Strength realm.
Whoosh!
The crowd gasped in astonishment. They had no idea that the Great River Gang's leader, after years of cultivation, had already become an Inner Strength expert.
If this birthday banquet hadn't forced his hand, everyone present would have remained completely in the dark.
Qin Xiu rose to his feet, his own aura equally formidable. "Jia Dachun, you've repeatedly caused trouble at my birthday banquet! Do you really think that just because you've reached the Inner Strength realm, I can't do anything about you?"
As the voice echoed, the rhythmic thud of footsteps filled the streets flanking the City Lord's Manor. Sharp blades glinted over the walls.
It was clear without needing to think: these were the elite troops the City Lord's Manor had cultivated for years. Their purpose was now painfully obvious.
Jia Dachun saw the scene and knew his situation had grown dire.
"Do you really think I'm just going to stand here and let you walk all over me, Shi Dong?"
A grim-faced man stepped forward from Jia Dachun's side, joining him. This was another Outer Strength Martial Artist from the Great River Gang, one of the gang's pillars.
The two stood shoulder to shoulder, their gazes fixed on Qin Xiu and Ge Wen, who remained unruffled.
Jia Dachun's eyes burned with curiosity. "I'm just curious," he asked, "how did you know I'd advanced to Inner Strength? I've never revealed this to anyone."
Neither City Lord Qin nor Guild Master Ge Wen seemed inclined to answer.
The two men stared at Jia Dachun as if he were already dead.
This gaze ignited the fury in Jia Dachun's heart. He roared, "Damn it, Shi Dong! Let's kill these two old bastards together! From now on, Giant Rock City will be ours!"
Shi Dong replied gravely, "Gang Leader, I'll follow your orders."
"Charge! Fight to the death!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, Jia Dachun prepared to charge forward. But before he could take a few steps, he stopped abruptly, his eyes widening in shock as he slowly lowered his head.
Behind him, a sharp short knife had plunged directly into his back, piercing his heart. The icy cold sensation was so clear in that moment.
Drip!
Blood dripped onto the ground, each drop echoing in the silence.
Jia Dachun struggled to turn his head, desperately trying to imprint the unfamiliar expression on the familiar face behind him into his memory.
"It's you..."
(End of the Chapter)
📚 Read [IR] on Patreon.com/AnubisTL – Up to c152. [+2]
☕ Support me and Read Ahead for just $5/mo.
🎯 Translated [2] Novels [745k+] Words and counting!