Translator: AnubisTL
The entire hall fell silent, broken only by Jia Dachun's increasingly faint breaths.
His eyes, filled with a complex mix of bewilderment and disbelief, stared at Shi Dong. He couldn't understand why Shi Dong's blade had plunged into his back.
"Why..." Jia Dachun remained standing tall, refusing to fall despite his grievous wound. This was the resilience of an Inner Strength Martial Artist.
"Gang Leader, you talk too much," Shi Dong said coldly, then prepared to withdraw his blade and sever Jia Dachun's lifeline.
But to his surprise, the blade wouldn't budge. Jia Dachun, on the verge of death, had gripped the blade's tip with a death grip.
He was too unwilling to die. At his age, having reached the Inner Strength realm, he was at the peak of his power. He was destined to become a prominent figure in Giant Rock City.
Once he outlived Qin Xiu and Ge Wen, he would become the city's strongest.
He had planned to use this birthday banquet to publicly announce his achievement of Inner Strength.
But alas, his ambition had been cut short.
The battle ended like this, but Jia Dachun refused to accept it. He was filled with deep resentment.
"Traitor! Die!"
In his final act of defiance, Jia Dachun channeled all the remaining strength he could muster into his other hand and unleashed a furious punch.
Boom!
The fist tore through the air, finally landing squarely on Shi Dong's broad shoulder.
Bang!
Even on the brink of death, an Inner Strength Martial Artist's final burst of power was not to be underestimated.
Shi Dong's shoulder collapsed inward, and the faint sound of bone snapping could be heard.
He stumbled back two steps, staring in disbelief at the fallen Jia Dachun. A cold sweat broke out on his back.
Poisoned and mortally wounded, yet he could still unleash such power in his final moments.
Shi Dong had underestimated the strength of this realm of Martial Artists. If that final punch had landed on his head...
Shi Dong dared not imagine the consequences. He was terrified, deeply terrified.
In their prime, Inner Strength Martial Artists could crush External Strength Martial Artists with ease, like crushing an insect.
Jia Dachun lay on the ground, blood flowing like a small stream, staining the spilled food and wine before pooling at Shi Dong's feet.
The scent of blood gradually permeated the entire outer courtyard of the manor, becoming distinctly noticeable.
"Heh, Jia Dachun always sought to disrupt order in the city and reveled in bullying the weak. He deserved his fate," said Ge Wen, the Guild Master of the Red Fish Merchant Guild, with a light chuckle, his expression completely unchanged.
"Shi Dong, come sit beside me," City Lord Qin beckoned Shi Dong to the seat next to him, showing no concern for his previous actions.
Shi Dong, his footprints stained with blood, walked without hesitation to the seat beside City Lord Qin and sat down.
At that moment, Qin Xiu, wearing a benevolent smile, spoke, "Jia Dachun's tyranny within the Great River Gang was evident even in his recent wolf hunt. His character was truly despicable. Shi Dong must have suffered greatly under his rule. His death was well-deserved."
"From this day forward, Shi Dong will take control of the Great River Gang. Gang Leader Shi, make a public pledge here to all the other Gang Leaders, promising to maintain order in the city and live in harmony with all of them."
This was an endorsement. With the City Lord's Manor backing them, Shi Dong and the Great River Gang were now firmly under the protection of the City Lord's Manor.
Shi Dong naturally seized this opportunity, publicly promising to behave himself in the future and fulfill his duties diligently.
After a long moment, the other attendees finally digested the scene that had just unfolded. They forced smiles onto their faces and feigned cheerfulness as they echoed City Lord Qin and Shi Dong's sentiments.
"Congratulations, Gang Leader Shi."
"Hahaha, Gang Leader Shi, our territories are quite close. Let's work together harmoniously in the future, supporting each other for mutual prosperity."
"Gang Leader Shi..."
With everyone chiming in, the Birthday Banquet finally began to resemble an actual celebration.
At this moment, City Lord Qin stood up, a benevolent smile on his face. "Alright everyone, let's raise our glasses and drink to forget the unpleasantness of earlier. Giant Rock City is our shared home. Let's live together in harmony, so we can thrive for generations to come."
As his words fell, everyone raised their glasses and drained them in unison.
The banquet had essentially reached its conclusion. After finishing their drinks and plates, guests began to depart one by one.
As they left, each person wore a forced smile, feigning a jovial atmosphere.
But despite the smiles, their true thoughts were clear without needing to be guessed.
After the banquet, everyone developed an even deeper sense of dread toward the City Lord's Manor, a chilling dread that ran deeper than the cold of the air.
If even Shi Dong could betray Jia Dachun, they could no longer be certain whether their own gangs harbored moles like him, bought by the City Lord's Manor.
In short, the events of the day had become a nightmare etched into everyone's minds.
As the last Gang Leader departed, the bustling outer courtyard of the manor fell silent, leaving only two old men drinking together.
The atmosphere was peaceful, not a soul remained.
After a long silence, Ge Wen spoke first. "In my opinion, these people who came today could become future threats. We should seize this opportunity to eliminate them all."
Qin Xiu shook his head, poured himself another drink, took a slow sip, and then said, "That's not wise. If they all die, their gang members will cause considerable chaos."
"Besides, our primary target today was Jia Dachun. If we alert him, we'll be in trouble. We're old men now. We shouldn't have to risk our lives in another bloody fight. What if something goes wrong?"
Is it harder to deal with one Inner Strength Martial Artist or a dozen External Strength Martial Artists?
This isn't an arithmetic problem. Both men were at this level and naturally knew how to choose.
To risk alerting Jia Dachun just to kill a few insignificant External Strength Martial Artists would be a terrible trade-off.
"Ah, we're getting old," Ge Wen sighed, his voice filled with endless regret. "This is all we can do for the younger generation. I just hope that before we die, some of our children will succeed and reach the Inner Strength level."
Qin Xiu, on the other hand, remained calm. He slowly raised his wine cup, his gaze fixed on the distant horizon.
"These are minor issues," he said softly. "No matter how strong they are, they're still just Martial Artists. But what about that... person from your merchant guild? Won't they become a future threat?"
As he spoke, Qin Xiu lowered his voice as much as possible, fearing eavesdroppers.
Ge Wen shook his head. "Immortal Master Xiang doesn't have many years left. He probably won't outlive us by much."
Qin Xiu's brow remained furrowed. "While that's true, they're still Immortal Cultivators. Their methods are beyond mortal comprehension. After living for so many years, I never expected to learn of such beings in this dark, hopeless era."
As he spoke, a flicker of longing shone in Qin Xiu's eyes.
Inner Strength Martial Artists, Transformed Strength Martial Artists—he had witnessed the unfathomable power of the mysterious Immortal Cultivator firsthand. It was truly unbelievable that such a person existed in this world, a figure of unparalleled grace and majesty!
"You needn't worry about this matter anymore. Did you know that Immortal Master Xiang began practicing martial arts a few years ago?" Ge Wen chuckled, his expression tinged with complexity.
"Ah? Practicing martial arts?" Qin Xiu was taken aback. The simple sentence suddenly became difficult to comprehend.
It was like hearing that a noble monarch had decided to take up farming—a truly astonishing revelation.
"Yes, a few years ago, he asked me for several top-tier martial arts manuals. I was puzzled at the time. Why would an Immortal Cultivator need martial arts manuals?"
"In the end, as if resigned to fate, he uttered four words."
"End of Dao Era."
(End of the Chapter)
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