Chapter 167: Taking Control of the Black Market Again
The first leader of the Crane Beak Gang was an herbalist. He owned an ancestral Crane Beak Hoe magical instrument, which was highly effective in harvesting wild spiritual plants.
The herbalists banded together for mutual protection against extortion, eventually forming the Crane Beak Gang.
Thus, the foundation of this gang was not very strong.
During Sun Lingtong’s era, the Crane Beak Gang surrendered under pressure.
When Sun Lingtong was wanted, the Viper Gang rose to power and seemed poised to take control of the black market, prompting the Crane Beak Gang to be the first to send them a congratulatory gift.
Now, when the Monkey Head Gang’s leader presented the Viper Gang leader’s head as a greeting gift to the Crane Beak Gang, the leader of the Crane Beak Gang did not feel threatened but rather full of emotion.
Watching him rise, watching him feast with guests, and then watching his building collapse.
Not long ago, the high-spirited leader of the Viper Gang was reduced to just a head, dying with eyes open in disbelief.
Not long ago, the Viper Gang, which had seemed poised to dominate the black market, had vanished overnight, collapsing and falling apart.
“The old gang leader was right!”
“Those who kill will always be killed in return.”
“Fighting and killing should only be done when absolutely necessary.”
“The way we live now is quite good: gathering herbs, selling them for money, and paying some protection fees.”
“There is always someone stronger than you.”
“Without natural talent, without an excellent spiritual root, and without a reliable background, if you want to survive in this world for long, then you must become like an herb, serving as a spiritual plant.”
“Then you contribute your fruits, demonstrate your value, instead of showing your fangs.”
The leader of the Crane Beak Gang sighed deeply.
He had his own survival strategy.
The Monkey Head Gang leader issued him a warning, informing him that the Monkey Head Gang was stepping into the black market, with the Ning family backing them. He hoped the Crane Beak Gang would recognize the situation.
The Crane Beak Gang leader said he needed to gather the elders of the gang for discussion, politely asking the Monkey Head Gang leader to wait for a moment.
The Monkey Head Gang leader waited only for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea before receiving the Crane Beak Gang leader’s response—the Crane Beak Gang was willing to submit, but the specific terms would have to be discussed face-to-face with Ning Zhuo.
The Monkey Head Gang leader was overjoyed. The Monkey Head Gang had suffered great losses while exterminating the Viper Gang and urgently needed to recover. It would be ideal for the Crane Beak Gang to surrender.
He immediately laughed and said, “It’s good you know your place! Come with me. Don’t keep Young Master Zhuo waiting.”
…
Ning Xiangqian stood at the window, staring at the Crane Beak Gang’s headquarters. His brows were furrowed, constantly observing the situation.
The Monkey Head Gang leader had entered the headquarters some time ago and had not been seen since, causing Ning Xiangqian’s anxiety to grow.
“Why is there still no movement?”
He couldn’t help but glance at Ning Zhuo.
Ning Zhuo sat in the main seat, and since he had sat down, he hadn’t stood up again.
Clouds of pure white floated around him, tightly encasing him, concealing all his cultivation fluctuations.
“So diligent…” Ning Xiangqian thought to himself.
Before going to the clan’s ancestral hall to publicly support Ning Zhuo, he had never had close contact with Ning Zhuo.
This was the first time he had worked with Ning Zhuo when the latter invited them to intervene in the black market.
Ning Zhuo’s performance greatly exceeded his expectations.
“His cultivation is incredibly diligent, making the most of every moment!”
“He’s very skilled, nothing like a student fresh out of the academy.”
“But he’s still young and acts impulsively!”
Ning Xiangqian believed that Ning Zhuo’s order for the Monkey Head Gang leader to persuade the Crane Beak Gang to surrender was too aggressive and risky.
The Monkey Head Gang leader was crucial for helping Ning Zhuo control the entire gang.
The battle to exterminate the Viper Gang showed the Ning family the value of the Monkey Head Gang leader.
In that battle, he commanded well, fully utilizing all of the gang members, constantly boosting morale, and maintaining discipline.
This showed that the third leader had the people’s support and held sufficient control over the Monkey Head Gang.
There was no second person who could match him.
This was evident during the battle.
No one else had the Monkey Head Gang leader’s reputation or performed exceptionally well in the fight.
“If the Monkey Head Gang leader dies, the whole gang will be hard to control, possibly becoming a scattered force.”
“Sigh…”
This was Ning Xiangqian’s greatest concern.
The sound of several footsteps approached, and then the door was knocked.
Ning Xiangguo’s voice came through, “Young Master Zhuo, the Monkey Head Gang leader has completed his mission. He has brought the Crane Beak Gang leader to meet you.”
Ning Xiangqian’s eyes widened. He had been watching the gang headquarters from the window but hadn’t seen anyone leave the premises.
It turned out the Crane Beak Gang leader had taken the underground tunnel and brought the Monkey Head Gang leader over.
The specific terms needed to be discussed and negotiated before a decision could be made.
According to the terms, the Crane Beak Gang would determine in what manner they would surrender.
The Crane Beak Gang leader entered the room and respectfully saluted the floating clouds.
The clouds gradually dispersed, and Ning Zhuo’s cold voice came through first: “Since you are surrendering, why don’t you kneel before me?”
“Kneel!” Ning Xiangqian immediately shouted coldly.
The Crane Beak Gang leader’s heart trembled. A large number of spiritual senses were locked onto him from inside and outside the room, and the gazes of Ning family’s Foundation Establishment cultivators were fixed on him.
Forced by the pressure, the Crane Beak Gang leader gritted his teeth and knelt.
The clouds dissipated, and Ning Zhuo saw the Crane Beak Gang leader, who was an old acquaintance to him.
The Crane Beak Gang leader had met the young puppet master many times, but this was the “first” time he saw Ning Zhuo. He didn’t know that Ning Zhuo was the young puppet master.
“Too young!” was the Crane Beak Gang leader’s first impression.
Ning Zhuo was only sixteen years old—really too young.
This youthful face immediately gave the Crane Beak Gang leader a surge of courage.
He opened his mouth and made his request, attempting to retain some autonomy.
Ning Zhuo sneered, “It seems you still don’t understand the current situation. What you’re holding onto are nothing but delusions and fantasies!”
The Crane Beak Gang leader replied, “Lord Ning Zhuo, this old man might be able to offer you unexpected assistance.”
“For instance, right now, it seems like you want to unify the black market. Perhaps you don’t know that there are three major gangs in the black market.”
“Any individual or force wishing to control the black market cannot bypass these three major gangs.”
“Currently, among these three gangs, the Viper Gang has been wiped out by you, and my Crane Beak Gang is submitting to you. The third gang is the most mysterious and has always remained largely unknown, but its influence is immense.”
Ning Zhuo chuckled, “Are you talking about the Turtle Breath Gang?”
“Uh.” The Crane Beak Gang leader’s expression froze.
Ning Zhuo lifted his eyes and looked toward the door, his gaze seemingly able to pierce through: “By my calculations, he should be arriving soon.”
The next moment, a loud shout came from the Ning family cultivators outside the door, “Who goes there?!”
“It is I, the leader of the Turtle Breath Gang. Thanks to the envoy’s persuasion, I have come to pledge allegiance to Lord Ning Zhuo.” A middle-aged man’s voice came.
Ning Zhuo laughed heartily, “Let him in.”
The Turtle Breath Gang leader, dressed in black, walked in.
Two Ning family Foundation Establishment cultivators followed closely behind him, their expressions vigilant, and they transmitted messages to the others: “Be careful! This man’s stealth skills are strong. I only noticed him when he was within a single zhang of me, triggering my magical item’s alarm.”
The Ning family Foundation Establishment cultivators immediately looked grim, their gazes and spiritual senses focused on the Turtle Breath Gang leader.
The Turtle Breath Gang leader’s expression remained emotionless, but inwardly, he felt a trace of disdain. He had been taught by Sun Lingtong and was highly skilled in stealth techniques. Just now, he had deliberately leaked his presence to be detected.
If he had exerted his full abilities, even if he had reached the Ning family cultivators’ backs, they wouldn’t have noticed him.
“It’s really you!” The Crane Beak Gang leader’s eyes widened.
He found it hard to believe!
Because in his understanding, the Turtle Breath Gang was very mysterious, with no conventional headquarters. The identities of its members were unclear, even to each other, often communicating through single lines of contact.
Even during Sun Lingtong’s time, the Turtle Breath Gang had remained independent.
When the Viper Gang rose up and swallowed Sun Lingtong’s territory, in their moment of triumph, the gang leader woke up one morning to find a letter on his bedside, written by the Turtle Breath Gang leader.
This incident spread quickly.
The Viper Gang had since restrained itself considerably, sweeping away their previous arrogance.
“How
could such a gang, with such a leader, suddenly pledge allegiance to Ning Zhuo?!” The Crane Beak Gang leader felt extremely puzzled.
“So Ning Zhuo truly has a strategy and plan!”
“Besides us, this young genius seems to have another force at his disposal.”
“Impressive, his involvement in the black market wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment decision, but a well-planned move!”
For a moment, even the Ning family Foundation Establishment cultivators frequently cast admiring glances at Ning Zhuo.
Though Ning Zhuo only had the cultivation of the “third layer of Qi Refining,” his methods made him someone they couldn’t underestimate.
The Monkey Head Gang leader was stunned by Ning Zhuo.
He had heard plenty of rumors about the Turtle Breath Gang.
Ning Zhuo had quietly subdued this gang, far exceeding his wildest imagination.
“The Turtle Breath Gang has always dealt in intelligence. With such people monitoring us, we must be extremely cautious under Ning Zhuo’s command!”
The Monkey Head Gang leader’s heart grew heavier.
He had originally planned to stir up some trouble, but with the Turtle Breath Gang’s submission, he decided to abandon any such plans!
The Monkey Head Gang leader took a deep breath and suddenly spoke up, loudly congratulating Ning Zhuo on unifying the black market, flipping his hand to summon clouds and rain overnight, with a remarkable record.
The Turtle Breath Gang leader remained silent.
The Crane Beak Gang leader, on the other hand, turned pale.
The Turtle Breath Gang’s submission had thrown him into disarray. Ning Zhuo had become even more dominant, while the Crane Beak Gang he represented was too weak to negotiate anything.
But to his surprise, Ning Zhuo, after hearing the Monkey Head Gang leader’s flattering words, shook his head.
“There’s still a long way to go.”
“To control the black market, at least the Three Gangs and Three Scattered Ones must be in hand.”
“Now, the Viper Gang has been replaced by the Monkey Head Gang, and both the Crane Beak Gang and Turtle Breath Gang have submitted to me.”
“Next, we need to deal with Feng Heizi, the One-Armed Craftsman, and Filthy Not Clean.”
Hearing these words, the Ning family cultivators exchanged confused glances.
They were unfamiliar with the inner workings of the black market and were hearing these names for the first time.
The Crane Beak Gang leader’s face grew even paler.
The Turtle Breath Gang leader remained expressionless, though his pupils shrank ever so slightly.
Ning Zhuo’s deep understanding of the black market surprised them all.