Why do I have so many masters?

The young man moved through the Zhao residence, perhaps because he subconsciously never considered that anyone would dare to intrude upon the residence at this time, fortified like a Heavenly Net and Earth Trap. Both his movements and demeanor were quite relaxed, and he failed to notice Wang Anfeng trailing a few meters behind him.

Also, because of this person’s familiarity with the Zhao residence, Wang Anfeng spared himself the trouble of eliminating traps.

After traveling in such a manner for about seven or eight minutes and crossing three courtyards, the young man’s pace hesitated, and the relaxed expression disappeared from his face as he raised his hand to adjust his clothes.

In front of this courtyard, there was an area about thirty meters in length without any cover to hide one’s figure, forcing Wang Anfeng to stay back and watch as the young man knocked on the door and then pushed it open to enter.

With the creak of the door, the wood barrier closed, cutting off the inside from the outside.

Wang Anfeng frowned, exhaled a turbid breath, and after a moment’s thought, he glanced left and right. Seeing that the nearest house servant was almost a hundred meters away, he no longer suppressed the noise created by his hurried movement. With a light tap of his right hand on the ground, he soared through the air, skimming just above the ground at high speed.

It took only the span of three breaths to cross a ten-yard distance, abruptly stopping, his body pivoted slightly, and landed gently on the ground.

After exhaling, Wang Anfeng pressed himself tightly against the wall and listened intently to the sounds coming from within.

"... The people of the Twenty-Seven Allied Gangs, have they made any unusual moves today?"

"We haven’t noticed much change. The Gang Leader is still deep in his cups, and the Second Gang Leader had a conflict with a neighboring ranger expert and got a sword wound in his arm."

"Ha, no unusual movements?"

There was a cold laugh from the aged voice inside.

"What a load of nonsense!"

"Thirty years ago, the Twenty-Seven Allied Gangs suffered greatly at the hands of that old tiger, Tan Tianxiong. Back then, their Grand Gang Leader even died under the tiger’s claws. Now that the tiger is nearing his end, how could he not come to share in the spoils?"

"Tiger meat is not something one gets to savor all the time."

"This... Uncle is right in his teachings."

Wang Anfeng’s expression changed slightly after hearing just a few sentences.

He had already overestimated the significance of the matter.

Yet, it turned out to be even more problematic than he imagined.

To be involved in the affairs of the leader of Jianghu’s underworld in a province, even a minor trouble could become a major issue.

The Twenty-Seven Allied Gangs is a comprehensive power in Fufeng County of Xi Dingzhou, established over fifty years ago with deep-rooted foundations, claiming to have twenty-seven martial arts inheritances, including fists and palms, blades and spears, all-encompassing, with influence extending throughout Xi Dingzhou, covering all sorts of money-making businesses big and small.

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It’s fair to say that, in Xi Dingzhou’s Jianghu, martial artists can avoid dealing with the government offices and need not know the current provincial officials or county magistrates, but they will inevitably meet with people from at least three different gangs daily and must recognize the stewards of the Twenty-Seven Allied Gangs.

It is claimed that Xi Dingzhou can exist without officials but not without the Allied Gangs.

Such brazen arrogance.

To say they are the number one power in Fufeng County of Xi Dingzhou is no exaggeration, their position in Jianghu equal to that of the Giant Whale Gang with Gongsun Jing at the helm.

In fact, had it not been for Gongsun Jing’s substantial rewards obtained in Shaolin Temple, with his exceptional spear technique, born into the Military Family of the Iron Cavalry from Great Qin, having a solid foundation, and a strong aura of slaughter, it’s uncertain whether he could get a fair deal under the Allied Gangs.

Wang Anfeng had thought this issue stemmed from the ’old gentleman’s’ household, merely a power struggle at the level of internal friction, but he hadn’t expected it to end up linked with a mammoth entity like the Twenty-Seven Allied Gangs. In addition to these two, it seemed there was also a Noble Clan with a Sixth Rank martial artist lying in wait, which left him inwardly shaken.

At that moment, light footsteps sounded from within, as if someone was pacing back and forth, deep in thought.

The same elderly voice spoke up again:

"Now that Tan Tianxiong is on his deathbed, those people outside won’t let this golden opportunity slip by."

"The thirty-year-old vendetta of a murdered father is not something one can easily contain, and besides, if Tan Tianxiong hadn’t emerged out of nowhere thirty years ago, with Xiong Wenwei’s grand ambition, the Twenty-Seven Allied Gangs might have already turned into the Seventy-Two Allied Gangs, their influence spanning the entire Fufeng County, even claiming the top position would not be out of the question."

"Such enmity is unbearable for anyone."

"When they both suffer heavy losses, that will be the time for us to benefit."

Another, younger voice hesitated before speaking:

"Uncle, what exactly happened thirty years ago..."

"Even if Xiong Wenwei were still alive did the situation in Fufeng’s Jianghu allow for him to lead the largest gang in Fufeng?"

The elder scoffed at the words, emitting a cold hum and said:

"Thirty years ago? Your father was still a little boy at that time, what would you know!"

"Back then, the situation in Fufeng was completely different from recent years. Young masters emerged in great numbers, closely connected with the outside world, making the Jianghu of those days more vibrant and filled with more opportunities."

"I myself entered the Seventh Rank that year and with my iron fists, I bludgeoned to death thirty-seven bandits, making a name for myself in Jianghu."

In the elder’s words, there was a sense of pride and defiance, but after a few moments, he let out a slight sigh and continued:

"However, precisely because of this, many troubling matters arose. Outsiders were planning to reach their claws into Fufeng. They ended up cleanly chopped off. Xiong Wenwei, the leader of the Twenty-Seven Allied Gangs back then, was implicated with one such force. He was killed by a trap set by that old tiger, who joined forces with Fire Refining Sect’s Wei Changkong."

"Back then, Wei Changkong, with the body of a Seventh Rank, fought a Sixth Rank to the point of exhaustion and unconsciousness. Covered in wounds, he still stood tall with eyes wide open in anger, a sight I will never forget..."

Wang Anfeng’s expression changed slightly as he stood outside, recalling the imposing and extraordinary leader of the Fire Refining Sect he had seen two years ago in Pharmacist Valley; his face took on a look of sudden realization.

So it was him.

Even though their meeting was brief and they were enemies at the time, almost to the death, the thought that such a person could accomplish these things in his youth was something Wang Anfeng could accept without a doubt.

The young man inside the house asked in surprise:

"Wei Changkong..."

"Isn’t he, isn’t he the leader of an Evil Sect?"

The elder hummed coldly, apparently full of disdain, and replied:

"Leader of an Evil Sect? Hmph, such a narrow view."

"Back when ’Tiger King’ Tan Tianxiong was just a failed scholar, he still managed to control all the dark dealings in Jianghu of Xi Dingzhou. Master Wang in Divine Martial Mansion was not yet twenty years old and couldn’t fight at all, yet he commanded an army of a hundred thousand to pacify a nation in the Western Regions."

"Thirty years ago, Wei Changkong was a young hero, full of generosity and righteousness. His skills and demeanor are beyond your imagination!"

"Back then, those organizations almost corrupted the entire Fufeng Jianghu. Had not the leader of what you call an ’Evil Sect’ held up the sky by himself, turning the tide, how could you be practicing martial arts and speaking so freely here? You would have been one of their martial artists, dead in who knows where..."

The young man clicked his tongue, saying:

"But later, how did he become like that..."

The elder fell silent for a moment, then spoke:

"Thirty years have gone by, and people change." Find exclusive stories on novelbuddy

"Besides, that incident happened back then..."

His voice gradually trailed off, and Wang Anfeng, who was outside, became quite curious about this matter. He concentrated intently, straining his ears to listen, when suddenly, a surge of Qi Force erupted, causing the young man’s pupils to contract and his body to whirl, flinging himself backwards over ten meters.

With a booming sound, the tightly shut wooden door was shattered into splinters that didn’t turn to dust. Within the fierce Fist Strength, an extremely gentle change occurred, carrying the fragments towards Wang Anfeng with great force. Every shard whistled through the air, each as lethal as a Powerful Crossbow bolt, arriving in an instant.

Recognizing the danger, Wang Anfeng did not attempt to block it. He violently leapt into the air, lightly tapping his toes against the raging Fist Strength, propelling himself aloft. At that moment, his heart jolted as he realized something amiss. Although he didn’t know how the elder had detected him, Wang Anfeng had yet to cover his face, and a direct encounter with the young man would make all his efforts meaningless.

Immediately, his right hand brushed over his waist, where the Buddha Beads glinted faintly, and a mask appeared in Wang Anfeng’s palm. With lightning speed, he placed the mask upon his face.

With a light click, the young man landed on the ground, his gentle features now covered by a rigid metallic mask.

A robust elder had already stepped out of the house, his form surrounded by swirling Vigorous Qi.

PS: The second update...