Training. Second update delivered for the day! Seeking Monthly Votes!) "Indeed, I have such suspicions, which is why I plan to enter the palace in the next few days. I must examine the appearance of that flying dagger to see if it matches this one!" Brilliant light shot from Li Youran's eyes as he continued speaking, "If they are indeed the same, then we'll have a lead, won't we?"

"Precisely! If they match, this villain who acted in secret must be connected to that Princess Lingmeng. Since he intervened to help Princess Lingmeng back then, he certainly won't stand idly by if something happens to her now! At that point, if we take the Princess into custody, that despicable fellow will be forced to show himself!" Lei Jianhong nodded fiercely, a murderous glint flickering in his eyes.

"However, this Princess Lingmeng is the very lady our Junior Brother is pursuing, and she's also quite helpful to the Li family's major affairs. Senior Brother, you must exercise discretion in your actions. If you recklessly cause her harm, you will ruin Junior Brother's promising match," the woman in red shot Li Youran a look before saying slowly.

"Yes, yes, Third Junior Sister speaks rightly; we must deliberate carefully on this matter..." Lei Jianhong repeatedly nodded. Although this Senior Brother lacked strong personal initiative, he was utterly devoted to his martial siblings.

"Third Senior Sister's words are mistaken," Li Youran declared righteously. "Though Princess Lingmeng’s status and looks are exceptional, ultimately, she is merely an outsider. Moreover, even if she were truly one of us Li family, how could she compare to the life-and-death bond between us martial brothers? For the blood feud of our four Senior Brothers, whatever Senior Brother decides, this humble brother will only agree and cooperate with all my might; I will raise absolutely no objections! If avenging the blood feud of our four Senior Brothers requires sacrificing Lingmeng, so what? Even if it demands my very life, I would willingly give it up!"

"Junior Brother!" Lei Jianhong and the others were profoundly moved, looking at Li Youran with intense emotion. "With these words from you, Junior Brother, our thousand-mile journey here was not in vain; our four junior brothers may rest peacefully in the netherworld, even in death!"

Everyone nodded in agreement, their gazes toward Li Youran growing increasingly gentle and affectionate.

"Master said he will come in person to handle the matter concerning Sixth Senior Brother; however, it might take a few more days before he reaches Tianxiang. So, I ask my Senior Brothers and Sisters to temporarily suppress your sorrow and not act rashly. Entrust the investigation of the flying dagger entirely to me," Li Youran sighed. "It is only because of my brother's affair that I have disturbed Master's quiet cultivation; this is what causes me the most guilt. I truly deserve death a thousand times over, yet even ten thousand deaths could not outweigh the debt!"

"Junior Brother, why speak like that? Who doesn't know that among us martial siblings, Master favors you the most?" The seven of them spoke in turn, offering comfort to Li Youran. The atmosphere became incomparably harmonious for a time.

Ever since Li Youran became Lei Wubei's disciple, all living expenses for every disciple under Lei Wubei were wholly supplied by the Li family. From the disciples to the cooks serving under Lei Wubei, almost all were treated like honored guests by Li Youran. Although situated deep in the mountains, their daily necessities were no less than those of a great aristocratic family—perhaps even surpassing them.

It could be said that Li Youran had spoiled this group of Lei Wubei's disciples; their temperaments were something even the spoiled young masters of typical great families could not rival.

"But we cannot remain idle before Master arrives," a sharp glint flashed in Li Youran's eyes. "Senior Brother, you know well that our current intelligence sources are severely limited. Even within the boundaries of Tianxiang City, there are still many factions holding us back. Therefore, I urgently need the strong assistance of several Senior Brothers now, but with this matter having come up, it truly makes it difficult for me to speak."

"We brothers are one family; is your matter not ours? Just say whatever you need to say directly, why be so hesitant? Speak frankly!" Lei Jianhong waved his hand, clearly displeased. He was currently deeply moved, and he would agree instantly to any condition Li Youran proposed!

"Thank you, Senior Brother." Li Youran showed a look of distress and worry. "My difficulty lies with the underground powers in Tianxiang City—the various gangs! I had originally controlled the North City Gang, but due to unforeseen circumstances, the Tang Family rooted them out entirely. So, in this aspect, we are currently in a state of complete vacancy, making everything inconvenient, even obtaining timely information is impossible."

"A few underground gangs? Haha, what kind of problem is that!" Lei Jianhong laughed fiercely. "We've been suppressed quite severely these past few days anyway. While we can't afford to provoke Ying Bokong, it would be good to vent some anger on these small fry! Junior Brother, rest assured. Before Master arrives, we will help you unify the underworld of Tianxiang City and hand it over to you!"

"Thank you for your assistance, Senior Brother! With the of several Senior Brothers and Sisters, a heavy stone has finally been lifted from my heart! And the power of my Li family will surely ascend to a new level thanks to the great help of all my Senior Brothers and Sisters!"

Li Youran rejoiced and bowed in thanks, then ground his teeth, his face filled with grief and indignation. "I will enter the palace immediately to check on the flying dagger. After all, the great feud of our four Senior Brothers cannot be delayed. Even one extra day feels like being roasted over oil, every moment an age! If I cannot avenge our four Senior Brothers soon, what joy is there in my life?"

"Why be so polite between family members! Be careful inside the palace, though; the hearts of people there are unpredictable. We entrust the matter of the flying dagger enemy entirely to you, Junior Brother. We will remain here to await news," Lei Jianhong and the others all rose, earnestly instructing him with visible concern.

"Yes, thank you for your concern, Senior Brothers and Sisters; I know what I must do. Oh, right, Senior Brother, although we need these forces, our Li family cannot stand in the foreground. I can only manipulate things from behind the scenes," Li Youran smiled, offering one last reminder. "Therefore, the proper measure and balance of this must be grasped carefully."

"Of course, we are perfectly clear on the stakes involved! You treating us so solemnly makes it seem like you think we are inexperienced," Lei Jianhong laughed heartily.

This was, undeniably, yet another astonishing coincidence!

Li Youran and Jun Moxie, these potential rivals, were entirely unaware of each other's existence, yet at the same time, they made the exact same choice! They chose the identical target!

The Capital City, the Underworld!

Moreover, their methods were strikingly similar!

Jun Moxie dealt with Hai Chenfeng by first showing favor, then luring with profit, and finally taking advantage of his weakness; against Ying Bokong, he also employed countless calculations and schemes, first using a fabricated identity to intimidate with power and entice with benefit, then appealing to his preferences—thus achieving his goal.

And Li Youran similarly played his cards against his martial siblings, moving them with emotion and persuading them with potential benefits and risks, equally achieving his aims.

While their methods each had their merits, neither was superior to the other, yet both were equally somewhat contemptible and shameless.

Jun Moxie would stop at nothing to achieve his objectives;

Li Youran was ready to disown kin to achieve his goals!

Another startling coincidence was that both unexpectedly mobilized Heavenly Profound realm experts! The difference was that the expert mobilized by Jun Moxie, Hai Chenfeng, was of a higher rank; whereas Li Youran's side boasted superior numbers among the experts. In this respect, they were perfectly matched—six of one and half a dozen of the other.

Currently, in both their minds, there was a feeling of using an ox-cleaver to slaughter a chicken; both were brimming with confidence, feeling the task was within easy grasp!

Everything that had transpired previously had the shadow of these two men in it. It could be said that without the unintentional cooperation between Li Youran and Jun Moxie, none of the events in the Capital City would have occurred. Without either of these two, the storm would not have been so great! Yet, they stirred up the biggest upheaval in Tianxiang City while remaining mutually ignorant.

Even their methods of operation were the same: both preferred to manipulate from behind the scenes, unwilling to show their faces in public. Although Jun Moxie knew of Li Youran's existence and recognized him as the preeminent figure of the Li family's younger generation, he never considered Li Youran a match for him; in his mind, Li Youran was not worthy!

Xie Jun'ao, facing the world, did not even spare a thought for the entire Other World—what was a mere Li Youran?

Li Youran was also aware of Jun Moxie, but in his heart, Jun Moxie held equally little weight.

How could such a mere profligate young master compare to the great Young Master Li? He was utterly disregarded!

Mutually unaware, yet mutually dismissive; they were doing the same things using similar means. Under these circumstances, the first true clash between them was about to begin.

And this genuine confrontation would also take place in the shadows, with both manipulating the situation, yet neither revealing themselves.

Even their current cultivation levels were the same—both at the peak of Golden Profound—yet both mobilized experts at the first level of Heavenly Profound to act on their behalf. Both were disciples of Supremes: behind Hai Chenfeng stood the Azure Supreme Meng Hongchen; behind Lei Jianhong stood the Cold-Blooded Supreme Lei Wubei.

In this aspect, they were once again perfectly matched!

Who would win? Who would lose?

But regardless of the victor or the vanquished, Azure Supreme Meng Hongchen and Cold-Blooded Supreme Lei Wubei—two figures among the Eight Supremes—had now inevitably made enemies of each other while entirely confused as to how it happened!

Two young masters vying for control of petty underground gangs could escalate to involve figures of such earth-shattering stature, triggering vast storms that were bound to sweep across the entire Supreme Realm. This could only be described as the capriciousness of fate, the irony of heaven, utterly marvelous.

Jun had—

Hai Chenfeng, his injuries fully recovered, had long since slipped out, ready to make a grand effort to unify the Tianxiang underworld.

Since the Jun family had Ying Bokong, Hai Chenfeng likely wouldn't dare seek trouble unless his backside was on fire; of course, if Jun Moxie summoned him, that would be another matter.

Ying Bokong was currently holding onto Jun Moxie, intensely studying martial techniques, having reached the point of forgetting to eat or sleep. Young Master Jun had already lost his temper several times, but once Ying Bokong became absorbed in martial research, he disregarded everything else, almost reaching a state of obsessive devotion, ignoring all surrounding matters.

The little loli, Ke'er, quietly brought tea and then crept away; Young Master Tang was in the next room, desperately trying to be invisible, even controlling the sound of his own breathing, not daring to cough or pass gas, because any noise might invite fatal disaster—that man was quite the embodiment of the King of Hell.

For a time, almost everyone seemed quiet and diligent.

The reason it was 'almost' everyone was because it did not include Young Master Jun, the great expert Jun Moxie.