To one side, Mu Xuetong and the little princess Han Yanmeng held different thoughts; both felt a surge of happiness for Jun Wuyi and Elder Sister Han Yanyao. They had been separated for ten years, suffering for ten years, and now, with the help of such a powerful ally, reunification seemed just around the corner! Wasn't that cause for rejoicing?

Upon returning to Sheng Baotang, the First Elder’s immediate action was to draft a long letter, detailing every event of the past few days without omission. He emphasized his own viewpoints, subtly offering his opinions regarding the appearance of Ying Bokong and the mysterious expert. After filling more than ten pages, he finally released the carrier hawk. Alone, he stood atop Sheng Baotang, silently gazing at the darkening sky, increasingly sensing that a storm was brewing, eliciting endless sighs from him!

Once this turbulence erupted, who knew how many more lives would be cut short!

Especially now, with the addition of the Soul-Returning Jade of the Xiao family from Silver City! This was an absolute treasure that could not suffer the slightest mishap! The Xiao family would stop at nothing to reclaim it!

But this jade was in the hands of that mysterious, black-clad, masked figure?!

How could they take it back? Even if they could, facing such a supreme powerhouse with the entire Snow Wind Silver City would inevitably lead to mutual destruction! How many people would ultimately survive?

At the same time, two more carrier hawks shot into the sky, soaring toward Silver City. These carried messages from the little princess and intelligence from Mu Xuetong, both destined for the same recipient: Han Yanyao!

That elegant and intelligent, yet pitiable woman, who sacrificed her youth just to ensure the continuation of the Jun family—how thrilled must she be to receive news of the man she loved most?

"What?!" A roar of mingled shock and fury erupted from below: "Jun Wuyi’s poison injury is healed? How is this possible?! How could the wound be gone! Scoundrel! I forbid it!"

The First Elder closed his eyes. Xiao Han, it was because of you back then! Now, what are you planning?

As night descended, the forces of the Golden Sun Gang, the foremost martial arts faction in Tianxiang City, began gathering from all directions, rushing swiftly toward the main headquarters.

Previously, the Golden Sun Gang headquarters had issued the "Golden Sun Shining," a general summons reserved exclusively for the Gang Leader. This token was not only authorized solely by the Leader but also signaled that the Golden Sun Gang was facing a critical juncture requiring a life-or-death decision. Since the gang’s founding, this general summons had never been issued, not even when the main branch was nearly annihilated by the unfathomably powerful, long-nosed elder.

It wasn't that Jin Fenglie was unwilling to issue the summons; it was simply that the old man's strength was too terrifying—human wave tactics were useless against him. Even if the token had been released, the outcome wouldn't have changed; it would have been better to just seek out his sworn brother from the sea. But circumstances were different now.

A man in blue stood there, hands clasped behind his back, his aura as deep as the sea, unmoving as a mountain, exuding the imposing presence of a profound master. His entire being gave off the feeling of a ceaseless, surging ocean, as if he were quietly awaiting the arrival of everyone from the Golden Sun Gang. Jin Fenglie, the Leader of the Golden Sun Gang, sat solemnly to one side, an expression of unusual gravity on his face. He could sense that his sworn brother and benefactor had undergone a significant change in both demeanor and spirit this time.

Full of... dominance! And a craving for control!

This was vastly different from his previous attitude of complete indifference toward worldly affairs!

Perhaps the Golden Sun Gang was about to be utterly transformed under the command of his sea-brother!

If not for this, why would he have issued the "Golden Sun Shining" general summons?

Seeing that the four Hall Masters and twelve Cabin Masters of the Golden Sun Gang had all arrived, Jin Fenglie stood up, clapped his hands with a grim face, and the crowd immediately fell silent, all eyes fixed on him, awaiting his speech.

"Today, I issued the general summons to gather all our brothers because I have a major announcement to make!" Jin Fenglie’s cold gaze slowly swept over every face. "From this day forward, our Golden Sun Gang welcomes its new Gang Leader. This is the first step for the Golden Sun Gang toward unifying the underworld of Tianxiang! Hai Chenfeng, our brother Hai, you all know him; I will not introduce him further.

Originally, my relationship with Brother Hai was inseparable; his standing in the Golden Sun Gang was already exceptionally lofty. But starting today, Brother Hai Chenfeng will advance further—he will become the Leader of the Golden Sun Gang! As for myself, I will step down to become the First Protector."

At this declaration, the crowd fell into dead silence.

Jin Fenglie finished his announcement and waited quietly for a moment. Seeing no one respond, he slowly spoke again, "Do any of the brothers present have differing opinions?"

While he spoke, Hai Chenfeng remained standing with his hands behind his back, his eyes fixed on the row of memorial tablets placed on the incense table before him: these were the founding figures of the Golden Sun Gang, now reduced to mere tablets.

"I have an opinion!" A burly man stepped out from the crowd. "May I ask why Big Brother has made this decision? Brother Hai’s martial arts are peerless, his skills superb, and we naturally respect that; however, being the master of the organization requires more than just high martial ability. Wouldn't it be better to remain as an esteemed guest of the gang, as before? Why insist on such a formal transfer of power? To put it plainly, Brother Hai already holds an exalted position in the gang, his authority even surpassing yours. Why go through the trouble of taking on the thankless role of Gang Leader?!"...

"Currently, masters from all sides are gathered in the capital; it is a time of surging currents and gathering storms. The great aristocratic families are making their moves. Those who have already made demands for our allegiance include the Murong Clan, the Li Family, and the Song Family. Hall Master Luo, in your view, if I remained the Gang Leader, how much further could I lead everyone? We cannot afford to offend any of these families! The Golden Sun Gang presumptuously calls itself the foremost martial faction in Tianxiang City, but any single great clan has the capability to destroy us in an instant. For the future, what options do I have?"

Jin Fenglie sighed, "I cannot afford to provoke them, but there are those who can! Brother Hai is perfectly capable of shouldering this great responsibility. He can lead our brothers so that we neither have to bow to any faction nor serve as lackeys to any house, while still surviving and keeping the banner of the Golden Sun Gang raised high! However, although Brother Hai holds the title of a guest elder in our gang, his position remains unofficial. That is why I decided to yield the leadership to him. Now, do you understand?"

The burly man’s lips moved, but after a long silence, he retreated.

"I have an opinion!" A small, thin man squeezed forward. "Gang Leader, how many factions in the capital currently refuse to align themselves with the powerful? You yourself said that without relying on the nobility, even a strong group like the Golden Sun Gang can only scrape by in the cracks, or even face destruction at any moment. Since that is the case, why don't we choose one faction outright? As long as we negotiate the division of benefits reasonably during the alliance agreement, we won't necessarily become subservient to any single power. With a strong backer, regardless of whether they are in court or out, our brothers will have someone to speak for us—wouldn't that be better? Why stubbornly cling to our meager foundation only to invite ruin?"

"In your opinion, which powerful family would be the most suitable?" Hai Chenfeng replied, hands still behind his back, though his voice drifted over in a low tone.

"In my humble opinion, both the Murong and Li families are suitable! The only thing unsuitable is struggling merely to survive independently; that is an utterly unwise course of action!" the thin man declared loudly.

The sapphire-blue figure suddenly spun around, like a vast ocean tide suddenly surging violently.

Bang!

The thin man was struck squarely in the chest by a palm from Hai Chenfeng. His internal organs immediately shattered, and his body flew far away. While still airborne, his form suddenly split into five pieces, utterly destroying him beyond recognition!

"A true man, born between heaven and earth, choosing to live relying on others just to survive? Such existence is worse than death!" Hai Chenfeng turned sharply to face the crowd. "If you live, live to the fullest! Those who are timid and indecisive are unworthy to be brothers of the Golden Sun Gang! Those who have secretly accepted benefits from others are even more unworthy to stand here! Now, tell me, who else has an opinion?"

"Brothers willing to live and die with me, to open up a great future for the Golden Sun Gang together, step forward!" Hai Chenfeng commanded coldly, his eyes sweeping over the faces of the crowd like a hawk's gaze. "From this day forward, I, Hai Chenfeng, am the new Leader of the Golden Sun Gang! I give you one day—until tomorrow—to consider. Those who wish to leave, go! Those willing to stay, wait here! After tomorrow marks the new beginning for the Golden Sun Gang! At that time, under the gang rules, no one shall be permitted to defy them!"

"Defy them, and you die!"

Hai Chenfeng finally revealed his dominance, his ruthlessness! Even if that thin man had not accepted benefits from others, as long as he voiced opposition, Hai Chenfeng would use him to establish authority! A change in power absolutely requires bloody measures!

If anyone was to blame, it was only for his bad luck!

The night was deep. The crowd dispersed in silence. Seeing the horribly mangled corpse of the thin man, everyone shivered involuntarily and quickened their pace of departure.

Hai Chenfeng had successfully taken control of the Golden Sun Gang! The next step would be gradual expansion to the surrounding areas!

Hai Chenfeng had finally taken his first step—the first step demanded by Jun Moxie: unifying the capital’s underworld!

And this was merely the first step of the beginning!

When Jun Moxie returned to the Jun estate, the lamps were already lit across the city.

Along the way, the great master Jun was in extremely high spirits; because he had both taken revenge on the Sixth Elder and acquired a magical jade pendant! The capabilities of this pendant remained for Jun Moxie to explore.

But ever since this jade pendant appeared, the Grandmist Pagoda had been highly active. This convinced Jun Moxie that this was absolutely no ordinary piece of jade.

He vaguely felt that this jade pendant was not a jade artifact at all, but some kind of undiscovered substance. As soon as he obtained it, Jun Moxie tossed it directly into the Grandmist Pagoda...

Upon returning home, Young Master Jun was surprised to find that Ying Bokong, the Supreme Elder who had supposedly left to reside in Jun Wuyi's courtyard, was waiting in his study. Why was this old fellow back? Furthermore, he looked terribly displeased. It seemed no one in the Jun residence dared to provoke this elder; who could have made him look so vexed?!

"Thieving brat, you’re finally back?! You’ve caused me such misery!" Ying Bokong lunged forward with a terrifying look, grabbing Jun Moxie and hauling him inside.

(To be continued)