The Ice Mirror Society: This society was splintered off from a faction of the original Black God Gang, specifically the Seventy-Two Earthly Fiends who were commanded by the former Dragon Lord. As for why they broke away, that reason remains obscure to this day.

The Seventy-Two Earthly Fiends are figures from the older generation. Back then, they accompanied the original Dragon Lord of the Black God Gang, achieving considerable military merit, and were core members of the organization. Besides the Ten Military Generals, the Thirty-Six Heavenly Spirits and the Seventy-Two Earthly Fiends constituted the second tier of members in the Black God Gang. If you assume these individuals are all old geezers, perhaps even relics, then you’d be wrong. It must be stated clearly: twenty years ago, the original members of the Black God Gang’s Thirty-Six Heavenly Spirits and Seventy-Two Earthly Fiends were barely out of their teens, around eighteen. Today, twenty years later, you can imagine these men are not old relics, but absolute super-monsters.

It seemed as though some people, some events, were pulling the strings of it all, but sometimes, the facts speak louder than words.

“Sigh... old, so old,” an elder murmured to himself, slowly pouring tea into a cup while seated on a stone bench.

“Hmph, you old coot, did you come all the way here today just to utter that one phrase?” There wasn't just one elder present; another man was leisurely trimming a very ordinary potted plant with a pair of shears, speaking to the first.

“Old Yang, you really know how to slack off. Hiding here all day, sipping tea when you have time, tending to your plants, practicing medicine—but me? I toiled for the better half of my life, only to transfer what was mine to others in the end. What truly makes my blood boil is that I still have to manage that dreadful school! Alas—!” The elder—no, perhaps more accurately, Principal Li—though sighing, his face was wreathed in a smile, as if the situation were delightfully perplexing.

“Cut the act, don't think I don't know what you’re scheming,” Old Yang, the one pruning the bonsai, shot Principal Li a look of contempt, though his own face was equally set in a grin.

“Damn it… can’t I even complain? Do I have it easy?” Principal Li took a gulp of tea, then deliberately put on a pitiful expression.

“I choose to ignore that. I didn't hear a thing. My ears are finally clear!” Old Yang declared with an air of utter shamelessness.

Even the tips of their toes knew Principal Li was just venting, yet a moment later, he managed a faint smile and asked quite seriously, “Old Yang, tell me, if I refuse to hand over control of the Ice Mirror Society, what will your monster of a grandson do?”

“Hahahaha!” Hearing this, Old Yang stopped trimming, merely letting out a few loud laughs without offering a direct reply.

Principal Li frowned in confusion, turning his head to glance at Old Yang, and pressed, “Come on, tell me.”

Old Yang huffed, shook his head, set down the shears, approached the stone bench, sat down, poured himself a cup of tea, and took a slow sip. “Mmm, the fragrance of the tea. Tea is tea, fragrance is fragrance!”

“Damn it, old man, hurry up and speak! If I don’t surrender the Ice Mirror Society, is that brat actually going to attack me?” Principal Li desperately wanted to know how Yang Yi would act if things escalated to that point.

“Alas, Old Li, Old Li, haven't I told you? You must not underestimate that boy. Sometimes, even I feel a sense of dread towards him.” Old Yang sighed softly, perhaps recalling that delicate, handsome face revealing an almost unbearable, unique arrogance in the young man.

“If what you’re saying is true, does that mean I’m going to lose?” Principal Li felt Old Yang was exaggerating things. He had witnessed Yang Yi’s strength, but surely not to the extent Old Yang described.

“Not lose!”

“Then what?” Principal Li became even more perplexed when he heard Old Yang’s short declaration.

“A catastrophic defeat. An utter, decisive wipeout,” Old Yang said, a flicker of amusement crossing his eyes.

“Blast it, old man, don’t try to scare me. The Seventy-Two Earthly Fiends are not to be trifled with! Even if his Ten Military Generals and Thirty-Six Heavenly Spirits can match the Fiends, I still have other members in the Ice Mirror Society! I absolutely disagree with what you’re saying, totally disagree!” Principal Li seemed genuinely struck, protesting with disbelief.

Truthfully, the old man wasn't entirely confident himself. It wasn't just about the Ten Military Generals and the Thirty-Six Heavenly Spirits; it was Yang Yi himself. Though his current power level wasn't the highest, he always radiated a sense of extreme danger, leaving the Principal deeply uncertain.

“It’s undeniable that I was the one who let the Seventy-Two Earthly Fiends follow you back then. While they won't defy your orders and are certainly strong, if they clash with him, I guarantee he will come straight back here to find me,” Old Yang stated.

“Come back to find you? Why?” Principal Li was puzzled.

“To ask a question,” Old Yang replied.

“What question?” Principal Li could barely stand this old man anymore. After twenty years, this fellow's nature hadn’t changed one bit—always fond of playing games. He suspected Yang Yi learned this trickery from him; the man was a menace.

Old Yang was unaware that Principal Li was mentally branding him a menace, simply looking at him and saying, “If your Ice Mirror Society clashes with him, he will definitely return and ask me: Are the Seventy-Two Earthly Fiends worth killing?”

“What?” Principal Li exclaimed in shock, then quickly asked, “Does that mean he...”

“Yes, exactly what you’re thinking. I thought this brat would keep me worried for quite a while longer, but now that’s unnecessary. He has completely surpassed me. If you do not transfer the Ice Mirror Society to him, what awaits you is certain death, and annihilation for your entire force,” Yang Yi, it seemed, stated with utter certainty.

“Monster, a monster!” Principal Li finally understood. That single line—he will come back here to ask Old Yang if the Seventy-Two Earthly Fiends are worth killing—made everything terrifyingly clear.

If Yang Yi were to ask that question, it meant he was utterly confident in wiping out the Ice Mirror Society and seizing control of the entire underworld of A City. Others might doubt it, but Principal Li believed it implicitly, especially after hearing Old Yang confirm, ‘He has already surpassed me.’ At this moment, Principal Li was utterly crestfallen; the blow was immense.

“Alas, Old Li, we are indeed old. Our methods are clearly insufficient,” Old Yang sighed heavily. “Ever since that brat emerged from the Cave of the Dead, even I can no longer gauge the depth of his capabilities. So, there’s no need for discouragement; after all, we are getting old.” He sighed, unsure if he felt anticipation or merely relief from letting go of a burden.

“You’re right, it is true. Every time I see that brat’s methods, I’m struck with fear—bold, innovative, tremendously ambitious, and possessing profound subtlety. Alas, you two—grandfather and grandson—are both monsters!” Principal Li seemed to have let go, yet suddenly something occurred to him, and he asked with curiosity, “Old Yang, I’m quite intrigued. What exactly did he learn inside that Cave of the Dead? While his strength has reached a certain height, making him untouchable by ordinary people, there is still the Dragon Ranking in Huaxia.”

“Don’t just say you’re curious; I am too. Perhaps he learned things we people have spent our entire lives failing to grasp,” Old Yang admitted. In truth, he had no idea what Yang Yi had learned in the Cave of the Dead and was intensely curious himself.

“Perhaps it is as you say,” Principal Li murmured faintly.

“Heh heh, speaking of which, Old Li, has that brat started moving against your Ice Mirror Society yet?” Old Yang inquired.

“I suppose so. I don't care anymore. Why worry about it? The Ice Mirror Society isn’t mine now, no matter what he does!” Principal Li replied.

“Hahahaha, if I’m not mistaken, that brat will definitely move to conquer the Seventy-Two Earthly Fiends first,” Old Yang stated, as if he knew everything.

“Why?”

“Because he knows the Seventy-Two Earthly Fiends are the very core of the entire Ice Mirror Society!”

Hearing this, a flicker of astonishment crossed Principal Li’s face. He said nothing, merely staring fixedly at Old Yang before letting out a long sigh. “It seems he knew this long ago.”

Indeed, Yang Yi had known this from very early on. It was precisely because he knew this that he hadn't simply absorbed the Ice Mirror Society back into the Black God Gang. The Seventy-Two Earthly Fiends were the essential nucleus of the Ice Mirror Society; their structure dictated everything from training methods to administrative integration. Because they originated from the Black God Gang, whatever they contributed carried the essence of the Black God Gang from twenty years prior; the fundamental nature remained unchanged. Ultimately, they shared the same root.

Therefore, Yang Yi’s current primary objective was not the Ice Mirror Society itself, but its core: the Seventy-Two Earthly Fiends. Once he subdued them, the rest of the Ice Mirror Society’s members, management, and personnel would simply fall into his grasp, effortlessly.

It was just past nine in the evening.

Yang Yi appeared to have already set his plan in motion. He sat in his car, his signature rogue’s smile playing on his lips, meticulously mapping out his thoughts. In less than a moment, the car pulled up in front of a rather upscale-looking bar. Stepping out, he glanced at the building before him and murmured something cryptic, “‘The Seventy-Two Earthly Fiends are getting more and more interesting.’”