Chapter 8: Thoughts

So, he even steeled his heart and sent people to intercept and kill him!

Killing is no small matter.

Because, generally speaking, Li Prefecture City was still under a strict legal system; the previous theft already carried great risks.

The reason he dared to instruct people to steal was mainly because Li Qi had never produced that otherworldly item.

He absolutely could not prove that the strange thing was his, so reporting it to the officials would not yield any results.

Furthermore, with a powerful figure backing him, he had nothing to fear.

But now it was different; not only was murder more serious than theft, but unlike the lack of evidence in theft, which meant no one would bother, murder, if it escalated, would definitely bring in Diviners to investigate clues.

He didn't want to go that far.

However, the theft of the cultivation method was something he absolutely could not tolerate.

Even at the risk of being found out, he had to do it.

So he made many arrangements, repeatedly instructing his capable subordinates to be clean and efficient, trying their best to ensure Li Qi died without a trace.

He also had people monitor the Paibo Gang to prevent any movements from them.

He only intended to kill Li Qi, who had peeked, to prevent the cultivation method from spreading, and did not plan to make a fuss.

Now was not the time to escalate things; the Divine Will Legacy was too profound, and he needed at least a year to learn it.

By then, when the Gang members who had received the Divine Will Legacy gathered, they could then invade other territories!

Relying on one cultivation method, he could easily overturn the entire riverside; Li Prefecture City could only have one Boat Towmen Gang!

The Boat Towmen Gang could develop into a Gang like the Fishmonger, monopolizing all city business.

It wouldn't be a major Gang, but it would definitely no longer be at the very bottom.

Plundering the cultivation methods of the other two families, plus a new cultivation method, would definitely allow the Strongmen Gang to reach a higher level!

For this, taking some risks was completely acceptable.

As long as he eliminated Li Qi, then lay low and practiced hard for a year, that was all.

It wasn't his first time killing; the underlying Gang forces were intertwined, clashing with each other.

If a few people died and it wasn't reported to the officials, even the government wouldn't bother.

The people do not accuse, the officials do not investigate; that's how it is at the lowest level.

It's too normal for lower-level forces to fight among themselves; they can't manage it all.

However, if a report was absolutely made to the officials, the government would still handle it, because the government had annual assessments, and the homicide case solving rate was a very important data point.

For example, if Li Qi's otherworldly item was stolen by him, and he really reported it to the officials, constables would indeed take action; whether they could find anything was another matter, but the government would always handle it.

However, if the government lacked confidence in solving a case, they would generally turn a blind eye to homicides, because if a case wasn't solved, it would be a huge bad debt, and they would be severely criticized by their superiors at the end of the year.

Moreover, as long as the government could be made to retreat in the face of difficulty, there was no need to worry about the Paibo Gang going to complain.

After all, did the Paibo Gang have fewer dark histories? If he reported it to the officials, others would also report it, and with mutual entanglement, everyone would be ruined.

Breaking the rules would definitely drag in the Water Horse Gang, and even the Fishmonger and the Canal Transport Army!

That would truly be eternal damnation.

Lu Shan thought so.

Everything was calculated very precisely, there would definitely be no mistakes.

However, he was a bit anxious.

The people monitoring were fine, but why hadn't those sent to kill returned?

Those were the two best fighters in the Gang besides himself; each possessed fifteen hundred catties of brute strength, capable of smashing giant rocks with a single hammer blow.

He knew Li Qi's skill.

With Wave-Breaking Force, in the water, he could easily fight two and even counter-kill.

But on land, he could at most deal with one; if two people attacked together, and it was a sneak attack, there was absolutely no chance of survival.

Just as Lu Shan was anxious, the people he was waiting for finally returned.

"Boss Shan!" A short, stout young man darted in from outside.

"What's wrong? Did something happen with the Paibo Gang?" Lu Shan stood up and quickly asked.

This person was one of the three he sent to monitor the Paibo Gang; it seemed only one had returned, likely to report, while the other two were probably still monitoring.

"Boss Shan, Li Qi returned, but he seems injured, and the injury is not light.

Now the Paibo Gang is in a mess, all discussing selling pigs to hire a doctor!" The young man said happily, his tone overflowing with joy.

But Lu Shan's expression suddenly darkened.

Injured?

The ones sent to kill hadn't returned?

Damn it, is this Li Qi that strong!?

"You go back first and continue to monitor the situation over there, try to find out the exact nature of Li Qi's injury." Lu Shan said with a gloomy face.

"Boss Shan, all three of us saw it clearly.

He pretended to be fine when he came back, but his clothes were still seeping blood, and he fell after two steps.

He must be badly hurt! Who knows what he ran into, hehe, serves him right!" The short, stout young man was overjoyed.

But this cheerfulness became increasingly grating in Lu Shan's ears.

"Alright, stop talking, hurry back and continue watching.

Report back if anything happens!" He suppressed his anger, waved his hand, and sent his subordinate away.

The short, stout young man didn't know why his boss's face suddenly turned gloomy, but he also didn't want to court trouble, so he quickly ran back.

Meanwhile, Lu Shan closed his eyes, pondering the recent intelligence.

Li Qi wasn't dead, but he was very likely injured.

Could he be faking it?

Possibly, that fellow was always cunning.

But the possibility was small; he knew his capabilities very well.

Those two were capable henchmen, their strength ranked among the top in all three Gangs.

Li Qi's skill could not have allowed him to escape unharmed.

It seemed then that Li Qi was incredibly cunning, using a trick to get the two into the water, and then fighting them in the water.

This was the only possibility; only in the water, with the help of Wave-Breaking Force, could he have done this.

Inferring these things made Lu Shan sit in his chair, his expression fluctuating between clear and overcast, his face alternating between red and black.

"Whether he's injured or not, there can be no hesitation.

His survival is the biggest threat; that cultivation method cannot be learned by him!" Lu Shan steeled his heart and made up his mind.

Although he didn't even know the name of that cultivation method, the Divine Will Legacy required him to comprehend it himself, which was essentially like having a teacher in his mind guiding him, but whether he could learn it still depended on himself.

That powerful figure told him that with his talent, it would take about a year to get started, and by then, he would naturally know the name of this cultivation method.

However, he couldn't wait a year now.

He suddenly stood up: "I'll risk it all!"

Then, he walked out the door and shouted, calling all the Boat Towmen around him.

Under the cover of night, and with the Paibo Gang currently full from food and drink, they would surely be drowsy.

He would gather his men and launch a night raid on the Paibo Gang to kill Li Qi!

Even if the officials investigated afterwards, he could say it was a counterattack after the cultivation method was stolen.

In this way, as long as there wasn't indiscriminate killing, the blame would certainly not be too much.

If the officials wanted to investigate further, it would definitely implicate that powerful figure.

Although he didn't know who the other party was, being able to casually produce a cultivation method and speak so much about the Dao, he was willing to believe that the energy from the other party being implicated would be enough to deter the officials!

He gambled!