Chapter Forty-Four: The Firewood Gang’s Plan

Yang Ze’s hands searched over Poisonborn’s body, and soon he discovered a small cloth bundle on him. Apart from this, there was nothing else of value to be found. For a master like Poisonborn to carry only this single bundle and nothing more, Yang Ze understood at once that this item must be something the man regarded highly; it was certainly no ordinary object.

He carefully untied the bundle, ready to fling it away at the slightest sign of danger. Yet nothing unexpected occurred. As the cloth fell open, a manual came into view.

The Ninefold Spiraling Finger!

Yang Ze mused silently, examining the manual closely to be sure there was nothing unusual about it before picking it up. There was nothing else inside the bundle. Now Yang Ze understood: the martial technique Poisonborn had practiced was none other than this Ninefold Spiraling Finger. This was no place to study such a skill, so Yang Ze simply put it away for now.

Without bothering to check the other bodies, Yang Ze entered the Hall of Venom. This was merely its outer perimeter; deeper within lay the true heart of the sect.

Heading inward, he soon located the study of the Hall of Venom. Poisonborn had left in such a hurry that the door stood wide open. With no one to stop him, Yang Ze stepped inside. He wanted to see if there was anything of value within. The room was considerably grander than his own study, and the number of books alone far exceeded what he was accustomed to, immediately piquing his interest.

Yet after a careful search, he found that these were all common books—none of them were rare or valuable. On reflection, Yang Ze realized this made sense. Truly precious items would hardly be left in a study; surely, they would be hidden in a vault.

Leaving the study, Yang Ze’s ears caught a noise from outside. He made his way back toward the front gate of the Hall of Venom and arrived just in time to see Old Xie leading several men on horseback.

“Manager, I’ve brought the most capable brothers ahead. The rest are following behind; they’ll be here soon,” Old Xie reported, dismounting and cupping his fists. In front of outsiders, he always addressed Yang Ze as Manager, to distinguish their roles.

“No matter. Watch over this place for now. Steward Xie and I have an errand—we’ll be leaving for a while. Until we return, do not meddle with anything in the Hall of Venom. Simply make sure no one intrudes,” Yang Ze instructed.

“Yes, sir!” the men answered in unison.

“Old Xie, let’s go. Time is short. We can still make it to the Woodcutters’ Guild,” said Yang Ze, glancing at the sky. It was already midday, and the situation on Xiangyun Street was evolving faster than he had anticipated. Since he had already intervened, he was determined to sweep away all opposition at once, leaving no chance for others to interfere.

Old Xie dared not delay. The two of them boarded the carriage and set off at once.

When they arrived at the gates of the Woodcutters’ Guild, Yang Ze and Old Xie found the entrance wide open and not a soul in sight.

“Second Young Master, be careful—this could be a trap,” Old Xie warned, scanning the area and finding not even a single lookout.

“Stay alert. With the strength you and I possess, even if we encounter a peak Qi Drawing master, we can still put up a fight. There’s no need to be afraid,” Yang Ze replied, striding inside while Old Xie guarded his flank, both of them watching closely for any ambush.

Yet as they advanced, they found the place eerily deserted—still no sign of anyone.

“Something’s wrong. Why would the Woodcutters’ Guild be completely unguarded in broad daylight? Did they all flee?” Old Xie glanced back at the gate, when suddenly a flash of insight appeared in his eyes.

“You saw it too? They haven’t fled—they’re all inside. Hurry, someone’s beaten us here!” Yang Ze had noticed fresh wheel tracks on the ground, so clear they must have been left only moments ago. He was certain someone else had arrived first.

The Woodcutters’ Guild was divided into inner and outer sections, essentially two areas: ordinary members lived in the outer area, while only those of status could reside within the inner compound.

When Yang Ze and Old Xie entered the inner compound, they heard muffled voices coming from several large buildings. As they approached, the people inside became aware of their presence, and a few sharp cries rang out.

“So the Woodcutters’ Guild members are all hiding in here. What on earth would make them all cower like this?” Yang Ze was taken aback by the scene.

“It seems Meng Yitian is every bit as cautious as the rumors say,” Old Xie remarked. Sensing Yang Ze’s confusion, he explained further: “Meng Yitian is a wary man. As soon as he heard of our actions, he gathered all his members back, fearing they might cause trouble otherwise.”

This explanation satisfied Yang Ze. As they spoke, a group of about thirty people emerged from the deepest building in the compound. Leading them was none other than Meng Yitian, the guild leader himself, flanked by two elderly men whose ruddy complexions marked them as men of considerable skill.

They had all been inside, but the commotion outside had drawn them out. Recognizing Yang Ze at once, the three men’s faces changed in unison.

“Feng Liyuan, Fan Qi!” Old Xie immediately identified the two men beside Meng Yitian.

The mention of these names brought a cold glint to Yang Ze’s eyes. He did not know them personally, but their names were well known, for they were both high-level Qi Drawing experts from the Feng and Fan families, respectively.

Moreover, both served as elders representing their families in this district, each overseeing a different sector. Their presence here today made it clear that the Feng and Fan families intended to intervene in the affairs of Xiangyun Street.

“Yang Ze, how dare you show your face here!” Feng Liyuan shouted angrily at Yang Ze.

“Why shouldn’t I be here? Is this your Feng family’s territory now?”

“You’ve got some nerve, causing trouble on Xiangyun Street. Don’t forget—this is the North City. Don’t forget that!” Fan Qi snapped coldly, pointedly reminding Yang Ze that this was not Yang family ground.

“And what of it? Is Four Directions Alley yours, or the Feng family’s? Both your families only control a portion. Today, I, Yang Ze, am telling you: Xiangyun Street is mine. Should either of your families dare to set foot here, I’ll chop off the foot that crosses the line!” Yang Ze’s blunt words infuriated Feng Liyuan and Fan Qi, but Meng Yitian, standing between them, remained impassive.

“Guild Leader Meng, have you considered the offer we made you earlier? This is a rare opportunity—you’d best not let it slip by,” Feng Liyuan said, suppressing his anger and turning to Meng Yitian.

“Think carefully before you answer, Guild Leader Meng. Don’t waste our goodwill,” Fan Qi added, his tone carrying a hint of menace.

“I’ve thought it over very clearly, gentlemen. My mind was made up long ago. Today, you’ve come in vain—I cannot agree to your terms,” Meng Yitian replied.

“What did you say, Meng? Do you realize what a rare chance this is? If you don’t seize it, do you know what will become of you?” Feng Liyuan threatened.

“Elder Feng, as I said, my decision was made long ago. Whether you came today or not, nothing would change. You and the Fan family wish to use the Woodcutters’ Guild as your pawn. That is something I will never agree to.”

At these words, Fan Qi trembled with rage. Their intentions were now laid bare. The two had come as soon as they heard of the upheaval on Xiangyun Street, heading straight for the Woodcutters’ Guild. Representing their families, they had offered conditions—some resources and additional manpower—in exchange for Meng Yitian opposing Yang Ze and ensuring the street did not fall into any one person’s hands.

But despite all their negotiations, Meng Yitian had evaded giving them a clear answer. Just as they were about to resort to force, Yang Ze arrived—and now Meng Yitian had openly rejected them.

“Meng Yitian, you’re just a mid-stage Qi Drawing cultivator. Without our support, how will you resist Yang Ze in Xiangyun Street?” Fan Qi shouted.

Meng Yitian burst into laughter. “Who told you I want to resist Manager Yang? I never intended to oppose him. In fact, I have no desire to remain leader of the Woodcutters’ Guild at all!”

His words exploded among the crowd like a thunderclap—no one had expected Meng Yitian to say such a thing.

“Manager Yang, I have admired you for a long time and wish to bring my brothers to join the Tongyang Alliance. Would you be willing to accept us? Earlier, I seized the Iron Hammer Gang’s assets as a gift for you. Otherwise, if the Hall of Venom had acted first, it would have troubled you with another errand. But I didn’t expect you to have already wiped out the Hall of Venom. It seems my efforts were unnecessary after all.” Meng Yitian cupped his fists and smiled at Yang Ze, adding another word of respect.