Chapter 402 - 289: Underground Trial, the Huang Family’s Overt Scheme

Chapter 402: Chapter 289: Underground Trial, the Huang Family’s Overt Scheme

In terms of temperament, Zhou Bing was cool and distant—or to be more precise, she was cool on the outside but passionate on the inside.

Shui Yun, on the other hand, exuded the air of a female CEO. Most of the time, she felt majestic and unapproachable.

But when her eyes fell on Tang Wen, they would occasionally reveal a hint of charm that made one’s heart skip a beat.

Speaking of which, of these two great beauties, he hadn’t even fully claimed his senior sister.

And as for Sister Bing, it went without saying.

She was still a virgin!

Tang Wen couldn’t help but admire his own self-control.

"Hello! You can call me Shui Yun."

A slender, fair hand reached out.

"Zhou Bing."

The two beautiful, delicate hands clasped.

Tang Wen stared at their hands, then breathed a sigh of relief.

There was no sign they were competing for strength.

Seeing that the two women weren’t at each other’s throats, Tang Wen silently marveled at how civilized this world was.

’If this were my past life... forget it, I wouldn’t even dare to dream of this in my past life!’

Seeing that the two of them didn’t start a fight, the people and tigers who had been hoping for a spectacle looked away, rather disappointed.

The drinkers went back to their drinks, and the eaters to their meat.

The three women took their seats.

After they were all seated again, Shui Yun was on Tang Wen’s left and Zhou Bing was on his right.

"I was just planning to visit you tonight, Senior Sister," Tang Wen said, casually passing her half a roast chicken.

Shu Mei, the female housekeeper by Shui Yun’s side, naturally took it and began to tear the chicken apart.

"First, I missed you. Second, I have business to discuss."

Shui "the female CEO" Yun was direct and to the point.

She wasn’t the least bit afraid to express her affection for her junior brother in front of others.

In the current Black Water Gang of Ganshan City, the only one holding real power besides Shui Qianjun was Shui Yun.

As the Gang Leader, Shui Qianjun was mainly busy wining and dining with the bigwigs from various factions and distributing profits.

The one who actually got things done was Shui Yun.

Moreover, Tang Wen, who had taken over the Eldest Young Master’s former authority, was also a hands-off boss.

When his subordinates encountered matters they were unsure about, they still had to consult Shui Yun.

Shui Yun took the initiative and held his hand.

Zhou Bing silently averted her gaze. Just as she was about to reach for some food, a new plate of mouth-watering chicken was brought over.

She paused, surprised, and saw Liang Yu beside her.

"I haven’t asked yet, you are?"

"Liang Yu. The Young Master’s personal head guard, subordinate, and concubine."

She said the last word very quietly.

Zhou Bing smiled and gestured for her to eat with them.

Shui Yun and Tang Wen began speaking in low voices. "At the meeting before the new year, the Huang Family changed the rules for the spring martial competition. They’ve changed it to a trial in the underground for the heirs of the major powers. The winner will be decided by the number of Demon heads collected."

Tang Wen frowned. "They can just change it because they say so?"

"The Huang Family’s Patriarch is still the City Lord," Shui Yun said calmly. "The rules were announced by the Inner City Lord’s Mansion. Everyone has to follow them."

Whether the City Lord of Ganshan City was a Half-Step Fourth Grade or a Fourth Grade in a weakened state, the fact remained that he was a Fourth Grade and still firmly called the shots.

"Also, Fifth Grades cannot participate."

Tang Wen narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"

"It’s the old life-and-death trial routine. The Huang Family feels that the heirs of the various families have lived in peace for too long. It’s time they experienced some real bloodshed."

"Heh, and do the Underground Demons play by these rules?" Tang Wen sneered.

In his opinion, not using the experts at their disposal and insisting on some kind of trial was idiotic.

On a real battlefield, the enemy doesn’t play by the rules.

If a Fifth Grade from the Huang Family encountered a Sixth Grade Demon, would they let the Demon go, thinking its level was too low?

"The area they’ve designated is a relatively safe zone." Shui Yun pressed Tang Wen’s hand and quickly explained, "The situation there is very unique."

"Any Fifth Grade who enters gets struck by lightning."

"What? A place like that exists?"

"All the major powers have confirmed it. According to records, the area produces a type of ore called Thunder Jade, and it’s a place with almost no Fluorite or Light Vines."

In the underground, no Fluorite or Light Vines means darkness and no light sources.

It also means danger.

"Could it be a trap?"

"We can’t be one hundred percent sure, but our Black Water Gang has been exploring that area for decades. At least in all those years, our Fifth Grades have tried many times and never succeeded in entering."

In that case, in terms of safety, it was barely acceptable.

But that brought up another question.

Tang Wen thought for a moment and asked, "Something must have changed in that ’Thunder Jade’ area, right?"

The reason he asked was simple.

If the ’Thunder Jade’ area was so safe, what was the point of the trial?

The Direct Lineage Young Masters of Ganshan City’s major powers were all prodigies.

Even if they couldn’t defeat a Sixth Grade—or even a Peak of Sixth Grade expert—simply surviving would be easy for them.

As for chasing ranks to win the trial’s reward, none of the young masters would be foolish enough to care about such a meager prize.

"Something feels off."

"You’re right. The gang’s analysis is that the Huang Family will target you."

Tang Wen smiled. "Correct. In fact, they’ve already started targeting me."

Shui Yun tightened her grip on his hand, her beautiful face turning serious.

Tang Wen recounted his recent experience upon returning to Flame Camp.

Shui Yun’s tone turned icy. "The Huang Family is truly audacious."

"There’s no rush," Tang Wen comforted her.

"In that case, you shouldn’t go this time."

Tang Wen thought so too.

Time was on his side.

Now that he knew the Huang Family couldn’t leave Ganshan City and that there was a problem with their strongest combatant, there was naturally no need to be hasty.

Besides, he still had the White Tiger Tribe as his backer.

The Huang Family wouldn’t dare to do anything openly. As long as he could just lay low until he reached Fourth Grade, the Huang Family would be nothing!

If they were even a little slow to kneel, if they dared to step into Ganshan City with the wrong foot first, he could sentence them all to death.

He mused for a moment, not rushing to a decision. "What’s the reward?"

"The Huang Family’s Fire Department Technique."

Tang Wen was taken aback.

"It’s said to be a Fire Department Technique that leads directly to Fourth Grade—the True God Golden Fire Formulas. A Fire Department Technique is completely useless to you."

Tang Wen hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Can you really cultivate it to Fourth Grade?"

"It should be possible. In the Huang Family’s history, there was a Fourth Grade Fire Department City Lord. This is the technique he cultivated."

That was something that couldn’t be faked.

Before an expert from the Huang Family became the Patriarch, they also progressed through the ranks of Extraordinary, Sixth Grade, and Fifth Grade.

They would have interacted with and been known by many people in the city.

What cultivation technique they practiced and what it looked like in actual combat couldn’t be hidden from others forever.

"How can we prove that what they’re offering is the real technique?"

Shui Yun sensed something was off. "You want this technique?"

Tang Wen grunted in affirmation and looked at Xia Qingge. Shui Yun followed his gaze. "She’s a Fire Department Fifth Grade?"

"That’s right. She uses a particularly crude Fire Department Technique. And an incomplete one at that."

The Mountain-Opening Cannon Fist could be considered powerful among minor factions.

But compared to the powers in Ganshan City, it was completely outclassed.

But there weren’t many Fire Department Techniques that could be cultivated to the Fifth Grade. The Black Water Gang didn’t have one, and the factions that did had no intention of letting them spread, so Tang Wen couldn’t get his hands on one.

"You just said the Huang Family went north to find you, and now they’re offering a Fire Department Technique. It’s obvious they’re trying to lure you into the underground! You absolutely cannot go," Shui Yun said, staring at Tang Wen.

"I understand what you mean, Senior Sister. I don’t want to go either, and I certainly don’t want to risk my life. As for the technique, I can try to find a solution through the White Tiger Tribe or Four Seas Camp."

Tang Wen had always considered "listening to advice" to be one of his greatest virtues.

Since the Huang Family was trying, both overtly and covertly, to get him to go down there, who knew how many hidden traps were waiting for him.

The Fire Department Technique was tempting, but it wasn’t an absolute necessity.

After all, Xia Qingge’s condition wasn’t right. With the "Earth Curse" upon her, continuing to hone her Martial Arts would only bring more excruciating pain and torment.

Shui Yun breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed her grip on his hand. "Good. Then we’ll send the Fourth and Lao Liu down."

Her tone was indifferent, as if she couldn’t care less whether those two lived or died.

Hearing this, Tang Wen smiled and wrapped an arm around her slender waist, his eyes full of mirth. ’Who wouldn’t love such blatant favoritism from a great beauty?’

Although the two of them had lowered their voices, they hadn’t deliberately used voice transmission, so everyone present could hear them.

After everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, Hu Li, who had been silent all this time, suddenly spoke up. "Actually, I think Elder Tang could give that underground trial a try."

Oh?

Tang Wen and Shui Yun looked up at the same time.

Hu Li said, "My tribe also has a Fire Department Technique, but it only goes up to the Fifth Grade."

"Of course, I’m not suggesting the Elder should take a risk just for a cultivation technique."

"The Tiger Race also has records about the characteristics of that ’Thunder Jade’ production area."

"It’s true that the place repels Fifth Grades, but to be precise, it repels Fifth Grade experts who do not practice Thunder Department Techniques."

"And our White Tiger Tribe has a Fifth Grade Thunder Department expert."

"Oh!" Tang Wen’s face lit up with a pleasant surprise.

Hu Li smiled faintly. "Furthermore, she is at the Peak of Thunder Department Fifth Grade, and in the Thunder Jade Mine, she can exert even greater combat power than usual!"

Tang Wen was tempted.

Shui Yun also nodded slowly.

If that was the case, it was indeed possible.

But Tang Wen still had to ask, "Do we have many such Thunder Department Fifth Grades in our tribe? Can we get, say, eight or ten of them?"

Eight or ten?

COUGH! COUGH! Hu Li nearly choked on her roast meat, fighting back the urge to roll her eyes. "There’s only one."

Tang Wen was a little disappointed to hear that.