Building a Martial Dao Celestial Family by Laying Low

Inside Dragon Bone Temple.

Li Sanli’s gaze instantly locked onto Chen Li.

He had spent half his life with one foot in the grave, and his intuition for danger was second nature. The moment he laid eyes on Chen Li, alarm bells screamed in his mind.

’This man is extremely dangerous!’

His voice was low and hoarse, laced with undisguised caution. "What business do you have with me, sir?"

Chen Li didn’t beat around the bush, getting straight to the point. "Since your gang is interested in doing business, there are a few things I need to ask you about face-to-face."

"Ask."

Li Sanli’s reply was terse. The aura around him was already drawn taut as a bowstring.

Chen Li looked him straight in the eye. "He Zhangqiu told you to sell me those forty thousand bolts of silk at the low price of seven taels of silver per bolt. What are your intentions?"

The words struck like a clap of thunder from a clear sky.

At his side, Qian Laibao’s eyes went wide, and he sucked in a sharp breath.

Chen Shouye and Linglong were also shaken to the core.

They had, in fact, known about this for some time.

But who just lays all their cards on the table like that, dragging the whole conspiracy into the light from the very start?

It wasn’t just them. Even the weathered Li Sanli was caught off guard by the earth-shattering question, his pupils contracting sharply.

The matter of He Zhangqiu entrusting the Tuo Long Bang to sell this silk was top secret. Besides the Gang Leader, he was the only one in the gang who knew.

He had handled all the clandestine contact with the He Family himself.

Even Hall Master Xi, who had been conducting the negotiations, was merely following orders and didn’t know the full story.

The other gang members might know about the silk, but they would never know who the owner was or what the true purpose was.

’How could he possibly know?’

In truth, Chen Li had long been wary of this strange silk deal. He sensed it was a trap aimed at him, and perhaps even Zhou Shuwei.

Although he had his suspicions, he couldn’t be certain who was pulling the strings.

That was why he had sent his eldest son, Shouheng, to find Linglong and bring her back.

It wasn’t until Linglong returned from Liyang and used her connection with Li Yuniang that they finally confirmed it: the He Family was behind this deadly scheme.

And it was precisely because he had seen through their plot that Chen Li decided to strike first.

Before the He Family could react, he would go straight to the source and meet with the man in charge of the Tuo Long Bang.

If he waited for his enemies to make their preparations, he would be forced into an extremely passive position.

At this moment, Li Sanli’s mind was in turmoil, a thousand thoughts flashing through it in an instant.

He quickly ruled out the possibility of a leak from within the gang. The procedures and the circle of those in the know were too strict; there were no loopholes.

’If it wasn’t our side, then the problem must be within the He Family.’

’Could the Chen Family have planted a spy that deep within the He Family?’

’One who could uncover such a secret?’

His face darkened, and he said coldly, "I don’t know what nonsense you’re talking about."

Chen Li watched him calmly. "Gang Leader Sanli, you’re a straightforward man. Why waste each other’s time?"

Hearing the man call him out by name and title, Li Sanli was shaken again. His face completely fell.

In the previous negotiations with Qian Laibao, he had never shown his face, always remaining behind the scenes while Hall Master Xi handled the contact.

There was no way the other party could have known of his existence or his title.

Now, he was absolutely certain the leak had come from the He Family. Furthermore, the leaker had to be someone of high status, otherwise how could they know his name and identity so clearly?

A cold glint flashed in his eyes, and he stopped denying it. "I am only responsible for selling the silk. Once the goods are exchanged for silver, I know nothing and care nothing for anything else."

Chen Li gave a faint smile. "In that case, we’ll do as you wish and talk only business. Forty thousand bolts of silk at seven taels of silver a bolt. I’ll buy them."

Li Sanli frowned, clearly not expecting Chen Li to agree so readily. He paused for a moment before suppressing his doubts. "Good! You’re decisive! When and where do we make the exchange?"

Chen Li’s tone shifted. "There’s no hurry for the exchange. I’d actually like to propose another deal with Gang Leader Sanli. I wonder if you’d be interested?"

"What deal?"

Li Sanli’s brow furrowed, his wariness growing.

Chen Li said, "Another silk deal. I intend to sell forty thousand bolts of silk to your gang for seven taels of silver a bolt. Does Gang Leader Sanli want them?"

A sharp glint flashed in Li Sanli’s eyes. The aura around him roiled, nearly spinning out of control. "What do you mean by that, sir?!"

He now had absolutely no idea what this man was playing at.

Chen Li smiled. "It’s exactly what it sounds like. If you want them, I will sell you the forty thousand bolts of silk I’m about to acquire, at the original price. It would save you the trouble of transport and storage.

"With the Tuo Long Bang’s control over the waterways, it would be a simple matter for you to take this shipment and resell it elsewhere. You buy for seven taels, sell for over twenty at market price. Gang Leader Sanli should know better than I the profit involved."

Li Sanli’s gaze flickered rapidly, the muscles in his face twitching. Even his breathing grew heavy.

Clearly, the massive, easily obtainable profit was a fatal temptation.

After a moment of silence, he finally shook his head slowly. "Money is something the Tuo Long Bang naturally wants. But our lives... we want those more."

"Since you don’t want to make money..."

The last trace of a smile vanished from Chen Li’s face. His gaze turned glacial, and an invisible killing intent began to radiate from him. "Then I can only invite you to forfeit your life right now."

He said no more. His figure blurred, and with a seemingly casual step, the very air in the dilapidated temple seemed to freeze.

His right fist followed, thrusting forward in a simple, unadorned motion. Yet, it stirred the surrounding Heaven and Earth Qi, channeling the vast Fist Intent of ’all returns to nothingness’.

Five Directions Twenty-Four Solar Terms Wuxiang Fist.

Where the fist passed, the air seemed to collapse with a low whine, targeting Li Sanli’s vital points.

’A Void Transformation Grandmaster!’

Li Sanli’s pupils shrank to pinpricks.

Although he had long suspected the man was formidably strong, he had never imagined he was a Grandmaster who had already reached the Void Transformation stage.

At such a close distance, against such a sudden attack, he had no way to dodge.

"SHING! SHING!"

In that split second, the two dull short blades at Li Sanli’s waist were unsheathed.

The flash of the blades carried a bone-chilling cold and a sharp Sword Intent, slashing in a cross pattern toward Chen Li’s fist.

The Sword Intent danced, instantly weaving a deadly web of blades in an attempt to use offense as defense and repel the earth-shattering punch.

Chen Li’s fist didn’t falter. Its intent formed a small world of its own, enveloping and crushing the sharp Sword Intent.

CRACK!

A deafening clang of metal against something harder rang out.

A shockwave erupted from the point of impact, blasting away the dust and rubble on the ground.

Li Sanli felt as if his twin blades had struck a mountain. An irresistible force surged up the steel and into his arms.

The webbing between his thumbs and forefingers instantly split open, dripping with blood. The two short blades, forged from high-quality steel, couldn’t withstand the terrifying power and shattered inch by inch.

He grunted, staggering backward.

Each step left a three-inch-deep footprint in the ground.

He retreated more than ten steps before he managed to steady himself, his face deathly pale.

The difference in their strength was decided in a single exchange.

Li Sanli was horrified. He knew that if he didn’t fight for his life, there was no chance of survival today.

A ruthless glint flashed in his eyes. He suddenly threw the hilts of his broken blades at Chen Li.

At the same time, he reached back and drew the long, cloth-wrapped blade from his back.

RIIIP!

The cloth tore away, revealing a heavy blade—thick-spined, thin-edged, and ancient in design.

Its body was dark red, having drunk countless amounts of blood.

Li Sanli grasped the blade with both hands, pouring all of his Inner Qi into it without reservation. With a furious roar, he brought the heavy blade down.

VMMMM!

A condensed, almost tangible Sword Gang erupted from the blade’s edge. It swelled in the air, instantly growing to be ten feet long, and slashed down with a vicious killing intent that seemed capable of tearing anything apart.

Before the Sword Gang even arrived, the sharp, pressing wind made it difficult for the distant Qian Laibao, Chen Shouye, and the others to breathe.

Chen Li changed his fist into a palm, his five fingers curling slightly. Within his palm, the twenty-four solar terms seemed to cycle through life and death, and the intent of ’all returns to nothingness’ condensed. He didn’t dodge, striking directly at the incomparably sharp Sword Gang.

BANG!

Another thunderous boom.

The ten-foot Sword Gang met Chen Li’s palm strike and instantly shattered, exploding into a turbulent storm of Gang Qi that riddled the surrounding ruined walls with countless cuts.

Chen Li’s figure didn’t move an inch; only his sleeve billowed slightly.

But Li Sanli, as if struck by a sledgehammer, coughed up another mouthful of blood and was sent flying backward like a broken-stringed kite.

He slammed heavily into the idol behind him with a dull THUD, causing it to shake violently as dust rained down.

Two moves!

This Vice Gang Leader of the Tuo Long Bang was already severely wounded and trapped in a fatal predicament.

"Stop!"

Li Sanli forced himself to endure the immense pain and grunted, "I am convinced of your strength, sir. This deal... the Tuo Long Bang accepts!"

The suffocating, immense aura around Chen Li receded. He stood with his hands behind his back. "Give me a reason to believe you."

Li Sanli struggled to prop himself up and looked at Chen Li. "The He Family has brought in two Divine Hall Grandmasters for this, with a Void Transformation Grandmaster providing support.

"The original plan was to launch a thunderous strike against you after the delivery, catching you red-handed and eliminating the problem for good. Three Grandmasters working together... the Tuo Long Bang can’t handle that. That’s why we didn’t dare take this deal. We couldn’t handle it."

His tone changed, and his gaze toward Chen Li now held a trace of awe. "However, since you, brother, are a Void Transformation Grandmaster, that changes things. This deal... the Tuo Long Bang will do it!"

Chen Li sneered. "I can’t handle three Grandmasters alone. I think I’ll just ask you to die first."

With that, he took a step forward.

"Wait!"

Li Sanli spoke rapidly. "My Gang Leader and the other Vice Gang Leader are also at the Divine Hall Cultivation level. Four against three... the advantage is... ours."

Chen Li’s gaze bored into him. "Give me one reason to believe you won’t switch sides at the last minute and join the He Family against me."

Li Sanli met his gaze and countered, "What will it take for you to believe me?"

Chen Li said calmly, "Your Token."

Li Sanli froze, confused.

The Tuo Long Bang had always operated on recognizing faces, not objects.

The faces of the Gang Leader, Hall Masters, and Vice Gang Leaders were the best passes.

These tokens and seals were practically useless on a daily basis, only brought out for handling internal finances that needed to be archived or for official external documents.

’What use does he have for this?’

’Does he really think this can be used to control us?’

But in this situation, he was at a disadvantage. His life hung by a thread, leaving him no room for hesitation.

Li Sanli took out a dark Profound Iron Token and a small Bronze Seal, infusing them with a bit of force as he tossed them to Chen Li.

Chen Li caught them. His fingertips brushed over the cool pattern of the token and the inscription on the bottom of the seal. After confirming they were genuine, he nodded. "Ten days from now. Midnight. Mirror Mountain, Zhuoyan Pier."

Li Sanli took a deep breath to steady himself and cupped his hands. "Alright! It’s a deal!"