Chapter 237 – Seizing Control Underground, Forging Weapons For Battle - Part 3
Early December, the deeper winter brought thick snow.
It was approaching three years since Li Yuan had relocated to the Holy Tree Temple’s city stronghold.
Clad in a simple, hooded cotton coat, Li Yuan walked through the snowy streets. Everywhere he passed, people greeted him with a respectful smile, calling out to him.
Li Yuan responded in kind, returning their bows with a gentle smile.
Soon, however, he slipped into a hidden building within the Black Wolf Gang’s territory. The moment he pushed open the door, cold wind and snow gusted in behind him. Inside, 14 people rose instantly and greeted him in unison.
“Master!”
Pulling back his hood, Li Yuan dipped his head in acknowledgment. He strode to the large chair in the center of the room and sat down, a subtle shift in his bearing giving him a dark, imposing presence.
Of course, the grim atmosphere had as much to do with those gathered around him. Twelve were truly vicious criminals and killers with countless atrocities under their belts. Even if Li Yuan did nothing, their menacing aura made him look every inch the archetypal villainous lord.
Which was precisely why he felt no remorse using them. Glancing around at the circle of subordinates, he asked, “Have you found out anything about the matters I told you to investigate?”
Several of them came forward with their reports in turn.
“Master, I tracked down the wandering swordsmen who helped Jing Yunhe humiliate Cui Rou all those years ago. They were the ones who sold both the poison and information on Cui Rou’s whereabouts to Jing Yunhe. According to them, Jing Yunhe seemed completely unconcerned about any retaliation. He acted like he already knew how everything would end. One of them even recalled him bragging about how the temple master was backing him and he didn’t care even if the sky fell.”
Li Yuan cut to the chase. “Where are these people now?”