The Killing Hall and Shadow Hall expanded within a few days. Although these new recruits were far from the elite of the Tiger Hall, they were still promising talents. More importantly, their backgrounds were relatively clean.
The Heaven Squad was divided into three groups, each assigned to train a sub-hall. The results were immediate. After all, Xiao Yufan himself had been trained by the Heaven Squad. These recruits would become the Iron Guards of the Hidden Gate, laying the foundation for an underground dynasty.
Nie Xiaodao had it relatively easy. Besides sparring daily with Wang Wei and Tian Yi, he mainly trained his Killing Hall. As if sensing the atmosphere of the hall, his blood boiled with excitement. Just as Xiao Yufan had said, he was truly suited for this path.
“Wang Wei, how’s the situation in Dongling? Have we figured out the underground forces there? Dongling is a crucial passage for our northward expansion. We must take it!”
The underworld forces along the river were mostly under the Hidden Gate’s control, leaving no worries behind. With that secured, it was time to move north. Dongling, directly north of Linjiang, had become a must-conquer territory for the Hidden Gate.
“Dongling isn’t nearly as chaotic as Linjiang, but it’s still controlled by two major gangs. One is the Dongling Business Guild, which dominates half of Dongling’s underground through its commercial front. The other is the Qingyun Society. They supposedly have no background, but their leader is an exceptionally skilled fighter!”
Standing before Xiao Yufan, Wang Wei always felt a subtle sense of pressure. Fortunately, they were friends. If they were enemies, he’d rather die than face such a man.
Yet when mentioning Qingyun’s leader, a gleam of excitement flashed in his eyes. Though he wasn’t as obsessed with martial arts as Nie Xiaodao, his greatest pleasure still came from challenging strong opponents. To control half of Dongling’s underworld without any background was enough proof of the Qingyun leader’s capability.
“Two gangs? That maintains a balance. It seems Dongling is indeed a tough nut to crack. The Qingyun Society won’t be hard to deal with, but the Dongling Business Guild is more complicated. Their operations are too blatant—they must have powerful connections!”
Although the Hidden Gate was strong, even a mighty dragon couldn’t overpower a local tiger. This wasn’t the capital, nor was Dongling like Linjiang, where Xiao Yufan could almost do as he pleased. This time, he was being cautious.
“I’ve investigated—the Dongling Business Guild has significant ties with the provincial authorities. Their secret crimes are horrifying. Compared to them, the Qingyun Society is relatively clean.”
Since Xiao Yufan tasked him with investigating Dongling, Wang Wei hadn’t slackened. The Shadow Hall’s role was intelligence gathering, the task he enjoyed most. Naturally, he had thoroughly investigated the entire Dongling region.
“Official-business collusion, where commerce and the underworld are inseparably intertwined—this is only normal!”
Faced with this situation, Xiao Yufan could only shake his head with a smile. Where there’s light, there’s shadow. Such things weren’t surprising. What he was thinking now was how to deal with these two gangs.
“So what’s the Young Master’s plan? Since the two factions in Dongling are balanced, they certainly won’t allow outsiders to interfere. It might be even more troublesome than Linjiang!”
Though Wang Wei knew their backgrounds, he didn’t know how to break the deadlock. He could only try to understand the strengths of Qingyun and the Dongling Business Guild as thoroughly as possible, ensuring the Hidden Gate suffered no losses in the upcoming operation.
“Although the two factions are balanced, that doesn’t mean we can’t find a stick to stir the pot…”
After a moment of contemplation, a glint suddenly flashed in Xiao Yufan’s eyes. Since Dongling rejected outside forces so strongly, why not support a puppet?
“You mean finding an agent in Dongling to take over on behalf of the Hidden Gate? That’s indeed a great idea. After all, greed knows no bounds. There are many ambitious people in Dongling!”
“At this point, it seems like the best option…”
Though Xiao Yufan wasn’t very familiar with Dongling, he clearly knew it was a must-contend territory for the Hidden Gate’s northward expansion. Many people already knew about the Hidden Gate and certainly wouldn’t want to see it leave Linjiang.
“I’ll choose a suitable gang in Dongling to do these things for us…”
Naturally, Xiao Yufan wouldn’t handle this personally. Wang Wei understood what to do. There were many scattered gangs in Dongling, and surely someone couldn’t resist temptation. With just one stick to stir the pot, Dongling’s balance would soon be broken.
“Be careful. I don’t want any accidents happening to you…”
After a moment of silence, Xiao Yufan nodded. Sending Xiaodao and Wang Wei with some men shouldn’t lead to any issues, but Dongling wasn’t Hidden Gate territory. Some things were unpredictable.
“Yes, I understand. I’ll handle it quickly…”
Naturally aware of the mission’s importance, Wang Wei also understood that Xiao Yufan entrusted him with this task out of trust. This would be his first major assignment, and it had to be done well.
“Let Xiaodao accompany you. Though he’s a bit reckless, he knows restraint and has formidable strength. It’ll also be good training for him.”
This mission would also serve as training for Xiaodao. Unlike Tian Yi and Wang Wei, his experiences were still limited. If he wanted to become a true overlord, it required more than just skill.
Without saying more, Wang Wei and Xiaodao shared a deep bond. Though they had only recently met, their camaraderie had been growing steadily.
Waving his hand, Wang Wei took his leave. Xiao Yufan’s brows furrowed slightly before gradually relaxing. Though he sensed potential danger in Dongling, he deeply trusted Wang Wei’s abilities.
Regarding the Hidden Gate’s development, Xiao Yufan had a general vision in mind. The operations of the Situ family in the north were absolutely not something he could underestimate. What he needed to do was not only to make the Situ family powerless but to steadily climb to the peak.
“No matter what, destiny must be in one’s own hands…”
Looking up at the ceiling, Xiao Yufan’s gaze was unusually determined. He was growing little by little, and what supported him forward was his unwavering belief.
At this moment, Nie Xiaodao and Wang Wei had already chosen their men from the Hidden Gate, fully equipped and ready to depart separately into Dongling territory. This mission would herald the Hidden Gate’s northward advance.
All Xiao Yufan could do now was monitor the situation in Dongling. Because once he moved, others would know his intentions, putting Xiaodao and the others in even greater danger as they ventured deep into enemy territory.
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