Chapter 457: Lin Nuo’s Temporary Plan

Chapter 457: Lin Nuo’s Temporary Plan

Before the inn was a wide street, where a fierce battle between two individuals erupted, fists striking with thunderous sounds. Xu Hu surged forward like a roaring tidal wave, his Hu Tian Gang lackeys cheering loudly, eager for the moment when they could take down that arrogant kid.

Yet, in an instant, the flames, winds, and thunder that erupted shattered their big brother’s legendary status.

Xu Hu was dead, as if struck by a bizarre curse, obliterated under the force of powerful Spirit Techniques.

The crowd was in an uproar.

“Tiger Brother, Tiger Brother?!”

“H-how is this possible…?!”

“What kind of sorcery is this? Is he a monster?!”

…

The gang members stared in wide-eyed fear at Lin Nuo. In their minds, Xu Hu was a god—he was the man who just got killed!

Lin Nuo retracted his hand, saying nothing. His sharp, icy gaze swept across the crowd, then he coiled his legs, gathering strength.

With a sudden leap, he soared from the crowd, zipping away in the blink of an eye, leaving behind a group of dumbfounded Hu Tian Gang members.

“W-what kind of person is this…?”

They were puzzled, but all they had was confusion. In the world of martial arts, feuds and revenge were normal. Perhaps their boss Xu Hu had been too arrogant and provoked someone, leading to his demise.

With Xu Hu gone, the Hu Tian Gang was left as an empty shell; they no longer dared to act boastfully. Though they muttered curses under their breath, none dared to confront Lin Nuo. Just thinking about how their brother had been reduced to a sorry state made them weak in the knees.

No way! Xu Hu was burned to ash by fire and swept away by the wind. They didn’t even have the chance to dig a pit and bury him.

With nowhere to go, they retreated in dejection, and the once boisterous scene gradually returned to calm.

……

“On top now.”

Lin Nuo, transformed into a wind-like figure, slipped away from the scene.

Looking back, he felt like he had truly risen to the occasion.

He had just aimed to return to Helong Hall when he got into a scuffle with someone and even incinerated them. This was purely to attract attention.

What was the Hu Tian Gang?

A vicious gang. If you want to talk about strength, in Lin Nuo’s opinion, even Helong Hall was trash; this Hu Tian Gang was like a kitten. What was their strength, anyway?

But he had to change his perspective; he was Ni Daye of Helong Hall, and viewed from Helong Hall’s standpoint, the Hu Tian Gang was indeed…

Trash.

Helong Hall was a major crime syndicate with a powerful leader, after all.

However, in underground dealings, the less trouble, the better. He had just killed someone and was still riding high on the momentum; a bit of caution was in order. Otherwise, he could attract unwanted attention, and Helong Hall would end up with more troubles.

The Hu Tian Gang didn’t understand who Ni Daye was; otherwise, that big guy wouldn’t have even asked who he was.

Since it was like that, he thought he might go bigger. He could make a huge detour back and impersonate a member of the Hu Tian Gang to stir up trouble with the Li Huo Society (a secretive organization). It’d be ideal to off a leader and instigate some conflict.

Then, he could also secretly send a letter to the Hu Tian Gang in the name of the Li Huo Society, claiming they had killed Xu Hu and demanding the territory be relinquished.

Finally, he could bribe an intelligence agency to spread rumors about their two gangs feuding, leading to many deaths.

Underground organizations feuding and killing was totally believable.

Great! This was the style of a true villain—killing, looting, sowing discord, creating rumors, all in one go. It was exhilarating. He might even write a book titled “The Top Ten Essential Qualities of a Great Villain.”

Also, this time, his new Dao Fu was used flawlessly, combining wind, fire, and thunder techniques, yielding remarkable results.

Lin Nuo realized that fitting in well at the Xuanyun Sect had its benefits—a sense of achievement, and he could also access some Spirit Technique books.

In his eyes, good books were treasures. By studying Spirit Technique literature and integrating them with his Dao Fu knowledge, he could craft extraordinary spirit talismans.

Sometimes, a great hero was also quite appealing.

Lin Nuo altered his route, thinking that since he was still a distance away from Mu Yiting’s organization, he wouldn’t head back just yet.

Upon his return, the matchmaking tournament organized by Helong Hall was merely a rumor buzzing among some notable underworld gang leaders; it wasn’t widely known like the matchmaking tournaments held by prominent families. He was still in the dark.

Gathering of underground factions would catch the attention of righteous heroes; wouldn’t they come raid their hideouts?

He hadn’t joined up with the Helong Hall folks, hence he had no wind of this event. Plus, the spirit pigeon meant to deliver letters from Helong Hall met with an accident, failing to reach him, leaving him in the dark.

Now, he proceeded according to plan, gearing up to stir up trouble with the Li Huo Society.

……

Li Huo Society.

This time, the key contender capable of matching Xu Hu was Shi Kui from the Li Huo Society. He had a strong physique, and just like Xu Hu, both were top contenders to win the matchmaking tournament.

After several intense battles, Xu Hu and Shi Kui were moving ahead, along with two others, whose methods were exceedingly brutal. Many martial artists who came forth for the challenge retreated without a fight, leaving only these two heroes.

Next up was the match between them; the winner would take home the beautiful maiden and secure ties with the formidable Helong Hall.

This was immensely important to Shi Kui.

And then, the Li Huo Society received great news.

“What?! Xu Hu is dead? Are you sure?!”

“Yes, big brother, someone saw it happen—a mysterious young lad did it. The Hu Tian Gang tried to cover it up but couldn’t, it’s likely revenge from enemies.”

“Hahaha, Xu Hu got his comeuppance today! This is truly a stroke of luck for me!”

Shi Kui laughed heartily. He had been cautious about Xu Hu’s strength, thinking it might be a fierce match, but now that Xu Hu was dead, it was the best possible news. As long as he showed up at the scene, with Xu Hu gone, he would be the ultimate winner.

This was great news! All his hard training had paid off; the heavens truly favored the diligent!

“Alright! Today everyone, witness my glorious moment! In this matchmaking tournament, I will be the last man laughing!”

In high spirits, Shi Kui looked skyward and laughed, addressing his brothers:

“Let’s go, we’re off to the tournament venue!”

With that, Shi Kui and his gang marched out with swaggering confidence, brimming with bravado as they made their way to the venue.

However, along the way…

Suddenly, a chilling breeze rushed in, and a shadow hurtled towards Shi Kui at lightning speed.

Shi Kui reacted swiftly, muscles tensing, shouting:

“Assassin!”

The disciples of the Li Huo Society immediately grabbed their weapons to defend, but they were no match for the assassin’s speed; several had already fallen before they even drew their blades, all hit by hidden weapons.

“Who dares, to ambush me?!”

Shi Kui immediately braced himself. He could see the masked assassin approaching, but he couldn’t keep up with their movements.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The two sides clashed. Shi Kui, furious, unleashed his full strength, vowing to kill the intruder. The hidden weapons and sharp blades couldn’t hurt him.

Yet, he would also tread the path of Xu Hu’s fate—seemingly invulnerable, but in reality, one foot was already in the realm of the dead.

“Hu Tian Gang avenges Xu Hu today.”

The assassin’s voice was cold, circling around Shi Kui a few times before retreating, muttering incantations under their breath.

Boom!

Destruction.

……

Meanwhile, at the tournament venue, everyone awaited the earth-shaking duel between the two legendary heroes…