Zhao Honglie furrowed his brows tightly, lost in thought. Based on what he knew about Liu Yuanhu, this was absolutely not the kind of person to act recklessly. Such behavior was highly unlikely. He looked at the blood-stained gang members standing before him and said solemnly:
"Tell me everything that happened, spare no detail!"
The gang member dared not slack off and immediately began recounting the events from the start.
"At that time, it was the grand auction of the Demon Fox’s Heart, the final item..."
"Stop! Are you saying Liu Yuanhu never once mentioned the name of our Black Sand Gang?" Zhao Honglie caught onto the key point.
"That’s right... but Liu Yuanhu must know this is our Black Sand Gang’s property if he dared to come here. Not to mention, Master Yan Hua is surely recognizable."
Hearing the words of Fire Hall’s Hall Master Ning Kang, Zhao Honglie slowly shook his head:
"It’s not the same."
"If Liu Yuanhu publicly revealed our Black Sand Gang’s identity, it would mean he fully intends to declare war on us. But with all this secrecy and ambiguity, it’s more likely that he’s testing us!"
Zhao Honglie grew more resolute. His furious gaze gradually cooled into calm calculation.
"Recently, our Black Sand Gang has been keeping a low profile on the surface. He cannot grab any evidence against us. If he acts recklessly without solid reasons, many people might develop a sense of dread and lean toward us, especially since back then, we were the ones who helped him destroy Cao Shiduan."
Betraying those who once aided him—such infamy was never a pleasant reputation. If someone dealt with their former benefactors so casually, other forces would inevitably feel endangered, as if their own demise was near.
"So, Gang Leader, you mean that scum Liu Yuanhu wants to provoke us into starting a fight with him first, which would then give him the excuse he needs?"
The Thunder Hall’s Hall Master Wang Tiansheng, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke. He was one of the few who remained calm amidst the tension.
The crowd fell into a stunned silence.
Zhao Honglie cast a glance of approval at Wang Tiansheng, then swept his gaze over the assembly before speaking slowly:
"Precisely! That’s exactly it. If we act impulsively and attack him now, we’ll be falling right into Liu Yuanhu’s trap!"
"Is he truly so confident he can beat us?"
Someone questioned hesitantly.
"Based on what I know about Liu Yuanhu, he’d have at least an eighty percent certainty. Otherwise, he wouldn’t attempt something like this. It was the same when we obliterated Cao Shiduan."
"According to our assessment of Liu Yuanhu’s forces, it shouldn’t be possible, right?" Ning Kang still couldn’t believe it.
"Have you all forgotten what Liu Yuanhu spent the entirety of last year doing?"
Zhao Honglie’s eerie voice echoed through the room, jolting everyone’s spirits!
They almost forgot about that!
Silence enveloped the crowd again. The hall’s atmosphere grew heavy and oppressive. After quite some time, someone spoke indignantly:
"Are we seriously going to let Liu Yuanhu do as he pleases and humiliate us like this?" fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓
Zhao Honglie’s face remained cold as his gaze swept across the room, finally landing on the blood-stained gang member. His tone softened a bit as he helped that gang member to his feet.
"I know my brothers are upset, but great endeavors require overlooking small matters. For the grand ambitions of the Black Sand Gang, we must endure for now. This is all temporary."
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