Chapter 360: Who Can't Keep Them

He Yuxiu sat silently in her room, smoking cigarette after cigarette.

Outside, over a hundred people awaited her command, but she didn't know who to act against.

After much thought, He Yuxiu decided to confront the Chu family first. "Chu Huaijun, that bastard! The He family has always treated him well, and now he's stabbing me in the back. I'll go to his house right now and ask that bastard to his face why he's acting as a dog for another province!"

Ma Wu tried to dissuade He Yuxiu. "Sister Xiu, you don't need to ask him. It's obvious. After the head of the Chu family died, they barely maintained their status among the four major families. Chu Huaijun's reputation isn't even as good as Chu Huaiyuan's."

He Yuxiu nodded. "Yes, that girl can at least get things done. She's more courageous than that bastard Chu Huaijun!"

Ma Wu continued, "Now that the Chu family has a rare chance to turn things around, do you think Chu Huaijun wouldn't strike a deadly blow? If you go there, the Security Envoy and the Chu family will both move against us, and the He family will be finished!"

"Am I afraid of them? Let them come at me all at once! I'd like to see what they're capable of!"

"Sister Xiu, please calm down first. It's hard to say what my father's intentions are; he's also waiting for a chance to rise."

"Old Ma..." He Yuxiu sat back down on the bed. "Does Old Ma want to stab me too? Does he seriously want to stab me in the back?"

Lu Chunying's expression was grim. She remembered something Lu Dongliang had once said: "This is the true nature of Puro Province."

Lu Chunying couldn't fully articulate what the true nature of Puro Province was at that moment, but she was beginning to understand it.

Ma Wu frowned deeply. "Sister Xiu, take Madam Yan and hide in the New Land for a couple of days."

"Why should I hide? What have we done? The Jiangxiang Gang's stronghold was wiped out—what does that have to do with us?"

Ma Wu also couldn't understand it. "Would another province really put in so much effort just for the Jiangxiang Gang?"

Lu Chunying said, "Shouldn't we ask the Security Envoy? What's their real motive for doing this?"

"I've already asked!" He Yuxiu's anger flared again. "I've asked countless times, and those bastards won't say a thing."

Ma Wu tried to sort out the situation, but after a long time, he couldn't find a single clue. If Old Qi were here, it would be much better; he could discuss this with him.

"Sister Xiu, you go and hide in the New Land first. I'll get to the bottom of this!" Ma Wu left the He family mansion and took a cab to the newspaper office.

He instructed the editor to immediately draft an article, titled: "The Jiangxiang Gang's Crimes Are Innumerable – Why Does the Security Envoy Protect These Villains?"

The newspaper office was somewhat hesitant. They were reluctant to publish news targeting the Security Envoy. Ma Wu told the editor not to worry. He doubled their monthly fees and arranged for support to ensure the newspaper office's safety.

The next day, the daily newspaper was distributed. Ma Wu made a round of the various newsstands and found that the impact wasn't strong enough. When he first took over the newspaper business from the Lu family, Ma Wu and Ling Miaoying had a back-and-forth rivalry. Now that Ling Miaoying was dead and the business was handed over to Shen Rongqing, Ma Wu was somewhat outmatched. Shen Rongqing's performance in the film industry was only moderate, but when it came to newspapers, she was a true expert. She controlled about 60% of the business at all major newsstands. He needed her help with this matter.

Ma Wu went directly to the film company. Shen Rongqing didn't want to see him, but after much hesitation, she agreed to meet.

After they met, Shen Rongqing said with her head down, "Junyang, didn't I tell you to forget me?"

"I want to forget you, but I can't."

"We can't be together..."

"I know you have your difficulties. We can discuss other matters later; right now, I need your help."

Upon hearing that Ma Junyang had come for help, Shen Rongqing looked up. "What can I do for you?"

"The Jiangxiang Gang are animals. Now someone is protecting them, and we need to get justice for this! We must use our intellect and our pens as scholars to seek justice for those they have harmed!"

"Junyang, tell me the whole story."

He Jiaqing received a message from Shen Rongqing at the hotel: "Jiaqing, the Security Envoy is openly protecting the Jiangxiang Gang, and this affects your family's business. Should this be reported?"

He Jiaqing had too many things to deal with. If Shen Rongqing hadn't brought it up, he would have truly forgotten about the newspaper matter.

"Yes, write! Sister, get our best writers and have them put all their effort into it. It shouldn't just be in the newspaper; it needs to be in magazines and even films!"

At the Dark Star Bureau, Xiao Zhenggong read through a report. He asked Director Shen Jingye, "Has He Jiaqing been dealt with?"

Shen Jingye nodded. "He resisted arrest, so we had to shoot him on the spot."

"Are you sure that was He Jiaqing?" Xiao Zhenggong was skeptical.

"The DNA comparison results are here. They're in the report; take a look."

"I don't believe that," Xiao Zhenggong said, standing up. "I want to see He Jiaqing's body with my own eyes."

As Xiao Zhenggong was about to leave, he noticed a shimmering aura around the room. A boundary. A boundary similar to the border lines found throughout Puro Province. Xiao Zhenggong looked at Shen Jingye.

Shen Jingye stood up and said, "Zhenggong, you've already used the Equilibrium Seal. Now you must follow orders; you'll have to remain at the bureau for now. There's another matter: in Puro Province, the Security Envoy has already taken action. All of the He family's assets have been frozen. We've fulfilled our obligations, and you must fulfill yours. Here's a list; take a look."

Xiao Zhenggong took the list, which contained five place names.

"What does this mean?"

Shen Jingye explained, "These five Jiangxiang Gang strongholds will henceforth be under the direct command of the Security Envoy. Of course, they will still nominally belong to the Jiangxiang Gang, and their actions will be attributed to the Jiangxiang Gang."

Xiao Zhenggong's eyebrow twitched. "So, you get the benefits, and I take the blame?"

"Zhenggong, mind your words," Shen Jingye said, smiling at Xiao Zhenggong. "I warned you not to use the Equilibrium Seal lightly, but you've already used it. Our taking over some strongholds isn't about seizing anything from you; it's to better balance our relationships with various parties in Puro Province. Fundamentally, this aligns with both our interests and is a win-win choice."

Xiao Zhenggong stared coldly at Shen Jingye.

Shen Jingye handed a pen to Xiao Zhenggong. "If you have no objections, sign the appointment deed. Tomorrow, the Security Envoy will send new stronghold masters."

In the Dark Star Bureau's Enforcement Division office, Qin Minghui was staring blankly at a newspaper. Chen Changrui approached him. "Zhong Er, aren't you going home yet?" He saw the newspaper in Qin Minghui's hand and froze. This wasn't a newspaper from another province; it was from Puro Province.

"Zhong Er, where did you get this newspaper? You can't just..."

Qin Minghui didn't answer. Instead, he asked Chen Changrui, "Captain, what is the Jiangxiang Gang?"

"The Jiangxiang Gang is a gang in Puro Province."

"A gang that murders, sets fires, defrauds, kidnaps children, and commits all sorts of evil? And the mission we carried out at the hospital was to protect this gang?" Qin Minghui looked at Chen Changrui very seriously.

Chen Changrui pondered for a moment before saying, "When you joined the team, you said you wanted to protect everything important in this world. Some things cannot be judged by appearances alone. This gang is very important to us, and what we're doing is also a form of protection."

"This is not what I want to protect." Qin Minghui folded the newspaper and left the office with a cold expression.

Inside his Portable Abode, Li Banfeng peeled three lotus seeds. These three lotus seeds came from the remains of the Mountain Mover and a group of strange creatures, the body of Mourning Star, and the body of Lin Dexing, respectively. The refining process for this batch of pills was indeed slow, but according to Li Banfeng's estimate, if they could produce enough Golden Yuan Pills, it would be enough to help him reach the tenth level.

However, after the lotus seeds burst open, Li Banfeng grew tense. He smelled a strange fragrance. What emerged wasn't Golden Yuan Pills, but Profound Essence Pills—the same Profound Essence Pills that had nearly killed his wife back then.

Three Profound Essence Pills filled the room with their peculiar fragrance. All the magic treasures, except for the Judge's Pen which seemed too lazy to move, fixed their gaze on the three pills. It seemed they could only feast their eyes. Hong Ying was different; she felt like taking action. She could eat these pills.

"What are you doing, hussy!" the Phonograph snapped. "You've eaten so much flesh; do you still want to eat pills now?"

Hong Ying snorted and continued to comb her hair in front of the mirror.

The Phonograph put the pills into its front cabinet. "My dear husband, you can't take these pills yet. Let your little servant keep them for now."

Li Banfeng didn't mind. "Why keep them? Just eat them. But be sure to check their quality and don't take too much again."

"My husband truly cherishes his little servant, and his little servant wholeheartedly serves her husband. Our love is so strong, it's enough to make everyone else in this room die of envy!"

Hong Ying drew a mouth on the gun barrel and secretly spat at the Phonograph.

The Phonograph continued, "My dear husband, these three pills aren't useful right now, but they will be in the future. Your little servant will keep them for you. You should remove the scent from your clothes before you go out."

A cloud of steam enveloped Li Banfeng, helping him remove the medicinal scent from his clothes. Li Banfeng looked at the monthly calendar and asked Meng De, "How long have I been home?"

"Thirteen hours, twenty-eight minutes."

In over thirteen hours, his luck had slightly increased. The key was on the train, and the Portable Abode moved with the train, so Li Banfeng moved with the Portable Abode. His travel cultivation wasn't hindered.

Calculating the time, they should be arriving at the station soon. Li Banfeng exited his Portable Abode, quickly packed his things in the train car, and disembarked with Luo Zhengnan.

Blackrock Slope, Li Banfeng's favorite city. He liked its customs and, even more, its spirit. After taking over Lu Maoxian's business, Li Banfeng's influence in Blackrock Slope was second to none. But this wasn't the time to use his power. Yu Nan once said that the Jiangxiang Gang was like a dog. That wasn't entirely accurate; a more precise description was that the Jiangxiang Gang was a rabid dog. Among the major gangs in Puro Province, the Jiangxiang Gang's actions were the most despicable. However, few prominent families or major gangs dared to confront them, because once bitten by this rabid dog, the trouble would be endless.

In Blackrock Slope, Li Banfeng was known as Boss Ye. But if he acted as Boss Ye, all his assets in Blackrock Slope would be jeopardized. The appropriate identity would still be 'Benefactor'. As 'Benefactor', he had no concerns.

Li Banfeng bought a newspaper in front of the station. News about the Jiangxiang Gang, both big and small, filled the front page. Li Banfeng quickly scanned the headlines and went directly to the stronghold with Luo Zhengnan. The newspaper's attention was good; it would ensure these "cockroaches" could no longer operate in the open. But this also caused some trouble for Li Banfeng. The bigger the commotion, the more vigilant the Jiangxiang Gang would become.

Fortunately, the stronghold in Blackrock Slope wouldn't be hard to deal with. The people of Blackrock Slope were resilient, making it difficult for the Jiangxiang Gang to conduct business there. The stronghold only had three branches, each with merely three to five people. These dozen or so individuals barely managed to keep a flag flying for the Jiangxiang Gang. Li Banfeng roughly calculated that it wouldn't take him half a day to tear down that flag.

But as they neared the stronghold, Luo Zhengnan noticed something was wrong. There were over a dozen fortune tellers and face readers outside the stronghold's entrance. Fortune-telling for money was also one of the Jiangxiang Gang's main businesses. But so many fortune tellers gathered near the stronghold wasn't just about swindling money. Luo Zhengnan knew the ropes here; they were recruiting people. The Blackrock Slope stronghold was trying to expand – that was new. Li Banfeng had just wiped out two strongholds, so logically, other strongholds should be on high alert and acting cautiously. Why was this stronghold acting so brazenly? Especially in a place like Blackrock Slope, did they dare to be so arrogant here?

As things were unusual, Luo Zhengnan advised Li Banfeng not to act rashly and to gather information first. Li Banfeng went to the newspaper office and had Bai Qiusheng investigate the reason behind this. Recently, the newspapers were full of news about the Jiangxiang Gang. *Night Fragrance* was a legitimate newspaper, and Bai Qiusheng had gathered a lot of information.

"Seventh Master, the Jiangxiang Gang's Blackrock Stronghold has received backing from another province, and they've become brazen recently. The business of 'flower snatching'—child abduction—was almost extinct in Blackrock Slope, but it seems to be resurfacing."

Luo Zhengnan advised Li Banfeng, "Seventh Master, since the Security Envoy has intervened, we should withdraw. In Puro Province, we absolutely cannot offend the Security Envoy."

Li Banfeng pulled down the brim of his hat and told Luo Zhengnan, "You go back to Greenwater City first and wait for my news. Today, no matter who interferes, these scoundrels will not leave here alive."