Chapter 273: Thunder Dao Grandmaster?

Chapter 273: Thunder Dao Grandmaster?

"Do you know where the ship gang is currently located, and how I can visit them?" Chen Mu focused his gaze and asked the old man.

According to the information, the Iron Fist Gang was different kind of power from the usual, without a fixed territory. Their domain was the Black Sand River basin, and they were either scattered and untraceable or aboard their ships.

For Chen Mu, finding them wasn't difficult. He simply had to follow the trail, starting from the ship gang and working his way up.

"The ship gang... hmm, Liu Bin's ship gang is downstream from here. If you wish to go, I can take you there directly," the old man thought for a moment and said.

"Then I'll trouble you, sir."

Chen Mu bowed slightly to the old man.

The old man nodded and then pushed the boat pole, changing the boat's course to head downstream along the river.

Not long after, a wharf appeared downstream on the river. The wharf wasn't large, but over ten vessels of various sizes were docked, and people could be seen bustling about on the boats and the wharf.

"Sir, we're here... huh?"

The old man turned his head to explain to Chen Mu, but to his surprise, Chen Mu, who had been sitting on the boat, had disappeared without a trace. Only his granddaughter remained, looking a little dazed.

"Where, where did he go? Oh no, he didn't fall into the water, did he?"

The old man became anxious and quickly looked down at the river, but the water flowed calmly, and there was no sign of anyone.

At that moment, the little girl on the boat spoke softly, her eyes still wide with astonishment: "Grandpa, look at this."

She held up her small hand, tightly clutching a gold bean.

The old man was stunned. He walked over and took the bean, feeling amazed as he said, "This... the guest gave this to you? It's too much. Where did he go?"

Such a gold bean was worth at least several taels, a rare find for the old man who docked his boat for a year.

"That brother just disappeared suddenly."

The little girl's eyes still held a hint of disbelief.

After hearing this, the old man realized he had encountered an extraordinary individual. Holding the gold bean, he said, "Oh, oh, I say, Jin'er, you're blessed. Today, good fortune has come. Quick, thank that extraordinary person."

He carefully put away the gold bean and bowed repeatedly towards the empty river.

...

At one end of the wharf.

Chen Mu's figure appeared silently.

At his current realm, concealing his form and aura was effortless. As for changing his appearance, it was even easier. Even Bone Forging Realm martial artists could easily manipulate their bodies to alter their forms, let alone someone like Chen Mu, who had reached the Six Viscera Realm.

For high-realm martial artists, changing their appearance was simple, but concealing their aura and techniques was more challenging.

Chen Mu strode onto the wharf. As he looked around, he noticed some bare-chested men loading cargo and working, with some members of the ship gang in linen shirts overseeing them.

"Who, what are you doing?"

As soon as Chen Mu approached, several gang members noticed him. The closest one came over, seeing that Chen Mu was wearing a cloak and robe, and assuming he wasn't a vagrant from the riverbanks, he asked with a frown.

Chen Mu replied calmly, "I'm here to buy Black Sand. Where is your leader, Liu?"

Hearing that he was there to buy Black Sand, the nearby gang members relaxed a little. One of them sized up Chen Mu and said, "Our leader, Liu, isn't here. He's gone to attend a birthday celebration. If you want to purchase Black Sand, you can talk to Liu Manager; he can make decisions too."

"Good."

Chen Mu replied indifferently and followed a gang member into the wharf. Soon, he boarded a medium-sized cargo ship and met Liu Manager in a cabin.

Liu Manager was a fat man who squeezed into the rattan chair, making it creak noisily. When he saw Chen Mu enter, he asked with a smile:

"Sir, how much Black Sand do you want to buy?"

"What's the price of Black Sand?"

"Hmm... this year's harvest isn't great. One tael of silver can only buy ten jin of Black Sand."

Liu Manager took a sip of tea and replied.

"Can you handle a deal for ten million jin of Black Sand?" Chen Mu asked calmly.

Pfft.

Liu Manager almost spat out his tea, but his expression turned suspicious as he looked at Chen Mu. "Are you making fun of me, sir?"

Ten million jin of Black Sand was a huge amount, and their ship gang would struggle to gather that much in ten years. Not to mention the concept of one million taels of silver, which was beyond the means of ordinary people. Chen Mu's appearance and demeanor didn't suggest he could produce such a sum.

However, at that moment, Chen Mu casually tossed out a gold certificate, which landed on the table.

Liu Manager picked it up and stared, momentarily doubting his eyes—a gold certificate worth ten thousand taels! Although it was hard to verify its authenticity immediately, the probability of it being fake was low. After all, Black Sand transactions were typically cash-on-delivery, and the final payment had to be in genuine gold and silver.

"Sir, I didn't recognize your greatness. Please don't be angry. This ten million jin of Black Sand isn't a small amount. I can't make this decision alone; I'll have to wait for my brother to discuss it..."

Liu Manager's fat body suddenly became agile as he squeezed out of the rattan chair. He carefully returned the gold certificate to Chen Mu and put on a smile.

Chen Mu spoke indifferently, "I said you couldn't make the decision, so I didn't come to you. Since your ship gang can't handle this business, I'll go find another one for now."

"Hey, hey..."

Liu Manager hurriedly stepped forward and said, "Sir, you do need a large quantity. But I don't think all of it will be used up in one go here in Black Sand. Our ship gang can certainly manage it, but with the boss not here, I can't make the call. And even if you go to other ship gangs now, they probably won't be able to decide either."

"Oh? Why not?"

"Today is a big shot's birthday, and the heads of the ship gangs from the nearby villages and towns are all here to celebrate. The bosses of other ship gangs are also unlikely to be at home."

Liu Manager smiled awkwardly as he spoke.

Chen Mu's tone remained indifferent as he asked, "What big shot is this, with such a grand display?"

Liu Manager hesitated, "I... I can't say..."

"Then it must be the Iron Fist Gang. That's convenient; I'll save myself the trouble of searching. Tell me where they are."

Chen Mu's voice turned a few degrees colder.

Upon hearing these words, Liu Manager's expression changed, and he realized something was amiss. His face paled as he said, "Sir, I... I don't know anything..."

A scoffing sound filled the air.

Chen Mu didn't waste time with words. His expression remained indifferent as he raised his right hand and waved it casually.

In Liu Manager's astonished gaze, an invisible ripple formed along the edge of Chen Mu's palm, like an invisible sword Qi, spreading across the entire ship cabin.

The cargo ship froze for a moment, and then, to Liu Manager's shocked eyes, the ship split neatly in half from the center of Chen Mu's hand gesture. The entire cabin, along with the ship and deck, divided perfectly in two, revealing a strip of blue sky above!

"Talk."

Chen Mu stood in his original spot, and the ship, which had split in half beneath his feet, remained as steady as Mount Tai, floating on the river without sinking. Meanwhile, the other half of the ship capsized into the river with a loud noise and cries of horror.

Liu Manager's face was filled with shock as he took two steps back in surprise and fell to the ground. He stared at the rolling river beside him, his eyes wide with fear.

A Five Viscera Realm expert?!

Or...

Although he didn't understand martial arts, his brother was a Bone Forging Realm expert and a leader of the ship gang, dominating the nearby area. But even his brother couldn't do what this man had just done—splitting a cargo ship in half with a casual wave of his hand!

Regardless of which, the person before him was clearly not someone he could afford to offend. Sweat beaded on his forehead, and he said bitterly, "Sir, please spare me..."

The man before him was probably going to cause trouble for the Iron Fist Gang, and they were no pushovers. He knew all too well how terrifying they were. Moreover, today was the birthday of a big shot in the Iron Fist Gang. If they found out he had led someone to cause trouble, even as the ship gang manager, he might face dire consequences from the Iron Fist Gang.

"It seems you know. Talk, or die."

Chen Mu said with a light gaze, and with a casual point of his finger, an invisible Qi penetrated the ship cabin.

Liu Manager watched as the ship cabin was pierced again, just an inch away from his neck. His plump face turned pale, and sweat soaked his clothes. Finally, he trembled and said, "It's... it's..."

...

In the middle reaches of the Black River.

A lake crossed by the river, located in the center of the lake, had a massive warship docked in the middle. The ship was over a hundred meters long and several stories high.

Near the warship were other smaller boats, all moored not far from the warship.

At this moment, the wide deck of the warship was bustling with people. Numerous tables were set up, and figures of various builds and heights, the leaders of large and small ship gangs along the Black River, were seated.

Among them was Liu Manager's brother, Liu Bin, who sat near the corner. He was chatting with someone at the neighboring table, "Brother Wang, I heard you recently acquired some beautiful girls, each comparable to the top-tier courtesans in flower houses?"

"Hahaha, it's not that exaggerated. It's just rumors. We happened to bring some girls from the east village after a disaster to serve tea and water. If Liu's little brother is interested, I'll send some over in a few days to serve him well."

"Then I won't be polite, little brother."

Liu Bin laughed as he spoke.

Just as they were chatting, several people walked out from the warship. Each had a different build, and as they walked, an invisible aura and pressure spread, quickly quieting the crowd.

"They're here..."

Liu Bin's smile faded, and his expression turned solemn.

These were the hall masters of the Iron Fist Gang, whom he often dealt with. As far as he knew, each of them was a Five Viscera Realm expert, a level far beyond his Bone Forging Realm. He dared not show any disrespect in their presence.

Today, I thought it was the birthday of one of the Hall Masters of the Iron Fist Gang, but after arriving, I learned that it was the birthday of the elusive leader of the gang, a figure I had never met before. I only knew that he was rumored to be a master of the Six Viscera Realm and an extraordinary figure within it, almost reaching the Gale Wind Rankings!

Such a figure was someone he absolutely admired and respected, a towering presence.

It was only because of such a prominent figure that he could easily control the thousand-mile river region along the Black River, including dozens of large and small ship gangs, and even the officials from the county, prefecture, and provincial capitals dared not interfere in the affairs of the Iron Fist Gang.

In the midst of this silence...

A man with half-black, half-white hair appeared, escorted by several Hall Masters of the Iron Fist Gang. His face was weathered and dignified as he walked slowly towards the deck. Upon reaching it, he swept his gaze over the seated leaders of the various ship gangs and spoke in a calm tone:

"There's no need for tension, my friends. You've been helping to manage this Black River region for a decade now. Today is my birthday, and while it's an occasion to celebrate with you all, it's also an opportunity to discuss the future profit-sharing of this river."

Leaders like Liu Bin and others exchanged glances, and someone spoke up: "We dare not, we dare not. It's because of the leader that we have a livelihood. If the leader gives the order, we will certainly obey."

The others chimed in, but secretly, they all felt bitter.

The leader of the Iron Fist Gang had personally appeared for his birthday, and it was clear that it wasn't just about the celebration. When he mentioned adjusting the profit-sharing of the Black Sand business, they knew it was about money again. But who among them dared to negotiate with the Iron Fist Gang?

Being squeezed a little more by the Iron Fist Gang, they could only return and think of ways to compensate by squeezing more from below.

The leader of the Iron Fist Gang, seeing this, smiled faintly and said, "Good, since you all feel this way, let's simplify things. From now on, the profit-sharing of the Black Sand business will be increased by ten percent. I don't think any of you have objections?"

Liu Bin and the others exchanged glances again.

After all, it was the leader of the Iron Fist Gang who had personally appeared and demanded a ten percent increase.

But at this moment, even the leaders of the large ship gangs and those in the Organ Realms dared not speak up. Everyone remained silent, and the entire deck fell into a hushed silence.

However, at that moment, a calm voice broke the silence.

"Ten percent is too little. Why not have your Iron Fist Gang take all the profits and capital from the Black Sand business? That way, you can quickly prepare a golden coffin and lie down in it, saving everyone the trouble."

As soon as this voice spoke, the faces of the leaders of the various ship gangs and the Hall Masters of the Iron Fist Gang changed.

"Who dares?!"

One of the Hall Masters immediately responded with a cold tone.

The leader of the Iron Fist Gang's expression darkened as he turned his head towards the source of the voice.

There, on the top of the ship's cabin, stood a figure who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. He appeared to be middle-aged, wearing a simple-looking robe, and his aura was unfamiliar.

"Who might you be..."

The leader of the Iron Fist Gang stared at the figure above with a stern expression, his aura unfamiliar and unrecognizable, and even his depth was indiscernible.

The figure on the ship's cabin was none other than Chen Mu, who had slightly altered his physical appearance. He stood there with his hands behind his back, and his aura was calm as he said, "The Iron Fist Gang has been plundering resources for years. Hand it all over, and I'll let you keep your lives."

"Arrogance!"

"Insolence!"

Several Hall Masters of the Iron Fist Gang revealed their anger. One of them couldn't contain himself and swung his blade towards Chen Mu. But as the blade's light streaked across, aiming to slash Chen Mu, a strand of lightning appeared around Chen Mu, colliding with the blade's light. With a single strike, the blade's light shattered, and a trace of lightning flashed through the air, reaching the Five Viscera Realm Hall Master in an instant. It landed on his body, and in a flash, thunderous light erupted!

"Ah!"

The Hall Master barely had time to let out a horrified scream. His hastily gathered Primordial Essence True Force was shattered layer by layer by the thunderous light, and his entire body was instantly turned into charcoal, black smoke rising.

The entire deck was in shock.

Especially Liu Bin and the other ship gang leaders, their faces were filled with astonishment and disbelief. He was a master who had reached the Five Viscera Realm, and yet he had been struck down by lightning and turned into charcoal in an instant!

The leader of the Iron Fist Gang's expression changed slightly as he glanced at the charred Hall Master and said in a deep voice, "A Thunder Dao expert? Your aura is unfamiliar, and I don't recall meeting you before. We have no grudges, and while your strength is impressive, attempting to rob us is a mistake. You may not defeat me, so it's best to leave now."

"Too much talk."

Chen Mu gave him a cold look, raised his hand, and grabbed at the empty air. A strand of lightning appeared and weaved together, and he held it in his hand before throwing it towards the man!

The violent power of thunder filled the air, causing the entire deck to freeze in place, as if turned to stone. They could only watch helplessly as the strand of lightning descended.

Boom!!!

With a thunderous boom, the Iron Fist Gang's leader stood firm, his face shadowed by a dark gloom. Though he had not been killed by the strike of lightning, a fierce flame rose from his body, instantly heating the surrounding area for several dozen zhang.

"Hmm?"

Chen Mu glanced at him with a curious expression.

His previous attack, though only harnessing the power of thunder, would have been enough to severely injure a Six Viscera Realm expert like Chu Jingsu. Yet, the Iron Fist Gang leader had withstood it and even revealed a surprising ability.

The Fire Departure Domain!

Understanding a domain didn't guarantee a spot on the Gale Wind Rankings, especially when it was just one of the eight Heaven-Earth Concepts. It was rare for someone in the Six Viscera Realm to comprehend a domain, and even rarer for them to make it onto the rankings.

There were perhaps a hundred such quasi-ranking experts in the entire Cold Northern Path.

At that moment, the Iron Fist Gang leader's face grew darker. His Fire Departure Domain enveloped the area, making the surroundings unbearably hot, as if they were within a blazing furnace.

"If you insist on being so aggressive, then I shall witness your abilities!"

Chen Mu's earlier display and mastery of Thunder Dao Technique were impressive. The previous strike, a manifestation of the Thunderquake Domain, was not something an ordinary person could possess. Though he couldn't pinpoint Chen Mu's identity, even a master of the Thunderquake Domain would not intimidate him.

However, on the river, his Fire Departure Domain was not as effective as the Thunderquake Domain. Hence, he had initially avoided confrontation with Chen Mu. But seeing Chen Mu's lack of courtesy, the leader of the Iron Fist Gang could not back down!

Hmm!

With a cold hum, the leader raised his hand and struck out a palm towards Chen Mu. In an instant, the power of heaven and earth converged, transforming into a fierce fire dragon that soared towards Chen Mu, aiming to engulf him.

"So, this is the Fire Departure Domain?"

Chen Mu witnessed another Martial Domain, and with a newfound interest, he examined his surroundings. As the raging fire dragon coiled around him, covering his entire body, a terrifying force finally erupted from within him.

Boom!!!

The Essence Energy, without restraint, surged from his body, visible as purple lightning, enveloping him entirely. With just a tremor of lightning, he forcefully dispersed the oppressive Fire Departure Domain nearby!

Then, with a detached expression, Chen Mu reached out and pressed down towards the Iron Fist Gang leader. A mighty thunderbolt descended, tearing apart the Fire Departure Domain, and with an overwhelming force, it crushed everything in its path.

"This..."

The Iron Fist Gang leader's face finally changed.

Chen Mu had not activated his Thunderquake Domain.

The leader's Fire Departure Domain was fully unleashed, and within its range, Chen Mu, without countering it with his own domain, would have found it impossible to harness the power of heaven and earth and unleash such thunderous might.

Clearly, Chen Mu's move had not been triggered through a concept but purely by the power of his Essence Energy. Such a terrifying attack was beyond the capabilities of the Six Viscera Realm.

Martial Body!

This was something only achievable by entering the Marrow Washing stage and cultivating a Martial Body. In other words, the person before him was not a Six Viscera Realm expert who had comprehended a domain but a...Thunder Dao Master!

The thought flashed through the Iron Fist Gang leader's mind, and his eyes widened in horror and disbelief. He had always been cautious, even making annual offerings to the Seven Mysteries Sect. How had he offended a Thunder Dao Master?

But there was no time for further contemplation.

Boom!!!

With a strike of lightning, the Fire Departure Domain was torn apart, and in the next moment, the Iron Fist Gang leader was engulfed within it!

Amidst the shock and disbelief, the leader's Essence Energy scattered, and the Fire Departure Domain's power, which had barely managed to unfold for a few breaths, rapidly disintegrated. As the lightning faded, he coughed out black smoke, staggered, and fell.

The entire place fell silent.

Liu Bin and the Iron Fist Gang elders, who were at least Five Viscera Realm experts, understood the significance of what had just happened. Even if some of them were witnessing a Martial Domain for the first time, they understood the implications of Chen Mu tearing apart a domain with a single strike of lightning.

Thunder Dao Master!

This was the presence of a Thunder Dao Master!

"Where does the Iron Fist Gang hide their plundered wealth?"

Chen Mu stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze coolly sweeping over the fallen Iron Fist Gang leader, Zong Ling, and then across the crowd. In the dead silence, he spoke with detachment.

After further tempering his Six Viscera Realm, his Essence Energy had significantly increased, and in terms of power, it was not far off from a Marrow Washing Grandmaster. It had long surpassed the common perception of the Six Viscera Realm.

Calling him a Thunder Dao Master without a Martial Body was not an issue. If he pretended to be a Thunder Dao Master, it would be nearly impossible for someone like the Iron Fist Gang leader to see through his facade.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end