Night falls, and lanterns are hung high.

A dilapidated temple in the western part of the city.

In the darkness, Zhao Yuanwu leaned against a pillar for a short rest.

After escaping during the day, he did not leave.

Instead, he remained stationed in Tianhai City, secretly gathering information.

Those martial arts masters could run, but he couldn't.

Putting aside the fact that so many people died, his duty alone prevented him from running away.

Besides, this dilapidated temple was a communication point that had never been used.

Not to mention Li Fan, even within the Observatory, not many people knew about it.

No one can find this place; I am safe.

Squeak!

The dilapidated gate was blown open by the wind.

"who?"

Zhao Yuanwu's eyes narrowed, and he retreated to the other side like a frightened bird.

True Qi collapses and blossoms.

Zhao Yuanwu was extremely fast; in the blink of an eye, he rushed out of the temple.

Before he could even breathe a sigh of relief, a hand as white as jade pressed down.

Dharma Image Warrior!

Why did a Dharma-type martial artist appear?

Zhao Yuanwu looked terrified and waved his arms, trying to block the palm strike.

But faced with overwhelming power, Zhao Yuanwu had no chance to resist.

As the palm fell, a cloud of blood mist exploded in the sky.

"Aren't you afraid that the person on the dragon throne will notice something by doing something so thorough?"

Tantai Hongye emerged from the darkness.

The Observatory of Astronomy is the emperor's eyes and ears.

Their existence was always kept secret.

Uprooting them completely will inevitably lead to unnecessary trouble.

After all, no matter how strong Li Fan is, he is still just one person. He simply cannot eradicate all the secret agents of the Surveillance Bureau.

"Sect Leader Tantai, if I don't show my differences, why should my second uncle let me succeed as the King of Zhenhai?"

I destroyed the Imperial Observatory because their inaccurate intelligence led to the deaths of my father and a group of imperial guards.

Zhou Shenpeng appeared relaxed.

This, too, is a calculated move.

Given the current chaotic situation in Haizhou, his second uncle wouldn't just send anyone.

The Zhenhai King he needed had to be able to control the situation and at least guarantee the ruling position of the Great Zhou royal family in Haizhou.

Under the cover of night, the ground network operates at full speed.

With the help of powerful figures from the Tianshui Sect, those forces were powerless to fight back.

...

Streets and alleys, teahouses and taverns.

The idle tea drinkers were discussing it animatedly.

"There are no wrong nicknames, only wrong names!"

"Li Fan, the Overlord Blade, is indeed domineering!"

"Zhang Jin, the Tide Sword, is a true man. He wiped out the Zhenhai King's Mansion with a single sword strike to avenge his brother."

"To this day, I still don't know why the Zhenhai Prince's Mansion would be an enemy of Li Fan."

"What else could it be? They're used to being arrogant and domineering!"

"Look how smart the Jiaolong Gang is. If they can't win, they just admit defeat and nothing happens."

"Just a heads-up, the Jiaolong Gang has been wiped out!"

"That was also done by the Prince of Zhenhai's Mansion."

"Keep your voice down, do you want to die?! Aren't you afraid of being punished?"

"What's there to be afraid of? The Prince's mansion has been wiped out!"

"Isn't that second prince still alive?"

"To put it nicely, he's the second prince; to put it bluntly, he's nothing. The Zhenhai Prince's Mansion is gone; he's just an ordinary rich man."

"Come on, let's drink and celebrate!"

Although no one said it outright, everyone tacitly agreed to celebrate.

Whether it's the Zhenhai Prince's Mansion or other Jianghu sects like the Canghai Sect, they are all the ruling class that exploits them.

The downfall of these people is naturally beneficial to them.

I've found a way to make some money.

Those without connections can at least pay less of the "exorbitant taxes and levies," since it takes time for a new order to take shape.

...

East of Tianhai City, on Xuanwu Street, in front of Tianbo Tower, carriages kept stopping.

"Is the world getting more and more chaotic?"

On the first floor of Tianbo Tower, someone complained, "This Tyrant Blade Li Fan is simply perfect for causing trouble. He didn't have enough trouble in Nanzhou, and now he's turned our Haizhou into this mess."

"Who can argue with that? He destroyed two of the three major powers. The Jianghu of Haizhou was already weak, and now it will probably be at the bottom."

"Manager Liu, I advise you to say less. Li Fan even killed your master, the leader of the Green Dragon Gang. If your words were to leak out, I don't need to tell you what the consequences would be!"

"Hmph, even if Li Fan, the Overlord Blade, were here, I would still dare to say these words!"

Just as the man known as Manager Liu finished speaking, the two entered Tianbo Tower hand in hand.

The man at the front, dressed in a blue robe and wearing a hat, had a faint smile on his refined face.

The person half a step behind him wore a gold-embroidered brocade robe, was slightly overweight, and had an overly warm smile on his face.

"Greetings, Manager Chen!"

"Greetings, Manager Chen."

The young man was unknown to everyone present, but the slightly plump middle-aged man in the brocade robe was recognized by everyone.

He was none other than Chen Siyuan, the head manager of "Yuanrong Bank".

"Yuanrong Bank" was the largest money exchange in the entire Haizhou.

To control such a vast business empire, one naturally needs power.

Standing behind Chen Siyuan was the Zhenhai Prince's Mansion.

He was also a leading figure among Haizhou merchants.

"Please, everyone. This is Mr. Si Haiya. It was Mr. Si who invited you all here today."

After Chen Siyuan finished his introduction, everyone present looked at Si Haiya.

"I've met Mr. Si."

The first person to greet me was none other than Manager Liu.

He was the first to greet Si Haiya, hoping to leave a good impression.

He didn't know who Si Haiya was, but for Chen Siyuan, that old fox, to personally invite all the wealthy merchants in the city, Si Haiya must be no ordinary person.

What he lacks now is a new backer.

"Manager Chen, who is this gentleman?"

"Liu Heping, the manager of Liu Family Pawnshop."

"Manager Liu, right? You can go back now!"

Si Haiya's tone was calm, but it carried an undeniable resolve.

He heard everything the man said when he entered the building.

If we accept such fools, we might one day suffer an undeserved disaster.

Upon hearing his words, Liu Heping's smile froze.

He looked at Chen Siyuan, hoping he could smooth things over, but Chen Siyuan silently shifted his gaze to the other side.

"Mr. Si, have I, Liu, ever offended you?"

"No!"

"Then why did you treat me this way when I got up to greet you?"

"For no reason other than I don't like you!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Heping's face turned pale and then red, and his fear turned into anger.

As a wealthy merchant in Tianhai City, he possesses immeasurable wealth.

Since Si Haiya doesn't accept him, there's no need for him to be subservient.

"Very well! If they won't keep me here, there are plenty of other places that will!"

Liu Heping turned and left in anger.

Just as he stepped out of Tianbo Tower, an arrow suddenly appeared.

Duh!

The arrow sank into the floor, and blood dripped from its shaft.

Looking at Liu Heping again, his head had been pierced through.

Before his body even hit the ground, a martial artist stepped forward and dragged him away like a dead dog.

"Gentlemen, is there anyone else who wants to leave?"