3: Take action

In the evening, Er returned.

He brought a crude hand-drawn map, marking several nearby wild fruit forests, a small patch of bushes that might contain game, and the locations of the Hall of Joy gambling house and the Chunxiang Brothel, both controlled by the Black Fish Gang.

He also noticed that the Black Fish Gang seemed to have a fixed route for collecting 'protection fees' every three days, usually led by a minor boss with two or three lackeys.

Late at night, San returned silently, carrying the mundane scent of the marketplace.

"Master," he lowered his voice, "besides the Black Fish Gang in town, there is also the White Sand Gang, which controls the freight and some shops in the west of town. The two groups have long-standing friction.

The government's presence is weak, with only a Patrol Inspection Department and about a dozen runners. They usually only handle major matters and turn a blind eye to the struggles of small Gangs."

"Regarding cultivation..." Lin Mo was most concerned about this.

"I couldn't find any detailed methods."

San shook his head, "But I confirmed that the Martial Dao does exist in this world. There are rumors of Martial Masters who can shatter stone monuments, and even higher-level internal qi experts, but they are not seen by ordinary people.

The Black Fish Gang leader, Black Fish Head, is said to have practiced some Hard Qigong in his early years. He is powerful and fierce, and seven or eight ordinary men cannot get near him, but he likely hasn't crossed the true threshold of the Martial Dao.

There are two martial arts halls in town, but the tuition is high, and they only accept youths with decent talent."

Hasn't crossed the threshold of the Martial Dao? Lin Mo felt slightly relieved, but also secretly wary.

This indicated that the true Martial Dao might be far beyond his imagination. Black Fish Head was only at the level of a strong thug, yet he could already dominate an area.

His current physical strength should be no less than his, perhaps even stronger, but he lacked Moves and combat experience.

"Continue observing. Focus on finding out Black Fish Head's daily movements, preferences, and whether there are any particularly troublesome individuals within the Gang," Lin Mo ordered.

The third day, the fourth day, the fifth day... Every morning, accompanied by a warm current and an increase in strength, a new Death Warrior joined them.

They brought various random skills such as [Basic Forging Perception], [Basic Herb Identification], [Basic Beast Taming], and [Basic Trap Detection].

Lin Mo's physical attributes soared exponentially; he felt the power stored within his body was like a volcano about to erupt.

At the same time, his control over his strength became increasingly refined, reaching the point where he could handle heavy weights as if they were light.

He established a simple rotation and task system.

Some Death Warriors were responsible for obtaining food, some for continuously gathering intelligence, and two were sent further outside the town to explore, looking for potentially safer retreats or resource points.

The River God Temple was initially reinforced and camouflaged, becoming an inconspicuous temporary Nest.

Through the continuous flow of information gathered by the Death Warriors, Lin Mo's understanding of Qingyuan Town and the Black Fish Gang grew more thorough.

The Black Fish Gang had about forty people, with the core being the Gang leader, Black Fish Head—whose real name was Liu Kui—and three minor bosses.

Their main income came from dock commissions, two gambling houses, three brothels, and protection fees collected from some merchants.

Their conflict with the White Sand Gang mainly centered on the dock interests and the customer base of two adjacent gambling houses.

Black Fish Head loved wine and gambling. He spent most nights idling on the top floor of the Hall of Joy, usually guarded only by his two most trusted thugs.

On the sixth day, Lin Mo had six Death Warriors under his command.

He felt that the initial accumulation was complete. His physical trump cards were strong enough, and the intelligence was basically clear.

It was time for the next step.

He summoned Yi, Er for tracking, San for stealth, and another Death Warrior, Si, whose skill was [Basic Parry].

"Tonight, the Hall of Joy," Lin Mo's voice was calm but carried an unquestionable decisiveness. "The target: Black Fish Head, Liu Kui."

"Master, are we to kill him?" San asked.

"No," Lin Mo shook his head, a cold light flashing in his eyes. "Control him. Let him understand who the real person in charge is."

Killing him would be simple, but it might cause Gang chaos, government intervention, or allow White Sand to take advantage of the vacuum.

Controlling Black Fish Head and using him as a Puppet to gradually infiltrate and take over the Black Fish Gang was the most stable and profitable way.

This required precise action and absolute martial deterrence.

"Er will be responsible for the perimeter lookout and evacuation route. San will infiltrate first to map out the layout of the Hall of Joy's top floor and the guards' positions. Yi and Si will follow me through the front entrance."

Lin Mo assigned the tasks, "Once we act, be sure to quickly subdue all resistance, focusing on Black Fish Head and his personal guards. No need to hold back, but try not to be lethal."

"Yes!" There was no ripple in the eyes of the four, only absolute obedience.

Night fell, and the lanterns were lit.

Inside the Hall of Joy, the noise was deafening—the shouts of gamblers, the clatter of dice, and the giggles of women were all mixed together.

No one noticed that several silent figures had already blended into the night, quietly approaching this feast that was about to change hands.

Lin Mo felt the surging power within him, comparable to the total strength of over a dozen strong men. He took a deep breath and pushed open the noisy doors of the Hall of Joy.

After laying low for six days, it was time to pull in the net.

The air inside the Hall of Joy was foul, a mix of sweat, rouge, and cheap alcohol.

Lin Mo entered with Yi and Si, the waves of noise hitting them in the face.

He was currently wearing relatively clean coarse cloth clothes obtained from the Death Warriors, deliberately restraining most of his presence.

But his eyes, calm as an abyss, and his posture, upright as a pine, were still out of place with his surroundings, drawing a few scrutinizing gazes.

A burly man with a face full of scars swaggered over, reaching out to block them: "You look unfamiliar. Who are you looking for?"

Si took a half-step forward without a word, perfectly blocking the man's hand. The movement seemed casual, but it made the man feel as if his arm had hit a wall, causing him to stall slightly.

"I'm here to talk business with Gang Leader Liu," Lin Mo spoke. His voice wasn't loud, but it strangely pierced through the clamor, reaching the man's ears clearly.

The man was stunned and looked Lin Mo over again.

A young man, dressed plainly, but with a steady temperament. The two followers behind him were silent, but their gazes made this veteran fighter feel a bit uneasy.

Especially that block just now—the force was strange.

"The Gang Leader is busy. What business? You can tell me just the same." The man's tone softened slightly, but he still blocked the way.

Lin Mo looked up, his gaze sweeping toward the stairs leading to the second floor. San had previously discovered that Black Fish Head, Liu Kui, was usually in his private booth on the top floor.

"You can't make the call." Lin Mo's tone was flat, but it carried an unquestionable weight. He ignored the man and walked straight toward the stairs.

"Hey! You..." The man reached out to grab Lin Mo's shoulder.

Yi, who had been as silent as a stone, moved.

He struck second but arrived first, his left hand clamping onto the man's wrist like an iron pincer, giving it a gentle twist.

The man suddenly felt half his body go numb, his strength completely vanishing. His cry of pain was choked in his throat.

"Quiet," Yi whispered two words in his ear, his voice ice-cold.

All of this happened in a flash. The surrounding gamblers were so immersed in their wins and losses that no one paid any particular attention.

Lin Mo didn't stop, ascending the stairs step by step.

Yi let go, and the man stumbled back two steps, clutching his wrist and looking at the three backs with shock and uncertainty.

In the end, he didn't dare to block them again, and he suppressed the urge to call for help. The strength and speed of that follower were too uncanny.