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Haoran Martial Arts Hall
Since losing a martial master, and having been completely humiliated by a minor boxing gym in a competition, the number of disciples practicing boxing in the large courtyard had notably dwindled.
Sun Haoran wasn't too concerned. People naturally gravitate towards the successful and shy away from the defeated, as long as the lost face was regained, that was all that mattered.
As the day of the competition approached, a person like him would certainly not fight fair and square.
At the moment, Sun Haoran was discussing plans with a man.
"Yan Gui, I'd like you to take action and capture the Liao family's young lady to force Liao Ya into conceding defeat," he said.
The man named Yan Gui spoke with righteous indignation, "Master Sun, that seems inappropriate. I, Yan Gui, am honest and upright; how could I engage in such a sordid deed as kidnapping women and children?"
The man was less than 1.5 meters tall, thin and small; if not for his wrinkled, rough face, he'd have looked like a child.
Sun Haoran responded calmly, "Help me win the competition, and I'll give you the deed to a large opium den."
Upon hearing about the opium den, Yan Gui's persona changed abruptly, immediately taking on a mercenary air, "One is too few, give me three, Master Sun. You own twenty of them after all. I've just arrived in Yunzhou and am in need of establishing a base."
"Agreed," Sun Haoran accepted directly. "Go at once."
Yan Gui scratched his head and laughed sheepishly, "Can I have the deeds beforehand to boost my morale? Don't worry, if I ran away or failed the mission, you'd have plenty of ways to deal with me."
Sun Haoran took out three large-sealed heavy papers and gave them to the man; they were indeed the deeds to the opium dens.
Those opium dens were like hens that lay golden eggs; Yan Gui's eyes instantly blazed with fervor as he hastily accepted them.
"Ah, Master Sun, you do speak decisively and act quickly. Although my asking price was a bit steep, you won't be at a loss. I've heard about that matter, tsk tsk, Jinwu National Martial Arts Association, once you have the Liao Family on your side, you'll have an additional seat, and it won't take long to earn back the profits for three opium dens," he said.
Sun Haoran's eyes turned cold, "You are quite well-informed."
"Of course, I thrive on this line of work," Yan Gui carefully placed the deeds in his chest pocket, stood up, and saluted with a fist before leaving, "You wait for my good news."
After saying this, his entire being transformed into a shadow the size of a basketball, sticking close to the ground and then disappearing.
After he left, Sun Haoran spoke to an empty space in the room, "Mr. Luo Su, next, you just need to follow this man and await your opportunity."
The air rippled, revealing numerous waves, and a Westerner in a tailcoat appeared; it was none other than the one who had administered injections during the competition.
"Sun, you are indeed a cautious man, but that's exactly what I like about you," he said.
"Mmhmm~" Master Liao had already noticed the activity here and saw Lu Yao giving out another gift. He quickly made his way over without drawing attention.
Lu Yao said with a smile, "Elder sister, would you like one too?"
Liao Ya demurely replied, "It's quite interesting, different from the foreign guns I've seen before."
As a fellow martial artist, she was also intrigued.
Lu Yao went back to his room and brought out another firearm and lots of bullets. He set up a wooden stump as a target and let the sisters practice shooting in the spacious courtyard.
The two stunning girls had a blast firing the guns, and not just randomly—they mastered the technique quickly, using their superior physical strength to counteract the recoil of the pistols, their marksmanship nearing that of professionals.
After playing around for a while, Liao Ya's cheeks were flushed with enjoyment, her eyes shining. Then, suddenly remembering something, she swiftly shed her jovial expression, speaking seriously, "As martial artists, we should rely on our own strength and avoid becoming infatuated with external things!"
Liao Qe responded without looking back, "I know, I know."
"You know nothing!" Liao Ya smacked her sister's behind hard, creating a crisp "smack" sound.
Struck by an Organ Refining Warrior, Liao Qe felt a piercing pain, rubbing her butt for quite a while.
Liao Ya took out her own spear and said to Lu Yao, "Junior brother, shoot me with that foreign gun."
"Ah? Isn't that too dangerous?"
"It's fine, just shoot."
Seeing the girl's confident demeanor, Lu Yao took aim, "Elder sister, be careful."
After the warning, he fired a shot next to Liao Ya, intending for the bullet to whiz past her thigh.
But the spear, transforming into a Black Dragon, leaped suddenly and deflected the bullet! "Junior brother, don't hesitate, small firearms can't hurt me."
"Okay then, I'll continue." Seeing his elder sister was unafraid, Lu Yao decided to fire all six rounds.
Liao Ya manipulated the Black Dragon in her hand, conjuring several blurry shadows to intercept all the bullets, sending sparks flying.
"See that? Firearms are just a supplement; true strength lies within oneself!" she said, while secretly easing the numbness in her hands.
Watching Master Liao stand confidently with the pistol, Lu Yao and Liao Qe nodded in agreement and clapped enthusiastically in praise.
As everyone was enjoying themselves, Lu Yao was about to mention that he had even more powerful toys.
But at that moment, he suddenly noticed a strange person crawling through a drainage ditch, a place not even a dog could enter, and stealthily moving through the vegetable garden!?