The following afternoon...A high-level assembly was underway inside the formidable headquarters of the Red Panda Gang, situated deep within the Eastern Region, rather than at the Roaring Panda Inn.A high-ranking figure who had long favored Captain Munagi and Squad Nine, had personally initiated the session. Seeking to turn the tables, Captain Munagi had approached the elder to plead for backing. Recognizing that Zareth and Gao had not yet officially filed a report with the council, the Elder seized the initiative, calling a emergency meeting to shift the narrative and establish leverage before his opponents could react.Present within the heavily guarded private chamber sat the core hierarchy of the gang: all six Elders, the supreme leader the Red Panda himself, and the Vice Leader. Arranged around the polished table were also two Hall Masters, Octavia, the renowned leader of the Scarlet Hall, and Hall Master Mushiro."As I have stated, this reckless bloodshed cannot be tolerated!

After eating that day, Zareth went to sleep without wasting much time. After all, he had been cultivating for several days nonstop, pushing his physical body to its absolute limits, and the sheer exhaustion of the breakthrough finally claimed him.Next morning...When Gao woke, he realized that Zareth was already done with his cultivation. He noticed that the food on the table were entirely empty and that Zareth was resting peacefully on the bed."It seems he is done... did he succeed?" Gao thought at that moment, staring intently at the sleeping youth.As if sensing the heavy gaze fixed upon him, Zareth slowly opened his eyes at that exact moment."Young Brother, did you succeed? It really has been a while without seeing you active, all I’ve seen is a motionless statue sitting on the floorboards cultivating!" Gao blurted out as Zareth pushed himself up from the bed, yawning deeply while stretching his stiff limbs.Right on cue, Zareth's stomach let out a loud, hollow rumble."Gao, do

Then at that moment, Zareth paused for a moment. They were standing merely a single street away from crossing the boundary into the chaotic, sprawling expanse of the Eastern Region.A sharp, dangerous smirk slowly danced across Zareth's lips. He turned his head slightly, fixing his dark eyes directly on Jada."So tell me, Sister Jada... aren't you angry about it as well?" Zareth asked, his voice smooth and dripping with quiet amusement. "Aren't you out for blood because of what you just told us? Knowing that a massive fortune of cultivation resources awaits us, stolen directly from your own pay, aren't you furious about that?"Jada scoffed, waving her hand dismissively with an air of complete nonchalance."It is merely three low-grade Aether Stones which is one silver tael, and fifty copper coins," she replied coolly, her sharp eyes scanning the bustling street. "Why on earth should I be out for blood over such a paltry sum?""Besides, I am not someone who is easily influenced by the

Earlier, after Zareth and Gao entered the Eastern Region after parting ways with Jada, Zareth, having the entire intricate layout of the town mapped clearly in his mind, had deliberately chosen not to take the main street.That broad, primary thoroughfare passed directly through the bustling entertainment district of the Eastern Region, the very street housing the famed Roaring Panda Inn, the Divine Damsel Pleasure House, the roaring gambling dens frequented by Squad Nine, and the rest of the major, high-profile establishments in the territory. Instead, they had taken an alternate route through a maze of narrow side streets and dingy alleyways.Despite not harboring even a shred of fear, Zareth understood that there was absolutely no reason to draw unnecessary attention or provoke noisy altercations. Their primary objective was simple and singular: proceed directly to the gang headquarters, claim their allocated cultivation resources, and immediately return to the safety and relativ

"As much as that is the case, I have better experience with a sword than with these custom weapons," Zareth thought in that moment.Adjusting his footing, he shifted his stance with practiced precision. Smoothly and without a hint of hesitation, he sheathed the twin custom weapons, the needle-rod and the spearheaded blade, horizontally across the small of his lower back. In the same fluid motion, his right hand reached down and unsheathed the shortblade on his left hip, the very weapon Jada had assumed was nothing more than an ornamental piece meant for show and deception.Zareth exhaled slowly, regulating his erratic breathing. He wrapped his fingers firmly around the hilt of the shortblade."I am no match for them in pure physical force right now," Zareth analyzed inwardly, his mind operating with cold, calculating clarity. "But I only need one opening. Only one single opening. After all, they were the ones who attacked us first... so we are simply defending our lives.""Bajo!" Hu