[Just after you entered the main hall and found a seat, Xu Raoshen stood up to introduce the young man beside him.]
[His name was Gu Changsheng. The moment you heard it, your first thought was, "Fuck, that's a protagonist's name."]
[But you quickly calmed yourself. "Protagonists aren't like cabbages you find in every market. Just because someone has the same name doesn't mean they're the real deal."]
[You then focused on Xu Raoshen's introduction.]
[Gu Changsheng hailed from the Gu family of the Royal Capital—the most powerful clan in the Taiping Dynasty after the Royal family itself.]
[He was the 8th young master of the Gu family, renowned as one of the most gifted talents of their younger generation.]
[Once the introductions were over, the young man finally spoke. And when his words echoed through the hall, everyone present was left dumbfounded, their scalps tingling with shock and excitement.]
[Gu Changsheng declared: "The purpose of my visit is to destroy the Wang family. You—White Tiger Gang, Water Dragon Gang, and the Liu family—will ensure not a single member of the Wang family escapes alive."]
["After their destruction, you three may divide their resources among yourselves."]
[Upon hearing this, everyone began speculating. Perhaps the Wang family had provoked the Gu family… or maybe they possessed some rare treasure coveted by them.]
[Most leaned toward the second possibility. After all, the Wang family wasn't foolish enough to deliberately provoke the Taiping Dynasty's behemoth.]
[You also found yourself agreeing with that reasoning.]
[With that, Gu Changsheng left the main hall in a heroic manner.]
[The moment he stepped out, the hall erupted into chaos. Everyone began talking over each other, their excitement palpable.]
[The Wang family had always been a towering figure in their eyes, a giant they could only look up to. They had long dreamed of stepping on them and grinding their faces into the dirt. Now, with Gu Changsheng's backing, that dream could finally become reality. How could they not be thrilled?]
[But while they were busy basking in excitement, your mind was elsewhere. "This is progressing exactly as I anticipated," you thought.]
[Moments later, you composed yourself and quietly returned to your place.]
[The next day, after the meeting, you heard startling news—the Beggar Gang had been disbanded.]
[You immediately guessed it was Gu Changsheng's doing. Perhaps the Beggar Gang had disagreed with his plans, and he simply erased them from Yongcheng's power structure.]
[The city was now in turmoil. The sudden fall of such a large gang had thrown every faction into chaos.]
[Half a month later, orders came directly from Gu Changsheng—it was time to attack the Wang family.]
[Upon arriving at the Wang family estate, you met up with the Liu family and Water Dragon Gang. Together, you began drafting strategies for the assault.]
[The Wang family had long been the strongest in Yongcheng, and their strength could not be underestimated.]
[After discussion, the plan was set: practitioners at the Blood Refining Realm and below would block every escape route, while Bone Strengthening Realm cultivators and above would storm the Wang family's core area.]
[With the plan in place, the operation began swiftly. You and the other elders swept through the Wang family's inner grounds, cutting down countless descendants. But something was off—among all those you killed, none were the Wang family's true core members.]
[Before you could think further, urgent calls for help rang out from the outer perimeter. You didn't even need to hear the details—you already knew the Wang family was attempting to smuggle out their most important heirs.]
[True to your decisive nature, you immediately rushed toward the nearest call for aid.]
[But along the way, you ran into someone completely unexpected—the leader of the Beggar Gang.]
[This was the very man who had vanished during the Beggar Gang's disbandment, escaping the slaughter of its elders and leaders. Now, he had returned for one purpose—revenge.]
[And worse, he had already stepped into the Martial Arts Master Realm.]