Flower Picking Gang Headquarters. Study.

The leader squatted beside a white jade box embedded in the floor, the soft glow of spirit stones illuminating his face as he reluctantly counted the fifth one, adding it to his coarse pouch.

Clack.

After finding a snug place within the folds of his robe for the coarse pouch, his gaze shifted down to the box, counting thirteen more spirit stones.

Grabbing the account ledger on the floor beside him, he tucked it back over the spirit stones before he closed the box’s lid, slotting the lock back in place.

Inserting a key into the keyhole, he twisted it, and the bronze lock emitted a soft clunk, securely locking away his ill-gotten treasures.

Standing up, he secured the key in an inner pocket hidden on his robe.

Walking over to the shifted stone desk, the leader exerted himself and shoved it back into place over his hidden stash, effectively concealing the valuable cache from view.

Throwing a final glance at the now camouflaged stash, the leader straightened himself, taking a moment to ensure the room showed no signs of the activities that had just taken place.

Satisfied, he headed for the door of the study.

Walking out, he waved for a couple of guards stationed at the door to follow him down.

The corridor downstairs awaited, where a group of lackeys diligently wiped and swept the ground.

“Good morning, boss!” “Boss, morn!”

Greeted by the hustling and bustling gang members of the base, the leader walked confidently through the path they opened up for him.

Behind him trailed his group of most loyal lackeys, each with a menacing aura, ready to execute their leader's commands at a moment's notice.

After letting his ego loose for a bit, the leader finally barked at his underlings, "Get ready, you bunch of misfits! The lord is arriving, and I want this welcome to be flawless!"

"Keep your words in check, and tuck your foots in. Don’t accidentally trip the noble man or I’ll chop your foot off even if you live. Understood?!”

“Yes boss!” “We won’t boss!” “As boss says.”

While the other gangsters scurried to obey their boss's orders, the leader approached one of the lackeys, a wiry fellow with a scar running across his cheek. "Kou, is the welcome banquet prepared?"

Old Kou nodded vigorously. "Yes, boss. They have already been cleaned and should be led up at any time now..."

At this moment, the leader noticed a group of women dressed in skimpy outfits being ushered into a corner by two burly lackeys. Observing their figures, a sly grin crept across his face.

"Not bad," he commented, his eyes lingering on the women while issuing a warning in a sinister tone. "Serve the lord well, and you might just get a chance to fly, if you don’t… Hei Hua Lou is happy to accept you."

With pale faces, the women dipped their heads in acknowledgment. “Y-yes owner Mu.”

With a nod, leader proceeded to the entrance, where a lineup of lackeys had already been arranged. Stopping in front of one of them, he casually asked, "How do I look?"

The lackey, a nervous young man, stammered, "Y-you look great, boss."

“Good.” The leader smirked, then glanced up at the night sky. "Keep everything in check. I don’t want to see any of you slacking off!"

Time dragged on... the scene shifted.

The leader now felt the stiffness in his legs.

Just when he was about to express his impatience, he straightened himself when he caught sight of a sudden stream of light streaking across the sky.

It bolted toward the ground, abruptly stopping and hovering above the sand-covered surface, creating a small cloud of dust.

The sandy dust cloud soon settled, revealing a young man descending the steps formed by his fancy floating carpet.

When the young man’s polished boots crunched lightly on the remnant grains of sand, he waved away his carpet, letting it automatically roll up before tucking it into his storage pouch.

Seeing this, the leader of the gangsters swiftly put on a flattering face and approached him, "Lord Wu, welcome to our humble establishment. We're truly honored by your presence."

“Hmm.” Lord Wu brushed the nonexistent dust off his sleeves.

The leader bowed respectfully, gesturing towards the entrance as an invitation. “Please come in. I’ve already prepared a feast for my lord.”

Lord Wu acknowledged the leader with a nod and walked toward the entrance, passing through the awe-stricken lackeys who bowed low in unison. “Welcome Lord Wu!”

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Once inside the lair, the line of scantily clad ladies, previously relegated to a corner, all bowed simultaneously when Lord Wu passed by. “M-My lord.”

Lord Wu’s interested gaze scanned the array of women, and with a smile, he pointed at three of them. “Just them.”

The chosen women straightened themselves like proud peacocks, their eyes glinting with a mix of excitement and trepidation.

Without a backward glance, Lord Wu strutted past them, ascending the stairs.

The leader gestured toward his lackeys to bring the women up before he eagerly chased after Lord Wu, keeping a step behind, doing his best to flatter the man. “Lord Wu’s eyesight is as sharp as ever! It is their fortune to be picked...”

Study.

The heavy wooden door creaked as the gangster leader gingerly shut it behind him, casting a quick glance around the dimly lit study.

Lord Wu was already took his spot on his usual chair behind the sandstone desk.

With his face masked in a stiff smile, the leader approached and bowed respectfully. “Lord Wu...”

Examining the nails on his own finger, Lord Wu casually inquired, "How goes the matter I entrusted to you?"

The leader hesitated before responding, "There is no lead so far, my lord."

Lord Wu’s eyes jumped from his nails to the leader, his expression turning stern. "Xiao Mu… I didn't waste my money just to raise useless animals."

“L-Lord Wu!” Bowing his head lower, the leader dropped to his knees, his entire frame trembling.

"Forgive us, my lord. I will gather my brothers and ensure we find the man, even if we have to flip over every single outer district! Three mon- no- one month! We’ll make sure to give my lord a satisfying answer!"

“See that you do,” Lord Wu leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes. "And... what of this month's payment?"

The leader nodded hurriedly, getting back on his feet and walking towards the desk.

From his robe, he retrieved a coarse pouch, placing it on the desk with a clack, "Lord Wu, this month’s earnings.”

Lord Wu’s finger opened the pouch, revealing the spirit stones within.

“Very good.” Giving the other a satisfied nod, Lord Wu kept the spirit stones into his own storage pouch.

“Remember, only the useful deserves my protection.”

Rising from his chair, Lord Wu condescendingly stared at the leader, "I hope to hear news by next month. Don’t disappoint me, Xiao Mu."

“Y-Yes, my lord.” The gangster leader fell in step behind Lord Wu as they left the study, the heavy door shutting behind them.

The leader watched Lord Wu enter his own bedroom, slamming the door shut in his face, leaving him in the dimly lit corridor.

Turning around, the leader's flattering face hardened, and he growled at the guards stationed nearby, "Do your job properly. And don't bother the lord, no matter what you hear."

The guards nodded, their expressions stoic, understanding the gravity of their leader's command.

The leader cast a final glance at the closed door, "Pity... those were the best ones here, too.”

With a resigned shake of his head, he turned away, heading back toward the study…

The scene around him gradually distorted, like ripples on the surface of water.

Soon, the ambient sounds of the man’s footsteps became distant echoes, and the lighting dimmed, revealing a dark and sealed room, barely lit by the dim glow seeping through the cloth boarding up the window.

On the stone bed, Bubai opened his eyes. “So, it’s him.”

Wu Dawei was just a name and vague background before, but now it was matched with a face. Shockingly, it was the same inner disciple who had purchased his scorpion!

From these clues, Bubai drew some conclusions.

Firstly, it was highly probable that Wu Dawei had already discerned the abnormalities in his scorpions. A red flag to proceed with caution during their future interactions, if any.

Second, based on Mr. Wu's words, Bubai speculated that the Flower Picking Gang was merely a subsidiary under Wu Dawei's control, rather than belonging to the entire Wu clan.

As a result, the retaliation he will probably face for his heist might be less severe than initially expected. As for the target of his plunder, it was naturally…

“Hah, sneaky. But it can’t hide from me.” Bubai’s eyes shifted to the opened white jade box resting nearby on the ground, its contents already emptied.

A white jade box can naturally isolate the prying sights of any Qi-perception techniques. Kept in an enclosed space, it can even conceal cultivation resources from Foundation Establishment cultivators!

Alas... normal spiritual sense may have difficulties seeking out hidden spaces, but divine sense made the search for hidden treasures a trivial task.

Fact: The higher the cultivator’s level, the better they were at plundering.

As a result, lower-level cultivators were often left to endure exploitation or loss.

Of course, sects typically implemented rules and measures to protect their weaker disciples.

In the outer sect, the Foundation Establishment patrol wasn't primarily tasked with regulating outer disciples but rather detecting unscrupulous robbers among their fellow inner sect members, preventing the abuse of power...

Alas, one can never know how much water flows into the pockets of these patrols.

Unfortunately, this lucrative job was not publicly available and was instead allocated by the sect management.

Regardless, these patrols weren’t here now. That is why he dared to be so unscrupulous.

Otherwise, even with a hidden identity, he would hesitate to come mess around due to the heightened risks involved.

Bubai's gaze then shifted toward the leader, who lay bound and in deep sleep on the stone surface.

Well, he might not have a good end after this blunder.

Amusement danced in the Bubai's eyes, and with a light chuckle, he rose to his feet.

With a light kick, he closed the lid of the box, slotted the lock into place and inserted the key.

A metallic clink echoed in the room, signaling the box had been locked, and with a touch, the white jade box vanished from sight.

Though a white jade box wasn’t completely foolproof, just a small box like this one could cost several spirit stones. Good stuff like this naturally can’t slip through his fingers.

After stowing away his incense burner, Bubai cleared away any remaining evidence from his residency.

Then, he hoisted the bound leader over his shoulder with ease, heading for the entrance.

Stopping by the slab of rock sealing the doorway of the room, he shoved it away effortlessly with one hand.

It was the wee hours of morning, yet he already spotted a couple of sneaky figures squatting on the dirty streets outside, peering towards his small residence.

Their furtive glances quickly averted when they caught sight of the bound, bloody leader over his shoulder. Some immediately feigned innocence, others briskly walking away.

Bubai scowled at their deceitful behavior but wasted no time.

He ran a couple of steps forward and, gathering strength in his legs, launched himself up onto the rooftops.

The stale, morning air rushed past Bubai as he quickly parkoured over the rooftops, heading back toward the gang headquarters standing tall in the distance.

When Bubai approached the headquarters, his divine sense detected the chaotic scene within.

The awakened, injured gang members were messily scattered about, with some loitering while others engaged in heated arguments on the first floor.

The contentious topic: whether to save their leader or choose a new one.

Meanwhile, some had ventured down to the prison for some ill-advised entertainment.

“Even heavens can’t help those who don’t help themselves.” Bubai released a sigh, shaking his head in a resigned manner.

Depositing the unconscious baggage onto the roof, he then turned away. After another day spent outside, the day to return to work had already arrived…

Time to head back… and prepare to meet the mysterious guest.