Deep in the night, moonlight bathed the courtyard in a silent hush. The entire base of the Twin Dragons Gang was quiet.
In the lakeside courtyard where Kou Zhong resided, candlelight flickered within the house.
It cast a warm glow on his angular, handsome face.
The candlelight on the candlestick added a touch of inexplicable warmth to the room.
He sat at the wooden table, facing the door.
His deep eyes, reflecting the flickering candlelight, shimmered with a faint golden hue.
His fingers tapped unconsciously on the table, waiting for something…
Time ticked by, second by second.
Suddenly, a light footstep outside the door shattered the quiet of the night!
Then, a knock came.
“Dong dong…”
Kou Zhong’s brow furrowed slightly, a faint smile curving his lips. He said in a deep voice,
“Enter!”
“Creak…”
The door opened gently, and Fu Jun Yu, clad in a plain white robe, pushed her way in.
She gently removed the light veil covering her face, revealing her bright eyes.
Her elegant and beautiful face broke into a serene smile.
Then, she sat silently across from Kou Zhong.
She looked at him and said softly,
“I kept Young Master Kou waiting.”
Kou Zhong shook his head with a light laugh and picked up the teapot.
He poured a cup of fragrant tea for Fu Jun Yu, then spoke slowly,
“What news do you have?”
Fu Jun Yu took out a sealed letter from her bosom and placed it on the table, saying,
“The information gathered by the Evil Men recently is all here.”
Kou Zhong picked up the envelope, gently tore open the seal, and took out the confidential report.
He read it by the candlelight.
This was the latest information from the world that he had previously instructed the Evil Men to collect.
His eyes quickly scanned the report.
The first thing he saw was the intelligence that Yu Wen Huaji had been recalled his tiger amulet from the Xiao Guo Army!
He looked up, his gaze sharp as he looked at Fu Jun Yu:
“Jun Yu, do you think Yu Wen Huaji gave up the tiger amulet willingly or reluctantly?”
Fu Jun Yu smiled slightly, as if she had already prepared her answer to this question:
“Perhaps it was reluctant.”
Kou Zhong shook his head with a smile, a hint of strangeness flashing in his eyes. He said,
“This fellow probably wants to lie low. He has the intention to avoid the limelight.”
“Continue to have the Evil Men investigate!”
“The Yu Wen Clan will definitely try to build relationships with officials in the court, pulling in factions and creating alliances!”
Fu Jun Yu nodded, picking up where Kou Zhong left off.
“Young Master Kou means to obtain intelligence through the families that they’ve allied with?”
Kou Zhong smiled faintly, a resolute glint in his deep eyes:
“Indeed. We must take full advantage of this opportunity to obtain more information!”
“And also prepare for the future layout of the world.”
Kou Zhong continued reading the report in his hand...
The Iron Horse Society’s Ren Shao Ming was leading three hundred horsemen south, aiming for the Twin Dragons Gang.
Seeing this, Kou Zhong sneered.
This Ren Shao Ming was likely a vanguard sent by someone else!
But just three hundred horsemen, plus the Iron Horse Society leader, Qing Jiao Ren Shao Ming.
He remembered from the original story that Ren Shao Ming was the only son of the Tiele expert, Feiyin Qu Ao.
He had helped Lin Shi Hong expand his territory through his alliance with the Yin Gui Faction.
He held Wuxi, Jinling, and other areas. His meteor hammer skills even made it onto the list of extraordinary skills and feats!
But previously, he had been routed by Tian Dao Song Que!
Later, he was even forcibly driven away to the Lingnan region!
Finally, he encountered the combined assassination of Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling!
And the Twin Dragons rose to fame because of this incident!
Finally, it wrote about information on the East Sea Faction. The Evil Men had discovered that East Sea Faction disciples had suddenly appeared.
They seemed to be searching for something in Jiangdu, and some people had even entered wealthy residences.
Seeing Kou Zhong had noticed the intelligence regarding the East Sea Faction, Fu Jun Yu spoke up at the right time.
“The East Sea Faction is isolated on the Ryukyu Islands, and should be peaceful.”
“It is usually not seen here. It is probably related to the East Sea Princess we found today!”
Suddenly, a flame flickered at Kou Zhong’s fingertips, instantly igniting the report in his hand.
With a flash of fire, the report disappeared into the air, not even leaving any ashes.
Kou Zhong turned to Fu Jun Yu and said,
“You’ve worked hard, Jun Yu.”
Fu Jun Yu was startled, then broke into a gentle smile.
A ripple appeared in her eyes, but she didn’t say anything.
Kou Zhong knew that an organization like the Evil Men was destined to be feared by everyone.
Even hated!
Thinking of Shan Wan Jing, he continued,
“We can ignore the East Sea Faction for now. We can even leak some information if necessary.”
Fu Jun Yu’s eyes lit up. She seemed to think of something and said,
“Young Master Kou means…”
Kou Zhong smiled mysteriously and said,
“Ryukyu is a large island suspended in the vast ocean. The climate there is pleasant.”
“Most of it is unclaimed land, and its harbors and currents are perfect for navigation!”
“Leaving it to the East Sea Faction is a waste. If we were to hold it, we could probably take the South China Sea as well!”
Fu Jun Yu nodded knowingly. She then stood up and said to Kou Zhong,
“It’s getting late, Young Master Kou. Rest early, I’ll take my leave.”
As she turned to leave, she reached for the door but couldn’t pull it open.
Suddenly, a pair of hot hands reached around her waist, and a breath of hot air brushed against her ear.
“Why are you leaving in such a hurry, Jun Yu?”
Fu Jun Yu’s face turned red. The candlelight in the room flickered and died.
Only a rustling sound could be heard, followed by the sound of a gentle melody...
…
At this time, there were over a thousand people standing in the training ground.
Xu Ziling stood before them, his hand resting on the long sword at his waist.
He looked coldly at the crowd.
Kou Zhong sat on the dragon throne atop the high platform, his eyes as sharp as torches, scanning the training ground.
The thousand new recruits stood in neat formations. But under his glance, their hearts trembled in unison!
His eyes, like sharp blades, seemed to pierce through each of them.
They felt an invisible pressure!
The morning sun shone on the training ground. The Kou Zhong in the morning light cast a long shadow.
He sat majestically on the dragon throne, his posture upright, his demeanor imposing.
An invisible sense of authority emanated from him, displaying his kingly power.
His gaze drifted towards Shan Wan Jing, who stood out among the new recruits in front of Xu Ziling.
The young lady was clad in a brand new set of plate armor.
The sturdy equipment formed a stark contrast to her originally charming and attractive face!
It gave her face a rare air of heroism!
Her jet black hair, usually flowing smoothly, was no longer as it once was.
Instead, it was tied up in a masculine style, giving her a neat and spirited appearance!
Although the plate armor made her look somewhat childish, like a novice soldier, she was still quite conspicuous among the many new recruits.
Her figure was alluring, her curves captivating.
However, she was shorter than the comrades on either side of her!
This was particularly noticeable in the military formation!
At this moment, Xu Ziling turned around and reported to Kou Zhong on the high platform.
“Young Marshal, the thousand new recruits who passed the rigorous selection process are all assembled!”
Kou Zhong nodded slightly, then slowly got up and walked to the front of the platform.
The aura around him burst forth at that moment!
Like a furious storm, it was intense, impossible to look at directly!
The new recruits below immediately felt the pressure intensify!
It was as if a thousand-pound weight was pressing down on their shoulders, making it hard to breathe...
Shan Wan Jing in particular was astonished!
She had imagined that Kou Zhong’s strength must be extraordinary!
After all, he had defeated Dragon King Han Gai Tian, a Grandmaster at the mid-stage, in a single blow!
But the aura she was feeling at this moment was even stronger than her mother’s!
Thinking of this, she couldn’t help but feel even more disdain for her so-called good-for-nothing fiancé!
This disdain surged through her, making her gaze suddenly become firm and ardent!
She fixed her gaze on the domineering Kou Zhong on the platform.
She was completely oblivious to the pressure he exerted!
She was completely absorbed in her admiration for this powerful aura!
Naturally, Kou Zhong noticed this ardent gaze, and he was somewhat surprised.
But he didn’t mind. He never intended to treat Shan Wan Jing differently.
If she could persevere in the new recruit training, what would it matter if he allowed her to join the Young Marshal’s army?
When he conquered Ryukyu in the future, maybe he could even let her stay there and manage the place!
Seeing that everyone below could hold on, Kou Zhong withdrew his aura.
He said to Xu Ziling,
“Ling Shao, give them each a weighted load and have them stand at attention for two hours.”
Xu Ziling responded loudly, then had the servants push the heavy armor forward.
Everyone was loaded with weights, and they began to stand under the scorching sun...