Apocalypse: I Have One More Keyword Than Others-Chapter 42 - 0 Straight Hook Fishing_1

Chapter 42: 042 Straight Hook Fishing_1

Chapter 42: 042 Straight Hook Fishing_1

Duge’s single sentence let Feng Zhong know he had been accepted.

He couldn’t help but sigh with relief, “Brother Qi, what are your plans next? I’ll fully cooperate. Should we use Qiu Yuanlang first to lure back some of the Iron Palm Gang’s Hall Masters? I can just write an announcement in Luyang City, saying Qiu Yuanlang is close to death and wishes to see a few Hall Masters before he passes. Once this news reaches their ears, no matter how far, they will come to verify it themselves.”

This guy’s advanced skills are too bugged!

A true shit-stirrer, without relying on his own resources, this fellow could easily grow. No wonder he said he needed to stir up a few flames for himself in Luyang City…

However, the downside must be his offense and defense; once his ranking is exposed and he becomes targeted, the possibility of him getting taken down is too great. The faster he grows, the easier it is for others to benefit from his efforts.

Simulating the correct keywords in the field really tests people…

Duge glanced at him and said, “That can be done.”

Wang San said, “Brother Qi, you can’t believe everything he says. He can lure the enemies, but he can’t control the size of the ones he draws! He might be able to lure the Iron Palm Gang’s Hall Masters, but we don’t know how many people they will bring, how they will come, or when. The uncertainty is too high, we can’t be on guard day and night, can we?”

“I can add a date to the announcement,” Feng Zhong retorted, glaring at Wang San with dissatisfaction, “Wang San, we’re all on the same team, can you stop picking on me? Didn’t I just prepare some black dog blood for you? I didn’t actually douse you with it. If it had been someone else, they would have finished you off once they learned of your identity. With Qiu Yuanlang here, Han Zuo and others might not be sure, but Qiu Muqian and her siblings are Qiu Yuanlang’s children, they definitely won’t be far away, they can’t bring many reinforcements in such short notice. If you have a better suggestion, just say it, nobody’s stopping you…”

Wang San opened his mouth but said nothing in the end, turning his head to silently attend to his severed hand. His skill was mainly intimidation and bursts of power, which really didn’t contribute much to the overall strategy.

“We could also write an announcement claiming Qiu Yuanlang has discovered who the Heavenly Demon is within the Iron Palm Gang,” Duge said, ignoring the quarreling pair, planning to fully utilize Feng Zhong’s skill, “If a small Feng Family could infiltrate four candidates, I refuse to believe not a single one is in a huge gang like the Iron Palm Gang.”

“Good idea,” Feng Zhong said, “Right, we keep the useful keywords and eliminate the useless ones. We can’t let these people lurk around us. I think we can expand the scope to the entire Luyang City, saying we have a list of suspected Heavenly Demons lurking within.”

“We don’t need that for now,” Duge said, glancing at Feng Zhong and shaking his head, “If we release a list of suspects, we might attract not just candidates but personnel from various gangs seeking to investigate. Real candidates don’t need to come themselves; they could simply send someone else to snoop around and verify the truth about the situation. Anyone with slightly clever methods won’t expose themselves. We need to proceed step by step, steadily.”

“Brother Qi is right,” Feng Zhong chuckled, “I was just too eager.”

…

That night.

After discussing the follow-up actions, Duge and his companions scared Qiu Yuanlang with Wang San’s act and easily acquired the Iron Palm Gang’s martial arts manuals, dedicating the rest of their time to training in these arts.

While indeed increasing their attributes bolstered their combat strength, all contenders in the simulation field had the ability to boost their own attributes. At this juncture, martial arts could play a decisive role in victory or defeat.

Given the same attributes, if one person practiced martial arts and the other did not, in a confrontation, the victory would undoubtedly go to the one who had trained in martial arts.

Furthermore, attributes may be targeted and weakened, but practiced martial arts will not be, even if it’s just a little gained; at a critical moment, that slight edge could turn the tide with martial arts skills.

Moreover, with bodies enhanced by attributes, if one understands meridians and acupoints, the effectiveness of training in martial arts is doubled. Therefore, in the simulation field, any contender with a bit of a competitive spirit would use all means necessary to enhance their strength.

…

The Iron Palm Gang’s two most famous martial arts sets included the “Iron Sand Palm” and the “Eight-Step Cicada,” a Qinggong technique originating from the Qiao Family’s holy land.

Similar to the Feng Family’s “Shattered Gold and Jade Hand,” the Iron Sand Palm is also an external cultivation technique, cultivating Inner Strength from the outward in, assisting with methods such as inserting hands into sand and tempering the palms with a hammer, then maintaining the palms with medicinal strength. Reaching proficiency involves a long and complex process, so naturally, Duge dismissed it.

He devoted more energy to practicing the “Eight-Step Cicada” Qinggong.

The Eight-Step Cicada was not only a Qinggong but also included moves, such as the first move ‘Asking Leg,’ which involved leaping more than ten feet high and attacking the opponent’s head with one foot. If that missed, another foot attack would follow, mixed with feints and solid hits, complex changes, and indeed, it could enhance Duge’s combat power.

However, for the current Duge, the increase was limited; firstly, his inner strength was not enough to support a leap more than ten feet high; secondly, with the time taken to jump, he could have already rushed forward and pierced the enemy full of holes.

Nevertheless, having something was better than nothing.

While Duge practiced the “Eight-Step Cicada” technique, his mind was pondering the need to find a suitable inner strength cultivation technique for himself. Compared to external martial arts and Qinggong, inner strength could obviously assist him more significantly, as most Qinggong also required the support of inner strength.

…

The next morning at dawn.

As dawn just began to break, Duge and his companions were still practicing. Liu Cheng, the newly appointed Hall Master of Justice Hall, had already taken the initiative to come and pay his respects.

Seeing Liu Cheng, Duge stopped his practice and smiled, “Hall Master Liu, you’re up quite early.”

Liu Cheng clasped his fists and respectfully said, “Gang Leader, as the Peacekeeping Gang is newly established, there are many tasks, so I dare not oversleep.”

“Sleeping a bit longer won’t hurt,” Duge chuckled, “You are different from us. Being fully rested, you’ll be able to work twice as efficiently.”

Looking at Duge and his energetic companions, Liu Cheng exclaimed in admiration at the abundant energy of the Heavenly Demon and laughed, “Gang Leader possesses the body of the Heavenly Demon, I naturally do not dare compare with you, but matters cannot be delayed, losing a little sleep won’t kill me.”

He paused before continuing, “Gang Leader, yesterday neither Qiu Muqian nor Han Zuo returned. They must have learned of the situation here and sought refuge elsewhere or gone for reinforcements. The old Gang Leader and the master of Divine Fist Gate, Tong Shihong, were old friends. Tong Shihong is a top expert of our time, his Overlord Fist is otherworldly, and his martial arts skills far surpass those of the old Gang Leader. I urge you to make early preparations. The Iron Palm Gang’s external properties should also be withdrawn as soon as possible; if too much time passes, I fear unexpected changes may occur.”

Yesterday, Liu Cheng had publicly acknowledged Feng Qi as the Gang Leader, effectively cutting off his own escape route. For the sake of his own safety, he had to wholeheartedly plan for Duge. The mere thought of the consequences should Duge fail, would not let him sleep, even if he tried.

The source of this c𝐨ntent is freёnovelkiss.com.

“Hmm, I already have a plan,” Duge glanced at him and nodded, pointing to the announcement Feng Zhong had written early on, “Later, you post this announcement. To ward off external threats, we must first settle internal issues. We need to find the Heavenly Demons within the gang before we take any other measures. Today, there should be quite a few people coming to report their injustices after receiving the news. I’m planning to establish a Tribunal of Washing Grievances within the gang. From now on, Wang San will be responsible for handling miscarriages of justice and various grievances. Find a few Incense Masters to assist him…”

“Yes,” Liu Cheng nodded, went over to pick up the announcement Feng Zhong had written. After reading the contents, he couldn’t help but be taken aback, “Gang Leader, since you already know who the Heavenly Demon is, why not directly capture him instead of issuing such an announcement?”

“It’s the old Gang Leader who knows, not me,” Duge said, “After the old Gang Leader explained it to me yesterday, he fell back into a coma. The reason I wrote this announcement is to deter the Heavenly Demon within the gang, to see if we can scare him into showing himself.”

“Isn’t it better to just ask the old Gang Leader directly when he wakes up?” Liu Cheng said, “Why bother with all this, stirring up the snake by hitting the grass?”

“Look at the second announcement.” Duge pointed to the sheet of paper below.

Liu Cheng looked at the second announcement, his expression changing immediately, and he said with a trembling voice, “The old Gang Leader is on his deathbed?”

“Yes,” Duge sighed, “The old Gang Leader’s injuries are too serious, and he likely does not have much time left. We are the Peacekeeping Gang; we must maintain the last bit of dignity of a dying man and should not press him too hard. Post that announcement in Luyang City. The old Gang Leader’s last wish is to see his children one last time; we should try to fulfill his request…”

This fishing tactic of yours is a bit too obvious, isn’t it?

Only a fool would fall for it!

Liu Cheng fell silent for a moment, feeling that he couldn’t always be disrespectful to the new Gang Leader, he braced himself and said, “Gang Leader is indeed unsurpassed in benevolence and righteousness.”