The burglar who broke into the room quickly admitted defeat. After all, he was just a thief who could barely fill his stomach on a daily basis. Aside from being nimble, he was no match for Li Qing's strength.
Li Qing restrained his neck with one hand, lifting him off the ground with sheer force.
"Are you from the Yi Gang?" Li Qing asked coldly.
The burglar, struggling in mid-air, turned red in the face. He was utterly unable to escape Li Qing's powerful grip.
Bang!
Seeing that he was about to be choked to death, Li Qing snorted coldly, and with a flick of his arm, he threw the burglar onto the ground.
"Cough cough cough! Cough cough cough!"
"I'll talk! I'll talk! It was our gang leader, our gang leader sent me here!"
The burglar rubbed his neck, gasping for breath as he spoke.
Having brushed against the edge of death, he felt terrified and dared not resist any longer.
Seeing him so cooperative, Li Qing did not make things difficult for him. He casually pulled up a chair and sat down with an imposing demeanor.
"Now, tell me, what is your name?"
"My name is Wei Tian. Previously, our gang leader suddenly found me and told me to come here and steal some food. Who knew..."
Wei Tian cautiously raised his head to glance at Li Qing before continuing, "Who knew that you would be so formidable? If you give me another chance, I would never dare to come again!"
"What is your gang leader's name? Does he possess any martial skills?" Li Qing continued to ask.
Facing the powerful Li Qing, Wei Tian answered whatever he could, not daring to hide anything: "Our gang leader is called Tian Long, and he is indeed a martial artist."
Tian Long.
That name was indeed quite imposing, and since he was a martial artist, his skills probably weren't too low.
"Hmph, why has your Yi Gang suddenly come to provoke me after not bothering me for so long?" Li Qing's tone remained icy.
"Ah, did you have a conflict with our gang before? I really didn't know! Usually, our gang leader just tells me which house to steal from, and I go there," Wei Tian said, trembling.
Upon hearing this, Li Qing's eyes narrowed.
"You say you don't know about my grievances with your Yi Gang?" Li Qing's thoughts suddenly became lively.
It had been almost a year since he had taught a lesson to the Qi family brothers. It seemed that the Yi Gang originally did not intend to hold him accountable, yet today they suddenly sent someone to steal from him?
This was rather unusual; without a special incentive, they wouldn't suddenly have their sights set on him.
"Sir, you see, although Obsidian City is mostly empty now, I can't possibly know everyone," Wei Tian awkwardly scratched the back of his head.
After saying that, Wei Tian began to reflect in his heart.
In the future, when visiting others' homes, he must investigate the situation in advance and not be so reckless.
Li Qing pondered for a moment, then carefully sized up Wei Tian.
This guy was quite thin, with shifty eyes, looking very timid.
"When you usually steal from others, have you ever hurt anyone?" Li Qing asked, staring intently into Wei Tian's eyes.
Wei Tian quickly replied, "No! I'm stealing, not robbing. How could I dare to hurt anyone? If I'm discovered, I just run away. Generally, no one can catch up to me."
So he is a thief with a code of conduct.
Li Qing scoffed inwardly and said, "Then let me ask you again, if you had succeeded in this theft, what would your gang leader Tian Long plan to do next?"
Wei Tian was taken aback, then honestly replied, "Well, he probably wouldn't do anything. Generally speaking, after stealing once, the gang leader wouldn't let me steal a second time."
It seemed like a test. Testing his own strength?
If it weren't for the luck of having cultivated External Strength and significantly enhanced his senses, he might not have been able to detect Wei Tian's actions.
After thinking for a while, Li Qing finally made a decision. He did not intend to take Wei Tian's life but instead said something that startled Wei Tian.
"Lead the way; I want to meet your gang leader."
"Ah?" Wei Tian was momentarily taken aback, then finally opened his mouth, unsure of what to say.
After a moment, Li Qing donned an iron armor beneath his thick cotton clothing and, carrying the Wushuang Hammer, stepped out of the courtyard.
Wei Tian, leading the way, looked at the large hammer on Li Qing's back and felt regretful to the core.
How did he end up provoking such a calamity? That hammer looked much heavier than Li Qing himself!
Anyone capable of wielding such a weapon could crush him as easily as squashing an ant.
Wei Tian did not think of escaping but obediently led the way. As for what would happen when this calamity met his gang leader, he was no longer concerned; he just wanted to survive.
After passing through several streets, Wei Tian brought Li Qing to a chaotic alley.
Even in the currently sparsely populated Obsidian City, this place was extremely disorderly.
This was the headquarters of the Yi Gang.
Looking at the surroundings, Li Qing's brows furrowed slightly, then he smirked and followed Wei Tian into a large hall at the end of the street.
As soon as they approached, a powerful voice echoed out.
"Hahaha, a distinguished guest has arrived; this is truly a fortunate event!"
As the voice fell, a burly middle-aged man with a face full of beard walked out of the hall, laughing heartily.
His facial hair was thick, with even his eyebrows nearly connecting, giving him the appearance of having a unibrow.
"Sir, this is our Yi Gang's leader," Wei Tian said awkwardly.
Li Qing nodded, then stepped forward and said cheerfully, "Haha, Tian Long, gang leader, it is a pleasure to meet you!"
Tian Long was robust, with a long-lasting aura.
However, Li Qing felt that this person posed little threat, far less than the oppressive feeling from the several thousand-man commanders in the Wuli Army.
This man was at most an External Strength expert, still far from the Internal Strength level, probably not even close.
"Brother Li, you are quite accomplished! In these times when food is scarce, you have managed to cultivate External Strength; that is truly remarkable!" Tian Long praised generously.
One should not strike a smiling face; Li Qing also cupped his fists and said, "Gang leader Tian Long has built such a large gang on his own; I truly admire you!"
After a round of flattery, Tian Long finally reined in his smile and got straight to the point.
"Brother Li, to be honest, sending Wei Tian to test you today was not my intention."
"Oh? Then why did you do it, gang leader Tian Long?" Li Qing smiled, suddenly narrowing his eyes, appearing eager to hear more.
"Yan Family!"
Upon hearing these two words, Li Qing's heart stirred slightly.
As expected.