Chapter 486: Section 273: I asked you to speak, not to keep praising.

Teng Donglang watched the magic image before him and fell into a prolonged silence.

The content of the magic image was the complete process of the battle between the Spring Boxer and the Dragon-man youth, as well as the reactions and discussions of the bystanders.

“The situation’s gotten a bit troublesome,” Teng Donglang frowned slightly.

He realized that the situation was undergoing subtle changes, which were somewhat unfavorable for him and the entire Saber Gang.

On one hand, it was because the Dragon-man youth had displayed formidable combat strength, with an aura of unfathomable depth. On the other hand, it was the response of the crowd watching.

People generally expressed admiration and curiosity among other positive emotions toward the Dragon-man youth.

People always revere and respect the strong.

But the case of the Dragon-man youth was somewhat different.

People generally had a good impression of the Dragon-man youth.

“He’s only been in Snowbird Port for a few days?”

Teng Donglang analyzed to himself that the reason for this situation was mainly due to the performance of the Dragon-man youth in the battle.

Not only did the Dragon-man youth endure the beating without fighting back, he also let his opponent rest midway and even provided potions to help his opponent recover faster.

Such actions were too uncommon, surprising onlookers while also fully showcasing the Dragon-man youth’s unique grace as a strong fighter.

Teng Donglang was certain: tonight, every tavern, big and small, would be abuzz with tales about the Dragon-man youth.

Afterward, as long as the Dragon-man youth’s challenges continued, his deeds would spread everywhere like the wind.

It was the soaring fame and influence of the Dragon-man youth that troubled Teng Donglang.

“I was a bit careless. Whether he has intention or not, I cannot treat the Long Fu, or should I say Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps, as I would an ordinary power.”

The more Teng Donglang thought about it, the more restless he felt.

He decisively ordered a gathering of the six leaders to discuss the matter overnight.

Soon, Ban Langen, Spring Boxer, Xiong Ju, and others were all present.

Teng Donglang said, “Everyone should be aware of the matter regarding the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps. I want to hear your opinions on how we should deal with them.”

The six squad leaders exchanged glances for a while, and gradually, everyone’s gaze focused on Ban Langen and the Spring Boxer.

The Spring Boxer’s face turned red.

Ban Langen was a Tree Man, his expression wooden.

After a moment of silence, Ban Langen spoke first, “I was careless. I didn’t expect the Long Fu squad leader to attack without warning, not giving me a chance to use my Defensive Fighting Skills. Don’t be fooled by his bushy eyebrows and big eyes; he’s actually very insidious!”

The Spring Boxer immediately frowned and countered, “I don’t think that’s the case. The main reason is that you did not give him the respect he deserved.”

“The Long Fu squad leader certainly has the manner of a strong fighter. Your defeat at his hands is a fact!”

“Even if you had used your Defensive Fighting Skills, could you have defeated him?”

“Ha, as if I’m not aware of your abilities.”

“You’re now slandering him to extricate yourself, which further reveals your pettiness.”

The Spring Boxer wholeheartedly respected the Dragon-man youth and unconsciously started defending him.

Ban Langen immediately protested, “How much better are you than me? You didn’t even manage to scrape off a single dragon scale from him. It’s shameful!”

The Spring Boxer snorted coldly, “At least I fought with him for half a day, what about you? How many seconds did you last?”

Ban Langen was so incensed that he stood up, “Was that fighting? He went easy on you, okay? I would rather fight to the death than rest midway and certainly never accept his potions. Where is your pride? How can you do such a thing?”

Suddenly, Ban Langen and the Spring Boxer became unyielding, their dispute quickly escalating into a shouting match.

Teng Donglang felt a headache coming on.

The meeting had just begun when infighting broke out among our own ranks.

The other four leaders, however, did not take part.

Seeing the vastly different attitudes held by Ban Langen and Spring Boxer toward Long Fu made them even more curious–just what kind of person was Long Fu?

Teng Donglang coughed twice, “Stop the arguing.”

His light words immediately halted the quarrel between the two, revealing his immense prestige.

“What we now need to consider,” Teng Donglang swept his gaze around the room, his eyes quickly passing over Ban Langen, “is how we are going to deal with Long Fu.”

Ban Langen had been defeated too quickly, rendering his opinion worthless.

Teng Donglang finally looked at Spring Boxer, “I’d like to hear your thoughts.”

As the person who had fought Long Fu the longest, Spring Boxer indeed had the most right to speak among those present.

Spring Boxer knitted his brows tightly and deliberated for a moment before saying, “Long Fu is strong, incredibly strong! He’s definitely not an ordinary Silver Level.”

“His strongest aspect is his defense. I’ve never seen a Silver Level possess such terrifying defense. I attacked with all my might, and he remained completely unharmed!”

“To be honest, if someone had said this to me before the battle, I would have thought it was an enormous joke. But now, having personally experienced this battle, I can’t laugh.”

“Looking back now, I still feel intense frustration, helplessness, and even despair!”

In fact, not only Spring Boxer but all five leaders who had seen the Magic Image were unable to laugh.

The defense demonstrated by the Dragon-man youth had left them all shaken.

Spring Boxer continued, “While the most remarkable aspect of the Long Fu squad leader is his defense, please do not underestimate his other abilities. I believe Long Fu is a well-rounded, powerful warrior with no obvious weak points.”

“At the very least, his ability to move is incredibly strong, far surpassing mine.”

The five leaders fell into silence.

They had all seen the Magic Image; some had even watched it several times.

They had witnessed with their own eyes how the Dragon-man youth completely overwhelmed Spring Boxer in terms of speed.

What they didn’t know was that this was the Dragon-man youth’s strength boosted by the Big Arena Badge.

This badge, like the golden silk chain armor, was blessed by the Deception and Disguise Skill and remained “Invisible.”

Spring Boxer added, “I believe the Long Fu squad leader definitely has other tactics up his sleeve. It’s just that my strength was insufficient to force him to use them. Think about it, gentlemen. He is a Dragon-man; his recovery abilities definitely won’t be lacking.”

“I have a strong feeling that when he was fighting me, he never really brought out his full offensive power.”

“Because with just his defense, he already left me with no strategies to employ.”

No one spoke.

The air was thick with pressure.

Ban Langen was probably the one under the least pressure.

Because he had already been defeated.

The other four leaders, as well as Gang Leader Teng Donglang, all had to face the challenge of the Dragon-man youth.

At this moment, Spring Boxer turned his gaze to Ban Langen and let out a cold laugh, “There’s no shame in admitting your defeat, and there’s no disgrace in acknowledging the strength of your opponent.”

“Long Fu squad leader is strong.”

“His strength commands respect.”

“Just as he said to me, as long as others show him respect, he will offer equal respect in return!”

“He could have defeated me quickly, but he recognized my fighting spirit and kept company with me until night fell. He strictly abided by all the promises he made during the battle, never violating them from beginning to end.”

“He is an opponent worthy of respect. I look forward to the epic struggle between him and the Gang Leader!”

The Spring Boxer’s intention was crystal clear; he believed the Dragon-man youth was sufficiently qualified to challenge Teng Donglang.

Teng Donglang couldn’t help but cough twice again, sighing inwardly, “This little Spring… I asked you to share your feelings, not to keep praising him and boosting the enemy’s prestige.”

“Alright. Let’s put an end to praising the opponent. Talk to me about his weaknesses,” Teng Donglang ordered.

But the Spring Boxer paused, then spread his hands, “Gang Leader, I think Long Fu has no obvious weaknesses or flaws.”

This statement immediately caused displeasure among the Human Race leaders.

“Enough, Spring Boxer.”

“Just because you were defeated and couldn’t discover Long Fu’s trump cards doesn’t mean he has no flaws.”

“From the Magic Images I observed of your fight with him, I’ve already found at least two weaknesses.”

“The first weakness is his charge. Haven’t you noticed? His way of charging is very similar to yours. Both your movement styles suffer a brief pause before a burst of speed; this is your biggest vulnerability.”

“The second potential weakness is that Long Fu lacks long-range combat capabilities. Facing your erratic jumping, he first induced you to attack him, then quickly moved to engage you in close combat.”

Only when reaching the Golden Level can a fighter’s Fighting energy exist on its own. This is common knowledge.

“Ha ha ha, you are not wrong,” laughed the Dwarf leader, “Long Fu has another weakness.”

“He doesn’t use weapons.”

“The intelligence reports that even during the naval battle at Twin Eyes Island, he only used his fists and feet.”

“He probably hasn’t specifically trained in weapon use, instead spending most of the time on unarmed combat.”

The Mixed-blood leader with Demon Bloodline nodded in agreement with the Dwarf leader’s remarks.

He said, “Long Fu is very young. And as the leader of the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps, managing the Mercenary Group takes up much of his attention.”

“How much time could he have?”

“To have honed his unarmed fighting skills is already quite commendable.”

“However, since he has dared to come to challenge our Gang Leader, this indicates he must have a trump card for fighting the Golden Level! As to what this trump card is specifically, we don’t know. There’s not even a hint in the intelligence reports.”

The last statement hit a chord deep inside Teng Donglang.

Teng Donglang tapped his knuckles on the table, “Tell me then, how do you plan to deal with Long Fu?”

Without hesitation, the Human Race leader said, “Quite simple. We contact the sheriff to set a trap and frame the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps. Lock all their people up in jail.”

“The Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps has restrained their members, keeping them aboard their ship, with no freedom to move.”

“But what good will that do?”

“Their ship is docked at the harbor and is under the jurisdiction of Snowbird Port authorities.”

“As long as the sheriff takes action, framing them will be too easy.”

“I channel so much benefit to them each year; now is a good opportunity to make the money we’ve sent play its due role.”

“You want to set up the leader of Long Fu? That’s not okay!” the Spring Boxer immediately objected.

He scorned the method of the Human Race leader, “Such underhanded tactics are not the actions of the strong and more so reveal a fearful and timid mentality.”

The Human Race leader raised his eyebrows, saying with displeasure, “Listen here, Spring Boxer, haven’t you completely sided with Long Fu just because he showed you mercy in the fight, allowing you to rest and feeding you potions? Don’t forget who you are; you’re one of the Saber Gang leaders. What’s with this attitude?”

The Spring Boxer snorted, “Precisely because I am a Gang Leader, I must consider the reputation of the entire Saber Gang! Once we do this, what will others think? The public is not blind; even without evidence, any clear-sighted person will know we’re scheming!”

“Do we have no shame? If we can’t defeat others, are we to use such vile methods to plot and frame? What will others think of our Saber Gang?”

The Human Race leader was taken aback by these words.

He looked at the Spring Boxer with incredulity, “Hey, have you lost your mind? The Bayonet Squad is a gang, not the army you used to be in! Even in military battles, don’t they prioritize victory, when deception is common and all means are exploited?”

“You actually care about our Saber Gang’s reputation, that’s laughable! Does our Saber Gang need a good reputation?” The Human Race leader openly berated the Spring Boxer.

The Spring Boxer was frustrated; he couldn’t outtalk the Human Race squad leader but still expressed his stern opposition.

Ban Langen seized the opportunity to kick someone when they were down, saying in a mocking tone, “Some people might have lost to Long Fu themselves and hope others taste the bitterness of defeat too. That way, their own defeat wouldn’t stand out as much.”

The Spring Boxer was furious and about to argue when Teng Donglang timely interjected, “Enough, do you two still want to argue?”

The Spring Boxer and the others immediately fell silent.

Teng Donglang pondered aloud, “We are a gang, not an army, that’s true.”

“But to use this kind of tactic right now is a bit premature.”

“We are a medium-sized force, while the other side is but a small one.”

“Resorting to such out-of-battle methods indicates that deep down, you’re not confident in fighting Long Fu, even believing that you will lose.”

“Long Fu has always been trying to escalate this matter.”

“After today, many people are aware of it, and more and more eyes will be on us.”

“For Saber Gang, the best way to handle this is to defeat Long Fu head-on.”

“You all don’t need me to step in; you can make him back off on your own!”

Having said this, Teng Donglang paused, swept his gaze around, and continued, “We need to take the initiative.”

“We can’t let Long Fu challenge us to a duel over and over.”

“If he beats the six of you, the reputation of Saber Gang will be greatly damaged.”

“So, tomorrow, I need one of you to take the initiative to challenge Long Fu and defeat him!”

Teng Donglang’s speech once again silenced the six squad leaders.

They exchanged glances, then all eyes converged on the Beastman squad leader, Xiong Ju.

Among the six squad leaders, Xiong Ju’s personal combat strength was always the strongest.

The Human Race squad leader was the first to break the silence, “Xiong Ju is the strongest among us. If he loses to Long Fu, we have no hope of victory.”

“I fully support Xiong Ju!”

As he spoke, the Human Race squad leader removed his own shoulder badge.

“This is my strongest piece of equipment, lent to Xiong Ju for use in tomorrow’s fight.”

The faces of the crowd subtly changed.

The Human Race squad leader’s shoulder badge was Gold Level equipment!

Named the Wandering Full-body Armor, the Human Race squad leader had relied upon it to repel many assassination attempts; it was his lifesaving ace.

But now, he directly lent it to Xiong Ju, quite decisively.

The Human Race squad leader sincerely said to Xiong Ju, “This is the best I have to offer; the rest won’t be better than what you already own.”

Teng Donglang cast an approving look his way.

The Dwarf squad leader pondered for a moment before taking out a short-handled warhammer from his chest.

“This is a piece of equipment that I’ve crafted with care; as you can see, it’s actually not yet completely finished.”

The aura emanating from the warhammer was mixed and not uniform.

The hammerhead and handle both had a Silver Level aura, while the gem set into the very tip of the warhammer radiated a Gold Level aura, flickering with strands of electricity.

“This is my reproduction of the Legendary Weapon, the Great Thunder God’s Flying Hammer–I call it the Little Thunder God Flying Hammer.”

“Xiong Ju, I know you have your own primary weapon, which is very powerful. But you could use this Little Thunder God Flying Hammer as a secondary weapon.”

Xiong Ju shook his head, “I rarely use warhammers; my steel saw requires both hands to wield. This weapon is not suitable for me.”