It had to be said that the red-haired man's imposing air had at least some effect on the morale of those facing him.
However, the Ten Thousand Serpent Gang had been operating in the Haiqing District for many years, and behind the scenes they had powerful backers. They might not dare to say much in other places, but in the Haiqing District, very few people had the nerve to meddle in their affairs.
And those who did were all people they knew.
The business the Ten Thousand Serpent Gang engaged in was extremely complex, with connections in both the criminal underworld and legitimate circles. Every member of the gang had exceptionally sharp eyes.
Which people they could not afford to offend and which ones they could—they knew all of it perfectly well.
The red-haired man before them looked completely unfamiliar. His attire wasn't particularly impressive either, clearly marking him as nobody from any major power.
Even if such a man had some tricks up his sleeve, he didn't pose much of a threat to the Ten Thousand Serpent Gang.
Thinking this over, the burly man felt his courage surge with malice. He stared coldly at the red-haired man. "Since you insist on meddling, don't blame the Ten Thousand Serpent Gang for being discourteous."
With that, the burly man raised his hand and launched a streak of smoke skyward.
The smoke spread apart, releasing serpentine patterns that flooded across the heavens.
The red-haired man watched the smoke shoot into the sky and immediately understood that these people were summoning their companions. His expression shifted slightly, then a faint cold smile curled at the corner of his lips. "So, the Ten Thousand Serpent Gang is dead set on making this a big deal?"
"Since you want to play hero," the burly man snarled with a savage grin, "then let's make it a bigger game for you." He waved his hand, and the several riders spread out, surrounding them.
A trace of mockery appeared on the red-haired man's face. "A bigger game? I'm just afraid you won't be able to afford it when the time comes."
"In the Haiqing District, there's never been anything the Ten Thousand Serpent Gang couldn't afford!" The burly man finished speaking, and the group exchanged glances before tightening their encirclement—though they didn't immediately strike.
Their original plan had been to capture the Ling father and daughter and sell them as slaves.
But
The Ten Thousand Serpent Gang survived in the Haiqing District by running many unsavory operations. They simply had a great many methods and kept their eyes sharp.
They chose their targets with great precision. They had determined that this father and daughter were strangers in unfamiliar territory, with absolutely no roots in the Glazed Tile King City.
The moment they had arrived in the Haiqing District, they had been blundering about like headless chickens.
Such people were exactly the kind the Ten Thousand Serpent Gang loved to target. No foundation, no connections, and not particularly powerful.
Moreover, a young woman with Ling Hui'er's figure was a top-tier prize among top-tier prizes.
The Ten Thousand Serpent Gang had been running underground operations for years, and they had the eye for it. They knew that targeting this father and daughter would absolutely invite no negative repercussions.
So for days, they had been watching the Ling father and daughter, waiting for the right moment to strike. But they hadn't expected Ling Su to be so vigilant, retreating into an inn well ahead of time.
That meant even the Ten Thousand Serpent Gang couldn't storm into an inn to cause trouble.
It was only when the Ling family's spirit stones had run dry and they were forced to leave the inn that the Ten Thousand Serpent Gang finally found their chance.
Yet no matter how carefully they had calculated, they never anticipated that a red-haired man would appear out of nowhere and play the hero.
After all, in the Haiqing District, you could lie dead in the street and nobody would bother to ask about it. Independent cultivators had thin relationships with one another—who would care about the life or death of some stranger?
Put plainly, it all came down to eight words: not my business, keep my distance.
It was precisely because most independent cultivators held this mentality that the Ten Thousand Serpent Gang's unsavory dealings over the years had proceeded almost smoothly, never encountering real resistance and almost never failing.
Shortly after the signal smoke was released, large groups of men came rushing toward the spot.
Before long, over a hundred had arrived.
The man at their head wore scale armor and had a pair of triangular eyes. His gaze was sinister, giving off a deeply unsettling aura.
This man was none other than a Deputy Gang Master of the Ten Thousand Serpent Gang.
"Deputy Gang Master Ma! Our brothers were collecting a debt from our debtor, and this red-haired fellow intervened, dead set on opposing our Ten Thousand Serpent Gang!"
"And who might you be? A friend of which family or sect?" Deputy Gang Master Ma was not rash. His triangular eyes narrowed slightly as he appraised the red-haired man.
"You can't be my friend, and don't bother trying to get chummy with me." The red-haired man's tone was brusque, completely unmoved by the other's approach.
Deputy Gang Master Ma paused, looking the red-haired man up and down.
For a moment, he truly couldn't make up his mind.
In theory, no one of status or standing would come to the Haiqing District. Even if they did, they typically traveled in grand entourages, flanked and followed, instantly recognizable.
And this red-haired man didn't look like someone from any great house or powerful clan. That much seemed clear from his bearing alone.
The man simply didn't carry the air of a major power. On the contrary, he seemed much more like an independent cultivator.