Chapter Fifty-Two: The Storm Descends

From his subordinates, Wu Shigong learned information about the Yi tribe. It appeared that the Yi had suffered little during the recent beast tide, which left Wu Shigong both disappointed and shocked.

How could this be possible?

He knew well that the Yi tribe was situated right on the edge of the Fulong Mountains. When the beast tide erupted, they must have faced countless ferocious beasts and savage monsters. Even the Wu family would have suffered grievous losses in such a scenario—perhaps even been destroyed by the tide. Yet, astonishingly, the Yi tribe emerged unscathed from this calamity.

His subordinates had also gathered some details about the tribe’s actions before and after the beast tide. Prior to the tide, the Yi tribe suddenly purchased over ten million refined iron arrows and a hundred thousand armor-piercing arrows from Black Dragon City. The amount was staggering, costing at least hundreds of thousands of gold coins. The Yi tribe cleared out more than half of Black Dragon City’s stockpile of arrows, and they paid this sum with surprising ease.

After the beast tide ended, the tribe sealed off the mountains for a year, and no one had left the settlement.

This only deepened Wu Shigong’s sense that something extraordinary was at play. He ordered his men to intensify their surveillance of the Yi tribe, determined to uncover their secrets.

Within the Yi tribe, the leaders had not realized that their recent unusual activities had drawn the attention of the Wu family head, who was quietly investigating them. The crisis had already begun to descend.

Meanwhile, the six members of Yi Tian’s Reincarnation Squad were gathered with their younger siblings on a secluded patch of land within the tribe, enjoying a barbecue amid laughter and playful banter.

Aside from their training, Yi Tian and his squad occasionally hosted gatherings together. Eventually, Yi Tian began to bring along Xiao Long, Xiao Ting, and the others, so they wouldn’t feel lonely. Over time, these gatherings evolved into joyful reunions for the whole squad and their families.

Little Hei, of course, always stayed close to Xiao Long and Xiao Ting. Over the past year, its size hadn’t changed much—it remained small and adorable. Yet only Yi Tian knew how profoundly Little Hei had transformed.

In truth, at least a third of the energy stones he received from the tribe were devoured by Little Hei—some twenty or thirty thousand mid-grade stones, worth millions of low-grade ones. After consuming tens of thousands of mid-grade stones, the leftmost head finally grew in, granting it the power to devour and refine any material.

However, Yi Tian kept Little Hei in this form so as not to frighten his mother, Xiao Long, Xiao Ting, and the others.

Yi Tian had twice transformed into the three-headed Demon Hound, and though each instance lasted but an instant, it gave him a fundamental understanding of its nature.

Little Hei’s three true heads embodied Devouring, Darkness, and Death, each wielding terrifying abilities and mastering their own primal forces. Within the Yi tribe, only Yi Tian could suppress Little Hei’s true power.

Two months swiftly passed.

During this time, Wu Shigong discovered more and more oddities about the Yi tribe. As one of Black Dragon City’s major powers, the Wu family was deeply entrenched. After careful investigation, his subordinates uncovered traces of the tribe’s massive, clandestine resource purchases.

"Could it be the Yi tribe has found some treasure?" The Wu family head’s curiosity about their sudden wealth grew, and he coveted their riches, longing to claim them for himself.

"What!" In a secluded courtyard, several elders listened to the Wu family head’s report, unable to hide their astonishment.

"Is this true?" one elder asked, his expression dark and clearly not of gentle temperament.

Wu Shigong quickly replied, "It is absolutely true. Recently, the Yi tribe has spent tens of thousands of low-grade energy stones in shops under our Wu family’s control, buying up precious items from our stock. Elsewhere, they’ve purchased spirit weapons and elixirs in bulk—at least tens of thousands more."

"Hiss..." The Wu elders were thoroughly surprised.

For a tribe of merely a few thousand, the Yi’s strength was undeniable. Near Black Dragon City, they were a major power, ranking alongside the Eight Great Families, the Black Dragon Society, the Great River Gang, the Dark Skull Legion, the Shadow Demon Cult, and the Barbarian Tribes, with little difference between them.

Yet even after three or four centuries of development, the Wu family’s foundation amounted to only about twenty thousand low-grade energy stones—a fortune amassed by thousands of clansmen over hundreds of years, strictly managed and never squandered, with every expenditure overseen by all elders.

Now, the Yi tribe had suddenly spent tens of thousands of stones in a short burst, raising suspicions among the elders.

Had the Yi tribe uncovered an ancient treasure, or perhaps a vein of energy ore? Only such explanations could account for their sudden wealth.

No matter the reason, the Yi tribe possessed a trove of energy stones—enough to stir the hearts of the Wu family.

Yet the Yi were still a formidable force; even the Wu family would pay dearly if they clashed, and might end up prey for other powers.

"Are we simply to give up?" Elder Wu Lei asked, unwilling to let it go.

From the clues they’d gathered, it was clear the Yi tribe had found some treasure. Otherwise, they wouldn’t spend tens of thousands of stones so freely. There was every reason to believe their fortune exceeded a million stones. If the Wu family wiped out the Yi tribe and seized their riches, they would become the undisputed rulers of Black Dragon City.

The gloomy Elder Wu Ke chuckled, "We certainly won’t confront them head-on. I’ve heard Tian Sha has grievances with the Yi—perhaps we can recruit him."

"Moreover, if we share this information with the Black Dragon Society and the Dark Skull Legion, I believe they will be very interested," he continued.

Wu Shigong grew anxious. "Elder Wu Ke, if we bring in the Black Dragon Society and Dark Skull Legion, won’t they take most of the spoils?"

He knew well their greed and cunning. The Black Dragon Society, established when Black Dragon City was founded, was ancient, formidable, and tens of thousands strong—arguably the region’s leading power. If not for the Eight Great Families and the Great River Gang, they would have dominated the land.

The Dark Skull Legion was even more ruthless, caring only for profit, capable of anything. Though the Wu family had some dealings with them, when it came to immense wealth, the Legion would betray anyone.

Elder Wu De, crafty as ever, said, "Do you think the Yi tribe is easy to swallow? We’re merely throwing the Black Dragon Society and Dark Skull Legion in as shields. When the time comes, we’ll strike with thunder—capture them all. At worst, we’ll cripple them, and even if they lose little, we’ll still claim our share and eliminate a rival power."

Wu Shigong finally understood, thinking to himself that wisdom comes with age.

After meeting with the elders, Wu Shigong sent envoys to the Black Dragon Society and the Dark Skull Legion, passing on the news. Simultaneously, he dispatched others to seek out the Twin Calamities.

Suddenly, the undercurrents in Black Dragon City began to surge. A tremendous storm was about to erupt.