Immortality: Starts with seeking good fortune and avoiding disaster!

**Chapter 17: The Jackal is Gone, and the Tiger and Leopard are Coming Again**

Hearing these words, Xiao Fan remained calm, as if the matter had nothing to do with him.

In truth, that was exactly the case.

Neither the Dragon King Gang nor the villagers of Osmanthus Village knew that the person who had killed Zheng Wenbing was not a strongman from outside, but just an ordinary fisherman from their own village.

"If Zheng Wenbing is dead, then who will come to our Osmanthus Village to collect the money?" someone asked out of curiosity.

"Haha, there are many capable people in the Dragon King Gang. Without Zheng Wenbing, there will still be others to take his place."

"But as far as I know, it seems the one succeeding Zheng Wenbing is Luo Chang, the Dragon King Gang."

Zhao Ziqiang, well-informed, thoughtfully shared the information he had gathered.

"It's actually the perverted Luo Chang?!" 

As soon as these words fell, the faces of many villagers in Osmanthus Village changed drastically.

They had heard of Luo Chang before—he was the leader of the Dragon King Gang known for extorting money from other villages.

Although Zheng Wenbing was violent, he could at least be reasoned with as long as money was involved.

He would not further harm the village.

Unfortunately, Luo Chang was quite different.

This man was notorious for his lustful tendencies, having no qualms about abusing or killing anyone. He desired every woman and would eliminate those he deemed unattractive.

He had previously kidnapped wives and daughters from other villages, even slaughtering entire families, showing extreme cruelty.

When he came to collect money, the female relatives of each household would hide in the nearby mountains, too terrified to face him.

If this man were to come to Osmanthus Village, everyone would be in grave danger.

"Oh no, it's Luo Chang! What should we do now?" one villager lamented.

"I thought the jackal was dead, but now the tiger and leopard are here," another added.

"If Luo Chang comes, all the women in our families will need to leave the village to avoid him."

"Alas, trouble is coming."

Many villagers were filled with anxiety, especially those with numerous female family members, unsure of how to protect them.

If Luo Chang decided to abduct their wives or daughters, there would be no one able to stop him.

"This Luo Chang is so domineering when it comes to robbing women. Doesn't anyone care about him?" Xiao Fan frowned in disapproval.

"No one cares. It is said that his father is an elder in the Dragon King Gang."

"The old man had Luo Chang late in life and dotes on him excessively."

"This has led to Luo Chang's lawlessness. Although he's arrogant and domineering, he's not foolish; he only targets the weak and fears the strong."

"So far, he has only caused trouble in fishing villages like ours and has never dared act up in Tonghe County."

"Given the power he wields, he can be managed," Zhao Ziqiang explained, shaking his head in resignation.

He was also worried.

Even though his wife, Liu Pearl, was old and frail at forty, there was still a chance that Luo Chang might pose a threat given his notorious reputation, which knew no boundaries.

To stay safe, if Luo Chang came to Osmanthus Village, it would be best for the women to hide quickly.

"Luo Chang?!" Xiao Fan squinted. He had initially thought that life in Osmanthus Village would improve with Zheng Wenbing gone.

But he didn't expect that a more vicious individual would emerge in his stead.

This world was not a safe place to live.

He clenched his fists, a deep sense of urgency swelling within him.

The skin-tempering realm alone was still too weak; he needed to become a stronger warrior.

Not long after, Xiao Fan returned home.

By this time, Mu Qingyao had cooked dinner.

On the black wooden table lay snakehead fish, stir-fried pork, soybeans, lettuce, and steaming rice, fragrant enough to entice any appetite.

In Osmanthus Village, this spread could easily be considered a feast.

Compared to previous meals, which resembled pig feed, the food before him was significantly better.

Thanks to his recent good fortune, Xiao Fan had accumulated dozens of taels of silver, allowing him to afford such meals.

At that moment, Mu Qingyao, dressed in a skirt, bent down to wipe the table, her graceful curves subtly accentuated.

Seeing her like this, Xiao Fan couldn't help but step forward and embrace her.

"Ah, husband, what are you doing? It's not dark yet!" Mu Qingyao's pretty face flushed red, her heart racing slightly. She appeared both enchanting and slightly angered, shooting him a teasing glare that dripped with charm.

Her allure was even more striking now.

Xiao Fan lifted Mu Qingyao and carried her towards the bedroom.

...…

In the blink of an eye, another five or six days passed.

Osmanthus Village fell into a long-lost calm.

With no one from the Dragon King Gang causing trouble, life in Osmanthus Village felt safe.

Xiao Fan occasionally took the awning boat out to fish in Yunmeng Lake.

Yet, like most days, he found little success.

This demonstrated the challenges faced by fishermen.

Even though Yunmeng Lake was vast and teeming with fish, catching them was not as easy as one might think.

Though Xiao Fan now had dozens of taels to his name, he did not lack for money.

However, to avoid drawing suspicion from the villagers, he continued to go out fishing daily.

He wanted to blend in as an ordinary fisherman.

But instead of idling away time in the awning boat, he practiced diligently to temper his body.

Simultaneously, he studied "The Art of Disguise" and "Cao's Poison Classic."

Yet without the aid of luck points, he found it exceedingly difficult to grasp the techniques, and he still hadn't made any progress.

He became increasingly appreciative of the power of luck points.

Without them, he likely wouldn't have been able to master the Soaring Snake Technique by now.

For now, his priority remained honing the Soaring Snake Technique.

"If I want to break through the skin-tempering realm, I must attain a state where my entire body is impervious to injury."

"Only then can I promote to the flesh-refining realm."

"An average skin-tempering warrior would typically need to consume various secret medicines to achieve a quick breakthrough."

"But these medicines are costly, often exceeding dozens of taels."

"This illustrates the saying: 'poor culture, rich martial affairs.'"

"If you're lacking money, making progress in martial arts becomes nearly impossible."

Xiao Fan counted himself fortunate. Thanks to the mysterious energy of luck points, which seemed to yield results even better than any secret medicine, he was on a clearer path. Otherwise, the dozens of taels he had would hardly suffice.

He knew he had to find ways to boost his luck points.

Doing so would accelerate his training.

It was another leisurely day.

Xiao Fan sailed his awning boat back to the dock of Osmanthus Village, eager to return home to enjoy the delicious meals prepared by his wife.

However, he soon spotted some uninvited guests at the pier.

While he didn't recognize most of them, one face was familiar—Guo Mazi.

The moment he saw Guo Mazi, he sensed trouble.

This guy had an air about him that screamed mischief.

Nevertheless, Xiao Fan remained composed, quickly docking the awning boat before stepping ashore.

"Xiao Fan, why don't you come over quickly to meet Uncle Luo Chang?"

"Do you know that fortune is favoring you today?"

"I have something good for you today!"

As soon as Guo Mazi laid eyes on Xiao Fan, he adopted an arrogant demeanor, acting like a sycophant basking in another's power.

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