Chapter 249: Taking Over the Bai Gang
As Bai Cheng was secretly plotting, Mo Yu, who had been working through the night, looked at the sunrise by the window. The soft, reddish sunlight streamed through the window, casting faint spots of light on the floor. A smile crept onto Mo Yu's face.
After carefully storing away the results of his night's work, Mo Yu stood up and stretched. Although he hadn't slept, he felt completely refreshed and full of energy.
"Creak."
As Mo Yu paced around, the door suddenly creaked open, and a pair of slender, jade-like legs stepped inside.
Seeing these smooth, straight legs, Mo Yu was momentarily taken aback. His gaze moved upward, and a beautifully delicate face appeared before him.
"It's you, Yu'er. What brings you here?" Mo Yu asked with a light smile as he admired her long legs.
"Hmph, if I didn't come looking for you, were you planning to wait until you came to find me?" Xiao Yu pouted as she walked over to Mo Yu, her long legs striding confidently.
"Well... I've just been so busy," Mo Yu replied sheepishly, rubbing his nose.
Now he finally understood why young couples in school were always so affectionate. It was indeed hard to resist, especially with the side effects of the Tian Gang Thunder Body. Every time Mo Yu saw those shapely legs, he couldn't help but feel a slight stir in his heart.
Even though Xiao Yu was already his fiancée, and doing something more intimate wouldn't be out of line, Mo Yu didn't want to become a slave to his own desires.
"Oh, I have something for you." After calming Xiao Yu, Mo Yu flashed a beast ring in his hand, and a smooth, white jade-like bead appeared in his palm.
"This is…"
As soon as Xiao Yu took the bead from Mo Yu, she felt a cool energy spread through her body, and she couldn't help but let out a comfortable sigh. She looked at Mo Yu in surprise.
"This is a Cold Jade Bead. It's very effective in calming the violent energy in your body, and it has a particular effect on suppressing fire toxins. You can carry it with you when you train in the Skyflame Qi Refining Tower," Mo Yu explained with a smile.
"It suppresses fire toxins!" Xiao Yu's beautiful eyes widened in surprise, and she gazed at Mo Yu with a hint of astonishment.
Everyone in the Inner Academy knew that while they could use the Skyflame Qi Refining Tower to rapidly increase their strength, they had to endure the side effect of fire toxins. Even the most dedicated cultivators didn't dare stay in the tower for too long, as too much exposure to fire toxins could eventually turn them into a ticking time bomb.
And now, Mo Yu had given her a Cold Jade Bead that could suppress fire toxins. If word of this got out, the entire Inner Academy would go crazy over it.
"Yes, don't forget that I'm a master of crafting. Making something like this isn't difficult for me," Mo Yu said with a faint smile.
Hearing this, Xiao Yu's eyes lit up, and she looked at Mo Yu with admiration. She hadn't realized that crafting could be so powerful.
"Oh, do you have any more Cold Jade Beads? There are a lot of members in my Moon Spirit group who could really use something like this," Xiao Yu asked, a bit embarrassed.
"There are more, but after I take over the Bai Gang, you can have them come to buy it from the Bai Gang. Just mention your name, and I'll give them a twenty percent discount."
…
After parting with Xiao Yu, Mo Yu headed straight to the Bai Gang's territory in the center of the Inner Academy.
As Mo Yu approached the Bai Gang's headquarters, the gatekeepers spotted him from afar. Their expressions changed, and they quickly shouted into the compound.
"Mo Yu is here!"
Hearing this shout, the members inside the Bai Gang's hall tensed up, and even Bai Cheng, sitting at the head of the table, had a grim expression.
"Hmph, let's see what he's got. Bring him in. Today, I'll show him that a newcomer like him can't just waltz into the Inner Academy and do as he pleases!"
Thinking of his plan, a cold smile appeared on Bai Cheng's face as he gave his orders.
A minute later, Mo Yu entered the hall. Seeing the stern-faced Bai Gang members and Bai Cheng's unfriendly expression, Mo Yu's lips curled into a playful smile. He casually took a seat without waiting for an invitation, acting as if he were already the master of the place.
Bai Cheng's mouth twitched as he watched Mo Yu sit down so nonchalantly. Forcing a stiff smile, he said, "It's not often we see you here, Mo Yu. To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit today?"
"Oh? It seems Senior Bai Cheng has a short memory. Have you forgotten the wager you made during our match a few days ago? There were so many witnesses that day, and you clearly promised that if you lost to me, you would hand over the leadership of the Bai Gang. Have you remembered that now?" Mo Yu replied with a light smile.
Hearing Mo Yu mention the bet from the match, Bai Cheng's face darkened. He couldn't deny it, given how public it had been, so he said in a low voice, "Now that you mention it, I do recall. But the Bai Gang was built with my own hands. Even if I step down, it won't be easy for you to take over. How about this: I'll give you 500 fire energy points in exchange for the leadership position. That way, you won't be at a loss. What do you think?"
Mo Yu shook his head and said calmly, "I still want the position of Bai Gang's leader. Senior Bai Cheng, it's best if you step down gracefully."
Seeing that Mo Yu wasn't budging, Bai Cheng's expression turned colder. He exchanged a glance with Bai Shan, who was standing nearby, before letting out a cold laugh. "Very well, then. I'll hand over the leadership to you. But I wonder if you can handle it!"
With that, Bai Cheng slowly stepped down from his position and made way for Mo Yu.
Without hesitation, Mo Yu walked over and took the seat at the head of the table. He glanced at the Bai Gang members with a mysterious smile, resting his chin on his hand.
Watching Mo Yu sit in the seat that used to belong only to him, Bai Cheng's expression grew even more sullen. However, recalling his plan, a cold smile crept onto his lips.
"Now that you've gotten the leadership position you wanted, congratulations, Mo Yu. But I have one request. I hope you can grant it," Bai Cheng said.
"Oh? And what might that be?" Mo Yu asked, noticing the strange expression on Bai Cheng's face.
"Since the Bai Gang has a new leader, I no longer wish to stay. I hope you'll allow me to leave the Bai Gang," Bai Cheng replied.
"Fine."
As the former leader, Mo Yu had no intention of keeping Bai Cheng around. Since he wanted to leave, Mo Yu had no reason to stop him.
Hearing Mo Yu's agreement, Bai Cheng's lips curled into a satisfied smile. He then glanced at Fu Ao and the others.
Receiving Bai Cheng's signal, Fu Ao stepped forward. Remembering the painful lesson from their battle in the square, he couldn't help but feel a sense of caution.
Fu Ao cupped his hands and said, "Greetings, Boss Mo. I also have a request I hope you'll agree to."
"What is it?" Mo Yu asked, noticing Bai Cheng's little maneuver.
"Boss Mo, I joined the Inner Academy the same year as Boss Bai, and we've been through a lot together. Now that he's leaving the Bai Gang, I'd like to leave with him. Please grant my request," Fu Ao said.
As soon as the words left his mouth, the remaining members of the Bai Gang all stood up and asked Mo Yu to let them leave the gang as well. In an instant, the once-mighty Bai Gang seemed on the verge of collapse.
Seeing this, Mo Yu was taken aback but then let out a cold laugh, turning his gaze toward Bai Cheng.
Noticing Mo Yu's gaze, Bai Cheng couldn't hide the triumphant smile on his face.
"So what if you take the Bai Gang from me, Mo Yu? Without people, all you have is an empty title, and people will just laugh at you," Bai Cheng thought smugly.
The Bai Gang's strength had always depended on its four Dou Ling experts and its dozens of elite members. If all these people left, Mo Yu would struggle to recruit anyone willing to join a hollow shell of a gang.
"Apologies, Mo Yu. These people want to leave with me, and there's nothing I can do about it," Bai Cheng sneered, mocking him.
Seeing Bai Cheng's scheming, Mo Yu remained completely calm, as if it didn't bother him in the slightest.
When Bai Cheng saw Mo Yu's indifferent expression, he was momentarily stunned, feeling an uneasy premonition.
Mo Yu glanced over the members shouting to leave the gang and finally focused on Fu Ao. Shaking his head in mock regret, he said, "Fu Ao, Fu Ao... I was planning to compensate you for the trident I broke the other day. As the new leader, I wanted to give you a brand new one. But since you're leaving the Bai Gang, I guess this Sea Shark Trident I crafted will just have to gather dust in a corner."
As he spoke, Mo Yu flashed his beast ring, and suddenly, a deep blue trident about half a meter long appeared, glowing with a strong water elemental aura. The tips of the trident shimmered with a faint blue light, and even the space around it seemed to ripple with a hint of blue.
The moment Fu Ao saw the trident, a look of longing flashed in his eyes, and he couldn't help but swallow. The trident in Mo Yu's hand was of far higher quality than his previous one, and with it, his strength would undoubtedly leap forward.
Struggling for a moment, Fu Ao finally spoke up, "Mo Yu... If I don't leave the Bai Gang, could you give me that Sea Shark Trident?"
After some hesitation, Fu Ao decided that the trident's allure was too strong. If he passed up Mo Yu's offer, he doubted anyone else could provide him with such a high-quality weapon—not even the academy.
As soon as he spoke, the surrounding Bai Gang members were stunned. Fu Ao had been one of the most adamant about leaving with Bai Cheng during their discussions the previous day. Yet here he was, the first to change his mind when Mo Yu produced the trident.
But when they saw the Sea Shark Trident in Mo Yu's hand, they couldn't help but feel envious. If Mo Yu offered them such a weapon, they'd gladly accept him as their leader too.
Seeing Fu Ao change his mind, Bai Cheng's face darkened. He finally understood where his bad premonition had come from—he hadn't realized that Mo Yu was a skilled forger!
And not just any forger, but a highly skilled one!
For the students of the Inner Academy, a top-tier weapon was an immense temptation. If Mo Yu could really produce more of these weapons, he might actually win over the Bai Gang members.
But when Mo Yu didn't immediately pull out any more top-tier weapons, Bai Cheng relaxed slightly. He figured it must be difficult for Mo Yu to craft such weapons, so even if Fu Ao was swayed, the remaining thirty or so members would still leave with him.
However, before Bai Cheng could feel too relieved, he saw Mo Yu smile slightly. A moment later, several cold, white beads suddenly appeared on the table.
"These are Cold Jade Beads, an auxiliary item I crafted. I believe most students in the Inner Academy would be very interested in them," Mo Yu said, playing with one of the beads as he spoke.
Bai Cheng's heart tightened as he watched Mo Yu closely.
"What do these Cold Jade Beads do, boss?" Fu Ao asked respectfully, having decided to follow Mo Yu.
The other Bai Gang members were also curious, wondering what else Mo Yu, the forger of the Sea Shark Trident, could produce.
Seeing that he had their full attention, Mo Yu didn't keep them in suspense. "A single Cold Jade Bead can suppress fire toxins for up to a month."
"What!?"
The entire room was shocked.
Fire toxins were a nightmare for every student in the Inner Academy. Anyone who had trained in the Skyflame Qi Refining Tower knew how addictive the accelerated cultivation was, but the fire toxins were a harsh wake-up call, keeping even the most dedicated students from staying in the tower too long.
So when they heard that Mo Yu's Cold Jade Beads could suppress fire toxins, they were filled with shock and joy.
Seeing their excitement, Mo Yu seized the opportunity. "Any member under my leadership will receive one Cold Jade Bead each month. So, are you still sure you want to leave the Bai Gang?"
The Bai Gang members exchanged glances, their eyes drawn to the Cold Jade Beads on the table. In the end, they couldn't resist the temptation and bowed to Mo Yu, saying, "Greetings, boss. We don't wish to leave the Bai Gang."
After all, they had only followed Bai Cheng for the benefits and protection he provided. But Mo Yu not only had greater strength and talent, he also offered clear benefits. Why wouldn't they switch leaders?
This was the Inner Academy, where every student was a top talent from their hometowns. They formed alliances to meet their needs, not out of any deep loyalty to the group. Now that following Mo Yu promised a better future than Bai Cheng, most of the members quickly accepted him as their new leader.
Seeing this, Bai Cheng was stunned, and then fury surged within him. He was so angry he felt like he might cough up blood.
Who could have imagined that Mo Yu would win over the entire Bai Gang with just a few Cold Jade Beads?
"Mo Yu, you're quite capable. But I won't stick around to witness it," Bai Cheng spat out bitterly. Seeing that he'd been abandoned by the Bai Gang members, and that Mo Yu had successfully won their loyalty, Bai Cheng had no reason to stay. With a cold snort, he turned and walked out the door.
Only one young man, who resembled Bai Cheng, followed him out. No other Bai Gang members went with them.
Seeing this, Mo Yu let out a cold laugh. It seemed Bai Cheng's influence in the Bai Gang wasn't as strong as he had thought.
Looking around at the elite members of the gang, Mo Yu felt a surge of pride. He raised his voice and declared, "Since you've accepted me as your leader, the name Bai Gang will no longer be used. From now on, in the Inner Academy, there will only be the Mo Gang—no more Bai Gang!"
(End of Chapter)
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