The figure was none other than Li Chonglou, who, after a period of recuperation, had managed to cling to a thread of life.
Having his cultivation crippled was no minor matter. Previously, his latent potential could turn misfortunes into blessings, but this time was different. With someone watching him and preventing him from cultivating, his latent potential was useless.
The past few days had been a struggle he endured alone.
As a result, his physique had thinned by more than half. It was likely that even Yue Hai and the others wouldn't recognize him if they saw him now.
To put it bluntly, he looked utterly emaciated, almost unrecognizable!
Fortunately, he didn't have the pale weakness of an addict but rather the appearance of a patient recovering from a serious illness. This made the restaurant owner exceptionally considerate, always adding a little extra meat to his orders.
This time was no exception. When a steaming bowl of noodles was served, Li Chonglou saw meat in it again.
Yet, he had distinctly ordered plain noodles.
"Boss, you got the order wrong. I ordered..."
"No, it's yours. Eat it."
Li Chonglou smiled and said, "Thank you, boss."
The burly Northern man, though rough in appearance, was considerate in his words and actions. As he returned to the counter, he sighed, looking at Li Chonglou. "Old Li, to be honest, seeing your face reminds me of my late elder brother."
"I don't mean anything by it, I just remembered him. Alas, if it hadn't been for his son's affairs back then, I would have brought him to meet you today, to see if there are really people so alike in this world."
After speaking, the boss went to attend to other customers, as if it were just a passing thought.
However, the casual remark resonated deeply with Li Chonglou.
Li Chonglou reached up and touched his face, murmuring, "What a coincidence."
Indeed, the face he now wore, aged between thirty and forty, was one he had casually conjured using Yi Defa's artistry.
He hadn't expected such a coincidence.
"Little Li, what are your plans now?"
Suddenly, Old Lin's voice echoed in his mind.
Li Chonglou continued eating his noodles, his expression betraying no surprise.
"What else can I do? After a few more days of recovery, I'll look for the Green Gang and see if I can infiltrate them with a different identity."
"And then?"
This time, it was Old An's voice.
Perhaps due to the loss of his cultivation, all the soul bodies could now appear in his mind simultaneously. However, in return, he had lost the qualification to merge with them.
"Then, of course, I'll look for another opportunity to investigate Shi Boqiong's whereabouts."
Li Chonglou's expression was calm; this had been part of his plan all along.
Although his previous identity was unusable, his connections remained. No matter how complex the cultivation circles in Shangjing were, within the circles of ordinary people, the four major gangs held the most sway.
Moreover, the gangs were divided. At least in his understanding, Fourth Master had no contact with people from the martial artist circles.
This was a good thing, as it aligned with his criteria for finding Shi Boqiong.
Therefore, Li Chonglou's plan was simple: once his body recovered, he would re-enter the Green Gang. If necessary, he might even use his former identity.
He had initially considered contacting Black Blade directly but feared that the higher authorities might still be monitoring him, even if they had outwardly withdrawn. He had temporarily put aside this thought.
It's worth mentioning that the people above the General Bureau were unaware of the true function of the latent potential cultivation technique. Upon confirming that Li Chonglou's meridians were completely destroyed, they had departed directly.
Elder Tie and the white-haired man, fearing that Li Chonglou's location might be discovered by others, had arranged for his secret departure.
This meant that, openly, no one was looking for him!
However, for safety's sake, Li Chonglou had not immediately reactivated his latent potential.
And he had no intention of doing so in the near future.
He dared not gamble. This time, he had survived only thanks to Elder Tie and the white-haired man. If he were to court disaster again, no one could save him.
In any case, as long as his body was crippled, it didn't matter when he resumed cultivating his latent potential. Li Chonglou wanted to ensure he was completely unobserved before attempting it stealthily.
However, Old An did not share this view.
"Little Li, don't you still have the Heavenly Eye Perspective divine ability? As long as you recover a little inner strength, you can use this ability to see if anyone is monitoring you."
Old An's intention was for Li Chonglou to resume cultivation as soon as possible.
He, along with Old Lin and others, felt the same humiliation and all yearned for Li Chonglou to grow strong again and exact revenge for this disgrace!
But Li Chonglou had his own concerns and rejected the idea. "I suspect that those peak powers can sense the existence of heavenly dao power. It's too risky to resume cultivation now."
The two then fell silent.
Just then, a stout figure stumbled into the restaurant.
"Old Feng, save me, save me!"
Li Chonglou turned his head and saw a胖子 (pàngzi - fat person) weighing at least two hundred pounds. He wore extremely loose clothing; on Li Chonglou now, even just a top would be enough to go out on the street.
But for the胖子, it was merely a tight-fitting garment.
What was more noticeable, however, was the胖子's expression – his face was pale, and he was visibly panicked.
Upon entering, he had already knocked over tables and chairs, instantly drawing the displeasure of other customers.
The restaurant owner, Old Feng, the same one who had added meat to Li Chonglou's meal, hurried forward to appease the customers.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, he didn't mean to."
A few impatient customers were about to speak when several figures entered through the doorway.
They were all dressed in Qingyi (green clothing). Despite the cold weather, they wore sleeveless tops, which seemed somewhat strange.
But when everyone saw the dragon motif carved on their exposed arms, their expressions changed drastically.
The few customers who had been complaining immediately shut their mouths, abandoned their food, and hurried out.
Others followed suit.
"Hey! You haven't paid yet!"
Old Feng shouted in distress, trying to stop them, but the胖子 grabbed him and used him as a shield.
"Uncle, save me!"
Old Feng's expression hardened, and he suddenly cursed, "Now you call me Uncle? Didn't you ever listen when I told you not to associate with those people?"
At this moment, four men in Qingyi approached with indifferent expressions.
Although they carried no weapons, their mere steps exuded a sense of urgency.
Li Chonglou, the only one still seated in the restaurant, furrowed his brow slightly.
These four were all trained fighters! And not ordinary ones at that.
Moreover, the attire was all too familiar to Li Chonglou. As he was trying to guess their identity, Old Feng directly announced it.
"Four esteemed sirs of the Green Gang, my nephew has apparently offended you. For what reason?"
Old Feng was not afraid because he had always paid his dues to the Green Gang on time. In a way, he considered himself half a member of the Green Gang.
However, this time, they showed no leniency and responded with a single, cold word.
"Scram!"