Zhang Lie stored the manuals he had just recently purchased and left the inn. Uncloaked, he made his way to the settlement gates to wait for Fang Yi, Sun Mengmeng, and the others.

"Oh, who's this? If it isn't the king of the dumps himself?"

"What? Where? Hasn't the Qin clan dealt with him yet?"

"The Qin clan? Hah! Given their current state, what can they even do?"

Zhang Lie was surprised to see that he was still quite a notorious figure in the settlement. He was instantly recognized the moment he appeared, then publicly mocked again.

Of course, these hunters were nothing more than annoying flies to him. If he didn't strike at them, they would keep on buzzing; if he did, he'd dirty his hand with a splat of blood. He preferred to just ignore them; after all, while they were all within the settlement, no one would dare resort to violence.

"What about the Qin clan? They were once one of the six major clans in the Blacksteel settlement; even in a weakened state, don't you think they'd be able to take care of a hunter like him?"

"If you ask me, he's just cursed with bad luck! Look at what happened to the Wang and Qin clans!"

"Bad luck? The two clans destroyed each other, but this fellow's still hale and hearty over here. How could this be anything but good luck? If I were him, I'd sell all my possessions and bet on a few lottery tickets!"

"Hey, you can hear us, can't you? Why don't you tell us how you managed to survive a pincer attack from the Qin and Wang clans?" asked a dark-faced hunter, who was walking up to Zhang Lie.

Zhang Lie shrugged. "As your companion over there mentioned, the two clans were far more concerned with each other than a weakling like me."

"A weakling? If you're a weakling, Zhang Lie, then are there any strong hunters within this settlement?! Stop feigning weakness, Zhang Lie. I know all your tricks now!" A familiar voice came from a cloaked man standing not too far from him.

Zhang Lie recognized him almost instantly. "Indeed, there's no need for me to pretend any longer. As for you, have you resolved your feud with the Zhou clan?"

Zhang Lie's sudden smile made the man take a step back. "Zhang Lie, just you wait! I'll claim your life once the Void Cup is over!"

"Oh? Is that so, Qin Xiao? Not to look down on the Qin clan, but you're grossly mistaken if you think you can claim my life!"

Zhang Lie's relationship with the Qin clan had completely soured, and there was no reason for him to hide his distaste now. 

However, the conversation between Zhang Lie and Qin Xiao shocked the gathered crowd.

What sort of situation was this? That cloaked hunter was Qin Xiao? Zhang Lie, the king of the dumps, was facing off against Qin Xiao, third on the gene leaderboard? 

And he claimed that even the entire Qin clan wouldn't be able to do anything about him? Was this hunter going mad, or had they missed something?

"I knew there was something wrong with you, but no matter what, you're still just a poverty-stricken hunter from the slums! Do you really think you'll be able to get away with offending me, Qin Xiao? With offending the Qin clan?" Despite his expulsion from the Qin clan, Qin Xiao was still as arrogant as ever.

"And if I say he will, what will you do then, Young Master Qin?" Just then, a female voice cut across the chatter from the shocked crowd, instantly attracting everyone's attention.

The onlookers' eyes bulged: the speaker was Yun Bing, the top-ranked hunter in the Blacksteel settlement! She had just entered the settlement with Chu Feng and a few unknown hunters, but what the onlookers focused on wasn't her retinue, but instead her tone. It was clear that she sided with Zhang Lie.

Why was the top-ranked hunter of the Blacksteel settlement protecting this so-called king of the dumps? Was there some secret between them? Were they... intimately related? Surely not.

None of the bystanders knew what was going on, but they were certain of one thing: there was more to Zhang Lie than met the eye at first glance.

Yun Bing's sudden interruption left Qin Xiao a little bewildered.

"That's right! I, Chu Feng, also think that Zhang Lie will be able to get away with this. What do you think, Young Master Qin?" Chu Feng agreed with Yun Bing.

"Yun Bing, Chu Feng, you—"

"Listen up: I consider Zhang Lie a brother of mine, and if you have a score to settle with him, then you have a score to settle with me. You don't need me to remind you just how dire the Qin clan's straits are, do you? Don't do something you'll regret."

Before Qin Xiao could speak, Chu Feng had already threatened him into silence. After all, Zhang Lie was essentially a benefactor to both Yun Bing and Chu Feng, and he had Potion #1, which they direly needed, in his possession.

They certainly didn't want to lose their chance at obtaining such a rare boon. To Chu Feng and Yun Bing, their strength as a hunter was far more important than any wealth or material possession, and they naturally had to stand up to Qin Xiao.

Qin Xiao was flabbergasted by their behavior. Were they mad, to call a trashy hunter like that their sworn brother?

Worst of all, he didn't even dare to rebuke them! In the past, the Qin clan would have been able to handle either the Yun or Chu clans individually, but now, if they decided to focus their efforts on ruining the Qin clan, they would likely succeed.

He was confident in being able to handle Zhang Lie, but he didn't dare touch Yun Bing or Chu Feng at all. He snorted lightly, then scurried away.

After Qin Xiao vanished within the crowd, Yun Bing and Chu Feng walked up to Zhang Lie.

"Actually, the two of you didn't have to do this. Someone like Qin Xiao wouldn't be able to do anything to me," Zhang Lie said, smiling. His words again sent ripples of shock through the gathered crowd.

Chu Feng smirked. "Perhaps I just pity Qin Xiao. After all, Yun Bing and I know just how devious you are."

The three of them chatted as they headed into the settlement. Fang Yi, Sun Mengmeng, and the others followed behind them like obedient children.

"Well, if he tries to seek me out, it'll be to his own detriment."

Zhang Lie didn't care about Qin Xiao at all. Now that he had grown so significantly in strength, someone like Qin Xiao—or even the entire Qin clan—was no threat to him. If Qin Xiao forced himself upon him, Zhang Lie would retaliate at full strength.

They left a gaggle of shocked hunters behind them as they walked away.