Gang Recruitment

Early in the morning, Zhou You got up and ate breakfast.

He had spent the night at home and would return to the martial arts school that morning.

Though his parents were reluctant to part with him, they knew that practicing martial arts was now the most important matter, tied to the peace and safety of the entire family.

Widow Li pushed open the door and came in, warmly carrying over a plate of pickled vegetables.

"Little Zhou is back. Try these pickles that came out of the jar yesterday."

Zhou You had heard from his parents yesterday that Widow Li had often come by lately to bring food and drink, her attitude far warmer than before.

But one should not mistake that for her natural disposition.

A widow raising a child, setting up a stall in the city, and even finding Constable Liu as a backer—this alone showed she was no ordinary weak woman.

In the past, even the leftover soup and scraps from Widow Li's stall had never leaked into a neighbor's home.

Now, the two households were on the best of terms.

"How are the pickles? Too salty or not salty enough?"

Widow Li looked at Zhou You with a complicated expression.

In her memory, Zhou You had been a quiet young man who had inherited Old Man Zhou's law-abiding temperament and never caused trouble.

What happened with Tu Laosan truly was not his fault; the other side had simply pushed people too far.

Constable Liu had come to her home to spend the night yesterday and personally told her how Zhou You had beaten a refugee to death barehanded.

To ordinary common folk, that was simply too shocking.

Constable Liu had urged her to build closer ties with Zhou You's parents, but Widow Li had said it might not be appropriate.

"What if he gets thrown out of the martial arts school after three months, and Tu Laosan takes revenge?"

"Woman's shallow view. Even if he cannot stay at the martial arts school, Zhou You is still a martial artist who can beat five or six grown men to death. How could Tu Laosan possibly handle him so easily? Believe it or not, the Mad Horse Gang will definitely come to recruit him."

Constable Liu sighed. "The world is growing more chaotic by the day. As long as you dare to fight and dare to risk your life, would you still worry about finding a place to earn a living?"

He had also revealed to Widow Li that if Zhou You could not remain at the martial arts school, he would invite him to serve as a constable under him.

Only then did Widow Li realize that the boy next door had already become someone remarkable.

Zhou You bit into the pickles twice. They were fresh, crisp, and refreshing. He nodded. "Tasty."

Widow Li relaxed and began chatting with Zhou You's mother beside her.

They talked about the family of Mao Laoyao, their neighbors to the right.

Ever since they had Fallen Out that day, Mao Laoyao's family and the Zhou family had stopped speaking entirely. Even when they met, they acted as if they had not seen each other.

After Mao Xiaoli recovered from his injuries, he returned to working as a waiter at the restaurant. Rumor had it that he was highly valued, and his monthly pay had risen to three taels.

Mao Laoyao was planning to buy a clean girl from among the refugees while more and more outsiders were arriving.

Of course, it was not to take a wife, but to take a concubine—one who would first bear Mao Xiaoli a son to carry on the family line.

According to their family's plans, Mao Xiaoli would marry the daughter of a well-to-do family in the future. Her family would at the very least need to be a moderately wealthy household in the city.

"They really dare to dream. With Mao Xiaoli's crooked melon and split-date appearance, how could he compare to even one percent of Little Zhou's looks?"

"Taking a concubine? Do they really think they are some grand wealthy household?"

"They are still the same miserly sort—talking big while spending small, unwilling to part with money."

Widow Li shook her head as she spoke. "I heard they had their eye on one family's daughter, but the price they offered was pitifully stingy—just two taels."

"They have kept dragging things out and refusing to negotiate, waiting only for the other side to grow too hungry to bear it. Then they can cut another tael off the price."

Zhou You's mother blinked repeatedly as she listened. "That's far too stingy!"

"What kind of people they are, it is not as though we only met them yesterday."

Mao Laoyao's family was petty and miserly. When trouble came, they shrank to the back; when there was profit to grab, they rushed to the front.

Before, for the sake of harmony between neighbors, they had not said much. Now, naturally, they said whatever they pleased.

Zhou You finished breakfast in a few bites and patted his stomach. "Mother, I'm going to the martial arts school."

His mother rose and saw him to the door. Widow Li followed behind, watching him leave as well.

"Madam Zhou, you are blessed. Little Zhou will certainly amount to something in the future."

"This child—if he just makes me worry less, that will already be a blessing!"

When Zhou You reached the street corner, he found that he could go no farther because the road was blocked.

"The Wild Fox Gang and the Mad Horse Gang are fighting. Keep away from them. Better take a detour than run into bad luck."

Pedestrians clutched their hats and fled in a panic, terrified of being swept into the conflict between the two great gangs.

Zhou You thought, How am I supposed to avoid this? The road to the martial arts school is right ahead. Am I supposed to climb over walls?

After waiting a little longer, the crowd ahead stirred, then gradually scattered apart.

Thunder roared, but only a few raindrops fell. After making a fuss for so long, the two gangs ultimately did not fight.

"Zhou You, what a coincidence. I was just about to go to your house to find you."

His old friend Gao Qiang spotted him and strode over. Several lackeys followed behind him, and he looked like a minor leader himself.

Zhou You tugged at the corner of his mouth and said stiffly, "I was about to head to the martial arts school. What is it?"

"Of course there's something. Come to my place and we'll talk."

Gao Qiang's parents had both died, leaving him only a ramshackle house. Now, that house had become one of the Mad Horse Gang's territories.

Zhou You had been there before. It had been old and broken then, but not as smoky and foul as it was now.

Some low-ranking gang members loitered around the house. When they saw Gao Qiang return, they all saluted him. "Brother Qiang."

"I have more than a dozen brothers under me now."

Gao Qiang wore a smug expression as he introduced himself to Zhou You, saying he was doing quite well in the gang.

Once inside the house...

"Zhou You, we are good friends, close as brothers. Whenever there is something good, you are the first person I think of."

Gao Qiang clenched his fist and punched into the air. The crack of it splitting the wind was startling, carrying at least three hundred pounds of force.

This was far from his usual level!

"To be honest, our Mad Horse Gang offers decent treatment. Once you join, you can learn boxing too and grow stronger."

"What I learned is the Wild Horse Fist taught by the gang leader. Knocking down seven or eight burly men in one go is effortless."

Zhou You smiled. With that strength of yours, it would be rather difficult. Who did not know how to boast?

Still, the information Gao Qiang had revealed was quite interesting.

Fist arts circulated within the gang as well. They had a system for training gang members in martial arts and increasing their strength.

It seemed the Mad Horse Gang had run rampant for so long not because it was merely a rabble, a loose pile of sand.

If this alone was supposed to recruit him, they were underestimating Zhou You far too much—and underestimating the martial arts school's foundation as well.

"Sorry, the martial arts school has rules. Apprentices are not allowed to associate with gang members."

Zhou You glanced at Gao Qiang. "We should meet less often in the future."

Gao Qiang merely laughed and shook his head, unconcerned. "That is just something they tell you."

"The martial arts school takes in so many apprentices every year. Where do all those who are eliminated go?"

"Once you have learned martial arts and grasped power, you are no longer willing to farm or labor, working like oxen and horses."

"Several hall masters in our Mad Horse Gang came from martial arts schools. They eat well, drink well, and enjoy riches beyond measure."

Seeing Zhou You's disbelief, Gao Qiang gritted his teeth and dragged a wooden box out from beneath the bed. When he opened it, there were rectangular black medicinal blocks inside.

The medicinal blocks were smooth and warm like jade, giving off a faint herbal fragrance. One glance was enough to tell they were no ordinary items.

"Bone Tempering Powder, our gang's secret medicine. It cannot be awarded without great merit."

"These are the terms set by the Second Elder. If you leave the martial arts school after three months, you may join our Mad Horse Gang."

"These three portions of Bone Tempering Powder are the deposit."

"Such excellent terms make even me tempted on your behalf. Agree to it. Once you join the gang, we will still be good brothers."