Black Wolf Gang

"Hey, you from the mortuary, come out and pay your protection fees!"

A rude shout came from outside.

Immediately after, a one-eyed man with a face full of stubble strode into the mortuary.

Behind him, a crowd of people fawned and followed.

Bai Yu narrowed his eyes, sensing that things were not so simple.

This one-eyed man's Blood Essence surged, and his skin was like golden paper, shimmering with a faint glow.

As strong as an ox, with skin like golden paper.

Third Rank Skin Tempering Realm!

Just as Bai Yu was feeling surprised, Zhu Tong hurried forward and greeted him with a smile:

"Second Master Zuo, why did you come in person? We can just send the protection fees over to you."

The one-eyed man pushed Zhu Tong away:

"Don't try to cozy up to me. Fifty copper coins per person, not a single one less."

Zhu Tong said with a grin:

"Look at what you're saying, we wouldn't dare short the Black Wolf Gang's share, no matter who else we short."

He didn't dare to show the slightest dissatisfaction and handed over fifty copper coins.

Mangzi and Old Zhang also handed over fifty copper coins without a word.

Then everyone looked at Bai Yu.

Bai Yu was dumbfounded. This was too ruthless.

He had only just received fifty copper coins, and before he could even warm them up, he had to hand them over.

Was there any justice in this world? Was there any law?

This was more than he could bear!

Was Bai Yu going to indulge him? This was his first paycheck.

Bai Yu was furious, and on the spot... handed over fifty copper coins.

What a joke, the Black Wolf Gang, just the name sounded like a gang you didn't want to mess with.

If a collection leader was already a Third Rank martial artist, there must be even stronger martial artists in the gang.

It wasn't worth fighting a big gang over fifty copper coins.

This wasn't being a coward, just being pragmatic.

He was an immortal, after all, so there was no rush. He would outlive them all eventually.

When he became stronger, he would get all of this back, along with a little interest.

Second Master Zuo saw that Bai Yu was so cooperative and smiled:

"You're sensible. There are always some newcomers who aren't so clear-headed."

"Kid, if you're short on money, you can come to us for a loan. The Black Wolf Gang has always been fair and honest, nine out and thirteen back."

Bai Yu smiled:

"I wouldn't dare trouble you, Second Master. I still have some coarse rice here that I can barely live on."

Second Master Zuo didn't care and turned to leave with his men.

Newcomers to the city never had it easy. Sooner or later, they would have to borrow money from them.

Bai Yu's expression didn't change, but he made a mental note about this Second Master Zuo.

If he hadn't accumulated twenty years of savings in Peach Blossom Village and had some silver on hand, and had rashly entered the city, only to have his money taken away as protection fees, he would have been forced to borrow high-interest loans from the Black Wolf Gang.

Then he would be bled dry and squeezed to death.

The Black Wolf Gang and Second Master Zuo were all bad news.

Outside the mortuary, Second Master Zuo was surrounded by followers, and no one dared to stop him as he passed, all handing over their protection fees.

Mangzi couldn't help but sigh:

"Someone like Second Master Zuo is truly a hero, with high martial skills, who wouldn't praise him?"

"And I heard that Second Master Zuo is especially loyal and filial."

"When he was young, his mother developed a sudden illness in her foot that required a human eye as an ingredient, and he dug out one of his own eyes on the spot to give his mother for medicine."

Mangzi's words, however, aroused Old Zhang's ridicule.

"You don't know anything. Second Master Zuo's lies only fool you young ones."

"He usually kills and sets fires, then puts on a human face and brags about loyalty and filial piety. You really think he's a good person?"

"What good people are there in the martial world?"

Mangzi immediately flared up:

"Old Zhang, are you trying to argue with me? Second Master Zuo may be bad, but he's always been filial. He dug out his own eye to make medicine for his mother. Could you do that?"

Old Zhang usually didn't talk much, just hauled corpses and drank from his gourd, always drunk.

But today, he opened the floodgates:

"You don't know shit. That eye of his? He stole it from someone's dog after it ran into a tree branch and got blinded."

"And his old mother's leg? Second Master Zuo himself broke it when he was being reckless."

"He used to beat his parents when he was young, but then he made a name for himself and started pretending to be filial to cover up his shame."

"Which gangster doesn't brag about being righteous and filial?"

"Filial piety? Would someone who was really filial be a gangster?"

Mangzi was young and hot-blooded, always dreaming of the martial world, and he especially admired martial heroes like Second Master Zuo.

Old Zhang's words almost shattered his dream.

He was instantly enraged.

"Old Zhang, you're insulting Second Master Zuo! I'll kill you!"

Old Zhang took a swig of wine, not afraid in the slightest.

"Kid, kill me if you have the guts. I was bullying people when you were still wearing open-crotch pants."

Mangzi grew even angrier:

"I'll fucking kill you! Do you know where Mangzi's 'reckless' comes from?"

He was about to attack.

Seeing this, Bai Yu quickly stopped Mangzi.

"Mangzi, forget it, forget it."

Zhu Tong also quickly stood between the two:

"Uncle Zhang, say a little less, so as not to hurt the peace."

Mangzi was unwilling, relying on his brute strength to try to break free.

But he found that Bai Yu's arm was like iron, firmly holding his waist, making it impossible for him to escape.

And when Bai Yu exerted force, he almost pushed Mangzi directly into the inner room.

Under Bai Yu's reasoned persuasion, Mangzi finally calmed down.

"Hmph, Old Zhang just can't stand to see anyone doing well, always gossiping behind people's backs."

Bai Yu didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

Second Master Zuo's behavior would be called building a persona back on Earth.

Many people would fall for it if they weren't careful.

Seeing that Mangzi had calmed down, he also returned to the small courtyard to rest.

He calculated that he only had a few hundred coins left from the money he brought from Peach Blossom Village.

Enough for one person and a dog to eat, drink, and relieve themselves, but not enough to earn a single coin in wages.

If this continued, he would really be forced to borrow money from loan sharks.

"Make money, make money, I have to speed up the process of making money."

"Could it be that I, a cultivator, am going to starve to death?"

Bai Yu thought about it and came up with a way to make money.

Make Essence Nourishing Powder and sell it on the black market.

Essence Nourishing Powder, which could increase Blood Essence, was quite popular among martial artists.

He believed that it could earn a lot of money if sold on the black market.

The only problem was that the ingredients for Essence Nourishing Powder were not cheap.

A set of ingredients cost at least five taels of silver.

Bai Yu was now short of start-up capital.

This made Bai Yu want to rob someone.

But this was just a thought. The rich masters these days had guards who were not easy to provoke.

Bai Yu couldn't help but feel a little restless.

Suddenly, Old Mo tugged at his pant leg and pulled him into the small courtyard.

A breeze blew, and Bai Yu immediately became more awake.

That's right, he was a cultivator, how could he be troubled by a mere few taels of silver?

He let out a long breath and began to play a leisurely tune on the suona horn.

The sound of the suona horn reminded him of his days in Peach Blossom Village.

Hunting, farming, a peaceful life.

As the tune finished, the agitation in his heart calmed down.

On his stat panel, the suona playing skill suddenly flickered.

Skill: Suona Playing (Masterful)

The suona playing skill leveled up again; it was an unexpected surprise.

Days passed.

Bai Yu still hadn't found a way to make money.

However, things took a turn for the better a week later.