Black Wolf Gang

"People from the mortuary, come out and pay your protection fee!"

A crude roar came from outside.

Immediately after, a bearded, one-eyed man strode into the mortuary.

A crowd of people surrounded him from behind.

Bai Yu narrowed his eyes, sensing that things were far from simple.

The one-eyed man's blood and qi surged throughout his body, his skin like golden paper and gleaming with a faint sheen.

His vigor was as mighty as a bull, his skin like golden paper.

Third Rank Skin Tempering Realm!

As Bai Yu was still surprised, Zhu Tong hurriedly stepped forward with a smile plastered across his face.

"Second Master Zuo, why did you come personally? We could have brought the protection fee to you."

The one-eyed man shoved Zhu Tong aside.

"Don't fucking cozy up to me. Fifty coins per person—not one coin less."

Zhu Tong said with a grin.

"Listen to you. We'd dare short anyone, but we'd never dare short the Black Wolf Gang's share."

He did not dare show the slightest dissatisfaction and handed over fifty coins.

Mangzi and Old Zhang also silently handed over fifty coins each.

Then everyone looked at Bai Yu.

Bai Yu was dumbfounded. This was fucking ruthless.

He had only received fifty coins in total, and before they had even warmed in his hands, he had to hand them over.

Was there any justice left? Any law left?

What could be tolerated, and what could not?

Could Bai Yu possibly indulge him? He had only just been paid.

Bai Yu's rage soared to the heavens, and right there on the spot... he handed over fifty coins.

What kind of joke was this? The Black Wolf Gang sounded like a gang that was not to be trifled with.

Even a collector of protection fees was a Third-Rank Martial Artist. There had to be even stronger martial artists within the gang.

It was not worth fighting a major gang over fifty coins.

This was not cowardice. He was merely following his heart.

He was an immortal. There was no rush; one day, he would outlive them all.

Once he grew stronger, he would make them repay every bit of this, with a tiny bit of interest on top.

Seeing Bai Yu hand it over so readily, Second Master Zuo smiled instead.

"Consider yourself sensible. There are always some newcomers who aren't thinking clearly."

"Kid, if you're short on money, you can come borrow from us. Our Black Wolf Gang has always been fair to young and old alike—nine out, thirteen back."

Bai Yu smiled.

"I wouldn't dare trouble you, Second Master. I still have some coarse rice here, enough to barely get by."

Second Master Zuo did not care. He turned and left with his men.

How could newcomers to the city settle down so easily? Sooner or later, they would come borrow money from them.

Bai Yu's expression remained unchanged, but inwardly, he added another mark to Second Master Zuo's account.

If he had not spent twenty years accumulating some silver in Peach Blossom Village—

If he had rashly entered the city and then handed over the money he earned as protection fees—

Then at a time like this, he would have had no choice but to seek out the Black Wolf Gang for a usurious loan.

Then they would suck him dry to the marrow and squeeze him until he died.

Neither the Black Wolf Gang nor Second Master Zuo was any good.

Outside the mortuary, Second Master Zuo was surrounded by his followers. No one dared stop him wherever he went, and all obediently paid their protection fees.

Mangzi could not help sighing.

"A man like Second Master Zuo is truly a hero of one region. His martial arts are formidable—who would not praise him?"

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

"When he was young, his mother got a sudden illness in her foot and needed a human eye as the medicinal primer. He dug out one of his own eyes on the spot to make medicine for her."

But Mangzi's words earned Old Zhang's mockery.

"What the fuck do you know? Lefty Zuo's bullshit can only fool young pups like you."

"He kills and sets fires all day, then turns around and puts on a human skin, bragging about loyalty and filial piety. And you lot think he's something good?"

"There are no good people in the jianghu."

Mangzi immediately lost his temper.

"Old Zhang, are you picking a fight with me? Second Master Zuo may be bad, but his filial piety is real enough. He dug out an eye to make medicine for his mother—could you do that?"

Old Zhang usually did not talk much. After hauling corpses, he would hug his wine gourd and drink until he was thoroughly drunk.

But today, he had opened the floodgates.

"What the fuck do you know? That eye of his was blinded when he stole someone else's dog and ran into a tree branch."

"That leg of his mother's was broken by Lefty Zuo himself when he went mad."

"When he was young, he beat his father and cursed his mother. Later, after making something of himself, he held up filial piety to hide his shame, that's all."

"What gangster doesn't brag about being loyal and filial?"

"Filial piety? Would anyone truly fucking filial become a thug?"

Mangzi was young and hot-blooded. He had always dreamed of the jianghu and especially admired wandering heroes like Second Master Zuo.

Old Zhang's words nearly punctured his dream of the jianghu.

His fury instantly shot to the sky.

"Old Zhang, you fucking insulted Second Master Zuo. I'll kill you."

Old Zhang took a swig of wine without the slightest fear.

"Kid, if you've got what it takes, kill me. When Old Zhang was throwing his weight around with others, you were still wearing crotchless pants."

Mangzi grew even angrier.

"I'll fucking kill you! Do you know where the 'Mang' in Mangzi comes from?"

As he spoke, he was about to make a move.

Seeing this, Bai Yu hurriedly stopped Mangzi.

"Brother Mang, forget it, forget it."

Zhu Tong also hurriedly stepped between them.

"Uncle Zhang, say a little less. Don't hurt the harmony."

Mangzi was unwilling to accept it and tried to break free with his brute strength.

But he discovered that Bai Yu's arm was like iron, tightly locking around his waist and leaving him unable to break free.

And when Bai Yu exerted force, he practically shoved Mangzi straight into the inner room.

After Bai Yu fought for reason with "reason," Mangzi finally calmed down.

"Hmph, Old Zhang just can't stand seeing others do well. He's babbling behind people's backs."

Bai Yu did not know whether to laugh or cry.

On Blue Star, behavior like Lefty Zuo's was called building a public persona.

Many people really did fall for it if they were not careful.

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

He did the math. Of the money he had brought from Peach Blossom Village, only a few hundred coins remained.

With one man and one dog eating, drinking, and relieving themselves, not a single coin of his wages could stay in his hands.

If this continued, he really would be forced to borrow usurious loans.

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

"Could an immortal like me really fucking die of poverty?"

After thinking it over, Bai Yu did have one way to make money.

He could make Essence Nourishing Powder and sell it at the Black Market.

Things like Essence Nourishing Powder, which could improve blood and qi, were quite sought after among martial artists.

He believed he could earn quite a bit by selling it at the Black Market.

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

A single batch of ingredients cost at least five taels of silver.

What Bai Yu lacked now was startup capital.

It got to the point where Bai Yu even wanted to rob someone.

But that was only a thought. The servants and guards around wealthy landlords were not easy to provoke now.

Bai Yu could not help feeling restless.

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

When the breeze blew, Bai Yu immediately cleared his head a little.

Right. I'm an immortal—how could a mere few taels of silver stump me?

He let out a long breath of stale air, picked up the Suona, and slowly played a tune.

The lingering notes of the Suona reminded him of his days in Peach Blossom Village.

Hunting, farming, peaceful years.

When the tune ended, his previously agitated state of mind immediately settled.

On the attribute panel, the Suona-playing skill suddenly flickered.

Skill: Playing the Suona (Mastery)

His Suona-playing skill had risen another level. It truly was a willow tree taking root where no one had planted it.

Day after day passed.

Bai Yu still had not found a way to make money.

However, a turning point came a week later.