Ruffians and Constables

Big Eyes, One Line Sky, Chu Chong, and the others supported Fang Xuan. Only after Zheng Juexiong and the countless South Hall ruffians vanished at the end of Ten Li Long Street did they withdraw their gazes and hurriedly look at Fang Xuan with concern.

"Brother Xuan, are you all right?" Water Monkey hurriedly asked.

"I'm not seriously hurt. A few days of rest will do."

Fang Xuan shook his burning hands, then shook his head and asked, "What about you?"

Hearing that Fang Xuan was unharmed, the four of them finally let out long breaths of relief.

"We're fine." Big Eyes Chen Jingming, Water Monkey, and Chu Chong shook their heads.

"I'm fine too. Xie Han just kicked me once. I reckon my liver got hurt a little." One Line Sky bared his teeth in pain.

His mother's—his back still had not healed from the slash Li Laosan gave him a few days ago, and today he had taken another kick straight to the liver.

Every time someone got hurt, it was him. What rotten luck!

Only after hearing that no one else was badly injured did the few of them finally feel the heavy stone in their hearts drop to the ground.

"Brother Xuan, you crippled Xie Han and Yu Zifu, two great lieutenants, one after another today, and even exchanged a move with Zheng Juexiong. Tomorrow, your name will surely shake all of Pingjiang City!"

"Brother Xuan, we won this battle. Does that mean you're the East Hall Master now?"

"Wow, Brother Xuan, you were unbelievably strong today!

What was that red membrane over your body earlier? An Entry Realm Martial Artist's blood-energy membrane?"

The four of them chattered away, with Water Monkey praising him before asking his question.

Chu Chong said nothing. He merely glanced at Fang Xuan, feeling both dejected and envious.

Fang Xuan had entered the realm.

That meant the gap between him and Fang Xuan had truly widened into an uncrossable chasm!

"A Xuan—ah, no, I should call you Master Fang now. Congratulations, congratulations!"

A hearty laugh rang out.

Fang Xuan turned his eyes and saw a group of constables led by Yang Zheng walking toward him with smiles on their faces.

"Yang Zheng, what are you doing showing up now? I'm warning you, don't go looking for trouble today!" One Line Sky and Water Monkey looked at Yang Zheng with hostile expressions.

They greatly disliked Yang Zheng. For one thing, no matter how one looked at it, the two sides stood on opposing ground.

For another, they felt Yang Zheng was an extremely hypocritical man who fawned on the powerful, trampled the weak, praised the high, and stepped on the low.

Yang Zheng narrowed his eyes slightly, smiling without warmth. "This is the area I patrol. I heard someone reported to the authorities that there was a large-scale brawl, so naturally I had to come see what was going on."

After pausing, Yang Zheng raised his head and swept his gaze over the countless East Hall ruffians glaring at him darkly. Stroking his chin, he said, "Every last one of you is carrying spears and blades. This doesn't look like a simple armed brawl. It looks more like you're plotting a re—"

Before he could utter the word "rebellion."

"Brother Yang, you jest. We're all ordinary folk. We never fight and kill." Fang Xuan smiled as he interrupted Yang Zheng.

"If you're law-abiding citizens, then why are you gathered here? Scatter."

Yang Zheng smiled without warmth.

Yet the countless East Hall ruffians stood as if their feet had grown roots, utterly motionless.

Just as Yang Zheng's expression began to turn ugly.

Fang Xuan waved toward the East Hall ruffians and smiled. "Can't you hear the constable? We law-abiding citizens should spread out even when watching a show. Disperse!"

As soon as the words fell.

"Yes! Master Fang!!!"

Hundreds of East Hall ruffians roared in unison, their voices like mountains calling and seas roaring, deafening to the ears!

Yang Zheng and the other constables were startled by the sudden, perfectly synchronized roar, and their expressions darkened even further.

After the hundreds of East Hall ruffians had all dispersed, Fang Xuan smiled and said, "Brother Yang, my men all came from the bamboo rafts, poor wretches who don't know any better. Please bear with them! In a few days, I'll lay out a feast and invite Brother Yang and all the constable brothers to drink and make merry! Rest assured, there'll be plenty of fine wine and beautiful women, and everyone will receive a small gift!"

After a pause, Fang Xuan lowered his voice.

"Rest assured, Brother Yang. East Hall's monthly tribute will remain unchanged, and I'll add another ten percent from my own pocket."

Upon hearing this, Yang Zheng's expression eased slightly. He gave Fang Xuan a meaningful look and said, "A Xuan, when one conducts oneself, one must not forget one's original heart. Don't get carried away just because you've achieved a little success. You need to understand who is truly the boss in this world right now!"

"Let's go!"

After saying that, Yang Zheng and the others quickly left.

"Yes, I understand. Take care, brothers." Fang Xuan's smile did not change as he watched them depart.

Only after Yang Zheng and the others disappeared at the end of his sight did the smile on Fang Xuan's face slowly fade.

"Brother Xuan, want me to find a way to take him out? That brat obviously wants to keep treating us like dogs!" A vicious gleam flashed through One Line Sky's eyes.

"No need. The time isn't right yet."

Fang Xuan withdrew his gaze and calmly said, "Yang Zheng is easy enough to kill, but it would be hard to find another constable like him—greedy for money and women, with no bottom line whatsoever."

"Ah?" One Line Sky nodded, half understanding and half confused.

The crowd completely dispersed.

Only Fang Xuan, One Line Sky, Water Monkey, Chen Jingming, and Chu Chong remained on the whole of Ten Li Long Street.

"All right, now it's just us five brothers. After today, we can be said to have made a bit of a name for ourselves in this martial world. Shall we have a drink?" Fang Xuan glanced at them and smiled.

"Hahaha, we definitely should!"

"Let's go!"

"Come to think of it, us four brothers haven't drunk with Brother Xuan in quite some time, have we? Today, we're not going home until we're drunk!"

The four of them laughed loudly and strode into a tavern.

The tavern owner had long since fled in fright. Fang Xuan casually took out a handful of broken silver from the counter and tossed it down, then reached out and grabbed five jars of wine.

The tables and chairs outside the tavern had already been smashed to pieces in the fighting between the South Hall and East Hall ruffians. The five of them did not mind the dirt and simply sat cross-legged on the ground, drinking mouthful after mouthful of wine.

"Wow, this is Diao Zi Red, isn't it? Eight hundred copper coins a jar? I never imagined I'd be able to drink such fine wine in this lifetime!" Water Monkey shook the wine jar in his hand.

"Hahaha, look at how hopeless you are. In the future, all of East City will be ours. Drink as much as you want!"

One Line Sky teased.

The others could not help but laugh as well.

Fang Xuan smiled and took a sip of wine. Then he set down the jar, his expression turning somewhat serious. "Once we take charge of East Hall, there are a few things we need to pay attention to. First, don't leave the common people without a way to live. To put it bluntly, we're nothing more than a group that profits by squeezing the people dry. Don't become complacent and lose yourselves. Second, after taking charge of East Hall, not only must we not become arrogant, domineering, and blind to everyone else, we must be even more restrained than before. Stop running wild and tyrannical, bullying trades and dominating markets."

Water Monkey could not help muttering, "Brother Xuan, isn't that boring? We finally get to call the shots in East Hall, and we can't even throw our weight around a little on our own turf? Are we ruffians or great philanthropists?"

"We can't!"

Fang Xuan glared at Water Monkey. "If I hear anything bad about you, don't blame me for sending you back to the river to fish!"

Big Eyes Chen Jingming nodded at the side, deeply agreeing. "Brother Xuan is right. In times like these, it seems as though the people depend on us and live by watching our moods, but in truth, we depend on the people. Only when the people grow prosperous can we have money."

"Besides, Hall Master Yu's lesson lies right before us. If we start running wild and tyrannical one day and offend some great figure merely passing by, wouldn't that be terribly unjust?"

Water Monkey looked at Big Eyes, then at Fang Xuan, and finally nodded helplessly. "Whatever Brother Xuan says, I'll do. Ever since I was little, I've always listened to Brother Xuan."

"Mm." Fang Xuan nodded in satisfaction. "Third—"

Time slowly passed.

Only after the wine had gone through three rounds did they rise, preparing to return home and rest.

"Ah Ming!"

A clear female voice rang out. Fang Xuan raised his head and saw a beautiful woman around twenty years old walking toward them, her pretty face frosty. She wore a pale-yellow, cinched-waist long dress and had a tall, graceful figure.

Seeing Chen Jingming drunk as a lord and still carrying a wine jar in his hand, the beautiful woman snatched the jar from him and smashed it to pieces. Her eyes reddened, tears faintly welling within them.