Ascension

With the Water Monkey's antics, One Line Sky and the others couldn't help but laugh, and the gloom in their hearts dissipated quite a bit.

A moment later, a mansion named 'Black Whale Courtyard' appeared before everyone.

The usual scene of ruffians from various halls gathering together was gone, with only some ruffians from the North Hall guarding the entrance.

"Fang Xuan."

Looking at Fang Xuan, who arrived like stars surrounding the moon, Xu San, the head fighter of the North Hall, couldn't help but show a complex expression.

He had been in the North Hall for over ten years, experiencing countless life-and-death situations. Now over thirty, he was still just a fighter under Huang Zhen.

And Fang Xuan, who had only joined the Black Whale Gang for a few years and hadn't even reached the age of capping, was about to ascend to the position of Hall Master.

This disparity left him with mixed feelings.

"Brother San'er, am I mistaken about the time? The gang is having a big meeting today, why is it so deserted?"

Fang Xuan walked up and greeted Xu San with a smile.

The East Hall and North Hall had always been close, and his relationship with Xu San was also quite good.

"You should ask yourself! Yesterday, you crippled Xie Han and Yu Zifu, and the whole gang is talking about your might! Today is clearly the day you're taking over, so the people from the South Hall and West Hall naturally have no face to show up."

Xu San punched Fang Xuan's chest, lowering his voice and saying, "You brat, you quietly entered the Entering Realm and didn't even tell me? Was it necessary to hide it so deeply?"

Fang Xuan cooperated by showing a pained expression, rubbing his chest and saying, "Brother San's punch is still so strong! I only entered the Entering Realm a few days ago, I didn't have time to tell you."

"Stop that! You only entered the Entering Realm a few days ago, and you can fight Zheng Juexiong without losing?"

As he spoke, Xu San shook his head and said, "It's truly incomprehensible, how can you be so composed at this age? You didn't even announce such a big event as entering the Entering Realm? Hey, tell me honestly, have you been waiting for this day for a long time to screw over Zheng Juexiong?"

"Brother San, do you think I'm a divine strategist? You're thinking too much of me!" Fang Xuan said with a laugh.

"Forget it, you're more cunning than a monkey, there's not a single honest word in your mouth, I'm too lazy to argue with you. Congratulations in advance, Master Fang."

"Ah, taking over, entering the Entering Realm, and the old boss dying, you've encountered all three great things of the Jianghu, you're really lucky!"

Xu San smiled and cupped his hands towards Fang Xuan, looking at Fang Xuan's departing back with a hint of undisguised envy and loneliness in his eyes.

He didn't lack ability or seniority, what he lacked was an opportunity to rise.

And he had been waiting for this opportunity for many years.

Fang Xuan walked into the Black Whale Courtyard. Compared to the deserted outside, it was quite lively inside.

In the main hall, which had a plaque with 'Righteous Sea Cloud Sky' hanging on it, there were more than a dozen chairs. The people sitting on the chairs were all elderly.

These people were the veterans of the Black Whale Gang, who had followed Long Huaxing to build their empire in Pingjiang City back in the day. However, some of them had grown old and were content to retire, no longer concerning themselves with Jianghu matters on a daily basis.

Others had been injured during their struggles, their skills no longer what they were, and had no choice but to step down.

"Fang Xuan of the East Hall, greetings to all uncles."

Taking a deep breath, Fang Xuan clasped his thumbs together and bowed formally.

"A Xuan is here? Everyone, this is Fang Xuan, whom I just mentioned to you. He is very young and promising."

Huang Zhen, the Master of the North Hall, immediately pulled Fang Xuan and enthusiastically introduced him to these gang veterans.

The uncles nodded slightly towards Fang Xuan, all smiling as they said:

"As for us, we're just old bones, not much use anymore. The future of the world belongs to you young people."

"A Xuan, right? The gang needs young people like you. I have high hopes for you; you'll definitely be a pillar of the gang in the future."

After a round of introductions, Huang Zhen lowered his voice and said angrily:

"A Xuan, that damn Zheng Juexiong, he bullied you yesterday! If I had gotten the news sooner, I would have brought people to support you!"

"Ah, yes, yes, yes."

Fang Xuan smiled, but secretly curled his lip. If he hadn't heard the rumors yesterday that the Ruffians of the North Hall were stirring, just waiting for him to fail so they could get a piece of the East Hall, he might have actually believed Huang Zhen's nonsense.

"A Xuan, today is the day you take over. According to the rules, the Masters of all the halls should be present to observe the ceremony. Zheng Juexiong and Xiang Chengjiang not showing up is clearly disrespecting you. I'm going to talk to the Gang Leader later; these two guys don't follow the rules..."

Before Huang Zhen could finish his sentence.

"Alright, speaking of following rules, which one of you is still following the rules now?"

A faint voice sounded.

The next moment, Long Huaxing, dressed in a loose Azure Clothes robe and holding a string of sandalwood prayer beads, walked out from behind the screen in the main hall.

"Gang Leader."

Everyone quickly stood up and bowed.

"Sit down, everyone."

Long Huaxing's face seemed to always carry a hint of weariness. After waving for everyone to sit down, he finally looked at Fang Xuan and said in a deep voice:

"Ten days ago, I said that if A Xuan could reach the Entering Realm, or fight until no one dared to disobey you, you would take over the position of East Hall Master.

Since you have now achieved both, very well. Someone, set up the altar and offer incense!"

An altar was carried out to the plaza outside the hall. The altar was filled with incense burners, candles, fruits, and wine that had been prepared beforehand. At the very top hung a portrait of a deity wearing armor, holding a saber and a spear, and sporting a general's belly.

The person in the portrait was called the Martial Transformation Heavenly King, or the Martial Transformation General.

During the founding of the Great Yang Dynasty, he was a legendary general figure who was admired by Jianghu people for his righteousness!

Even though Fang Xuan already knew that today was the day he would take over, when those words truly came from Long Huaxing's mouth, his breathing couldn't help but quicken slightly.

Hall Master!

The four great halls of the vast Black Whale Gang combined had nearly two thousand official members listed on the gang's roster!

But there were only four Hall Masters!

Becoming a Hall Master, although still considered a Ruffian in terms of origin, was already quite a significant figure in the entire Pingjiang City!

Even the high officials and noblemen living in the city would have to think twice before offending him.

Because the identity of Hall Master represented the face of the Black Whale Gang!

Anyone who stepped on him would be stepping on the entire Black Whale Gang!

A force of nearly two thousand people was enough to make anyone suffer!

Aside from status, the treatment of a Black Whale Gang hall master was far beyond what ordinary ruffians could compare to.

Not only would they be allocated a four-courtyard mansion in the city, but their monthly salary from the gang alone was a full five hundred taels of silver.

And this was just the smallest portion of a hall master's income.

The amount scraped from the hall's stalls each month was the real big earner!

It could be said that becoming a hall master meant truly stepping one foot into the upper circles of Pingjiang City!

"Thank you, Gang Leader!" Fang Xuan bowed deeply towards Long Huaxing.

From now on, he would never have to worry about money again, and the three siblings would no longer be squeezed into that small mud house.

Hadn't he spent all these years living on the edge, risking his life for a future, precisely for this moment?

A smile appeared on Long Huaxing's face as he nodded slightly towards Fang Xuan.

Immediately, he was the first to rise from his seat and walk out of the hall.

Those uncles also stepped forward and stood on either side of the altar.

"They're here, they're here!"

"They're going to open the altar and officially confer Brother Xuan's position!"

"Hahaha, with Brother Xuan becoming a hall master, we can also rise with the tide and become small bosses managing the stalls under the East Hall, no longer the lowest-level ruffian lackeys!"

"What's going on? I feel even happier than Brother Xuan!"

Outside the Black Whale Courtyard, all eight large doors were wide open, and countless East Hall ruffians crowded outside, looking inside with excited faces.

In the square, the sunlight was dazzling.

Long Huaxing first took out three incense sticks and lit them on a candle, then with a solemn and serious expression, he bowed three times towards the portrait of the Martial Transformation Heavenly King, inserting the three incense sticks into the incense burner on the altar.

"What kind of sky is it?" He turned his head, looked at Fang Xuan, and let out a low shout.

"The sky is the sky of righteousness!"

Fang Xuan knelt before the altar, holding three incense sticks in his hands, and shouted with his head lowered.

"What kind of sea is it?" Long Huaxing continued to ask.

"The sea is the sea of brothers!" Fang Xuan responded loudly.

Long Huaxing nodded in satisfaction, then said, "Bow to the Heavenly King!"

Fang Xuan rose and offered three incense sticks to the Martial Transformation Heavenly King.

"Undress, bathe!" Long Huaxing let out another low shout, his expression also becoming unusually serious.

Subsequently, Fang Xuan took off his clothes and knelt before the portrait of the Martial Transformation Heavenly King, revealing a body covered in hideous scars.

An uncle continuously poured the water placed on the altar onto Fang Xuan's body.

This was the bathing ceremony, representing washing away Fang Xuan's past good and bad deeds, and from now on, he would be a true disciple of the Black Whale Gang!

Following that were various question-and-answer rituals and various oaths, and only then was the ceremony considered complete.

"Bestow the red robe, grant the flower seal!" Long Huaxing shouted.

As Long Huaxing's words fell, two beautiful maidservants, carrying two red trays, walked out from behind the screen.

One red tray held a red long robe, embroidered with a large black whale leaping from the sea in gold thread on the chest. The other red tray held a crape myrtle flower jade pendant.

The two maidservants glanced at Fang Xuan, whose muscles were well-proportioned and defined. A blush quickly flashed across their ears, and they carefully helped Fang Xuan put on the red long robe. After cleaning his hair and face, they finally hung the jade pendant on his waist.

In the blink of an eye, Fang Xuan, who had been wearing short azure clothes, changed into the long robe woven from precious silk. His Jianghu ruffian air seemed to fade, replaced by a touch of nobility.

"Brother Xuan, you look so handsome in this outfit! You look even more like a noble young master than a real one!"

Outside the square, Water Monkey shouted, his face flushed with excitement.

Standing not far away, Xu San's eyes flashed with a hint of loneliness. He had rehearsed this day countless times in his mind, but he never expected that the one to ascend would not be him, but Fang Xuan.

"Silence!"

Long Huaxing glanced at the shouting Water Monkey, then looked at Fang Xuan. After a slightly satisfied nod, his expression returned to seriousness, and he said word by word:

"In the two hundred and ninety-seventh year of the Great Yang calendar, on the twenty-fifth day of the first month, Fang Xuan, a third-generation disciple of the Black Whale Gang, assumes the position of East Hall Master!"

"From now on, the brothers in the gang are truly blood brothers, and the gang's affairs are truly family affairs!"

"You must not harm fellow disciples, otherwise you will suffer three cuts and six holes, and be struck by divine retribution!"

"Do you remember this firmly?"

Outside the square, a strange look flashed across the faces of countless ruffians watching the ceremony.

Must not harm fellow disciples?

Fang Xuan's position as Hall Master was obtained precisely by harming fellow disciples.

"This disciple remembers firmly!" Fang Xuan's expression did not change as he shouted loudly.

"The ceremony is complete!" Long Huaxing nodded.

Two ruffians carried the table away.

Just as Fang Xuan was about to stand up and express his gratitude, Long Huaxing had already turned around and walked towards the screen inside the main hall.

"A Xuan, come with me alone." A tired voice came from the front.

Fang Xuan was slightly startled, then nodded and quickly followed.