Hospitality

Xiang Yang had not waited long. On the third day after obtaining the Iron Finger Technique, Fu Da Chun sent word that the expert hired by the Giant Bear Gang had arrived within the gang's territory and was being lavishly entertained by the two gang leaders, Xiong Da and Xiong Er.

"This should be about the time. According to Zhao Shan, Hu Qiang was extremely lecherous and exceptionally gifted in that regard. He usually went every night to Flower Alley, the pleasure district run by the Giant Bear Gang itself. I can go tonight and see whether it really is Hu Qiang."

Within Anyuan County, the Giant Bear Gang was the most powerful underworld gang. It had two or three hundred members. Besides collecting protection fees from merchants, it operated businesses of its own, and Flower Alley was one of them.

Flower Alley consisted of several dozen houses funded by the Giant Bear Gang, occupied by women who sold their charms. They solicited customers on the streets from morning till night. Seventy percent of what they earned had to be handed over to the Giant Bear Gang, leaving them only thirty percent as net income. Truly black-hearted.

It differed from ordinary high-class brothels. It earned the hard-earned money of the working masses and took the low-end route. Xiang Yang had seen the women inside when he passed Flower Alley before; most were of only average looks. Only those who could not afford a brothel went to Flower Alley for pleasure.

Naturally, Hu Qiang was not the sort who could not afford it. Whenever he went to Flower Alley, he did not seek out the girls under the Giant Bear Gang. Instead, he spent money at brothels to hire girls to come to Flower Alley and serve him, calling for several at a time.

On one side, Xiang Yang was excited yet uneasy, planning to visit Flower Alley that night and see whether it was truly Hu Qiang. On the other, Xiong Da and Xiong Er booked a table of fine wine and good food at the best Spring Breeze Restaurant in Anyuan County to entertain Hu Qiang.

Spring Breeze Restaurant was a century-old establishment. Great red lanterns hung high at its entrance, and its three floors held dozens of tables. Customers streamed in without pause, business booming enough to make many green with envy. Yet the restaurant's owner was also a major figure with ties to many figures in the martial world and underworld. Even Xiong Da and Xiong Er could only swallow their saliva and stare helplessly, not daring to truly make a move to seize it by force.

In a private room on the second floor, Hu Qiang removed the bamboo hat from his head and loosened the clothes around his chest, revealing the bandaged torso beneath. Only then did he feel somewhat more at ease. Leaning back in his chair, he shook his head and said,

"Must it be this troublesome? Every time I come, I have to dress like a rice dumpling. No one in the county town has even seen me."

"Brother Hu, don't find it troublesome. A cautious sailor sails for ten thousand years. This is not the stronghold. If someone discovers your trail and the County Yamen dispatches a large force, escaping will be very difficult."

The speaker was Xiong Da, a burly man with a face full of flesh, only slightly shorter than Hu Qiang. His belly looked as though he were ten months pregnant, packed full of grease. With a wave of his palm-leaf-fan-sized hand, a subordinate in brown clothes behind him understood and went downstairs to hurry the dishes along.

Beside Xiong Da sat Xiong Er, not much different from him, except for a scar across his face that made him look even more ferocious. His eyes fixed on Hu Qiang's chest as he asked doubtfully,

"Brother Hu, you were really injured? That fellow from the County Yamen, what was he called—Xiang Da Niu—has martial arts like that?"

At the mention of Xiang Da Niu, Hu Qiang's expression darkened. His thick brows knitted together, and his tone turned chilling.

"If I hadn't been too careless, how could his three-legged-cat skills have injured me? That bastard—I truly wish I could slice him into a thousand pieces. If the situation hadn't been urgent and men from the County Yamen hadn't arrived, how could I have left him a whole corpse?"

Xiong Da and Xiong Er did not doubt this. Hu Qiang was an extremely vindictive man. Once, someone had cursed him once, and Hu Qiang had used Big Saber to cut him into three sections, spreading his flesh and blood apart until his five viscera spilled all over the ground. Who knew what was wrong with his mind.

As the three spoke, the subordinate in brown directed several restaurant servants to bring up the ordered dishes one after another. For a moment, the fragrance of food filled the air, and the scent of wine was intoxicating. Hu Qiang could not help drawing in a deep breath, a trace of blissful smile appearing on his face.

Xiong Er nearly laughed at the sight. Once the restaurant servants had withdrawn, he had his own subordinate guard the door and said,

"What, is life in the stronghold really that miserable? If so, what is the point of Brother Hu staying there? Why not come down the mountain and join us? We could all enjoy glory and riches together."

When Xiong Da heard Xiong Er's words, the right hand resting on his thigh gave a twitch. His face wore an expression of complete agreement, his smile warm and beaming, but inwardly he wished he could strangle his straight-gutted younger brother to death. If Hu Qiang truly came down the mountain and joined the Giant Bear Gang, then who would be the boss?

Though they currently addressed Hu Qiang as Big Brother, it was merely an honorific. They were equals in a cooperative relationship: I paid you to do work, and when there was nothing to do, I spent money to invite you down the mountain for some fun. Everyone was happy.

But if Hu Qiang truly abandoned everything at Black Wind Mountain Stronghold and came down to join the Giant Bear Gang, that would be a major problem. Their partnership would become one body, and there had to be a leader. From Xiong Da's understanding of Hu Qiang, he would certainly be unwilling to remain beneath another, especially when the two brothers' skills were far inferior to his.

"Forget it, forget it. Second Brother Xiong, I know you mean well, but I have my own difficulties. I cannot come down the mountain."

Hu Qiang raised his cup and drank by himself, speaking with some displeasure. Under normal circumstances, being a bandit could never compare to coming down the mountain and joining a gang.

After all, at their core, one was a criminal wanted by the authorities, while the other was a civilian organization acknowledged by the authorities. The difference was worlds apart. Any normal person would know which to choose. Only he was not master of his own fate. He had chosen the wrong road in his early years, and by the time he wanted to regret it, it was already too late.

Seeing his elder brother's reproachful look, Xiong Er also realized he had said the wrong thing. He gave a chuckle, picked up his chopsticks, and began stuffing himself with food.

"Let's not speak of that for now. I heard that Xiang Da Niu had a son as well? What was his name—Xiang Yang? Can you bind him and bring him to me for disposal? Since I went up the mountain, I have never been injured. No matter what, I cannot swallow this anger."

Hu Qiang put down his wine cup, his eyes filled with venom and ferocity, like a vicious tiger choosing someone to devour. Coming down the mountain this time was partly for enjoyment and partly to heal his injuries. There was yet another purpose: to seize that little bastard left behind by that scoundrel and humiliate and torment him viciously.

Xiong Da and Xiong Er exchanged a look, their expressions turning somewhat ugly.

"I'm afraid that will be difficult. Brother Hu, you do not know this: after Xiang Da Niu died, Magistrate Li made an exceptional promotion and appointed Xiang Yang as a constable of this county. He has drawn much attention from those at the County Yamen, especially Wang Ying, who treats him like a nephew. If we lay hands on him, the consequences are not something we can bear."

The Giant Bear Gang ran rampant and tyrannical, but that was only against ordinary commoners. Before the authorities, it still feared them by three parts. Abducting a constable was certainly no minor crime. If the County Yamen uncovered it, not only would their Giant Bear Gang be unable to survive, they might even have to flee for their lives.

"Revenge does not necessarily require open blades and shining spears. So long as he remains in Anyuan, we brothers will always be able to cook him up properly. As long as Brother Hu trusts us, leave this matter to us. Sooner or later, we will give you an answer."

Hu Qiang nodded. He dared to kill Xiang Da Niu partly because he was a bandit already registered and wanted in every county town, so he did not care in the slightest. The second reason was that he had been acting at someone's request. Though Xiong Da and Xiong Er possessed some influence in the county town, they would not directly offend the authorities for his sake.

"Fine. We are sworn brothers. If I do not trust you two, whom should I trust? Come, let us all drain a cup."