Taking Money

"There's one more thing I need to explain. You probably know the situation in our county already. There are three underground gangs—the Giant Bear Gang, the Little Knife Society, and the Green Wolf Gang. None of them are easy to provoke. Unless necessary, don't clash with them. Of course, if they deliberately come looking for trouble with you, there's no need to show mercy either. In Anyuan County, the County Yamen is still the biggest power."

Wang Ying poured Xiang Yang a cup of tea, then told him which people not to offend, what taboos certain important figures had, and so on. This included Zhou Fugui, whom Xiang Yang had already dealt with.

According to Wang Ying, Zhou Fugui was no simple figure either. His influence in this county was limited, but in other counties he moved freely through both the black and white worlds, knowing quite a few underworld figures. If Black Wind Mountain Stronghold had not been so difficult to handle last time, Zhou Fugui would have long since called on capable people he knew to resolve the crisis. It would never have fallen to Xiang Yang.

It should be mentioned here that in Great Zhou, gangs were permitted to exist legally. However, forces like Black Wind Mountain Stronghold, which robbed homes, plundered goods, and injured or killed people, were not. The difference was like that between ordinary associations and terrorist organizations. Thus, even the county's underworld treated Black Wind Mountain Stronghold as something too taboo to mention.

Xiang Yang understood why Wang Ying was warning him. Over the past few days—or rather, some time ago—the Little Knife Society and the Green Wolf Gang had both had their turf swept by the Giant Bear Gang, suffering considerable losses. Their brothers' medical expenses alone had cost them dearly, so they would certainly make some kind of move. Wang Ying simply did not want Xiang Yang getting involved and ultimately losing his life.

"Uncle Wang, what if these people harass ordinary citizens? Our duty as constables is to maintain public order. If their martial world gangs settle their problems by fighting to the death, that's none of our business—but the common people are under our jurisdiction."

Xiang Yang took a sip of tea. It was somewhat bitter. He smacked his lips, set down the cup, and did not touch it again. Rather than drinking tea, plain cooled boiled water was more practical.

Wang Ying smiled and pointed at the badge on Xiang Yang's waist. "Do you see what this is? A constable's badge. We're constables, so naturally we must protect the people.

"If you truly encounter the sort of situation you mentioned, then we must intervene. If they dare resist, we will report it to the Divine Constable Gate. When the time comes, any Wood Badge Constable they send could wipe them out."

The constables of the Divine Constable Gate began at Wood Badge, followed by Copper Badge, Silver Badge, and Gold Badge, rising rank by rank. Above them were even more formidable figures: Red Robe Famous Constables, Purple Robe Chief Constables, Titled Divine Constables, and more. Experts gathered there like clouds.

And a Wood Badge Constable was, at the very least, someone who had achieved success in internal energy—someone capable of sweeping away Black Wind Mountain Stronghold alone.

"All right, I have a case to handle. Go wander around the County Yamen yourself. If you truly have nothing to do, go patrol the streets. The first time will bring you a few surprises."

After saying that, Wang Ying frowned and hurried away, leaving Xiang Yang alone in the small courtyard in complete disarray. That was it? He was just being left to fend for himself? This was far too casual. He had only said to patrol the streets, but Anyuan County had so many large and small streets—there should at least be some assigned area, right?

Still, Xiang Yang was quite interested in the case Wang Ying was currently handling. In a small place like Anyuan, killing someone or committing adultery would ordinarily count as a major case. For it to have Wang Ying and a group of veteran constables so busy they could not tell head from tail, it had to be exceptionally thorny.

"Ah, Uncle Wang really doesn't know how to appreciate a treasure. I'm a capable man who's watched Detective Di Renjie, Detective Conan, Young Bao Qingtian, and the complete Sherlock Holmes collection. Maybe if I joined in, I could solve the case."

Xiang Yang scratched his head, indulging in a bit of wild fantasy. Naturally, it was only a joke. If watching a few detective dramas could turn someone into a skilled case-solver, then what would police academies be for?

After lingering in the courtyard for a while, Xiang Yang grew unbearably bored. Stillness bred the urge to move. Carrying his Wild Goose Feather Saber, he left the County Yamen and ambled down a broad street to the north. Whenever he had nothing to do, he would glance into the storefronts on either side of the road. And sure enough, he truly gained quite a bit.

Inside a silk shop, Xiang Yang accepted the tael of silver handed over by the plump shopkeeper and felt that fat men were truly the loveliest people in the world.

"Shopkeeper Zhu, rest assured. If any little hooligans or ruffians come here to cause trouble in the future, just tell me. I'll definitely settle it for you cleanly."

Before Xiang Yang stood a fat man with a round head and bulging belly, whose whole body quivered and whose loose flesh trembled at every movement. His face was full of smiles. "Haha, Constable Xiang, you flatter me. A new official has taken office, so we neighbors must show a little goodwill. Consider this money for you to buy some wine and food. It's nothing worth mentioning."

This silk shop run by Shopkeeper Zhu had the best reputation and most reasonable prices in the county town. Business was so good it had no rivals. There had once been quite a few silk shops nearby, but Shopkeeper Zhu had squeezed them all out of business.

On the streets, ordinary hooligans and ruffians simply did not dare cause trouble at his place. The various gang forces also paid their protection fees on time. Thus, his befriending Xiang Yang was purely an investment—Xiang Yang was so young and might have a bright future ahead of him. It was not because he wanted Xiang Yang to do anything for him.

Nor should one think a tael was too little to be worth offering. Xiang Yang's monthly pay was only three qian of silver. This one tael was worth more than three months of his wages, making it quite a substantial gift.

Moreover, Shopkeeper Zhu was different from Zhou Fugui. Previously, Xiang Yang had worked for the Zhou family, undertaking dangerous work that might cost him his head, so naturally he had to be compensated. The hundreds or thousands of taels were payment for labor rendered. But Shopkeeper Zhu was simply giving him money for nothing, asking nothing of Xiang Yang in return.

"Easy enough, easy enough. Oh, customers have come in, so I'll take my leave first. If there's ever anything I can help with, Shopkeeper Zhu, just send someone to find me. So long as I can do it, I certainly won't refuse."

Xiang Yang did not stand on ceremony. He pocketed the silver, growing much more familiar with the plump Shopkeeper Zhu. Seeing someone come in to buy cloth, he left Shopkeeper Zhu to attend to the customer and walked out.

Shopkeeper Zhu watched Xiang Yang's departing back and nodded. In the past, he had dealt with Xiang Da Niu as well.

But that man had been a block of elm wood. He accepted no money, attended no banquets, and was as dull as an old-fashioned pedant. Though admirable, he was hardly endearing.

In contrast, Xiang Yang was much more pleasing to the eye. He took the money and still spoke sweetly. In the future, he would be someone who could get things done. When people dealt with one another, it was precisely this sort of exchange of favors.

On the other side, after Shopkeeper Zhu's generous contribution, Xiang Yang's luck improved. As he walked along, the owners of some shops saw this unfamiliar new constable and, more or less, all offered something. By the end of the morning, Xiang Yang's chest was already heavy with silver. It jingled and clinked as he walked; anyone who did not know better might have thought he had a bell tucked inside.

Along the way, some small stallholders and peddlers also tried to stuff money into his hands. There was even a white-haired old woman selling vegetables who came over to offer him a head of cabbage. He refused them all. These were poor common folk; no one had much money, and he could not in good conscience accept their hard-earned cash.

Of course, Xiang Yang knew that he only received such treatment and benefits because it was his first day on duty. Once he became familiar with the people in the county town, he would probably no longer have such good fortune.