Night excursion

Yang Jing smiled. "Nothing much. I just met two men yesterday who claimed to be from the Great Fortune Gang, and got a little curious."

He did not go into the matter of the high-interest loan.

Liu Maolin frowned instead. "Did they give you trouble? Want me to have someone look into it? My family's medical hall has fairly extensive connections in town. Finding out a gang's background wouldn't be difficult."

"It's really nothing, Senior Brother. Don't worry." Yang Jing hurriedly waved his hands. "I just want to know a bit more so I have some idea of what to expect. If it's convenient, sorry for the trouble, but could you ask about their strength, what businesses they mainly run, and their Chief's background? The more detail, the better."

After hearing Liu Maolin share some information about the Great Fortune Gang, he had indeed felt much more at ease.

Since the Great Fortune Gang's Chief was only at bright strength, there was room to deal with him.

But to be cautious, he still had to get to the bottom of their background, lest his boat capsize in a gutter.

"That's no trouble at all." Liu Maolin readily agreed. "I'll have someone investigate when I go back this afternoon, and give you an answer first thing tomorrow."

He looked at Yang Jing, his tone earnest. "If you really run into trouble, don't keep it to yourself. We're fellow disciples. There's nothing we can't talk about."

"Mm. Thank you, Senior Brother." Warmth filled Yang Jing's heart, and he nodded solemnly.

The days passed one by one.

After that day, the Great Fortune Gang did not come looking for trouble with Yang Jing again, but neither did they convey any intention of making peace with him.

Yang Jing remained on guard.

The Great Fortune Gang was like a venomous snake concealed in the darkness, ready to dart out at any moment and sink its fangs into him.

And so Yang Jing never relaxed his vigilance toward the Great Fortune Gang.

He continued asking his Fourth Senior Brother, Liu Maolin, to gather information on the Great Fortune Gang through the Liu Family Medical Hall's channels.

But the Great Fortune Gang remained busy fighting other gangs over territory and profits, as though they had forgotten all about Yang Jing.

Besides asking Senior Brother Liu to keep an eye on the Great Fortune Gang, Yang Jing also slipped over to their headquarters almost every two or three days to take a look. Most of his attention focused on Xu Tai, their Chief, who was at the Bright Strength Peak.

Although the Great Fortune Gang was not targeting him now, that was because their struggles with other gangs over territory and profits occupied too much of their energy, and because they were wary of his strength.

Once their disputes with the other gangs ended, they would probably turn to dealing with him.

Yang Jing prepared for rain before the clouds gathered, investigating every aspect of the Great Fortune Gang in advance. At a crucial moment, all that intelligence could prove enormously important.

In the blink of an eye, a month passed.

Chengping Ward, Sun Clan Martial Arts School.

In the front courtyard, Yang Jing sank his hips into a horse stance and punched the wooden post again and again, his increasingly powerful bright strength riding the Fist Wind.

Suddenly, a commotion erupted near the center of the courtyard in the distance, like a pot boiling over. Then the chatter of numerous disciples reached his ears.

"It's Senior Brother Lin Yue!"

"Heavens! Is that true? He broke through to hidden strength that quickly?"

"How could it be false? The school master said it himself!"

"They say Senior Brother Lin Yue reached the Bright Strength Peak half a month ago. To improve his chances of a successful breakthrough attempt, he waited until today to make the attempt, and succeeded in one go!"

"Good grief, that's way too fast! Hasn't he been here less than six months?"

"Ah, comparing yourself to others really can drive you to death. I've trained here at the Martial Arts Hall for six months, and even breaking through to bright strength still seems hopeless. Senior Brother Lin Yue has already reached hidden strength. His progress is frightening!"

Yang Jing withdrew his fists and looked over. Lin Yue stood at the center of the front courtyard, handsome and imposing, surrounded by a crowd.

"A high-grade root bone really makes a difference. We haven't even touched the threshold of bright strength, and he's already broken through to hidden strength."

"Ah, I broke through to bright strength this time last year. It's been a whole year. I tried a breakthrough attempt before, but failed and damaged my vitality. In another two months, I should have recovered enough to make a second attempt. If I fail again, I'll go home. I can't keep staying here at the Martial Arts Hall, eating through my savings until there's nothing left. I really envy a genius with a high-grade root bone like Junior Brother Lin!"

"I heard the school master specially gave Lin Yue a Body Tempering Pill. His breakthrough to hidden strength probably had quite a lot to do with that pill."

"Tsk, tsk. Not only is he talented, he has plenty of resources too. There's just no comparing."

Their chatter brimmed with envy and jealousy.

Yang Jing watched the figure surrounded by the crowd, his fingers unconsciously rubbing his knuckles.

He felt no envy, only that the calluses on his palms had grown a little thicker.

Just as the other disciples had said, Lin Yue's road was paved with talent. His own road had to be hammered out one punch at a time.

Just then, Liu Maolin walked over and handed him a clean cloth. "Junior Brother Lin's talent is the highest among all the Martial Arts Hall's core disciples, so naturally Master values him most. His breakthrough to hidden strength was only to be expected."

As he spoke, Liu Maolin's gaze settled on Yang Jing. "Don't let him affect you. Your root bones are different, so a gap in progress is normal. Besides, your progress has been steady. You may still have a chance of reaching hidden strength."

Liu Maolin encouraged Yang Jing, worried that the performance of a genius like Lin Yue would upset his state of mind.

Hearing this, Yang Jing wiped away his sweat and smiled. "I know. Everyone has their own pace."

Liu Maolin felt reassured by Yang Jing's steady attitude, but also somewhat surprised.

He was close to Yang Jing, so naturally he knew how determined Yang Jing was to reach hidden strength. Otherwise, he would not arrive first and leave last every day, training so diligently.

What he had not expected was that Yang Jing's resolve would be so firm.

Within half a year, Lin Yue had broken through two barriers in succession and reached hidden strength.

Never mind the Martial Arts Hall's ordinary disciples—even Liu Maolin had been shaken.

Yet Yang Jing remained just as he had always been, seemingly unconcerned that a disciple who had joined later than him had reached hidden strength.

After speaking with Liu Maolin, Yang Jing resumed practicing the Mountain Collapse Fist.

With a thought, the system panel appeared before his eyes-

[Mountain Collapse Fist, minor achievement (355/500)]

An ample supply of meat, including some fierce beast meat, kept Yang Jing's progress in the Mountain Collapse Fist advancing at a brisk pace.

Although he was still far from matching a genius with a high-grade root bone like Lin Yue, his cultivation was no slower than that of other bright strength disciples. In fact, he progressed somewhat faster than those whose nutrition was inadequate.

But to Yang Jing, his greatest advantage had never been the speed of his cultivation. It was that his martial arts had no bottlenecks!

As long as there was still a road ahead, he could keep walking!

At this rate, I should be able to break through to hidden strength in another two months. Then I'll count as a core disciple here at the Martial Arts Hall. Even across all of Yuhe County, a hidden strength martial artist is a rare expert who can hold his own.

Anticipation filled Yang Jing's heart, giving him even more motivation to practice.

If he could break through to hidden strength, the income and benefits from his honorary appointment would improve greatly. His master would certainly value him more at the Martial Arts Hall, and even the Yang Family could rise completely out of the lowest ranks of farming households.

Three days later, in the afternoon, Chengping Ward.

When Liu Maolin found Yang Jing in the Martial Arts Hall's front courtyard, Yang Jing had just finished a set of punches and was wiping his sweat with a cloth.

"Junior Brother, there's some news." Liu Maolin handed him a water flask. "The Righteousness Gang and the Great Fortune Gang had a bloody clash in town. I heard the Great Fortune Gang took a terrible beating. Quite a few of their men were crippled, and their Chief, Xu Tai, was wounded too. No one knows where he's hiding now."

Yang Jing's hand paused as he took the flask. A sharp glint flashed through his eyes before he replied calmly, "Oh? That happened?"

"It certainly did," Liu Maolin said casually. "The two gangs were already at odds over territory, but somehow things got out of hand this time. The Righteousness Gang recently got a tough new recruit. I heard he's a Bright Strength Peak martial artist who has failed two attempts to break through to hidden strength. With him joining forces with their original Chief, the Great Fortune Gang didn't stand a chance."

Yang Jing nodded without asking any more questions. "Understood. Thank you, Senior Brother."

Seeing that Yang Jing's expression was unchanged, Liu Maolin thought nothing more of it. After chatting a little about Martial Arts Hall affairs, he took off his shirt and began practicing in the courtyard as well.

Only after Liu Maolin left did the calm gradually fade from Yang Jing's face.

He looked toward the courtyard wall, his fingers tapping lightly against the stone bench.

With the Great Fortune Gang so badly mauled, this was his best opportunity to settle that trouble.

Leaving it unresolved would always pose a hidden danger.

Rather than wait for them to recover and strike back, he might as well go to them and settle everything once and for all.

He clenched his fist, bright strength stirring faintly in his palm.

The last ray of sunset swept across the Martial Arts Hall's upturned eaves. Yang Jing withdrew his fists and stood still, heat still rising from his body.

Liu Maolin had just finished practicing. Seeing Yang Jing packing up to leave, he looked surprised. "Why are you heading home so early today? You're usually still training at this hour."

Yang Jing smiled and draped his sweat cloth over his shoulder. "I've got some personal business to handle. I'll be off first."

Without explaining further, he left the Martial Arts Hall with light steps and headed straight for his lodgings in Datong Ward.

Reaching the courtyard, he entered his room and first set to work at the clay pot in the corner.

Half an hour later, the bear meat stewing in the earthenware pot was bubbling away, its rich aroma filling the courtyard.

This was fresh meat he had picked up from the Liu Family Medical Hall that morning, firm in texture and a healthy dark red.

He ladled out a large bowl and ate both meat and broth. A familiar warmth soon rose in his dantian and slowly traveled through his meridians, washing away all the fatigue accumulated from practicing.

He rubbed his belly, feeling strength fill his entire body. His bright strength circulated with unusual ease.

Back in his bedroom, he dragged an unremarkable wooden chest from beneath the bed. Opening it revealed a black Night-Traveling Garb lying quietly inside, along with a blue cloth mask large enough to cover most of his face. A black short knife lay to one side.

He quickly changed into the Night-Traveling Garb. The fabric fit snugly and neatly without hindering his movements.

Then he picked up the mask and tied it on, leaving only a pair of clear, cold eyes exposed.

Finally, he took the short knife from the chest and fastened it at his waist.

Time slowly passed. Outside the window, the sky grew completely dark, with only a few scattered stars flickering through the clouds.

Yang Jing blew out the oil lamp. Like ink dissolving into the night, he silently pushed open the door.

The night was black as ink. Yang Jing slipped through the lanes of Yuhe County's outer city, his black clothes merging with the shadows, leaving only a faint rush of wind beneath his swift feet.

Guang'an Ward lay on the western side of the outer city. Like Datong Ward and Chengping Ward, it belonged to West City.

Compared with Chengping Ward, however, Guang'an Ward was more chaotic. At least three gangs had their headquarters there.

At this moment, an unusually deathly silence hung over Guang'an Ward.

Spotting the familiar compound of the Great Fortune Gang in the distance, Yang Jing quietly concealed himself behind an old pagoda tree on the street corner.

The two stone lions outside the entrance had corners hacked off them. The vermilion gates had long since been smashed into fragments, and the weapons scattered on the ground still bore dark red stains. Clearly, a vicious battle had taken place.

The gang members who usually guarded the entrance were nowhere to be seen, and not a single voice came from within the walls. The entire compound resembled an abandoned house. Even passersby hurried past the entrance, clearly unwilling to have anything to do with the Great Fortune Gang.

Yang Jing frowned slightly and suppressed the urge to approach and investigate, remaining hidden in the darkness.

The more deathly the silence, the more likely it was to conceal something unusual.

He tightened the short knife at his waist, his gaze sweeping every corner of the walls like a hawk's as he patiently waited for an opportunity.

The night wind blew through Guang'an Ward's streets and alleys, stirring up splinters of wood from the ground.

Yang Jing hid in the shadows at the corner of the alley, his eyes fixed on the Great Fortune Gang's ruined compound.

Before long, two drunk men staggered into view at the alley entrance. Their clothes marked them as Great Fortune Gang members, and bloodstained cloths were wrapped around their arms.

They stumbled into the compound, shoving one another and cursing, seemingly complaining about something. Soon, the sounds of rummaging through chests and cupboards came from within, as though they were packing things up.

A little later, three men in short work clothes crept furtively up to the entrance. They craned their necks and peered around for some time. Seeing no movement inside, they bent low and slipped in.

Less than the time it took to drink a cup of tea later, arguing erupted inside, mixed with the dull thuds of punches and kicks. Presumably, they had run into the Great Fortune Gang members who had stayed behind.

Yang Jing never moved, his fingertips unconsciously stroking the short knife at his waist.

The compound seemed empty, but in truth, it concealed plenty of murky dealings.

Remnants of the gang were cleaning up the aftermath, and outsiders were looting a burning house. No one could say whether other watchers still lurked in the darkness.

Suddenly, a man strode out of the shadows at the alley entrance.

He was solidly built, with a ring-pommeled saber hanging at his waist. Its sheath knocked against his thigh with dull thuds.

A scar ran from his brow to his jaw, and his eyes were sinister. He was one of the Great Fortune Gang's bosses, known as Scarface Li.

Over the past month and more, quite apart from the intelligence Liu Maolin had gathered through the Liu Family Medical Hall, Yang Jing himself had staked out the Great Fortune Gang almost every night. He could practically be said to know their affairs like the back of his hand.

Scarface Li, a Great Fortune Gang boss with who knew how many lives on his hands, had left a particularly deep impression on Yang Jing.

Yang Jing huddled in the corner, watching Scarface Li push open the half-closed gate with practiced familiarity.

Before long, Scarface Li emerged from the compound carrying a bulging sack over his shoulder. It looked heavy, and as he walked, clinking and clattering came from inside, sounding like gold and silver objects knocking together.

He hurried along, repeatedly glancing around, urgency written on his face.

At the sight, Yang Jing's eyes lit up.