Golden Dragon Gang (Part Two)

Li Feng burst into laughter. Unfolding his crossed legs, he swung them back and forth as he said, "Iron Sand Palm? You've got the nerve to show off that kind of kung fu? Hmph. If you suck up to me properly tonight, I'll teach you a few secret tricks. Once you master them, what would Gu Cangyue amount to?... Hey, don't look at me like that. You're making me embarrassed. To tell you the truth, I ran into a reclusive master that day who saved me, took me up the mountain, and made me train bitterly for six years. Tsk, tsk. Now I'm skilled in both literary and martial arts."

A Zhu frowned. He stepped before Li Feng and asked cautiously, "A Feng, your brain isn't broken, is it? Even making up fairy tales has to sound believable. Don't I know exactly what sort of person you are? Back then, we agreed to build up our foundations ourselves before seeking out famous masters to learn martial arts. Every morning, we stood in horse stance, but you couldn't even last the time it took to drink a cup of tea. And you've got the face to claim you're now skilled in both literary and martial arts? If you really are, I'll eat my own head."

Li Feng gave a few unfathomable laughs. Out of habit, he picked up a delicate Tang tricolor porcelain dish from the tea table beside him and tucked it into his bundle before saying, "Heh, we can talk about my affairs later. A Zhu, tell me about the Golden Dragon Gang now. Is Niu Boss still the gang leader? Sigh, I'm planning to rejoin the gang. That old fellow who taught me martial arts breathed his last, and I had nowhere else to go. You were the first people I thought to seek out. That makes me loyal enough, doesn't it?"

At this point, Li Feng's face darkened, and an air of utter grief radiated from him. A Zhu froze for a moment, swallowed all the questions filling his stomach, and nodded. "Fine. Heh, do you know how lively things were that night six years ago? A lot of it, I only heard about afterward. Heh, who would have thought so many important figures would fall? Our Golden Dragon Gang, along with the Golden Tiger Gang in the west of the city, got our chance to grow because of it."

A Zhu sat down beside Li Feng, his face grave. "A Long died."

Li Feng nodded. "I know. It would have been strange if he hadn't. He took something he shouldn't have taken, so he was bound to die. If I hadn't seen the situation quickly back then and happened to encounter an expert who saved me, I'd have died even earlier than him."

A Zhu sneered. "You've always had good luck, but A Long didn't. That fellow called the King of Hell's Sword recognized him, and A Long couldn't hand over the goods, so he could only die. For one Sword Pellet and three inexplicable pills, the whole of Suzhou Prefecture descended into chaos. Niu Boss led people to find the Sword Pellet in the grass outside the city and gave it to Old Tou'er, forging a friendship in the process. As for those three pills, no one could find them no matter what. Experts from every sect, along with lone wanderers who traveled alone, fought for an entire day and night within Suzhou Prefecture over that Sword Pellet and the pills. Heh heh, Tiger Boss and Old Yang's targets were too conspicuous. All those fierce dragons from beyond the river sought them out, and their entire gang was uprooted."

"By the end, Old Tou'er's Cangfeng Fortress had also suffered grievous losses. Then, no one knew what trick they used, but the Provincial Administration ordered five thousand elite garrison troops to surround the city. With a storm of powerful bows and hard crossbows, they killed more than two hundred martial arts experts, and only then was the matter settled... Nearly every gang in Suzhou Prefecture was wiped out. Only our Golden Dragon Gang was preserved because of Old Tou'er. It really was luck. Several of Tiger Boss's men were killed in the woods, and when Niu Boss brought a few brothers over, one of them happened to step on the Sword Pellet. That was how the Golden Dragon Gang received its good fortune."

Li Feng shook his head with a bitter smile. "Fate, fate... Sigh, honestly, I threw those three pills into a well..."

A Zhu shook his head again and again. "Don't talk about that stuff anymore, A Feng. Don't bring it up. More than a hundred and fifty experts from Brocade Manor were killed or wounded over those three pills. Their Lesser Manor Lord personally brought people to Suzhou Prefecture to stir up trouble, and only left after half a month. Heh, you'd better forget it all. Everyone else has forgotten already, so why bring it up again?"

Li Feng nodded with great tact, took a sly grin-filled sip of tea, and said, "Mm, I'm not tired of living yet, so naturally I won't mention it again. A Zhu, you mean that the Golden Dragon Gang grew because Niu Boss led people to find that Sword Pellet. Then what about the Golden Tiger Gang? Didn't you just say..."

A Zhu pursed his lips, shook his head, and sighed. "They had good luck too. They saved an expert from the White Emperor Sect who had been fighting over the Sword Pellet. Afterward, he supported them in setting up operations and planting their banner in Suzhou Prefecture, opposing our Golden Dragon Gang. Luckily, we have Old Tou'er's forces backing us. Every year, we offer up quite a bit of silver, or the Golden Tiger Gang would have driven us out of Suzhou Prefecture long ago. Besides, Old Tou'er and his people wouldn't just stand by and let the White Emperor Sect's influence grow too large in Suzhou Prefecture. They occasionally stab them in the dark as well. So now we keep the peace, and across Suzhou, our Dragon and Tiger gangs are the largest."

As he spoke, A Zhu became increasingly smug. "Our Golden Dragon Gang now has five or six hundred brothers, every one of them a hero who can kill a cow with one punch. Niu Boss knows how to scheme too, and he's opened up many sources of wealth, so our power keeps growing. At first, we merely scraped out a meal under Old Tou'er's men. Now Niu Boss can stand on equal footing with Old Tou'er."

Li Feng frowned. "What kind of joke is that? I know Gu Cangyue's temper. Would he let Niu Boss call him brother?"

A Zhu laughed loudly. "Times have changed... Heh heh." He savored his use of a scholarly phrase for a while before explaining, "Old Tou'er was unlucky too. While escorting the Sword Pellet north, some old fellow called something-or-other Demon struck him with one palm. Half his power was scattered. If not for his enormous merits, he never would have become Suzhou Prefecture's Chief Constable. We're strong now, and he needs us to make money, so naturally he has to treat us more politely."

Li Feng nodded slowly. He had roughly understood what had happened back then. It seemed that now that he had returned, no one would remember him anymore. Tiger Boss and his people had already been eliminated, so why would Old Tou'er care about some little hoodlum newly joining the Golden Dragon Gang? It was even less likely that he knew this little hoodlum had taken the Sword Pellet and pills back then, stirring up such a tempest.

But could he really just join the Golden Dragon Gang and muddle through an entire lifetime in Suzhou Prefecture? Suddenly, before Li Feng's eyes appeared those two great eagles—the two incomparably arrogant eagles he had seen when he had just gone to Qingyun Flat, eagles that seemed capable of shaking heaven and earth with a mere flap of their wings... Li Feng clenched his teeth, and his heart had already reached a decision. I'll muddle along in the Golden Dragon Gang for a while first. If I can use Old Tou'er's connections to get in touch with the people above him, all the better. Hmph. Cangfeng Fortress claims to be the greatest under heaven, so its influence must be immense. Perhaps through them, I can find some of the things and clues I need.

Li Feng had made up his mind, but A Zhu began shouting loudly, "A Feng, A Feng, why are you spacing out? I've asked you several times already. What have you been doing these six years? Hm? Why aren't you saying anything?... Heh heh, don't tell me practicing martial arts turned your brain bad? Back then, you were full of strange tricks and clever as could be." A Zhu grinned maliciously. He still did not believe Li Feng had truly learned any profound martial arts.

Li Feng came back to himself, opened his mouth, and a string of lies poured out. It was nothing more than the old tale: fleeing for his life, losing the stolen goods, then narrowly escaping death just as he was about to be hacked to pieces and meeting an expert who saved him. His composure was now first-rate under heaven. As he spun lie after lie, his face did not redden in the slightest. His righteous, confident lies were so convincing that even Li Feng himself believed he had truly experienced such things.

A Zhu listened with relish and asked nervously, "What happened afterward? Why did you come down the mountain? Could it be that your martial arts reached great accomplishment?"

Li Feng spread his hands, his face full of helplessness. "That old monster died. He bragged that he could live forever, but who knew the King of Hell would come knocking? No matter how fiercely he boasted, he still died. I had no choice. I made a few traveling expenses at the foot of the mountain and came back to Suzhou Prefecture... I remembered that you bastards were still running around Suzhou as hoodlums. Hmph, hmph. Since I was already a martial arts master, I came over to lend you a hand."

A Zhu snorted disdainfully. "Keep blowing. I don't think your skills are much at all. Martial artists value abundant spirit and steady steps. But you walk all floaty and weak, and there isn't a trace of vitality in your eyes. I'd say you spent these six years slacking off and fooling around again. Sigh, don't I know your temperament, old brother? Forget it, forget it. Don't explain. Failing to learn profound martial arts isn't anything shameful. To be honest, my own martial arts are only second-rate in the martial world, but aren't I still eating rich food and drinking fine liquor in Suzhou Prefecture?"

A Zhu stood, grabbed Li Feng's bundle, and pulled out a Tang tricolor dish, two figurines, and three little horses. Only then did he toss the bundle back to Li Feng and curse, "This is the main hall of my branch. You little brat don't recognize family, do you? Taking things right in front of me? Fine. I'll get someone next door to tidy up a room. Put down your bundle first, and I'll take you to Chunyi Tower to welcome you back... Heh heh." A Zhu gave an odd smile. "Don't tell me you're still a virgin?"

Li Feng shot to his feet and cursed loudly, "You bastard, how could I possibly still be a virgin? Hmph, don't look down on me. Look at the gold in my bundle. With gold, what can't I get? I was already visiting brothels regularly three years ago. My experience runs far deeper than yours."

A Zhu blanked for a moment. "Three years ago? Weren't you practicing martial arts deep in the mountains and never coming down? Damn it, you're bragging again..." He leapt up and threw a punch at Li Feng's head. Li Feng laughed loudly, clutching his head with one hand and carrying his bundle with the other as he ran. He crashed headlong into two burly men, knocking them over, then ran laughing and shouting around the courtyard with A Zhu chasing after him. The two laughed and played wildly, recklessly, as though they had returned to six years ago—or even further back.

A group of Golden Dragon Gang toughs secretly watched A Zhu and Li Feng roughhousing in the courtyard, unable to help calculating, Damn, this kid seems to have a very good relationship with the Branch Master. Looks like he's staying in the Golden Dragon Gang too. We'll have to butter him up properly from now on.

As night fell, Li Feng and A Zhu led more than ten burly men, swaggering ostentatiously toward Chunyi Tower. Only now did Li Feng finally remember to ask how Niu Boss and the others were doing. A Zhu tilted his head and said, "The boss took people north to escort a shipment of premium tea. He probably won't be back for another two months. The other three branch masters are all stationed in other towns. Within Suzhou Prefecture's city, your old brother here is the biggest. So you're now the second biggest man in the Golden Dragon Gang in Suzhou Prefecture. You can walk sideways if you want."

Li Feng cocked his head and thought for a moment. "Fine. Back then, I never really cared much for Niu Boss, so suddenly meeting him again would be awkward. I'll spend two months in the gang first and get familiar with the connections. It'll be easier to talk then... A Zhu, let me take charge of that batch of little brats under you. What the hell are their standards? Look, look at that fellow, that little fellow—eh, the one over there... It's obvious the left side of his belt holds gold and silver, while the right side might have banknotes or gold notes, yet he insists on picking the left pocket. Isn't that idiotic?"

A Zhu glanced over and cursed under his breath, "A bunch of trash. Mm, what else is there to say? You can take them... Forget comparing them to you. Those pieces of trash can't even measure up to me, hmph."

As the group walked down the street, every passing pedestrian hurriedly gave way. A Zhu became even more pleased with himself, his shoulders practically shaking up into the sky. Grinning, he bumped Li Feng and said, "See that? Wasn't this exactly the dream we had when we were kids? I told you back then, as long as I could sleep until the sun was high in the sky every day, have two beautiful women lying beside me, and keep more money in my pocket than I could spend, that would be enough... Now I can count my dream as fulfilled. Ha ha."

Li Feng's heart stirred, and he made up his mind that he absolutely would not drag A Zhu into his own affairs. He did not even know what his own fate would become, so why make this older brother he had grown up with risk his life alongside him? This was what A Zhu sought, and he had already achieved his goal. Why should Li Feng disturb his peaceful life? When the opportunity came, he would leave. The Golden Dragon Gang was merely a temporary place to rest his feet.

Li Feng smiled, put an arm around A Zhu's shoulders, and said, "Yeah. Back then, you always said that as long as you could sleep peacefully, find a few beauties, and save up a pile of gold and silver, you'd be satisfied. At the time, I was thinking of finding an unmatched master as my teacher and becoming invincible under heaven. Heh heh, unmatched masters—where are there any unmatched masters in this day and age?" Li Feng recalled how True Man Qingquan and the others had not even had a chance to fight back before dying miserably at the Right Saint's hands, and he could not help sighing.

A Zhu did not understand what Li Feng was thinking. He smacked his lips with a "tsk," then asked Li Feng seriously, "A Feng, we're brothers. I know you're capable, and your head is full of crooked paths. Just look at the gold and gold notes in your bundle. You said you only made two deals casually, yet you earned more than my men do in a month. Stay and help me, how about it? Niu Boss is preparing to become an official and wants to seek scholarly honors, so he has been getting very close to Old Tou'er lately. I want to become gang leader, but there are three other branch masters. It might not necessarily fall to me."

Li Feng answered crisply, "No problem. The two of us brothers will join hands and make a few good deals. I guarantee those three branch masters won't have a word to say." Li Feng felt something utterly absurd. He was practically a reserve immortal, yet here he was carousing in the mortal world and planning swindling, theft, and fraud. If Heaven had eyes, it would surely be shouting, This fellow absolutely cannot be allowed to ascend and become an immortal, wouldn't it?

Before Chunyi Tower, carriages streamed like dragons and horses flowed like water, while people crowded together like weaving threads. Pot-bellied wealthy merchants, young dandies desperately fanning themselves with folding fans despite the deep autumn chill, burly men carrying swords and sabers as if terrified that others might not know they were martial heroes, together with dazzlingly dressed young women waving pink handkerchiefs and speaking in sweet, soft voices—they formed a picture of extreme bustle, overflowing with vitality and the scent of decadence.

A Zhu rubbed his palms together and said with a smile, "Damn it, with the boss gone north, I haven't been here in almost half a month. Tonight, I'm going to enjoy myself properly... A Feng, this really isn't your first time here, is it? Don't be shy... Heh heh, want me to find a few experienced girls to show you the ropes?"

Li Feng drove an elbow into A Zhu's armpit and cursed in a low voice, "Damn it, say one more word and tomorrow I'll spread all your dirty deeds through the entire Golden Dragon Gang."

A Zhu pursed his lips and wisely shut his mouth. He had far too many dirty deeds, so many they could not possibly be counted, and Li Feng knew every last one of them. He absolutely could not let Li Feng list them out, or how could he continue serving as branch master with any face left?

A Zhu gave a few fawning laughs, took Li Feng by the hand, shoved aside several slow-moving young dandies, and strode through Chunyi Tower's doors.

Li Feng's heart thudded wildly. He was curious too, and inwardly he kept shouting, Heaven and earth, I don't know how many times I've whored around in them. But I've never tried the real business of gathering yin to replenish yang... Damn it, damn it, should I try it tonight? It should be about the same as absorbing the primordial qi of heaven and earth, right? Only the place where one absorbs the qi is different, heh heh. Should I try it? Should I try it? For a moment, Li Feng's entire mind churned like porridge, a complete mess. Qingyun Flat, the Yiyuan Sect, even Zhao Yue'er, whom he could not let go of most—all of them flew beyond the nine heavens.

Several hot, soft, fragrant bodies pounced on him. Sweet, delicate voices filled his ears. Li Feng shuddered from head to toe and, most shamefully, spurted two streams of nosebleed...