Golden Dragon Gang (Part 2)

Li Feng burst into laughter. He uncrossed his legs, swinging them back and forth as he spoke, "Iron Sand Palm? You have the nerve to show off that kind of skill? Hmph, tonight, you'd better flatter me properly, and I'll teach you a few secret techniques. Once you've mastered them, what's Gu Cangyue compared to that? ... Heh, don't look at me like that, I'll get embarrassed. To tell you the truth, I was saved by an otherworldly master that day and taken up the mountain where I studied diligently for six years. Tsk tsk, now I'm accomplished in both literature and martial arts."

A Zhu frowned. He stood in front of Li Feng and asked cautiously, "A Feng, is your head broken? You can't just make up myths like that. I know what kind of person you are. Remember when we agreed to build our own foundation and then seek out famous masters to learn martial arts? Every morning, we'd practice horse stance, and you couldn't even hold it for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea. And you still have the nerve to say you're accomplished in both literature and martial arts? If you are, I'll eat my own head."

Li Feng let out a few deep, knowing laughs. Habitually, he grabbed a small Tang Sancai ceramic plate from the nearby coffee table and put it into his bag. Then he said, "Heh, I'll talk about my own affairs later. A Zhu, why don't you tell me about the current situation with the Golden Dragon Gang? And is Niu Boss still the leader? Sigh, I'm planning to rejoin the gang. The old man who taught me martial arts is dead and gone. I have nowhere to go, so you guys were the first ones I thought of. Am I loyal enough for you?"

As he spoke, Li Feng's face darkened, and an aura of extreme melancholy emanated from him. A Zhu stiffened, swallowed his many questions, and nodded, saying, "Alright. Heh, do you know that six years ago that night was incredibly eventful? I only heard about many things afterward. Heh, I never expected so many important figures to fall. It gave us, the Golden Dragon Gang, and the Golden Tiger Gang from the west of the city, a chance to develop."

A Zhu sat down beside Li Feng, his expression serious. "A Long is dead."

Li Feng nodded. "I know. It's a miracle he didn't die. He took something he shouldn't have, so of course, he died. If I hadn't been quick-witted and encountered a master for help back then, I would have died even sooner than him."

A Zhu sneered, "Your luck has always been good, but A Long didn't have such good fortune. That guy called the King of Hell's Sword recognized A Long, and A Long couldn't hand over the goods, so he had to die. Because of one Sword Pellet and three inexplicable Pills, the entire Suzhou Prefecture was thrown into chaos. Niu Boss and his men found the Sword Pellet in the grass outside the city and gave it to Old Tou'er, thus forging a connection. As for the three Pills, no one could find them, dead or alive. Experts from various sects and lone wanderers fought in Suzhou Prefecture for a day and a night over the Sword Pellet and the Pills. Heh heh, Tiger Boss and Old Yang were too conspicuous. All those powerful figures targeted them, and their entire gang was wiped out."

"In the end, Old Tou'er's Cangfeng Fortress also suffered heavy losses. Then, I don't know what trick they pulled, but the Provincial Administration ordered five thousand elite soldiers from the garrisons to surround the city. With a barrage of strong bows and crossbows, they killed over two hundred martial arts experts, and that's how the matter finally subsided... Almost all the gangs in Suzhou Prefecture were wiped out. Only our Golden Dragon Gang was spared due to our connection with Old Tou'er. It seems like luck. Some of Tiger Boss's subordinates were killed in the woods. When Niu Boss and a few brothers went to investigate, it was just a coincidence that one of his brothers stepped on that Sword Pellet, which brought good luck to our Golden Dragon Gang."

Li Feng shook his head with a bitter smile. "Fate, fate... Alas, it's true. I threw those three Pills into the well..."

A Zhu shook his head repeatedly. "Don't talk about that anymore, A Feng, don't mention it. Over those three Pills, over a hundred and fifty experts from Brocade Manor suffered casualties. Their young Manor Lord personally led his men to cause trouble in Suzhou Prefecture for half a month before leaving. Heh, you'd better forget about these things. Everyone else has forgotten, so why are you bringing them up?"

Li Feng nodded, being very aware of the situation. He took a sip of tea with a sly smile and said, "Hmm, I'm not tired of living, so I naturally won't mention it again. A Zhu, you mean that because Niu Boss and his men found the Sword Pellet, the Golden Dragon Gang developed? What about the Golden Tiger Gang? Didn't you just say..."

A Zhu pouted and sighed, shaking his head. "They were also lucky. They saved an expert from the White Emperor Sect who was fighting for the Sword Pellet. Afterward, he supported them in setting up shop and establishing themselves in Suzhou Prefecture, opposing us, the Golden Dragon Gang. Fortunately, we still have the backing of Old Tou'er's influence. We pay a lot of silver to them every year, otherwise, we would have been driven out of Suzhou Prefecture by the Golden Tiger Gang long ago. Besides, Old Tou'er and his people wouldn't allow the White Emperor Sect's influence to grow in Suzhou Prefecture. They occasionally strike them from the shadows, so we're currently at peace. In the entire Suzhou region, only our Dragon and Tiger gangs are the largest."

As he spoke, A Zhu said with great pride, "Our Golden Dragon Gang now has five to six hundred brothers, all of whom are heroes capable of killing a bull with a single punch. Niu Boss is also a shrewd planner and has opened up many sources of income, so our influence is growing. In the beginning, we were just trying to make a living by following Old Tou'er's subordinates. Now, Niu Boss can stand on equal footing with Old Tou'er."

Li Feng frowned. "Are you kidding? I know Gu Cangyue's temper. Would he let Niu Boss call him brother?"

A Zhu burst into laughter. "Times have changed... Heh heh." He was pleased with himself for being able to quote a classical phrase, then explained, "Old Tou'er was also unlucky. When he was escorting the Sword Pellet north, he was struck by a palm from an old fellow called... what's-his-name. His power was halved. If it weren't for his great contributions, he wouldn't even be the Chief Constable of Suzhou Prefecture. Our influence is strong now, and he needs us to make money, so naturally, he has to be polite to us."

Li Feng nodded slowly, having a general understanding of what had happened back then. It seemed that now that he was back, no one would remember him. Tiger Boss and his men were dead, and how could Old Tou'er care about a small hoodlum who had just joined the Golden Dragon Gang? It was even less likely that he would know that it was this small hoodlum who had taken the Sword Pellet and Pills, causing all the trouble back then.

However, was he really going to join the Golden Dragon Gang and just muddle through life in Suzhou Prefecture? Li Feng's eyes suddenly flashed with the image of those two great eagles he had seen when he went to Qingyun Flat, those incredibly arrogant eagles that seemed capable of shaking the heavens and earth with a flap of their wings... Li Feng gritted his teeth, a decision made in his heart. "I'll muddle along in the Golden Dragon Gang for a while. Through Old Tou'er's connections, I can get in touch with people above him. Hmph, Cangfeng Fortress is known as the best in the world, and its influence is naturally immense. Perhaps through them, I can find some things and clues I need."

Li Feng had made up his mind, but A Zhu was shouting loudly, "A Feng, A Feng, why are you spacing out? I've called you several times. What have you been doing for these six years? Hmm? Why aren't you saying a word?... Heh heh, did you break your head from practicing martial arts? You were so clever and mischievous back then." A Zhu chuckled maliciously, still not believing that Li Feng had truly learned any profound martial arts.

Li Feng snapped back to reality, opened his mouth, and a string of lies poured out. It was the same old story of escaping, losing the stolen goods, but miraculously surviving when he was about to be beheaded, and then being saved by a master. His control over his emotions was now first-class. He told a series of lies without even blushing, his righteous falsehoods even making Li Feng himself believe that he had indeed gone through such an experience.

A Zhu listened with great interest and asked nervously, "And then what? How did you come down the mountain? Have you achieved great success in your cultivation?"

Li Feng spread his hands, his face full of helplessness. "That old monster died. He bragged about being immortal, but who knew the King of Hell would come knocking? No matter how powerful his boasts, he still died. I had no choice, so I earned some travel expenses and returned to Suzhou Prefecture... I still remember you bunch of bastards being hoodlums in Suzhou. Hmph, thinking you were already martial arts masters, so I came to help you out."

A Zhu snorted dismissively. "You're bragging. I don't think your skills are that great. A martial artist values abundant spirit and steady footwork. The way you walk, it's so floaty, and there's no spirit in your eyes. I estimate you were slacking off for those six years. Alas, I know your temper, brother. Forget it, forget it, don't explain. It's not shameful not to have learned profound martial arts. My martial arts are honestly just second-rate in the jianghu, and yet I can still get by and eat well in Suzhou Prefecture, right?"

A Zhu stood up, picked up Li Feng's bag, and took out a Tang Sancai plate, two figurines, and three small horses. Then he tossed the bag back to Li Feng and cursed, "This is the main hall of my branch. You brat, you don't recognize anyone? You're taking things right in front of me? Fine, I'll go next door and get someone to prepare a room for you. You can leave your bag here for now, and I'll treat you to a welcome dinner at Chunyi Tower... Heh heh." A Zhu gave a strange smile. "You're not still a virgin, are you?"

Li Feng jumped up, shouting, "You bastard, how could I still be a virgin? Hmph, don't look down on people. Look at the gold in my bag. With gold, what can't I get? I've been frequenting brothels for three years, and my experience is far deeper than yours."

A Zhu stared blankly. "Three years ago? Weren't you practicing martial arts in the deep mountains and never came down? Damn it, you're bragging again..." He jumped up and threw a punch at Li Feng's head. Li Feng laughed heartily, hugged his head, grabbed his bag, and ran, crashing into two large men head-on, playfully leading A Zhu around the courtyard. The two of them laughed wildly and unrestrainedly, frolicking as if they had returned to six years ago or even further back.

A group of strong men from the Golden Dragon Gang watched A Zhu and Li Feng roughhousing in the courtyard, secretly calculating, "Damn, this kid seems to have a pretty good relationship with the hall master. He looks like he's going to stay with the Golden Dragon Gang, so we'll have to butter him up nicely from now on."

As night fell, Li Feng and A Zhu, accompanied by over a dozen burly men, swaggered arrogantly and ostentatiously towards Chunyi Tower. It was only now that Li Feng finally remembered to ask about Niu Boss and the others. A Zhu shook his head and said, "The boss took some men to escort a batch of premium tea to the north. He'll be back in about two months. The other three hall masters are stationed in other towns. In Suzhou Prefecture city, I'm the biggest now, so you're the second biggest in the Golden Dragon Gang in Suzhou Prefecture. You can walk around with your chest puffed out."

Li Feng tilted his head and thought, "That's fine. I wasn't exactly intimidated by Niu Boss back then, so meeting him suddenly might be awkward. I'll muddle along in the gang for two months first, get familiar with the connections, and then it will be easier to talk... A Zhu, let me lead that group of young guys under you. Damn it, what level are they? Look, look at that guy, that kid, hey, the one over there... Obviously, the guy has gold and silver on his left side and possibly banknotes or gold notes on his right, but he's digging into his left pocket. Isn't that idiotic?"

A Zhu glanced over and cursed softly, "A bunch of trash. Hmm, what else can be said? I'll let you lead them... Don't even compare them to you, those trash can't even match my level, hmph."

As the group walked down the street, passersby all made way. A Zhu became even more smug, his shoulders practically vibrating towards the sky. He nudged Li Feng with a grin and said, "See? Didn't we dream like this when we were kids? I told you back then, all I wanted was to sleep until noon every day, have two beautiful women lying beside me, and pockets full of money. Now I've sort of achieved my dream, haha."

Li Feng's heart stirred. He had decided that he would absolutely not let A Zhu get involved in his affairs. He didn't even know what his own fate would be, so why drag his childhood brother into danger with him? A Zhu's pursuit was simple; he had now achieved his goal. Why should he interfere with his peaceful life? As soon as he had the chance, he would leave. The Golden Dragon Gang was just a temporary resting place.

Li Feng smiled and put his arm around A Zhu's shoulders, saying, "Yes, your boss always said that as long as he could sleep soundly, find a few beauties, and save some gold and silver, he would be content. I, however, was thinking of finding a peerless master to be my teacher and become invincible in the world. Heh heh, peerless masters, where can you find such people these days?" Li Feng recalled how True Man Qingquan and the others had no chance to fight back and died tragically at the hands of the Right Saint, and he couldn't help but sigh.

A Zhu didn't understand what Li Feng was thinking. He pursed his lips, made a 'tsk' sound, and asked Li Feng seriously, "A Feng, we're brothers. I know you're very capable, and your mind is full of tricks. Looking at the gold and banknotes in your bag, you say you just did a couple of deals, and it's more than what my subordinates earn in a month. How about you stay and help me? Niu Boss is preparing to enter officialdom and wants to gain fame, so he's been getting close to Old Tou'er. I want to be the gang leader, but the other three hall masters might not let it fall to me."

Li Feng said straightforwardly, "No problem. We brothers will join forces and do a few good deals, ensuring those three hall masters have nothing to say." Li Feng felt an utterly absurd sensation. He was practically a reserve deity, yet now he was messing around in the mortal world, planning schemes and scams. If Heaven had eyes, it would surely be shouting, "This guy absolutely cannot be allowed to ascend to godhood."

In front of Chunyi Tower, carriages and horses lined the road, and the crowd was dense. Fat merchants, young masters who fanned themselves vigorously even in the autumn, strong men carrying swords and sabers, fearful that others wouldn't know they were martial artists, and charming young girls who spoke softly and waved their pink handkerchiefs, all formed a picture of extreme liveliness, vitality, and decadence.

A Zhu rubbed his palms together and laughed, "Damn, since the boss went north, I haven't been here for almost half a month. Tonight, I need to have a good time... A Feng, you're really not here for the first time? Don't be shy... Heh heh, should I find some experienced girls to guide you?"

Li Feng elbowed A Zhu in the armpit and cursed in a low voice, "Damn it, if you dare say another word, I'll spread your dirty secrets throughout the Golden Dragon Gang tomorrow."

A Zhu pouted and wisely shut his mouth. He had too many dirty secrets, too many to count. Yet Li Feng knew them all, one by one, and there was no way Li Feng could enumerate them, otherwise, what face would he have as a hall master?

A Zhu chuckled obsequiously, grabbed Li Feng's hand, pushed aside a few slow-moving young masters, and strode into the entrance of Chunyi Tower.

Li Feng's heart pounded wildly. He was also curious. He kept shouting in his mind, "In this world, I don't know how many times I've been to prostitutes. This real Yin-Yang cultivation, I haven't tried it yet... It's over, it's over. Should I try it tonight? It seems similar to absorbing the energy of heaven and earth, just in a different area, heh heh. Should I try it? Should I try it?" For a moment, Li Feng's entire mind churned like paste, becoming utterly chaotic. Qingyun Flat, Yiyuan Sect, even Zhao Yue'er, whom he couldn't let go of, all flew out of his mind.

Several warm, soft, and fragrant bodies pounced on him, and sweet whispers filled his ears. Li Feng shivered all over and, quite uncontrollably, two streams of blood gushed from his nose