In the depths of winter, the rivers in the north had already frozen over, and the mountains lay blanketed in snow. Here in Suzhou Prefecture, however, only a few fine snow pellets had fallen several days ago. The weather was somewhat cold, but it had no effect at all on Li Feng and the others. The Golden Dragon Gang's power had expanded at a furious pace, its tentacles already reaching beyond Suzhou Prefecture's borders, seizing quite a few trades capable of bringing in great heaps of silver. Li Feng's reputation had also grown louder by the day. Gu Cangyue had mobilized the garrison troops to encircle and kill more than a dozen notorious underworld figures passing through the region, then credited every last deed to Li Feng. By now, Li Feng had opened up a world of his own. Apart from lacking a resounding nickname, martial artists throughout the southern provinces already knew that Suzhou Prefecture had a young wandering hero with formidable martial arts.
Li Feng's days were incomparably leisurely. Every night, he practiced Qi Refining for two hours. During the day, he hid in his room, using all manner of strange medicinal ingredients to refine such wares as Rejuvenation Pills, Hundred Battles Pills, Pills to Restore Virility, and Nine Times a Night Wine. Using the alchemy techniques Gu Lingzi had taught him, the pills Li Feng refined were remarkably effective. The moment they were introduced to Suzhou Prefecture's pleasure-quarter circles, praise came crashing in like a tidal wave. The Rejuvenation Pills had already reached a price of one hundred taels of silver apiece, earning Li Feng quite a fortune.
Aside from refining pills, he spent his remaining time helping A Zhu train the Golden Dragon Gang's subordinates, or slapping tables and glaring as he argued fiercely with the other three hall masters. Once night fell, he would drag a few men off to Chunyi Tower for drinks. Life was rather merry.
Using fingers that had just dug at his toes, Li Feng rolled several pills and tossed them into a medicine bottle. He sighed sentimentally. "This truly is a life like that of an immortal. Sigh, Niu Boss might as well die outside somewhere. Then this young master can simply hack those three hall masters to death, and A Zhu can become gang leader, can't he? Damn it, those three bastards ought to take a look at the situation. At the very least, I'm now known as a first-rate expert in the martial world. A Zhu has over two thousand men under him. Just the three of them, and they think they can turn the heavens upside down?"
Li Feng weighed the pills in his hand and muttered sinisterly, "Don't force this young master to lose his temper. When the time comes, I'll add five or six pills' worth to your food. Just wait to vomit blood."
Just as he was maliciously plotting, Gu Cangyue pushed open his door. Wearing a sable-fur cloak with its hood covering his head, Gu Cangyue entered with a broad smile. "Brother, are you playing with these money-making things again? Our Prefect said he learned that you refined this medicine, so he specifically begged your elder brother here to ask you for a few pills. He just took a fifth concubine recently, and he's worrying over how to deal with that little vixen."
Li Feng burst out laughing and casually tossed a medicine bottle to Gu Cangyue. "What's this stuff worth? It sells for a hundred taels outside, but the cost is only three cents of silver... Ah, as long as it isn't you who needs it, Big Brother." Li Feng gave Gu Cangyue a strange wink, and Gu Cangyue irritably made a pretend kick at him.
After watching Li Feng roll the medicinal paste in the porcelain basin before him into pills one by one, Gu Cangyue finally clasped his hands behind his back and said, "Brother, we've already driven the White Emperor Sect's people out of Suzhou Prefecture. Heh heh, the latest intelligence says that fellow Chen Long took a bunch of his men and fled toward Hangzhou like dogs that had lost their home. They still have a branch hall over there. In any case, they won't have a chance to provoke us again before the New Year. Everyone can enjoy a prosperous, happy New Year."
Li Feng nodded. After wiping the porcelain basin containing the medicinal paste clean with a piece of sackcloth, he looked up. "Naturally, we should spend the New Year comfortably. A Zhu sent a group of men to smuggle a shipment of tea and salt to trade with those barbarians. They exchanged it for a batch of warhorses and have just completed the handover. In the blink of an eye, they earned two hundred thousand taels. After deducting the kickback for that general who purchased the horses, Big Brother, you can take thirty thousand taels. This New Year will definitely be prosperous... A Zhu is also taking men around to urge those below to hand over their protection money. That will be another huge income."
The moment Gu Cangyue heard that there was silver for him to grab, his entire face seemed to glow. He gently stroked the jade thumb ring on his finger and smiled. "Excellent. Since that is the case, your elder brother will put on a small banquet at Chunyi Tower tonight. We two brothers can have a proper good time... And while we're at it, we can borrow your prestige and momentum to drive that blind fool, Nine Shadows Dragon, back where he came from. Heh heh, I won't hide it from you: once he gets lost, Cangfeng Fortress's power in Suzhou Prefecture will be under my control alone."
Li Feng smacked his lips and grinned. "Isn't he just Long Qianli, Nine Shadows Dragon of the Earth Fiend Star? If he refuses to obediently return to Cangfeng Fortress, I'll prescribe him some medicine. I guarantee that for a month, he'll be vomiting from above and purging from below, without a single good day to live. By then, even if he doesn't want to leave, he'll have no choice."
Gu Cangyue's heart gave a shudder, and he hurriedly said, "A good method, heh heh." For a moment, he could not make heads or tails of Li Feng. This brat even knew how to poison and use medicine. He would have to be extremely careful when dealing with him in the future. If he accidentally offended him, would he not become the one vomiting from above and purging from below? Yet Gu Cangyue also felt a thread of excitement. With such a man helping him, would his future prospects not be boundlessly bright? Remembering that he had already sent carrier-pigeon letters to the leaders of his own faction at the main fortress, Gu Cangyue's heart surged with excitement.
Night fell. Chunyi Tower.
Ten burly Golden Dragon Gang men stood at Chunyi Tower's entrance, holding tall bamboo poles like wandering martial-world quacks. Written upon them in huge characters were advertising slogans: "Virility restored, might unstoppable... Nine times in one night, strong every time... Old wood returns to spring, withered branches sprout..." and countless other phrases. Coupled with the ambiguous pink medicine bottles held in their hands, anyone could tell what they were selling. From time to time, servants came over and paid ingots of genuine gold and silver in exchange for one, or four or five, pitch-black pills with bumpy surfaces and a reek of stinking feet.
Li Feng stood beside the steps at Chunyi Tower's entrance, swaying his head as he muttered, "Looks like Suzhou's customers are quite shy. They know their little thing doesn't work anymore and need medicine to prop it up, yet they're too embarrassed to come buy it themselves and have to send servants to make the deal... Sigh, those young masters really would rather die than lose face."
Gu Cangyue's entire face was hidden in the shadow of his hood. He said with some amusement, "Could they possibly announce to the whole world that that part of them no longer works and must be supported with medicine? Heh heh, if the young masters of those great clans dared say such a thing, their elders might beat them to death. None of them are even married yet, and they are already this weak. If word got out, it would disgrace their entire Lineage."
Li Feng nodded and muttered softly, "It seems quite popular, this medicine... Sigh, should I consider raising the price? Two hundred taels per pill, then triple the potency... Good heavens, wouldn't that kill people? Mm, one must still have a conscience. The price can rise, but forget about increasing the potency. Otherwise, with those young masters' bodies so weak, two pills might kill them outright. If there's a lawsuit, wouldn't this young master's reputation stink to high heaven?"
Hearing Li Feng's muttering, Gu Cangyue could not help feeling a wave of helplessness. He truly could not understand what went on in Li Feng's head. Sometimes, he was as crafty as the Prefect's adviser; sometimes, he was as greedy for money as the Prefect himself; sometimes, he brawled and roughhoused like the lowest street scum. Yet more often than not, Li Feng's behavior left Gu Cangyue utterly unable to judge him. It was simply too vile.
Shaking his head, Gu Cangyue said quietly, "Long Qianli is here. Hmph, he belongs to the main steward's faction in the fortress. Taking advantage of my injuries, he brought a group of his trusted men to Suzhou Prefecture to 'assist' me. If I were not the Chief Constable of Suzhou Prefecture, Cangfeng Fortress's interests in Suzhou would all have been snatched away by them."
Li Feng glanced at Gu Cangyue. "Oh? Your Cangfeng Fortress has so much internal trouble too? Then who is your boss? Can he shield us? After all, their backer is the main steward, someone second only to your fortress lord, isn't he?"
Gu Cangyue pondered for a moment, deciding that he could reveal a little of the truth to Li Feng. Thus, without concealing anything, he explained, "The main steward is indeed the person with the greatest authority beneath the fortress lord, but he mostly handles internal affairs. Nearly all of Cangfeng Fortress's external operations are managed by our eldest brother, Heavenly Dipper Star, Great Dragon Hand, Ouyang Zhizun. Half the experts in the fortress belong to our faction. Even those military commanders in the imperial court are Eldest Brother's confidants. Therefore, we have no need to fear Long Qianli."
After a pause, Gu Cangyue sneered. "Asking Long Qianli to leave of his own accord is merely because we do not wish to tear our faces apart and damage the relationships within the fortress. The main steward is far too greedy. It would have been one thing for him to control the fortress's financial power, but he even wants to control the profits of the branch halls we have stationed elsewhere. Isn't that riding on our heads?"
Li Feng blinked and asked softly, "Then does your fortress lord not care?"
Gu Cangyue's expression could not be seen, but it was surely not a good one. After a period of silence, he said helplessly, "The fortress lord has already reached the acquired pinnacle of Unity of Heaven and Man. What he seeks now is another step forward on the path of martial arts. Therefore, ever since obtaining that Sword Pellet, he has been too lazy to manage affairs, spending every day in secluded cultivation... He never expected that the main steward and his people had been completely corrupted. They have cast aside the spirit of Cangfeng Fortress."
Before Li Feng could ask what Cangfeng Fortress's spirit was, Gu Cangyue had already removed his hood and approached with a beaming smile. "Brother Long, you have finally arrived. You made your elder brother wait quite a while. Come, come. I have already arranged a fine table inside. I hear they even have several rare sea fish caught from the outer seas to go with the wine. Let us have ourselves a proper good time... This is Brother Li Feng. Let us all get acquainted."
With a wicked grin on his face, Li Feng ambled forward two steps, listless and loose-limbed, swaying from side to side. He chuckled and laughed toward Long Qianli, who stood like an iron tower. "Ah, Brother Long, I have long admired you, long admired you, long admired your great name. Now that I see you today, your reputation is indeed well deserved... Oh, may I ask where you are from, Big Brother? Since you can rank among the Earth Fiend Stars in Cangfeng Fortress, you must have done quite a few earthshaking deeds. Could you tell this little brother about them?"
Long Qianli's face darkened at once. He had been delighted by Li Feng's earlier flattery, but those final two sentences were truly rather hurtful. He could not be bothered to speak with Li Feng, the hooligan currently enjoying the greatest limelight in Suzhou Prefecture. He merely cupped his hands slightly toward Gu Cangyue and said arrogantly, "Since Brother Gu is hosting a banquet, how could I, Long, fail to attend? In this freezing weather, Brother Gu is not in good health. Be careful not to catch a chill."
Gu Cangyue smiled mysteriously, made a welcoming gesture, and said nothing more as he led Li Feng and the others into Chunyi Tower. Li Feng grumbled inwardly, Well, well, Gu Cangyue. You actually hid the fact that your injuries had healed for so long. Tsk tsk, it seems this old fellow is quite slippery too.
There was still a considerable distance between the entrance and Chunyi Tower's main building. Li Feng followed behind Gu Cangyue in a careless, slouching manner. Watching pairs of brightly dressed men and women weave past one another, listening to the faint bells, drums, and string music drifting through the night sky, then looking at the two or three stars overhead and the patches of dark clouds, he suddenly felt a flash of understanding. His body still shuffled slowly along the ground, but his heart had already floated beyond the nine heavens. He felt as though he were about to pierce through a thin sheet of paper, as though he was about to understand something.
A powerful force struck his shoulder. Long Qianli rudely shoved him aside and snorted loudly. "Brat, why are you walking so slowly? Haven't you eaten?"
Li Feng's heart flared with fury, but the Profound Stone promptly sent forth a trace of coolness, allowing him to restrain his anger. He did not pour his True Essence into a palm strike beneath Long Qianli's armpit. Li Feng looked regretfully at the sky, knowing that he had missed a stroke of fortune. The person who had made him lose it all was this dark, muscular man before him, with an iron whip wrapped around his waist. Li Feng's thin lips moved, and he suddenly asked, "Master Long, you don't suffer from kidney deficiency, do you?"
Long Qianli froze. His eyes immediately filled with rage as he glared at Li Feng like a tiger watching its prey. Gu Cangyue also heard Li Feng's crude and discourteous question. A vicious smile instantly curled at the corner of his lips as he turned around and silently watched Long Qianli without saying a word.
Li Feng sighed. "I see that your false fire is excessively strong, while your vital qi is insufficient. Otherwise, why did you rashly shove this little brother just now? Later, if Brother Gu picks several popular girls for you and you cannot handle them, wouldn't you lose face terribly? This little brother has excellent aphrodisiac Rejuvenation Pills here. They guarantee that Brother Long will become as fierce as a dragon and as vigorous as a tiger, capable of bedding ten women in one night without difficulty... Eh, why has your face turned red? Could it be that this little brother hit the mark? Does Brother Long truly suffer from this ailment of the lonely man?"
Long Qianli let out an enraged roar and swung a fist at Li Feng's head. He was furious within. Who the hell am I? Who the hell are you? Just because Gu Cangyue is backing you, do you think I dare not deal with you? He had made up his mind to establish his authority before Gu Cangyue with this punch, so he used the full ten-tenths of his internal force.
Li Feng howled miserably, "Help! Mother! Under the bright heavens and broad daylight, this bastard is trying to murder someone!" Though his cries were pitiful, his heel spun in a slick whirl. He dodged the fist with his head, while his body had already rushed like the wind into Long Qianli's embrace. The Little Heavenly Star Palm, carrying a soft yet spiraling force, slammed viciously into Long Qianli's lower abdomen. Long Qianli, who stood a full head and a half taller than Li Feng, could hardly compare with Li Feng in speed. He took that palm strike squarely.
With a "pfft," Long Qianli spat out a mouthful of blood and toppled backward. Li Feng's palm had been too vicious. In one blow, it scattered the qi within Long Qianli's dantian, leaving him unable to recover for at least half a year. The spiraling force had also shaken Long Qianli's testes and source of essence, leaving behind a subtle hidden injury. In another two or three years, Long Qianli truly would have to depend on certain medicines to restore his virility. Of course, it would be difficult to trace that back to Li Feng.
Li Feng stood before Long Qianli's group of subordinates, swaying his head as he said, "Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. I merely spoke a few honest words, so why has Brother Long become like this? Did he truly get angry to this extent? Tsk tsk, sigh, when the body is deficient, one must nourish it properly. Tomorrow, this little brother will send over two century-old wild ginseng roots from Changbai Mountain so Brother Long can recuperate well. This is troublesome now. Brother Gu had originally said he wanted Brother Long to serve as our Golden Dragon Gang's specially appointed protector. Now there's no fun to be had, is there?"
Long Qianli gasped, coughing up mouthful after mouthful of blood. He gave Li Feng a venomous look and said weakly, "Go, take me away. We're returning to Cangfeng Fortress... Old Gu, you are ruthless. You found such a vicious brat... launching a sneak attack, I refuse to accept this... Brat, you play the pig to eat the tiger. Once I recover, just you wait. Go! Why are you still standing here making fools of yourselves?"
A group of Cangfeng Fortress experts sheepishly helped Long Qianli up, carried him away, and fled Chunyi Tower in disarray. Watching Long Qianli's haggard retreating figure, Li Feng let out several quiet chuckles.
Gu Cangyue smiled. "Good, splendid. Now that this barbaric bear is gone, this old brother of yours can finally act without restraint. A fine blow, a marvelous blow. Heh, when your main steward sends more men to Suzhou Prefecture, will there still be room for them to interfere? Brother, do not worry. Brother Ouyang has already sent a group of elites to support me. Hmph hmph, so long as we join forces, Suzhou Prefecture will definitely be our territory. What is there to fear? Come, let us go have a proper good time."
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