Profligate Young Master (Part 1)

During the harsh winter season, the north was already frozen with rivers iced over and mountains covered in white snow. Here in Suzhou Prefecture, only a few fine snowflakes had fallen just a few days prior. The weather had turned a bit cold, but it had no effect on Li Feng and his companions. The Golden Dragon Gang's influence was expanding rapidly, its reach extending beyond the borders of Suzhou Prefecture, having taken over several lucrative businesses. Li Feng's reputation was also growing by the day. Gu Cangyue had orchestrated the deployment of Garrison Soldiers to eliminate over a dozen notorious underworld figures passing through, all of which was attributed to Li Feng. Now, Li Feng had truly carved out his own niche. Though he still lacked a catchy nickname, martial artists in the southern provinces already knew of a powerful young swordsman in Suzhou Prefecture.

Li Feng was living an incredibly leisurely life. Every night, he would cultivate Qi for two hours. During the day, he would hide in his room, using various rare and peculiar medicinal herbs to refine items like the Rejuvenation Pill, Hundred Battles Pill, Pill to Restore Virility, and Nine Times a Night Wine. With the alchemy techniques taught by Gu Lingzi, the pills Li Feng refined were highly effective. Upon their release in Suzhou Prefecture's entertainment districts, they were met with widespread acclaim. The Rejuvenation Pill was selling for a hundred taels of silver each, bringing Li Feng a substantial profit.

Aside from his alchemy time, his remaining hours were spent helping A Zhu train the subordinates of the Golden Dragon Gang, or loudly arguing with the other three hall masters. At night, he would drag a few people to Chunyi Tower for drinks, living a life of harmonious contentment.

Using fingers that had just been used to roll foot-washing pills, Li Feng rolled a few more pills and tossed them into a medicine bottle. He sighed, "This is truly a life fit for an immortal. Sigh, if only Boss Niu would die out there, then I could directly kill those three hall masters, and A Zhu could become the gang leader. Damn it, those three bastards don't know their place. I'm at least considered a first-rate martial artist now. A Zhu has over two thousand men under him. Do those three really think they can overthrow us?"

Li Feng weighed the pills in his hand and whispered maliciously, "Don't push me to get angry. When that happens, I'll add five or six doses to your food, and you can all prepare to spit blood."

While he was plotting such wicked schemes, his door was pushed open by Gu Cangyue. Clad in a sable fur cloak, with his hood covering his head, Gu Cangyue walked in with a smile. He said, "Brother, are you up to your money-making business again? Our Prefect has specifically asked me to get a few pills from you, knowing that you refined them. His Excellency recently took a fifth concubine and is struggling to handle that little vixen."

Li Feng burst into laughter and casually tossed a medicine bottle to Gu Cangyue, saying with a smile, "What's this thing worth? Don't mind that it sells for a hundred taels outside; the cost is only three fen of silver... Well, as long as you don't need this stuff yourself, Brother." Li Feng gave Gu Cangyue a knowing wink, and Gu Cangyue playfully kicked him in annoyance.

After watching Li Feng roll the medicinal paste in the porcelain basin into pills, Gu Cangyue placed his hands behind his back and said, "Brother, we've driven the White Emperor Sect guys out of Suzhou Prefecture. Heh heh, recent intelligence indicates that Chen Long and his subordinates are fleeing towards Hangzhou like stray dogs. They have a branch there. But, in any case, they won't have a chance to bother us before the New Year, and we can all happily celebrate a prosperous year."

Li Feng nodded, wiped the porcelain basin holding the medicinal paste with a piece of linen, and then looked up, saying, "Of course, the New Year should be celebrated comfortably. You see, A Zhu sent a group of people to smuggle a batch of tea and salt to trade with those barbarians for a shipment of warhorses. The transaction was just completed, and we made a profit of two hundred thousand taels in one go. After deducting the kickback for the general who procured the warhorses, Brother, you can take thirty thousand taels. This year is definitely going to be prosperous... A Zhu is currently leading people to collect contributions from various places, which is also a significant source of income."

Upon hearing that he would be getting money, Gu Cangyue's entire face lit up. He gently caressed the jade thumb ring on his finger and said with a smile, "Excellent. Since that's the case, tonight Brother will host a small banquet at Chunyi Tower, and we brothers can have a good time... And incidentally, with your prestige and momentum, Brother, I'll drive away that blind 'Nine Shadows Dragon'. Heh heh, I won't hide anything from you. Once he's gone, the influence of Cangfeng Fortress in Suzhou Prefecture will be under my sole control."

Li Feng smacked his lips and chuckled, "Isn't it just the 'Earth Fiend Star', the 'Nine Shadows Dragon', Long Qianli? If he's not willing to obediently return to Cangfeng Fortress, I'll give him a dose of medicine that will guarantee he's vomiting and having diarrhea for a month. Then it will be difficult for him to stay."

Gu Cangyue shivered inwardly and quickly said, "That's a good method, heh heh." For a moment, he couldn't quite fathom Li Feng's true capabilities. This kid could also poison and use medicine. He would have to be extremely careful when dealing with him in the future. What if he accidentally offended him? Wouldn't he be the one suffering from vomiting and diarrhea? Yet, Gu Cangyue felt a thrill. With someone like this helping him, wouldn't his future prospects be boundless? Gu Cangyue remembered that he had already sent a carrier pigeon to a leader of his faction within the main fortress, and his heart filled with excitement.

As night fell, at Chunyi Tower.

Ten burly men from the Golden Dragon Gang stood at the entrance of Chunyi Tower, holding high bamboo poles like traveling physicians, with advertising slogans written in large font: "Renewed virility, unstoppable might... Nine times a night, strong every time... Old wood rejuvenated, withered branches sprout..." and so on. Coupled with the alluring pink medicine bottles they held, anyone could tell what they were selling. Occasionally, servants would walk by, paying ingots of real gold and silver to exchange for one or four or five dark, lumpy, and foul-smelling pills.

Li Feng stood by the steps of Chunyi Tower's main entrance, shaking his head and mumbling, "It seems the patrons of Suzhou are quite shy. They know their 'thing' isn't working and need medicine to prop it up, yet they're too embarrassed to buy it themselves and have to send servants to make the transaction... Alas, these young masters are truly concerned with saving face."

Gu Cangyue's face was entirely hidden in the shadow of his hood. He said with a hint of amusement, "Are they supposed to proclaim to the world that their 'thing' isn't working and needs the support of medicine? Heh heh, if the young masters of prominent families dared to say that, they might be beaten to death by their elders. They're already so weak before even getting married; if this got out, it would bring utter shame to the entire family."

Li Feng nodded and muttered, "They seem quite popular, these medicines... Sigh, should I consider raising the price? Two hundred taels per pill, and then triple the potency... Good heavens, wouldn't that cause deaths? Hmm, one must have a conscience. The price can be raised, but not the potency. Otherwise, these young masters are so weak; if they take two pills, people will die. Then, if there's a lawsuit, wouldn't my reputation be ruined?"

Hearing Li Feng's muttering, Gu Cangyue felt a surge of helplessness. He truly couldn't understand what was going on in Li Feng's mind. Sometimes, he was as cunning as the advisor to the Prefect; sometimes, he was as greedy as the Prefect himself; sometimes, he was boisterous and rowdy, like the lowest of ruffians. But more often than not, Li Feng's behavior left Gu Cangyue speechless; it was simply too outrageous.

Shaking his head, Gu Cangyue said softly, "Long Qianli has arrived. Hmph, he's from the faction of the Grand Steward of the fortress. Taking advantage of my injury, he brought a group of his confidantes to 'assist' me in Suzhou Prefecture. If it weren't for me being the Chief Constable of Suzhou Prefecture, all of Cangfeng Fortress's interests in Suzhou would have been snatched away by them."

Li Feng glanced at Gu Cangyue and asked, "Oh? You have so many internal troubles in your Cangfeng Fortress? Then who is your boss? Can he cover us? After all, their backer is the Grand Steward, who is only slightly lower in rank than your Fortress Lord, right?"

Gu Cangyue pondered for a moment, feeling that he could reveal some background information to Li Feng. Thus, he explained without reservation, "The Grand Steward is indeed the most powerful person below the Fortress Lord, but he mostly manages internal affairs. Almost all of Cangfeng Fortress's external operations are managed by our elder brother, the 'Heavenly Dipper Star', the 'Great Dragon Hand', Ouyang Zhizun. Half of the experts within the fortress belong to our faction, and even some of the commanding generals in the imperial court are Brother's confidantes. Therefore, we don't need to fear this Long Qianli."

He paused and said with a cold smile, "Asking Long Qianli to leave is simply because we don't want to fall out and disrupt the relationships within the fortress. The Grand Steward is too greedy. It's one thing to control the fortress's finances, but he actually wants to control the income of our branches in other regions. Isn't that stepping all over us?"

Li Feng blinked his eyes and said softly, "Then, doesn't your Fortress Lord care?"

Gu Cangyue's expression couldn't be seen clearly, but it was likely not good. After a moment of silence, he said helplessly, "The Fortress Lord has reached the Post-natal Heaven-Man Unity realm. He is now pursuing further advancement in martial arts. Therefore, ever since he obtained that Sword Pellet, he has become lazy about managing affairs and has been in seclusion cultivating all day... He didn't expect that the Grand Steward and his ilk have become completely corrupted, and the spirit of Cangfeng Fortress has been abandoned by them."

Before Li Feng could ask Gu Cangyue what the spirit of Cangfeng Fortress was, Gu Cangyue had already removed his hood and walked forward with a smile, "Brother Long, you've finally arrived. You've kept me waiting for quite a while. Come, come, come, I've already made arrangements. A good table has been set in the tower, and I heard there are some rare sea fish caught from the outer seas to go with the wine. Let's have a good time... And this is Brother Li Feng. Let's get acquainted."

Li Feng walked forward with a wicked smile, looking listless, his limbs swaying from side to side. He chuckled and said to the iron-tower-like Long Qianli, "Ah, Brother Long, I've heard so much about you, so much about you. To meet you today, you truly live up to your reputation... Oh, may I ask where you are from, Brother? For you to be ranked among the Earth Fiend Stars in Cangfeng Fortress, you must have done many earth-shattering deeds, right? Could you tell me about them?"

Long Qianli's face immediately darkened. While he was pleased with Li Feng's initial flattery, the last two sentences were truly hurtful. He couldn't be bothered to speak with Li Feng, this notorious troublemaker who had recently been making waves in Suzhou Prefecture. He cupped his hands slightly towards Gu Cangyue and said proudly, "Since Brother Gu is hosting a banquet, how could I, Long, not come? It's freezing cold, Brother Gu. You must take care not to catch a chill."

Gu Cangyue smiled mysteriously, gestured with his hand, and said no more, leading Li Feng and the others into Chunyi Tower. Li Feng grumbled inwardly, "Well, Gu Cangyue, you old fox. You've been hiding the fact that you've recovered for so long. Tsk tsk, it seems you're quite sly yourself."

There was a considerable distance from the entrance to the main building of Chunyi Tower. Li Feng walked along leisurely behind Gu Cangyue, watching couples of young men and women shuttle back and forth, listening to the faint sounds of bells, drums, and string music in the night sky, and looking at the two or three stars and patches of dark clouds in the sky, a sense of clarity washed over him. While his body was still slowly moving on the ground, Li Feng's mind had already soared to the heavens. He felt as if he was about to break through a layer of paper and understand something.

A strong force pushed his shoulder, and Long Qianli rudely shoved Li Feng aside, loudly grunting, "Kid, why are you walking so slowly? Haven't you eaten?"

Li Feng's heart surged with rage, but the 'Profound Stone' promptly sent a trace of coolness, allowing him to control his temper and not unleash his True Essence to strike Long Qianli under the armpit. Li Feng looked regretfully at the sky, knowing he had missed an opportunity, and the person who caused him to miss it was the dark, sturdy man before him, with an iron whip wrapped around his waist. Li Feng's thin lips curled, and he suddenly asked, "Great Master Long, do you have a problem with kidney deficiency?"

Long Qianli froze for a moment, and his eyes immediately filled with fury as he glared at Li Feng. Gu Cangyue also heard Li Feng's impolite and unrefined question, and a malicious smile curved his lips. He turned and quietly watched Long Qianli, saying nothing.

Li Feng sighed and said, "I think you seem to have excessive internal heat and insufficient vital energy. Otherwise, why would you have pushed me just now? If Brother Gu picks some popular girls for you later, and you can't handle them, wouldn't that be a huge embarrassment? I have the excellent aphrodisiac 'Rejuvenation Pill' here, which guarantees to make Brother Long vigorous and able to handle ten women in one night... Hey, why is your face turning red? Could it be that I've hit the nail on the head, and Brother Long actually has this 'royal ailment'?"

Long Qianli let out an angry roar and swung a fist at Li Feng's head. He thought furiously, "What is my status? What is your status? Do you think just because Gu Cangyue is backing you, I won't dare to deal with you?" With this punch, he was determined to establish his authority in front of Gu Cangyue, so he used his full ten-tenths internal strength.

Li Feng let out a miserable howl, "Help! Oh my god, in broad daylight, this bastard is trying to kill someone!" While crying out piteously, Li Feng spun his heel, dodged the punch with his head, and his body rushed into Long Qianli's embrace like the wind. The 'Little Heavenly Star Palm', carrying a soft, swirling force, struck fiercely into Long Qianli's lower abdomen. How could Long Qianli, who was a head and a half taller than Li Feng, possibly match Li Feng's speed? That palm strike landed squarely.

With a 'poof', Long Qianli spat out a mouthful of blood and fell backward, looking up at the sky. Li Feng's palm strike was too vicious; it dispersed the True Essence within Long Qianli's dantian, making it impossible for him to recover for at least half a year. Moreover, the swirling force caused subtle internal injuries to Long Qianli's seminal vesicles and essence, meaning that in two to three years, Long Qianli would indeed have to rely on certain medications to restore his virility. Of course, it would be very difficult to trace this back to Li Feng.

Li Feng stood before Long Qianli and his subordinates, shaking his head and saying, "Oh dear, oh dear, I was just speaking the truth, and Brother Long has become like this? Really angered to this extent? Tsk tsk, alas, deficiency in the body must be replenished properly. I'll send Brother Long two hundred-year-old wild ginseng roots from Changbai Mountain tomorrow so he can recuperate properly. Now this is troublesome. Brother Gu was originally going to appoint Brother Long as a specially invited protector for our Golden Dragon Gang, but now that's impossible, isn't it?"

Long Qianli gasped out more blood, giving Li Feng a venomous look. He said weakly, "Take me away, let's go back to Cangfeng Fortress... Old Gu, you're formidable. You've found such a vicious kid... Attacking me by surprise, I don't accept this... You brat, you're like a pig eating a tiger. Wait until my body recovers, and you'll see. Let's go, why are we standing here embarrassing ourselves?"

A group of Cangfeng Fortress experts sheepishly helped Long Qianli up and carried him away from Chunyi Tower in a hurry. Li Feng watched Long Qianli's haggard back and chuckled a few times.

Gu Cangyue smiled and said, "Good, excellent. With this barbarian bear gone, I can finally act freely. Well fought, wonderfully fought. Hey, when your Grand Steward sends more people to Suzhou Prefecture, will they still have any room to intervene? Brother, don't worry, Brother Ouyang has already sent a group of elites to support me. Hmph, as long as we join forces, Suzhou Prefecture will definitely be our territory. What else do we have to fear? Let's go, let's have a good time."