Shengtian City, Chiming Street, Green Mountain Martial Arts School.
Today, the once-deserted martial arts school was bustling with voices. Big and small figures of some standing from all along the street had come to offer Old Master Xu Qingshan their congratulations.
While Xu Qingshan was temporarily away, someone at Li Qing's table quietly gossiped:
"Old Master Xu is quite something. I heard that when he was young and vigorous, he took two concubines, but after all these years, neither became pregnant. Who would have thought that this newly taken concubine would actually conceive after so many years!"
"Heh, I heard that because he struggled bitterly to have children, Old Master Xu beat and berated his wives and concubines quite a bit."
"Such a thing happened?"
Li Qing, seated nearby, wore a slightly strange expression as he listened, but he merely ate and drank on his own without joining their discussion.
Qi Kang, meanwhile, wore a gloating expression. He had never held much goodwill toward those who ran martial arts schools and preyed upon the common folk.
After three rounds of wine and five flavors of dishes.
Before the martial arts school, Xu Qingshan, the host of this banquet, entered with a tall, lean man.
The man cut an imposing figure, his eyes bright and sharp. His entire bearing was as keen as a drawn blade.
Old Master Xu walked half a step behind the man, his expression respectful and humble.
"Little Brother Zhang Lai, hurry in and take the seat of honor. Flying Cloud Martial Arts School must have been quite busy lately, right?"
With that one sentence, the newcomer's identity was revealed.
Flying Cloud Martial Arts School!
One of the city's three great martial arts schools, controlling nearly a quarter of the imperial capital's underworld forces.
The moment Zhang Lai entered the school, Xu Qingshan led him to the main table. Everyone else immediately quieted down, and the atmosphere grew considerably tenser.
"Hahaha, everyone, eat and drink your fill! Brother Zhang Lai here is one of Flying Cloud Martial Arts School's personal disciples!" Old Master Xu immediately laughed heartily, stirring the atmosphere back to life.
Yet this disciple from Flying Cloud Martial Arts School showed no warmth at all. Sighing repeatedly, he said, "Forget it. To find that Star-Plucking Bandit, Flying Cloud Martial Arts School has gone to enormous lengths. We haven't had a moment to catch our breath these days!"
Xu Qingshan immediately echoed him. "Sigh, that Star-Plucking Bandit has committed every evil imaginable. Brother Zhang, Flying Cloud Martial Arts School has truly worked hard to preserve peace in the city!"
"There's no helping it. That Star-Plucking Bandit's lightness skill is superb. Only Flying Cloud Martial Arts School's Cloud-Soaring Skill can keep up with him, so naturally this bitter task falls upon disciples like us." Zhang Lai shook his head as he continued, "But for the peace of the city's people, this little hardship is nothing."
Upon hearing these words, Qi Kang's impression of those from the martial arts schools improved slightly.
Li Qing, however, felt like laughing, as though he had caught an entirely different flavor beneath those words.
"Qi Kang, when you're outside, keep your heart calm and your spirit settled. No matter what happens, you must not grow restless and impetuous," Li Qing promptly cautioned.
Qi Kang looked somewhat bewildered. He did not know why his master had suddenly decided to instruct him at such a time.
"Master, what do you mean by that?" Qi Kang pressed.
Li Qing said, "I'm telling you to be more composed. Don't let your blood rush to your head whenever something happens. Learn to be rational and control your emotions!"
Qi Kang was still completely baffled, but the next moment, Old Master Xu and Zhang Lai's conversation reached them again. Only then did Qi Kang finally understand his master's intention.
"Little Brother Zhang is truly righteous. I heard that because of this matter, the monthly protection fees on several nearby streets have risen?" Master Xu asked with a hint of confusion in his voice.
As Zhang Lai savored the strong wine in his cup, he nodded. "There is such a matter."
"Then Chiming Street cannot fail to show its support. How about this? Starting next month, the monthly protection fee on Chiming Street will also increase by one tael of silver. Once the matter of the Star-Plucking Bandit has been thoroughly cleared up, we'll go back to paying the previous protection fee." Master Xu spoke.
The banquet guests immediately fell silent as cicadas in winter. The atmosphere became so quiet that a needle dropping could be heard.
Zhang Lai declined. "Eh, how can that be? The monthly protection fee was agreed upon in advance. How can it be raised just because someone says so? Besides, capturing the Star-Plucking Bandit is also Flying Cloud Martial Arts School's duty."
But Master Xu immediately refuted him with grand generosity. "No matter what, Flying Cloud Martial Arts School has been running about for the city's people. Since the other streets have raised theirs, then Chiming Street should raise ours as well. We only hope the Star-Plucking Bandit can be captured as soon as possible!"
"Good! Since Master Xu has such intentions, then I won't refuse any longer. This Star-Plucking Bandit—Flying Cloud Martial Arts School will certainly take him down as soon as possible!"
Thus, Xu Qingshan immediately struck while the iron was hot and announced this matter.
He spoke a great many high-sounding words: how the Star-Plucking Bandit had committed countless evils, disrupted order in the city, and left the common people living in constant unease.
And how Flying Cloud Martial Arts School had tirelessly run about for this cause. From now on, the monthly protection fee would rise by one tael of silver, and once the Star-Plucking Bandit was caught, the fees would return to their previous amount.
After he finished, Zhang Lai also thanked everyone before the gathered crowd for their support and the like.
Creak!
At the table, Qi Kang clenched his fists tight, his eyes faintly reddening.
Everyone else present looked incomparably grim as well.
Truth be told, no matter how much the Star-Plucking Bandit disrupted order, he would not affect merchants doing business like them.
Normally, they had only treated this matter as a rumor, listening to it for amusement. They had never expected it to truly fall upon their own heads.
"This..."
Someone wanted to speak but stopped short, unwilling to be the bird that stuck its head out.
An increase of one tael of silver a month meant twelve taels a year. That was no small sum!
Moreover, the Star-Plucking Bandit came and went like a ghost. Let alone capturing him, the crowd probably did not even know what he looked like. Heaven knew when he would finally be brought to justice.
In other words, as long as the Star-Plucking Bandit remained uncaught, they would have to keep paying an extra tael of silver in protection fees!
Who could accept that?
Qi Kang finally understood why his master had earlier told him to calm his heart and settle his spirit, to learn to remain calm when faced with trouble. So his master had already foreseen this scene.
All at once, Qi Kang's heart was filled with mixed emotions. He admired his master's ability to foresee events as if they were divine, yet he was also somewhat disappointed—disappointed that despite possessing such martial skill, his master did nothing when faced with such injustice.
Thus, Qi Kang lowered his head and said nothing.
At last, someone in the martial arts school spoke. Yet the content of those words chilled everyone's hearts by a great deal.
"That's right. The heroes of Flying Cloud Martial Arts School have indeed worked hard to give us a peaceful environment for doing business!"
"That's right, I agree to raise the monthly protection fee by one tael of silver!"
"I agree too!"
At the main table, Zhang Lai smiled brilliantly and clasped his hands. "Thank you all for your generous favor. Rest assured, the Star-Plucking Bandit won't be able to roam free for much longer. With Flying Cloud Martial Arts School here, everyone may rest easy!"
Those few who echoed him were merchants who usually had closer ties with Green Mountain Martial Arts School.
Everyone else present looked at them as though there was a traitor among us.
Clearly, these people had received instructions beforehand and were here to cooperate with Zhang Lai and Xu Qingshan in putting on this performance.
Li Qing, seated at the table eating, drinking, and sampling dishes, showed no concern at all for these matters. He simply savored the food by himself, detached from the incident, as though he were not the one who had to pay.