Hidden Crisis

It must be said, those who can stand out are not to be underestimated.

The Great River Three Heroes: Young Master Yun is noble and elegant like a prince, Young Master Peng is arrogant and unruly but cunning. Only the last one, Young Master Meng, has not been seen yet. It is rumored that he is not interested in the position of Gang Leader and is currently out traveling the world.

This means that only Young Master Yun and Young Master Peng are currently competing for the position of Gang Leader.

No wonder he is so hostile towards me. With the merits and abilities Lin Xiao has accumulated, he could very well become his threat in the future.

Speaking of which, he chopped off Lan Xinghe's head. Given Lan Xinghe's status in the Iron Boat Gang, that's at least two Great Merits. Adding the previous four, he will have six Great Merits in hand.

These so-called Great Merits are gang contributions. They are not measured by common merits or contributions but are divided into Minor Merits and Great Merits. These merits can be used to exchange for various items within the gang, including Martial Arts Manuals.

Lin Xiao kept all his merits, intending to digest his current martial arts after some time and then use his merits to exchange for various martial arts from the gang to arm himself.

This is also one of the reasons why he didn't leave with the Yin Sha Maiden and stayed with the Great River Gang. Although leaving with her would mean good food every day, it would be difficult to obtain any more Martial Arts Manuals.

Lin Yong took the initiative to reveal these things to him, clearly wanting to get on his good side. Lin Xiao naturally wouldn't refuse. Although he had no intention of competing for the Gang Leader position, gathering more subordinates was never a bad thing; he had too few subordinates now.

After finishing breakfast, Lin Xiao set off with his subordinates. He first went to Hall Master Zhang Dayuan to get a token, then used the token to requisition a Medium Warship from the Water Fortress. His subordinates and Lin Yong, along with a few of his own subordinates, boarded the ship and began patrolling their assigned river section.

This was a Middle Wing Warship, about ten meters long. It was equipped with over twenty boatmen to row, plus his more than a dozen subordinates. The boatmen also belonged to the sub-gang and could pick up swords to defend themselves during combat.

Standing at the bow of the ship, the river breeze mixed with moist air hit his face, refreshing his mind.

Lin River was the main transport river of Linjiang Prefecture, and this area was the hub connecting Lin River and Qingshui. The wide river surface occasionally saw ships passing by.

Lin Yong pointed to the passing ships and explained:

"Those with our gang's flag hanging from the bow have paid their taxes and can pass. Those with our gang's main flag in the center are our gang's property, our own people. Any other ship without our gang's flag must be stopped."

"What if it's a ship from another gang?"

"The same. If a ship from another gang also has our gang's flag hanging, regardless of how many gang flags it has, it can pass."

"Oh, and ships belonging to the government cannot be stopped."

"Oh!"

He wasn't that foolish. No matter how strong the Great River Gang was, it was ultimately just a martial arts sect, far inferior to the government.

The patrol was actually very boring. Lin Xiao stood at the bow for a while and lost interest. He ordered his subordinates to patrol and went into the cabin with Lin Yong to drink tea.

This era was actually quite boring. The only fun was playing with women, but there were no women around during patrols for them to play with. It was either drinking tea or playing chess, and unfortunately, neither he nor Lin Yong knew how to play chess.

The first day of patrol ended in such boredom. Then came the second day, the third day. As he was new to the Water Fortress, Zhang Dayuan couldn't directly assign him to the front lines; he had to wait a few days.

One evening, in a lavishly decorated room somewhere in the Water Fortress, Young Master Peng, Shi Zhongyu, was reading a book while wearing a fur robe. Suddenly, his ears twitched, and he turned his head. He saw a masked woman in a tight-fitting outfit that accentuated her curvaceous figure appear by the window at some unknown time.

He seemed to recognize the woman and turned back to his book, casually asking:

"What is it?"

The woman came behind Young Master Peng, suddenly opened her arms, hugged his back, and whispered:

"The Gang Leader has ordered me to kill someone."

Shi Zhongyu paused and said without turning his head:

"Lin Xiao?"

She nodded:

"He cut off Protector Lan's head. The Gang Leader wants his head too."

"Then I can't help you. He is highly valued by the gang now. Zhang Dayuan has assigned him a patrol area not far from the Water Fortress, and coupled with his martial arts, your chances of success are slim."

"No, you can help."

"I can't help..."

Shi Zhongyu suddenly turned his head and saw a naked body displayed before him. Her exquisite curves and dazzlingly white skin were revealed. As the woman grabbed his hand and placed it on a soft mound, his breathing quickened.

"Shi Lang, help me this once."

His reply was a beast pouncing on her and pinning her down. Soon, heavy panting filled the room.

"I can only help you by transferring him to a location further away from the Water Fortress."

"That's enough."

"You can make your move after three days."

"Mmm..."

Early in the morning three days later, while eating breakfast, Lin Xiao looked at the day's transfer order. Perhaps seeing that he was familiar with the patrol, his assigned river section had been getting closer to the border of the Three Gangs. Today, it was directly near that area, beyond which lay the battlegrounds of the Three Gangs. Their sub-gangs in the area would occasionally fight.

This suited him. Being close to the battlefield, perhaps some stragglers would run over when a fight broke out, providing mobile Potential Points.

He hadn't gained any Potential Points for many days, and his cultivation had been stagnant with little progress.

His aptitude was not great to begin with. Without Potential Points, it might take ten years to cultivate two Internal Energy Cultivation techniques before he could make further progress.

The warship set sail again. His subordinates stood by the ship's side, full of spirit, chatting and boasting. They had been living quite comfortably during this period. Lin Xiao had little need for money. The spoils of war or the occasional gifts from merchant ships during patrols were all given to his subordinates, earning their loyalty in return.

The warship sailed down the river and soon reached the designated river section for the day. In the distance, the misty river surface suddenly widened. A tributary flowed into Lin River there. The two waters converged, making the width of that water area three to four kilometers wide. Three small water fortresses belonging to the three gangs were established at the three corners of the intersection.

These were the outpost strongholds of the three gangs, with fleets and experts stationed there year-round. Currently, the Headquarters Guardian, Fist Swordsman Qi Kun, was stationed here.

At this moment, various warships from the three water fortresses were continuously sailing out, forming formations outside the water fortresses and gradually approaching. It looked like they were preparing for a battle.

Lin Yong chuckled from the side:

"Good luck today. It usually takes one or two months to see a battle of this scale. You can witness how such a large-scale battle is fought, and you'll have experience if you encounter one in the future."

Lin Xiao asked:

"In a battle of this scale, how long does it usually last before it ends?"