Dockside Collections! An Old Acquaintance Appears!

For the first three days after joining the Black Water Gang, Lu Chen's life was relatively stable.

Mainly, he was familiarizing himself with the gang rules, learning the layout of the area, and learning some basic stances for saber techniques from the older gang members.

What they called saber techniques were actually the simplest moves: chop, slash, lift, and block. The emphasis was on sheer ferocity, with no set routines.

Lu Chen studied very diligently.

Although his main cultivation was the Stone Crushing Palm, having more skills never hurt. Moreover, in many situations, using a saber was more convenient than using his hands, and it could also conceal his true strength.

His "Heavenly Dao Rewards Diligence" talent also proved useful in practicing the saber.

What others took ten repetitions to grasp, he could do passably well in five, and with ten repetitions, his movements were precise and powerful.

This also earned him the appreciation of the squad leader, who thought the kid had potential.

On the fourth day, a mission arrived.

"Lu Chen, and you, Wang Ermazi, and a few others. You're going with Brother Liu to the docks today to collect debts."

The squad leader pointed at Lu Chen and two other newcomers.

Brother Liu was an old hand, in his thirties, with a shrewd look on his face. He had a wine gourd hanging from his waist and walked with a swagger.

"Let's go, new sprouts. I'll show you the might of our Black Water Gang."

Brother Liu picked his teeth and led Lu Chen and the others out of the hall.

Their destination was the South of the City docks, a place Lu Chen was most familiar with.

Returning to this familiar place, Lu Chen's feelings were complex.

Just a few days ago, he was here carrying heavy loads, sweating buckets for a few coins.

Now, a few days later, he was wearing the Black Water Gang's uniform, a broadsword at his waist, and had become one of the people "collecting debts" here.

This change in identity gave him a deeper understanding of power and strength.

The docks were still bustling with noise.

The laborers were busy like ants.

Seeing Brother Liu arrive with his men, the originally noisy crowd instantly quieted down. The foremen and laborers alike showed expressions of awe and fawning smiles.

"Esteemed Brother Liu, you've arrived!"

"Esteemed Brother Liu, you've worked hard. Have some tea!"

Brother Liu savored the feeling of being the center of attention, his nostrils flaring. He grunted in response.

"Let's get to work. Same old rules, collect per head. Two hundred wen each. If anyone's short, we break their legs!"

Brother Liu found a shaded spot to sit and directed Lu Chen and the others to start working.

Lu Chen took a deep breath and began his first "job."

He didn't act arrogant or deliberately make things difficult for anyone. He simply held the ledger and a pouch, his expression blank, and collected the money one by one.

"Two hundred wen."

Lu Chen walked up to a young laborer.

The laborer nervously counted out copper coins and offered them with both hands, not daring to meet Lu Chen's eyes.

Lu Chen took the money, drew a circle in the ledger, and turned to the next person.

Just then, a familiar voice called out.

"Lu... Lu Chen?"

Lu Chen paused and turned his head.

He saw a dark-skinned, gaunt middle-aged man staring at him blankly, still clutching a dirty towel.

It was Uncle Wang.

The old co-worker who had once brought him into the trade and given him half a steamed bun.

Uncle Wang's eyes were filled with shock, disbelief, and a deep trace of fear.

He never imagined that Lu Chen, whom he hadn't seen in a few days, had transformed into a big shot for the Black Water Gang!

"Uncle Wang."

Lu Chen was silent for a moment before calling out.

This single "Uncle Wang" made Uncle Wang tremble all over.

"Don't... don't call me uncle, Master Lu. You're too kind."

Uncle Wang waved his hands frantically, nervously wiping the dirt from his hands on his clothes, then shakily pulled a string of copper coins from his chest.

"Master Lu, this is this month's regular payment. Please count it..."

Looking at those calloused, slightly trembling hands, Lu Chen felt an indescribable emotion well up inside him.

This was the martial world.

This was class.

Once that threshold was crossed, the past camaraderie could never be recovered.

If you can't find the book by its title, you can try searching for the author. Maybe they just changed the name!

In Uncle Wang's eyes, he was no longer the little brother who needed looking after, but "Master Lu," who held the power of life and death.

Lu Chen didn't refuse. He reached out and took the copper coins, not bothering to count them, and tossed them directly into his bag.

"No need to count, I trust you."

After speaking, Lu Chen took out the bottle of liniment he had bought earlier for show and stuffed it into Uncle Wang's hand.

"I haven't used this alcohol. Keep it to rub your waist. I saw your old back injury acting up these past few days."

Without waiting for Uncle Wang to react, Lu Chen turned and walked towards the next person.

"Lu..."

Uncle Wang held the still-warm medicinal wine, gazing at Lu Chen's tall, retreating figure. His eyes reddened slightly, and his lips trembled. In the end, he didn't call out again.

He knew they were from two different worlds now.

The collection work went smoothly that day.

There were no troublemakers who dared to resist paying. After all, the Black Water Gang had long held sway over this dock area.

After collecting the money, Brother Liu led Lu Chen and the others back to the hall to report.

Since it was their first mission, Brother Liu generously treated everyone to a meal at a small roadside tavern and gave Lu Chen and the others fifty copper coins each as "hardship pay."

This was a sort of unspoken rule in the gang: the higher-ups ate meat, and the lower-downs got the soup.

Lu Chen took the fifty copper coins, his heart unmoved.

But he knew this was just the beginning.

His performance in the gang was unremarkable. He neither caused trouble nor shied away from it, completing his tasks meticulously.

This steady personality allowed him to gradually establish a foothold in the War Hall.

In the blink of an eye, half a month passed.

Lu Chen's Stone Crushing Palm proficiency steadily improved, reaching (2nd Realm: Entry and Mastery 15%).

This was thanks to the meat supply from the gang's mess hall and his occasional secret trips to the black market for cheap tonics.

That night, Lu Chen had just finished his practice and was about to go to sleep.

Suddenly, the urgent sound of a gong and drum exploded in the hall's courtyard.

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

"Emergency assembly! All brothers from the War Hall, bring your weapons and gather at the training grounds!"

Someone shouted at the top of his lungs.

The gang members in the dormitory were instantly awakened, jumping out of their beds one by one, fumbling to put on clothes and grab their sabers.

Lu Chen reacted the fastest. Almost as soon as the gong sounded, he was already fully dressed, carrying his broadsword, and rushed out of the room.

The training grounds were brightly lit by torches, as bright as day.

Hall Master Zhao Tieshan, clad in black armor and wielding a Ghost Head Saber, stood on a high platform radiating killing intent.

His expression was grim.

"These Red Fish Gang scumbags dare to steal our goods!"

Zhao Tieshan roared, "Brothers, grab your weapons, follow me, and let's get our territory back! If I don't beat the shit out of them tonight, my name isn't Zhao!"

"Kill! Kill! Kill!"

The gang members below roared in unison, their emotions running high.

The Red Fish Gang was a gang from North of the City and had always been a sworn enemy of the Black Water Gang.

The two sides had clashed many times over territory and freight business.

This time, it seemed the Red Fish Gang had taken a batch of important cargo from the Black Water Gang, completely enraging Zhao Tieshan.

Lu Chen mingled with the crowd, gripping his broadsword tightly.

This was his first large-scale armed conflict since joining the Black Water Gang.

He knew his chance had come.

Such chaotic scenes were perfect for fishing in troubled waters and for testing his combat abilities.

Moreover, if he could make a contribution in the battle, he would have a chance to obtain the gang's martial arts manuals or higher-level resources.

Although his Stone Crushing Palm was decent, it was ultimately a common skill with a limited ceiling.

He needed stronger martial arts to support him in walking further on the martial path.

"Move out!"

With Zhao Tieshan's order, hundreds of Black Water Gang members surged out of the hall like a black tide, heading towards North of the City.

Under the night sky, sword light and saber shadows flashed, and killing intent permeated the air.

Lu Chen took a deep breath, adjusting his breathing to steady his heartbeat.

He stayed in the middle to rear of the team, not rushing ahead or falling behind.

His goal was clear: survival first, killing enemies second, looting corpses third.

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