During his first three days in the Blackwater Gang, Lu Chen had a fairly peaceful time.
Most of it was spent learning the gang's rules, memorizing the way around, and picking up some basic saber stances from the older members.
They called it saber technique, but it was really just the simplest moves: chopping, slashing, lifting, and blocking. It relied on sheer ferocity; there weren't any real techniques to speak of.
Lu Chen studied hard.
Although his main discipline was the Stone Crushing Palm, more skills never hurt. Besides, in many situations, a saber was more convenient than using his hands, and it made it easier to conceal his strength.
His Heavenly Dao Rewards Diligence talent came into play with saber practice, too.
Others needed ten repetitions to master a move, but after five, he could already perform it convincingly. By ten, his movements were precise and powerful.
This earned him the admiration of the Junior Leader overseeing the group, who thought the kid had real potential.
On the fourth day, a task came.
"Lu Chen, and you there—Wang Ermazi. You're going with Brother Liu to collect dues at the docks today."
The Junior Leader pointed at Lu Chen and two other newcomers.
Brother Liu was an old hand in the ways of the world, in his thirties, with a shrewd look about him. A wine gourd hung from his waist, and he walked with a loose, swaying gait.
"Come on, greenhorns. I'll show you the might of our Blackwater Gang."
Picking his teeth, Brother Liu led Lu Chen and the others out of the hall.
Their destination was the South of the City docks, a place Lu Chen knew better than any other.
Returning to the place where it had all begun left Lu Chen with mixed feelings.
Just a few days ago, he'd been hauling sacks here, sweating buckets for a few copper coins.
Now he wore the Blackwater Gang's uniform, a saber at his waist, and had become one of the people who collected dues here.
The change in his standing gave him a deeper understanding of power and strength.
The docks were still as noisy as ever.
The laborers bustled about like ants.
When they saw Brother Liu approaching with his men, the boisterous crowd quickly quieted. The foremen and laborers all wore respectful, ingratiating smiles.
"Master Liu, you're here!"
"Thanks for your hard work, Master Liu. Come have some tea!"
Brother Liu reveled in being the center of attention. With his nose in the air, he gave a snort that passed for a reply.
"Get to work. Same rules as always: collect by the head, two hundred copper coins per person. Miss a single coin, and I'll break your legs!"
Brother Liu found a shady awning to sit beneath and sent Lu Chen and the others to collect the money.
Lu Chen took a deep breath and began his first "job."
He didn't act high and mighty or deliberately make things difficult for anyone. He simply went from person to person, expressionless, collecting the money with a ledger and a bag.
"Two hundred copper coins."
Lu Chen stopped in front of a young laborer.
The laborer nervously counted out the coins and offered them with both hands, not daring to meet Lu Chen's eyes.
Lu Chen took the money, marked a circle in the ledger, and moved on to the next person.
Just then, a familiar voice called out.
"Lu... Lu Chen?"
Lu Chen stopped and turned around.
A middle-aged man with dark skin and a thin frame stood staring at him in a daze, a filthy towel clutched in his hand.
It was Uncle Wang.
The old workmate who had once shown him the ropes and given him half a bun.
Uncle Wang's eyes were full of shock and disbelief, along with a deep-seated fear.
He could never have imagined that after only a few days apart, Lu Chen would have transformed into a big shot of the Blackwater Gang!
"Uncle Wang."
After a moment of silence, Lu Chen greeted him.
The words made Uncle Wang tremble all over.
"D-don't call me Uncle Wang, Master Lu. You honor me too much."
Uncle Wang waved his hands in a panic. Flustered, he wiped the grime from them on his clothes, then shakily pulled a string of copper coins from his shirt.
"Master Lu, this is the monthly fee. Please count it..."
Looking at those callused, slightly trembling hands, Lu Chen felt an emotion he couldn't quite name well up inside him.
This was the jianghu.
This was class.
Once you crossed that threshold, the bonds you'd shared in the past could never be the same again.
In Uncle Wang's eyes, he was no longer the younger brother who'd needed looking after. He was "Master Lu," a man with the power to decide who lived and who died.
Lu Chen didn't refuse. He took the coins without counting them and tossed them straight into the bag.
"No need to count them. I trust you."
Then Lu Chen reached into his shirt, took out the bottle of medicinal liniment he'd bought earlier to put on airs, and pressed it into Uncle Wang's hands.
"I haven't used this. Keep it and rub it on your back. I've noticed your back injury has flared up again these past few days."
Before Uncle Wang could react, Lu Chen turned and went to the next person.
"Lu..."
Holding the bottle of liniment, still warm from Lu Chen's hand, Uncle Wang watched his straight-backed figure walk away. His eyes reddened slightly, and his lips moved, but in the end, he couldn't bring himself to call out again.
He knew they now belonged to two different worlds.
The collection went smoothly that day.
Not a single tough guy dared refuse to pay. The Blackwater Gang's authority had long been entrenched around these docks.
After collecting the money, Brother Liu led Lu Chen and the others back to the hall to report in.
Since it was their first assignment, Brother Liu generously treated everyone to a meal at a small roadside tavern and gave each of them fifty copper coins as "compensation for their hard work."
It was an unspoken rule in the gang: those above ate meat, while those below drank the broth.
Lu Chen felt nothing in particular as he held the fifty coins.
But he knew this was only the beginning.
He performed steadily in the gang, neither stirring up trouble nor shrinking from it, and carried out his assignments meticulously.
His steady temperament gradually won him a foothold in the War Hall.
Before long, half a month had passed.
Lu Chen's Stone Crushing Palm proficiency had steadily improved, reaching (2nd Realm: Thorough Mastery 15%).
This was thanks to the meat served in the gang's dining hall, as well as the inexpensive supplements he occasionally bought on the sly at the black market.
One evening, Lu Chen had just finished practicing and was about to go to sleep.
Suddenly, a series of urgent gong strikes exploded through the hall's courtyard.
"Clang! Clang! Clang!"
"Emergency assembly! All War Hall brothers, bring your weapons and gather at the training ground!"
Someone shouted at the top of his lungs.
The gang members in the dormitory woke in an instant. They leaped out of bed and hurriedly got dressed and grabbed their sabers.
Lu Chen reacted fastest. The moment the gong sounded, he was already dressed and charging out of the room with his saber in hand.
Torches blazed across the training ground, lighting it up as bright as day.
Hall Master Zhao Tieshan stood on the raised platform in black armor, clutching a Ghost Head Saber and radiating murderous intent.
His expression was dark.
"Those Red Fish Gang bastards actually dared to steal our cargo!"
Zhao Tieshan roared. "Brothers, grab your weapons! We're going to take back what's ours! If we don't beat the shit out of them tonight, I'll change my surname!"
"Kill! Kill! Kill!"
The gang members below roared in unison, their blood boiling.
The Red Fish Gang was a gang from the North of the City and had always been the Blackwater Gang's sworn enemy.
The two sides had clashed countless times over territory and the shipping business.
It seemed the Red Fish Gang had taken a shipment of important goods from the Blackwater Gang this time, finally pushing Zhao Tieshan over the edge.
Mixed into the crowd, Lu Chen tightened his grip on his saber.
This was his first large-scale brawl since joining the Blackwater Gang.
He knew his opportunity had come.
A chaotic scene like this was perfect for fishing in troubled waters—and for testing his combat skills.
And if he could distinguish himself in battle, he might have a chance to obtain the gang's martial arts manuals or access to better resources.
His Stone Crushing Palm was decent, but it was a common technique, with a low ceiling.
He needed stronger martial arts to carry him further along the path of the martial world.
"Move out!"
At Zhao Tieshan's command, hundreds of Blackwater Gang members surged out of the hall like a black tide, heading for the North of the City.
Beneath the night sky, blades flashed and killing intent hung in the air.
Lu Chen took a deep breath and steadied his breathing, calming his heartbeat.
He stayed in the middle-to-rear of the group, neither rushing ahead nor falling behind.
His priorities were clear: survival first, killing enemies second, looting corpses third.
Before you continue