Fierce Tiger Gang

When he first cultivated the Tiger Leopard Bone Refining Technique, Wu Yuan had consumed fifteen Low-grade Body Tempering Pills.

As his strength advanced by leaps and bounds, his consumption had also grown ever greater. In the cultivation session that had just ended, Wu Yuan had used up a full fifty-five Body Tempering Pills.

Over the past three months.

Wu Yuan had gone to Stellar Tower four times in succession, purchasing more than two thousand Low-grade Body Tempering Pills. Even though he had altered his appearance with 'Bone Shifting' every time, he had clearly still drawn attention.

Wu Yuan was not surprised by this. If he had been one of Stellar Tower's managers, he would have been curious as well.

At present, Wu Yuan had fewer than a hundred Body Tempering Pills left. At most, he could cultivate three more times before his supplies ran dry.

"Besides, even if I had more Body Tempering Pills, their effects would only grow weaker and weaker." Wu Yuan frowned slightly. "I must find higher-grade pills as soon as possible."

Body Tempering Pills were merely the most basic supplementary pills. Their supposedly remarkable medicinal effects were only remarkable for low-level martial artists.

As for the current Wu Yuan, his physical constitution was already astonishing. Though he was still at the Strength Training stage, his raw strength was already nearly that of a Fifth-Rank Martial Artist.

The energy contained within Body Tempering Pills had become somewhat insufficient, no longer enough to meet the needs of his growth.

"Still, even if I find higher-grade pills, I don't have quite enough silver." Wu Yuan thought to himself. "It won't be easy to ask the clan chief for help again anytime soon."

Over these past three months, before Wu Yuan could even speak, Clan Chief Wu Qiming had already come to his door and given him 'Two Thousand Taels of Silver'.

One thousand taels had been given on behalf of the clan.

The other thousand taels had been a portion Wu Qiming had set aside for Wu Yuan from the previous 'Five Thousand Taels of Silver'.

Whoosh!

Wu Yuan deftly cleared away every trace, his figure elusive and unpredictable as he swiftly returned to his own residence.

"Home." Wu Yuan's gaze swept across the courtyard.

Though it was still night and dawn had yet to come, in Wu Yuan's eyes, it was not much different from broad daylight.

The courtyard walls had been repaired and faced with a layer of gray bricks. The gate and the houses within had all been renovated, far better than when Wu Yuan had first arrived.

All of this had been the clan's doing.

"Mother's health has improved considerably too," Wu Yuan thought.

Two months earlier, before Wu Yuan could find a solution himself, the clan had found a way to invite Li City's Pill Master to treat his mother, Wan Qin.

It had relieved Wu Yuan of his worries.

"The clan chief is under great pressure as well. The Wu Clan is not a large clan, and there are many places where money is needed. Inviting a Pill Master—leaving aside the favor owed—the silver spent must have been no small sum." Wu Yuan thought to himself. "I won't trouble the clan chief over money again."

Wu Yuan knew that what he needed for his future cultivation would be higher-grade pills and many special treasures.

The cost would be so immense that the Wu Clan could not possibly bear it.

"My strength has begun to recover, but I am still below my peak in my previous life. Take the realm of Hard and Soft—after several months of effort, I can only be said to have entered it again." Wu Yuan leapt lightly into his home, landing without a sound. "Still, looking across Li City, there are already few people who can make me fear."

"Looking across the entire Central Land World, I should have nothing to fear from those Second-class Experts either."

Sixth Rank was Martial Master.

Fifth-Rank Martial Artists were also known as Third-class Experts, Fourth-Rank Martial Artists as Second-class Experts, and Third-Rank Martial Artists as First-class Experts.

Wu Yuan's raw physical constitution was still somewhat inferior even to that of a Third-class Expert, but his astonishing Martial Arts Technique could greatly compensate for the gap in physical strength.

When Wu Yuan returned to his courtyard and lay down before his mother woke, the lights at the Wu Clan Ancestral Residence, only one li away, had remained lit throughout the night.

Inside the council hall.

"Clan Chief, there is truly no other way. We have scraped together everything we could, but we can only free up six thousand five hundred taels at most. We are still short by one thousand five hundred taels." Account books were piled before the white-bearded accountant. "The clan treasury has been completely emptied."

"One thousand five hundred taels?" Clan Chief Wu Qiming lowered his eyes, seemingly deep in thought.

"Those bastards from the Fierce Tiger Gang are demanding far too much! They want a full eight thousand taels. In previous years, we only had to pay three thousand taels. This time, they are trying to drive us to death!" The burly man beside him, dressed in coarse hemp clothing, gritted his teeth. "Clan Chief, how about we simply refuse to pay?"

"Refuse to pay?"

Another refined middle-aged man shook his head. "The Fierce Tiger Gang is one of Li City's five major gangs. Their methods are cruel. Within the areas where they operate, even great clans like the Luo Family pay them an appropriate sum according to the scale of their business rather than directly clash with them."

"Compared to the Fierce Tiger Gang, our Wu Clan is far too weak. Fighting them head-on would be courting death."

"No matter how vicious they are, that is outside the city. We are inside Li City. Could the Fierce Tiger Gang possibly dare to storm the city?" The hemp-clothed man glared.

"Storm the city? The Fierce Tiger Gang is not that foolish." Another young man in black robes shook his head. "The sect's territory is vast and its manpower limited. It can only govern the prefectural city and control the county towns. It has no power to control the many villages and towns below."

"That is precisely why these small gangs have room to survive."

"If they dared storm the city, they would be challenging the sect's authority and would provoke the Nanmeng Army into suppressing them."

Everyone on the Central Land Continent practiced martial arts.

When one carried a weapon in one's heart, the urge to kill arose of itself; martial artists were naturally difficult to restrain.

Therefore, the cost of controlling matters down to the most basic level was too great. Hengyun Sect had no intention of doing so, merely keeping a grasp on the overall situation within its territory and delegating much of its authority.

So long as the small gangs did not expand too excessively, the sect would not act to exterminate them.

"The cloth shop must operate, and we cannot limit ourselves to the city. If we want to go into the countryside to purchase silkworms from the various villages and towns, we cannot avoid the Fierce Tiger Gang." The young man in black robes said calmly. "And if a conflict breaks out, our Wu Clan's two estates outside the city may both be lost."

Operating a cloth shop was a very complicated affair.

If the business wanted to grow, silk, cotton, and hemp had to be purchased, but they also had to produce some of the raw materials themselves. Otherwise, the overall costs would be too high.

All of this inevitably involved doing business outside the city.

"But the Fierce Tiger Gang is being far too ruthless." The hemp-clothed man gritted his teeth. "We run a cloth shop, not a bank. This year, they actually demanded five thousand more taels from us. How much silver can our Wu Clan earn in a year?"

"They are trying to force us onto a dead end!" The hemp-clothed man's eyes had turned red.

"Dongyao." Clan Chief Wu Qiming suddenly spoke. "Have you investigated it clearly? Which figure stands behind the Fierce Tiger Gang?"

"No. The Fierce Tiger Gang rose very quickly. Their gang leader and several elders all seem to be people from outside the city." The refined middle-aged man said. "With our resources, we cannot uncover their background in such a short time."

"It is nothing more than the Prefect, the Garrison General, the Prefectural Assistant, and the like." The hemp-clothed man snorted coldly.

"Watch your words." Wu Qiming frowned.

Yet everyone present understood perfectly well that if it were merely a small gang of dozens or a hundred people, perhaps it would have no backing.

But a gang like the Fierce Tiger Gang, which had grown to over a thousand members and become renowned throughout Li City—who would believe there was no tacit approval from some powerful figure behind it?

Three thousand garrison troops could easily scatter a large gang of more than ten thousand people.

Six hundred soldiers of the Nanmeng Army crushing one hundred thousand refugees in a single battle was merely routine.

These so-called 'masters of great gangs' looked imposing and majestic, but most were merely white gloves used by powerful figures to rake in wealth and handle dirty work.

"Clan Chief, how about asking whether Brother Yuan has any spare silver?" The accountant could not help saying. "Once the clan has funds again, we can repay Brother Yuan later."

At those words, everyone could not help looking toward Wu Qiming.

"No!"

Wu Qiming shook his head. "This way: the clan treasury cannot be left without a single tael. Prepare five thousand taels of silver and split it into two portions, one of three thousand taels and one of two thousand taels. I will personally make a trip to the Fierce Tiger Gang."

Time passed day by day.

On this day, Wu Yuan came to the Martial Academy to cultivate as usual.

As the fourth-place finisher in the previous Martial Academy Grand Competition, he had not participated in this year's several minor competitions. Yet among the latest batch of elite disciples, who dared claim they could defeat him?

Within Li City, Wu Yuan had already gained some renown as a 'martial arts prodigy'.

Dean Zhang Da had even personally ordered that Wu Yuan's cultivation room be reserved exclusively for him, not to be reclaimed until after next year's Martial Academy Grand Competition.

Just after noon.

"Wu Yuan." His personal instructor, 'Huan Xinyan', appeared outside the cultivation room and said coldly, "A clansman has come looking for you. It seems to be something urgent. He is waiting outside the Martial Academy."

"A clansman?" Wu Yuan was first taken aback, then nodded. "Thank you, Master Huan. I'll go at once."

Wu Yuan felt somewhat puzzled.

During all his years cultivating at the Martial Academy, apart from the clan chief and his mother, no clansman had ever come to the Martial Academy to look for him.

He quickly arrived beside the Martial Academy's main gate.

With a single glance.

Wu Yuan saw several people by the entrance, among them a refined middle-aged man who looked anxious and out of breath, clearly having hurried here in great haste.

"Uncle Dongyao." Wu Yuan strode forward to greet him.

Wu Dongyao was one of the Li City Wu Clan's only three Xiucai, renowned for his resourcefulness and holding considerable status within the Wu Clan.

"Wu Yuan, now only you can save the clan chief." Wu Dongyao hurriedly said.