Only He Could Rely on Himself

Wu Yuan's sudden burst of strength eased the spirits of the several Wu Clan elders, who had been weighed down by worry.

Three months ago, when Wu Yuan had placed fourth in the Martial Academy Grand Competition, they had said he stood a very good chance of becoming a Proficient Expert in six or seven years.

But now?

In just over three months, he had risen from a Seventh-Rank Martial Warrior to the level of a Sixth-Rank Martial Master. What astonishing progress!

Even setting aside his future prospects, Wu Yuan was already one of the few martial artists of note in the Wu Clan.

Li City had nearly a thousand Wu Clan members, but only nine Sixth-Rank Martial Masters—not even enough to fill two hands.

That showed just how rare Martial Masters were.

The most elite force Hengyun Sect stationed in Nanmeng Prefecture, the Nanmeng Army, set its recruitment threshold at merely Martial Master.

"Wu Yuan truly is a rare genius in our Wu Clan. If the clan leader knew, he'd be overjoyed," the black-robed young man sighed. "It's just a pity."

"If Wu Yuan had another three to five years to grow into his strength, we wouldn't be in such a bind today."

The others in the meeting hall fell silent, and most of their earlier joy faded.

That was true.

Distant water could not quench an immediate thirst. No matter how astonishing Wu Yuan's talent was, he was still only a Sixth-Rank Martial Master.

Only those of Fifth-Rank or higher could truly be called experts.

"Uncle Long, Sixth Uncle, Uncle Dongyao..." Wu Yuan flipped his palm and placed a stack of banknotes and a small amount of loose silver on the table. "I was able to cultivate so quickly partly because I bought some things to aid my training, and they cost quite a bit. This is all I have left on me."

There was a little over eight hundred taels of silver in total.

In fact, Wu Yuan had received three thousand taels of silver altogether, plus the hundred-tael prize from the Martial Academy Grand Competition.

After setting aside some money for household expenses and buying a large quantity of Body Tempering Pills, he still had over seventeen hundred taels left.

But...

Wu Yuan did not want to reveal the thousand taels he had received at the beginning. Besides, he still had a use for the rest of the silver.

"Wu Yuan, your cultivation is important. Keep the money," the Sixth Uncle, who handled the accounts, said at once.

He was the eldest man of the sixth branch and held the Xiucai degree, giving him a lofty position. Even clan leader Wu Qiming treated him with great respect.

A clan was like a small country; control of its finances was crucial.

"The manor south of the city has been destroyed, and our people have died. Right now, rescuing the clan leader is our first priority." Wu Yuan shook his head. "Sixth Uncle, please take the banknotes. As for my cultivation, I'll find a way."

As he spoke,

Wu Yuan left no room for argument and continued, "Uncles, Uncle Dongyao told me roughly what happened, but why did the Fierce Tiger Gang do this?"

"Our Wu Clan deals in cloth. We haven't had any real conflict with the Fierce Tiger Gang, have we?" Wu Yuan asked softly.

He needed to know the cause before he could find the right remedy.

"Wu Yuan, you didn't need to know this. But with your strength, you're certainly qualified to shoulder the clan's burdens, so I'll tell you," Wu Dongyao said quietly.

Wu Yuan nodded.

He had revealed part of his strength for two reasons.

First, he wanted to show his abilities bit by bit, laying the groundwork for the future. That way, he could avoid suddenly revealing his full strength one day and making the peerless experts of this world wary of him or pay him too much attention.

Second, he had kept a low profile before to avoid trouble. But if disaster struck and he still acted timidly, that would be foolish.

By revealing his strength today, he could earn the clan members' trust and resolve the crisis more quickly.

"It started when the Fierce Tiger Gang demanded that we raise this year's tribute from three thousand taels of silver to eight thousand. They wouldn't even discuss it with us!" Wu Dongyao said.

"Hmph. These gangs make a habit of collecting money, but how can they just raise the amount like that?" The black-robed young man beside him snorted as well.

Wu Yuan raised an eyebrow.

From three thousand taels to eight thousand? Exactly five thousand taels more—not a tael more or less. Was that a coincidence?

Or had they done it deliberately?

Which powerful figure stood behind the Fierce Tiger Gang?

"Gangs like these usually collect annual fees, manor fees, and tolls without making the burden too heavy, so they can keep the money flowing in year after year." Wu Dongyao seemed worried Wu Yuan wouldn't understand, so he explained. "Whether you're growing crops or doing business, your income usually doesn't change drastically. If they squeeze people too hard, they'll provoke resistance."

"And resistance means casualties."

"The gangs and bandits want to get money without having to fight," Wu Dongyao said.

Wu Yuan nodded slightly.

Hengyun Sect collected taxes, and life was already hard for the common folk at the bottom. If they were pushed too far, they would naturally risk their lives to fight the gangs and bandits.

People joined gangs or became bandits despite the risks for the money, not because they wanted to fight to the death.

The Fierce Tiger Gang's actions were strange.

After all, the Wu Clan had several hundred people and could muster an elite force of a hundred Seventh-Rank Martial Warriors and Sixth-Rank Martial Masters.

If they really fought, they would be a hard bone to crack.

"A few days ago, the clan leader took five thousand taels of silver and went to the Fierce Tiger Gang in person," Wu Long said, his voice low. "He wanted to discuss the matter, but the Fierce Tiger Gang immediately turned on him, killed two clan members who had accompanied him, and took the clan leader prisoner."

"After that, the Fierce Tiger Gang sent a mounted troop straight to our manor south of the city. Fortunately, we got warning in time and escaped quickly along the river."

"Even so, six clan members died."

"The manor was destroyed too." Wu Long's eyes reddened slightly. "The Fierce Tiger Gang also sent word that we had to gather another eight thousand taels of silver and deliver it to them before they'd let the clan leader return."

"Otherwise!"

"Not only will the clan leader die, but they'll destroy our other manor south of the city as well. The Wu Clan will never set foot outside the city again."

The faces of the Wu Clan elders darkened. A trace of anger showed on Wu Yuan's face.

They had killed people, destroyed a manor, and still demanded another eight thousand taels of silver?

This was too much.

"Are we going to bow our heads?" Wu Yuan asked softly.

Since they had called him back to help gather the silver, it was clear the Wu Clan had chosen to submit and back down.

"If we don't, what else can we do?" Wu Dongyao said with a bitter smile. "The clan leader is in their hands, and the Fierce Tiger Gang is ten times stronger than our Wu Clan. If we really fought them, we might be able to hurt them, but the Wu Clan would be finished."

"Even if we don't go rescue the clan leader, we'll be in trouble if we can't leave the city. Our clan won't be able to make a living."

Wu Yuan fell silent.

There was no way to run a cloth business without leaving the city. It was hardly realistic to think they could buy raw materials within the city.

Living in Li City was no easy matter.

Several hundred people had to eat and drink every day, which alone cost a great deal. If money only went out and none came in, the Wu Clan wouldn't last long.

"Do we have enough money?" Wu Yuan asked.

"Selling some properties, plus what you've given us, should just about be enough," Sixth Uncle, the bookkeeper, sighed. "But the news has already spread. Every family is driving the price down, so we can't get much for the properties."

Wu Yuan nodded.

Since ancient times, those who lent a helping hand in a blizzard had been few, while those who kicked a man when he was down were many.

"What about the main clan?" Wu Yuan asked softly. "Can we ask them for help? And what about the government office?"

"As long as the Fierce Tiger Gang doesn't come into the city to kill people or massacre villages and towns on a large scale, the government office won't lift a finger," Wu Dongyao said, shaking his head. "As for the main clan, it's over a thousand miles away. Just getting the news to them will take several days."

"Besides..."

"Even if the main clan wanted to help, distant water can't quench an immediate thirst. Could they really do anything to the Fierce Tiger Gang?" Wu Dongyao sighed.

Wu Yuan understood.

There was no one they could count on.

If the Fierce Tiger Gang targeted all the cloth merchants or a large area of manors and villages, they wouldn't be able to hold them down. But they were targeting only the Wu Clan, so it wouldn't provoke much backlash. The other families were happy to watch the show.

"Uncles, I'm going to see the dean today," Wu Yuan said.

"Dean Zhang is powerful, but he can't command the two armies." The black-robed young man beside them shook his head, clearly not expecting much.

"Wu Yuan."

The bookkeeper, Sixth Uncle, said, "Go. Dean Zhang has many friends. If he's willing to help, perhaps he can find a way to rescue the clan leader."

"Understood." Wu Yuan nodded and left the meeting hall at once.

The others watched Wu Yuan's retreating figure.

"Sixth Uncle," Wu Dongyao said with a frown. "It's not just that the Martial Academy won't get involved. Even if they were willing, what could they do?"

"We all know it won't help." Sixth Uncle, the bookkeeper, shook his head slightly. "But Wu Yuan wants to do his part for the clan. Are we supposed to reject him? That would only make him suffer even more."

"Constantly giving him support won't make him feel that he belongs."

"Only if he gives something of himself will he form a bond with the clan that he can't sever," Sixth Uncle said.

The others in the meeting hall fell into thought.

"Enough."

"Let's leave Wu Yuan be. He can do what he wants. We'll keep thinking of a way to gather the silver. The sooner we rescue the clan leader, the better."

After leaving the meeting hall, Wu Yuan said just a few words to his mother before leaving the Wu Clan Ancestral Residence.

"Go see Dean Zhang?" Wu Yuan shook his head slightly.

He wasn't naive.

In the adult world, everything came down to interests.

Why would the dean oppose a powerful gang for the sake of the Wu Clan? What benefit would he get out of it? In Wu Yuan's eyes, the whole affair reeked of a scheme.

"The Fierce Tiger Gang?" Wu Yuan walked down the street.

His mind replayed scene after scene of the clan leader helping his family, as well as the six bodies lying in the courtyard of the ancestral residence just moments ago.

Of the eight clan members who had died, two could not even be brought home for burial.

"It seems..."

"I can only rely on myself." A flash of killing intent passed through Wu Yuan's eyes.

...He returned home along a familiar route, changed into a new outfit he had bought recently but never worn, then used Bone Shifting to disguise himself as a tall, thin young man.

Wu Yuan headed straight for the Starry Group.

This time, he wasn't going to buy pills. He was going to buy real weapons, the kind that had seen blood.

Since he would be fighting to the death, choosing the right weapon came first.