"Heh, don't be nervous. It's not like we're meeting for the first time, you and me."
Seeing Han Qi's dazed expression, Liu Chu walked up to him and said with a smile.
"What should I call you now, the Black Dragon Gang Leader or A Chu?"
Han Qi's expression was complicated.
"Call me A Chu in private. But I don't want to lead the Black Dragon Gang under my real identity for now. When there are outsiders around, just call me Gang Leader."
Liu Chu spoke earnestly. "I'm short on manpower right now, and it's hard to know whether these subordinates of mine might deceive their superiors and conceal things from them. So I'd like to ask you to join the Black Dragon Gang and help me manage it."
"I remember your old dream was to become a hall master in the Golden Fish Gang. Starting today... you'll be the Black Dragon Gang's fourth hall master!"
"Fourth hall master!"
Han Qi's heart leaped. This had been his dream ever since he joined the Golden Fish Gang, and now it was within easy reach!
But after the initial excitement, Han Qi still shook his head. "A... A Chu, I can join the Black Dragon Gang and help you, but I can't accept the hall master position."
"Why not?"
Liu Chu had a vague idea of what Han Qi was thinking, but still asked in confusion.
Han Qi's gaze was firm. "You're right. Before, I had my priorities backward and never truly realized that only strength gives you confidence."
"The hall masters of every gang are Grade-Entry Realm martial artists. If I became a hall master, the people in the gang wouldn't obey me!"
He looked seriously at Liu Chu. "You're now the leader of a gang, and the gap between us has grown into a chasm before I even noticed. I have to work hard at cultivation and break through into the Grade-Entry Realm as soon as possible!"
"Good!"
Liu Chu looked pleased and encouraged him. "Since you're so determined, I won't force you. But I'll give you a hall master's benefits in private, so you can focus on cultivating without worrying about resources."
He knew Han Qi had a sum of silver and wasn't short of money for the time being. Still, he gave him a hall master's benefits so he could cultivate without holding back and worrying about resources.
Han Qi pondered for a moment, then nodded firmly. "All right!"
His desire to cultivate was urgent now, so he didn't refuse.
More income meant more cultivation resources, and resources were crucial to entering the Grade-Entry Realm.
Many martial artists who hadn't entered the Grade-Entry Realm lacked sufficient cultivation resources. Han Qi's talent wasn't bad, and the main reasons he hadn't entered the realm back then were that he'd had too little time and too few resources.
By contrast, direct descendants of some martial lineages had abundant cultivation resources and could generally enter the Grade-Entry Realm.
But even so, only a handful managed to break through into the Eighth-Rank Tendon Refining Realm. Out of ten Skin Refining Realm martial artists, it wasn't even certain that one would eventually break through into the Tendon Refining Realm!
Seeing Han Qi growing impatient, Liu Chu quickly advised him, "Keep a level head. Don't compare yourself to others..."
He was afraid Han Qi might follow Xu Haoran down the same old road, so he told him what had happened.
"So that's what happened... Don't worry, I won't get impatient."
After hearing Liu Chu out, Han Qi was shaken. He had to admit that seeing Liu Chu's achievements had stirred a little competitive feeling in him.
"By the way, you have quite a reputation in the Golden Fish Gang. Could you help me recruit some of its members who are still on the run?"
Liu Chu suddenly added.
The Black Dragon Gang couldn't consist entirely of Green Tiger Gang members; that would work against him. It would be better to bring in some Golden Fish Gang members too, so the two sides could keep each other in check and watch over each other.
"No problem. Leave it to me!"
Han Qi thumped his chest in assurance.
Han Qi was indeed efficient.
The next day, he brought Hall Master Feng Sheng and dozens of former Golden Fish Gang members to join the Black Dragon Gang!
Feng Sheng had joined the Black Dragon Gang for a simple reason. First, Liu Chu's strength made him feel safer following him.
Second, the Black Dragon Gang now had only three hall masters and was still rebuilding. By joining, Feng Sheng would become its fourth hall master, with greater authority.
The Black Dragon Gang now controlled territory from both the Golden Fish Gang and the Green Tiger Gang. It was at the height of its influence, and with more people and less territory, the Changle Gang naturally couldn't compare.
On top of that, the Black Dragon Gang Leader had killed the Green Tiger Gang Leader, avenging the Golden Fish Gang. The act also stood up to scrutiny by the rules of the martial world.
As usual, Liu Chu summoned Feng Sheng alone and questioned him. He learned that Feng Sheng cultivated the Dragon-Tiger Nourishing Practice.
When he was young, Feng Sheng had studied martial arts at the Dragon Tiger Martial Arts Hall. His experience was much like that of the Green Tiger Gang's hall master who had studied at Flying Eagle Martial Hall: both had left their schools before entering the Grade-Entry Realm and joined a gang.
Later, he never gave up cultivating. After years of grinding away, he eventually broke through into the Grade-Entry Realm by sheer luck.
No wonder he thinks so highly of Han Qi. They're fellow disciples...
A look of sudden understanding crossed Liu Chu's mind.
Quite a few people had experiences like Feng Sheng's. Han Qi, for instance, had failed to learn martial arts at a martial arts hall, then joined a gang to make a living. Though he had no cultivation, his bare-handed skills were still better than those of ordinary people.
Still, most people ultimately failed to break through into the Grade-Entry Realm, and quite a few even died in gang fights.
Liu Chu wasn't disappointed that he hadn't obtained any cultivation manuals from Feng Sheng.
After all, he already had the Rolling Thunder Nourishing Practice and the Thunderclap Blade Technique. For the time being, he wasn't short of cultivation methods.
He had only asked as usual, on the off chance there might be something to gain.
Over the next few days, he cultivated while occasionally handling gang affairs.
He also sent Ruan Jin and Feng Sheng to the Black Market to buy Treasure Fish.
A few days later, he stood by the pond, gazing at the eleven Treasure Fish swimming in its clear water, and looked satisfied.
The six Treasure Fish had cost him over a hundred taels of silver. Now he had less than four hundred taels left.
"But it was all worth it!"
Liu Chu didn't feel the pinch. He ordered his men to fish out the Treasure Fish and take them to his main hall.
By the time he returned to the main hall, the Treasure Fish had already been delivered.
After dismissing everyone, he focused his mind. "Sacrifice!"
In an instant, ten Treasure Fish vanished into thin air.
Attribute Panel: Attribute Panel: Host: Liu Chu Comprehension Multiplier: 4x (Sacrifice Requirement: 30 Treasure Fish / 300 taels of silver, or 10 years of lifespan) Dragon-Tiger Nourishing Practice (Great Accomplishment, 28%) Dragon-Tiger Combat Art (Perfection) Dragon-Tiger Blade-Breaking Technique (Great Accomplishment, 13%)
"Comprehension increased to fourfold!"
Liu Chu's eyes lit up with delight, his heart surging. "I thought this sacrifice would raise my comprehension multiplier from 2x to 3x, but I never expected... it would be 4x!"
"Could it be that each sacrifice doubles the result?"
"Then next time, won't my comprehension double again, taking me straight to eightfold?"
Liu Chu's eyes gleamed, and he was thrilled.
Fourfold comprehension!
His comprehension had now reached four times its original value. He could absolutely be called a "genius"!
But once his excitement passed, he calmed himself and looked at the next sacrifice's requirements: "Thirty Treasure Fish, or three hundred taels of silver, or ten years of lifespan..."
"Thirty Treasure Fish... That won't be easy!"
Liu Chu looked troubled and dismissed the other option outright.
Three hundred taels of silver wouldn't be difficult. Though his assets had fallen below four hundred taels after buying six Treasure Fish, he still had more than enough to meet that requirement.
But the ten years of lifespan made him dismiss the idea immediately.
"What kind of joke is that? Ten years of lifespan is way too much!"
Though eightfold comprehension was tempting, the ten years of lifespan still made Liu Chu back down.
He would rather choose the first requirement: sacrifice thirty Treasure Fish!
But thirty Treasure Fish wouldn't be easy to obtain either. Even at an average of twenty-five taels each, they would cost seven hundred and fifty taels of silver.
"Treasure Fish are special, and their numbers are limited. That makes them completely different from other goods. One or two might be cheaper, but in large quantities, they actually cost more... And it could even draw the attention of some important figures..."
Liu Chu couldn't help but feel a headache coming on.
For other goods, the larger the quantity, the bigger the discount. But Treasure Fish were far too scarce. Thirty of them would make up almost half the total number circulating throughout Zhaojiang City.
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