Red Sun Gang

Chen Xuan urged his horse onward.

Before he had gone far, he spotted a wooden sign by the roadside bearing the five large characters, "Guiyuan Sect Lianshan City Station," with an arrow drawn beside them.

Following the arrow's directions and passing through two alleys, Chen Xuan arrived before a sizable residence.

The plaque over the residence's entrance bore the eight characters, "Guiyuan Sect Lianshan City Station." The calligraphy was grand and imposing; one glance was enough to tell that it had come from a master's hand.

Two guards stood at the gate. Seeing Chen Xuan approach in the robes of a Guiyuan Sect Outer Disciple, they immediately stepped forward. "Could you be a senior brother of the Guiyuan Sect?"

"That's right!" Chen Xuan nodded, dismounted, and handed over his letter of recommendation. "Outer Disciple Chen Xuan of the Guiyuan Sect, ordered to come and take up station here."

The guard accepted the document and examined it carefully. Once he confirmed there was no mistake, a smile appeared on his face. "Senior Brother, please come in. I'll notify Senior Brother Zhao at once."

"Senior Brother, leave the horse to me. I'll look after it."

The other guard stepped forward, took the reins, and tied the horse to the hitching post outside the gate.

"Alright."

Chen Xuan nodded and followed the guard into the residence.

The courtyard was spacious, its ground paved with blue bricks and kept fairly clean. Yet it seemed rather deserted—not a single disciple was in sight. Several old locust trees stood in the corners, their branches and leaves sparse as they struggled to stay alive.

The guard led Chen Xuan to sit and wait in the front hall, while he headed into the inner courtyard to notify Senior Brother Zhao.

Before long.

A young man of twenty-seven or twenty-eight walked slowly into the hall. He wore a green robe, his features resolute, with a steady air in his eyes.

Upon seeing Chen Xuan, he smiled faintly and cupped his hands. "I am Zhao Yuanshan. How should I address Junior Brother?"

"My name is Chen Xuan." Chen Xuan rose and returned the salute. "This junior brother has only just arrived. I hope Senior Brother will guide me generously."

Zhao Yuanshan waved a hand, signaling Chen Xuan to sit, then said, "First, I'll explain the Guiyuan Sect's current situation in Lianshan City. Then I'll take you to meet the steward."

"Please speak, Senior Brother."

Chen Xuan sat back down, looking all ears.

"Junior Brother, you must have heard about Tiannan Prefecture while you were in the sect." Zhao Yuanshan said, "This place lies at the border where the Three Great Sects meet. To fight for control over the various cities, the three sects openly and secretly contend with one another without end. People die here almost every day."

"In this chaos within chaos, basically no one in the sect is willing to come. If we relied only on the handful of men the sect sends each month, it would be nowhere near enough even to maintain the situation, much less expand. That is why we must borrow the strength of Tiannan Prefecture's local forces."

"So Steward Sun established a gang in the city."

"A gang?"

Chen Xuan's heart stirred.

"The gang established by Steward Sun is the Red Sun Gang. It recruits men from Lianshan City itself. Guarding the city gates, patrolling, collecting taxes, maintaining order, and so on are all handled by Red Sun Gang disciples." Zhao Yuanshan said, "Disciples dispatched from the sect also take up posts in the Red Sun Gang. Their assignments differ according to their cultivation, and Steward Sun makes the final decision on the specific positions."

"I understand."

Chen Xuan nodded, lost in thought.

Although all Three Great Sects wanted control over Tiannan Prefecture, to prevent the conflict from escalating beyond control, they had agreed that only disciples of the Body Tempering Realm and Zhuqi Realm could enter. Experts above the Zhuqi Realm were not permitted to interfere lightly in Tiannan Prefecture's affairs. Whoever broke the rule first would face the joint assault of the other two great powers.

Experts above the Zhuqi Realm could not enter. As for disciples in the Body Tempering Realm and Zhuqi Realm, anyone with even a little influence would pull strings in secret to avoid being transferred to Tiannan Prefecture. Only unlucky wretches without backing, or those who had offended someone in the sect, would be sent out to Tiannan Prefecture to die.

Thus, it was hardly strange for sect stations to rely on local gangs to keep themselves running in a chaotic place like Tiannan Prefecture.

The Guiyuan Sect sent only a few people here each month, far from enough. Without recruiting locals, they could not even arrange the daily patrols.

"Come, I'll take you to have a look at the Red Sun Gang." Zhao Yuanshan rose to his feet. "All sect disciples hold posts within the Red Sun Gang, so the station looks somewhat deserted. Aside from me, there is no one else there."

Chen Xuan followed Zhao Yuanshan out of the station. They headed north along Nancheng's main street for roughly a quarter of an hour, arriving before an imposing residence.

Two plaques hung at the entrance.

One read: Red Sun Gang.

The other read: Guiyuan Sect Lianshan City Coordination Office.

"Master Zhao!"

Four sturdy men stood at the gate, sabers at their waists. When they saw Zhao Yuanshan, they all bowed in salute.

"Mm."

Zhao Yuanshan nodded and led Chen Xuan inside.

The Red Sun Gang's residence was more than twice as large as the station. The Brotherhood Hall in the front courtyard was where the gang leader and elders discussed affairs.

Beyond the front courtyard lay a Martial Arts Arena paved with bluestone slabs. Weapon racks stood on both sides, stocked with every kind of blade, spear, sword, and halberd.

Zhao Yuanshan led Chen Xuan across the training ground and arrived outside a study deep within the rear courtyard. He knocked lightly on the door. "Steward, the sect has sent a new disciple."

"Come in!"

A deep voice sounded from within the study.

Zhao Yuanshan pushed open the door and stepped aside, allowing Chen Xuan to enter first.

The study was small and simply furnished: one desk, several chairs, and a bookshelf. A painting of Guiyuan Sect's mountain gate hung on the wall, with an incense table beneath it and curling smoke drifting upward.

Behind the desk sat a middle-aged man of around fifty. He was slightly plump, with a round face and narrow eyes squeezed into slits, looking like a genial wealthy gentleman.

Yet the aura emanating from him made Chen Xuan's heart tighten. It was the bearing that only a Zhuqi Realm expert possessed.

Even without deliberately releasing his aura, he was enough to make a Body Tempering Realm martial artist feel an invisible pressure.

This man was Sun Tianxing, the steward stationed in Lianshan City by the Guiyuan Sect and also the Red Sun Gang's leader.

"Disciple Chen Xuan greets Steward Sun."

Chen Xuan stopped before the desk and cupped his hands.

Sun Tianxing's gaze fell upon Chen Xuan. He looked him over from head to toe, then asked, "What is your cultivation?"

Chen Xuan had already made his calculations.

In a chaotic place like Tiannan Prefecture, one's trump cards naturally had to be hidden as deeply as possible. Never let others know one's true realm.

His true cultivation was the Ninth Stage of Body Tempering, Huajin Realm, but revealing it outright would draw far too much attention.

"Reporting to Steward Sun, this disciple is at the Seventh Stage of Body Tempering, Yangzang Realm."

Chen Xuan answered neither obsequiously nor arrogantly.

"The Seventh Stage of Body Tempering?"

Sun Tianxing narrowed his eyes, seeming somewhat surprised.

He had thought this unlucky wretch assigned to Tiannan Prefecture would at most be at the Fifth Stage of Body Tempering or Sixth Stage of Body Tempering. He had not expected him to be at the Seventh Stage of Body Tempering.

The Seventh Stage of Body Tempering might not rank among the best Outer Disciples, but it was by no means poor.

For someone with such cultivation to be assigned to Tiannan Prefecture, either he had no backing, or he had offended someone.