Red Sun Gang

Chen Xuan spurred his horse onward.

Before he had gone far, he saw a wooden sign standing by the roadside. Five large characters were written on it: "Guiyuan Sect Station," with an arrow drawn beside them.

Following the arrow through two alleys, Chen Xuan arrived before a sizable estate.

The plaque at the estate entrance bore the eight words, "Guiyuan Sect Lianshan City Station." The calligraphy possessed a majestic air; one glance was enough to tell it had come from a master's hand.

Two guards stood at the entrance. Seeing Chen Xuan approach in the attire of a Guiyuan Sect outer disciple, they immediately stepped forward. "Are you a senior brother from the Guiyuan Sect?"

"That's right." Chen Xuan nodded, dismounted, and handed over his letter of recommendation. "Guiyuan Sect outer disciple Chen Xuan, ordered to come here for garrison duty."

The guard accepted the document and examined it carefully. Once he confirmed it was genuine, 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."

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

"All right."

Chen Xuan nodded and followed the guard into the estate.

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

The guard led Chen Xuan to the main hall in the front courtyard to wait, then headed to the inner courtyard to inform Senior Brother Zhao.

Before long.

A young man of twenty-seven or twenty-eight strolled into the hall. He wore a green robe, his face resolute and his gaze carrying a steady, composed air.

Upon seeing Chen Xuan, he smiled faintly and cupped his hands. "I am Zhao Yuanshan. May I ask how this junior brother is addressed?"

"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 well."

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, wearing an attentive expression.

"Junior Brother, you must have heard of Tiannan Prefecture's situation while in the sect." Zhao Yuanshan said, "This place lies at the junction of three sects. To fight for control over the various cities, the three sects scheme against each other openly and in the shadows. People die here almost every day."

"In such chaos, basically no one in the sect is willing to come. If we relied only on the few men the sect sends each month, it would not even be enough to maintain the situation, much less expand. That is why we need to rely on Tiannan Prefecture's local forces."

"Thus, Steward Sun established a gang in the city."

"A gang?"

Chen Xuan's heart stirred.

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

"I understand."

Chen Xuan nodded, thoughtful.

Although all three sects wanted to seize control of Tiannan Prefecture, in order to prevent the conflict from escalating beyond control, they agreed that only disciples of the Body Tempering Realm and Zhuqi Realm could enter. Experts above the Zhuqi Realm were not permitted to interfere casually in Tiannan Prefecture's affairs. Whoever broke the rules first would face the joint siege of the other two powers.

Since experts above the Zhuqi Realm could not enter, any Body Tempering Realm or Zhuqi Realm disciple with even a little influence would pull strings in secret to avoid being assigned to Tiannan Prefecture. Only unlucky wretches without any backing, or those who had offended someone in the sect, would be sent to Tiannan Prefecture to die.

Therefore, 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 only sent a handful of people each month, far too few to suffice. Without recruiting locals, they could not even arrange the daily patrols.

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

Chen Xuan followed Zhao Yuanshan out of the station. They walked north along the main street of the southern district for about a quarter of an hour before arriving at an imposing estate.

Two plaques hung at the entrance.

One read: Red Sun Gang.

The other read: Guiyuan Sect Lianshan City Coordination Office.

"Master Zhao!"

Four burly men stood at the entrance, long sabers hanging at their waists. Seeing Zhao Yuanshan, they all bowed in salute.

"Mm."

Zhao Yuanshan nodded and led Chen Xuan inside.

The Red Sun Gang's estate was more than twice the size of the station. The Brotherhood Hall in the front courtyard was where the gang leader and elders discussed matters.

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 through the training ground and arrived outside a study deep in the rear courtyard. He knocked lightly on the door. "Steward, the sect has sent a new disciple."

"Come in!"

A deep voice came from within the study.

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

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

Behind the desk sat a middle-aged man in his fifties. He was somewhat plump, with a round face and a pair of small eyes narrowed into slits, looking like an amiable wealthy old man.

Yet the aura emanating from him made Chen Xuan's heart tighten. It was the presence unique to a Zhuqi Realm expert.

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 by the Guiyuan Sect in Lianshan City and also the Red Sun Gang's leader.

"Disciple Chen Xuan greets Steward Sun."

Chen Xuan stopped before the desk and cupped his fists.

Sun Tianxing's gaze settled on Chen Xuan as 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, the deeper one hid one's trump cards, the better. One must never let others know one's true realm.

His actual cultivation was the Ninth Stage of Body Tempering, Huajin Realm. But displaying it outright would draw too much attention.

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

Chen Xuan answered neither humbly nor arrogantly.

"The seventh stage of Body Tempering?"

Sun Tianxing narrowed his eyes, seeming somewhat surprised.

He had thought this unlucky fellow assigned to Tiannan Prefecture would be at most at the fifth or sixth stage of Body Tempering. He had not expected him to be at the seventh stage.

The seventh stage of Body Tempering might not be considered outstanding among outer disciples, but it was certainly not bad.

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