Black Dragon Guardian, Forcible Seizure

Everyone rushed to the front courtyard.

Three men in black stood at the entrance. The one in the center was robust, wearing a plain straw hat with a playful expression on his face.

To the side, Guard Zhan Chaoyang was curled up on the ground, his right arm dripping with blood as he groaned in agony.

The other guards looked tense, standing in a standoff with the three men, not daring to move an inch.

"Master..."

Zhan Chaoyang spoke with great difficulty.

"Carry Guard Zhan over for treatment!"

Han Zhengming waved his hand, immediately ordering the handymen.

Two handymen hurried to comply.

The three men in black did not stop them, allowing the handymen to carry Zhan Chaoyang away, with the man in the straw hat looking on as if he were watching a show.

"Guard Zhan, are you alright?"

Han Zhengming asked with concern.

As he spoke, Shen Han also crouched down to carefully examine the injury.

"Master, the three of them insisted on breaking in."

Zhan Chaoyang was already drenched in sweat from the pain. "I am incompetent. I tried to stop them with my blade, but that man in the straw hat used only two fingers to snap my blade in half and shatter the meridians in my right hand..."

Everyone glanced over.

Sure enough, the long blade that Guard Zhan carried was broken into two pieces.

His right arm hung limp, seemingly devoid of sensation.

No way, he could do that with just two fingers? Just how strong was that man in the straw hat?

Sizzle!

Shen Han's silver needle pierced into Zhan Chaoyang's arm.

Upon inspection, he discovered that Zhan Chaoyang's injury was extremely severe; he had to lock the meridians immediately, or recovery would be difficult.

"Young Doctor Shen, I leave it to you..."

Zhan Chaoyang gritted his teeth and said.

Shen Han said calmly, "Guard Zhan, rest assured, I guarantee you will recover as good as new."

He pulled out the silver needle and personally applied medicine and bandages.

This was him demonstrating his perfected medical skills in public; whether it was his acupuncture technique or the speed of his movements, everything was breathtaking. Many people watched in stunned silence; no wonder he had become such a favorite—this method of treatment was truly one of a kind!

Soon, color clearly returned to Zhan Chaoyang's face.

Han Zhengming also breathed a sigh of relief.

"Beautiful, Hanging Pot Medical Hall truly is full of talented people!"

The man in the straw hat spoke up.

Han Zhengming asked in a deep voice, "Who exactly are you, sir? And what grudge do you have against my medical hall?"

"Easy, easy. I am the Right Protector of the Black Dragon Gang, Cai Long!"

What?

A protector of the Black Dragon Gang!

The hundreds of people in the medical hall were all shocked.

Among the top three powers of Three Rivers County, the "One Hall and Two Gangs," the Black Dragon Gang was one of them.

Recently, the Black Dragon Gang and the Green Garment Gang had been in conflict.

But at such a critical juncture, why would the Black Dragon Gang come to Hanging Pot Medical Hall to stir up trouble?

"Master, this guy is at least in the Tendon Refining realm; none of us are his match..."

Zhan Chaoyang covered his arm and whispered.

He was stating a fact. Facing an expert in the Tendon Refining realm, even if everyone in the medical hall charged at him, it would be a futile sacrifice.

Shen Han stared silently at Cai Long, pondering to himself.

This Black Dragon Gang protector, Cai Long, was certainly no pushover. Being able to suppress the entire medical hall by himself, he was much more formidable than Hall Master Kong Xuan of the Long Blade Sect whom he had encountered outside Stone Snake Town.

Han Zhengming thought for a moment and said, "Protector Cai, has my medical hall offended your esteemed gang in some way?"

"Haha!"

Cai Long burst into wild laughter and took off his straw hat. "That's not it. Master Han is overthinking things."

"If that is the case, what is Protector Cai's intention?"

"Hanging Pot Medical Hall brings in a fortune every day and is bound to be targeted by evildoers. Our Gang Leader Du of the Black Dragon Gang has a heart of a bodhisattva, so he specifically ordered me to bring my men to provide protection for the medical hall."

"I don't quite understand..."

Han Zhengming said.

Cai Long stepped forward two paces: "Heh heh, it's very simple. If you want to receive the protection of our gang, you must pay a protection fee."

A protection fee!

Once these three words were uttered, everyone understood.

So much for a heart of gold; it was clearly just extortion, merely finding a high-sounding excuse for it.

"Protector Cai, what if this hall does not require protection?"

Han Zhengming exhaled heavily and asked.

"Oh?"

Cai Long was unhurried, "The world is not peaceful these days. Without the protection of our Black Dragon Gang, perhaps one physician in your medical hall will die every single day."

"This..."

The physicians were silent as cicadas in winter.

Clearly, Cai Long was making a threat.

If Master Han did not pay the protection fee, the Black Dragon Gang would certainly strike ruthlessly! To the high and mighty Black Dragon Gang, killing a few physicians was nothing, and wiping out the entire medical hall would not take the slightest bit of effort!

Having said that, Cai Long waited patiently.

The people in the medical hall trembled in their hearts, not daring to breathe loudly, waiting with bated breath for Master Han to make a decision.

Shen Han naturally had no intention of sticking his neck out.

His cultivation was only at the Skin Refining stage; he was no match for the Tendon Refining expert before him.

What's more, Cai Long had the entire Black Dragon Gang behind him.

The gang leader's cultivation had even reached the Bone Refining realm, and he had few rivals in the entirety of Three Rivers County.

"Protector Cai, how much is the protection fee?"

Finally, facing the powerful, Han Zhengming chose to concede.

Cai Long chuckled: "Master Han is indeed wise. The protection fee is collected monthly. Since your Hanging Pot Medical Hall is a large establishment, three hundred taels of silver per month will suffice."

Three hundred taels every month?

Han Zhengming gasped. At this rate, all the increased profits would end up in the pockets of the Black Dragon Gang.

"What, is Master Han not very willing?"

Cai Long said with a sinister tone.

As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly sprang up and flew into the air, kicking a willow tree nearby.

Crack!

In the blink of an eye, the willow tree, which required a person to wrap their arms around, snapped with a boom.

Is this the strength of a Tendon Refining martial artist?

The people in the medical hall shivered.

Helpless, Han Zhengming turned to Qian Cheng and said: "Supervisor Qian, go fetch three hundred taels in silver notes."

Soon, Qian Cheng returned with the silver notes and handed them respectfully to Cai Long.

"Master Han is very sensible. I won't disturb you any further."

Cai Long snatched the silver notes, "I'm off. I still have five other places to visit today. I wish Master Han and your hall prosperous business."

The three of them disappeared outside the medical hall.

Whew... Only then did everyone's tense hearts finally relax a little.

"Master, three hundred taels of protection fee a month means three thousand six hundred taels a year. We..."

Qian Cheng said with a pale face.

Han Zhengming sighed: "The situation is stronger than the people; spending money to avoid disaster is a helpless move. We are not the only victims. You heard them, they are going to continue causing trouble for others. I hope the County Yamen can deal with them and take action soon to wipe them out."

But everyone knew clearly that this was almost impossible.

With just a bunch of half-baked Constables at the County Yamen, what could they use to wipe out the powerful Black Dragon Gang?

"Why do you think the Black Dragon Gang suddenly came to demand money?"

"It must be because their conflict with the Green Garment Gang has consumed a lot of silver and resources."

"So, they came to fleece us?"

"What else can we do? Not paying means death."

The celebration banquet, which had been going so well with everyone enjoying themselves, now had to be brought to a hasty end.

The crowd dispersed one after another, each burdened with their own heavy thoughts.

"Master, what are your plans?" Qian Cheng asked.

"I will cover these costs myself. The monthly wages for the physicians, apprentices, and laborers will remain exactly as they should be."

"I understand."

"Guard Zhan, how are you feeling now?"

Han Zhengming turned to ask Zhan Chaoyang.

Zhan Chaoyang hurriedly replied, "Reporting to the Master, much better."

Han Zhengming patted Shen Han on the shoulder: "Little Shen, I leave Guard Zhan's injuries to you."

"Understood, I will go brew a dose of Blood-Activating Powder immediately."

Shen Han asked Zhan Chaoyang to wait a moment at Clinic No. 13, then set about brewing the medicine himself; he had a few questions he needed to ask Zhan Chaoyang in private.