At night, a quarter past seven.
The four men had arrived at the Golden Buddha Temple west of the city.
They stood ten zhang from the temple gate.
A steady stream of wild voices spilled from inside.
"Wait here."
Han Zhengming furrowed his brow and took a deep breath, preparing to go in alone.
"No. We're going together."
Qian Cheng and the two guards replied in unison.
"All right, then."
The four huddled close together and strode into the abandoned Golden Buddha Temple.
The temple was still in utter disarray.
A fire burned before the reclining Sleeping Buddha. An old man and two young martial artists, a man and a woman, sat around it, drinking and eating meat.
One of them was older, around sixty.
The other two were a young man and woman in their early twenties.
"Master!"
A cry of alarm came from a corner beside the Sleeping Buddha.
A small, skinny old man, bound all over and covered in wounds, lay curled up there. It was Huang Tie.
"Elder Huang, are you all right?"
Han Zhengming hurried forward, his face full of concern.
Huang Tie trembled violently. "Master, why would you put yourself in danger like this..."
"Hahaha!"
The old man eating meat burst into laughter. "Master Han, didn't I tell you the truth?"
As he spoke, he drew a blade from behind him with a swift whoosh.
"You... You're from the Long Blade Sect!" one of the guards exclaimed.
The old man's blade was the Long Blade Sect's signature weapon.
In Three Rivers County, aside from the three top powers—the clinic and the two gangs—there were four mid-sized factions. The Long Blade Sect was one of them, and it was fairly well known.
"Bah!" the young woman, Zhao Shuang, scoffed. "Nonsense. My master cut all ties with the Long Blade Sect long ago!"
"That's right. Well said, junior sister," the young man, Yan Feiyun, chimed in. "Once the three of us have mastered our divine arts, we'll storm the Long Blade Sect, kill that old bastard Qu Dai, and help Master take the sect leader's seat!"
"All right, all right."
The old man waved a hand to stop their flattery. "Master Han, I didn't expect your people to have such a sharp eye. But as my two beloved disciples said, the Long Blade Sect stripped me of my hall master position. Wen He and I have been sworn enemies for two years now."
Han Zhengming frowned. "If that's so, Master Wen, why did you kidnap someone from my Hanging Pot Medical Hall?"
Wen He gave a sinister chuckle. "One word: money."
As he spoke, he grabbed his wine gourd.
After a few swigs, half the wine was gone.
"Master Wen, tell me. How much do you want?"
Han Zhengming knew the score. A former hall master of the Long Blade Sect was no pushover. The four of them stood no chance against him—not even if the entire medical hall's hundred-plus people were there.
So he had no choice but to accept the loss.
Fortunately, before leaving, he'd had Supervisor Qian bring five hundred taels in silver notes.
"Easy. Three thousand taels."
Wen He held up three fingers.
What?!
Han Zhengming was stunned.
The entire medical hall made only six thousand taels in profit in a year, and Wen He was demanding three thousand outright. Add in the Black Dragon Gang's extortion, and would they have to shut the hall down?
"Not willing?"
Wen He took another swig. "Oh, right. You can choose to resist, but those three are what will happen to you. Feiyun, go show Master Han."
"Yes, Master!"
Yan Feiyun walked over to a pile of straw on the other side of the Sleeping Buddha.
A tattered straw mat lay over the pile.
Yan Feiyun flicked it up with his blade. It tore into four pieces, revealing three corpses beneath, their bodies stained red with blood. Two were beggars. The third wore a servant's uniform from the medical hall and had no head. It was clearly Li Xunshan.
The gruesome sight made Han Zhengming and the others' scalps prickle.
"Master Wen, it's not that I won't pay you, but I didn't bring that much money."
"No matter. I'll give you one hour to go back and fetch it!"
"But..."
"What, you want to haggle?"
Wen He's expression turned savage in an instant.
The next moment, he spun around, raised his long blade, and slashed at the already damaged Sleeping Buddha.
Clang!
A thunderous crash rang out.
The Sleeping Buddha was hacked to pieces, and shattered stone flew everywhere.
Han Zhengming and the others scrambled back.
Some of the stones still struck them, hitting with enough force to leave them aching.
"Master Han, I don't want to waste my breath. If you want everyone in the medical hall to end up like this Sleeping Buddha, then don't pay."
Wen He gave a cold snort.
The four of them seethed with anger, but dared not speak.
Their opponent was powerful and relentless, and they had no way to fight back. Even with Guard Zhan here, there'd be nothing they could do.
After a long pause, Han Zhengming said, "Fine. I'll go raise the money now. But I'd like to take Elder Huang with me. Would you allow it, Master Wen?"
"Heh heh heh. Do you think I'm a fool?"
Wen He gave him a mocking smile. "Master Han, I won't repeat myself. Get your ass back there and fetch the money! You have one hour. If you're even a quarter-hour late, I'll cut off both his hands and feet!"
Yan Feiyun and Zhao Shuang also sneered without pause.
They'd long grown used to things like this. The number of people they'd extorted was beyond counting.
"Master, you don't have to do this for me..." Huang Tie gritted his teeth and managed to say.
Han Zhengming spoke gravely. "Bear with it for another hour, Elder Huang. I'll be right back."
With that, he left the Golden Buddha Temple with Qian Cheng and the two guards.
"We're really going back to get the money?" Qian Cheng asked.
Han Zhengming answered solemnly, "Yes. Money can be earned again, but once a person is gone, everything is gone.
"Come on. We'll be back as quickly as we can.
"Those three are ruthless. If they say they'll do something, they'll do it.
"The longer Elder Huang stays in their hands, the more danger he's in."
"Hahaha!"
Laughter rang out from inside the Golden Buddha Temple.
It was Yan Feiyun. "Master, just as you said, the people from the Hanging Pot Medical Hall really are easy to bully.
"Give them a little warning, kill a chicken to scare the monkeys, and they have no choice but to do as we say."
Wen He held his long blade over the fire, where it crackled and popped. "Those people wouldn't dare defy me."
"Master," Zhao Shuang chimed in, "but can they really gather enough silver for us in an hour?"
Wen He chuckled. "Shuang'er, you're worrying for nothing. The Hanging Pot Medical Hall does a very lucrative business in Three Rivers County. As its master, Han Zhengming can scrape together a few thousand taels.
"Once we get the money, I'll buy you two medicated meals to boost your strength."
"Thank you for raising us, Master!"
Yan Feiyun and Zhao Shuang were overjoyed and repeatedly poured wine for Wen He.
"By the way, Master."
After several cups, Yan Feiyun spoke again. "Are we keeping that physician alive?"
He was talking about Huang Tie in the corner.
Wen He grinned. "He's just a physician. Once we get the money, I'll cut him down. Does Han Zhengming dare fight back?"
Huang Tie shuddered all over as he listened.
Early that morning, he and his apprentice, Li Xunshan, had been kidnapped. Li Xunshan had been beheaded, and now these three thugs wanted money and planned to kill him afterward. How could he not be terrified?
Whoosh!
A cold wind swept through.
A black shadow quietly appeared at the entrance of the Golden Buddha Temple.
The three of them immediately turned to look.
"Who are you?" Zhao Shuang asked, her brow faintly furrowed.
The shadow sauntered in, looking hideous, yet wearing a carefree expression. It was Shen Han, who had followed them there.
Shen Han said casually, "You three, sorry to trouble you. I happened to pass by your fine establishment, and I'm cold, hungry, sleepy, and exhausted. Would you mind letting me come in to warm myself by the fire and have a drink?"
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