Big Brother

Zhang Shun greeted a handyman standing guard by the back door.

"We've got a new recruit."

After speaking, he handed over a black iron token.

Lin Qing could clearly see the number Nine engraved on it.

This seemed to mean Zhang Shun held a fairly high position in the Ge Pao Society.

The handyman glanced at the token and silently stepped aside.

Zhang Shun led Lin Qing down a narrow, steep staircase.

At the bottom of the stairs was not a storeroom, but a heavy wooden door.

When he pushed it open, a wave of smoke and sweat washed over them.

Beyond the door lay a spacious underground hall,

its walls hung with several large lanterns that cast a bright light.

A dozen or so masked people sat or stood inside, drinking and gambling. Most were dressed plainly.

But their eyes were keen and their auras steady. Clearly, they were no pushovers.

When they saw Zhang Shun bring someone in, some whispered among themselves while others wiped down their weapons.

But their gazes kept sweeping over Zhang Shun and Lin Qing.

Zhang Shun paid no attention to the others. He led Lin Qing straight to a private room at the far end of the hall and knocked.

"Big Brother, I've brought him."

"Come in," came a languid voice.

Zhang Shun led Lin Qing inside.

Two attendants in black then shut the door behind them.

It was a spacious inner room. A broad-backed armchair stood inside, with a man seated in it, puffing away at a long-stemmed pipe.

He showed his true face. He looked to be in his forties, short and stocky, with dark skin and a large mole on the left side of his chin.

He wore a somewhat worn silk robe. He looked less like a powerful gang leader and more like a shrewd shopkeeper.

So this was the man Zhang Shun had mentioned.

The Big Brother in charge of the Ge Pao Society's Qingping County branch: Luo Tiancheng.

"Big Brother, I've brought him."

Zhang Shun stepped forward and spoke respectfully.

He shifted aside to make way for Lin Qing. "This is Brother Lin Qing."

Luo Tiancheng set down his pipe and looked Lin Qing up and down. A seemingly amiable smile appeared on his face.

"Oh? So this is the young master Lin who made the Farmer Twin Fists bite the dust?"

"Young heroes really do come from the ranks of the young."

His voice was booming, with a distinctive warmth to it.

It made people lower their guard without even realizing it.

Lin Qing did not dare be lax. He stepped forward, clasped his fists, and bowed, neither obsequious nor arrogant.

"This junior Lin Qing pays his respects to Big Brother Luo. My meager skills were no more than a lucky fluke. I hardly deserve your praise."

"Heh heh, there's no need to be so modest."

Luo Tiancheng waved a hand, indicating Lin Qing needn't stand on ceremony.

"Taking care of the Sun Brothers wasn't something you could chalk up to luck."

"I know a little about you. You're the young master of Benevolent World Hall, the newly accepted disciple of Iron Wire Fist Hong Yuan. You've got good perception, and broke through Skin Refining after just over two months. Now you're on the verge of breaking through again."

"And you know how to compound medicines, too. Business at Benevolent World Hall is booming under your care. Even some of the families in the Inner City only trust your shop's medicinal ingredients."

He recited Lin Qing's background as if listing familiar facts, speaking casually, as though they were chatting about everyday matters.

But Lin Qing felt a chill in his heart.

Luo Tiancheng knew far more about him than he had imagined.

Even relatively private matters, such as his impending breakthrough into the Second Barrier Realm and his work compounding medicinal ingredients, were known to him.

The reach of his intelligence network was truly frightening.

Luo Tiancheng seemed pleased by the surprise in Lin Qing's eyes. He took a puff of his pipe, leisurely blew out a string of smoke rings, and looked rather pleased with himself.

"Kid, no need to be surprised. In Qingping County, there's very little I can't find out if I want to."

"Forget your little affairs. I even know which guard captain spent the night under the covers with the county magistrate's most beloved concubine yesterday."

The two masked men who seemed to be guarding the door also grinned knowingly at this.

Clearly, they were quite interested in this kind of gossip.

Lin Qing's mouth twitched slightly. He was at a loss for words at how bluntly the Big Brother spoke—and at the explosive nature of what he said.

But he now understood completely that this seemingly ordinary, short, stocky middle-aged man

commanded an underground intelligence network that had likely seeped into every corner of Qingping County.

He was a true local kingpin, and in some respects, even more influential than the White Horse Gang.

Joining an organization like this meant both risks and opportunities.

Afterward, Lin Qing received his own token, Number Ninety-Four.

There were also various assignments, but he could only get them from his superior. No one else was allowed to know about them.

This meant that within the Ge Pao Society, no one knew anyone else's identity. Only the Big Brother and each member's superior knew who they were.

Their secrecy was certainly thorough.

Several days passed.

Since that day, when he had met Big Brother Luo Tiancheng in the underground hall

and officially joined the Ge Pao Society,

Zhang Shun had become noticeably warmer and friendlier toward Lin Qing.

He no longer simply admired him as a promising outer disciple from the same school.

Now he treated him with the consideration of one of his own.

In his spare time, Lin Qing continued preparing the medicinal ingredients needed for Tendon Strengthening Powder at the apothecary.

But the deer sinew needed to be soaked with other medicinal ingredients for a while, so he still had to wait some days before he could actually make it.

One day, during a break from training at the martial arts school,

Zhang Shun slung an arm around Lin Qing's shoulders and grinned mischievously.

"Junior Brother Lin, now that we're sworn brothers, there are some good things your senior brother ought to keep you in mind for."

"You're not so young anymore. Are you married? Is there a girl you're interested in?"

The unexpected question caught Lin Qing off guard. He smiled wryly and shook his head.

"Senior Brother Zhang, you're teasing me. My family business isn't stable yet, and I haven't made anything of myself in martial arts. Every day, I'm either managing the apothecary or burying myself in training. How would I have the time to think about that?"

"Ah, that's where you're wrong!"

Zhang Shun gave him a look that said he didn't understand and gave his shoulder a hearty slap. "Starting a family and establishing a career go hand in hand. You don't know this, but some wealthy young ladies in our circle are fond of young martial artists like you—promising and handsome."

"If you can marry a rich woman, you'll rise to the top in one leap. You'll never have to worry about food or drink for the rest of your life, and you'll have a steady stream of cultivation resources. Why keep scraping by like you do now?"

Zhang Shun leaned closer, his voice full of encouragement. "As it happens, tomorrow I'm meeting up with a few senior brothers and sisters from the school, as well as Junior Sister Liu Ying, the new disciple from the Liu Family. We're gathering at River Gazing Pavilion in the Inner City."

"They're all disciples personally taught by Master, the core of our school. I'll take you along to broaden your horizons. Heh heh, if you can strike up a good relationship with Junior Sister Liu, it'll be a heaven-sent opportunity."

As Zhang Shun spoke, it was clear he was trying to play matchmaker.

"Liu Ying? The young lady from the Liu Family with exceptional aptitude, whom Hong Yuan personally took into the inner sect?"

Lin Qing recalled the exceptionally talented young woman.

"That's her. She's publicly turned down Senior Brother Feng's advances. Now, because she's afraid he'll keep pestering her, she's said she wants to find herself a few outstanding young men." Zhang Shun smiled knowingly.

Lin Qing's heart stirred slightly.

He had no particular interest in romance, nor any desire to ingratiate himself with anyone.

But he knew well that in Qingping County,

connections and information were crucial.

This chance to meet the true inner circle of the martial arts school and learn about the inner disciples' temperaments and backgrounds

might even let him hear things he wouldn't normally have the chance to find out.

For him, the benefits outweighed the drawbacks.

As for Zhang Shun's little matchmaking scheme, Lin Qing knew how to handle himself.

After a moment's thought, he nodded. "In that case, thank you for looking out for me, Senior Brother."