Rallying the Crowd

Su Xin's words left everyone present staring at him, dumbfounded. Even Huang Bingcheng, who had vaguely guessed what Su Xin was planning, was no exception.

What kind of man was Dai Chong, a senior leader of the Green Bamboo Gang? He was a powerful figure in the underworld with over a thousand men at his command. He had probably been in the game longer than Su Xin had been alive.

Besides, Dai Chong hadn't risen to his position through connections. He had fought his way there, blade by blade. To them, trying to kill Dai Chong was nothing short of an impossible fantasy.

"No! You can't go!" Ji Gang suddenly shouted from below, his face deathly pale.

He wasn't worried about Su Xin's safety. Su Xin's life or death meant nothing to him. But this move of Su Xin's would bring disaster down on the Flying Eagle Gang!

Whether or not Su Xin succeeded in assassinating Dai Chong, the Green Bamboo Gang would see it as a provocation by the Flying Eagle Gang.

That would make a war between the two gangs unavoidable. But the Flying Eagle Gang had neither the desire nor the preparation for a fight right now.

"What is it, Brother Ji? Do you have an objection?" Su Xin wore a faintly mocking smile.

"Su Xin! What you're doing is putting your own brothers in an impossible position! If you go after Dai Chong, whether you succeed or not, the consequences will be more than you can handle! We'll all be buried with you!"

Ji Gang couldn't afford to hold back anymore. If he didn't stop Su Xin, when the Flying Eagle Gang's leaders came down on them later, he'd be caught in the fallout too.

But if he managed to stop Su Xin's reckless plan, he could earn a reputation for seeing the bigger picture, and there'd surely be rewards in store for him.

"Well said!"

Su Xin clapped his hands and declared, "At first, I, Su Xin, was ready to stake my life to avenge our brothers who were unjustly killed. But as Brother Ji said, I can't drag everyone else down with me.

"So I'll leave the choice to all of you. If you agree with this plan, I, Su Xin, will risk my life to bring back the heads of Dai Chong and Zhang Hong!"

The gang members below looked at one another, at a loss. Ji Gang, meanwhile, froze for a moment before realizing what Su Xin was doing. He was retreating in order to advance!

In front of everyone, Su Xin had cut a tragic, noble figure, bent on avenging his brothers, and won himself plenty of goodwill.

Then Ji Gang had stepped forward to stop him, explaining the consequences. Su Xin had seized the chance to back down and leave the choice to everyone else.

Thinking of their own safety, the gang members certainly wouldn't agree to let Su Xin assassinate Dai Chong.

That way, Su Xin had not only restored his standing in the gang members' eyes, but also built up an even more solid authority.

Ji Gang had no choice but to lower his head in dismay. This time, Su Xin had used him.

Huang Bingcheng, meanwhile, could hardly keep from applauding Su Xin. That was one hell of a response!

But just then, several men who had been drinking with the gang member who'd been beaten to death stepped forward, grief and fury on their faces.

One tall, broad-shouldered man said, his eyes red, "Boss, Chen San can't have died for nothing! His two older brothers were both veterans of the Flying Eagle Gang. They died fighting the Green Bamboo Gang, and now all he has left at home is his blind mother.

"Since we started following you, Boss, our lives have gotten better. Just yesterday, while we were drinking, Chen San said that if he saved up silver for a few more months, he'd marry a wife to look after his mother. He'd barely finished saying it when he was gone!

"If we hadn't insisted that Chen San come drinking with us, things wouldn't have turned out this way. We don't want to drag the brothers down with us. We're leaving the Flying Eagle Gang now to kill those two bastards, Dai Chong and Zhang Hong!"

The men tore the Flying Eagle Gang emblems from their chests, their eyes bloodshot.

They had grown up together as brothers. They'd only just joined the Flying Eagle Gang, and the fire in their hearts had yet to die. If they didn't do something now, their consciences would haunt them for the rest of their lives!

Seeing those brothers like this, the other members of the Flying Eagle Gang felt their own eyes grow red. One after another, they tore off their gang emblems, ready to fight the Green Bamboo Gang to the death.

These young men, fresh from joining the gang, didn't think as much as an old hand like Huang Bingcheng. They didn't weigh this concern against that one.

Once their blood was up, they'd dare attack even the authorities, let alone Dai Chong.

The Flying Eagle Gang both liked and disliked putting young men like this to use.

These young men dared to fight and give everything they had, making them the gang's greatest strength in battles for territory.

At the same time, they were too impulsive and sometimes impossible to control, as they were now, leaving those in charge with a serious headache.

A sneer crept across Ji Gang's face.

So much for that! Did he think it was so easy to stir up the crowd? Now he was caught between a rock and a hard place. Ji Gang couldn't wait to see how Su Xin would get himself out of this.

But to Ji Gang's surprise, Su Xin showed no sign of panic. His expression remained perfectly calm.

"Brothers, stay calm!" Su Xin shouted.

The commotion below gradually died down. Su Xin said solemnly, "You don't need to go after Dai Chong for revenge. Someone beat one of my men to death. If I don't get justice for him, then I, Su Xin, am worse than useless. I said I'd bring back the heads of Dai Chong and Zhang Hong myself, and I will!"

Ji Gang froze. What did Su Xin mean? Was he really going through with it?

Su Xin's words thrilled the gang members present. They hadn't chosen the wrong boss after all!

Chen San's friends hurriedly said, "Boss, take us with you. If we can't avenge our brother with our own hands, we'll never be able to live with ourselves!"

"Count me in." A cold voice rang out.

When Li Huai emerged from the crowd, Su Xin was taken aback.

"This sounds like fun. I want in, too."

The gang members below glared angrily at Li Huai.

They were discussing how to avenge their brother. How could he call something so serious fun?

Su Xin looked at Li Huai and saw the battle lust in his eyes, along with a hint of excitement. For him, this probably was just something fun to do.

Ji Gang shouted furiously, "Li Huai, have you gone mad? Do you even know what he's doing? Instead of stopping him, you're joining in on his foolishness! Have you forgotten what Third Master Hu said?"

Li Huai stretched lazily and replied coldly, "The old man's gotten old. He's lost his edge and does nothing but give way to others. My sword hasn't tasted blood in so long, it's nearly rusted."

"You lunatic! You're a lunatic!"

Ji Gang couldn't understand Li Huai at all.

He wasn't just going along with Su Xin's foolishness; he was even calling Third Master Hu an old man in public. Did he not want to stay in the Flying Eagle Gang?

Li Huai ignored Ji Gang and turned to Su Xin. "Well? Can I come or not?"

"Of course. But you have to listen to me."

"I can listen to you, as long as you don't give stupid orders."

Su Xin shook his head and didn't take offense at Li Huai's tone. That was simply what he was like.

"Boss, what about us? Let us come, too." The tall man pleaded.

Su Xin thought for a moment, then asked, "What's your name?"

"Your humble servant is Li Qing," the tall man replied hurriedly.

"You can come, too, but I can only have you wait at the border between Joyful District and Yongle District, to cover our retreat. If you agree, I'll take you along."

Unlike Li Huai, they were not well-known figures in the Flying Eagle Gang.

Huang Bingcheng had once told him that Li Huai was one of Third Master Hu's top enforcers. He had fought in over ten battles, and had more than a dozen lives to his name.

These men were merely new recruits to the Flying Eagle Gang. They didn't know the first thing about martial arts. At best, they had some experience brawling in the streets.

If men of their caliber went with him to assassinate Dai Chong, they'd be walking into certain death.

Li Qing and his brothers exchanged glances, then could only nod in resignation.

Though they couldn't fight at their boss's side, at least they could do their part to avenge their brother.

"Old Huang, take a few brothers and disguise yourselves. Get into Yongle District, and find out where Dai Chong will be tomorrow.

"The rest of you stay at the headquarters. No one is allowed out. Keep a close eye on Brother Ji. Make absolutely sure he can't pass the news along."

Su Xin looked at Ji Gang with a playful expression, and Ji Gang's face darkened.

He'd been planning to slip away in a bit and tell Third Master Hu what was happening, but Su Xin had clearly been prepared for that.

Ji Gang was fairly skilled, but he was obviously no match for Li Huai.

And there were over a hundred gang members present. No matter how strong Ji Gang was, he couldn't fight his way out.

So Ji Gang said nothing, merely watching Su Xin coldly.

There were only two possible outcomes. Either Su Xin would fail to assassinate Dai Chong and be killed on the spot, enraging the Green Bamboo Gang and starting a war.

Or Su Xin would escape after failing, only to be handed over to the Green Bamboo Gang by the Flying Eagle Gang's leaders as a sacrifice to put an end to the affair.

Either way, Su Xin was doomed to die.

As for the possibility that Su Xin might succeed in assassinating Dai Chong, Ji Gang hadn't even considered it.

If Dai Chong were that easy to kill, Yongle District would have belonged to the Flying Eagle Gang long ago.