Interrogation

Shunyi Ward.

Carrying the severed head of Dai Chong while walking through the bustling main street, Huang Bingcheng felt incredibly awkward.

A moment ago, he was a majestic high-ranking leader of the Green Bamboo Gang; now, he was reduced to a trophy packed inside a box. This realization left Huang Bingcheng feeling inexplicably melancholic.

Watching Su Xin walking steadily ahead, Huang Bingcheng truly could not fathom where his boss found such immense confidence.

He himself had spent the entire night tossing and turning, terrified of the severe punishment that would surely come from the gang's upper echelons.

Yet, upon waking up this morning, he saw Su Xin looking completely refreshed and full of spirit.

A distracted Huang Bingcheng followed Su Xin to the residence of Third Master Hu, where Master Li was already waiting at the entrance.

Master Li's gaze was complex as he looked at Su Xin.

Upon their first meeting, Su Xin had left an impression of having unfathomable schemes and a depth of character that didn't belong to a young man under twenty.

As the strategist for Third Master Hu, Master Li had always relied on his wits to make a living, and he had always looked down upon solving problems through brute force and bloodshed.

Ever since Su Xin bribed him for information last time, Master Li had been wondering how he would resolve the crisis.

But no matter how he imagined it, he never expected Su Xin to use the simplest method of all: killing.

What a pity. If this young man could have endured this hurdle and built up his seniority, he would surely have gone further than Third Master in the future. It's a shame he played such a foul move this time.

Master Li thought this to himself, but his face wore a radiant smile. "Young Master Su is here? Third Master is already waiting for you inside."

Su Xin nodded and followed Master Li into the living room.

Inside the living room.

Third Master Hu's face was as dark as water. After leading Su Xin in, Master Li stood to the side.

Seeing this, Huang Bingcheng hurriedly stood aside as well.

The two sides remained silent for a long moment before Su Xin finally spoke first: "This son pays respects to Foster Father."

"You still remember that I am your foster father!"

Third Master Hu slammed the table, and the table, crafted from fine golden nanmu wood, was left with a palm print that went straight through the grain.

"What did I tell you last time? I told you not to cause trouble, not to stir things up, and to act as if nothing had happened! And look at you—you actually went and assassinated Dai Chong! Do you have any idea how the Flying Eagle Gang is being turned upside down because of you right now?"

"Foster Father, please rest assured. I killed him, and when we reach the gang, I will naturally explain it to the Gang Leader and the others. It will not implicate you, Foster Father." Su Xin smiled faintly, though a trace of mockery lurked deep within his expression.

Why was Third Master Hu so angry? It was simply because he feared Su Xin's actions would implicate him.

In name, Su Xin was Third Master Hu's foster son. If he committed such a grave offense, how could the Flying Eagle Gang not hold Third Master Hu accountable?

"Do you think I'm afraid of being implicated? I am angry at your lack of restraint! You had a good life, yet you insisted on causing trouble. Let's see how you clean up this mess!"

Third Master Hu snorted coldly. The anger in his eyes had diminished, but what replaced it was deep wariness and regret.

Indeed, Third Master Hu was now regretting his decision. He regretted not crippling Su Xin back then and choosing to let him replace Chen Dao as his foster son.

Back then, Su Xin had been silver-tongued, claiming that Chen Dao would threaten his position, but now, Third Master Hu felt the threat of Su Xin himself.

In just over a month—it had only taken a little over a month—Su Xin had grown to this extent.

He had money when he needed it and men when he needed them.

Most importantly, Su Xin had the strength.

Third Master Hu knew Dai Chong's strength; it was far superior to his own.

Dai Chong, born with innate divine strength, possessed power not inferior to an early-stage Houtian martial artist. Within the entire Green Bamboo Gang, Dai Chong could rank in the top five. Yet, he had been decapitated by Su Xin, who then carried his head here with such swagger.

In the past, Su Xin had said that Chen Dao would one day threaten his position, but the Su Xin of today already possessed the strength to threaten him.

"Let's go. The Gang Leader and the others are waiting for you. You've committed such a grave error this time; I fear it won't end well. But since you still call me Foster Father, I will try my best to keep you safe."

Third Master Hu spoke with righteous indignation, but in his heart, he had already sentenced Su Xin to death.

The incident he caused was too massive; it had even alarmed the old Gang Leader, who had long since stopped managing affairs. The punishment would certainly not be light.

Given Third Master Hu's status, he had no say in such a major matter. Even if he did, he would only distance himself from the situation and take the opportunity to eliminate Su Xin, this growing threat.

Of the forty-nine wards in Changning Prefecture, the main headquarters of the Flying Eagle Gang was located in the Golden Moon Ward, the most prosperous of the twelve eastern wards.

The entire headquarters occupied over ten acres, roughly the size of half a street, and appeared extremely imposing.

The small hall Su Xin managed seemed quite impressive to Huang Bingcheng, but compared to this Flying Eagle Gang headquarters, it was like a drop in the ocean.

At the main entrance of the hall, two stone eagle sculptures, each over two meters tall, stood on either side of the gate, replacing the traditional stone lions. This was a unique feature of the Flying Eagle Gang.

The guards on both sides of the entrance were all dressed in black short-sleeved martial arts uniforms, with a majestic eagle embroidered on the left chest and curved blades hanging at their waists.

Su Xin narrowed his eyes as he examined these guards, noticing some differences.

The subordinates currently under Su Xin, and even those under Third Master Hu, were, to put it nicely, gang members, but in reality, most were just street thugs. There were very few like Li Huai who possessed genuine martial arts skills.

However, these guards had sharp, piercing gazes, carried a faint, lingering aura of slaughter, and were all physically strong and full of vitality. At a glance, one could tell they were elites who had killed and seen blood.

Noticing Su Xin's gaze, Master Li whispered, "These are disciples of the War Hall, the elites of the Flying Eagle Gang. In our entire Flying Eagle Gang, there are no more than a hundred of them."

Su Xin nodded. He already understood the power structure of the Flying Eagle Gang.

Aside from the thirteen high-ranking leaders, the figures second only to the Gang Leader were the masters of the three branch halls.

These three branch halls are the Charity Hall, which manages finances; the Punishment Hall, which manages penal matters; and the War Hall, which commands the strongest combat forces within the gang.

In this regard, the status of these three hall masters is far above that of the thirteen great chiefs, making them the true power-holders of the Flying Eagle Gang.

"You two stay outside," Third Master Hu said to Master Li and Huang Bingcheng.

The main hall of the Flying Eagle Gang is not a place just anyone can enter.

Master Li, despite being Third Master Hu's advisor and strategist, was not qualified to enter, let alone Huang Bingcheng, who was merely an ordinary gang member.

Inside the council hall, which was large enough to hold a hundred people, a ten-zhang-long table sat in the center. Three people sat on the left, twelve on the right, and an old man occupied the head seat.

When Third Master Hu brought Su Xin inside, everyone's gaze instantly locked onto him, immediately causing Su Xin to feel a heavy, oppressive pressure wash over him.

The people present were the true power-holders of the Flying Eagle Gang, having spent over a decade fighting and killing to build the gang's foundation; the aura radiating from each of them was as sharp as a blade.

This was especially true for the man sitting in the head seat, the leader of the Flying Eagle Gang, Sha Feiying.

Sha Feiying looked very old, appearing to be seventy or eighty years old. His hair was completely white, his face was etched with deep nasolabial folds, and he seemed somewhat listless, yet between his brows remained a sharpness like a blade.

Su Xin had a deep impression of this leader. Within the entire Flying Eagle Gang, Sha Feiying was a legend in the hearts of many young gang members.

It is said that Sha Feiying was a native of Changning Prefecture since childhood. His family was once a wealthy household in Changning, but after offending a powerful figure, his entire family was wiped out, leaving only him to escape with his life.

Afterward, Sha Feiying fled Changning Prefecture and wandered the jianghu. It is said he once joined the Taihang Mountain Stronghold, becoming a notorious bandit who rampaged across the Henan Circuit.

Others say he went to the Western Regions, becoming a sand bandit between the Thirty-Six Kingdoms of the Western Regions and the Xiliang Circuit, claiming countless lives.

Regardless, twenty years later, Sha Feiying, now middle-aged, returned.

He returned to Changning Prefecture with a mastery of martial arts and a history of slaughter, butchering his enemies' entire families and establishing the Flying Eagle Gang, which became one of the largest factions in Changning Prefecture.

Such tales of princely revenge are always favorites among the youth; as for whether they are true, who knows?

"Leader, Su Xin has been brought here," Third Master Hu said, cupping his hands toward Sha Feiying with an attitude of extreme respect.

Sha Feiying did not speak, merely waving his hand. Third Master Hu immediately walked over to the side of the great chiefs and sat down, eyes fixed on his nose, nose fixed on his mouth, remaining motionless.

"You are Su Xin?" Sha Feiying asked, his voice old and hoarse, sounding like grinding gravel.

Su Xin nodded and bowed respectfully to the group: "Su Xin greets the leader and all the seniors."

The members of the Flying Eagle Gang scrutinized Su Xin. Regardless of anything else, this young man's courage was not small.

If it were an ordinary gang member under the gaze of all the high-level figures of the Flying Eagle Gang, they would likely be trembling and unable to control themselves.

Yet, this Su Xin appeared remarkably calm, possessing more than enough nerve.

But then again, without a bit of nerve, he wouldn't have been able to cause such a massive incident.

"Su Xin! Do you still remember that you are a member of the Flying Eagle Gang? Having caused such a great disaster, have you ever held the Flying Eagle Gang in your eyes?" Punishment Hall Master Dong Chengwu shouted in a low, stern voice, his tone as sharp as a blade.

Among the three hall masters, Dong Chengwu was the youngest, appearing to be under fifty, though in reality, his age was similar to Third Master Hu's, nearing sixty.

It was only because Dong Chengwu's martial cultivation was not weak that he appeared younger than Third Master Hu.

Su Xin could not gauge his specific strength, but he was certainly far stronger than himself, who was at the early stage of the Houtian realm.

Having served as the Punishment Hall Master for over thirty years, Dong Chengwu had killed more of his own people than outsiders. Ordinary gang members feared this Punishment Hall Master even more than they feared the leader himself.