The Actor

"It is precisely because I am a member of the Flying Eagle Gang that I chose to assassinate Dai Chong!"

Su Xin wore a look of intense fervor: "Dai Chong killed my brothers and provoked our Flying Eagle Gang; his crimes are unforgivable! Everything I, Su Xin, have today is thanks to the cultivation of the Flying Eagle Gang. To insult our gang is to insult me!"

"And have you considered the consequences of this action?" Dong Chengwu let out a cold snort.

Su Xin patted his own chest: "My parents died early, and I haven't read many books, so I can't think that far ahead. Regardless, the man is already dead. If this incident brings trouble to the gang, I, Su Xin, am willing to die to atone for my sins!"

These words were spoken with such righteous indignation that they genuinely moved quite a few people present.

After all, the high-ranking leaders and the three Hall Masters had all fought their way up from the very bottom. In their youth, they had been just like Su Xin—daring and fierce, yet impulsive, unable to consider the bigger picture.

However, Third Master Hu nearly coughed up blood in secret, wishing he could expose Su Xin on the spot.

You, a man who hasn't read many books and can't think that far ahead?

Back then, Su Xin had used his silver tongue to transform himself from a sinner who killed his boss into a minor leader of Happy Forest; he was more cunning than a fox!

Moreover, watching how Su Xin had twisted the merchants of Happy Forest around his finger in less than a month, did this kid look like someone without schemes, someone impulsive and hot-tempered?

The people present had never interacted with Su Xin and did not understand his temperament. Although Third Master Hu knew, he could only play the invisible man in the corner, not daring to speak up.

Regardless of anything else, Su Xin was his subordinate and his officially recognized foster son. If he were to kick a man while he was down in front of so many people, his own reputation within the Flying Eagle Gang would be completely ruined.

Furthermore, if the gang insisted on punishing Su Xin, he might end up implicated as well; how could he dare to draw anyone's attention to himself?

"Hmph! Die to atone for your sins? If a war with the Green Bamboo Gang truly breaks out, it won't just be one or two people from our Flying Eagle Gang dying. Can your single life pay for that?" Dong Chengwu was not moved in the slightest by Su Xin's words.

Dong Chengwu remained unmoved, but others were.

"Old Dong, don't be so cold-blooded. Back when our Flying Eagle Gang was first founded, I was the one who took a woodcutter's blade and hacked the Three-Headed Flood Dragon of Sheng Le Workshop to death, winning the first piece of territory for our gang."

The speaker was Lin Fuhu, the Master of the War Hall, one of the three Hall Masters. Tall and fierce, he commanded the War Hall, and the killing intent radiating from him was the heaviest of them all.

Su Xin's eyes lit up, and he said with an 'excited' expression: "The moment I joined the Flying Eagle Gang, I heard of your legendary deeds, Hall Master Lin—how you fought for our very first territory with nothing but a single blade."

"Heh, a hero shouldn't dwell on past glories; those old stories aren't worth mentioning." Lin Fuhu's tone was humble, but his face held an undisguised look of pride; after all, this was the greatest achievement of his life.

Dong Chengwu glanced at Su Xin, then frowned at Lin Fuhu: "Old Lin, this is different from back then. When we started, we needed to risk our lives to carve out a foundation.

But now, the gang is on the right track. If we go to war with the Green Bamboo Gang, whose strength is comparable to ours, we won't gain a single benefit."

Lin Fuhu waved his hand dismissively: "Dong Chengwu, I think you've grown timid with age. It's just a war with the Green Bamboo Gang; it's not like we haven't fought them before.

I think this kid is good; he has the spirit I had back in the day. Not only should he not be punished, he should be rewarded.

Otherwise, wouldn't it chill the hearts of the young men who are working hard for the gang?"

"That is sophistry! Working hard for the gang and disobeying orders to act recklessly are two completely different things!" Dong Chengwu slammed his hand onto the table with a bang, nearly overturning the teacups.

"Dong Chengwu, what is the meaning of this? Who are you slamming the table at? Do you think I'm afraid of you?" Lin Fuhu stood up abruptly, his eyes flashing with fierce light.

Seeing the two of them arguing so intensely, Su Xin chuckled inwardly; Huang Bingcheng's intelligence was truly accurate.

When he first took over Happy Forest, Su Xin had asked Huang Bingcheng for information on the high-level figures of the Flying Eagle Gang—though in Huang Bingcheng's eyes, this was just gossip.

It was common knowledge that the three Hall Masters of the Flying Eagle Gang, Lin Fuhu of the War Hall and Dong Chengwu of the Punishment Hall, were at odds.

Lin Fuhu was hot-tempered, impulsive, and protective of his own.

Dong Chengwu, however, was impartial and incorruptible; once gang rules were broken, no one's pleas mattered.

A few years ago, during a battle, a disciple of the War Hall had deliberately tortured and killed surrendered members of an enemy gang, violating the rules. Dong Chengwu wanted to cripple him as a warning, and the protective Lin Fuhu naturally came to plead for him.

In his view, what was the big deal about killing a surrendered enemy? They were all hot-blooded men; it was normal to lose control occasionally.

The result was as one might expect: Dong Chengwu gave Lin Fuhu no face at all and severed the tendons of that War Hall disciple on the spot, leaving him a cripple. The grudge between the two Hall Masters was thus firmly established.

Su Xin's current situation was similar to that of the War Hall disciple, so Lin Fuhu naturally leaned toward him in his heart.

The impassioned words Su Xin had just spoken might have seemed contrived to Dong Chengwu, but to Lin Fuhu, this was a fine disciple of the Flying Eagle Gang—young, hot-blooded, and daring.

"Enough! The two of you are nearly a hundred years old combined; haven't you argued enough over all these years?" Sha Feiying spoke, and the two immediately fell silent and sat back down obediently.

"Zhuang Li, what do you think?" Sha Feiying asked Zhuang Li, the Master of Charity Hall.

On the surface, Zhuang Li looked short, stout, and wore a kind smile; he didn't look like a gang boss, but rather like a wealthy gentleman.

Hearing Sha Feiying speak, Zhuang Li replied with a chuckle: "What ideas could I have? I'll just listen to what everyone else decides. However, it would be better to handle this matter with caution. If it goes wrong, as Hall Master Lin said, it could easily chill the hearts of the disciples in the gang."

Dong Chengwu gave Zhuang Li a deep look, a trace of gloom flashing in his eyes.

Everyone present who wasn't a fool understood the implication in Zhuang Li's words: he was supporting Lin Fuhu.

Dong Chengwu was impartial, and during his time in charge of the Punishment Hall, the people who fell into his hands weren't just from the War Hall; there were even more from the Charity Hall.

The Charity Hall managed the gang's money and supplies, and it was normal to skim a little off the top in secret, but if Dong Chengwu caught them, they would be lucky to escape with their lives.

However, Zhuang Li's depth was not as shallow as Lin Fuhu's; even if he resented Dong Chengwu, he wouldn't tear his face off in public.

Three people, two opinions. Of course, there was no rule of majority rule in the Flying Eagle Gang; the three Hall Masters were merely expressing their stances, and the final decision rested with the Gang Leader.

"Cough, cough." Sha Feiying cleared his throat and said: "Regarding Su Xin's matter, it should be handled with caution.

Logically, since you killed Dai Chong, you should be heavily rewarded, perhaps even promoted to a high-ranking leader.

But there can be no success without rules. The gang had strictly forbidden you from provoking the Green Bamboo Gang, yet you struck anyway. This is a disregard for gang rules and must be punished.

Therefore, this incident will be considered a wash—no reward, but no punishment either. However, remember this: only those who follow the rules live the longest."

With that final sentence, Sha Feiying cast a deep look at Su Xin, his words carrying a peculiar underlying meaning.

Upon hearing Sha Feiying's verdict, Dong Chengwu's expression darkened; by not punishing Su Xin, it signaled that Sha Feiying had sided with Lin Fuhu.

"Gang Leader, how are we to respond to the Green Bamboo Gang then? They lost Dai Chong, and I fear they won't let this matter rest," Dong Chengwu asked, clearly unwilling to let it go.

Sha Feiying waved his hand and said, "If they won't let it rest, then so be it. The Green Bamboo Gang is already a notch weaker than us, and now that Dai Chong is dead, if they want to play for real, we'll play along."

"However, I believe the people of the Green Bamboo Gang aren't fools. Having lost a fierce vanguard like Dai Chong, they would only suffer more if a full-scale conflict broke out."

"But we cannot afford to be careless either. Tell the brothers below to stay sharp and enter a state of combat readiness. If any accidents occur, we strike immediately!"

"Understood!"

The high-ranking leaders present answered in unison.

Lin Fuhu wore a look of triumph; his War Hall feared gang wars the least, and the more intense the fighting, the greater the credit his War Hall would earn.

Dong Chengwu stormed off, casting a deep, lingering look at Su Xin before he left.

Lin Fuhu, on the other hand, slapped Su Xin hard on the shoulder and laughed heartily, "You're a good lad, you suit my tastes! Daring to go and assassinate Dai Chong with nothing but a sword—that takes guts! If you weren't already a minor leader, I'd have wanted to pull you into the War Hall myself."

"Many thanks for your kindness, Hall Master Lin. When I first joined the Flying Eagle Gang, I looked up to you as my idol," Su Xin said, skillfully buttering him up and sending the War Hall master off with a chuckle.

After the other high-ranking leaders had left, Third Master Hu stood up, patted Su Xin on the shoulder, and said, "Well done. But remember for next time, don't be so impulsive. If something comes up, you can always discuss it with your foster father."

Su Xin lowered his head and said, "I was only afraid of causing trouble for you, Foster Father."

"What kind of talk is that! Do I look like the type of man who fears trouble?" Third Master Hu feigned displeasure as he scolded him.

"Yes, I understand. If something like this happens again, I will certainly consult with you, Foster Father."

The two of them put on a display of 'filial son and loving father,' though it was unclear who exactly they were performing for. After this bout of hypocrisy, they finally left the main hall.

Outside the door, Master Li and Huang Bingcheng had been waiting anxiously. Seeing Su Xin emerge safely, they immediately knew he had weathered this crisis.

However, their reactions were quite different: Huang Bingcheng was pleasantly surprised, while Master Li was stunned.

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