Su Xin had no intention of hiding the fact that he was teaching his subordinates internal skills. Besides, he could not have kept it secret even if he had wanted to.
The first to find out was naturally Ji Gang, who was still staying in Happy Forest.
When Ji Gang heard the news, his first reaction was envy, followed by resentment.
He was not a martial arts fanatic like Li Huai, but who among low-level martial artists like him did not yearn to learn internal skills?
But now every one of Su Xin's subordinates had learned internal skills. The only one left out was Ji Gang. How could he not resent that?
Still, he knew how awkward his position under Su Xin was. It was not just that Su Xin refused to teach him internal skills. The fact that he was still being kept in Happy Forest was probably only because of Third Master Hu.
Ji Gang was now thoroughly unpopular in Happy Forest.
In the past, relying on his status with Third Master Hu, he had been treated with deference by every one of Su Xin's men.
But ever since he had openly opposed Su Xin's attempt to assassinate Dai Chong, the gang members had all started giving him hostile looks, as though they despised him.
Ji Gang could only put up with it. He was no fool. This was Su Xin's territory, and if he angered Su Xin, Su Xin might really disregard the consequences and beat him to death.
But Ji Gang truly could not see through Su Xin.
Every move Su Xin made seemed reckless, but there was always another motive behind it.
Besides, the man's moods were unpredictable and he was deeply calculating. Ji Gang could not guarantee that he would be able to leave Happy Forest unscathed if he angered him.
Yet Ji Gang desperately wanted to learn internal skills. After some thought, he decided to seek out Li Huai.
Li Huai had earned Su Xin's trust, but he was still one of Third Master Hu's men, after all. With that connection, Ji Gang thought he might as well try.
Every morning, the gang members now practiced internal skills and tempered their bodies in the Martial Arts Arena.
During that time, Li Huai cultivated in his room. He did not go to the arena to teach everyone combat techniques until the afternoon.
So early one morning, Ji Gang quietly went to Li Huai's door and knocked twice.
"Come in."
Ji Gang pushed the door open and entered. Li Huai frowned. "What are you doing here?"
"Heh, we've known each other for so many years. Do you really have to be so distant?" Ji Gang said with a smile, paying no mind to Li Huai's curt tone.
"If you have something to say, say it. Don't waste my time," Li Huai said coldly.
Hearing that, Ji Gang dropped his false smile and got straight to the point. "Fine, I won't beat around the bush. Give me a copy of the internal skill Su Xin taught you."
"Impossible! Boss Su didn't teach it to you, so I'm certainly not going to teach it to you. If you want to learn it, go ask Boss Su directly." Li Huai refused without the slightest hesitation.
Ji Gang had not expected such a decisive answer. He said coldly, "Li Huai! You should know your boss isn't Su Xin. It's Third Master Hu! And I don't want this manual for myself. I'm planning to give it to Third Master!"
"Then from now on, he isn't," Li Huai said coolly, giving him a sidelong glance.
"You..." Ji Gang pointed at Li Huai and lowered his voice. "Su Xin is so brazen. Why insist on following him down a one-way road? I heard he offended the Punishment Hall Master, Dong Chengwu, at the main hall assembly. Do you think Su Xin will have an easy time after offending him?"
"All I know is that following Su Xin gets me a lot. But what have I gotten from following Third Master Hu all these years? I've killed over a hundred people for him, yet the reward money I've received hasn't even added up to a hundred taels!" Li Huai said icily.
Ji Gang was struck speechless. He could not argue with that. Third Master Hu had indeed been stingy with his men.
Perhaps because he had grown old without an heir, Third Master Hu was extraordinarily fond of money, yet he treated his subordinates harshly.
Li Huai was Third Master Hu's top enforcer, but after a fight, his reward money had never once exceeded ten taels.
Su Xin now paid his men a monthly wage of ten taels of silver. To Ji Gang, that was practically throwing money away.
"Don't you dislike money?"
"I don't like money, but I still need to eat!"
Seeing that Li Huai was dead set on following Su Xin, Ji Gang could only snort and turn to leave.
But he did not go back to his own room. Instead, he headed toward Third Master Hu's residence in Shunyi Ward.
Since he could not get his hands on the internal skill, he might as well tell Third Master Hu about it. At least he would earn some credit.
As one of Third Master Hu's trusted men, Ji Gang did not even need to announce himself when he arrived at his residence. He could go straight to see Third Master Hu.
In the main hall, Ji Gang cupped his fist toward Third Master Hu. "Third Master, these past few days, Su Xin has been teaching his internal skill to all his gang members, openly building up his power. His intentions are treacherous!"
Third Master Hu waved a hand casually. "Don't make such a fuss. I already know."
"Huh? You already know?" Ji Gang froze.
Third Master Hu gave a dry laugh. "That brat made such a commotion. I'm not deaf or blind. How could I not know?"
Ji Gang lowered his head at once. It seemed that, besides him, Third Master Hu had planted other people in Su Xin's ranks.
"By the way, Third Master, Li Huai has been getting rather close to Su Xin lately."
Ji Gang did not say outright that Li Huai had completely sided with Su Xin. That would have made his attempt to sow discord too obvious. If he said just that much, Third Master Hu should understand what he meant.
Sure enough, Third Master Hu's face darkened, then he gave a cold smile. "Li Huai's been dissatisfied with me for more than a day or two. But I didn't expect my adopted son to be so capable that he could even win Li Huai over."
"Third Master, what should we do? Are we just going to watch Su Xin carry on like this?" Ji Gang asked.
Third Master Hu clapped his hands. Master Li came out from the back.
"Take this to the gang leader, and explain clearly that Su Xin has been teaching the gang members internal skills. Don't embellish anything." Third Master Hu took out a thin booklet made of several bound pages and handed it to Master Li.
Ji Gang's eyes widened. "Is that the internal skill Su Xin taught them?"
Third Master Hu nodded. "It's only a low-level internal skill. Nothing special. Give it to the gang leader and let him decide what to do."
"Then what should I do, Third Master?" Ji Gang asked.
"Of course, you should go back to Happy Forest and keep an eye on Su Xin."
Ji Gang grimaced. "But, Third Master, I've completely offended Su Xin. If I stay there, I'm worried something might happen to me."
"Don't worry. With me here, Su Xin wouldn't dare do anything to you," Third Master Hu assured him.
With no choice, Ji Gang nodded and returned to Happy Forest.
But as he walked out of Third Master Hu's residence, a chill crept over him.
He had thought he was one of Third Master Hu's confidants, but now it seemed he was far from it.
Third Master Hu had other eyes and ears in Happy Forest, and Ji Gang had known nothing about them.
And when it came to delivering the manual and relaying the message to the gang leader, Third Master Hu had deliberately sent Master Li, who knew no martial arts, instead of Ji Gang. He was afraid Ji Gang might sneak a look at the manual on the way.
That was what made Ji Gang most resentful. More than two hundred gang members in Happy Forest had already learned the skill. It was common as dirt, yet Third Master Hu still would not let him see it. What did Third Master Hu take him for?
Third Master Hu did not trust Li Huai, who was strong. Nor did he trust Ji Gang, who had a few schemes of his own. It seemed only Master Li, who could not even fight off a chicken, was someone he could trust.
Though he was indignant, Ji Gang could only obediently return to Happy Forest. After all, he had thoroughly offended Su Xin, and now he could only stand on Third Master Hu's side.
Meanwhile, the gang leader, Sha Feiying, and the three hall masters had also learned of the matter from Master Li. Sha Feiying tossed the manual onto the table and asked in a hoarse voice, "What do you think?"
Lin Fuhu, the War Hall Master, grinned broadly. "That brat certainly knows how to have fun. He's got some good ideas."
That was as good as saying nothing. But in truth, he approved of teaching the disciples internal skills. It would greatly increase the strength of the War Hall.
Dong Chengwu, the Punishment Hall Master, gave a cold snort. "Nonsense! Utter nonsense! Who gave him permission to teach the gang members internal skills? Third Master Hu's getting old. He can't even keep his own men in line!"
"Does the gang code actually say that internal skills can't be taught?" Lin Fuhu chimed in, picking a fight. Dong Chengwu only snorted and ignored him.
Zhuang Li, the Charity Hall Master, picked up the Quanzhen Sect Basic Internal Skill and flipped through it twice. "It's an entry-level Daoist internal skill, the sort young novice priests practice when they first start martial arts. It's not worth much."
Sha Feiying coughed twice. "That brat really is reckless. Even if it's a low-level internal skill, it's not something you can just teach carelessly. Go tell Third Master Hu to keep an eye on him. Don't let him stir up any more trouble."
Dong Chengwu nodded. He understood what Sha Feiying meant: they would let it go this time, too.
Of course, Su Xin had backed them into a corner this time. Even if they wanted to punish him, they could not.
The gang code did not forbid teaching one's subordinates martial arts, and Su Xin was teaching them his own skill. He was not getting in anyone's way.
If they punished Su Xin over this, it would stir up resentment among the gang members.
Still, Sha Feiying and the others were not too worried. Just as Dong Chengwu had said, Su Xin was only making a fuss.
If martial artists were really that easy to train and control, the Flying Eagle Gang would not rank near the bottom among the Three Gangs and Four Associations in Changning Prefecture.
"By the way, that brat came from Joyful District. How could he have an internal skill?" Dong Chengwu asked suddenly.
In a place like Changning Prefecture, martial artists were already pitifully few. Even the Flying Eagle Gang members had all learned their martial arts from Sha Feiying.
Apart from the Three Gangs and Four Associations, the only other people in Changning Prefecture who practiced martial arts were the constables at the government offices.
Zhuang Li stroked his chin. "It's probably a family-inherited skill. I looked into Su Xin. He isn't from Changning Prefecture. According to their neighbors, when he first moved to Changning Prefecture, his mother spoke with a Shengjing accent."
Dong Chengwu nodded and asked nothing more.
Martial artists were few and far between in the barbarous Xiangnan region, but the martial arts culture was thriving in the capital, Shengjing.
Su Xin's low-level internal skill could be learned at just about any martial arts school. If his family had moved here from Shengjing, it made perfect sense.
Sha Feiying stood up and said calmly, "All right, enough discussion. Keep an eye on that brat from now on. Don't let him stir up any more trouble.
"That brat has a bit of a reputation among the younger generation of the Flying Eagle Gang. But if he goes too far, Chengwu, you deal with him."
Hearing Sha Feiying say this so casually, Dong Chengwu shuddered. It was as if he had seen that night from more than ten years ago, when the gang leader had said the very same thing to him.
Back then, the Flying Eagle Gang had no hall masters. It had more than thirty senior enforcers, but in a single night, nearly half of them had lost their heads.
The three of them had become hall masters not because they were the strongest, but because they were the most obedient!
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