Attacking the Green Bamboo Gang

Inside the Flying Eagle Gang's main hall, Gang Leader Sha Feiying and the three hall masters all froze when they heard that Wei Feng had been assassinated.

"Who the hell sent the assassin!?" Sha Feiying's gaze swept across Dong Chengwu and Zhuang Li before settling on Lin Fuhu.

Of the three, Lin Fuhu was by far the most hot-tempered, and the least likely to consider the bigger picture.

Besides, only the men of his War Hall had the strength to infiltrate the Green Bamboo Gang alone and assassinate Wei Feng.

"I'm innocent, Gang Leader! I really didn't send anyone! Those Green Bamboo Gang bastards went too far, but I know when to act and when to hold back. Why would I send someone to retaliate at a time like this?" Lin Fuhu protested, looking deeply aggrieved.

Sha Feiying glanced at him and didn't press further.

Lin Fuhu was a blunt, brawling sort—not someone who could keep a secret. If he said he hadn't sent anyone, then he probably hadn't.

Zhuang Li said, "Gang Leader, there's no point in investigating who sent the assassin now. The Green Bamboo Gang has already lost face in a big way. Their gang leader nearly died at an assassin's hands. No matter what, we have to fight this battle."

Sha Feiying nodded. "Exactly. We have to fight, but if we do, we can't afford to lose. Tell everyone below us: the entire Flying Eagle Gang is to prepare for battle. We attack at any moment! This time, we cannot afford to take a loss!"

"Yes, Gang Leader!"

The three men nodded and turned to leave the main hall.

After returning to the Punishment Hall, Dong Chengwu summoned a gang member and asked, "I told you to keep an eye on that Su Xin these past few days. Has he done anything?"

The gang member replied, "Su Xin keeps a regular schedule. Aside from making a round of Happy Forest every morning and evening, he stays home the rest of the time."

"Are you sure he didn't leave Happy Forest today?"

"Absolutely. We followed your orders, Hall Master, and posted lookouts at the exits of Happy Forest. If Su Xin went out, they would have come to report it immediately."

Dong Chengwu waved the man away and rubbed his chin, puzzled. "Could it really not have been him?"

At that moment, inside Happy Forest's headquarters, Su Xin had already taken off the clothes and Human Skin Mask he had used and burned them.

Su Xin always put caution first. He had already used this identity once, so it was better to get rid of it.

Huang Bingcheng knocked and entered, his face alight with excitement. "Boss, the gang has issued the order. Everyone's preparing for battle, and we can attack the Green Bamboo Gang at any time!"

"The plan worked. I didn't waste all that effort for nothing. How are we dividing the spoils?"

"Same as always. Whoever takes the territory keeps it, as long as they pay their monthly dues on time."

Su Xin nodded. That was the one good thing about the Flying Eagle Gang's rules: no one could steal credit for a clear victory.

If I take the territory, then it's mine. But every month, no matter how much income the territory brings in, I have to hand over twenty percent to the higher-ups.

The junior leaders handed over twenty percent of their earnings to the senior leaders, who then passed on twenty percent of the total to the gang.

In his first month, Su Xin had earned 180,000 taels in dues from Happy Forest. He had given nearly half of it to Third Master Hu, but only to keep his adoptive father quiet. Normally, he wouldn't have had to give up that much.

"Go tell Li Huai to get ready. Gather all our men. We move tonight."

Acting now would give them the advantage, but unfortunately, the rules wouldn't allow it.

This was Changning Prefecture. No matter how fiercely the gangs fought, this was still the Imperial Court's territory.

So Changning Prefecture had always had an unwritten rule: large-scale gang battles had to wait until after dark. Then the shops would shut their doors, and the gangs could fight however they pleased.

Anyone who dared break the rules would get a lesson from the yamen constables.

By dusk, the sky had gradually darkened. More than two hundred of Su Xin's men had gathered at headquarters, weapons in hand, waiting for his command.

They already knew where they were going that night, and nervousness showed on their faces. After all, most of them had never taken part in a gang war before.

Holding his greatsword, Su Xin stepped before the crowd and declared, "I told you before: if you want to fight your way to wealth and glory, you have to fight! You have to kill! Now the chance is here. It's up to you to seize it! Tonight, we attack Yongle District. Ten taels for every man you kill!"

The promise of wealth stirred the heart. Su Xin said no more; that single promise was enough to make the gang members' eyes burn red.

At Changning Prefecture's prices, one tael of silver could last a month if you spent carefully. Every gang member already received ten taels a month—enough to live a little more comfortably, but still far from enough!

Ten taels for a life. If I kill ten men tonight, I can get myself a wife right away!

While Happy Forest still blazed with lights, Yongle District across the street was already pitch-black. Every shop had received the news and boarded up its doors, leaving only a single lantern hanging outside.

Dim light spilled across the long street, the mist making it seem haunted. It also glinted off the long blades in the hands of the Green Bamboo Gang members guarding the street entrance.

Of Changning Prefecture's forty-nine districts, the Green Bamboo Gang occupied three.

Besides Joyful District, the district adjoining Yongle was Shunyi Ward, which belonged to Third Master Hu.

So the Green Bamboo Gang's men in Yongle District were split into two groups: one guarded Shunyi Ward, while the other held the entrance to Happy Forest.

Yongle District had more than fifteen hundred Green Bamboo Gang members in all. Only a third of them guarded Happy Forest, and every one of them belonged to Old Chen, one of Wei Feng's men.

Old Chen was quite the oddball. Even at a time like this, he was still playing petty games.

He knew Third Master Hu had nearly a thousand men under him and wasn't easy to deal with. But Joyful District had only one long street—Happy Forest—with just one junior leader and nearly two hundred men guarding it.

Couldn't he handle such a small force? So he had asked the gang leader to transfer him here.

Wei Feng wasn't a fool either. He was afraid Ma Qingyuan and Chen Hong would use his own trusted men as cannon fodder, so he immediately agreed.

"Get your asses in gear! Beat those Flying Eagle Gang bastards, and tomorrow morning I'll give each of you a hundred copper coins!"

Chen Dao waved his blade and shouted among the crowd, managing to stir up some of their fighting spirit.

Across the long street, Su Xin led his men forward at an unhurried pace. Facing an enemy force more than twice their size, he simply raised his sword and roared, "Kill!"

A gang battle wasn't a war. In a narrow street like this, when forces met head-on, it came down to one thing: when narrow paths crossed, the brave prevailed!

In terms of morale, Su Xin's young men were clearly a cut above the Green Bamboo Gang. Even though the enemy outnumbered them by more than two to one, not a single man retreated.

Li Huai was about to charge in, but Su Xin stopped him. "Don't move yet. This battle is their real test. Without shedding blood and risking their lives, they'll be useless, even if they've learned internal martial arts and combat techniques."

Experience in a fight to the death was far more valuable than sitting at home and practicing. Su Xin's strength before assassinating Dai Chong and after assassinating him had been worlds apart.

By now, the men of the two gangs had clashed in the long street.

As soon as the fighting began, the Green Bamboo Gang's numerical advantage became clear.

Two or three men surrounded each Flying Eagle Gang member, bringing their long blades down hard. This was when their lack of experience in life-or-death combat showed.

Most of Su Xin's men were in a panic. Some even forgot the Dog-Beating Staff Technique they had learned, and some forgot to form three-man defensive formations. In an instant, several of their men were dead!

"Boss, let's go!" Huang Bingcheng urged anxiously from the side.

"Wait. If they can't get through this, what's the point of training them?" Su Xin remained unmoved.

Huang Bingcheng had once said that meeting Su Xin was the good fortune his men had earned in their previous lives. But Su Xin had replied that it might just as easily be punishment for their past misdeeds.

Those who survived would naturally be fortunate.

Those who died would simply be repaying the debts they had incurred in their past lives.

Su Xin had gone to great lengths to train his men, not because he was especially kind, but because he needed them to build his power. He needed them to become a sharp blade in his hand.

If they could prove their worth, Su Xin didn't mind spending more silver or investing more effort in them.

But if they were still beyond saving, then, as Su Xin had said, he didn't raise useless men.

Fortunately, they proved capable. After their initial panic, they gradually found their footing. Several men began forming defensive groups, and soon they were counterattacking.

In terms of individual ability, Su Xin's men—who had trained in internal martial arts and the Dog-Beating Staff Technique—were naturally far superior. Once they steadied themselves, the Green Bamboo Gang fell into disarray.

The Green Bamboo Gang had more than five hundred men there, but most were only good at fighting when things were going their way.

They were ferocious when they had the upper hand, but as soon as they suffered a setback, their strength plummeted.

Old Chen couldn't understand it. How had a mere junior leader from Happy Forest managed to train such elite men?

Only ten of his men had died, yet his side already seemed close to breaking. Gritting his teeth, Old Chen drew the saber from his back and charged in.

Seeing him move, Su Xin shouted, "Li Huai! Clear me a path!"

Li Huai drew the two short swords in his hands and plunged straight into the crowd. His blades flashed up and down, slitting the throats of several gang members in an instant. The men in front were so terrified that they immediately scattered, opening a path.

Su Xin followed close behind, gripping his greatsword and bringing it down on Old Chen!

A fierce gale whistled toward him. Old Chen raised his saber to block, but a tremendous force crashed into him. His hand went numb, and he staggered back three or four steps before stopping.

When he looked at his saber, he saw a gap the size of a thumb had been knocked into the blade!

"How can he be so strong?!"

Old Chen cursed inwardly. He hadn't expected a kid who still looked wet behind the ears to have such strength!

After knocking Old Chen back with one strike, Su Xin didn't pause for a moment. He advanced with his sword and plunged straight into another exchange with him.

When Su Xin unleashed the Great Sumeru Sword Style, Old Chen felt as though he were facing a towering mountain—immovable and unadorned, its every blow crushing with tremendous force!

Each descending strike carried immense power, making his blood and qi churn.

He tried to counterattack, but Su Xin's greatsword swept in flawless arcs, leaving him not the slightest opening. It was like a vast net slowly closing around him!

The Great Sumeru Sword Style's essence was to contain the vastness of Mount Sumeru within a mustard seed, overcoming the strong while weak and winning against the odds. It excelled at defense.

But Old Chen was too weak. Su Xin guessed he hadn't even opened ten acupoints.

This wasn't Mount Sumeru contained in a mustard seed. It was Mount Sumeru swallowing the mustard seed!

Sword shadows descended from every direction, dense as a sealed net, hemming Old Chen in completely!

Only then did Old Chen remember: wasn't this the same kid who had assassinated Dai Chong last month?

At the thought, every trace of fight left him. He flung his saber at Su Xin and turned to run.

But before he could even turn around, a flash of cold light swept past his eye and plunged into his throat!

Holding the slender sword in his left hand, Su Xin slowly drew it out of Old Chen's throat and watched the resentment in his eyes fade.

He had indeed died with grievances. Even at the moment of his death, he hadn't seen how Su Xin had struck with that sword.