Making Trouble

"What do you mean?" Third Master Hu gave Hou Tong a cold look and squeezed the words out through his teeth.

Hou Tong chuckled. "Third Master Hu, quit pretending. Who doesn't know about your little spat with Su Xin? Now he's gone and handed the money straight to the gang. It's obvious he's slapping you in the face. How can you sit still?

"Still, he is your adopted son, after all. Besides, you were the one who acted dishonorably first. If you use your so-called reputation as his foster father to pressure him, your name in the Flying Eagle Gang will stink.

"You give me a sum of money, and I'll take care of that brat for you. I guarantee I'll make him behave. I don't care if people say I'm bullying someone younger than me. I, Hou Tong, have no shame to lose—but you, Third Master Hu, still do."

Third Master Hu was silent for a long while. At last, he said, "One price. Fifty thousand taels of silver."

"Heh heh, deal!" Hou Tong clapped his hands, looking extremely pleased.

"What do you plan to do?"

Hou Tong sauntered out. "Don't worry about that. Just know I won't let that brat get off easy."

Watching Hou Tong leave, Master Li said worriedly, "What if Hou Tong botches the job? He doesn't seem like someone you can count on."

Third Master Hu said gravely, "Don't worry. Hou Tong may be a degenerate gambler, but he isn't stupid. If he dared come to me with conditions, he must have a plan of his own.

"A man with terrible gambling manners, little skill, and no brains couldn't have held the position of head boss for so many years."

Seeing how certain Third Master Hu was, Master Li said no more. Yet an inscrutable glint flickered in his eyes.

At the Happy Forest headquarters, Su Xin left everything to Huang Bingcheng to handle and returned home alone to train in seclusion.

He had gained a great deal of experience from his fight with Luo Zhen, and his cultivation had even sped up. In just two days, he had broken through five acupoints in one go. He had now opened fifty-one acupoints, and reaching the Post-Heaven Mid-Stage was within sight.

After breaking through five acupoints in a row, Su Xin ended his seclusion and called Li Huai over for a spar.

"How's your Evil-Warding Sword Technique coming along?" Su Xin noticed that the pair of short swords at Li Huai's waist had been replaced with a long sword. Clearly, he had at least reached the entry level in the technique.

After cultivating the Evil-Warding Sword Technique, Li Huai seemed much more reserved than before. He no longer radiated that same icy aura.

But that only proved he was now more than a little stronger than before.

The more a person concealed their presence and kept a low profile, the more frightening they were.

"This sword technique is simple, but strange and ruthless. It takes heretical swordsmanship to the absolute extreme. I've practiced it for a few days, but I've only just reached the entry level. Still, I can't shake the feeling that something's missing," Li Huai said.

Su Xin was surprised by his answer. The Evil-Warding Sword Technique was originally a fragment of the Sunflower Manual. Li Huai's ability to recognize that showed he really did have a fine talent for martial arts.

"You're right. This sword technique was separated from an extraordinarily powerful martial art. Come on, let's exchange a few moves." Su Xin had been curious about this technique for quite some time.

Li Huai nodded and drew the long sword at his waist. His figure flashed like a specter, his movements swift—he appeared before Su Xin in an instant!

The piercing swordlight made it impossible to tell where the strike was coming from. It was truly bizarre.

But just then, Su Xin flicked a finger. With a clear clang, Li Huai's sword was knocked flying.

Li Huai shifted again, appearing behind Su Xin in a flash. But Su Xin spun around and shot out another finger, knocking Li Huai's sword away once more.

Putting away his sword, Li Huai shook his head. "My sword is still too slow, and I'm too weak. I couldn't even force you to draw your sword."

Su Xin shook out his numb fingers. "I've opened more than fifty acupoints, so I'm much stronger than you. You don't need to worry about that. Internal cultivation requires steady progress. You'll reach this level eventually.

"And let me correct you on one thing: your sword isn't slow. I'm just faster.

"Although the Evil-Warding Sword Technique is a sword style, its most important feature is its movement technique, which is as elusive as a ghost.

"As long as you move faster than your opponent can strike, you can keep them from even drawing their sword."

Su Xin had been able to flick Li Huai's sword away because his own strike was faster.

Compared to the Evil-Warding Sword Technique, Jing Wuming's Fast Sword emphasized the speed of the sword strike, while the other focused on the speed of one's movement.

Watching Li Huai practice the Evil-Warding Sword Technique had given Su Xin a general understanding of the martial art.

Born from the Sunflower Manual, the Evil-Warding Sword Technique had only one essential principle: speed.

The Evil-Warding Sword Technique centered on speed, leaving an opponent unable to spot a flaw or find an opening to counterattack. Or it could be so fast that even if an opponent spotted a flaw in the moves, they wouldn't have time to strike back. The flaw would vanish in a flash.

To defeat the Evil-Warding Sword Technique, one either needed internal cultivation that completely overpowered the opponent's, or, like Su Xin, a faster strike.

While Li Huai and Su Xin were exchanging pointers and sparring, Huang Bingcheng suddenly came to report, "Boss, something's happened. Boss Sun from the Longqing Casino is waiting outside."

"The Longqing Casino?" Su Xin thought for a moment. He vaguely remembered the place.

After crippling Boss Huang of the Shunde Casino, Boss Sun of the Longqing Casino had seized the opportunity to rise to power. He had become the biggest casino owner in the Happy Forest, and he was a clever man.

"Old Huang, what's going on?" Su Xin asked.

Huang Bingcheng grimaced. "Boss Sun said someone's causing trouble in his casino. He's lost hundreds of thousands of taels, but refuses to pay a single coin."

"Who's causing trouble?"

Seeing Huang Bingcheng's expression, Su Xin knew the man had to be trouble. Otherwise, Huang Bingcheng could have dealt with it himself and wouldn't have needed to bother him.

"One of the head bosses, Hou Tong."

"Hou Tong? What's he doing in the Happy Forest?" Su Xin frowned.

Su Xin had long ago had Huang Bingcheng investigate the Flying Eagle Gang's higher-ups. He naturally remembered Hou Tong, the degenerate gambler.

But Hou Tong had always known his place and caused trouble only on his own turf. Why had he come to the Happy Forest today?

"Come on, let's go see," Su Xin said as he and Huang Bingcheng left the headquarters. Li Huai followed silently behind them.

Outside the headquarters, Boss Sun saw Su Xin emerge and immediately began to complain. "Boss Su, if Hou Tong keeps this up, my Longqing Casino will be ruined.

"It's bad enough that he won't pay what he loses. I could just let that money go. But whenever he wins, he hands the money to his men, and whenever he loses, he puts it on credit. Isn't that just shamelessly cheating?"

"All right, stop wailing. Come with me and let's take a look," Su Xin scolded him.

Boss Sun kept his head down and followed Su Xin. In truth, he hadn't had much hope when he came to see him.

Hou Tong was an old hand in the Flying Eagle Gang, one of its thirteen head bosses, while Su Xin, though his reputation had recently soared, was still only a minor boss.

Su Xin had promised to protect them once they paid their dues, but would that promise still hold against a head boss of the Flying Eagle Gang?

Inside the Longqing Casino, Hou Tong had driven out all the gamblers with his men. In the vast casino, only he remained, shaking dice against one of the casino workers.

Hou Tong shook; the casino worker guessed. It was the simplest game of guessing whether the dice added up to high or low. Even with the worst luck, Hou Tong could still win two or three rounds out of ten.

Every time he won, he tossed the silver to the men behind him. When he lost, he demanded that the casino put it on credit.

"Five, five, four! Fourteen—that's high! Hahaha! I won again!"

Hou Tong laughed and set down the dice cup. "Quit dragging your feet. Bring me the money."

"Boss Hou, you've won thirty thousand taels in no time at all. You've taken all the money circulating through our casino. We really don't have any left! How about we deduct it from what you owe us?" The casino manager was nearly in tears. He had never seen anyone bully others so brazenly.

Hou Tong sneered. "What I owe you is one thing; what I win is another. I'll pay off my debt another day. But if you dare keep the money I won, I'll tear this place apart!"

"Head Boss Hou, what a mighty show of force. Changping District isn't big enough for you, so now you've come to tear up my Happy Forest."

Seeing how Hou Tong was acting, Su Xin knew he had come looking for trouble.

Hou Tong was targeting him. Boss Sun's casino had merely been caught in the crossfire.

"Have you forgotten your place?"

Hou Tong's expression turned cold. "By seniority, I'm of the same generation as your foster father, Third Master Hu. By rank, I'm a head boss in the gang, while you're just a minor boss.

"You see me and don't even offer a greeting. Do you have any regard for your foster father or the Flying Eagle Gang?"

Hou Tong's words were aggressive, but Su Xin remained expressionless. "Head Boss Hou, you don't get to decide who's above whom. Stop beating around the bush. What do you want?"

Seeing how calm Su Xin was, Hou Tong was rather surprised.

From what he knew, Su Xin was a proud young man, quick to lose his temper. He had even dared cripple Tang Taihe, Third Master Hu's trusted man, over a disagreement.

Now that Su Xin was so calm, Hou Tong sensed something was wrong.

"I came to gamble, but the casino won't pay out my winnings. This is your territory, Su Xin. Why don't you pay me instead?"

"How much?" Su Xin's expression remained calm.

"Hundred thousand taels!" Hou Tong held up one finger.

The casino manager immediately shouted, "How could it be a hundred thousand taels? The maximum bet on one round of dice is only a thousand taels!"

"I say it's a hundred thousand taels, so it's a hundred thousand! What makes you think you can speak here? Slap him!"

Hou Tong gave a cold snort. One of his men immediately dragged the casino manager over and slapped him several times. His mouth was soon bloody.

"Well? Are you paying the hundred thousand taels or not?" Hou Tong sat in his chair like a king, looking completely unafraid.