Su Xin's words were vague, leaving everyone present at a loss.
So what if you're young? So what if you're strong? What did that have to do with killing Hou Tong?
As for having rendered great service to the gang, Su Xin's contributions were indeed substantial. But that was precisely why he couldn't be let off lightly.
What if someone else followed his example in the future, earning merit and then immediately getting cocky and causing trouble? Wouldn't the gang descend into chaos?
Su Xin looked at Sha Feiying. He hadn't said those words for the others to hear. It was enough if Sha Feiying understood.
They were all clever men. Sha Feiying's gaze grew solemn as he understood the meaning behind Su Xin's words.
All three of Su Xin's points conveyed the same message: with me here, I can help you keep the three hall masters in check!
The Flying Eagle Gang's situation was much like the Green Bamboo Gang's. Sha Feiying also had a son, but he was already old, while the three hall masters were in their prime.
If Sha Feiying died one day, how could his son, Sha Yuandong, control the Flying Eagle Gang? He wasn't much more capable than Wei Feng of the Green Bamboo Gang.
The Green Bamboo Gang's fate was a warning right before their eyes. They had to be on guard!
Among the Flying Eagle Gang's three hall masters, Lin Fuhu was utterly loyal and would support Sha Yuandong. But would Dong Chengwu and Zhuang Li do the same?
Dong Chengwu went without saying. As for Zhuang Li, he might look like a genial fellow with a constant smile, but before joining the Flying Eagle Gang, he had been a notorious bandit in Xiangnan, ruthless and bloodthirsty.
Others might not know, but Sha Feiying knew all too well. Even though Zhuang Li hadn't personally acted in more than ten years, he still secretly trained with the Double-Edged Miao Saber that had made his name!
If those two joined forces, could Lin Fuhu, a man with little wit, handle them alone? Clearly not.
At a time like this, what Sha Feiying needed was someone whose interests differed from theirs, but who could keep them in check. That person was Su Xin!
Su Xin was young. Even if he was strong and ambitious, he couldn't suppress the other leaders and seize power. The Flying Eagle Gang's old guard would never accept him.
Su Xin was capable. Given room to grow, he could hold his own against Dong Chengwu and Zhuang Li.
Su Xin had rendered great service to the gang and was loyal to the Flying Eagle Gang. Since he had no grounds to seize power for himself, he could only support the young gang leader and help him stand against Dong Chengwu and the others.
Three sentences, three meanings. Sha Feiying understood them all.
Keeping Su Xin would allow him to balance the other two hall masters. Punishing him severely, on the other hand, would only breed resentment among his followers and unsettle the gang.
Besides, given how Su Xin and Dong Chengwu were already at each other's throats, there was no chance they would ever join forces.
As gang leader, Sha Feiying saw farther than the others. So he decided to keep Su Xin!
"Turning against your own is a violation of the gang rules. We can't just let something this serious go." Sha Feiying spoke slowly.
Dong Chengwu showed no surprise. Su Xin had gone too far. Even if Lin Fuhu tried to speak up for him, the gang leader would never let him off.
"So I've decided that all of Third Master Hu's territory will be taken back by the gang. He'll be allowed to keep only ten of his men. The rest will be reassigned to other leaders."
Everyone's eyes widened.
Wasn't Su Xin the one who was supposed to be punished? How had it become Third Master Hu instead? Had the gang leader really agreed to take the blame for Su Xin?
Dong Chengwu sprang to his feet. "Gang Leader! Su Xin was the one who killed Hou Tong!"
Sha Feiying glanced at him and said, "Third Master Hu is Su Xin's adoptive father and his superior. He ordered Su Xin to kill Hou Tong. If Su Xin had refused, wouldn't that have made him disloyal and unfilial? Why punish him, then? That would only chill the hearts of our brothers.
"Su Xin took Yongle District by himself in the battle against the Green Bamboo Gang. That's a great achievement, and he deserves to be promoted to a chief. Hou Tong's dead now, so Su Xin will take his place."
Seeing Sha Feiying make such a decision, Dong Chengwu was furious inside, but he could only swallow his anger and accept it.
On paper, whenever an important matter arose, the Flying Eagle Gang's leader wasn't supposed to decide alone. The hall masters and chief leaders had to discuss it together.
But in truth, as long as Sha Feiying was alive, the Flying Eagle Gang was his one-man show.
He had built the gang himself. Not even all three hall masters together could match the power he commanded.
The other chief leaders felt a little bitter.
When they'd been Su Xin's age, they'd still been mooning over the girls in brothels. Su Xin, meanwhile, had already become one of the Flying Eagle Gang's decision-makers.
And with the power he commanded, once he became a chief, he would be the strongest among them.
Dong Chengwu turned and left without a word. Seeing that, the others followed.
"Father, let's go." Su Xin came to Third Master Hu and spoke softly.
Third Master Hu looked up at Su Xin, who showed not the slightest hint of joy, and sighed. He had no desire left to compete with Su Xin.
Now he understood Master Li's thinking, too. Following a leader like Su Xin meant a bright future.
Following him, an old man, meant nothing but preparing for retirement.
After everyone had left, Sha Feiying remained seated in his chair at the head of the hall.
He rubbed his wrinkled brow, unsure whether the decision he'd made had been right or wrong.
Su Xin was ambitious, capable, and resourceful. Sha Feiying could see all of that. The young man was certainly no easy opponent; he had even brought the sly old Third Master Hu completely under his thumb.
But with those three sentences, Su Xin had made clear just how important he was, leaving Sha Feiying no choice but to keep him around to balance Dong Chengwu and Zhuang Li.
If he'd had anyone else to choose from, Sha Feiying would never have picked an openly ambitious man like Su Xin.
"Ah, I killed too many back then." Sha Feiying rubbed his temples, regret coloring his voice.
When the Flying Eagle Gang had first been founded, it had more than thirty chiefs. Plenty of them were more capable and talented than Dong Chengwu and the other two hall masters.
But on that night, all those men he couldn't control had died by Sha Feiying's blade.
"Father, are you still in your meeting?" A young man pushed the door open and asked impatiently.
He looked barely twenty. His brows and eyes faintly resembled Sha Feiying's when he was young. He was none other than Sha Feiying's only son, Sha Yuandong.
Sha Feiying had become a father in middle age and had placed great hopes in his son. Unfortunately, he'd spoiled him too much, and Sha Yuandong had grown into a spoiled young master.
The last battle between the Green Bamboo Gang and the Flying Eagle Gang had started because Sha Yuandong had vied with Wei Feng over a woman. It had become a laughingstock throughout Changning Prefecture.
To start a gang war over a brothel girl was simply inconceivable to the leaders of the other gangs.
"Yuandong, what do you need?"
Sha Yuandong said carelessly, "I saw a fine horse from the Eastern Jin in Changde Ward. A genuine curly-maned lion horse, and they won't take less than a hundred thousand taels. I had to fight the Three Heroes Association's men to get it.
"But I didn't bring enough money, so I left someone there to watch it. Father, give me a hundred thousand taels quickly. I'm going back to buy that curly-maned lion horse right now."
"All you do is chase after toys! You're a grown man. When I'm gone, the Flying Eagle Gang will be yours to lead. How do you expect to manage it in your current state? With your curly-maned lion horse?"
Sha Feiying's stern rebuke made Sha Yuandong's face turn pale with fright.
Even though he was frustrated with Sha Yuandong, Sha Feiying couldn't bring himself to discipline his son.
Seeing how frightened Sha Yuandong was, Sha Feiying immediately softened his tone.
"Yuandong, your father is getting old. I can't protect you forever. Look at Wei Feng now. Do you want to end up like him, a puppet in the hands of your subordinates?"
Sha Yuandong scoffed. "Of course I won't end up like that useless fool."
Sha Feiying snorted. "Words are cheap. When the chance comes, I'll have you take part in the gang's affairs and learn how things work. If you can achieve something, all the better. Otherwise, how do you expect to lead your men?"
Sha Yuandong replied as if it were only natural, "The Sha family founded the Flying Eagle Gang. With our family's prestige, who would dare object?"
Disappointment showed on Sha Feiying's face. His son was still too naive. Su Xin would never say something like that.
Even in a dynasty, a foolish emperor could be dragged from the throne, let alone the leader of a small gang like the Flying Eagle Gang.
Thinking of Su Xin and then looking at his own son, Sha Feiying couldn't help wishing Sha Yuandong had even a tenth of Su Xin's cunning. Then he wouldn't have to worry so much.
"Enough. Go on ahead."
Sha Yuandong asked cautiously, "What about the hundred thousand taels?"
Sha Feiying waved a weary hand. "Go ask Zhuang Li."
Sha Yuandong's face lit up, and he immediately hurried out.
Meanwhile, as soon as Su Xin returned to Happy Forest, he sent the others away.
The moment Sha Feiying announced that he had been promoted to chief, the system's voice rang in Su Xin's mind.
"Congratulations, host. You have completed the main mission, Posture of an Overlord (II), with 50% completion. Reward: one designated-category draw (above two stars, below three stars). Would you like to draw now?"
In that situation, Su Xin had decisively chosen no. Entering the space would only leave him dazed for an instant, but he still didn't want anyone else to notice.
Once he returned to Happy Forest, Su Xin immediately announced that he was going into seclusion. He entered the system, ready to make his draw.
The last time, three intermediate draws had left Su Xin badly burned. If he got that unlucky again, it wouldn't be a matter of bad luck anymore. The system would be deliberately screwing him over.
P.S. Thanks to reader Gao Shengnan for the reward.
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