Sophistry

Changning Prefecture had forty-nine wards, but only four of them belonged to the Flying Eagle Gang. One of those was the utterly rundown Joyful District.

Third Master Hu was one of the Flying Eagle Gang's thirteen chief enforcers, and a powerful one at that. His territory covered a third of Shunyi Ward.

Compared to Joyful District, Shunyi Ward was much more prosperous. Its streets were bustling with people coming and going, unlike Joyful District, where filthy water ran through the streets all year and everything looked like a slum.

"Third Master Hu has his own residence in Shunyi Ward, with three courtyards and three gates. Tsk, tsk. When will we ever get to live in a grand house like that?" Huang Bingcheng gazed at it enviously.

People like them, low-ranking nobodies in the gang, didn't dream of making a name for themselves. They just wanted to live in peace and security.

Two members of the Flying Eagle Gang stood guard at Third Master Hu's gate. Huang Bingcheng hurried over and ingratiated himself with them. "Well, if it isn't Boss Wang and Brother Tian. Are the two of you on gate duty today? Sorry for the trouble, but could you please go announce us? Tell him Su Xin from Joyful District is here to see him."

"Su Xin? The Su Xin who killed Chen Dao?" The two men looked at Su Xin with amused expressions.

Huang Bingcheng's heart gave a jolt. Just as he'd expected, the news had already reached Third Master Hu.

But to his surprise, the two men didn't make things difficult for Su Xin. They simply said, "Go on in. Third Master Hu is waiting inside."

Huang Bingcheng led Su Xin in, puzzled. Behind them, the two men immediately shut the gate.

"Hey, Old Wang, do you think that kid will make it back out?"

"Who knows? But if he can walk out of here, he'll definitely have a place in the Flying Eagle Gang!"

"Why? Just because he killed Chen Dao?"

"No. Because he dared to come here even after killing Chen Dao. That kind of guts is extraordinary!"

At last, Su Xin met the famed Third Master Hu.

Aside from its leader, the Flying Eagle Gang had three hall masters: one who oversaw punishment in the Punishment Hall, one who managed assets and logistics in the Charity Hall, and one who commanded the gang's strongest fighters in the War Hall.

Below them, the Flying Eagle Gang's thirteen chief enforcers were the ones who called the shots. Third Master Hu was one of the more powerful ones.

Third Master Hu was already in his fifties, nearing sixty.

His temples were streaked with gray. He was one of the old brothers who had followed the Flying Eagle Gang's leader, Sha Feiying, from the very beginning and helped him conquer the world.

The first thing Su Xin noticed when he entered was Third Master Hu's hands.

The man himself was unremarkable, just like any ordinary old man.

Only his hands stood out: their bones were unusually broad, and they were pitch-black, gleaming like metal.

Su Xin had read Third Master Hu's profile.

He had practiced Iron Sand Palm for nearly forty years and mastered it. He could split stone monuments and shatter gold and jade!

"So you're Su Xin? You just killed my sworn son, and yet you dare come see me. Quite the nerve!"

Third Master Hu spoke coldly. His left hand tightened around his teacup, and the whole thing crumbled into powder!

Huang Bingcheng shuddered violently, almost dropping to his knees in terror.

A man's name cast a shadow like a tree.

Third Master Hu was not known for his mild temper.

"I'm not brave. I just know you won't kill me, Third Master." Su Xin sat calmly in his chair, not the slightest trace of fear on his face.

Third Master Hu laughed in sheer fury. "Won't kill you? Do you have any idea how long I spent raising Chen Dao? From the time he was twenty until now! A full twenty years!

"I spent twenty years raising my successor, and you killed him with one sword. And you think I won't kill you?"

Su Xin looked straight at Third Master Hu, without the slightest hint of backing down. "Even if I hadn't killed Chen Dao, one day you would have killed him yourself!"

Third Master Hu's expression changed at once.

"What exactly do you mean?"

Su Xin replied calmly, "I mean exactly what you mean, Third Master. Chen Dao had become a threat to you. By killing him, I could say I did you a great favor."

"What I mean?" Third Master Hu's expression settled into stillness. "Then tell me. What exactly do I mean?"

"Third Master, you're only in your fifties, but Chen Dao is already forty.

"Back then, you wanted to raise Chen Dao as your successor, and he did indeed perform well.

"He had mastered Iron Sand Palm by the time he was thirty. His strength was already close to that of a weaker chief enforcer.

"But that wasn't good news for you, Third Master, because he grew too quickly!

"Warriors have abundant, vigorous blood and qi. At your age, you could remain a chief enforcer for at least another ten years.

"You can wait ten years, but can Chen Dao? He has strength comparable to a chief enforcer, but not a single subordinate. Would he be content with that?

"I'm sure you've sensed it too, haven't you? You're almost unable to keep him in check.

"The Flying Eagle Gang's territory is only so large. Even if he has the strength of a chief enforcer, he has neither a chief enforcer's territory nor his men!

"His only choice is to make you retire early.

"You step down, and he takes your place!"

After finishing, Su Xin picked up the tea on the table and took a sip, looking completely at ease. Huang Bingcheng, however, was terrified.

Boss, were you a storyteller in your previous life? How could you make up such a wild tale?

You've angered Third Master Hu now. He'll hit each of us once, and we're both done for!

But to Huang Bingcheng's surprise, Third Master Hu didn't rush over to strike them as he'd imagined. Instead, he stared at Su Xin, a flicker of wariness in his eyes!

Back when he'd been Su Xin's age, he'd been full of youthful passion and knew nothing but fighting and killing.

But Su Xin's analysis just now had been like a worm in his gut, laying bare nearly everything he'd been thinking.

This kind of cunning didn't belong to someone barely sixteen or seventeen. Su Xin seemed more like a slick old hand in middle age.

What Su Xin didn't know was that in his previous life, he'd made a living by figuring people out.

He'd managed several hundred people. He didn't need to understand the technical work, but if he didn't know how to read people, he would never have held that position for several years.

Third Master Hu watched Su Xin coldly. Just as Huang Bingcheng was nearly pissing himself, Third Master Hu suddenly burst into laughter.

"Good! Very good! Everyone in the Flying Eagle Gang says you, Su Xin, are a formidable fighter, but if you ask me, what deserves the most praise is your mind."

Third Master Hu looked at Su Xin with admiration. "But this matter won't be settled so easily. You killed one of my sworn sons, so you'll have to pay me back with another, won't you?"

Without the slightest hesitation, Su Xin dropped to one knee and cupped his fists respectfully. "Your son pays his respects to Father!"

As he spoke, Su Xin immediately took out the five-hundred-tael banknote from his clothes and offered it with both hands.

"Five hundred taels isn't much, but it's the thought that counts. I hope you'll accept it, Father."

"Good, good, good! Su Xin, I knew I hadn't misjudged you." Third Master Hu took the banknote and set it on the table. The admiration in his eyes only deepened.

He didn't care about the five hundred taels, of course. But young people as perceptive as Su Xin, who knew when to advance and when to retreat, were a rare sight.

Strength could be trained, but cunning was much harder to develop.

"Su Xin, from now on, you'll be in charge of Happy Forest. I'll also report your new position to the gang.

"But you've only just become a junior chief. Apart from you, none of your men are any good in a fight.

"I have two young men here who are pretty capable. They'll work under you from now on."

Third Master Hu clapped his hands, and two young men came in from the courtyard.

One was in his twenties, his face utterly expressionless, as if everyone he saw owed him several hundred taels.

The other was around thirty and exactly the opposite. He looked at everyone with a friendly smile.

"This is Li Huai, and this is Ji Gang. They've both been with me for years, and they're decent fighters. They can give you a hand."

Li Huai, with his deadpan face, merely nodded at Su Xin. Ji Gang, on the other hand, smiled and said, "Boss Su, I'll be relying on you for my meals from now on."

"You're too kind, Brother Ji. You're a veteran of the Flying Eagle Gang. I should be the one learning from you."

Su Xin was being modest, but he wasn't naive enough to think Third Master Hu had sent these two men over just to help him.

For someone who had just killed his sworn son and had thoroughly analyzed his thoughts, Third Master Hu had every reason to be wary of him. Su Xin considered that perfectly normal.

But Third Master Hu was thinking far too simply if he believed two men could keep Su Xin in check.

"Enough. You two go wait outside. I still have some things to discuss with Su Xin."

Third Master Hu waved a hand, and Li Huai and Ji Gang immediately left the room.

Huang Bingcheng gave Su Xin a look of admiration.

This boss of his was something else. He'd settled the matter in just a few words and even latched on to a powerful backer like Third Master Hu!

With Third Master Hu as his adoptive father, Su Xin's position in the Flying Eagle Gang was now rock-solid.

And as the first gang member to pledge himself to Su Xin, Huang Bingcheng had proved his gamble was right!

Once everyone had left, Su Xin asked respectfully, "Father, do you have any other instructions?"

"You've studied internal martial arts, haven't you?"

Third Master Hu's words left Su Xin stunned.

According to the information he had, only the gang leader and the three hall masters in the Flying Eagle Gang were truly skilled in internal martial arts. How had Third Master Hu figured out that he practiced it?

Seeing Su Xin's stunned expression, Third Master Hu nodded in satisfaction. "Don't worry. I'm not going to snatch your internal cultivation manual. As for internal martial arts, I know them too."

Su Xin asked cautiously, "But I heard that only the gang leader and the three hall masters in our Flying Eagle Gang have studied internal martial arts. I was told that you and the other chief enforcers only specialize in external techniques."

"They don't know a damn thing!"

Third Master Hu scoffed. "When our Flying Eagle Gang was first founded, there were only a little over thirty of us. Most of us were brothers who followed the gang leader in his campaigns. If the gang leader knew internal martial arts, why wouldn't he teach them to us?

"In fact, all thirteen of the Flying Eagle Gang's chief enforcers studied internal martial arts under the gang leader.

"But martial arts aren't something you can master just by studying and training hard. Talent matters too.

"The human body has one hundred and eight acupoints. Refining thirty-six acupoints makes you an initial Postnatal Realm cultivator; refining seventy-two makes you a mid-stage Postnatal Realm cultivator; and refining all one hundred and eight makes you a great perfection cultivator of the Postnatal Realm.

"Only after entering the Postnatal Realm can you be called a true martial artist. Unfortunately, after nearly forty years, I've only refined thirteen acupoints."

Su Xin had never heard any of this before.

But the Quanzhen Sect Basic Internal Skill he'd gotten from the lottery should explain all of it.

He'd only just drawn the manual and hadn't even had a chance to read it before rushing off to avenge himself. All he'd used was the bit of true qi he'd cultivated from the system's gift of five percent proficiency.

"With the power of your Iron Sand Palm, even an initial Postnatal Realm martial artist wouldn't be your match, Father," Su Xin flattered him.

"Enough. You don't need to butter me up. Go back and do your job well. Happy Forest borders the Green Bamboo Gang's territory, so don't bring shame on the Flying Eagle Gang."

Seeing that his words had stunned Su Xin, Third Master Hu nodded in satisfaction.

"Yes, Father. I'll take my leave, then."

Su Xin stood, bowed respectfully to Third Master Hu, and turned to leave the hall.