Mission Complete

After Su Xin left, a middle-aged man in his forties, dressed like a scholar, emerged from behind the screen. He clicked his tongue and sighed. "This young man really is no ordinary person. His schemes are terrifying. He can't be twenty yet, can he? Third Master, are you really comfortable handing Happy Forest over to him? Aren't you afraid he'll become another Chen Dao?"

"Afraid? I'm afraid he won't become another Chen Dao!"

A cryptic smile tugged at the corner of Third Master Hu's mouth. "That boy was right. I'm old now. I can't fight like I used to. If I stay in this position for another ten years, I'll be due for retirement.

"The gang leader is old too. He's already started grooming his successor. When the young leader takes over, a new emperor will appoint his own courtiers. Do you think he'll look kindly on old hands like us? Better to step down early, so we don't get in certain people's way.

"By then, that boy Su Xin should have grown up, too. With him, my adopted son, in power, I won't have to worry that people will turn cold once I'm gone. At least I'll be able to hold on to my wealth and comfort for the rest of my life."

The scholar still looked uncertain. "But Third Master, you can know a person's face, not their heart. This boy is so calculating. Aren't you afraid he'll repay your kindness with betrayal one day?"

"He's a clever man. He won't do that. If he betrays me, all he'll get is a reputation as an ungrateful wretch. We make our way in the underworld; once your name is rotten, who'll follow you? So he has nothing to gain by betraying me.

"As long as I'm alive, my years of standing in the gang will let me keep the old hands in check and help him smoothly take over my power. Once he's in place, he'll earn the young leader's favor, too. So he won't betray me. He'll take good care of me instead."

"Third Master, your foresight is truly impressive. I'm convinced."

The scholar clasped his hands and bowed in admiration. Now he understood why Third Master Hu had so suddenly taken Su Xin as his adopted son. Hu had considered things so far ahead.

Third Master Hu waved a hand, his smile fading. "Foresight? I suppose so. After all these years, I wouldn't have survived until today without a few schemes of my own.

"Earlier, I told Su Xin that when the Flying Eagle Gang was first founded, there were more than thirty of us. After all these years, only a dozen or so old hands like us are left.

"But do you think all the dozen or so who died were killed in gang battles?"

The scholar was startled by the chill in Third Master Hu's eyes. These were secrets from the Flying Eagle Gang's early days, and he didn't dare listen any further.

Outside Third Master Hu's residence, Su Xin clasped his hands to Ji Gang and Li Huai. "It's my honor to have you both come help me. From now on, we're all brothers."

Li Huai's face was cold. "Third Master sent me to help you secure your position in the Flying Eagle Gang. Don't expect me to treat you as my boss or obey you like those little underlings!"

With that, Li Huai turned and left, not putting Su Xin in the slightest.

"Hey! What kind of way is that to talk? Boss Su was just taken in as Third Master's adopted son!"

Seeing Li Huai's attitude, Huang Bingcheng immediately flew into a rage.

It was hard to say whether it was because Li Huai looked down on Su Xin or because the word "underlings" had stung him.

Ji Gang smiled and clasped his hands toward Su Xin. "Boss Su, that's just how he is. Don't take it to heart. I'll go talk to him."

With that, Ji Gang went after Li Huai.

Huang Bingcheng muttered scornfully, "What's he so smug about? Thinks being able to fight makes him so great?"

"Do you know those two?" Su Xin suddenly asked.

Huang Bingcheng scratched his head. "I've heard of them. Li Huai is Third Master Hu's top fighter. He only rose to prominence in the last few years, but he's known throughout the Flying Eagle Gang for his ruthless strikes and fearlessness in the face of death.

"Ji Gang has about the same standing. He's also one of Third Master Hu's younger fighters, but compared with Li Huai, he isn't very well known."

At the mention of Li Huai, Huang Bingcheng still looked furious. "Hmph! That Li Huai is way too damn arrogant. What does he think he is? He's not even a minor boss right now! He looks down on underlings, but he's an underling himself!

"Look at Ji Gang. He's got the same standing, but he's much more humble. Nothing like Li Huai, acting as if heaven is first and he's second."

Su Xin shook his head faintly. "You don't understand. A dog that bites usually doesn't bark."

Huang Bingcheng scratched his head in confusion. He didn't quite understand what Su Xin meant.

Seeing Su Xin already heading off, he hurried after him.

When Su Xin and the others returned to Happy Forest, the gang members who had been there before saw that Su Xin had not only come back alive from Third Master Hu's residence but had also brought along two fighters with considerable standing in the gang. Their attitude toward him changed at once.

Winning Third Master Hu's approval meant that Su Xin had firmly established himself in the Flying Eagle Gang.

A gang was not like a sect. As long as the people above you didn't object, there was nothing wrong with knocking off the boss and taking his place.

"Congratulations, Host, on completing the beginner mission. You have been rewarded with 10 Villain Points and one Basic Qi Nourishing Pill."

As soon as Su Xin stepped into Happy Forest, the system's voice rang in his mind.

Su Xin had left the Qi Nourishing Pill in the system's custody. This wasn't the time to take it.

"Have you arranged things for Ji Gang and Li Huai?" Su Xin asked.

Huang Bingcheng quickly replied, "Everything's taken care of. They've got the best rooms at Dongsheng Inn. They cost a tael of silver a day."

Though the two men were supposedly under Su Xin, they were, in essence, Third Master Hu's men.

Until Su Xin had established his own power, he still had to keep up appearances.

"Boss, I've also had your room cleaned up. You can move in whenever you like."

Huang Bingcheng wore an ingratiating smile. He was thoroughly impressed with his new boss now.

In just one day, Su Xin had gone from a gang member who had killed his boss and had an uncertain future to the Flying Eagle Gang's youngest minor boss and Third Master Hu's adopted son.

In all his years, Huang Bingcheng had never seen anything like it.

"I have a room of my own?"

Huang Bingcheng explained, "It was left behind by the Green Bamboo Gang. Now that Happy Forest is ours, the place belongs to you, too, Boss."

Su Xin nodded.

Happy Forest had originally belonged to the Green Bamboo Gang. The Flying Eagle Gang had suddenly gone to war with them recently for reasons no one could fathom, and that was how they'd seized Happy Forest.

Thinking of his old ramshackle home, Su Xin didn't waste any more time talking to Huang Bingcheng. He left Happy Forest at once.

Xin'er was still at Granny Wang's noodle stall.

"Brother! You're back!"

As soon as Xin'er saw Su Xin, she came running over and clung to him like a sloth.

"All right, all right. You're a young lady now. Aren't you embarrassed?" Su Xin patted Xin'er's little head. "Come on, I'll take you to our new home."

Su Xin picked up Su Xin'er. Before leaving, he placed a silver ingot on Granny Wang's stall. It was only one tael.

It wasn't that Su Xin didn't want to give more. In a slum like Joyful District, having money was a crime in itself.

If Su Xin gave Granny Wang too much, he'd only be putting her in danger.

Though he called it moving, there wasn't much to bring from Su Xin's old home.

The most valuable thing there was probably the plot of land itself.

So Su Xin took only a few changes of clothes and was done.

"By the way, Xin'er, where's the bracelet Mother left behind?"

Su Xin remembered that his mother had left a bracelet, which he had entrusted to Xin'er for safekeeping.

It was the only valuable thing in their home. Even when things had been at their hardest, he had never considered pawning it.

"The bracelet... the bracelet..." Fear showed on Xin'er's little face, and she couldn't bring herself to speak.

Su Xin rubbed her head and said softly, "Don't be afraid, Xin'er. Tell me where the bracelet went. Did you lose it?"

Xin'er pressed her little lips together, tears glimmering in her eyes. "I didn't lose it. Xin'er saw you were hurt before, so I wanted to steal some medicine from the pharmacy, but the old shopkeeper caught me.

"He said I had to make up for the loss, so he took the bracelet away. Brother, am I useless?"

Seeing Xin'er like that, Su Xin felt a murderous intent rise in his heart.

But he spoke gently. "Don't worry. Tomorrow, I'll take you to get the bracelet back. For now, let's go see our new home."

Huang Bingcheng had already made all the arrangements at Happy Forest. Su Xin could move right in.

The courtyard stood next to Happy Forest. It wasn't a grand mansion with three courtyards, but it was still a spacious quadrangle.

Su Xin'er had grown up in the slums. Suddenly moving into such a "luxurious" place left her so excited she could barely contain herself. All afternoon, her little eyes stayed narrowed like crescent moons.

After settling Su Xin'er in to rest, Su Xin returned to his room and took out the Basic Qi Nourishing Pill.

Compared with the inferior Qi Nourishing Pill, the Basic Qi Nourishing Pill looked much better. It was rated one star, too.

Su Xin swallowed it in one gulp and immediately felt a warm current coursing through his dantian.

As Third Master Hu had said, the most important thing for a martial artist in the Postnatal Realm was refining the acupoints in their body.

The human body had 108 acupoints, corresponding to the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Fiends.

Each one opened would greatly increase one's physical strength, blood and qi, and internal energy.

Third Master Hu had said that refining acupoints was exceptionally difficult. Su Xin both agreed and disagreed.

For mediocre people, even with an internal cultivation method, refining acupoints really wasn't easy.

Third Master Hu had lacked a renowned teacher in his youth, and his cultivation method wasn't particularly advanced. On top of that, his martial talent was merely average, so he could only focus on external styles like Iron Sand Palm. It was only natural that he had refined just thirteen acupoints in forty years.

But Su Xin had the Great Villain System, so he had no shortage of resources.

It also held countless vast and powerful techniques. If he still got stuck in the Postnatal Realm, there'd be no point playing. He might as well hang himself with a strand of hair.

Riding the powerful internal energy brought by the Qi Nourishing Pill, Su Xin quickly began channeling it toward the first acupoint in his body.

Under the pill's power, the acupoint was soon fused with the internal energy. Blood flowed through it, instantly growing rich and thick, while the internal energy passed through unobstructed, without the slightest trace of resistance.

Opening just one acupoint had already brought Su Xin such a great change. He was eager to see how powerful his blood and qi would become once he reached the Post-Natal Great Perfection Realm and refined all 108 acupoints.

"Creak."

The door opened, and Xin'er timidly walked in.

"What's wrong?" Seeing Xin'er come in, Su Xin stopped practicing.

"I'm scared being alone in the room, Brother. Can I sleep with you?"

Xin'er gazed at Su Xin with wide eyes, looking as if she'd cry if he refused.

Su Xin glanced outside, only then realizing that night had fallen.

"All right, but be good when you sleep. Don't wet the bed."

In the past, there had only been one room and one bed in Su Xin's home, so Xin'er had naturally slept with him.

The little girl didn't feel safe alone, and she really wasn't used to staying in a room by herself.

"Brother, you're awful!"

Xin'er's little face flushed bright red.

When she was little, their mother had worked to help support the family, so Su Xin had always looked after her. Whenever she misbehaved, he teased her about wetting the bed when she was younger.

After settling Xin'er in, Su Xin went to sleep as well.