Coercion

The person sent by the Tri-Union Gang to take over was named Qian Ming. As it happened, he was also from Big Tree Village, so Xu Yang had seen him a few times and was not unfamiliar with him.

The Tri-Union Gang had established a branch hall in the vicinity, located in the area between Big Tree Village, Li Family Village, and White Stone Ward.

When he had originally planned to ambush Li Hu, the reason he did not come here was not because he knew Li Hu had gone into hiding, but because this hall was permanently garrisoned by over a dozen men. It was unrealistic to kill Li Hu here, which was why he chose to ambush him outside the village where Li Hu's mistress lived.

On his way into the city, Xu Yang took a detour to come here, intending to pay the residence fee to avoid these people harassing his home.

The Tri-Union Gang's residence fee was calculated per head, at five wen per person each month.

It was not a large sum, but it was not small either; it was just enough to keep you half-dead, ensuring you could still pay them tribute every month.

When Xu Yang arrived, he discovered that most of the people who used to follow Li Hu had been replaced, and many were new faces.

He quickly found the person in charge of records and handed over the ten wen he had prepared.

"Which village, and what is your name?"

"White Stone Ward, Xu Yang!" Xu Yang said.

However, after he reported his name, the man did not record it. Instead, he shouted to the people at the entrance, "Go quickly and invite Master Qian. Tell him Xu Yang is here."

Xu Yang's heart sank. Could it be that the Tri-Union Gang had discovered he was the one who killed Li Hu?

He remained calm on the surface. Soon, Qian Ming arrived—a middle-aged man with a large belly.

Like Li Hu, this man was not a martial artist, so he did not fear him much.

Even if the Tri-Union Gang discovered he was the culprit, he could calmly kill his way out of here. What he was wary of were the Tri-Union Gang's martial artists, not these lackeys who only knew how to show off.

"So you are Xu Yang?" Qian Ming narrowed his eyes, looking Xu Yang up and down, thinking to himself that he was indeed a mud-legged laborer who had worked the fields for years; his physique was truly sturdy.

"This little one greets Master Qian!" Xu Yang put on a smile, trying his best to make his strong frame look smaller.

In the span of a month, he had changed significantly; his height had shot up, and his body had become frighteningly robust. It was hard for Qian Ming not to notice.

Qian Ming stared at him for a moment, then slammed a large hand onto Xu Yang's chest with a loud thud. Xu Yang took the opportunity to step back a few paces, a look of "pain" appearing on his face.

Qian Ming exclaimed in admiration, "It's a waste for a body like yours not to join a gang. Come follow me, and I guarantee you'll eat well and live well—ten times better than being a beast of burden in the city."

Xu Yang's heart sank. This was an attempt to trick him into joining the Tri-Union Gang so they could scheme against Xu Qing. Otherwise, why would they need to summon Qian Ming just for him to pay a fee?

If he refused, he would be disrespecting Qian Ming, giving the man an excuse to cause trouble.

If he agreed, it would be a simple matter of a single word from Qian Ming to ruin him.

"Master Qian thinks too highly of this little one. My courage is smaller than a mouse's; following you would only bring shame upon your name."

Qian Ming's face darkened. "You look down on me?"

"Kid, Master Qian is doing you a favor by letting you follow him."

"Ungrateful wretch!"

"How dare he defy Master Qian? Kill him."

The lackeys all around began to shout.

Xu Yang looked terrified. "Master Qian, please see clearly. A hero like you is someone this little one admires deeply. It is just that I am currently working for the Huang Family in the city and have signed a contract. If I quit, the Huang Family will surely not let me off."

He brought up the Huang Family, hoping it would have some effect.

"Fine. Since that is the case, I will not force you. I heard that you have a burden of a sister who only eats your food; the Tri-Union Gang wants to buy her. Surely you won't refuse me this time?"

Qian Ming's words were full of threats.

You have already refused me once; if you refuse again, I will lose my temper.

Xu Yang took a deep breath and said, "My sister and I have relied on each other since we were young. No matter what, I will not sell her. If Master Qian has no other business, I must hurry to the Huang Family to work."

Qian Ming did not get angry; instead, he laughed. "To dare refuse me twice in a row and still claim to be timid? Go then. Since you are unwilling to sell, my Tri-Union Gang will not engage in forced buying or selling."

"Many thanks for your understanding, Master Qian!" After bowing, Xu Yang turned and left.

Qian Ming's eyes narrowed into slits as he watched Xu Yang leave. In the end, he did not press further; Xu Yang's double invocation of the Huang Family had indeed played a role.

Xu Yang might not be anyone important in the Huang Family, but his uncle, Zhou Shunchang, had followed the Huang Family before they rose to power and would certainly have some sway.

Moreover, if things were done too crudely, these mud-legged laborers would eventually resist. At the very least, they couldn't act too openly.

"Isn't he working in the city? You lot, prepare yourselves. I want to make sure he doesn't make it home tonight."

"Master Qian, if something happens to him tonight, won't the Huang Family suspect us?" one of his subordinates asked.

If Xu Yang died the same day he was threatened, they would naturally be the primary suspects if the Huang Family investigated.

"Then wait a few days," Qian Ming said.

Although the Huang Family had only risen to prominence in recent years, it was best not to provoke them if possible. None of the wealthy families in the city were simple; if they were easy to bully, the Tri-Union Gang wouldn't just be scraping money off these mud-legged laborers.

"It seems I will be getting less sleep tonight."

Xu Yang walked quickly toward Wei Yuan Hall. Qian Ming had already harbored murderous intent, but he had been deterred by the name of the Huang Family and had ultimately refrained from acting on the spot.

I had originally intended to wait until I broke through to the Qi Gathering stage before dealing with the Tri-Union Gang, but it seems I can no longer afford to wait.

In truth, the only reason Li Hu's death has remained a secret is that no one yet knows he was practicing martial arts in the city. Once that fact comes to light, it will be all too easy for people to link it back to me; therefore, a life-or-death confrontation between the Tri-Union Gang and me is inevitable.

Since that is the case, it is simply a matter of who dies first.

"A dozen or so men—that won't be easy to kill."

Before leaving, I quietly observed this branch of the Tri-Union Gang and counted thirteen people, four or five of whom were armed with sabers. If I don't handle this carefully, I won't just fail to kill them—I might lose my own life in the process.

I have only been practicing martial arts for a month. Fighting a few men bare-handed is no problem, but if the opponents are armed, even one or two would put me in danger.

As I made my way into the city, I combed through my memories for everything I knew about the Tri-Union Gang, hoping to find some useful information.

"Ah Yang!" A voice suddenly snapped me out of my thoughts.

I looked up and realized that, without noticing, I had already arrived outside the Wei Yuan Hall. The person calling me was none other than my cousin, Zhou Xia.

"Cousin, what are you doing here?" I pushed my thoughts aside and walked over quickly.

"What, can't I come?" Zhou Xia flashed a mischievous smile.

I scratched my head. "That's not it!"

"Father sent me to check on you."

As she spoke, she opened her palm to reveal several pieces of gleaming silver, which looked to be about two taels. "Father told me to bring this to you. He wants you to know that you must not give up."

I nodded to show I hadn't given up, but then shook my head. "I can't take this. Uncle has already helped me enough."

Two taels of silver might sound like a lot for a monthly salary, but both of my cousins were married with children and lacked decent jobs, so the entire family relied on Uncle's income.

"Father knew you wouldn't want it, so he said this is a loan. You can pay him back once you become a martial artist."

"Alright!"

Only then did I take the silver from Zhou Xia's hand and say earnestly, "Thank Uncle for me, and tell him that I will definitely succeed in gathering my Qi."