Late at night.
A courtyard in Peace Lane, the Clear Water Gang's new headquarters.
"Boss, this place is really stifling. There isn't even a single girl around."
"Deputy Boss, finding girls is easy. Some of the girls in the alleys we passed through today are pretty good-looking. Why don't we knock on their doors now?"
Hearing his subordinate's words, Cao Peng slapped his wine bowl down on the table. "What time do you think it is? And you're still thinking about that little business in your pants."
Seeing the boss suddenly fly into a rage, the Clear Water Gang's core members exchanged glances and forced awkward grins.
"The priority right now is collecting the 'peace money.' If we don't collect enough, you all know what'll happen when our patron gets angry."
As a Skin Polishing martial artist, Cao Peng had managed to build up this crew and claim several streets in the chaotic western part of the city. That was thanks not only to his own ruthlessness, but also to the patron backing him.
But even the patron behind him couldn't compare to the Four Seas Gang. They expanded at breakneck speed and used brutal methods. Cao Peng's former territory had been squeezed until there was nowhere left for him to survive. Fighting back would mean certain death, and even his patron couldn't protect him. With no other choice, he'd brought these dozen-odd brothers and slunk over to this part of the northern city.
As for joining the Four Seas Gang?
He didn't dare.
His patron might not be able to deal with the Four Seas Gang, but crushing Cao Peng was as easy as crushing an ant.
Without his patron, Cao Peng wouldn't even have reached the first stage of Skin Polishing. But because of his patron, as soon as he did, he'd been sent to form a gang. Nine-tenths of the money they earned went to the patron, leaving Cao Peng with little chance to practice martial arts afterward.
"Listen up," Cao Peng said, sweeping his gloomy gaze over his subordinates. "There are plenty of people living in this alley. There's money to be made, but we're new here and haven't got a foothold yet."
He paused and pointed at the crude map of the alley on the table. "We'll follow the old rules first. Go door to door and 'let them know.' Those who can't afford much can pay less. What matters is getting them to accept the rule of peace money and getting them used to paying it every month."
After several years in the gang business, Cao Peng knew the common folk inside out. At first, they could collect only a little. Once the people accepted it, they could raise the amount later, and the people wouldn't dare resist.
He took a swig of wine. His tone softened, but carried an even deeper chill. "Once the people in this alley and the ones nearby are used to paying us every month, and accept that our Clear Water Gang is the 'one in charge' here, then..."
He didn't finish, but everyone present understood what he meant.
Then, whatever they wanted would be theirs to decide.
The girls they fancied, the shops they had their eyes on—they'd always find a way to get them.
"The boss is brilliant."
"Only the boss could come up with that."
The men around him chimed in with flattery. After a few rounds of drinks, one of them felt the urge to piss, got up, and headed for the door.
"Why's Pockmark taking so long? He didn't fall into the latrine, did he? Boss, I'll go check."
Inside the room, another red-faced man stood up. But the instant he reached the doorway, a cold gust swept in. The sight of the figure standing before him sobered him up in a flash.
He was about to call a warning, but before he could get a word out, a fist rapidly swelled before his eyes. It tore through the air with a sharp whistle and slammed into the center of his face!
"Bang!"
The dull impact sounded like a blow against worn leather.
The burly man didn't even get a chance to scream. His nose collapsed and shattered on the spot, and the force sent him flying backward, his feet leaving the ground. He crashed into the door, which was still only half-open, and banged it wide inward. His body crumpled limply to the floor, blood pouring from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth.
"Looking to die!" Shock and fury surged through Cao Peng. As a martial artist at the first stage of Skin Polishing, he reacted the fastest. He flipped the table up to shield himself and roared, "Grab your weapons!"
The remaining man hurried to seize the cleaver leaning against the wall.
But the figure rushing in was faster. He ignored the table flying toward him, shifted his steps strangely to dodge the splashing bowls, plates, and wine, and was already beside the man reaching for the cleaver, as swift as a ghost.
The man had just gotten the cleaver in his hand and hadn't yet raised it when the masked figure's left hand clamped around his wrist. He squeezed and twisted hard!
"Crack!"
The sharp snap of his wrist bone breaking rang out clearly.
"Ah!"
The gang member screamed in agony, and the cleaver slipped from his hand.
The masked man caught the falling handle with his right hand and slashed in one smooth motion. The blade flashed like a bolt of silk across the man's throat.
The scream cut off. Blood sprayed.
From the masked man bursting through the door to taking down the man, no more than two or three breaths had passed!
Cao Peng was both shocked and terrified. The masked man was ruthless and decisive, undoubtedly a Skin Polishing expert—and a killer!
"Which road are you from, friend? The Clear Water Gang has no grudge against you..." Cao Peng tried to keep him talking while secretly building up his strength.
Lin Yan said nothing. He simply swung the bloodstained cleaver.
Seeing Lin Yan's cleaver come down, a flash of delight crossed Cao Peng's eyes. The masked man's technique was clumsy. His attack was fierce, but he'd left a glaring opening!
"Come and die!"
Cao Peng growled. He'd practiced claw techniques for years and was best at closing in through an opponent's openings. His fists became claws, his fingers hooked like talons, and with a foul wind swirling around them, he lunged straight for Lin Yan's cleaver-wielding wrist and the wide-open areas of his chest and abdomen!
Yet the moment Cao Peng's claws shot forward, Lin Yan let go of the cleaver and abandoned it. The strength of his Stone Waist Savage Spine erupted in an instant. He bent his right arm and swung both fists, like two siege hammers fired from their launchers, slamming into Cao Peng's claws with no wasted flourish.
Fist met claw, and a crisp crack of breaking bones rang out.
Cao Peng's face contorted with pain. The force of his opponent's fists was swift and overwhelming, far beyond what he could withstand.
"Spare me! Hero, spare me! I have someone backing me, namely..."
Cao Peng was terrified. He realized he was no match for this masked fiend.
But before he could finish, Lin Yan darted in like a ghost and drove an elbow, charged with the full strength of his body, hard into Cao Peng's chest!
"Pfft!"
Cao Peng's eyes bulged. He spat out a mouthful of blood mixed with fragments of his organs, and his chest visibly caved in. His body flew backward and struck the wall, then slowly slid to the ground as the light in his eyes rapidly faded.
The room fell silent in an instant, leaving only the stench of blood in the air.
Lin Yan breathed softly, his chest rising and falling. He looked at the three bodies strewn across the room, his gaze cold and unruffled.
From testing Cao Peng's grip earlier that day, Lin Yan had already learned that Cao Peng's qi and blood were only a little stronger than his own. With Stone Waist Savage Spine, he could surpass him, and his Mountain Splitting Fist at the proficient level was more than enough.
Once he'd confirmed that Cao Peng was weaker than him, Cao Peng's death sentence had been passed in Lin Yan's mind.
Mencius said, "Gang members without compassion are not human. They may be killed."
After disposing of the bodies with practiced ease, Lin Yan couldn't resist giving Cao Peng's corpse a kick.
"Anyone who didn't know better would think you lot were here to do charity work."
This was the poorest gang boss he'd ever seen, and the poorest gang, too. They were even poorer than Zhou Wu, that hall master.
All four men together had only thirty taels of silver on them.
Unwilling to give up, Lin Yan searched the room for a while longer. At last, he found a ledger beneath the bed.
He flipped through it. The more he read, the graver his expression became.
It recorded the Clear Water Gang's various earnings over the years, but most of the money had ultimately gone to their "patron." No wonder Cao Peng was so poor.
A more powerful force stood behind Cao Peng. Things had gotten troublesome.
Lin Yan didn't take the ledger. Instead, he put it back beneath the bed. Then he picked up the cleaver he'd discarded earlier and hacked directly at Cao Peng's chest.
Of the four dead men, the one who'd gone to the latrine had died when Lin Yan snapped his neck. Another had been killed with a single cut to the throat, and Cao Peng and the last man had been beaten to death with his fists.
He had to destroy the fatal wounds on Cao Peng and the other man to keep the force behind Cao Peng from tracing the deaths back to him.
After finishing the work of destroying the evidence and confirming that he'd left no clues, Lin Yan climbed back over the wall and disappeared into the night.
The next day.
"Is this Brother Lin's home?"
Lin Yan was practicing his fist techniques in the courtyard. Hearing the commotion, he went to the gate and saw a well-dressed, middle-aged man standing outside.
"And you are?"
"I'm the steward of the Wang Family in the eastern part of the city."
"So you're Steward Wang."
Lin Yan beamed and reached out both hands warmly.
"My surname isn't Wang. It's Li."
Seeing Lin Yan's outstretched hands, Li Guiyi hesitated, but eventually offered his right hand. Lin Yan immediately clasped it. "Steward Li, come in for some tea."
Li Guiyi unobtrusively pulled his hand from Lin Yan's grasp. Feeling the grease on his palm, then seeing the basin of boiled pork on the courtyard's stone table, he felt nothing but contempt.
He really was from the bottom of society. He didn't understand even the slightest thing about etiquette.
"Steward Li, does the Wang Mansion need guards? Don't worry, I won't charge much. Just twenty taels a month."
Li Guiyi was a little taken aback. That was exactly what he'd intended to say. He'd planned to use the mansion's supposed need for guards to probe Lin Yan's background, but it seemed there was no need now.
"The Wang Mansion isn't short of guards. I'd simply heard that a young martial artist had appeared in Yuliu Alley. I happened to be passing by, so I came to pay a visit. As expected, heroes do come from humble beginnings."
The warm smile on Lin Yan's face vanished at Li Guiyi's words. His gaze fell on Li Guiyi's empty hands, and he muttered, "When someone comes to pay a visit..."
"Forgive me, Brother Lin. I came in a hurry and didn't prepare a proper gift. This is a small token of my regard."
Hearing Lin Yan's muttering, Li Guiyi didn't think twice. He took a silver ingot from his robe, a full two taels. "I still have business at the mansion. I'll be going."
"Take care, Steward Li. Come by for tea when you have time." Lin Yan watched Li Guiyi disappear at the end of the alley with reluctant eyes.
"If it weren't for the Wang Mansion's reputation, I would've hacked you apart just now."
Li Guiyi pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and furiously wiped the grease off his hand.
"Steward Li, do you think this man could be the culprit?"
At the entrance to the alley, another young man stood waiting.
"Lin Yan only just reached the first stage of Skin Polishing. Even if Cao Peng was useless, he'd been at the first stage for years. This man isn't the culprit."
"If it wasn't Lin Yan, Xu Ping doesn't seem like the type either. Then who killed Cao Peng? Should I probe Lin Yan in secret?"
"Probe Xu Ping if you want, but leave Lin Yan alone. He's a disciple of the Yang Family Martial Arts Hall, and its master is a fourth-stage Skin Polishing martial artist. The county's in turmoil right now. The master of the house specifically warned us not to stir up trouble."
Li Guiyi shook his head, a cold look in his eyes. "Cao Peng couldn't even hold on to his territory in the western part of the city. He wasn't much use to us anyway. Let him die."
In the courtyard.
Lin Yan still had a smile on his face. The moment he'd shaken Steward Li's hand, he'd known that the patron behind Cao Peng was most likely the Wang Family.
The gray Martial Dao Tree showed that Steward Li also practiced Stone-Splitting Claw.
His Martial Dao Tree stood two feet and eight inches tall, and the leaves of Stone-Splitting Claw were fully green.
He was one of the outstanding second-stage Skin Polishing martial artists whose Stone-Splitting Claw had reached the proficient level.
This man was beyond Lin Yan's ability to handle for now. Still, his little act just now had probably made Li Guiyi less suspicious.
P.S. Brothers, keeping up with the latest chapters is important! My son turns one tomorrow, so I'll post an extra chapter at midnight. Please vote with your monthly tickets and keep reading!