Su Derong led Chen Jianghe through the noisy courtyard of the escort agency and into a quiet tearoom in the east wing.
As soon as the two sat down, a servant brought them hot tea.
Su Derong took a sip, spun his fan in his hand, and suddenly asked, "Jianghe, have you heard of the Green Dragon Gang?"
Chen Jianghe paused, then shook his head. "The Green Dragon Gang? I've only heard of the Black Tiger Gang, Iron Hand Gang, and Caoshui Gang in the Outer City, as well as the Sun Moon Cult... Is the Green Dragon Gang an Inner City power?"
"Not the Inner City." Su Derong shook his head with a bitter smile. "Right, you've spent more than half a year training hard at the martial arts hall, with your ears closed to the world outside. The Green Dragon Gang is a ruthless new force that's risen beyond the city in recent times."
He paused. "Thirty li outside the city, there used to be a Lin Family Fort. You've heard of it, haven't you?"
Chen Jianghe nodded. "A little. I've heard the Lin Family Fort was exceedingly wealthy, and even the Five Great Families in the Inner City had to show them some respect."
"That was in the past." Su Derong gave a cold laugh. "Three years ago, the Lin Family Fort took in a son-in-law named Xiao Qing. They say he had an excellent martial arts constitution. By the time he married into the family, he'd already reached Dark Strength, and the Lin family valued him highly."
Chen Jianghe listened in silence.
"Who would've thought Xiao Qing was a wolf that could never be tamed?" Su Derong toyed with the ribs of his fan, his tone growing cold. "He used the Lin family's resources to advance by leaps and bounds. Some time ago, he broke through to Force Manifestation in one fell swoop. While Old Master Lin was in seclusion, he joined forces with several elders from outside the family and, in a single night, slaughtered the Lin family's direct line and seized the position of Fort Master."
Chen Jianghe's pupils contracted. "Force Manifestation?"
"Absolutely true." Su Derong's expression turned grave. "This man has enormous ambitions. He didn't stop after swallowing up the Lin family. Recently, he's been setting up checkpoints on the main roads beyond the city and levying heavy taxes on passing merchant caravans. Several families in the city, including mine, have sent people to sound him out, but he won't be swayed. He only said, 'Matters of the martial world should be settled in the martial world,' and told us all to 'look out for ourselves.'"
He turned to Chen Jianghe. "The meaning behind those words couldn't be clearer. Everyone's still watching for now. No one knows whether he plans to carve out a stable domain for himself or... reach his claws into the city."
Chen Jianghe felt a chill in his heart.
In troubled times, might made right. When an ambitious warlord like this rose to power, it often heralded a fresh storm of blood and violence. He had to grow stronger faster.
Today it was the Green Dragon Gang. Tomorrow it might be some other gang. If he wanted to protect himself and his mother, he had no choice but to keep growing stronger.
The Heaven Rewards Diligence fate was his greatest reliance.
As long as he had enough resources, Dark Strength and Force Manifestation would come as naturally as water flowing down a channel.
But first, he had to stay alive and survive in these turbulent, treacherous times.
"And then there's the Sun Moon Cult." Su Derong continued, a trace of disgust in his voice. "A plague has been raging beyond the city lately, and many people have died. That evil cult took the opportunity to grow stronger, using the banner of 'saving the suffering' to recruit believers everywhere, when all they really do is extort money and take lives. Many of the Outer City's slums are already under their control."
He sighed, waving his fan with little strength. "The world's getting more and more unsettled. Those of us who scrape by in the cracks live in constant fear, never knowing which wave will sweep us away."
Then he gave a self-mocking smile. "All right, just keep these things in mind. When the sky falls, the tall ones will hold it up. Let's just make sure we hold on to the bowl of rice in front of us first."
As they spoke, footsteps sounded at the end of the corridor.
A middle-aged man strode toward them. He looked to be in his early forties and wore a long indigo silk robe with a jade belt. His face bore a strong resemblance to Su Derong's, though his features were steadier, and he had a short beard. He was Su Derong's younger uncle, Su Jingming, one of the current managers of the Su Family Escort Agency.
"Uncle," Su Derong greeted him, stepping forward with a cupped-fist salute.
Chen Jianghe bowed along with him. "This junior, Chen Jianghe, pays his respects to Senior Su."
Su Jingming's gaze swept over Chen Jianghe. He gave a slight nod. "There's no need for formalities. Sit."
The three sat down again.
Su Jingming picked up his teacup but didn't hurry to drink. Instead, he looked at Su Derong. "Derong, is this the junior fellow disciple you mentioned?"
"That's right." Su Derong smiled. "This is Chen Jianghe, the youngest junior disciple at the Xingyi Martial Arts Hall. He's been there for just over half a year and broke through to Bright Strength yesterday."
Su Jingming's eyes brightened. He patted Chen Jianghe on the shoulder. "Master Li has kept a low profile for years. Now he's finally taken in another promising talent! Good!"
He looked at Chen Jianghe. "How has your master been lately?"
Chen Jianghe answered respectfully, "Master is well. He drinks every day and lives at ease."
"Lives at ease..." Su Jingming repeated the words, then suddenly laughed. There was a note of nostalgia in his smile. "Master Li is still the same as ever. If not for him, my Su family might never have achieved what it has today."
Chen Jianghe's heart stirred. He knew this was where the story of the past would begin, and listened attentively.
Su Derong picked up the thread and said to Chen Jianghe, "Jianghe, it's a long story. My Su family wasn't originally from Yilin County. We came from Yongchuan County, three hundred li to the north."
Su Jingming nodded and continued, "Yongchuan County lies on the frontier, where all kinds of forces are tangled together and fighting never stops. My Su family ran an escort agency there. We had some standing, but we were still weak in the end. Twenty years ago, a great battle left the three major gangs of Yongchuan County decimated, and the county seat descended into chaos. My father—Derong's grandfather—made a decisive choice and moved the entire family south."
He paused and gazed out the window, as if recalling the past. "Derong was still young then, and I was barely in my twenties. More than thirty members of the Su family set out south in a grand procession, with our belongings and a dozen carriages. We thought we could live in peace if we left that troubled place behind..."
"Who knew our enemies had been watching us all along? When we reached Black Wind Ridge, a group of masked men burst out. Their leader turned out to be the second-in-command of Yongchuan County's Blood Wolf Gang. He had an old grudge against my Su family and wanted to wipe us out now that we'd left our stronghold behind."
The tearoom fell silent for a moment.
"That battle was utterly brutal," Su Jingming said slowly. "More than half the escort guards in my Su family were killed or wounded, and my father was seriously injured. We were on the verge of being wiped out when Master Li happened to pass by."
He looked at Chen Jianghe, his eyes shining with remembrance. "Your master was only in his thirties then. He wore a dark blue robe and carried a wine gourd on his back. He looked like any ordinary wandering martial artist. He stopped and watched for a moment, then suddenly called out, 'Are the people surrounded on the road the Su family of Yongchuan?'"
"My father couldn't even answer by then. He could only manage a nod. Master Li said, 'Does Old Master Su still remember treating a passing drunkard to a jug of burning liquor outside Yongchuan City three years ago?'"
At this point, Su Jingming smiled. "For the sake of that one jug of wine, Master Li stepped in."
"I was little then, but I remember it like it was yesterday!" Su Derong couldn't help cutting in, his eyes shining. "Master just walked into the fray with his bare hands. The Blood Wolf Gang's second-in-command was a seasoned Force Manifestation expert, armed with a nine-ringed saber and a fearsome reputation. But Master threw only three punches—"
He demonstrated with his hands. "The first was a Crushing Fist, swift as an arrow, knocking the saber flying. The second was a Cannon Fist, exploding against his chest and shattering his breastbone. The third... never came. The second-in-command spat blood and fell, and the rest of the bandits scattered in every direction."
Su Jingming nodded. "Three punches drove off the enemy and saved my entire family. Afterward, my father tried to reward Master Li handsomely, but Master Li accepted only a jar of wine. He said, 'A wine debt repaid with wine. We're even.' When asked his name and school, he just smiled and said, 'Xingyi Fist, Li Chengyue.'"
Chen Jianghe was shaken beyond words.
His mind conjured the image of his master slumped in a bamboo chair, bleary-eyed and disheveled. It was hard to reconcile him with the righteous Xingyi master Su Jingming described, a man who had stepped in to help and subdued a crowd of heroes with his fists.
"After my Su family settled in Yilin County, we always wanted to repay Master Li." Su Jingming shook his head with a bitter smile. "But the old gentleman was as untroubled as a cloud drifting across the sky. He wouldn't accept money or a house. He only said, 'I just happened to be passing by. Don't dwell on it.'"
Su Derong rubbed his nose and gave an awkward laugh. "I thought Master was incredible back then. One punch to cow a whole gang... What a sight!"
Su Jingming shot him a look. "You thought it was impressive? You saw Master Li drinking so carefree and thought that was the way to enjoy life!"
Su Derong didn't argue. He just chuckled.
Su Jingming shook his head and turned back to Chen Jianghe, his expression growing serious. "Jianghe, since you're Master Li's disciple and exceptionally talented, my Su family will do our utmost to look after you. I called you here today to discuss giving you an official post."
Chen Jianghe gathered himself and bowed solemnly. "This junior awaits Senior's arrangements."