Inner City

Chen Jianghe looked at him.

Su Derong lowered his voice and leaned in closer: "Let's talk business. There's an affair in the Inner City tomorrow; you're coming with me."

Chen Jianghe's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.

Broadening my horizons?

His first thought was of Su Derong's usual invitations to "listen to music in the pleasure houses" or check out the "new girls at Cuiying Pavilion."

Ever since his Third Senior Brother had recovered from his injuries, he seemed to have reverted to his old, indolent ways, frequently dropping by to rave about how the newly opened Zuiyue Pavilion in the Inner City had singing girls with voices crisper than orioles.

"I appreciate the kind gesture, Senior Brother, but I must decline," Chen Jianghe shook his head immediately. "I am at a critical juncture in consolidating my Dark Strength and contemplating the shifts in my power flow. I wish to remain at the martial arts hall to focus on my training. As for the pleasure houses... let's leave that be."

"Who said anything about pleasure houses?" Su Derong glared, pointing his fan handle at Chen Jianghe's chest. "You brat, what kind of person do you take your senior brother for? Do you think I only know how to seek pleasure all day long?"

Chen Jianghe looked at him without responding.

But the meaning in his eyes was crystal clear: Isn't that exactly what you do?

Su Derong felt a bit sheepish under his gaze, coughed, and straightened his expression: "Listen to me first! Just listen! Tomorrow isn't about those places; it's official business—the Green Dragon Gang has sent people to negotiate with the Five Great Families of the Inner City."

Chen Jianghe's expression tightened.

The Green Dragon Gang.

Since that night at Black Wind Ridge, those three words had been like a thorn stuck in his heart.

Even if the Green Dragon Gang hadn't been responsible for that night, the fact that Xiao Qing could wipe out Lin Family Fort proved his ambition and methods were far beyond those of an ordinary underworld overlord.

"Negotiate what?" Chen Jianghe asked in a low voice.

"What else could it be?" Su Derong sneered. "Nothing more than carving up territory, setting rules, and dividing interests. The Green Dragon Gang swallowed Lin Family Fort and spent months digesting it; now that their wings have grown, they want to reach further. Those families in the Inner City—aren't they all old foxes who have become spirits? Naturally, they want to test his bottom line, probe his intentions, and discuss terms."

"I'm taking you to truly broaden your horizons. Are you coming or not?"

Chen Jianghe took a deep breath and nodded heavily: "Fine, I'll go."

"That's more like it!" Su Derong patted his shoulder. "Meet me at the entrance of the escort agency at the hour of the Dragon tomorrow. Remember to wear something decent; that place in the Inner City has many rules."

"Decent clothes?" Chen Jianghe looked down at his own washed-out martial arts training tunic.

Su Derong looked him up and down and shook his head: "Forget it, I'll have someone send you a set tomorrow. In that outfit, I'm afraid you wouldn't even be allowed through the gate."

Chen Jianghe agreed: "I understand."

Only then did Su Derong nod with satisfaction. He flicked his fan, turned to walk out of the courtyard, then paused at the gate to look back with a grin: "Don't worry, it's real business. As for the pleasure houses... we'll talk about those after the real work is done!"

Chen Jianghe: "..."

The next day at the hour of the Dragon, Chen Jianghe appeared at the entrance of the Su Family Escort Agency on time.

He had changed into the indigo satin long gown that Su Derong had sent over. The fabric was fine and soft, the tailoring impeccable, accentuating his broad shoulders and upright posture.

His hair was neatly tied back with a cloth band, revealing his sharp, well-defined features.

"Not bad!" Su Derong circled Chen Jianghe, nodding with satisfaction. "Clothes make the man, and gold makes the Buddha. Wearing this, you actually have the air of a young master."

Chen Jianghe twitched the corner of his mouth: "Senior Brother is joking."

"Let's go."

The two walked one after the other, passing through the noisy, dilapidated streets of the Outer City.

About a quarter of an hour later, a high wall appeared ahead.

The wall was nearly thirty feet high, built entirely of solid blue bricks with joints as straight as lines.

Eight soldiers stood before the gate, clad in bright, polished armor with gleaming leather, their spear tips flashing with a cold light—a stark contrast to the lazy, undisciplined patrolmen of the Outer City.

Su Derong stepped forward, took a gilded token from his robes, and handed it to the lead soldier.

The captain took the token, inspected it carefully, then looked up to size up Su Derong and Chen Jianghe, his gaze lingering on Chen Jianghe's hands for a moment before he waved his hand: "Pass."

Crossing the gate, the scene before them opened up wide.

Chen Jianghe paused in his tracks.

He knew there was a gap between the Inner and Outer Cities, but he hadn't expected it to be this vast.

The bluestone road was wide and smooth, enough for four carriages to travel side by side.

The gutters along the road were clear, without a trace of filth.

Shops lined both sides of the street, their banners and signs clean and eye-catching, selling silks, medicinal herbs, jade, and ancient books—not a single one of the miscellaneous goods stalls or snack carts common in the Outer City.

There were few pedestrians on the street, but everyone was dressed decently.

The men mostly wore silk robes with jade pendants at their waists; the women wore skirts that trailed on the ground, their hair adorned with pearl pins.

Su Derong, fanning himself, caught the fleeting shock in Chen Jianghe's eyes and smiled: "What? Stunned?"

"A little," Chen Jianghe admitted frankly.

"The Outer City is the underworld—a quagmire where people are packed together and devour one another," Su Derong said in a flat tone. "The Inner City is a chessboard—a place of rules where people are ranked by status and everyone stays in their proper place."

He gestured vaguely with his fan toward the deep courtyards ahead: "See that? The people living in those high-walled mansions are the true heavens of Yilin County. The Zhang, Wang, Li, Zhao, and Qian families—the Five Great Families—are deeply rooted and flourishing. Every one of them has a Transforming Strength expert holding down the fort. Over seventy percent of the official posts in the county office and more than eighty percent of the profitable businesses in the inner and outer cities are, to some extent, tied to them."

He turned to look at Chen Jianghe, his expression turning serious: "In this world, martial arts are a ladder. But where you place that ladder and how high you can climb depends on you. Transforming Strength is the threshold. Once you cross this threshold, moving into the inner city, acquiring property, and letting Aunt Lin live in comfort... none of that will be empty talk anymore."

Chen Jianghe nodded slowly: "I understand."

As they spoke, the rhythmic, heavy sound of hooves suddenly echoed from the street corner ahead.

"Clop, clop, clop..."

The sound drew near, carrying an aura of chilling slaughter.

Pedestrians on the street scrambled to make way. Su Derong grabbed Chen Jianghe and pulled him under the eaves of a storefront, whispering: "It's the Green Dragon Guard."

Chen Jianghe looked up.

More than a dozen riders were galloping from the end of the long street.

They were dressed in uniform black martial attire, covered by light armor, with standard-issue long sabers at their waists.

The horses were fine steeds, and the men were even more formidable.

Their eyes were sharp, and their blood and qi surged; they were clearly all martial artists. The three men in the lead had steady, profound auras—they were all at the Dark Strength level.

Once the cavalry had passed, the street regained its noise.

"It's the Green Dragon Gang's 'Green Dragon Guard'!"

"Such grand prestige! Three Dark Strength experts leading the way, and the rest are likely all at Bright Strength, aren't they?"

"I heard the Green Dragon Guard has expanded to a hundred men, all hand-picked by Gang Leader Xiao and trained strictly in secret arts. This kind of investment... even the personal guards of the Five Great Families are no better."

"Sigh, the wealth the Lin Family Fort accumulated over decades has all ended up benefiting Xiao Qing in the end..."

Su Derong watched the cavalry disappear before retracting his gaze. He waved his fan, his tone complex: "See that? This is Xiao Qing's foundation. The Green Dragon Guard has only been established for half a year, yet it already has such an imposing presence."

Chen Jianghe was silent for a moment before asking: "Senior Brother, are the remnants of the Lin Family Fort truly willing to be driven by Xiao Qing like this and turn against their former masters? Even though the direct line of the Lin family was wiped out, there are still collateral branches, old generals, and in-laws... with such deep roots, is there really no one secretly conspiring to seek revenge or restore the family?"

"Revenge? Restoration?" Su Derong shook his head slightly, a mocking smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth: "Naturally, there are. In the first few months after Xiao Qing took control of the Lin Family Fort, there were turbulent undercurrents and no fewer than three rebellions. The most dangerous one even reached the steps of the Fort Master's Mansion, the firelight turning half the sky red."

He paused, then said calmly: "But do you know how Xiao Qing suppressed that rebellion and fundamentally shattered the will of the old Lin Family remnants to resist?"

Chen Jianghe's gaze remained calm, waiting for the rest.

Su Derong leaned in closer: "When Xiao Qing married into the family, he wed the only daughter of the previous Fort Master. That woman had a fierce temperament. On the night Xiao Qing slaughtered the Lin family, she committed suicide before her father's spirit tablet, her blood splattering three feet. But, as it happened... she left behind a son still in his infancy."

He waved his feathered fan, analyzing the situation: "After seizing power, Xiao Qing made a public oath: this child carries the Lin surname and is the rightful, sole heir of the Lin family's direct line. He, Xiao Qing, was merely managing the fort's affairs on behalf of the young master. Once the young master comes of age, he will return the authority and let him rule the Lin Family Fort once more."

"And those old Lin Family remnants who rose up—who originally fought under the banner of 'avenging the old master, slaying the traitor, and restoring our Lin family'—suddenly became, overnight, 'traitors and rebels plotting to harm the young master and usurp the Lin family's legacy.' Under the guise of 'protecting the young master and purging the treacherous,' Xiao Qing launched a massacre, cleansing his dissenters while heavily promoting those old members willing to submit and acknowledge the young master's status. By wielding both kindness and might, within half a year, the old Lin Family remnants were divided and dismantled, making it impossible for them to form a unified, powerful resistance."

Chen Jianghe was silent for a long time. What ruthless methods! What profound schemes!

This Yilin County, calm on the surface, had long been surging with undercurrents.

With such an ambitious leader growing in strength, a great battle between him and the Five Great Families, who had occupied the inner city for years, was likely inevitable.

He had to become stronger, faster.

Su Derong patted him on the shoulder, interrupting his thoughts: "Let's go, we're almost there. What you saw today is merely the tip of the iceberg. The waters of this inner city run deep."