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The next morning, before the mist had cleared, Chen Jianghe had already been standing in the courtyard for half an hour, practicing his stance.

As sweat soaked through his clothes, the courtyard gate creaked open, and Su Derong strolled in, waving his fan.

"Third Senior Brother." Chen Jianghe slowly withdrew his stance and bowed in greeting.

Su Derong walked up to him, snapped his fan shut, and tapped it lightly against his palm. "I have news about those people you were asking after."

Chen Jianghe's expression turned serious. "I'm in your debt, Senior Brother."

Su Derong looked left and right before lowering his voice. "Li Gouzi has taken over Wang Biao's position; he's now in charge of collecting the 'water lamp fees' for the three streets east of Loach Bay."

He paused, then continued, "But the Black Tiger Gang hasn't had it easy lately. The Iron Hand Gang somehow managed to cozy up to the Inner City Zhang Family and secured a shipment of refined iron weapons. In the last half-month, they've seized three of the Black Tiger Gang's wharf warehouses. The two sides have been clashing openly and covertly, with at least twenty men dead on both sides. Now, word in the Outer City is that the Black Tiger Gang won't last another few months."

Chen Jianghe's breath hitched.

When a tree falls, the monkeys scatter. In gang warfare, when the losing side's underlings prepare to flee, they always try to squeeze out one last profit. Someone like Li Gouzi, who had just climbed the ladder and lacked any real foundation, would be the first to run—because if the Black Tiger Gang truly collapsed, he would be among the first to be purged.

"Thank you, Senior Brother," Chen Jianghe said in a low voice.

Su Derong glanced at him and waved a hand. "Don't mention it, we're brothers. I've brought you the news, but I don't know Li Gouzi's exact whereabouts. After all, he's just a low-level thug; my friends wouldn't waste much effort tracking him."

"But Jianghe! Let me add one more thing—"

Before he could finish, Chen Jianghe had already turned and was walking briskly toward the side gate of the martial arts hall.

"Hey? Wait up—" Su Derong called out behind him.

Chen Jianghe didn't stop, merely waving a hand. "Senior Brother, I have an urgent matter! I'll thank you properly when I return!"

By the time his voice faded, he had already vanished outside the gate.

Su Derong stood where he was, his fan frozen in mid-air.

He squinted, looking in the direction Chen Jianghe had disappeared, and shook his head. "This kid..."

Chen Jianghe walked rapidly; he had to get back to Loach Bay immediately.

But going back directly wasn't safe. If Li Gouzi and his two men had truly made up their minds, they wouldn't leave empty-handed. Furthermore, he hadn't even mastered "Changing Strength" yet; taking on three men at once was unrealistic.

Chen Jianghe turned into a narrow alley. He crouched behind the back wall of the martial arts hall, fished a small cloth bag out from under a pile of bricks, and then felt for the butcher's knife tucked into his waistband.

Finally, he took a deep breath and sprinted toward Loach Bay.

By the time the sun began to dip in the west, Chen Jianghe had reached the outskirts of Loach Bay.

This area was even more desolate than usual; the trash heaps along the road gave off a foul stench, and a few beggars huddled in the corners.

Further ahead lay a field of abandoned fishing gear. Broken boat planks and rotting nets were piled up like small hills, leaving only a few winding paths between them.

This was a shortcut back to Loach Bay, rarely used even in broad daylight.

Chen Jianghe had just turned into the yard when he stopped dead in his tracks.

Twenty paces ahead, three figures were sauntering toward him from the opposite direction.

The man in the lead, a scar running horizontally across his face, was none other than Li Gouzi. He was followed by two lackeys, all three carrying clubs and looking around as they walked.

He couldn't fight them head-on.

Chen Jianghe shifted his body instantly, slipping behind a half-collapsed earthen wall. He held his breath and peered out through a crack in the masonry.

"Brother Gou, are we still going to Loach Bay today? There isn't much profit to be made there," the tall, thin man on the left asked.

Li Gouzi spat on the ground. "We're going! Why wouldn't we? Even a grasshopper's leg is meat! The gang is in chaos right now; we need to scrape together some travel money to run."

He weighed the bulging money bag at his waist and let out a cruel grin. "Those poor fishermen haven't paid their dues for this month yet. If anyone doesn't pay today, drag them out! Seize the women to settle the debt, and break the boys' legs and throw them into the river!"

The short, fat man on the right chuckled in agreement. "Brother Gou is right! In this world, the ruthless are the ones who survive!"

Just as he thought. Li Gouzi had already decided to embezzle the money and flee, and he was acting without any restraint. If he let them pass today, who knew how many families in Loach Bay would be ruined, and his mother, Lin, would certainly not be spared.

He couldn't wait any longer.

Chen Jianghe took a slow breath in, then let it out just as slowly.

He stepped out from behind the wall, keeping his head down and feigning a hurried pace, walking straight toward the three men.

"Yo! Isn't that the kid?" Li Gouzi's eyes lit up, and he grinned. "What a coincidence!"

The two lackeys immediately spread out, blocking his retreat on both sides.

Chen Jianghe hurried forward, bowing and smiling obsequiously. "Master Gou! What a coincidence indeed, I was just looking for you!"

"Looking for me?" Li Gouzi raised an eyebrow, his hand resting on the short blade at his waist.

Chen Jianghe hurriedly fumbled in his robes. "That's right, Master Gou. That debt at the end of the month—I've been scraping together every copper these past few days, and I've finally saved enough! I was just looking for you, and here you are."

"Oh?" Li Gouzi raised an eyebrow, a flicker of suspicion in his eyes. "Saved enough? How much?"

"Principal and interest, not a single cent missing!" Chen Jianghe replied.

A look of joy flashed in Li Gouzi's eyes as he straightened up. "Hand it over."

Chen Jianghe didn't pull out the money; instead, he stepped a half-pace closer and lowered his voice. "Master Gou, this money... could I hand it to you personally? My mother said that last time, it was thanks to your leniency, and we must remember your kindness."

Chen Jianghe paused, his face showing earnestness: "I will have to rely on your care in the future, Master Gou. These times are chaotic, and as a widow and her son, we have no backing and feel uneasy. Now that you have been promoted, if we could have your protection, we would be more than willing to pay a little extra 'tribute' each month."

Li Gouzi was overjoyed, laughing loudly: "You're a sharp one, kid! Fine! From now on, this area is under my protection! I'll ensure both you and your mother stay safe!"

"Thank you, Master Gou! Thank you, Master Gou!" Chen Jianghe bowed repeatedly, his hand reaching into his tunic, "I will present this month's tribute along with what was owed from last time right now."

The two lackeys crowded around, grinning.

One teased: "Brother Gou, this kid is quite sensible!"

The other added: "Exactly! If he'd been this smart earlier, Brother Biao wouldn't have had to..."

Before he could finish, Li Gouzi shot him a glare.

Chen Jianghe fumbled in his tunic, his movements appearing slightly clumsy.

He kept a smile on his face, his eyes sweeping over the positions of the three men—Li Gouzi in front, the lackey on the left slightly closer, and the one on the right a bit further away, currently looking down to brush mud off his pant leg.

This was the moment.

Chen Jianghe suddenly whipped his right hand out, a small bundle of quicklime wrapped in coarse cloth, and flung it fiercely into the faces of the three men!

"What the—Ah!!" The lime powder hit them square in the face, and Li Gouzi shrieked, clutching his eyes as he stumbled backward.

"My eyes! My eyes!!!" Li Gouzi howled like a slaughtered pig, curling up on the ground and rolling frantically.

Chen Jianghe sidestepped the man lunging at him, his right hand already drawing a butcher's knife from his waistband, the blade flashing—

The edge sliced across the man's neck, and blood sprayed like a fountain. The man made a "gurgling" sound in his throat before collapsing to the ground.

The other lackey turned and fled in terror, but Chen Jianghe caught up in a few swift strides, grabbing him by the back of his collar with his left hand and driving the tip of the knife into his back with his right.

The blade sank in half a foot, the lackey's body went rigid, and he slumped down limply.

In barely three or four breaths, two men were dead.

Li Gouzi was rolling and wailing in the mud, his eyes red, swollen, and festering. Hearing the commotion, he forced himself to endure the agony and scrambled to get up.

Chen Jianghe walked over and squatted in front of him.

Li Gouzi hissed: "Chen Jianghe?! I'm with the Black Tiger Gang! If you dare touch me, my brothers in the gang will slaughter your whole family!!"

Chen Jianghe raised the knife, the tip pressing against Li Gouzi's chest.

Li Gouzi stiffened, his voice trembling: "Master Chen... Master Chen, spare me! I'll give you all the money! I have silver in my tunic! Let me go, I won't say a word..."

Chen Jianghe applied a little pressure.

The tip of the knife pierced the skin and slowly sank in.

Li Gouzi convulsed violently, his throat leaking air with a "hissing" sound as his struggles gradually weakened.

Chen Jianghe quickly searched the bodies—three money bags, containing a total of ten taels; it seemed they hadn't skimmed little during this time! These silver pieces would be just enough to purchase medicinal tonics.

Next, he used the butcher's knife to make several more slashes near the neck and chest wounds of the three men.

The cuts varied in depth and direction, creating the illusion of a chaotic struggle, before he placed Li Gouzi's own short blade into his hand, staging the scene to look like he had died after a fight.

Having finished, he turned immediately and headed toward Loach Bay, walking with swift, long strides.