No Room? Then Make Some

At the sound of Fatty Tian's faint, cold chuckle.

The other Fierce Wolves in the room all turned their eyes toward him, mockery rising in their gazes.

A Mid Qi Condensation cultivator had lowered himself to attack an obscure Fox. That alone was humiliating enough.

What made it even more laughable was that the Fox had emerged completely unharmed and was now sitting at this very table.

If Tian Jingyuan didn't find a way to save face, this would become quite the spectacle.

"Most everyone's here. Let's get acquainted."

In the seat of honor, Master Mo leaned lazily against the back of his chair.

The small matter of bringing a young wolf into the hall didn't need to become known throughout the whole city.

So only members from the nearby streets had come, mostly so they could get to know this new wolf and work together more easily in the future.

"I invited you all here today to get together and, while we're at it, find this kid a job."

A trace of weariness passed through Master Mo's eyes. He clearly didn't care much about the matter.

After thinking it over briefly, he made his decision. "It seems there aren't any openings on the streets. I heard you came from Green Willow Alley, so you might as well stay where you are."

At that, no one's expression changed much.

It was a perfectly normal arrangement—not preferential treatment, but not an attempt to squeeze him out, either.

For instance, when Tian Jingyuan had still been a Young Wolf, he'd also been assigned a brothel. It didn't make much money, but the gang took no cut; they simply kept him there.

If his cultivation advanced further, he would naturally receive a new arrangement.

If it didn't, the gang hadn't treated him unfairly, and when trouble arose, he would still have to do his part.

But a lowly brothel alone certainly couldn't feed a Young Wolf.

If he wanted more, he'd have to earn it himself.

Sure enough, Master Mo soon looked toward the young man at the far end of the long table. "Now that you're a wolf, you no longer fall under Cunning Fox Hall's jurisdiction. Since you're in Green Willow Alley, you'll work under Yin Ling. Follow his orders, and you can earn yourself some extra food money."

At those words,

the Fierce Wolves froze, their expressions turning strange.

There was nothing wrong with it on the surface. Green Willow Alley fell under Yin Ling's jurisdiction, so it made sense for a Young Wolf to work under him.

The problem was, Yin Ling had just joined forces with Tian Jingyuan to devour the fat prize that was Good Fortune Martial Hall. The two were close, and the Young Wolf had made an enemy of Tian.

Having Lin Shu take orders from Yin Ling... what was that if not handing him over to Fatty Tian?

Master Mo really was getting old, paying no heed to what was happening outside his door.

If he'd caught even a hint of the rumors, he'd never have made such a muddled decision.

"I'll follow your arrangements, Master Mo."

A smile appeared on Yin Ling's face.

This wasn't a Young Wolf being sent his way. It was a handsome sum of silver.

As for how much he was worth, that depended on how much blood Fatty Tian was willing to shed.

"Phew."

Under the teasing gazes of the crowd, Tian Jingyuan had felt his face burning and kept his eyes closed, pretending to rest.

Now, the fat man finally opened his eyes. He slowly pulled the Green Jade Pipe from his sleeve and carefully polished it with the fabric.

Even he hadn't expected an opportunity to come so soon.

There was no escaping the heavens for a scoundrel.

Just thinking about how he would torment that young man made Tian Jingyuan feel inexplicably refreshed from head to toe.

"Tsk, tsk."

Seeing this, the hall members lost interest and looked away. With the arrangement settled, there was no more fun to watch.

No one was interested in something whose ending had already been decided.

"..."

Yan Jin's gaze was cool as she made to rise.

She'd never intended to be Lin Shu's protector, but she had brought him into the hall, not led him here to die.

"Let's talk after we leave!"

Seeing her like this, Bai Feng hurriedly blocked her with his elbow.

Master Mo had seniority on his side and was stubborn by nature. He was also very concerned with saving face.

Now that he'd said it, even if he knew the arrangement was wrong, he wouldn't admit it.

Yan Jin was also the sort who never knew how to beat around the bush. If she spoke up, things would only get more complicated.

Seeing that she was determined to intervene, Bai Feng could only sigh to himself. Gritting his teeth, he lowered his voice. "Fine, I'll handle it. Don't you trust me?"

At worst, he'd pay a little out of pocket and find Lin a different job!

Yan Jin fell silent for a moment, then stopped rising.

"All right. If there are no other issues, let's have the manager bring out the food."

Master Mo listlessly swept his gaze around the table. When no one spoke, he was about to call to the manager outside the private room.

Just then, an arm slowly rose from the middle of the long table.

"I have a question."

At the sound of his voice, everyone turned to the far end of the table, looking at the handsome, fair-skinned young man.

Master Mo furrowed his brow, clearly thinking the young man was making trouble. A trace of impatience entered his voice. "Speak."

With all eyes on him,

Lin Shu stood up and asked, curious, "You all say there's no room on the streets, but it looks pretty empty to me. Shift things around; if that doesn't work, squeeze in a little. Surely we can make room?"

The hall members exchanged glances.

This Young Wolf clearly knew he was in danger and was trying to salvage the situation.

But there was a difference between watching a show and getting involved. They weren't related, and Tian Jingyuan was a Fierce Wolf, after all. Who would provoke the fat man for his sake?

He was far too naive.

Bai Feng also felt a little speechless. He'd thought Lin had some other trick that could save him the expense.

If a few words could solve the problem, what would be the point of cultivating?

"Do you see anyone willing to make room for you?"

Master Mo glanced around at the others, his voice already carrying a little more disapproval toward this clueless Young Wolf.

Lin Shu left his seat and slowly walked around the table.

Yan Jin hesitated for a moment and nodded at the young man, but he walked right past her.

She couldn't help staring, momentarily stunned.

"Heh."

Seeing that everyone else couldn't be bothered with the kid, Tian Jingyuan couldn't help laughing aloud.

People always clung to life. Even now, he was still making a last-ditch effort.

But before he could wipe the smile from his face, the corner of his eye caught sight of that tall figure approaching. Lin Shu stopped just behind him.

The next instant, a casual voice sounded beside his ear.

"I heard you were selling my life out there and made a good amount of silver. Asking for one of your streets shouldn't be unreasonable, should it?"

"..."

The fat on Tian Jingyuan's face twitched. Fuming, he instinctively prepared to deny it.

He knew that even if he had no leg to stand on, no one would stand up for this kid.

But betraying a fellow gang member was, after all, a bad look.

Yet the words had barely reached his lips when the fat man sensed the atmosphere around him change.

The entire room fell silent.

The gazes that had made his face burn earlier quietly gathered on him again.

Tian Jingyuan froze, only then realizing that Lin Shu was looking down at him from a position of superiority.

Which meant...

This was no longer a dispute over the facts. It was a Young Wolf challenging a Fierce Wolf's authority!

He had only just clawed his way up; his position was far from secure.

If he showed weakness, the result wouldn't merely be ridicule. Others would start eyeing his territory.

"So what if I made money? And what if I didn't?"

Tian Jingyuan forced down the surging fury in his chest and tried to keep his expression calm.

He turned his eyes slightly toward Lin Shu. A killing intent gradually crept into his hoarse voice. "If you want my street, maybe you should first think about taking my head?"

A territory was a Fierce Wolf's lifeline and bottom line. Whoever wanted to touch it would have to step over his corpse.

Those words weren't just for the Cheap Fox to hear. They were for everyone present.

At that,

Lin Shu gave a slight nod, as if satisfied with the answer.

"Keep your hands steady. Don't worry about them."

He pressed a hand to Fatty Tian's shoulder, then slowly pulled the Green Jade Pipe from his grasp and casually tossed it onto the table.

Beneath his slightly disheveled hair, a smile quietly appeared on his handsome, fair face.

The young man licked his lips. His clear eyes looked utterly sincere.

"I'll take both your head and your street."