The Struggle Between Old and New Security Guards (New Book Seeking Monthly Votes~)

Green Willow Alley was its name, though in reality, it was merely a dark lane situated at the intersection of the South Suburb and West City.

A few faded lanterns hung at the alley's entrance, yet they could not mask the dilapidated aura that permeated the entire lane.

This was a place of pleasure for the poor.

The truly wealthy in the city generally disdained coming to such places.

"Lord Fox, this way."

Xiao Liu was not very old, likely only twelve or thirteen. His appearance could hardly be called well-behaved, but his face was already a masterclass in slick sycophancy.

He carefully guided Lin Shu around the muddy puddles, leading him into the silent alley.

"..."

Old Yang's throat felt parched, and he dared not breathe too loudly.

Even now, he could not fathom why Lin Shu had been willing to bring him along.

He could only steal glances at his surroundings, struggling to hide his utter embarrassment.

"At this hour in the afternoon, the girls are all resting; it gets much livelier at night."

Xiao Liu looked toward the houses with tightly shut windows on both sides of the alley, explaining ingratiatingly to Lin Shu, "Our establishment is considered one of the best in Green Willow Alley, and the business income is quite decent. As for the exact figures, Lord Wolf will handle the handover with you."

"Lord Wolf?" Lin Shu glanced sideways.

"This Lord Wolf's surname is Tian. He was originally a 'Young Wolf' of the Fierce Wolf Hall, temporarily stooping to stay at our place. Recently, his divine arts reached completion, and he broke through to the middle stage of Qi Refining. The gang bestowed a title upon him, making him a proper 'Fierce Wolf,' and he has been promoted elsewhere."

Xiao Liu was as forthcoming as could be.

Though Lord Wolf was fierce, he had little to do with people like himself, who were no better than mud.

As a lowly servant in a brothel, he would never dream of joining the other halls of the Blackwater Gang; the Cunning Fox Hall, which had no rigid requirements for strength, was his only hope.

Therefore, he was all the more eager to climb into the good graces of this "Lord Fox" before him.

"Understood."

Lin Shu gave a slight nod.

He understood why those two wolves had looked down on him earlier; it was nothing more than his lack of internal cultivation methods, which meant he could not properly step onto the path of cultivation.

For others, they might just muddle through, relying on whatever meager skills they had to scrape a living.

But for Lin Shu, this internal method might be the secret to replenishing his mist, and it was inextricably linked to his own life.

He, too, wanted to have more contact with these so-called cultivators.

"We're here. Please, go on in."

Xiao Liu stopped in front of a small, two-story building and gently pushed open the greasy door.

Inside, it was dim. A counter stood ahead, and a ladder beside it led directly to the second floor.

In the corners on both sides, bamboo mats had been haphazardly laid out as makeshift beds, where several scantily clad bodies lay in twisted postures.

Even with people entering, it failed to disturb them from catching up on their sleep.

The faint, sour stench, combined with the rising and falling of snoring, made it impossible for anyone to conjure up any romantic notions.

"Ahem."

Old Yang kept his eyes fixed straight ahead, feeling nervous.

He knew in his heart that this would be Lin Shu's territory from now on.

A new official taking office needed to project authority.

He must not let these girls look down on the other party because of him.

The two followed Xiao Liu up to the second floor.

What met their eyes were seven or eight cramped rooms, and the boy led Lin Shu to a stop in front of one of the doors.

"Come in."

Upon hearing footsteps, a lazy voice drifted from within the room.

Xiao Liu retreated from the second floor with practiced obedience, while Old Yang stood waiting faithfully at the doorway.

Lin Shu reached out and pushed the door open.

What came into view was a rather corpulent figure on the bed, middle-aged, wearing only a green cardigan with his belly exposed.

"Close the door."

Tian Jingyuan stretched his arms, casting a disinterested glance at the young man at the door.

He leaned against the corner of the bed, shoving aside the sleeping woman beside him like he was flipping a dead pig, and pulled out a green jade pipe to light it.

"Spare me the small talk. I'm leaving today, and I have a few things to hand over to you."

He took a deep drag, not even bothering to lift his eyelids: "According to the gang's rules, you are to take a twenty percent cut from this establishment every month. You should already know that."

At this point, Tian Jingyuan paused, tapped his pipe against the bed frame, and then struggled to heave himself up from the bed. "But that's the gang's rule. Master Tian takes sixty percent. After I leave, you'll continue to skim sixty percent for me."

As he spoke, his obese body swayed toward the door.

"..."

Lin Shu stood quietly. As the man approached, that familiar sense of danger washed over him once again.

However, compared to the woman surnamed Yan, the intensity brought by this fat man was at least a notch lower.

It merely caused Lin Shu's body to tense slightly, while deep down, he felt a faint, stimulating thrill—a desire to embrace the crisis and even challenge the man.

"And then—"

Tian Jingyuan slapped a slip of paper onto Lin Shu's chest. "Every month, send fifty percent to the location on this note for Master Tian. The remaining ten percent is your reward."

"If you dare to delay, or if you let slip a word and let others find out about this... heh heh!"

Having said that, a chill crept onto the fat man's lips, his tone carrying an overbearing air that brooked no refusal. "Nod if you understand."

"I understand well enough."

Lin Shu looked at the paper, lost in thought.

He had remained silent until now just to see what kind of mischief the man was up to.

Clearly, this fat man had been treating this place as his own private treasury.

Now that he was being transferred by the gang's orders, he was reluctant to let go and was in desperate need of a sensible watchdog.

"So this is your piggy bank."

Having figured out the motive, Lin Shu let out a soft breath.

He looked up again, a playful smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"Good that you understand." Seeing the lad was sensible, Tian Jingyuan nodded in satisfaction.

However, the moment he prepared to brush past him and leave, the expression on his fat face suddenly froze.

Crackle, crackle—

The young man before him clenched his fingers, crumpling the slip of paper into a ball before tossing it onto the floor.

Lin Shu wiped away his smirk and said earnestly, "Not anymore."

Watching over a brothel was already humiliating enough. With a total salary of only twenty percent, having ten percent skimmed off for nothing—while bearing the risk of being discovered by the gang—just to help someone else line their pockets?

If this fat man had spoken nicely and promised some benefits regarding internal cultivation methods, Lin Shu might have considered it.

But this "training a dog" attitude? Tsk, tsk.

"Get lost!"

Lin Shu brushed off his clothes where the man had touched him with an expression of disgust, not even bothering to lift his eyelids.

This fat man was doing something that couldn't see the light of day.

Did he really think he could squeeze silver from his pockets with just a few words of intimidation?

Did he really take Master Lin for some greenhorn who knew nothing?

"..."

Tian Jingyuan's face twitched violently; he never expected this newcomer to be so arrogant!

His chest heaved rapidly, eventually erupting into a sharp, breathless laugh that trailed off like a eunuch's:

"Hahaha, you base fox! You need a beating!"

The pipe in his hand creaked under his grip.

"Do you really think that money is so easy to take? Without Master Tian as your backing, do you think a fool like you can protect this bunch of whores on your own?"

After the laughter died down, Tian Jingyuan didn't bother to argue further.

He gave the lad a deep look, then stepped out the door, leaving behind only a chilling remark.

"Don't worry, you'll be sending it to me."

Even if he had to beg and plead, this base fox would eventually find that address and obediently deliver the cut.

That was the confidence of a vicious wolf!

Accompanied by heavy, thumping footsteps, the obese wolf nearly collapsed the fragile staircase before striding away and leaving Green Willow Alley entirely.

The woman on the bed had long since been startled awake.

She even forgot to cover her body with the quilt, staring in terror at Lin Shu's back.

For the girls in this house, a conflict between two masters of the Blackwater Gang was never a good thing.

She had never seen anyone dare to speak to Master Tian like that.

The girl didn't dare to speak, nor did she dare to get up and leave.

Even if this young man wanted to take his anger out on her, she could only endure it obediently.

However, Lin Shu had no interest in looking back; he stepped out with clean, decisive strides.

As he stepped outside, seven or eight people had already gathered at the top of the stairs, casting cautious glances his way.

The entire building was deathly silent.

"..."

Old Yang pressed himself tightly against the wall, his face drained of all color.

He truly wanted to be brave and save some face for Lin Shu.

But the aura that had spilled from that fat man just as he left was enough to suffocate an ordinary person like him!

Even Xiao Liu, who had been all smiles and flattery just moments ago, was now gulping frantically, his eyes filled with panic.

Lin Shu had offended Master Tian the moment he arrived.

This left him unable to tell whether this man was a towering tree worth clinging to, or a poisonous vine ready to snap at any moment.

They were all nothing more than insignificant weeds in Blackwater City; a single wrong choice could leave them without a place to be buried.

If Master Tian were angered, not only would he wash his hands of them, but he might even go out of his way to make things difficult for them here.

Could this young fox really withstand such a storm on his own?

At this thought, a flicker of trepidation crossed everyone's eyes.