Zhao Mengxue of the Golden Saber Gang

Qian Hao looked at Lu Hao and Shi Kang and began introducing the situation within the Black Tiger Gang.

"Our Black Tiger Gang's leader is named Hu Heihu."

"Hu Heihu?"

Upon hearing that the gang leader had such a name, both Lu Hao and Shi Kang looked toward Qian Hao.

Qian Hao smiled. "Leader Hu was not originally named Hu Heihu. As for what his original name was, no one knows. There is a rule in the gang: whoever takes the position of gang leader must change his name to Black Tiger, adding 'Black Tiger' after his own surname."

Stroking his thick, bristling beard, Shi Kang said, "Then if Brother Hao becomes gang leader someday, wouldn't he have to change his name to Lu Heihu?"

After saying that, all three of them laughed.

Qian Hao glanced outside and lowered his voice. "It's fine for us brothers to joke about it, but don't spout such nonsense once you leave this courtyard! If someone with ulterior motives hears it, it won't do Haozi any good."

Qian Hao paused, then continued, "Leader Hu has always been like a divine dragon whose head is seen but whose tail is not, absent from the gang year-round. All affairs, great and small, are now jointly handled by the three deputy gang leaders."

"What realms are the three deputy gang leaders in?" Shi Kang asked.

"All three deputy gang leaders are Mid-Grade Bright Force Martial Artists. The deputy gang leader in charge of internal affairs is called Ding Mian, the one in charge of external affairs is called Xue Yong, and there is another deputy gang leader responsible for money and provisions. I've never met him, so I don't know his name."

Qian Hao poured himself a cup of cold tea, then poured cups for Lu Hao and Shi Kang as well. After gulping down a cup, Qian Hao continued.

"With the gang leader absent, there is naturally a struggle for power within the gang. That deputy gang leader in charge of money and provisions does not participate in it. It is mainly Ding Mian and Xue Yong who are locked in contention."

He raised his head and looked at the two of them.

"Han Zheng and Chen Xuan handle internal affairs, so they are Ding Mian's men. As for me, I belong to Deputy Leader Xue. Back when Deputy Leader Xue was still the branch master of the Everjoy Hall Branch, I was already following him."

Shi Kang stroked his beard and suddenly understood. "No wonder Han Zheng and Chen Xuan can't stand the sight of you. Sending you to negotiate with the Water Serpent Gang was meant to send you to your death!"

Qian Hao smiled awkwardly, thinking, Did you have to put it so bluntly? "That Elder Cao Ling who came to the branch this afternoon is one of the neutral faction. He serves only the Black Tiger Gang."

Qian Hao poured himself another cup of tea. "Fortunately, he was the one who came. If it had been one of Ding Mian's men, Haozi, you definitely wouldn't have become acting deputy branch master. He would certainly have arranged for one of his own people instead."

After hearing this, Lu Hao and Shi Kang both nodded, agreeing with Qian Hao's view.

"So now you understand why Han Zheng and Chen Xuan had you lead men into battle against the Golden Saber Gang?" Qian Hao looked at Lu Hao.

Lu Hao nodded. "On one hand, I'm the acting deputy branch master in charge of external affairs. On the other, Han Zheng and Chen Xuan want to use this opportunity to get rid of me and eliminate a rival."

"Our Everjoy Hall Branch has roughly a hundred and fifty brothers. A hundred of them are on the external affairs side, including nine minor leaders in the First Gate-Breaking Realm."

Qian Hao pointed at Shi Kang again. "Kangzi, with you included, there are ten minor leaders."

Shi Kang gave an "Mm" and nodded.

"Do your best to bring these hundred-odd brothers back alive!" Qian Hao looked at Lu Hao, his expression grave.

Meanwhile, at the Golden Saber Gang's main headquarters training ground, a woman in black was practicing her saber in the center of the field.

She was around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, and her large ringed saber whistled with the force of a tiger.

Her name was Zhao Mengxue, and she was a Lower Bright Force elder of the Golden Saber Gang.

At that moment, one of her trusted gang members hurried into the training ground and rushed to Zhao Mengxue's side.

"Elder Zhao!" The gang member panted heavily.

Zhao Mengxue sheathed her saber and stood still, frowning. "What is it? Why are you so flustered?"

The gang member said between gasps, "We just received secret intelligence. Cai Kun... Cai Kun..."

"What happened to Cai Kun?" Zhao Mengxue asked urgently.

"Cai Kun was... was... beaten to death by men from the Black Tiger Gang."

Upon hearing the news, Zhao Mengxue swayed twice. Her vision went black, and she dropped her saber before collapsing stiffly onto the ground.

Several gang members nearby hurried over in a frantic flurry. They pinched her philtrum, patted her back to ease her breathing, and only after quite some time did they manage to revive Zhao Mengxue.

They helped her back to her room and laid her on the bed.

Zhao Mengxue lay there as large tears rolled down her cheeks and fell onto her pillow. She stared blankly upward, while scene after scene from her past with Cai Kun surged into her heart.

Both she and Cai Kun had once been minor leaders in the First Gate-Breaking Realm within the Golden Saber Gang.

Cai Kun had fallen for Zhao Mengxue. Every month, he spent all his wages on meat and Blood-Qi Elixir to replenish her Qi-Blood.

Yet even so, Zhao Mengxue had failed twice in her attempts to break through to the Second-Layer Gate-Breaking Realm. If she failed a third time, she would be forever stuck in the First Gate-Breaking Realm.

Just then, the Golden Saber Gang needed to send someone to the Water Serpent Gang as an undercover agent. Whoever went would receive a one-time reward of one hundred taels of silver.

For those hundred taels, Cai Kun volunteered to go undercover in the Water Serpent Gang. From then on, he concealed his identity and settled down within the Water Serpent Gang.

Every reward Cai Kun received for secretly sending intelligence back, including the hundred-tael reward for going undercover, he gave all of it to Zhao Mengxue.

Relying on that silver, Zhao Mengxue steadily advanced from the First Gate-Breaking Realm and broke through to become a Lower Bright Force Martial Artist.

Only days ago, she had been missing Cai Kun, thinking how perilous it was for him to have spent two years undercover in the Water Serpent Gang. She had planned to plead with the gang leader at the end of this month and have Cai Kun transferred back. Then Cai Kun would no longer have to live every day in constant fear and anxiety.

But who could have imagined that Cai Kun had not been exposed by the Water Serpent Gang, only to die at the hands of the Black Tiger Gang?

Zhao Mengxue forced herself upright, her gaze icy as she looked at the gang members beside her. "Who killed Cai Kun?"

"I heard it was someone from the Black Tiger Gang named Shi Kang."

Zhao Mengxue slammed her left palm heavily against the bedframe. With a crack, the golden-thread nanmu bedframe split beneath her blow.

Grinding her teeth, Zhao Mengxue said, "Shi Kang! I will use your head to honor Cai Kun's spirit in heaven."

After saying that, Zhao Mengxue reached into her robes and took out a jade pendant. Cai Kun had given it to her before going undercover in the Water Serpent Gang. Cai Kun had said that his mother had left the pendant for his future wife.

Zhao Mengxue gently stroked the jade pendant as tears silently slid down her cheeks and dripped onto it.

At the Mighty Escort Bureau's training ground, Diao Xiaolin was practicing the Mighty Escort Sword Technique.

He was fifteen years old this year. Last month, he had already touched the threshold of the Third Gate-Knocking Realm. He only needed to take the final step and condense Blood Essence before entering the realm of a Martial Artist.

His father, Diao Xiada, spent the year escorting shipments abroad in order to earn more silver and buy Blood-Qi Elixir for Diao Xiaolin to replenish his Qi-Blood.

Part of the reason his mother, Lin Qiniang, had remained at Spring Breeze Pavilion all this time was to save more silver for Diao Xiaolin's martial training. Of course, there were other reasons as well, but Diao Xiaolin did not know of them.

At that moment, Qiu Shan, an escort hand from the Mighty Escort Bureau, hurried over to Diao Xiaolin.

"Xiaolin, I just heard some news. Do you still remember Lu Hao?"

"Lu Hao?" Diao Xiaolin frowned. "I know him. What about him?"

After Lin Qiniang's death, Diao Xiaolin had looked into her life somewhat. He learned that Lu Hao had been one of Lin Qiniang's regular patrons, and that Lin Qiniang had swindled some silver from him.

Had anyone else told him this, Diao Xiaolin would certainly have thought they were airing Lin Qiniang's dirty laundry and would have turned hostile on the spot. But years ago, while escorting a shipment, Qiu Shan had nearly died at the hands of bandits. Diao Xiada had saved him. Ever since, Qiu Shan had felt that he owed Diao Xiada his life and had taken particularly good care of Diao Xiaolin.

Qiu Shan continued, "I heard someone say that today, Lu Hao killed a deputy branch master of the Water Serpent Gang in the Second-Layer Gate-Breaking Realm with a single punch, then defeated their branch master in the Third Gate-Knocking Realm."

Diao Xiaolin's expression changed drastically. "Isn't Lu Hao just an ordinary gang member? How could he possess such strength?"

Diao Xiaolin's eyes shifted.

"A few days ago at Spring Breeze Pavilion, a guard in the Second Gate-Knocking Stage and four guards in the First Gate-Breaking Realm died without a sound. My mother was also murdered. And Lu Hao is in the Third Gate-Knocking Realm..."

"I also found the matter strange, which is why I hurried over to tell you."

After hearing this, Diao Xiaolin's eyes turned bloodshot. He said in a low voice, "After my mother died, no silver was found in her room. As for Lu Hao, although I heard he pawned his house deed and paid back the silver he owed the Black Tiger Gang, who knows whether that wasn't just a smokescreen?"

With that, Diao Xiaolin picked up his sword and headed outside.

Qiu Shan hurriedly stopped him.

"Xiaolin, Chief Escort Diao still has half a month before he returns from escorting shipments. Why not wait until he comes back, then make a long-term plan?"

But Diao Xiaolin ignored Qiu Shan and anxiously tried to wrench free from his grasp.

Qiu Shan hurriedly added, "Xiaolin, I heard the Black Tiger Gang's negotiations with the Water Serpent Gang were to gather their forces for an all-out war against the Golden Saber Gang. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Why don't we make a trip to the Golden Saber Gang? If we join forces with them, your chances of avenging your mother will be much greater."