An Easy Victory

Ouyang Zheng's face filled with shock. He raised his sword with all his strength, trying to block the spear. He had never expected Lu Shaolin to move so quickly.

With a deafening bang, the sword snapped in two. Ouyang Zheng's skull burst apart, and his body slammed onto the ground as yellow, white, and red matter splattered everywhere!

"Hiss—"

Everyone sucked in a breath, unable to believe what had just happened.

Ouyang Zheng, master of the External Affairs Hall—the "Thunderclap Sword" whose name resounded throughout Ping County—had been beaten to death with a single spear strike?

After a moment of silence, the hall erupted as everyone stared at Lu Shaolin and began talking at once.

Among them, the steward Yu Shan was hurriedly saying something to Wan Tong, master of the Internal Affairs Hall.

"Quiet!"

An elderly, wiry man standing beside gang leader He Zhonglang shouted from the hall.

As his voice fell, the hall gradually quieted down.

"Who are you?"

He Zhonglang asked in a deep voice from his throne.

"Gang Leader, this junior is Lu Shaolin, a headman of the External Affairs Hall."

Lu Shaolin cupped his hands as he spoke.

"Since you belong to the External Affairs Hall, why did you fight Ouyang Sheng?"

"Gang Leader, Ouyang Sheng attempted to take my life first. I was forced to defend myself. Tu Hei can testify for me."

At that moment, Tu Hei also came through the hole in the wall.

"Tu Heizi, is that true?"

He Zhonglang looked at Tu Heizi and asked.

Tu Heizi gave Lu Shaolin a startled glance, then looked at Ouyang Zheng's corpse on the ground. "It was indeed Young Master Ouyang Sheng who attacked first."

"Even so, you should not have killed Hall Master Ouyang!"

The wiry old man beside the throne shouted.

"This subordinate merely defended himself. I am sure everyone witnessed it. I simply did not expect Hall Master Ouyang to be so weak that he could not even block one strike from my spear!"

Lu Shaolin sighed helplessly.

Hearing this, everyone in the hall wore strange expressions.

Ouyang Zheng ranked third in strength within the gang. Other than gang leader He Zhonglang and Ye Baiquan, master of the Discipline Hall standing beside him, no one dared claim they could certainly defeat him. Otherwise, he would not have become master of the External Affairs Hall.

"Gang Leader, since things have come to this, why not let Brother Lu participate in the duel against the Little Knife Society?"

"If he wins, the matter of defying his superior will be written off. Let him take the position of master of the External Affairs Hall as well. If he loses, then he shall naturally pay for it with his life!"

Wan Tong, master of the Internal Affairs Hall, stepped forward and said.

Ye Baiquan bent down and conferred with He Zhonglang.

Then He Zhonglang looked at Lu Shaolin. "Truly, heroes emerge in their youth! We shall do as Hall Master Wan suggests. If you win ten days from now, not only may you become master of the External Affairs Hall, you will also receive thirty percent of the profits from the new docks!"

"Chen Ying, you will temporarily handle the affairs of the External Affairs Hall!"

After saying that, He Zhonglang rose and left through the back of the throne.

Wan Tong and Yu Shan smiled at Lu Shaolin before leaving as well.

"Come find me at the External Affairs Hall later."

As Chen Ying passed Lu Shaolin, he spoke quietly.

"Alright!"

Lu Shaolin nodded.

Everyone left. Not a single person paid any attention to Ouyang Sheng, who lay on the ground.

Everyone understood that Lu Shaolin's rise was now unstoppable with such strength. Naturally, none of them wished to offend him for Ouyang Sheng's sake.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. These people really are practical! Look at that—at the end of the day, I still have to see you off myself!"

Lu Shaolin crouched down and looked at Ouyang Sheng, who had been staring at him the whole time.

"Hack... hack..." Ouyang Sheng struggled to say something, but no words came out. Blood merely continued to seep from the corners of his mouth.

Lu Shaolin grabbed his neck and, with a crack, sent him after his father.

Then Lu Shaolin searched his body and found a one-hundred-tael banknote and over twenty taels of silver.

He then went over to search Ouyang Zheng's body, obtaining three one-hundred-tael banknotes and more than ten taels of silver.

Stuffing all the banknotes and silver into his clothes, Lu Shaolin walked out of the Council Hall in high spirits.

He was no longer short of money. He now had over four hundred and sixty taels. As expected, murder and arson brought gold belts!

When he arrived at the External Affairs Hall, Tu Heizi gave him a peculiar look and handed over twenty taels of silver. "This is the reward for that monster."

"Thank you!"

Lu Shaolin accepted the silver, tucked it into his clothes, and cupped his hands.

"Hall Master Chen is waiting for you in the inner room."

Tu Heizi pointed toward the back.

Lu Shaolin nodded and walked inside.

When he reached the inner room, Chen Ying was sitting beside the tea table, drinking tea.

"Please, sit!"

Chen Ying gestured toward a seat.

Lu Shaolin leaned his spear against the tea table and sat opposite him.

"You still do not know what the duel ten days from now is about, do you?"

Chen Ying poured a cup of tea and handed it to Lu Shaolin.

"I truly do not!"

Lu Shaolin accepted the teacup and nodded.

"The Little Knife Society has built a dock south of the county town, and it is nearly complete. They are cutting off the foundation of our Blackwater Gang!"

"Everyone knows the Blackwater Gang rose to prominence through the docks. If the Little Knife Society gains that dock, they will not only seize half of our gang's source of income, but also leave our gang with no face at all."

"The Gang Leader reported the matter to the authorities. The county magistrate stalled for a month, then issued a notice today. The two gangs are not permitted to engage in large-scale fighting and must decide the outcome through a duel. Furthermore, to preserve gang stability, neither gang leader may participate in the duel."

"The gang had been arguing endlessly about this in the Council Hall earlier. The Little Knife Society has a Perfected Muscle Tempering expert, Wang Xiaofeng, the 'Gate-Breaking Saber.' His saber technique is nearing perfection. In past conflicts, even Ouyang Zheng had been at a disadvantage against him."

"Even Ye Baiquan, master of the Discipline Hall, does not dare say he can defeat him. After all, Hall Master Ye is already advanced in years."

"Now that we have you, with the skill you displayed earlier, defeating Wang Xiaofeng will absolutely not be a problem!"

"Where are you currently stationed?"

After explaining everything in one breath, Chen Ying asked another question.

"Chen Family Ravine."

Lu Shaolin replied.

"Chen Family Ravine? Why were you assigned somewhere so far away? From now on, you need not return to Chen Family Ravine. Stay home and train properly. I will have someone transfer your squad back from Chen Family Ravine."

Chen Ying frowned.

"Alright, thank you, Hall Master Chen!"

Lu Shaolin smiled and cupped his hands.

"No need. If you win, you will be my superior. I will have to call you Hall Master."

Chen Ying tugged at the corner of his mouth. He seemed to want to smile, but could not. He was too accustomed to being cold and indifferent.

Lu Shaolin immediately saw that Chen Ying was much like Ma San—a man with a poker face!

Afterward, the two exchanged a few awkward words before Lu Shaolin cupped his hands and left.

After leaving the Water Fortress, Lu Shaolin touched the more than four hundred and eighty taels of silver against his chest and headed straight for the county town again.

Upon reaching the county town, Lu Shaolin rode his horse through the city gate.

The moment he entered, several burly men in gray blocked his path.

One of them was Liu Dadao, Liu Bao!

"Brother Lu, it has been a long time!"

Liu Bao cupped his hands in greeting.

"Why have you stopped me?"

Lu Shaolin did not dismount and simply asked.

"We have not stopped you, Brother Lu. We have come to invite you."

Liu Bao said with a smile.

"Who is inviting me?"

Lu Shaolin asked.

"Our society's vice president invites you to gather at the Hundred Flowers Pavilion."

"Your vice president is?"

"The Gate-Breaking Saber, Wang Xiaofeng!"