White Ape Martial Arts Academy

Following the others, he entered the small courtyard's loft.

Inside was a spacious hall, with wooden chairs arranged in a circle along the walls. The furnishings were lavish, but no one was in the mood to admire them.

After Zhou Yingjun took the seat of honor, Xie Guang addressed those who had entered.

"Sit. There are no outsiders here."

Su Xinghe was quite self-aware. He waited until everyone had taken their seats before finding himself a spot in the farthest corner.

This had become his habit lately:

Watch more, listen more, speak less.

The atmosphere in the hall was heavy, but someone soon broke the oppressive silence.

"Veteran's Trade House is no more."

"Our standing in the Martial Dao Bureau has also fallen from a Subordinate Eighth Rank second-rate force to a Ninth Rank third-rate one."

"The south side of the city can no longer accommodate us. Our territory on Eight-Zhang Street will be reclaimed by the Martial Dao Bureau."

Zhou Yingjun's voice was quiet, as though he were mourning the past.

The hall fell silent. Only everyone's harsh, suppressed breaths of anger could be heard.

For a gang to lose its territory was equivalent to having its lifeline cut off.

From now on, they could only scrounge for food in the wilderness like homeless dogs. If they ran into unreasonable people who beat them with clubs, there would be nowhere to seek justice.

After all, Lin County's underworld had rules.

Even when an authority like the Martial Dao Bureau clashed with gangs, it would only favor registered forces.

It could be said that without territory of their own, people like them could only scrape by outside the city.

Fortunately, Zhou Yingjun had always been firm-handed in the past, so the people beneath him were not about to get up and leave at once.

"Before I announce the main matter, I would first like to ask a question."

He picked up the last few contract cards from the table and looked toward a corner of the hall.

"Su Xinghe."

Su Xinghe, who had been standing in the corner like a wooden post, froze. He had not expected his name to be called first.

He could only rise stiffly and cup his fists in salute to the young gang leader, Zhou Yingjun.

"Young Gang Leader!"

In the half year since joining the Great River Gang, this was the first time he had spoken with this young gang leader.

Zhou Yingjun waved a hand.

"No need for formalities."

"Over the past six months, you have performed well in the gang. I have seen you in battle several times. I also heard that at the training grounds, your fist technique has progressed far faster than that of the other disciples."

As he spoke, his gaze turned toward Xie Guang beside him.

"Elder Xie said that you..."

"He said you respect your teacher and value the Dao, and that your talent for martial arts is passable, though you are a little old."

"However, I do not see it that way. You are only twenty-two this year. So long as you can break through and become a Martial Warrior before turning twenty-five, and resources keep up in the future, you may still have hope of reaching the Eighth Rank."

After saying that, he looked solemnly at Su Xinghe.

"Now, are you still willing to join us?"

Su Xinghe felt a bitter taste rise in his throat.

At this point, did he even have a choice?

As matters stood, he could only think on the bright side. If he switched to another gang, he could not guarantee that he would learn their cultivation method within a year.

After all, before entering the Great River Gang, he had been a blank slate. If he defected to another force now, he already bore the Great River Gang's mark and would find it difficult to earn complete trust again.

Even if he used silver to buy a complete cultivation method from another Martial Arts School, he would still need to find another way to earn money afterward.

His contract with the Brokerage Guild paid three taels a month. Honestly, that was already a very high income.

But he still had one question.

"Young Gang Leader, I have a question. May I ask it?"

There was no impatience on Zhou Yingjun's face. It was as though he had always been this way.

"Speak."

Su Xinghe quickly organized his thoughts.

"Veteran's Trade House was attacked last night. Will people like us..."

He did not finish the sentence. After all, the question was somewhat hurtful.

What he had said was, in truth, what everyone present wanted to know. At that moment, every gaze in the hall gathered on the young gang leader.

"I will uncover the truth of the matter, but they were definitely not targeting you."

"So long as no one goes outside the city, those Peaceful Heaven Sect demons will not dare show themselves."

"Moreover, I will not force anyone to leave the city!"

Zhou Yingjun answered without hesitation.

Hearing this, Su Xinghe relaxed slightly.

The atmosphere throughout the hall also brightened abruptly.

Since matters had been put this plainly, he could only bow in salute.

"This disciple is willing to join!"

As he bent down in salute, Zhou Yingjun at the head of the hall also secretly let out a breath.

His gaze silently met Xie Guang's beside him, and the latter gave a slight nod.

The Zhou Family's remaining foundation could only be considered ordinary even among third-rate forces. If they wanted to rise again, they could not do without disciples of outstanding talent.

And Su Xinghe was precisely one of the people Zhou Yingjun valued most.

After all, once they walked out of this small courtyard today, they would inexplicably gain two enemies.

One would be the gang that took over their control of Eight-Zhang Street, and the other would be the place where they were about to settle.

There was not a single patch of unclaimed interest in this city. From here on, they would have to fight and struggle for everything with their lives.

Once Su Xinghe sat down again, the young gang leader continued calling names. Without exception, the remaining few all expressed their willingness to stay.

Under Xie Guang's gratified gaze, Zhou Yingjun announced:

"Starting today, Veteran's Trade House will be renamed White Ape Martial Academy. I will serve as academy master, while Elder Xie will help manage internal affairs. As for deputy academy masters, I will have to trouble brothers San Dao and Qingsong with the task."

The two high-ranking leaders had received the news long ago and immediately rose to cup their fists.

"Academy Master, you honor us. Your subordinates will certainly not fail your trust."

The two of them were experts among Ninth Rank Martial Warriors and direct members of the Zhou Family. Their glory and loss were bound together.

Xie Guang merely nodded slightly, accepting the arrangement.

He was a direct retainer from the old gang leader's generation. He had originally retired behind the scenes to live out his old age, but now that his old master's household had fallen into trouble, he could only shoulder the burden once more.

At least, that was how it appeared on the surface.

Though the lion was old, its lingering might remained.

Zhou Yingjun looked toward the other two young men.

"Sanke, you and Yingcai are both Ninth Rank Body Tempering Martial Warriors. From now on, you two will help oversee the disciples' instruction."

Chen Sanke and Wu Yingcai immediately gave a respectful salute.

"This disciple accepts the order and will do his utmost to assist the Academy Master!"

The two had originally been direct aides the Brokerage Guild had raised for the young master Zhou Hao, but it was no longer convenient for them to remain over there.

"I will not waste words on pleasantries. I hope everyone trains their fist techniques diligently and breaks through to higher realms as soon as possible."

Zhou Yingjun offered a word of encouragement to the Grade Martial Artists.

Then he took out a bottle of healing pills and distributed them to each of them.

"Last night's retreat was rushed, so make do with this bottle of Qi-Nourishing Blood-Replenishing Pills for now. Tomorrow, I will find a way to buy some medicine for internal injuries from the Martial Dao Bureau."

They were all pillars of the Martial Arts School's future, and every one of them would shoulder heavy responsibilities. He hoped they could recover their combat strength quickly so the school could develop in peace.

With appointment after appointment, Su Xinghe and three other former Great River Gang disciples became White Ape Martial Academy's first official disciples.

According to the Martial Arts School's new rules, the two who had already reached Inner Tempering became Inner Disciples, while he and another youth named Liu Bin could only temporarily remain outer disciples.

Fortunately, they were all elites who had survived from the Great River Gang. Not only did they not need to pay a tuition fee, but the disciples could also receive a monthly stipend of three taels of silver. Perhaps in Zhou Yingjun's eyes, this counted as a benefit for those who could share sweetness and bitterness together.

The Brokerage Guild's high-end combat strength had withered away, and its territory on Eight-Zhang Street could not be kept. With the Great River Gang dissolved, the Martial Arts School could only leave the south side of the city.

However, Su Xinghe still noticed some clues.

Veteran's Trade House had not disappeared. It planned to take the path of elite specialization instead.

During the discussion just now, they had discarded ordinary businesses throughout the city, retaining only personnel in pharmacies, mines, and Martial Arts Schools related to Martial Warriors.

This abandoned the former practice of allocating most resources to Zhou Family descendants, along with the waste that practice might cause.

Under fairer rules, disciples with exceptional talent could receive more resources.

The new martial academy was located on Narcissus Street in the west of the city. It had originally been a remote warehouse belonging to Veteran's Trade House. Since it still needed renovation and sorting out, the opening date had yet to be decided.

With manpower stretched thin, Su Xinghe and the other Outer Disciple were assigned the job of guarding the gate.

However, they did not need to officially begin work today. They had to wait for that place to be cleared out first.

Before leaving, Xie Guang pulled him aside. "I did not expect you, brat, to stay..."

He knew of Su Xinghe's extraordinary talent in martial arts.

If Su Xinghe had insisted on leaving, it would have been an enormous loss.

Although Xie Guang always complained that Su Xinghe was too old, the Brokerage Guild had still existed at the time, and its resources and attention had to lean toward the Zhou Family's direct line. A disciple like Su Xinghe, who had joined halfway through, could only be set aside first even if his talent was exceptional.

Su Xinghe replied with utter sincerity:

"Elder Xie, you know that my family was poor since I was young. So long as the young gang leader gives me a bite to eat, I will never be half-hearted."

Since he had decided to stay, he naturally had to take the chance to show his loyalty.

He could not speak much with the young gang leader for the moment, but Elder Xie before him was his livelihood.

Xie Guang secretly nodded as he listened.

"What realm are you at now, brat?"

With his strength at Eighth Rank Dark Force in his younger days, he could originally have released inner force to examine Su Xinghe's qi and blood. But age and physical decline had left his qi and blood insufficient, and his true qi had long since dried up.

His combat strength had fallen to roughly Ninth Rank Bone Forging, which was an Upper Ninth Rank Bright Force Martial Warrior. Combined with last night's internal injuries, he would probably struggle even against a Lower Ninth Rank opponent in the future.

But he said none of this.

His young gang leader was already under enough pressure.

Su Xinghe pretended to think, then said uncertainly:

"Recently, when I practice my fists, I feel that my strength has condensed considerably. I should have achieved Force Infusion."

Then, looking slightly embarrassed, he stepped half a pace closer.

"Elder Xie, have your Qi-Blood Pills been prepared?"

"Get lost. Come back when you reach Inner Tempering."

Xie Guang flicked his sleeve, knocking aside Su Xinghe's movement as he turned to leave.

"Elder Xie, wait."

Su Xinghe grabbed him.

"Something else?"

Xie Guang turned back and asked in confusion.

Su Xinghe took a deep breath and slowly said:

"This disciple did not seem to see Old Cripple's work contract just now. Do you know where he was from?"

Xie Guang frowned. This was the greatest taboo for those who walked the underworld. Did this brat before him not understand that?

"Why are you asking that?"

"If this disciple says he is hungry and wants to eat, would you believe him?"

The expression on Xie Guang's face became somewhat strange.

He swallowed with difficulty, as though recalling something far from pleasant.

"Cripple was an old man from the guard unit forty years ago. Because of his injury, he was assigned to the kitchen as a cook."

"His family... all met with disaster when he was thirty..."

The words "met with disaster" were like a sharp thorn piercing Su Xinghe's heart.

Because of last night, he had wanted to repay Uncle Cripple's family somehow. To offer financial help, or secretly look after them. Now, he could only silently bury this debt of gratitude in his heart.

So Old Cripple's final words, telling him to live well, had contained this meaning too.

"Watch yourself on the road!"

Xie Guang forcefully patted the young man's shoulder. He could tell that Su Xinghe had asked about Old Cripple out of kindness.

So many people had left last night. He could understand that feeling.

Loyal and righteous, yet talented as well—his judgment had indeed been right. Achieving Force Infusion in half a month meant he might truly break through to Inner Tempering within three months.

Only, times were different now. Even ten bottles of Qi-Replenishing Pills were no small sum to him.

Having just taken the position of internal affairs manager, Xie Guang was already worrying over the Martial Arts School's future resources.