The Ninth Grade Realm Young Gang Leader

Chen Guilan's heart warmed.

But in the next instant, bitterness filled her mouth.

Ever since her eldest son had returned from quitting his job at the start of the year, he had seemed possessed, obsessively immersed in martial arts training.

At first, seeing how dedicated and hardworking he was, everyone had been full of hope. But now, half a year had passed, and that dream had been ruthlessly shattered.

The money had been spent, and things had come to this. Now, she would be content if he could simply work steadily at Lu Family Wharf.

"Cough, cough... I'll sleep after I finish rolling this batch."

Su Xinghe nodded at her words.

After some thought, he took a large hundred-cash coin from his robes.

"This is what I've saved over the past few days. Take it first, Mother. There's another ship leaving from the wharf tonight, so I have to go out again later."

Chen Guilan lowered her head and did not take it right away.

The family was struggling, but they had not yet reached the point where they could not put food on the table. After all, there were three able-bodied men in the household. If they tightened their belts and saved for three to five years, they could afford to marry a wife into the family.

What she feared was that her husband and two sons would wear their bodies down first.

"At night... you're still going?"

Her voice trembled, and the worry in her unfocused eyes could not be dissolved.

"Actually... cough, cough..."

"Actually, you don't need to put so much pressure on yourself..."

Su Xinghe crouched down and gently patted his mother's back, placing the money in her hand as well.

He wanted to say something, yet every word seemed pale and powerless.

He had squandered all the silver, yet everyone shared the hardship. In this family, he was the one least qualified to complain about pressure.

Feeling the thick coin in her palm, a full size larger than ordinary cash, Chen Guilan clenched her fist.

"Why is there so much? Aren't you keeping some on you?"

In the Zhou Martial Sage Dynasty, one thousand copper coins equaled one tael of silver.

A single large hundred-cash coin was worth one hundred coins.

Even a strong dockworker would need nearly a month to earn that much.

Could my son have gone down the wrong path?

The last time he gave us housekeeping money was less than half a month ago...

Seeing his mother's concerned yet nervous expression, Su Xinghe reassured her.

"No need. I still have more."

"Third Master Lu recently took a concubine and is expanding another estate outside the city. I'm strong, and there's plenty of work at the wharf."

After today's battle, he had taken more than three hundred coins from the corpses.

But he had no way to reveal such ill-gotten income to his family.

Besides, it was highly unstable.

Before becoming a martial artist, Su Xinghe had always resisted risking his life. That would have been irresponsible to himself and his family. Yet in order to earn silver, in order to become a martial artist as soon as possible, he had no choice but to fight others to the death.

For the past half year, he had fought for every sliver of hope.

"Fortune is sought amid danger..."

Feeling the faint pain from the wound on his back, he sighed inwardly.

He returned to his room.

He pulled a small cloth bundle from beneath the bed.

After counting today's spoils, he stored them away with the rest, leaving only a few loose coins on himself for emergencies.

Rustle, rustle. Something wriggled at his collar.

A white bat the size of a matchbox poked its head out and crawled free.

Su Xinghe held it in his palm and teased it with a few strokes of his finger. The little creature stared with enormous pitch-black eyes, its tiny mouth rooting about everywhere.

It looked exactly like a kitten searching for milk, innocent and adorable.

After playing with it for a while, he took a short dagger from beside his bed.

He lightly drew it across his palm.

"Squeak, squeak..."

The moment it caught the scent of his blood, Little White Bat buried its head against his hand.

"Glug, glug~"

Its white body slowly turned red.

This white bat was a mutant breed. It could help him evade the Sky-Patrolling Ravens of the Martial Dao Bureau's Inspection Bureau.

Whenever it sensed a natural predator, it would sweat all over. The scent would cause the Sky-Patrolling Ravens to mistake it for the aura on a Travel Pass Talisman.

The higher-ups of the Peaceful Heaven Sect had captured and bred them in the Outer Realm, specifically for certain high-ranking members to conceal their identities.

Su Xinghe's one had been left behind by the previous owner of this body.

But the previous owner had not been a high-ranking member of the Peaceful Heaven Sect. He had merely been a temporary keeper in the Breeding Cave.

Or perhaps he could be called a blood slave.

The only reason Su Xinghe had not thrown this white bat away was to save the money needed to buy a Travel Pass Talisman.

Any commoner entering or leaving the city, or venturing out at night, could be watched by the elusive Sky-Patrolling Ravens.

These ravens were also mutant creatures from the Outer Realm.

Once trained, they could distinguish the colorless, odorless aura on a Travel Pass Talisman.

Without the special scent emitted by a Travel Pass Talisman, the Sky-Patrolling Ravens would screech, drawing the street-patrolling constables from the Public Security Office.

Or even experts from the Inspection Bureau.

Wasn't it just feeding it some blood every night? He had the Unyielding trait in his fate.

A few extra mouthfuls of food would make up for it.

Night sank like water, and the cool breeze dispersed summer's oppressive heat.

The people living in Tongzi Ward were mostly poor wretches at the bottom of Lin County society, and their nightly entertainment was monotonous and uniform.

Either they squatted outside their doors to chat and enjoy the cool air, or they hid in their rooms shaking the bed and making babies.

The densely packed tenement buildings had practically no soundproofing, and what he heard set Su Xinghe's heart racing and his thoughts galloping wildly.

He hurriedly quickened his pace and fled the alley as though flying.

Across the Central River, the south side of the city seemed like another world. The nightlife here was only just beginning. Pedestrians filled the roads like woven cloth, while street vendors' cries rose without end.

Even the sheltered daughters of wealthy families and delicate girls from modest homes, rarely seen during the day, came out in the cool of night to stroll the streets with their young lady friends and foster their bonds.

That drew all the local young men over as well.

Behind Eight-Zhang Street, in an alley at the Great River Gang's base.

The place backed onto the shops and served as their rear courtyard warehouse.

When Su Xinghe pushed open the half-closed wooden door, the pungent stench of alcohol mingled with greasy sweat rushed straight at his face.

Tonight's card game had not begun yet. More than twenty burly men surrounded several tables, drinking and playing finger-guessing games.

Eating, drinking, whoring, gambling—the four great poisons. Three were right before his eyes.

In this state of affairs, how could he tell his family that he was mixed up with a gang?

Among the crowd, Su Xinghe spotted several severely wounded men who had been carried back that afternoon, barely clinging to life. Now, wrapped head to toe in bandages, they were drinking deeply and wolfing down meat.

As expected of spirited young men from the underworld. Those wild grasses unloved by father or mother really do have tenacious lives.

Just as he was sighing over it, a familiar voice interrupted his wandering thoughts.

"Blackie! Over here!"

Lu Kui's muffled, booming voice was highly distinctive. He waved toward the doorway.

Su Xinghe looked over and saw that the members of his squad had all gathered there.

Before he could even sit down, someone beside him shouted toward the counter, "Old Cripple, slice us half a pig's head and a set of offal, then bring five jin of yellow wine!"

"Pay first!"

Old Cripple sat behind the counter, carefully wiping the cleaver in his hands without even lifting his head.

Lu Kui chuckled. "Same old rule. Put it on my brother Blackie's tab."

"You're pulling this again!"

The corner of Su Xinghe's mouth twitched. He dearly wanted to slap the people before him.

Why was it so hard for him to save a little money?

Today, he had killed six river bandits in one go and helped his teammates take down another dozen or so. He had been a little slow while searching the bodies, so they had definitely noticed again.

But he was only a newcomer in the Great River Gang. Even if he argued over this, probably no one would speak for him.

Instead, they would mock him for not being loyal enough.

Some things, for now, he could only endure.

"Brother Kui, eat less fatty meat. Otherwise, next time we run, I won't be able to carry you."

"Hehehe."

"Fine, fine... Come, let's drink!"

"Next time, your brothers will block the blades for you!"

Lu Kui agreed readily, but not a word had entered his ears. If not for the fat covering his body, he would have long since died in some unknown alley.

The base had a kitchen, but the free employee meals tasted no better than pig slop. So long as they had even a little spare money, everyone paid out of pocket to indulge in some meat.

Everyone except Su Xinghe, of course.

In truth, among the gangs of Lin County, the Great River Gang had been the one Su Xinghe selected. Its reputation outside was considered fairly decent.

In the early days, it had been the private guard force of a Brokerage Guild.

Later, for some reason, that part had been separated out.

Its main business now was collecting protection taxes, Clearwater fees, and the like from Eight-Zhang Street and the dozen or so alleys around it. Its side business was backing several merchant firms in the city.

If business required it, they would also help fellow men of the underworld settle fights.

Like today's battle on the Clearwater River. They had actually been invited to "fish." A merchant caravan had suffered losses there, and spent a hefty sum to hire the Great River Gang to destroy the other side's nest in revenge, while also recovering their goods.

Compared with Liu Laizi and his lot, who only knew how to use their fists and feet to bully ordinary people, they were clearly on a much higher level.

This was also how gangs large and small in the city survived under the rules of the county yamen and the Lu Family. They used martial force to intimidate, bringing prosperity and stability beneath their influence, and thus shared in the profits.

For instance, there were two rules that had left the deepest impression on Su Xinghe.

No one outside official government offices could possess firearms or gunpowder. Anyone caught privately hoarding them would be treated as guilty of treason.

Martial artists not registered with the Martial Dao Bureau were forbidden from carrying blades, swords, or other weapons within the city. Even martial arts schools, gangs, and escort agencies like theirs were no exception.

These two rules seemed simple.

But even unarmed martial artists could easily crush ordinary people, while ordinary people carrying weapons led to all manner of disputes and could even threaten the Lu Family's authority in the city.

As for the government and county yamen, they merely had to keep firearms under control. Their primary duty lay outside the city, namely the infamous Peaceful Heaven Sect.

But that organization had always lurked in the countryside. When gathered, they became bandits; when scattered, they became civilians. The imperial court had organized several campaigns to suppress them, but all had achieved little.

A huge basin of pig head meat was soon scraped clean, and the remaining disciples gradually arrived as well.

Then a loud shout rang from the crowd. "The Young Gang Leader is here!"

Whoosh~

"Young Gang Leader, greetings!"

The disciples respectfully rose from their seats, all eyes turning toward the large door inside as it was slowly pushed open.