The Old Gang Leader Summons Him

Su Xinghe gave it some thought and formed a rough picture of the escort agency in his mind.

Qingshan Escort Agency was powerful and had close business dealings with Taiguang Prefecture.

Every so often, news of recruitment would appear.

It was said that in the prefectural city, they had a Seventh Rank Attendant.

Lin County's strongest cultivator was likely an Eighth-Rank Dark Force martial artist. Under him were another five or six Ninth Rank Bright Force escorts. Even some veteran runners were quasi-martial artists whose Qi-Blood had entered Force Infusion.

Naturally, they would not be like Old Swindler, using worthless fake manuals to fool his subordinates.

But the position of a runner was somewhat awkward for someone with lofty ambitions like him. In essence, it could practically be equated with cannon fodder.

And he would have to leave the city.

From what he knew, escorting goods beyond the city walls was exceedingly dangerous.

Not only were there bandits who blocked roads and seized goods, but nearby there was also the Red Lotus Branch of the Peaceful Heaven Sect, which devoured people without even spitting out their bones.

He should not leave the city, and he now had a stable way to make money, so this information could be set aside for the time being.

As for Old Madman, his situation was a little unusual.

This man had been a target Su Xinghe had inadvertently heard about when he first arrived in this world and had been seeking martial arts manuals.

He was suspected to be a martial artist and might possess a true martial arts inheritance.

Su Xinghe had tried approaching him several times.

Things had been fine at first, but later he had somehow offended the man. He had nearly capsized in the gutter and left his life in that fellow's hands.

This man's origins were unknown, and he lived alone in a rented room in Tongzi Ward.

He also suffered from a vile illness, which had made him withdrawn and solitary.

Alone and with little time left to live, this was someone who truly dared to raise a blade and cut people down inside the city.

When his temper flared, he cared nothing for the consequences. Even Liu Laizi and his gang did not dare provoke him lightly.

Back then, after probing him many times, Su Xinghe had never been able to determine whether the old man still possessed a martial artist's strength. He could only take the long view and have Little Beggar keep watch on him in secret.

He had originally thought the man would not survive many days. Who would have thought that several months had slipped by without his noticing?

Was he truly done for this time?

Hmm...

He was out of silver now. He should be easier to handle.

But he could not rush things either. He would wait three to five days before visiting the old man. If his guess was wrong, he would simply count it as bringing warmth to the community.

"Keep a close eye out these next few days. See if anyone else is setting their sights on Old Madman."

"Oh, right. Any news about that Old Swindler?"

The youth lowered his head gloomily, and the two passed each other shoulder to shoulder.

Old Swindler was the Black Market seller who had sold him "Ascending Dragon Stance." Su Xinghe not only wanted a refund with no questions asked, he wanted to give Old Swindler several scathing face-to-face reviews.

Otherwise, he had already saved up one hundred taels and could soon go to the Martial Arts School to buy a Registered Disciple slot.

Why did there have to be so much trouble?

Unfortunately, half a year had passed, and the old bastard had vanished from the face of the earth.

Outside the city, by the Clearwater River.

A swift boat over a zhang long sped toward them.

In the blink of an eye, it disappeared into the dock of a tree-shaded manor.

Two figures in gray robes and fitted martial attire leaped from the boat and rushed straight into the depths of the manor.

"Report!"

An urgent cry rose from outside the door.

Inside the training room, a middle-aged, broad-built man who looked like a wealthy country gentleman put away his blade technique. He then took a towel from a maid beside him and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

Only then did he call unhurriedly toward the door.

"Come in."

A guard at the side gently pushed the door open two feet, and gray-robed figures appeared at the entrance.

They lowered their heads and reported rapidly from outside.

"Gang Leader, our goods are gone. The other side was the Qian Family Trading Company from the city. Yesterday afternoon, brothers at the docks saw their ships coming and going."

The middle-aged man frowned slightly.

"Which shipment? Why are you only reporting this now?!"

The gray-robed men outside did not dare conceal anything and said shamefacedly:

"They acted very covertly this time. Not a single brother at Coldwater Bay escaped."

"If disciples had not been fishing at dawn and found several corpses in the river bend, we would probably still be kept in the dark."

Clang!

The long saber slipped from Qi Rui'an's hand.

The Fishermen's Gang leader, who ruled the ten li of waters on both banks of the Clearwater River, had gone deathly pale, sweat beginning to bead across his forehead.

"You said... what..."

"It was... that shipment at Coldwater Bay?"

After receiving confirmation, he paced around the training ground for a long while.

Only after quite some time did he finally give his order in a daze.

"Move. Quickly, come with me to see Third Master!"

Five fine horses galloped away wildly, leaving dust billowing across the ground.

Inside Red Elegance Manor's newly built study.

Qi Rui'an and his two gray-robed subordinates knelt at the doorway, all three trembling uncontrollably.

Third Master Lu of the Lu Family, dressed like a minor official, sat behind the writing desk. At his side were his yet-unwed concubine and a personal maid.

"Oh... so the goods being sent to Qingshan Academy were lost by you people..."

"Let me guess... was it Immortal's Bliss, or Fairy's Smile..."

"Or perhaps, it was..."

"Hehe... Look at how terrified you are. Seems I guessed right!"

Lu Zhengkun toyed with the jade ruyi in his hand, murmuring carelessly.

Qi Rui'an trembled even more violently outside. Sweat streamed from his forehead and slowly seeped into the brand-new embroidered carpet.

Only those who frequently met Third Master knew that the more cheerfully this Third Master Lu smiled, the more serious the matter was.

The woman in red behind the desk wrinkled her nose and made a small flick of her hand toward the side.

"Drag them out and chop them up!"

With a clatter, armored guards strode over from outside the study.

"Wait!"

Lu Zhengkun lightly tapped the desk with the jade ruyi, then turned to look at the woman in red beside him.

"Xiuer, don't be hasty. As long as the goods are still in Lin County, they can't escape our grasp."

"Besides, our wedding is approaching. It would be unlucky for this new manor to see blood."

The woman in red stared motionlessly at Lu Zhengkun with her bright eyes. Only after a long while did she shift her gaze away.

"Then I'll listen to my husband."

Perhaps she was still unaccustomed to it; her tone was a little stiff.

The back alley of Eight-Zhang Street.

Having just completed a major "business deal," many disciples were nursing their injuries. The Great River Gang had been lying low these past few days.

Outside the warehouse at their base, the blazing sun was like fire, and heat waves rose from the long street.

Su Xinghe lay sprawled by the window, drowsy from the heat.

Lu Kui and the others had been called by Zhang Whiskers to collect protection fees. There was not even anyone to chat with.

But he could not truly fall asleep, because it was his turn to guard the door today.

After the casualties from the battle a few days ago, coupled with a whole room of wounded men behind him, the Great River Gang's fighting strength was at its most depleted. If their enemies came knocking, their overthrow could happen in an instant.

Though he bore the title of "temporary worker," he still had a basic sense of responsibility.

Fortunately, there were occasionally scantily dressed fallen girls wandering through the alley. The lovely sights beneath their thin gauze and their alluring poses were both refreshing and sobering.

Just as he was considering how likely it was that he could sell that copy of "Ascending Dragon Stance" to these hurried middle-aged uncles, and how to make this business bigger and stronger, footsteps sounded behind him.

"Six, take over the door for him."

Before Su Xinghe could rise, a burly man in a steward's robe pointed at him and barked an order.

Once he recognized the man, he hurriedly stood and said respectfully, "Hello, Brother Chun!"

This was one of the Great River Gang's higher-ups.

Unlike Lu Kui and the others, thugs who had joined halfway through, the man before him was part of the gang's direct lineage, raised within it since childhood. His combat strength far surpassed that of ordinary people, yet he was not a Grade Martial Artist.

Su Xinghe guessed that the man either lacked the talent for the martial path or had suffered grave injuries that caused his martial realm to fall.

"You brat, come with me."

Steward Zhou gave him a glance. Without waiting for a response, he turned and headed back into the warehouse hall.

Though Su Xinghe was full of confusion, he did not dare delay.

He hurriedly exchanged a look with Six and saw that the other man was equally bewildered. He could only quickly follow after him.

They passed through the warehouse hall, crossed the rear courtyard, then went through halls and rooms from the back door of the shops before arriving at the third floor of the Brokerage Guild on Eight-Zhang Street.

They finally stopped before a walnut-colored folding screen.

Only then did Zhou Chun change his tone and tell him that the old gang leader had summoned him over a matter.

Veteran's Trade House had a history of more than a hundred years. It had originally been built together by a group of old brothers, but time flowed on, and now only the Zhou family remained to maintain it.

The solid wooden floor was polished bright enough to serve as a mirror, and the pillars along the covered corridors were exquisitely carved. Even every wall was built, plastered, and carved from large bluestone slabs of identical size.

Flowers bloomed in profusion along the corridors, with young maids wandering through them from time to time. The fragrance of rouge and red phoenix lingered in the air, while gold and jade ornaments gleamed in lavish splendor.

It was Su Xinghe's first time here as well.

Compared with the Brokerage Guild's shops, the Great River Gang's warehouse base was practically a pigsty.