Fangs

"Greetings, Master Hu. What brings you to this filthy place so late at night?" Xu Yang hunched his body and lowered his head, doing his best to keep Li Hu from noticing the changes in him.

In the darkness, Li Hu really could not make out the changes in Xu Yang.

He strode over and stopped three paces away. "The old madam's birthday is coming up, and He Shicai's family still hasn't paid their birthday tribute. I'm going to see just where they found the guts to refuse to honor her birthday."

His tone was mild, as though he were making casual conversation.

Yet his words made Xu Yang's heart sink.

He Shicai's home was not far from his. His family of five had originally managed to get by, but two months ago, He Shicai had run into bandits while out. Not only had they robbed him of his money, they had beaten him half to death. He had been bedridden ever since.

With the family's pillar brought down, they could barely afford to eat. Where would they find any money to spare?

"Perhaps they forgot!"

"Enough of these aggravating matters. These mud-legged peasants never give a man a moment's peace. Every last one deserves a beating." Li Hu changed the subject. "I hear you've struck it rich, boy. Found some connections and landed work in the city."

So squeezing people for their hard-earned money had become an aggravating chore.

While inwardly cursing the women in Li Hu's immediate family, Xu Yang forced an ingratiating smile. "You're joking, Master Hu. I'm just working like an ox or a horse for someone else to earn a mouthful of food. Compared to you, I'm not worth a fart."

"Don't be modest. Your uncle is the Huang Family's accountant, a man of rank and influence. How could a job he arranged for you be anything less than good?"

All smiles, Li Hu clapped a large hand on Xu Yang's shoulder. "My luck at the gambling table has been rotten lately, and I've lost quite a bit. Since you've struck it rich, lend me a few taels of silver to tide me over. I'll pay you back once I have the money."

He had originally arranged for someone to kill Xu Yang at the mine. Only after getting his man inside had he discovered that Xu Yang no longer worked there. Further inquiries had revealed that Xu Yang had found work in the city.

His main purpose in coming tonight was to find a pretext to trouble Xu Yang, while using He Shicai's family to put a scare into him.

Of course, if Xu Yang could produce a few taels of silver, he would let him live a few days longer.

"You must be joking, Master Hu. If you wanted to borrow a few copper coins, I could manage that. But a few taels of silver? I've never even seen that much money."

Xu Yang knew trouble had probably arrived. Li Hu was starting to squeeze him.

This was the Three Harmonies Gang's usual method: threats first, then, if those failed, vicious tricks in the shadows to destroy your family and ruin your home.

"So... you won't give me, Li Hu, any face? You won't lend me the money?" Li Hu's smile vanished, and his voice turned cold. "A Yang, you should know that no one has ever refused me. Asking to borrow money from you is an honor."

The two lackeys behind him stepped forward together, loosening their limbs as though preparing to beat someone.

"Yes, yes... of course I know it's an honor for you to ask me for a loan, Master Hu. But I really don't have it."

Xu Yang drew a deep breath. "How about this, Master Hu? Give me a few days, and I'll ask my uncle for a loan. I should be able to borrow a few taels of silver."

The smile returned to Li Hu's face. "I knew you were a good fellow, A Yang. You'd help me out. I'll come collect the money in a few days."

"There's no need for you to come yourself, Master Hu. Once I get the money, I'll bring it to your house."

Li Hu grew even happier. "Good, good, good. If everyone were as loyal as you, A Yang, there wouldn't be so many aggravating matters."

With that, he strode away with his two lackeys.

"Master Hu, can that brat really borrow a few taels of silver?" one of the lackeys asked.

For all their swagger and bullying, a few taels of silver was a large sum even to them.

Most of the money the Three Harmonies Gang squeezed out of people went into the gang leader's pockets. They were merely scraping out a living themselves.

"His uncle works for the Huang Family and earns two taels a month. A few taels of silver is pocket change to him. Leave the brat alone for now. We'll squeeze some money out of him before making our move. And don't breathe a word of this to anyone.

"If the gang finds out, we won't get so much as a hair," Li Hu warned them.

Xu Yang was timid by nature. As long as Xu Qing was not involved, he would usually give in.

"Don't worry, Master Hu. We're not stupid enough to tell anyone else about a good thing like this."

"A few taels of silver? Aren't you afraid of stuffing yourself to death?"

Xu Yang did not even have enough money for his martial training. There was no way he would hand over a few taels of silver.

Only after watching Li Hu and his two men disappear into the distance did he head home.

He called him Master Hu only because of the Three Harmonies Gang's power. Within the gang, Li Hu was merely a minor leader who went around collecting protection money, an ordinary man.

His family came from a village near White Stone Ward. He had been poor in his early years, and when the Three Harmonies Gang came to establish its turf here, he had joined through sheer ruthlessness. He was neither an important figure nor a martial artist.

If Xu Yang had wanted to act, he could have beaten all three men to death just now. But this was not the place to do it.

He had only been home a short while when cries and the sounds of smashing came from nearby.

Li Hu and his two men smashed He Shicai's home to pieces, then hurled a stream of filthy abuse before leaving.

As they passed Xu Yang's door, Li Hu also reminded him not to forget his promise. He was clearly using what had happened to He Shicai's family as a warning.

"Brother, what did you promise him?" Xu Qing's little face was deathly pale.

The cries of He Shicai's children had frightened her. They were all her playmates.

"I promised to pay next month's security fee a little earlier."

Xu Yang gave a casual answer, told Xu Qing to stay quietly at home, and headed to He Shicai's house.

The door had been torn off, and the bed smashed apart. He Shicai lay unconscious on the floor. His wife's hair hung in disarray, blood flowed from her mouth and nose, and her cheeks were red and swollen. Who knew how many times she had been slapped?

The three children, all under ten, trembled from head to toe, cowering in a corner and sobbing in terror.

The neighbors who had hurried over saw the scene. Some helped soothe the children, while others helped put the bed back together and clear the broken pots and bowls from the floor.

The door was so badly wrecked that it could not be repaired.

After helping clean up, Xu Yang returned home and went straight to bed. After a full day of toil, he was utterly exhausted.

In the middle of the night, he was awakened by crying. He pushed open the door and stepped outside. He Shicai's home was filled with sobs.

He Shicai, bedridden for two months, had died!

Apparently, after being revived, he had seen his devastated home, spat out a mouthful of blood, and fainted again. He had clung to his last breath until midnight, then passed away.

Xu Yang did not go back to help at He Shicai's home. Instead, he had Xu Qing scoop two bowls of coarse rice from their rice jar and deliver them. He continued sleeping, restoring his energy and gathering his

strength.

He did not know whether He Shicai had been dragged into this because of him. But Li Hu had already bared his fangs, and Xu Yang could not simply sit and wait for death.

The next day, He Shicai was buried without any ceremony.

Never mind a thin wooden coffin-they did not even have a straw mat. Only when someone could no longer bear the sight and donated one did they have something to wrap his body in.

Xu Yang went to the Mighty Far Hall as usual, but stopped training in the afternoon. He found a cool, shaded corner and went straight to sleep.

Everyone thought he was beginning to give up, and they shook their heads inwardly. They had not expected him to be the second to quit.

At dinnertime, Zhang Hong woke Xu Yang, and the two went to the dining hall together.

After eating, Xu Yang returned to White Stone Ward and continued sleeping.

During the second night watch, a figure darted out of Xu Yang's home and vanished into the darkness.