Showing off

"Over a dozen people, all dead!"

"Back in the day, Qian Ming was a fierce bastard who could hack down a dozen men with a single saber. To think someone actually killed him."

"Who would dare stir up trouble with the Three Harmonies Gang? Aren't they afraid of retaliation?"

"Seems like it was the Four Rivers Gang."

"What do you mean, 'seems like'? The Four Rivers Gang killed them. Other people fear the Three Harmonies Gang, but they don't. After killing everyone, they even left a taunt written in blood at the branch."

"The two gangs will probably go to war."

"Good. Hopefully they'll all kill each other."

The morning sun rose. Normally, most people in White Stone Ward would only just be getting out of bed at this hour, but today the place was buzzing. Every alley was filled with talk of the Three Harmonies Gang branch being wiped out.

"Keep your wits about you. If there's trouble, tell them I have exceptional martial talent and the Huang Family thinks highly of me. They've already paid to send me to a martial arts school."

Before leaving, Xu Yang gave Xu Qing these instructions.

Although they were unlikely to trace it back to him, so many people had died at once that the Three Harmonies Gang might do anything. They could even vent their anger on innocent people.

"Be careful too, Brother. With so many people dead, there could be serious trouble."

"I know!"

Only after Xu Qing nodded did Xu Yang leave.

As soon as he left White Stone Ward, he heard wailing.

Looking into the distance, he saw the families of the Three Harmonies Gang members he had killed crying together outside the branch. There had to be at least a hundred of them.

He felt neither sympathy nor pity. Those men had followed the Three Harmonies Gang in committing evil. Who knew how many families they had ruined and destroyed? Their deaths were no loss.

Their families had enjoyed that money. Now they were suffering the bitter fruits of those deeds, and they deserved it.

Hopefully they'll start fighting.

He had deliberately left the words "Four Rivers" because he wanted the Four Rivers Gang and the Three Harmonies Gang to fight. Whether it worked would be up to Heaven.

[Turtle-Snake Great Stance · Beginner (32/100)]

[Martial Dao Longevity points: 15]

Last night's haul had been substantial. Besides nearly ten taels of silver, he had received another fifteen points that morning.

I'll have to focus on the Turtle-Snake Great Stance from now on.

If he wanted to gather qi and become a martial artist this month, he had to raise his progress in the Turtle-Snake Great Stance. Otherwise, it would fall behind his Mountain-Shaking Bear Fist.

And with last night's haul, he no longer had to worry about nutrition. He could train without holding back.

When he arrived at the Mighty Far Hall, he discovered that apart from himself and Lu Ren, Zhang Yong, Luo Dehu, Tang Ruiyang, and the others were all absent.

They must have gone hunting exotic beasts!

Xu Yang had not expected them to head into the mountains today when they had only mentioned it to him yesterday.

"Senior Brother Xu, you were behind what happened to the Three Harmonies Gang, weren't you?"

As he was thinking, Qiu Wenjie sidled over furtively, his face full of shock and uncertainty.

Xu Yang nodded slightly. He had used Muscle-Softening Powder, which an experienced coroner could identify with a single examination. It was only natural that Qiu Wenjie had guessed.

He simply had not expected word to spread so quickly. It had already reached the city.

"Be careful. I heard my father say Li Sanhe has reached major accomplishment in qi gathering. He's extremely difficult to deal with."

Li Sanhe was the leader of the Three Harmonies Gang, a martial artist who had been famous for years. One could say Xu Yang had grown up beneath the shadow of Li Sanhe's vicious tyranny.

Then Qiu Wenjie smiled. "Still, once you become a martial artist, you'll have the Mighty Far Hall's reputation behind you. Even if he knows you did it, he might not dare provoke you. Besides, you didn't leave any clues."

Once he became a martial artist, the question would no longer be whether Li Sanhe came looking for him.

"Do you think the Three Harmonies Gang and the Four Rivers Gang will start fighting?" Xu Yang asked quietly.

Qiu Wenjie shook his head. "Your trick was a little crude. They probably won't fight. They might think a third party is plotting behind the scenes and become more cautious instead.

"Li Sanhe and Zhang Sishui are both cunning, cautious men. They won't rush into a fight to the death over a few subordinates."

Xu Yang felt rather helpless at that.

He knew his attempt to frame them was crude, but he had never dealt with anyone from the Four Rivers Gang and had no time to plan things out slowly.

Still, it now seemed that even if he could not make them fight, he could at least buy himself some time.

When he returned home that night, what Xu Qing told him confirmed this. The Three Harmonies Gang and the Four Rivers Gang had not clashed, though the atmosphere was somewhat tense.

The Three Harmonies Gang had not sent anyone else to the branch. Whether they feared another incident or were simply waiting a few days, he did not know.

They had also sent people into White Stone Ward to search. However, Xu Yang had brought back nothing except silver, so the Three Harmonies Gang found nothing.

Time slipped by. On the third day, Zhang Yong and the others returned, their faces glowing and their spirits soaring.

Following the senior brothers from the Inner Court, they really had hunted down an exotic beast, and everyone had received a share.

"Yang, it was money for nothing! Too bad you didn't come. We just took a stroll through the mountains and got this much."

Tang Ruiyang held up two fingers. "Two taels! Do you understand? Every one of us got two taels!"

With money in their pockets, everyone had grown cocky. At least, Tang Ruiyang had.

Before, he would never have dared address Xu Yang as "Yang." In the beginning, he had always called him Brother Xu.

Even after Xu Yang and Lu Ren fell out completely, he had continued calling him Brother Xu whenever they occasionally spoke.

Although no one thought Xu Yang had much chance, deep down, the few of them all hoped he could gather qi and give them a little hope.

"What's too bad about it? Give a coward ten chances, and he still won't seize one," Luo Dehu said snidely.

Now that he had money, he once again felt he could become a martial artist.

Two taels was still a little short, but it was not as though they could only do this once. Another two or three trips, and becoming a martial artist would be a nailed-down certainty.

Xu Yang was sorely tempted to say he had obtained ten taels two days ago and now drank Body-Strengthening Soup every day. After some thought, he decided not to show off.

"You've disappointed me," Zhang Yong said.

He had always regarded Xu Yang as an enemy and sworn to surpass him. He had never expected Xu Yang to lack even this little bit of nerve.

Xu Yang was almost speechless. Zhang Yong was finally speaking to him again, and it was over something like this.

"We'll go into the mountains again in a few days. If you're willing, I'll speak to Senior Brother Xue Fangsheng and have you included. I don't want to surpass you through resources."

A trace of earnestness appeared on his stern face.

"I disagree. Another person means a smaller share for me. If you want him to join, give him some of your share."

Before Xu Yang could speak, Qian Jiaxing had already voiced his objection.

They had agreed on a thirty-seventy

split with Xue Fangsheng. The seven of them would divide thirty percent. If another person joined, it would be split eight ways.

"I'm against it too!" Tang Ruiyang immediately added.

He already regretted it so much his guts had turned green. If he had known making money would be this easy, he would never have invited so many people.

Following a martial artist into the mountains was practically like picking money up off the ground.

"I..."

Zhang Hong was about to state his position when Xu Yang interrupted him. "I'm against it too. All right, go find someone else to show off to. I need to train. I don't have time to listen to your nonsense."

They immediately felt as though they had punched empty air. It was unbearably frustrating.

Xu Yang was not envious in the slightest, nor was he tempted.

"Keep putting on a brave face. You'll regret it someday."

Tang Ruiyang sneered. He believed that if he had not objected, Xu Yang would definitely have wanted to join. Xu Yang was only pretending not to be tempted because he knew it was impossible.

Xu Yang paid them no mind at all.

Money for nothing?

Where in this world was there such a good deal?

Even Xu Lao'er only wanted to suck him dry, let alone a relative so distant that eight bamboo poles laid end to end could not reach him.

He did not know the reason behind it, but he was certain Xue Fangsheng had an ulterior motive. Whether that was true would surely become clear later.

Xu Yang immersed himself in practicing the Turtle-Snake Great Stance. Each day, he secretly took out some copper coins and gave them to Xu Qing to buy meat, gradually spending the stolen money.

Seven days later!

After spending seven days training furiously with their shares of the silver, Tang Ruiyang, Zhang Yong, and the other five once again followed Xue Fangsheng into the mountains to hunt exotic beasts.

This time, even after three days, they still had not returned.