Aftermath

Blue smoke still rose from the ruins of the Longle Gambling House during the day.

The water used to put out the fire mingled with grime as it flowed, forming filthy puddles on the ground.

Quite a few people were still rummaging through the rubble, hoping to scavenge some money or silver from the gambling house's ruins.

Meanwhile, two groups stood in what had once been the Longle Gambling House's rear courtyard, the former headquarters of the Beggar Gang.

One group wore dark blue uniforms. Their leader was dressed as a constable, with a saber at his waist, and several officers carrying iron rulers followed behind him. Dew clung to the brims of their hats. They belonged to the county's patrol office and had traveled downstream by boat first thing that morning.

After such a major incident, someone had taken a boat north overnight to summon the officers, who rarely came here otherwise.

Yet the constable and his four officers stood rather stiffly to one side, showing no intention of investigating.

That was because the other group in the courtyard belonged to the Grain Transport Gang. The figure leading them, wearing a red demon mask, was none other than Yin Saide, helmsman of the gang's local branch. He had reached transforming force before thirty and was one of the Transport Commissioner's adopted sons!

A martial arts fanatic, Yin Saide rarely appeared in public, leaving everything to the four incense masters under him. But the most powerful person in Dam Market was still Helmsman Yin, who held the fates of tens of thousands of transport workers in his hands.

Incense Master Liu, who had previously appeared at the Wu Family Martial Arts School, stood respectfully behind Yin Saide as the helmsman paced back and forth across the little courtyard.

The cracks left in the bluestone paving by Lin Hao's final strike seemed to interest Yin Saide greatly.

"Interesting."

No one else knew what Yin Saide meant by that, but no one dared interrupt him.

"I remember a little about Lu Wu. He was only at bright force, but his strength was decent. He used a wrought-iron staff."

Yin Saide turned his attention to another impact mark nearby.

It had been left when the Wrought-Iron Staff hit the ground after Lin Hao's strike smashed Lu Wu's head and damaged the weapon.

Together with the scrapes left by the Ground-rolling Saber and the scraps of flesh and cloth stuck to the ground, these clues prompted Yin Saide to stand where Lin Hao had unleashed his strength. He closed his eyes and began reconstructing the scene.

A long staff descended with tremendous force, smashing Lu Wu's head before continuing on to kill Liu Da, who specialized in the Ground-rolling Saber.

"No, something's still missing."

Yin Saide opened his eyes and scratched his chin beneath the mask. His gaze kept searching until it settled on the spot where Liu Ping had leaped, finding the marks his shoes had left on the ground.

"So, from this distance..."

The last piece of the puzzle fell into place in his mind. Someone had stood here and killed three men with a single strike of overwhelming strength!

The three Beggar Gang members had coordinated seamlessly, their three-pronged assault cutting off every possible response. Yet before that absolute power, they had crumbled in a single blow.

"Helmsman Yin, have you discovered anything?"

Constable Cheng, who had come from the county town, showed none of the arrogance one might expect from a county official. He merely cupped his hands and asked respectfully.

"Nothing much. It wasn't someone from our Dam Market. Probably an outsider."

Yin Saide waved a hand. With that red mask on, every movement he made seemed to carry an invisible pressure that left the others tense, like a wolf king looking down upon his pack.

Constable Cheng accepted his conclusion without question.

"Understood. Perhaps some outlaw who escaped the recent bandit suppression came here to vent his anger. I'll report that when I return."

"Mm. Thank you for your efforts."

Yin Saide waved casually, apparently still savoring his reconstruction of the fight. His hands seemed to itch as he looked around for a staff.

But after snatching a wooden staff from a Grain Transport Gang member behind him and weighing it in his hand, he shook his head.

"Not enough..."

Then, ignoring the gang members beside him, he began practicing the movements on his own.

Even after the officers left, he continued rehearsing on the spot, constantly adjusting his movements.

The Grain Transport Gang members and Incense Master Liu seemed accustomed to this. None of them spoke to disturb him.

Only when Yin Saide finally stopped a while later did Incense Master Liu ask respectfully,

"Helmsman, shall we consider this matter closed? Was it really an outlaw from elsewhere?"

At Incense Master Liu's question, Yin Saide waved a hand carelessly.

"No idea. But they probably used the Crouching Tiger Staff Technique. Leave this matter alone. Once a new gang forms, have its leader report to us so we can lay down the rules. I'll leave the rest to you."

Yin Saide twirled the wooden staff in his hand, then casually thrust it into the ground.

Boom!

Though it was only a wooden staff, it punched straight into the bluestone paving!

What was more, the cracks spreading from it were remarkably similar to those left by Lin Hao's strike!

"Still not quite right."

As he released his grip, the wooden staff split apart into strips like dried noodles. Yin Saide continued tracing movements in the air with his hands as he walked away humming a tune, paying his men no attention.

Only after Yin Saide left did the Grain Transport Gang members at the scene relax a little.

Incense Master Liu wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"No idea what he figured out. That last remark wasn't meant as a warning to me, was it...?"

Yin Saide was a martial arts fanatic who seemed to care about nothing else, spending every day either training or eating.

Yet his instincts were sharper than those of ordinary people. Who knew whether he truly knew nothing about what Liu had been doing, or merely pretended not to!

Still, even if that remark about "laying down the rules" had also been aimed at him, it did nothing to ease the grief and resentment in Liu Chengcai's heart.

"I finally got everything running smoothly, and now my money tree's gone!"

The thought filled him with anguish, twisting his expression.

Liu Da had been his younger cousin from the same clan. Seeing that he had some talent for martial arts and knew how to handle people, Liu Chengcai had supported him secretly ever since.

The Beggar Gang had even established ties with the Slender Horse Gang in the South of the Yangtze, securing a steady channel for moving their goods.

Whether through the gambling house, usury, or outright abduction whenever an opportunity arose, they had always brought him a substantial income at regular intervals. They were a goose that kept laying golden eggs!

His life had been getting better and better. He had bought a mansion and good farmland, taken twelve concubines, and risen into the highest ranks even within the prestigious Liu clan. In Dam Market, his standing was second only to Yin Saide's.

Now his source of wealth had been cut off!

After growing accustomed to fast money, slowly collecting rent from the farmland he owned felt far too sluggish.

"Damn it. It's a gang too, yet it has so many rules. Can't do this, can't do that. What a waste of the Grain Transport Gang's size."

Liu Chengcai spat inwardly.

Normally, if one gang was destroyed, he could simply find a way to support another.

The problem was that the Grain Transport Gang's rules were strict, and much of what he had done seriously violated them. Having the accommodating Liu Da handle things had made everything easy.

Hastily choosing someone else to support could easily give that person leverage over him instead.

Once they grew strong enough, they might even turn on him!

Yin Saide could not be swayed. He really would purge his own ranks...

"The Crouching Tiger Staff. The Wu Family Martial Arts School. Hmph!"

The Wu Family Martial Arts School had already ruined plenty of his plans. Last time, he had accompanied the Fishermen's Gang there both because he had received a payoff and because he wanted to sound them out.

But remembering the teacup Wu Deshui had thrown made Liu Chengcai suppress his anger.

"I'll take my time and plan carefully. Sooner or later, you'll fall into my hands!"

After several more days of hard training, Lin Hao had gained some familiarity with the Ground-rolling Saber, Twelve Routes Springing Leg, and Eight Gates Staff, exploring how their training methods complemented the Crouching Tiger Staff. Drawing connections between them had benefited him greatly in just a few days.

Once that proficiency took hold in his body and he began familiarizing himself with the techniques, he was not starting from scratch. His physical foundation and existing techniques served as a base, simplifying the process considerably.

Together with his equipment enchantments, those few days had given Lin Hao plenty of insights.

The equipment slot had accumulated another equipment point. He had used the slot he previously saved on the weapon category, letting him treat it like an inventory to store useful items and "conjure" a weapon at a critical moment.

As for the point he had just received, he could keep saving it for now and see...

Pop!

Behind a wooden board, a block of tofu instantly collapsed into mush, sending flecks flying. A trace of delight appeared on Lin Hao's face.

"Finally managed it once."

With his [Great Achievement] Crouching Tiger Staff, he had already been integrating his muscles, skin, and fascia even before attaining bright force. Now that he had achieved bright force, his fascia possessed the foundation needed to unleash hidden force!

On top of that, practicing and exchanging ideas with Qin Sicheng had finally led to a successful attempt.

That wondrous sensation of force moving at his will lingered in Lin Hao's mind. Though he had succeeded only once, he kept savoring it, hoping to gain a better feel for it.

Hidden force isn't just for attacking. It's also outstanding at defending and dissipating force. Senior Sister escaped my enchanted attack with a single effortless step backward-that was one demonstration of its mysteries. And the force she used to shake loose my grip on the staff... it really combines offense and defense!

While Lin Hao knew what was going on, Qin Sicheng stared blankly at the shattered tofu before him.

How many days has it been since he attained bright force?!

He probably hasn't even fully figured bright force out yet!

He's still only at the beginner stage!

And he's already managed a successful attempt?

Qin Sicheng was now close to great achievement in bright force, and his own first success had only come after reaching minor achievement!

As he looked at Lin Hao, a complicated expression crept into his eyes.

"Junior Brother Lin, you really are a genius. I'll have to work harder too. At this rate, you may enter hidden force before I do..."

Just then, a sudden commotion came from the outer courtyard.

"Master and Eldest Senior Brother are back!"

On the tenth day of the fourth month, Wu Deshui and Liu Tong finally returned from the county town. With them came the heads of the other martial arts schools, along with several renowned fighters from Dam Market...