While the drugs and alcohol still held sway over the thugs, Qing Chen and the limping boy carried Golden-Eyed Eagle's corpse back to the main gate.
The two then returned to the courtyard and attacked three minor leaders one after another.
Although these three minor leaders had some fighting ability, they had been drugged and lost seventy to eighty percent of their strength. Qing Chen captured them all alive within two exchanges.
A quarter of an hour later, at the main gate.
"B-big brother, we could just kill them one by one. Why beat the grass and startle the snake?" Qing Jie panted, his eyes filled with puzzlement.
Qing Chen's gaze burned like a torch. "If I don't show my strength to their faces, how can I cow them?"
With that, Qing Chen kicked over the stone pedestal beside him with a tremendous crash. "I'm here to challenge you!"
His voice echoed through the courtyard like a thunderclap, instantly shattering the stillness of the night.
"Who's there? How dare you come running wild in the Twin Eagles Association!"
A little while later, amid a chorus of curses, a group of thugs stumbled out of the various rooms.
Their clothes were disheveled, some were still yawning, and their weapons were held every which way.
Iron-Winged Hawk was in an even sorrier state. His belt was not even fastened, and he charged at the front while holding up his trousers.
He forced himself to stay upright and roared viciously, "You're courting death! Do you know what this place is?"
Qing Chen pointed at the people beside him. "Your chief and several of your minor leaders have already fallen to me, and Golden-Eyed Eagle is dead!"
At these words, everyone hurriedly looked over. It really was true!
Everyone froze on the spot, looking at Qing Chen as though he were a demon.
"No one dares come at me? Then I'll do it myself!" Qing Chen bellowed and lunged straight at Iron-Winged Hawk.
"Your grandpa won't take advantage of you, seeing as you've been drinking!" He did not use the saber in his right hand, fighting with only his left.
Iron-Winged Hawk unleashed the Eagle Claw Art, his ten fingers clawing at Qing Chen like steel hooks.
Qing Chen easily dodged the strike and followed through with his left palm, slamming it into Iron-Winged Hawk's chest with a whistling rush of wind.
Iron-Winged Hawk felt as though a heavy hammer had struck his chest, his blood and qi churning.
But he forced himself to hold up and launched several more attacks in succession.
However, he had not only been drinking but had also been dosed with a knockout drug. Every attack was sluggish and weak.
After only a few exchanges, the drug's effects surged. His head grew heavy, his vision darkened, and his steps began to stagger.
The lackeys around them went pale with fright at the sight.
His three trusted subordinates had already been taken down by Qing Chen, and none of the others dared step forward.
Seizing his chance, Qing Chen closed in and kicked Iron-Winged Hawk in the knee.
With a crack, Iron-Winged Hawk's kneecap shattered, and he dropped to his knees with a thud.
Qing Chen's gaze was icy. A cold gleam flashed from the saber in his hand as he severed Iron-Winged Hawk's wrist tendons with unerring precision.
Qing Chen sheathed his saber, his gaze sweeping over everyone present like lightning. "From today onward, the Twin Eagles Association answers to me!
"Those two former leaders not only treated you as less than human, they even skimmed your pay. How much longer do you want to live like that?"
The members of the Twin Eagles Association exchanged glances. Many of them had indeed suffered unfair treatment.
Many lowered their heads.
Qing Chen took the opportunity to look around, his gaze passing over those timid faces as he said coldly:
"If you're willing to surrender, I can give you a chance to become one of my men and enjoy better treatment. If you aren't, don't blame me for showing no mercy!"
Seeing that all was lost and fearing that this man would kill him, Iron-Winged Hawk hastily kowtowed. "Hero! Spare my life, hero! Spare me, Grandpa!
"I'm willing to surrender! From now on, the Twin Eagles Association will recognize you as its master! I've been getting by around here for years. I can still be of some use."
Seeing Iron-Winged Hawk fawn like this, kowtowing as though pounding garlic, every one of the dozen or so thugs present felt contempt.
Qing Chen walked over to Iron-Winged Hawk with a chuckle, looking as though victory had gone to his head and seeming very pleased with his words.
Seeing Qing Chen like this, Iron-Winged Hawk lowered his guard a little.
"Surrender?" Qing Chen gave a soft laugh. "Fuck that. I have no need for a snake."
Qing Chen swung his saber, aiming straight for Iron-Winged Hawk's head.
The pale-faced man tried to retreat in terror, but his grievously wounded body could not react in time.
The blade had already struck his head with a whistling rush of wind.
There was a dull thud, and the man fell.
It all happened so quickly that the members of the Twin Eagles Association did not even have time to react.
Both their leaders were already dead.
Saber in hand, Qing Chen coldly surveyed the people around him. Wherever his gaze fell, no one dared meet his eyes.
"I, Qing Chen, have no need for disobedient men. As long as you do your work properly, you won't be shortchanged," he said calmly. His voice was not loud, but it reached everyone's ears clearly:
"The Twin Eagles Association will still be called the Twin Eagles Association, but I'll be its only leader. Who agrees, and who objects?"
The members of the Twin Eagles Association were as silent as cicadas in the cold. Their eyes were filled with fear as they looked at Qing Chen, and not one dared speak.
"Very good." Qing Chen's tone softened. "Since you're willing to surrender, we'll all be stirring our ladles in the same pot from now on.
"Tell me, then, how exactly does this Twin Eagles Association go about squeezing the people on this street?"
A tense silence hung in the air, and just as Qing Chen was about to lose patience-
A short, stout man mustered his courage and spoke tremblingly. "C-chief, my name is Niu Dali.
"In the past, our Twin Eagles Association's income mainly came from the 'tributes' of the dozens of merchants on the street and the 'offerings' of the beggars."
"Oh? How much silver exactly, and how is it collected?"
Qing Chen asked without betraying anything.
Niu Dali swallowed and said nervously:
"Uh, well, the earnings of those twenty or so beggars don't vary much. There's always seven or eight taels of silver a month.
"As for the shops, what we collect... what we collect is rather irregular. I don't really know the exact amount, but I'd estimate it's at least thirty or forty taels of silver."
After saying this, Niu Dali added:
"If you want to take over the Twin Eagles Association, Chief, you'll also have to grease the palm of the head constable on this street.
"We used to give him three to five taels of silver every month."
Listening to Niu Dali, Qing Chen fell into thought, silently doing the sums.
It seemed the Twin Eagles Association was not as profitable as Qing Chen had imagined, bringing in only around fifty taels of silver a month.
He raised his voice and said spiritedly:
"Brothers, from now on, as long as you follow me, Qing Chen, I guarantee that every one of you will earn at least four hundred copper coins a month!
"And if you do well, there'll be extra rewards! If you render great service, even martial arts techniques aren't out of the question."
At these words, the crowd below immediately stirred.
Their eyes lit up, for in the past, only that trusted subordinate whom Qing Chen had sent flying had enjoyed such treatment.
Most of them could barely get even two hundred copper coins, and now they could actually learn martial arts techniques as well.
This new big brother was indeed far more generous than their former boss.
But clearly, they had celebrated too soon. Qing Chen had never been one to rise early without something to gain.
Behind his generosity, there was often someone about to meet with misfortune.
At this moment, as Qing Chen looked at the excited expressions of the hired muscle below, a smile curled at the corner of his lips.
Yet there seemed to be a hint of coldness in that smile, enough to make one shiver without feeling cold.