It was no secret in Jianghu that the Beggar Gang was divided into two forces.
These two forces were the Rich Beggar Faction and the Poor Beggar Faction. When the Beggar Gang was first founded, there had been no such division. Back then, everyone had been the same, all belonging to the Poor Beggar Faction.
As time passed, however, the Beggar Gang gradually grew in strength and firmly established itself as the largest gang under heaven. After all, its disciples were scattered throughout the land. As its influence grew, some of its disciples began to think differently. Some relied on the Beggar Gang's prestige to receive benefits from merchants or local gentry in exchange for a little protection. To put it plainly, this was protection money. If merchants refused to pay, some Beggar Gang disciples would gather outside their shops and block the entrances, making business impossible. Once that happened, the merchants would naturally have to pay a much higher price to get the disciples to let the matter rest.
Gradually, these practices became unwritten rules, and some Beggar Gang disciples amassed wealth this way. These people naturally had money in their pockets, especially the minor leaders, every one of whom was dripping with riches. Yet they still presented themselves as Beggar Gang disciples. After all, that name was a gilded signboard. Once they had money, their thinking changed. They no longer wore tattered clothes or begged for scraps.
They threw away their ragged clothes, dressed in fine silks and brocades, bought land and houses, and even married beautiful wives and had children. Unless one of them told you he belonged to the Beggar Gang, you would never have guessed that the head of such a wealthy household was a Beggar Gang disciple. He was a landlord through and through.