Crushing Flowers (Part Two)

"Every brother who fought tonight will receive twenty taels of silver. Those who distinguished themselves, or were wounded or killed, will receive double in rewards or compensation."

"Thank you, Cult Leader!"

Inside Red Flower Villa, a hundred or so burly men in black knelt on one knee, swords and sabers in hand, their voices piercing the night. Twenty taels of silver equaled more than a year's earnings for those at the bottom of the martial world. Naturally, they were overjoyed.

The dozen newly surrendered Red Flower Society disciples envied them in secret.

In martial-world gangs, it was the leaders who enjoyed the glory.

For ordinary members, a gang that provided food, lodging, and another tael or two in monthly pay was already exceptionally conscientious.

The Beggars' Sect, for instance, had a resounding name, yet its enormous membership had made it famous for its austere ways. Its lowest-ranking disciples carried a stick and a bowl, squatting in the streets to beg beneath the glorious signboard of "Number One Under Heaven."

Drawing imaginary cakes alone could not fill empty stomachs.

If ordinary disciples gained no tangible benefits from a gang's growth, why would they risk their lives fighting for it? You might fool them once, but could you fool them a second time?

"The principle has been the same since ancient times. To win people's hearts, you have to scatter coins..."

Li Yu stepped into the central courtyard. Moonlight spread below the steps, covering the dark-red bloodstains. Two disciples had wrapped Miss Song's and Scholar Yan's bodies in reed mats and red silk and set them separately in a corner.

"Two things."

Fu Rong followed close behind. "Your orders, Cult Leader?"

"Once these wooden chests reach Green Willow Manor, spend every last coin. Buy weapons and medicinal ingredients, recruit disciples, and expand our strength as quickly as possible."

"A wise decision, Cult Leader."

Fu Rong had long had the same intention. Since the Fish-Dragon Gang had become the Divine Dragon Cult, its name had grown grander, and its influence ought to expand accordingly. But a lack of money had hampered her time and again.

Gusu was the wealthiest place in the southeast, but the truly lucrative businesses had long since been divided among the great households. Even the maidservants kept by the Murong Family lived in detached villas, with twenty or thirty cooks, maids, boatmen, and guards to serve them.

Where did the money come from?

The Murong Clan could not be bothered to extend its reach into South Canal precisely because there was little profit to skim there.

Seeing the Cult Leader staring at the reed mats in the corner without speaking for a long while, Fu Rong took the initiative to ask.

"And the second thing?"

After a moment's silence, Li Yu said, "Send their bodies back. Post notices everywhere to inform the martial world of the Red Flower Society's many crimes. What the Divine Dragon Cult did tonight was no martial-world vendetta, but... carrying out Heaven's will and upholding justice!"

"Carrying out Heaven's will and upholding justice..."

Fu Rong's expression froze. Somewhat shocked, she felt those words held profound meaning.

"Would that... arouse the authorities' suspicions?"

Li Yu sneered. "At court, the old and new factions fight endlessly. Beyond the court, imperial authority does not extend below the county level. Local tyrants run rampant, the people struggle to survive, and government troops are weak. It has been that way for a long time. There's no need to be overly cautious. From this day forward, those words will be the Divine Dragon Cult's guiding principle."

In the martial world, a good reputation was often sharper than blades.

He wanted to put down roots in Gusu's martial world and build something lasting. This was only the beginning.

The Murong Clan harbored grand ambitions of achieving supremacy, yet it always looked toward the whole realm and laid plans far and wide, paying little attention to cultivating the small patch of ground on its own doorstep. With an unstable foundation, the earth would quake and the mountains shake.

"Yes!"

Fu Rong's heart surged. She felt the Cult Leader's designs reached far indeed.

*

*

*

A nighttime raid beneath the stars demanded one thing: speed.

They came quickly and left just as quickly.

The five wooden chests, several dozen weapons, and every visible item of value in the villa were soon swept clean, as though locusts had passed through. Five horse-drawn carts and three ox carts left Red Flower Villa in succession.

Fu Rong said, "There are two things here for you to inspect, Cult Leader."

A minor leader presented an ebony box. He had discovered it beneath the bed while bending down to pull out two bloodstained gold ingots. It had been propping up one of the bed's inner legs.

"Propping up a bed leg?"

Li Yu opened the wooden box and found a yellowed old book inside. Its cover was mottled, whether with damp and mildew or something else, he could not tell. Considering Yang Le's character, he felt there was really no need to get his hopes up.

"Another of those shoddy erotic picture books..."

He extended two fingers and turned back the cover.

He was instantly stunned, then flipped through several dozen more pages, his eyes unable to take it all in.

This was an exceptionally sophisticated, superior lightness skill called "Cloud-Piercing Step Shadow."

After examining it closely, Li Yu also understood why this secret manual had ended up propping up a bed leg.

"For no other reason than that it's extremely difficult to master!"

Merely to begin, mastering the "Cloud-Piercing Step" required making two bronze bands weighing thirty catties each and wearing them around the legs, circulating Qi through the acupoints while running around posts. Only when one could leap as though flying would one have glimpsed the threshold.

Yang Le was a slave to wine and women. He had neither the aptitude nor the perseverance.

That he had used his forebear's legacy to prop up a bed leg was understandable.

Fu Rong was a Gusu native and knew the background. Beside him, she said, "Yang Xi, the Red Flower Society's founding leader, was nicknamed the 'Cloud-Piercing Flying Eagle.' He was once a retainer at Canhe Manor. This martial art may have come from the Murong Clan."

Everyone in the martial world knew that anything from the Murong Clan was bound to be exceptional.

"It really is..."

Li Yu turned to the last page. There was a blurred seal bearing eight small red characters. Time had faded its lines, but he could still make out: "Returning Bestowal Water Pavilion, Martial Repository of All Under Heaven."

"Martial Repository of All Under Heaven?"

"The Murong Family's painstaking schemes for rebellion show through even in their seals."

Li Yu put away the wooden box, delight showing on his face.

One cause for delight.

If he could truly master this superior lightness skill, he could advance to attack or retreat to escape in a fight. Even against experts far stronger than himself, he could use it to maneuver against them.

The second cause for delight lay in the words "Returning Bestowal Water Pavilion, Martial Repository of All Under Heaven."

When he had traveled from Western Xia to the Central Plains, he had encountered another opportunity along the way. With a tongue as nimble as a reed, he had not only turned danger into safety but also learned that ultimate technique from the Western Regions. Though it was only a single move, it was enough to serve as a trump card.

If that person never comes looking for me, so be it. If they do, this martial manual will at least give me something to account for myself with.

Having settled his plans, he looked at Fu Rong and asked with a smile, "And the second thing?"

"Bring it over."

From the shadows, two cult members came carrying a camellia tree on a pole. Seven feet tall, it stood in a vat-sized pot, its branches lush with leaves and red camellia blossoms. In the nighttime firelight, it had a charm all its own. Judging by its roots alone, it was quite old.

Li Yu's expression went blank.

"Look, Cult Leader."

Fu Rong held up a torch to illuminate a spot on the large pot, revealing the character "Wang" carved into it.

The smile on Li Yu's face froze completely. He looked at the headless corpse below the steps. So this leader of the Red Flower Society had also been Nanny Yan's bedfellow, even before Zhang Hengye.

Just how many people has Yan Ruhua secretly ravaged...

He sighed inwardly, feeling the shadow from that day aboard the boat on Lake Tai descend over his head once more.

With that, his motivation to train in martial arts surged a hundredfold!

Fu Rong asked, "Cult Leader, what should we do with this camellia?"

"Burn it at once!"

Li Yu waved his hand repeatedly, as though he had seen something unclean. Carrying the wooden box containing "Cloud-Piercing Step Shadow," he strode outside, wanting only to return to Green Willow Manor as soon as possible and study this superior lightness skill in depth.

If I don't suffer the hardships of martial training, I'll have to suffer at Nanny Yan's hands!

"Hyah! Hyah!"

Beneath the night sky, a lone rider galloped toward them and soon drew near.

"Hyah! Hyah! Hyah!"

It was Guo Xie, who had taken Yang Le's head to Linhu Town. He urged his horse onward, his expression anxious. From afar, he saw the man in blue robes standing in the night wind outside the gates, his darting eyes fixed on him with extraordinary calm.

"Cult Leader..."

Guo Xie watched seven or eight large carts file out, the brothers of the cult returning in high spirits and triumph... He gradually slowed his horse, composed his expression, forced a smile, and even greeted those he knew.

Once close, he swung down from his horse and reported in a low voice.

"The West Canal Gate seized the Red Flower Society headquarters in Linhu Town ahead of us. Their deputy gate master, Ge Zhixiong, is leading them. The White Dragon Banner was ambushed and defeated, losing more than ten brothers. Brother Lin was wounded and has withdrawn onto the lake for now. He sent me back to report to you immediately and ask what we should do next."

Li Yu's gaze turned cold, and his right hand tightened around his sword hilt.

The West Canal Gate again!

Half a month ago, no sooner had Sun Laoba died than Ge Zhixiong had led his men to wipe out the Tyrant Tiger Gate and pocket Mudu Town. Li Yu had not expected him to take a mile after gaining an inch and deliberately ambush the Divine Dragon Cult. His hostility spoke for itself.

"What does Lin Mang intend to do?"

Guo Xie said, "Brother Lin said Ge Zhixiong only brought part of his forces. Better to sever one finger than wound all ten. While he's full of himself and off his guard, we should wipe out this force completely and blunt the West Canal Gate's edge!"

A salamander had the power to regenerate, undaunted by a hundred setbacks.

Lin Mang usually seemed cautious, but when something major happened, he was more aggressive than anyone. Truly, a person might be given the wrong name, but never the wrong nickname.

Fu Rong's face was filled with anger as she volunteered. "Cult Leader, the West Canal Gate is throwing its weight around. Why don't we charge over, combine the strength of both banners, and see who comes out on top? That will keep them from taking another mile after gaining an inch!"

The Divine Dragon Cult had only just begun to rise, and the larger neighboring factions were certain to suppress it. Only by weathering that pressure could it truly gain a firm foothold in Gusu's martial world. The West Canal Gate had struck first, and their opponent, Ge Zhixiong, was skilled at scheming. From annexing the Tyrant Tiger Gang to seizing Linhu Town, he had laid his plans move by move, displaying his skill.

Li Yu hesitated for a long time, then slowly released his sword hilt.

"Tell Lin Mang not to engage. Withdraw straight to Green Willow Manor."