"Please wait a moment."
The attendant who opened the door took one look at the situation and knew the visitor was no ordinary person. He hurried off to report his arrival.
Before long, Mo Zhengxing personally came out with his men and ushered the visitor inside.
He chose a private room on the second floor to receive Zhang Yan.
West River County was only a little over thirty li from West River Market. Like the Mo Family back in Bo County, the Zhang Clan was a powerful local force that maintained a militia.
The Zhang Clan was much stronger than the Mo Family, however. It had a militia of more than five hundred men and businesses of its own in West River Market.
Mo Zhengxing had done his homework and knew that the Zhang Clan had been trying to expand its influence in West River Market for the past few years.
After all, such a "juicy morsel" lay right at the "mouth" of its territory. One way or another, it had to find a way to swallow it.
Now that the Zhang Clan had sent someone to call on him, Mo Zhengxing dared not be negligent.
"In last night's battle, the expert under your command soundly defeated the West River Gang's 'White Ape' Yu Cheng, Boss Mo. Your name has spread throughout West River Market."
After introductions and an exchange of pleasantries, Zhang Yan spoke.
Mo Zhengxing shook his head. "The West River Gang was overbearing. We had no choice but to defend ourselves."
Zhang Yan studied him. "Judging by your accents, Boss Mo, you're from Yi Province, aren't you?"
Mo Zhengxing said, "That's right. We came from Yi Province to do some business in West River Market."
Zhang Yan probed, "Does your family belong to a distinguished clan in Yi Province, Boss Mo?"
Mo Zhengxing smiled. "We're nothing so grand. We just scrape out a living in a county town."
Zhang Yan looked thoughtful.
"The West River Gang feeds on human blood through the river transport trade and sucks the marrow from people's bones through its gambling dens. They're a pack of vicious jackals and wolves!"
Zhang Yan changed tack. "Now that this pack has its eyes on your Fist Academy, Boss Mo, I'm afraid the days ahead won't be easy. This is West River Market, after all. Even if your family wants to help, its reach may not be long enough."
Mo Zhengxing cupped his hands. "Could you offer me some advice, Mr. Zhang?"
Zhang Yan said seriously, "The Zhang Clan has several hundred militiamen and some modest standing in this little patch of land. With the Zhang Clan protecting your Fist Academy, Boss Mo, even the West River Gang won't be able to touch you!"
"And what conditions does the Zhang Clan have?"
"Simple. From now on, our two families will run the Fist Academy together. The Zhang Clan wants ninety percent of the profits."
"..."
Mo Zhengxing's expression did not change. He picked up his teacup and blew the foam from the surface.
"Ninety percent?"
He chuckled. "Has the Zhang Clan come to talk business, or to collect rent?"
Zhang Yan smiled too. "Don't be angry, Boss Mo. If the West River Gang swallows the Fist Academy, it won't leave you so much as a drop of soup. You might not even make it out of West River Market safely... so the Zhang Clan is actually a very good choice."
His words were light and casual, but they concealed deadly intent!
Mo Zhengxing set down his teacup and looked Zhang Yan in the eye, speaking each word distinctly:
"I came from Yi Province, not to seek someone's protection. This Fist Academy stands because our fists are hard enough, not because our knees are soft enough."
Zhang Yan was silent for a few breaths. Then he nodded and stood up.
Mo Zhengxing rose as well.
"I hope your fists really are as hard as you say."
Zhang Yan said this to Mo Zhengxing, then walked toward the door.
Just after stepping outside, he suddenly stopped and turned back to look at Mo Zhengxing. "Oh, right. When your knees go soft one day, you can reconsider what I said today."
With that, he left without looking back.
Mo Zhengxing stood in the room, took a deep breath, and forced himself to calm down.
The West River Gang's compound lay on the north side of West River Market.
A vast residential area was enclosed by a tall wooden wall, making it look like a fortified settlement.
The West River Gang had more than five hundred full members, most of whom lived within the settlement.
Inside the settlement.
The chief, "Scarlet Blood Saber" Li Ming, sat on a chair draped with a tiger skin. A ghost-head broadsword with a crimson blade rested on a weapon rack beside him.
The second chief, Chen Xiao, sat below him and reported what had happened the previous night.
"...That man's internal cultivation is profound. He's definitely at the Fourth Rank!"
Chen Xiao said, "But Yu Cheng injured his right arm too. He won't be able to fight in the arena for at least a month."
Li Ming's long hair hung loose around him, and a fierce glint lurked in his eyes. "Fourth Rank? How many experts like that do they have?"
Chen Xiao gritted his teeth. "I'd say just the one!"
Li Ming shook his head. "If they really had only one, that fellow Mo wouldn't have dared act so tough last night."
Chen Xiao grew anxious. "Big Brother, there's money to be made from this Fist Academy. If it grows, it might make no less than our gambling houses! And if we leave it alone, even our gambling business will suffer in the future!"
As second chief, Chen Xiao was mainly responsible for the West River Gang's gambling business, which was why he cared so much about the Fist Academy.
Li Ming looked at him. "Does this Fist Academy really make that much money?"
Chen Xiao said, "Big Brother, you know me. When have I ever boasted?"
Li Ming pondered for a moment, then patted his armrest. "Then we'll take the Fist Academy!"
Chen Xiao was overjoyed. "Big Brother, give me fifty men and I'll go raze the place!"
Li Ming shook his head. "Win first, then seize it."
First they would recover the face they had lost last night, then seize the business through strength!
The West River Gang's chief wanted both face and substance.
Chen Xiao nodded. "Understood. Leave it to me."
As they were speaking, a subordinate suddenly ran in to report. "Chief, Second Chief, a group of people has arrived outside."
Chen Xiao frowned. "How many?"
"A few dozen or so."
"I thought there were hundreds of them. What the fuck is there to report?"
Chen Xiao cursed.
The subordinate shook his head. "No, this group is a little different."
On the main street of West River Market.
A group of men wore matching gray clothes with leather armor over them. Each carried a spear and had a round shield on his back.
Five men to a row, ten rows in all: fifty men formed a perfectly neat square, straight lines whether viewed across or down.
Even more astonishing, the fifty men moved almost in unison as they walked. They raised their arms and legs to the same height, at the same speed. They all looked as if they had been cast from the same mold!
People watched from both sides of the street, and the crowd in the group's path made way of its own accord.
When had the people of West River Market ever seen a group like this?
"Are those government troops?"
"Are they border army elites?"
"Is the one leading them a general?"
"A general that young?"
"..."
People whispered among themselves, their gazes full of wariness as they watched the group.
Dressed in a black martial outfit, Wu Shuangren rode at the very front.
When Mo Zhengxing came out after hearing the news, he saw Wu Shuangren riding toward him from afar with fifty militiamen.
Looking at the men walking toward him with straight backs, orderly ranks, and matching strides, Mo Zhengxing could not help widening his eyes.
These are the militia's men?!
He had only been gone half a month, and they had changed this much?
Mo Zhengxing looked at Wu Shuangren, his gaze complicated.
This young man was only seventeen, yet he was skilled in martial arts, knew how to do business, and could even train troops!
The gap between people was simply too great...
From horseback, Wu Shuangren spotted Mo Zhengxing and the others and waved with a smile.
For this trip, he had specifically selected the fifty best-trained militiamen. On the journey, he had required them to keep their ranks neat and their steps in sync, just as they did during daily training.
After several days and more than a hundred li on the road, they had achieved that visual effect by the time they reached West River Market.
Mo Zhengxing then welcomed Wu Shuangren and his men into the Fist Academy.
Wu Shuangren entered the Fist Academy and looked around, nodding in satisfaction. "This place is really nice."
Mo Zhengxing said, "It used to be a theater. With a few alterations, it was just right for a Fist Academy."
Realization dawned on Wu Shuangren. After walking around, he went to the rear hall and took a look.
"Let's buy a few courtyards nearby too. Otherwise, it'll be hard to house so many of us."
Wu Shuangren said to Mo Zhengxing, "Later, we can also remodel this rear hall into a viewing area. That way, the Fist Academy can hold another one or two hundred people."
Mo Zhengxing smiled bitterly. "If we expand further, I'm afraid we don't have enough money left. Property prices here are too high."
Wu Shuangren smiled and led Mo Zhengxing into a side room. He took the bundle off his back.
"I brought money this time, as well as militiamen."
He opened the bundle, revealing gleaming silver and more than a dozen jiaozi banknotes.
"Your elder brother asked me to bring this."
Wu Shuangren pointed at the money. "Four hundred taels of silver in all."
Mo Zhengxing looked moved. "My elder brother must have nearly emptied the family coffers."
He had written home that the Fist Academy's business had great potential, but he had not expected his elder brother to stake the family's fortune on it!
The Mo Family had spent decades in Bo County and had indeed built up considerable wealth and property, but the ready silver it could produce was limited.
Had it been Mo Zhengxing, he probably would not have had the nerve.
Wu Shuangren said, "The money I had, along with a sum my family put up, has all gone into recruiting men. After I received your letter, I told the militia to keep recruiting another hundred men!"
Mo Zhengxing was surprised. "That many?"
The Mo Family had maintained a militia before, so he knew very well what it cost.
At the current wages paid by the Bo County militia, maintaining two hundred men would cost at least forty strings of cash a month.
If the Fist Academy did not earn that much, the militiamen would eat Wu Shuangren into bankruptcy sooner or later!
Wu Shuangren nodded. "If we wait until we've earned enough money to recruit them, I'm afraid it'll be too late. Recruit them first and let them train back there. Then we'll have men ready when we need them."
Clearly, he had great confidence in the Fist Academy's business.
Mo Zhengxing said, "All right. The urgent matter now is dealing with the West River Gang."
He then told Wu Shuangren what had happened the previous night.
"So the West River Gang is very likely to send people to cause trouble again tonight."
After hearing him out, Wu Shuangren said, "No matter. As long as it's a one-on-one fight, I'll take them on however they want!"