Shi Boyu, the Second Helmsman and Helm Master of the Medicine King Hall of Jiang Xiang Gang, stood before the ruins of the Xianle Dance Hall, speechless for a long moment.
Helm Master Shi Boyu had previously been a Hong Gun in Greenwater Hall, the Third Helmsman’s division. He had risen through the ranks due to his accomplishments, becoming the Helm Master of the Medicine King Hall’s Second Helmsman’s division. He had taken the position less than two months ago, yet this disaster had already occurred.
It began to rain, and Shi Boyu’s mood turned exceedingly foul.
Xiang Guicheng, the Hong Gun and a Third Layer Martial Cultivator in the Second Helmsman’s division, looked at the rubble and cursed through gritted teeth, "Who’s the bastard that did this? Even if I have to dig three feet into the ground, I’ll make sure to dig out this scoundrel!"
Several Staff Bearers quickly echoed in agreement:
"It must have been that Tomboy’s doing! Let’s rip out her heart, slice it, yank her tendons, and skin her!"
"Just killing that woman isn’t enough; we need to drag the Yu Family Cloth Store into this as well!"
"Du Hongxi, if your spirit is in heaven, wait for your brothers to avenge you!"
The Staff Bearers were filled with righteous indignation, Xiang Guicheng’s anger was uncontrollable, and Helm Master Shi Boyu’s cheeks trembled, but he said nothing.
Nearby, Zhong Desong, the Sage of the Second Helmsman and a Second Layer practitioner of Bitter Cultivation, watched in silence.
Suddenly, a Staff Bearer stepped forward and said to Hong Gun Xiang Guicheng, "Brother Xiang, I saw that bastard Qin Tianjiu yesterday eating at the Fu Wang Baozi Shop. He was so arrogant, too damn full of himself."
Xiang Guicheng frowned and asked, "Which Qin Tianjiu?"
A Staff Bearer beside him reminded, "The Fatty Qin, the one whose mess started that affair at the Geng Family Medicine Shop!"
"Fuck!" Xiang Guicheng spat the half-smoked cigarette from his mouth onto the ground, then turned to Helm Master Shi Boyu and said, "Boss, just give the word, and I’ll have people grab that Little Fatty and flay him alive!"
Before Shi Boyu could respond, Sun Xiao’an, his right-hand man (a position within the gang akin to the Helm Master’s advisor), interjected, "Brother Xiang, cool down a bit. The boss is upset; we can talk about these matters later."
"What’s the use of just being upset!" Xiang Guicheng bellowed. "We need to avenge Old Du first!"
Sun Xiao’an shook his head, "Brother Xiang, we haven’t found the corpse yet, so we can’t say for certain that Du Xunfeng is truly dead. Speaking of revenge when the man might not even be dead—isn’t that inappropriate?"
Xiang Guicheng frowned and said, "I can’t stand all this nitpicking with you people. Never mind Old Du; we have to avenge our dance hall."
Sun Xiao’an nodded, "The vengeance for the dance hall is necessary, but who the enemy is, that still remains unclear."
Xiang Guicheng challenged, "Who else could it be? It was done by Fatty Qin and that Tomboy! Qin’s back in town, strutting around in the steamed bun shop. It’s clear he has no regard for our Jiang Xiang Gang!"
Sun Xiao’an took a puff from his Water Smoke Pot and scoffed, "Brother Xiang, if Yu Nan really had such capabilities, she wouldn’t have left Li Gou and be afraid to return. As for why Qin Tianjiu came back, that needs investigation."
Xiang Guicheng’s eyes widened. "How long will that investigation take?"
Sun Xiao’an blew the ash out of his Water Smoke Pot, "That depends on how the boss arranges it!"
Xiang Guicheng didn’t speak again.
Sun Xiao’an advised Helm Master Shi Boyu, "Boss, this matter requires careful consideration. You should go back to the helm platform and wait for news. I expect the Hall Master will send someone to inquire."
Shi Boyu nodded, got into a carriage, and headed back to the helm platform. Sun Xiao’an accompanied him.
The so-called right-hand man is the advisor to the Helm Master.
Back at the helm platform, after sending everyone else away, Shi Boyu asked Sun Xiao’an, "I’ve heard that Hong Gun Xiang Guicheng and Xunfeng Du Hongxi had no particular relationship before. But today, it seemed their relationship was quite deep."
Sun Xiao’an added tobacco leaves to his Water Smoke Pot, chuckled, and shook his head, "Boss, you’re new here, and you might not understand some people’s temperaments. At the beginning of the year, Xiang Guicheng asked Du Hongxi for 300,000. Du only gave him 100,000. Xiang Guicheng then brought people to surround Du Hongxi at the dance hall. Du Hongxi, protected by his Ghost Servant, managed to save his own life. Last month, after drinking a few extra cups, Xiang Guicheng went to the dance hall and slept with Zhou Yujuan. Du Hongxi fought with Xiang Guicheng for a whole day and night over this. Do you think the two of them could possibly have a deep relationship?"
Shi Boyu frowned and said, "So what’s with today’s act..."
"It’s peculiar indeed!" Sun Xiao’an said with a furrowed brow, "Starting with the incident at the Geng Family Medicine Shop, I’ve felt this whole affair was suspicious. We might have provoked someone we shouldn’t have, and now with Qin Tianjiu’s return, it’s become even more peculiar."
"How is it peculiar?"
"Boss, think about it. The matters involving the Geng and Yu Families had only just begun to concern us. In fact, you could barely say we were involved at all. We were merely observing, not yet ready to draw our swords, when someone blew up our dance hall. Could this be the work of mere mortals? Even our Hall Master wouldn’t be capable of such ruthlessness in handling matters!"
Shi Boyu patted the armrest of the couch lightly, "Then should we capture Qin Tianjiu and question him?"
Sun Xiao’an quickly shook his head, "We can’t, absolutely can’t capture him. If we do, we’ll fall into their trap. I’ve already sent someone to investigate, and we should have news by today."
...
At Fu Wang Baozi Shop, Qin Tianjiu ordered twenty baskets of steamed buns and was eating with an Iron Seal.
Iron Seal was a unique official position within the Three Heroes Gang, different from other gangs that focused on a division between halls and helms. The Three Heroes Gang used seals to distinguish ranks.
Within the Three Heroes Gang, the lowest-ranked members had no seals and worked under those with an Iron Seal.
An Iron Seal managed five or six people, dealing with trivial matters on the ground.
Above the Iron Seals were Copper Seals, then Silver Seals, and finally Gold Seals. These Gold Seals were held and controlled by the three gang leaders of the Three Heroes Gang.
In Puluo State, the Three Heroes Gang had the simplest management hierarchy, and it was also the most powerful gang in Puluo State.
Qin Xiaopang’s immediate superior was Iron Seal bearer Zhang Liuzi, a straightforward man in his fifties.
Zhang Liuzi was a First Layer Food Cultivator. Meeting Qin Xiaopang, who was also a Food Cultivator, they hit it off particularly well.
Every day at noon, the two would dine at the baozi shop, ordering at least thirty baskets and accompanying them with several hearty dishes. The shop assistants trembled whenever they saw them coming, "Gentlemen, our kitchen staff are already exhausted. We really can’t supply enough buns. Could you perhaps come back in the evening?"
Zhang Liuzi was displeased, "Every time we come to your place, we never get enough to eat!"
Little Fatty rubbed his belly and said, "Let’s just make do with being about 50% full for now. Brother Liu, this meal’s on me."
In the Three Heroes Gang, regardless of differences in age or status, everyone addressed each other as brothers. It was the same even when facing the gang leaders.
Zhang Liuzi snorted, "With the few pennies you make, you should save some silver to buy some tonic medicines and get past the First Layer barrier first."
Whenever they ate together, Zhang Liuzi never let Qin Xiaopang pay.
As the two walked down the street, checking on various shops, Zhang Liuzi asked Little Fatty, "Jiang Xiang Gang’s dance hall blew up last night. Tell me the truth, do you have anything to do with it?"
"Of course, I do," Little Fatty said through gritted teeth, "I hate those bastards from Jiang Xiang Gang the most. I wish I could..."
Zhang Liuzi kicked Little Fatty. "You little rascal! I’m telling you, if you had nothing to do with it, don’t waste my time with your nonsense. I didn’t come here to listen to you brag."
Little Fatty scratched his head and looked down, "I’ve had such thoughts, but as to who actually did it, I have no idea."
Zhang Liuzi punched Little Fatty with a laugh, "I know you too well. You don’t have what it takes. You’re just all talk, you just..."
Zhang Liuzi’s smile suddenly vanished as he turned his head.
A man wearing a hunting cap was slowly following behind them. Noticing Zhang Liuzi turn around, he quickly pretended to be shopping at a street stall.
Zhang Liuzi walked straight up to him and lifted the man by his hunting cap. "What are you following us for?"
The man with the hunting cap glared, "Who’s following you? This road isn’t owned by your family. Can’t I walk here?"
Zhang Liuzi smiled, "I’m only going to ask you once: who are you? If you don’t tell me, you’re going to suffer."
The man with the hunting cap clenched his teeth. "I’ll tell you, I’m from Jiang Xiang Gang! Let go of me, or I’ll make sure you..."
BANG!
Zhang Liuzi punched the man in the mouth, breaking two of his front teeth. The man cried out in pain.
Zhang Liuzi turned to Qin Xiaopang, "Little Fatty, this is a brother from Jiang Xiang Gang. Take good care of him."
Little Fatty rolled up his sleeves, "Brother Liu, just say how you want him handled."
Zhang Liuzi thought for a moment. "This brother has it tough too. Leave him his life; don’t beat him to death."
...
At the helm platform of the Second Helmsman, Helm Master Shi Boyu looked at his subordinate, beaten almost beyond recognition, his brow deeply furrowed. "I didn’t expect Qin Tianjiu to have joined the Three Heroes Gang."
Sun Xiao’an waved his Water Smoke Pot, signaling everyone to step back, and spoke softly to Shi Boyu, "Boss, what do you think would have happened if we had really listened to Xiang Guicheng today and captured Qin Tianjiu?"
"Doesn’t Xiang Guicheng also want to capture Qin Tianjiu?" Shi Boyu still felt that something was off.
Sun Xiao’an shook his head, "Do you think he’d actually go through with it? I bet he won’t. Despite agreeing to do it, when it came to taking action, he’d suddenly come up with an excuse. He might claim to have caught a cold, felt a draft, or suffered a leg cramp—always finding a reason to delay. If you were to lose patience and personally capture Qin Tianjiu, it would be as if you’d captured someone from the Three Heroes Gang. Can you imagine the trouble that would cause?"
Shi Boyu’s face turned dark. "I have no grievances with Xiang Guicheng. Why would he set me up?"
Sun Xiao’an sighed, "It’s an unwritten rule in Jiang Xiang Gang that if the Helm Master is gone, a Hong Gun succeeds. You were promoted from being a Hong Gun of Greenwater Bay to Helm Master of Medicine King Valley. Xiang Guicheng is also a Hong Gun. How do you think he feels about this?"
Shi Boyu clenched his teeth and then asked Sun Xiao’an, "What do you think should be done about this?"
After pondering for a moment, Sun Xiao’an said, "If you ask me, I’d say don’t do anything at all."
PS: Dear readers, Ban Feng is about to reap great rewards, so leave more comments.