"Kill!"
Leng Xing's face was a mask of fury as he swung his long saber, pushing the Panshan Saber Technique to its absolute limit. The glinting blade was a terrifying sight.
A fierce battle ensued.
The few young men, severely lacking experience in the Martial World, were surrounded by bandits. Nearly all of them were wounded, and the situation was dire.
Just as their defensive line was about to collapse, the assault before them suddenly weakened.
'What's going on?'
Leng Xing easily broke through the encirclement, only to see bandits scattering in every direction across the mountain like headless flies.
"The Gang Leader has fled!"
"The Vice Gang Leader is dead!"
"..."
Two figures, one chasing the other, dashed into the dense woods.
The figure in front had a wounded arm and staggered, while the figure behind pursued relentlessly with a Treasure Sword in hand.
They were none other than Wu Chun, the Gang Leader of the Black Tiger Gang, and Zhou Yangyun, Patriarch Zhou.
Having lost their leaders, the members of the Black Tiger Gang fell into disarray. With their morale shattered, all they could think of was escape.
"Kill!"
Someone roared in fury:
"Slaughter these bandit bastards!"
SPLAT!
The tables turned in a mere moment. Leng Xing felt his blood boil as he swung his saber and roared:
"Kill!"
Chasing a few bandits into a cluster of crude wooden huts, Leng Xing closed in, felling them one by one with single strikes of his saber.
"Mercy!"
"Great hero, spare me!"
Seeing no way to escape, the last bandit's knees went weak, and he fell to the ground, pleading hurriedly:
"I know where the Vice Gang Leader's Treasure Storage is! There's gold, silver, Body Tempering Treasure Medicine, and even a Cultivation Technique for the Inner Qi Realm."
"If you spare me, great hero, I'm willing to lead you there."
'Hm?'
Leng Xing's swing suddenly halted. His eyes flickered as he laid the edge of his blade against the bandit's throat.
"Lead the way!"
...
"Young Master!"
Early in the morning, Ma Xun's ecstatic shout shattered the peace of the Zhu Mansion:
"The bandit extermination party that left the city has returned! I heard it was a resounding victory! The Black Tiger Gang has been completely wiped out."
"The corpse of the Black Tiger Gang's Vice Gang Leader is hanging at the city gate for public flogging."
"Oh?" Zhu Ju said, pushing open his door with a look of surprise. "I didn't expect the extermination to go so smoothly. Is Wu Chun, the Black Tiger Gang Leader, dead too?"
"No." Ma Xun shook his head.
"He escaped."
"I heard that Wu Chun, the Gang Leader of the Black Tiger Gang, killed Sunx Liancheng, the Patriarch of the Sunx Family. But he was severely wounded in the process and barely escaped from Patriarch Zhou Yangyun's pursuit. It's not certain if he'll even survive."
"Even if he's lucky enough to live, the Black Tiger Gang is just him now. It's no longer a threat."
"Hmm," Zhu Ju said thoughtfully. "Let's go take a look."
"Yes, sir."
By now, news of the successful bandit extermination had spread. Many households had hung up lanterns and decorations, and the sound of celebratory firecrackers was ceaseless.
The main street was packed with people, their faces filled with the joy of seeing justice done.
The people of Leping County swarmed the returning party, cheering them on like heroes receiving a flower-strewn welcome.
The Black Tiger Gang, which had plagued Leping County for years, was finally destroyed. It was as if a great weight had been lifted from the people's shoulders, and the entire county was swept up in a kind of frenzied excitement.
"Master Zhou is mighty!"
"It's all thanks to Master Zhou!"
"..."
"You flatter me!" Zhou Yangyun declared from atop his horse, clasping his fists in a salute to the crowd. "The Zhou Family has been rooted in Leping County for over a century. Without the support of our fellow townspeople, the Zhou Family wouldn't be what it is today."
"That we were able to exterminate the Black Tiger Gang this time was a stroke of luck. It seems even the heavens could no longer stand their actions..."
"It is just a pity that Brother Sunx could not be here to see it!"
Zhu Ju stood at the edge of the crowd, watching the victorious party return. He recognized many faces among them.
Hex Leshan, Leng Xing, Wan Jing...
"Why are they all so young?"
"Young Master," Ma Xun said in a low voice. "The word is, this expedition was just for show, meant to appease the people. That's why not many of the city's true experts went. No one expected them to stumble right into the bandits' nest, leaving them with no choice but to fight to the death."
"Hah..."
"And they actually succeeded!"
He clicked his tongue, his expression a strange, comical mix.
'A coincidence?'
'How could there be so many coincidences?'
Zhu Ju shook his head slightly but didn't plan to dwell on it. Regardless, the destruction of the Black Tiger Gang was a fact.
One could foresee that, barring any other incidents, Leping County would be quite peaceful for the next several years.
This was a good thing!
"Look!"
Ma Xun stood on his tiptoes. "The Sunx Family is here."
At the end of the street, a procession of men and women in mourning clothes approached slowly to receive Sunx Liancheng's body.
"Wooo..."
"Father!"
"Eldest Uncle!"
Cries rose from all around.
Sunx Liancheng wasn't the only one who had perished. The suddenness of the encounter meant many had lost their lives to the bandits.
Their families received the bodies—some refused to believe it, some cried out in grief, and others simply collapsed to the ground with vacant eyes.
Joy and sorrow stood in stark contrast.
"For decades, Leping County has been controlled by the two great families, Zhou and Sunx. Now that Sunx Liancheng is dead, the old master of the Sunx Family doesn't have many years left, and the younger generation hasn't matured yet. I'm afraid this spells trouble."
"Sigh!"
"The disputes of the great families have never ceased, but at least that's better than bandits storming the city and harming common folk. What's the old man worrying about?"
"Exactly, exactly!"
"Besides, a starved camel is still bigger than a horse. Even without Sunx Liancheng, the Sunx Family won't be that easy to deal with."
The whispers in the crowd made Zhu Ju turn his head slightly. His eyes flickered for a moment before he chuckled and looked away.
'Living a quiet, stable life... as long as I don't run into bandits, what do these so-called family disputes have to do with me?'
*
*
*
Xiemen Street.
This place was once home to many of Yue City's famous tailors and clothing shops, but for some unknown reason, it gradually fell into decline.
Then, a few months ago, all thirty-eight storefronts and shops on Xiemen Street were bought up by a single faction.
They were then demolished and rebuilt.
The ground was re-compacted, the street more than doubled in width, and the shops on both sides were rebuilt as two-story buildings.
Even before the street was completed, a host of textile mills, cloth shops, and garment businesses had already secured their spots. The locations were in such high demand that sometimes several businesses would team up to acquire a single storefront, agreeing to share the space.
"In the future, when people think of Yue City, they won't just think of the fish market. They'll also think of the Wancai Cloth Shop!"
Yann Jingfu's face was flushed with excitement as he said:
"With the connections from the Fierce Tiger Martial Arts Hall, the Wancai Cloth Shop's fabrics will sell in more than ten surrounding cities. Becoming a household name across the land is just a matter of time."
"After this expansion, we'll cover everything from the cotton and linen industry and textile mills to dyeing, printing, and tailoring. Anything related to cloth can be found here. The whole of Haizhou will have to do business with us."
"Haha..."
"I get excited just thinking about it. If I can live to see that day, I can die a happy man."
"Brother Yann," Lan Qisheng said with a smile, standing shoulder to shoulder with him.
"I never imagined you had such a Talent for business. You actually managed to build this whole enterprise."
"I don't deserve your praise, Brother Lan," Yann Jingfu said, shaking his head.
"This was only possible thanks to Lord Fang's stalwart support. Otherwise, we would have been like a clever housewife trying to cook without rice."
"Of course!"
"The support from Young Master Zhu and Master Shenn was also indispensable."
This was true.
Zhu Ju had long ago proposed the idea of transforming a single cloth shop into a fully integrated business covering both upstream and downstream production, but it had always been too difficult to achieve.
It wasn't a matter of money.
Rather, buying land and building shops required navigating all sorts of bureaucracy. The endless bribes and red tape alone were enough to make a man tear his hair out.
Without the full support of the New Prefecture, Lord Fang, how could it have been so easy?
"Lord Fang is a good official."
Lan Qisheng nodded.
"A truly good official!"
"By the way,"
He looked around. It was the grand opening day for the cloth enterprise, and merchants and shopkeepers from all over were bustling about.
"Hasn't Young Master Zhu arrived yet?"
"He's here." Yann Jingfu pointed upward. "Resting upstairs."
...
'Body Tempering Realm!'
Zhu Ju slowly relaxed from the stance of his Health Cultivation Skill, letting out a long, turbid breath and shaking his head with a hint of resignation.
'The progress is too slow.'
The Yann Family's Health Cultivation Skill only has Cultivation Methods for the Blood Strengthening and Blood Coagulation Realms. Body Tempering relies entirely on the spontaneous action of one's Qi Blood.
Without a specific Method, the speed of self-tempering was predictably slow.
Shenn Hu, the master of the Fierce Tiger Martial Arts Hall, had advanced to the Body Tempering Realm at a young age. He had maintained his daily Cultivation for decades without slacking, which was how he'd achieved his current level, but he was still an unknown distance away from the Gui Cang Realm.
'Fortunately, Qi Blood Body Tempering refines the body both inside and out, so my Vital Organs are being tempered as well. My Cultivation of the Thirteen Body Refinement's Vital Organ Realm has been smooth sailing. As long as I don't encounter a Gui Cang master, I should be fine in this world.'
RUMBLE...
He stretched his body slightly, and a faint, thunder-like sound rumbled from within him—the sign of having cultivated the Vital Organ Realm to the stage of the Tiger and Leopard Thunder Roar.
He might have complained that his Cultivation progress was too slow, but if a fellow practitioner of the Thirteen Body Refinement saw his progress over the past few months, their jaw would drop in shock.
Tiger and Leopard Thunder Roar!
Mastery of the Vital Organs!
Entering the Blood Marrow Realm was just around the corner.
'If I could get my hands on a top-tier Qi Blood Martial Arts technique, my Cultivation speed would at least double. The crucial thing is, without a proper Method, I don't even know how to advance to the Gui Cang Realm.'
With a calm smile, Zhu Ju pushed the door open and walked out.
"No matter. Life isn't just about Cultivation. There are all sorts of interesting things to do. A life of bitter training just isn't for me."
In the time he had been resting, the main hall had filled with visiting guests.
"Young Master Zhu!"
"Shopkeeper Lu!"
"Congratulations, congratulations!"
"The same to you!"
"..."
Exchanging greetings, Zhu Ju strode to the high platform and clasped his fists in salute to Shenn Hu and Chief Constable Tie Heng, who were also on the stage.
Shenn Hu was now an important partner of the Wancai Cloth Shop, while Chief Constable Tie Heng represented the Government Office.
There were three seats on the high platform. Only the central one was empty, clearly reserved for him.
"It's about time."
Yann Jingfu ascended the high platform, produced a Copper Gong, and handed it to Zhu Ju.
"Young Master Zhu, please strike the Wealth Gong and summon riches and gold."
Zhu Ju stood and accepted it.
"Everyone."
Yann Jingfu turned, looked out at the crowd, and shouted:
"One strike of the Copper Gong opens the gates to wealth!"
CLANG...
Zhu Ju struck the first blow.
"A second strike of Silver brings the God of Wealth in!"
CLANG...
"A third strike of Gold brings fortune to our door!"
"..."
Just as he was about to strike the Copper Gong, Zhu Ju suddenly stopped, frowning as he looked into the distance.
"What's wrong?"
"What happened?"
Seeing him stop, the people in the crowd looked at each other in confusion. A moment later, a cry of alarm rang out.
"Fire!"
ROAR...
A shop at the end of the street had erupted in a blazing inferno.
"Someone must have set this fire on purpose!" Shenn Hu slammed his hand on the table and shot to his feet. How could a fire start so coincidentally? He roared in fury:
"Disciples of the Martial Arts Hall, go now! Catch the arsonist! If you have to kill them, so be it!"
"We should put out the fire first," Tie Heng said. "If the fire spreads, it could harm the nearby residents."
'I knew it wouldn't be this easy!'
Zhu Ju sighed softly.
"Chief Tie, I would like to pay a visit to Lord Fang."