Fang Xiaoru, style name Stone Hermitage, was an Advanced Scholar from twelve years ago who had held official posts such as County Captain, Deputy, and Wenlang.
A gleaming resume!
He was one of the most 'promising' officials in the political circles of the Zheng Kingdom.
Thanks to his past deeds—distributing disaster relief, handing out grain, and maintaining an incorruptible reputation—Lord Fang was extremely well-regarded among the common folk.
He was known as Fang Qingtian.
The banquet was not held at the Government Office, but in the rear courtyard of the Hongfu Restaurant, where several eight-immortal tables were set up.
"Master Hek!"
"Brother Yann!"
"Young Master Zhu..."
When the appointed time arrived, the masters of the various martial arts halls came one after another, greeting each other warmly with cupped-fist salutes.
"Younger Brother Zhu!"
Shenn Hu strode over, laughing heartily as he spoke:
"Let me introduce you. This is Fatty Lu, who moved here from Ningyuan City. He's in the pig-slaughtering and butchery business."
"Young Master Zhu." The short, stout, fleshy-faced man beside him had sharp eyes. He offered a cupped-fist salute and said:
"I am Lu Chu. I've long heard of your great name!"
"Shopkeeper Lu." Zhu Ju's expression turned serious.
"The honor is mine!"
For Shenn Hu to make a special introduction, this Lu Chu was clearly no ordinary person.
Pig-slaughtering and butchery might not sound respectable, but in reality, anyone who could rise to the top of this trade was invariably a local tyrant.
When one mentioned a local despot, the first image that came to most people's minds was that of a butcher.
Moreover, Lu Chu didn't just slaughter pigs. He handled the entire supply chain, from purchasing and butchering to selling meat. He had over a hundred well-fed, burly men under his command. In terms of power and resources, he was in no way inferior to the Fierce Tiger Martial Arts Hall.
Besides, Lu Chu was a Body Tempering Martial Artist himself!
"Master Shenn."
Zhu Ju asked:
"Do you have any idea why Lord Fang has invited us here?"
"Well..." Shenn Hu looked troubled.
"I have a rough idea, but this matter is rather difficult. The outcome will depend on the specifics."
"Sit!"
"Let's sit first."
There were four eight-immortal tables in total, with only one inside the building. Shenn Hu pulled the other two and headed straight for that one.
The others had no objections.
Needless to say, Shenn Hu and Lu Chu were both local powerhouses.
Zhu Ju, who controlled the incredibly profitable Wancai Cloth Shop and represented several martial arts halls, was of course also qualified.
As for his age...
Rumors had been circulating for the past two days that a mysterious force backed the Wancai Cloth Shop. Whether true or not, it made people wary of underestimating him, rendering his age irrelevant.
Amid the hustle and bustle, a thin, middle-aged scholar emerged from the front courtyard and offered a cupped-fist salute to everyone present.
"My apologies for keeping you all waiting."
The scholar was plain-looking. Though his robes were old and worn, they were clean, making him look like a poor student who had read many books.
Just as the crowd was looking on with curiosity, Shenn Hu had already risen with a serious expression and bowed his head to the scholar in a salute.
"Lord Fang!"
'Lord Fang Shi'an?'
'He's so ordinary and unassuming?'
Realization dawned on the crowd, and they all returned the salute.
"Lord Fang!"
"Greetings, Lord Fang!"
"..."
"Everyone, there's no need for such courtesy." Lord Fang pressed his hands down in a calming gesture. His attitude was approachable, without a hint of arrogance.
"Sit!"
"Let's speak sitting down."
"My lord." Jiangg Ping approached and reported in a low voice:
"The people from the Qin Family Castle haven't arrived yet."
"Is that so?" A hint of confusion appeared in Lord Fang's eyes, but he didn't press the matter, simply nodding and taking the seat of honor.
Then he clapped his hands lightly.
"Bring the items forward."
"Yes, sir!"
A group of government officials appeared, each holding a stack of papers, which they placed in front of the martial arts hall masters.
Zhu Ju glanced left and right, then casually picked up a sheet. His expression immediately changed.
The faces of the others looked just as grim.
"Everyone!"
Lord Fang sighed softly and said slowly:
"The north has suffered from drought for years, displacing the common people. This is a natural disaster. The Court can only do its best and leave the rest to fate."
"But..."
"Some man-made calamities can be avoided."
He tapped the table, his eyes filled with sorrow.
"On my way to take office, my carriage was stopped on several occasions by people accusing human traffickers of being vicious and brazen."
"If the traffickers are not eliminated, the people's resentment will never fade, and Yue City will never know peace."
Zhu Ju remained silent, picking up the papers and flipping through them in order. Despite his typically indifferent nature, he couldn't help but look grim.
'Human traffickers?'
'It's far more than just that!'
According to the documents, a gang in Yue City was kidnapping and abducting children and women everywhere, and the problem had reached epidemic proportions.
The abducted children were either forced to drink potions that ruined their vocal cords, had copper juice poured into their eyes to blind them, or had their legs chopped off to turn them into cripples, all to elicit sympathy from others while begging.
The women were sent to brothels and courtesan houses, or sold elsewhere for profit. The slightest disobedience was met with beatings and verbal abuse.
The West City Sewage Ditch,
where rotting corpses, crawling with maggots, were piled up like mountains!
The back alleys behind the martial arts halls,
where a few unidentified bodies could be seen every few days.
One after another, these gruesome atrocities were taking place right under the noses of Yue City's many wealthy and powerful families.
And it had been happening for who knows how many years!
The human traffickers of Yue City had already developed a mature industrial chain that was disgusting and sickening to the core.
"Huuu..."
Zhu Ju let out a long, heavy breath.
"The Seven Workshops of Flower Street?"
"Correct!" Lord Fang's voice was heavy.
"In my opinion, the Seven Workshops of Flower Street are a cancer on Yue City. If this place is not eradicated, the people of Yue City will never have a day of peace."
"Gentlemen!"
"For the sake of the people, for the sake of Yue City, I implore all of you to lend a hand and eliminate the Seven Workshops of Flower Street!"
As he spoke, he left his seat, rose, and gave a deep bow to everyone present.
"You mustn't!"
Shenn Hu's expression changed drastically. He hurriedly got up to stop him.
"Lord Fang, you absolutely must not."
SLAM! Lu Chu slammed his hand on the table and shot to his feet, his face flushed with anger as he roared:
"I am willing to help with this matter! My hands are stained with the blood of pigs and chickens, but even I... even I..."
"Those bastards deserve to die!"
"That's right." Lan Qisheng nodded, his face dark.
"Which of us hasn't had relatives or family members go missing? I never dare let my daughter go out alone without an escort."
"Indeed!"
"Even though I frequent Flower Street, I can't stand to see the evil they do. It's true they're a cancer on Yue City."
"..."
The crowd was stirred up, their faces filled with indignation.
"Lord Fang, we admire your profound love for the people and are willing to serve," one of the martial arts hall masters said.
"But..."
"Why are we being asked to do this?"
Everyone looked at each other in dismay.
'That's right!'
Everyone knew about the evil deeds of the Seven Workshops of Flower Street. If they were to be eliminated, it should be the Government Office or the nearby garrison that took action. Failing that, there were still the nursing homes of the officials' households in the city. In no way should it fall to the martial arts halls.
"The Government Office is short on manpower, the garrison cannot be easily mobilized, and as for the wealthy households' nursing homes..."
Lord Fang shook his head.
"It's better not to mention them!"
In truth, everyone knew that the Seven Workshops of Flower Street had a complex background and was inextricably linked to certain wealthy households in the city. If they could have been easily eliminated, it wouldn't have waited until today.
Across all of Yue City, only the various martial arts halls could gather enough manpower without having ties to Flower Street.
'No!'
'Even the martial arts halls probably aren't one hundred percent clean.'
Zhu Ju was lost in thought.
'There are over twenty martial arts halls here, and with Lu Chu's men, gathering several hundred people shouldn't be a problem. A thousand might even be possible.'
'It might not be impossible to wipe out Flower Street in one fell swoop, but the Seven Workshops of Flower Street are no pushovers. If a real fight breaks out, the martial arts halls will also suffer heavy losses. Therefore, despite their indignation, not many would be truly willing to act.'
Sure enough, as he scanned the crowd, he saw that while many were filled with righteous anger, a portion of them had shifty, uncertain eyes.
'The Seven Workshops of Flower Street recruit guards year-round, many of whom come from martial arts halls. They probably have cooperative relationships with some of them.'
A thought flickered in Zhu Ju's mind, and he secretly shook his head.
'Lord Fang's plan is bound to fail. No, wait... Fang Shi'an is no fool. Could he have failed to consider this?'
"Whoosh..."
Just as he was deep in thought, something was thrown in from outside the courtyard, landing heavily on a table.
"What was that?"
"Stand back!"
"Jiangg Ping!" Lord Fang's expression was grave.
"See what it is."
"Yes, sir."
Jiangg Ping tightened his grip on his saber and cautiously approached, using the tip of his blade to flip open the black cloth-wrapped object.
GASP...
"A human head!"
"No, wait, that's the Fortress Lord of the Qin Family Castle!"
"What?"
Everyone stared at each other. Just a moment ago, they had mentioned Master Qin hadn't arrived; now it seemed he never would.
'Was this the work of the Seven Workshops of Flower Street?'
Master Qin was by no means weak, and he was always accompanied by his castle's guards when he went out. Since the enemy could kill Master Qin, how many people present could guarantee their own safety?
Seeing this, the intention to retreat flickered in many people's eyes.
"Hehehe..."
An icy laugh came from an unknown source, drifting erratically from all directions.
"You, with the surname Fang, there are some things you can do and some you can't. If you don't understand, next time it'll be your head they're throwing."
"Insolence!" the butcher Lu Chu roared. His body shot forward, his five fingers forming a fist as he smashed it towards a corner.
"Stop skulking in the shadows! Show yourself!"
BANG!
A black shadow shot out from the darkness, its flying kick colliding with Lu Chu's advancing fist. Both were knocked back.
"Body Tempering?"
Lu Chu's eyes went wide.
"Again!"
"Hmph!" The Black-Clothed Man snorted coldly.
"To think you could discover my presence. No wonder they say your nose is as sharp as a dog's. A pity your skills aren't up to par."
In the time it took to speak, the two had already exchanged several blows.
Lu Chu's Fist Technique was fierce and his moves were vicious, yet he couldn't even touch the corner of his opponent's clothes before being kicked away.
Fortunately, his skin was thick and his flesh was tough, so he wasn't injured. With a great roar, he snatched a long saber from a government official's hands and charged forward again.
Seven-Sectioned Saber!
In stark contrast to his stout build, Lu Chu's Saber Technique was exceptionally exquisite, his moves swift and unpredictable.
In an instant, the courtyard was filled with a flurry of overlapping saber shadows, seemingly drowning the Black-Clothed Man's figure entirely.
Someone couldn't help but exclaim in admiration:
"What incredible Saber Technique!"
When using his Fist Technique, Lu Chu was beaten back in just a few moves, but with a long saber in hand, he now held a clear advantage.
At least, that was the impression he gave.
"In Martial Arts techniques, one first reaches the Entry Level, then achieves mastery. After that comes the integration of move and force, and only then the integration of force and Qi."
Shenn Hu nodded slightly and said:
"Very few people can achieve the integration of force and Qi. When I fought Lu Chu a few years ago, he hadn't reached that stage yet."
"I never imagined..."
"That at his age, he could still take another great step forward."
"Master Shenn," Zhu Ju said.
"In your opinion, can Shopkeeper Lu defeat his opponent?"
"It's hard to say." Shenn Hu shook his head.
"Lu Chu's Saber Technique is best suited for dual short sabers; a skill he developed through years of butchering pigs. If he were holding his two signature Slaughter Sabers, even I would have to keep my distance. But he doesn't have a suitable weapon now. Unless his Cultivation has reached the Realm of Qi and Will Integration, using a long saber will always be lacking."
"That man's Leg Technique is extraordinary, and his Palm Technique is also quite refined. Taking him down will likely take some effort."
Zhu Ju nodded slowly.
It seemed Shenn Hu favored Lu Chu to win.
'The integration of move and force, force and Qi, and Qi and Will... The three realms of Martial Arts techniques. I've probably just reached the integration of move and force.'
'If it were me...'
Zhu Ju imagined himself in the fight, his brow furrowing slightly.
'The Thirteen Body Refinement is powerful, but without a Qi Blood Burst, it's ultimately just the Second Tendon and Bone Realm of External Training. If I couldn't defeat the opponent before my Qi Blood runs out, I would be the one to lose.'
In other words, the current Zhu Ju could handle an ordinary Body Tempering practitioner, but he was no match for someone like Shenn Hu or Lu Chu, who had been tempering their bodies for decades.
"Not good!"
Shenn Hu's expression suddenly changed drastically, and he flashed forward in a blur.
"Brother Lu, watch out!"