Chapter 44: Suppressing a City

“Get the hell out of here!”

“Damn it, I told you to stop telling such trash stories, and yet you keep going!”

Xing Jinglong cursed loudly, glancing sideways at Lin Zheyu and the others with eyes full of provocation.

“What do you mean by that, you fat bastard? Are you trying to cause trouble on Feihong Gang territory?!” Jia Yanyong could no longer restrain himself; he slammed the table and stood up, shouting in rage.

“I paid money to listen to stories. If I think they’re bad, am I not allowed to curse a bit?” Xing Jinglong said.

“Young Master Xing, your behavior is excessive. If you think the story is bad, just stop listening. There is no need to cause a scene,” Lin Zheyu said as he stood up.

“I’m provoking you on purpose. What of it?”

“Do you want to fight?”

Xing Jinglong challenged him, and his companions stood up beside him as well.

Lin Zheyu pressed down on the impulsive Jia Yanyong and said, “Let’s not fight. You are a distinguished young master of the Xing family; publicly provoking a fight is quite undignified.”

Xing Jinglong: “???”

Xing Jinglong’s expression darkened. *To hell with dignity! I’m just a son of a branch family!*

*This kid can really take it. Even after all this, he still won't strike.*

“By the way, Lord Qiu Gaoxuan will be arriving soon. He quite enjoys this story.”

“Why don't you wait a little longer, Young Master Xing? When Lord Qiu arrives, you can tell him exactly which parts of the story were poorly told.”

“If you insist on provoking a fight, let’s wait for Lord Qiu, and then you can tell him yourself?” Lin Zheyu continued.

“Qiu Gaoxuan?”

Xing Jinglong took a deep breath, feeling a sense of frustration in his heart.

Qiu Gaoxuan was extremely powerful, having already reached the peak of the Viscera Refining Realm. If he came, even the Viscera Refining martial artists he brought with him would be no match for him.

But damn it, they were just looking for trouble and wanting to fight—what was the point of bringing up Qiu Gaoxuan?

Why had these guys suddenly become so cowardly?

“Hmph!”

“A bunch of cowards. Keep being head-hiding turtles then!”

Seeing that he couldn't get his way, Xing Jinglong let out a cold snort.

*Crack—*

He stood up and kicked the table violently, shattering it into pieces, before leading his men away.

“That bastard is getting more and more arrogant,” Jia Yanyong muttered as he sat back down.

“There’s no helping it. Who told the Xing family to have military backgrounds? When the chaotic armies come, the Xing family can take the opportunity to recruit soldiers and expand their strength.”

“This period of chaos is an excellent opportunity for the Xing family,” Xie Jiang said, his expression solemn and grim.

After Xing Jinglong left, Manager Wu went up to apologize, offering a small dish to every table. The storyteller then took the stage again.

“Drink, drink! Why worry about such troublesome things? The Gang Leader will handle those matters. We small fry just need to mind our own little patch of land,” Xie Jiang said, raising his cup to lighten the atmosphere.

...

The next day.

Early morning.

No. 28 Tongquan Street, Feihong Tower.

Lin Zheyu sat beside Xu Jingwu, accompanying him to watch the opera.

“I’ve read the book. It is written very well,” Xu Jingwu said.

When Lin Zheyu had sold books to the Lu siblings previously, he had written a few extra copies. He had given one to Liang Song, one to Han Mo, and one to Xu Jingwu.

After all this time, Xu Jingwu had finally finished it.

“I’m glad you like it, Gang Leader,” Lin Zheyu said.

After his strength improved to the Blood Qi Realm, he realized just how terrifying Gang Leader Xu’s strength truly was. Beneath Xu Jingwu’s elegant exterior lay an incredibly profound and dense power of Blood Qi, held in reserve. With such massive energy, the explosive power he could unleash must be terrifying.

Lin Zheyu felt that the Gang Leader’s strength likely exceeded the first stage of the Blood Qi Realm, though he didn't know which stage he had reached.

“I said it before: if the story is good, there will be heavy rewards. I am very satisfied with this story.”

“Luo Tian, give Lin Zheyu one hundred taels of silver,” Xu Jingwu instructed his subordinate.

“Thank you for the reward, Gang Leader Xu!” Lin Zheyu said.

Gang Leader Xu was extremely generous. Lin Zheyu had thought fifty taels would be good, but he hadn't expected a full hundred.

“A few days ago, you were attacked by Xing Penghai outside the city?” Xu Jingwu suddenly asked.

“Yes.”

“Senior Brother Han was out hunting bandits at the time, so I specifically went out of the city to escort him. I didn't expect to be targeted by Xing Jinglong and his group.”

“That Xing Penghai produced a black pill and told me to swallow it, wanting me to join the Xing family. I did not agree,” Lin Zheyu said, offering no concealment.

The Feihong Gang had immense influence; many things happening in Songyi City could not escape their ears and eyes.

“The Xing family holds a position within the City Guard. In the future, it is best not to leave the city alone. Otherwise, if something happens outside, even I will find it difficult to handle,” Xu Jingwu said.

Lin Zheyu was merely an ordinary follower recruited by the Feihong Gang, not a member of the Xu family. If a real problem occurred, the most likely outcome would be the Xing family offering an apology and some compensation. At most, the Feihong Gang might find an excuse to kill a few experts from the Wuding Gang. But that would be all.

“Understood. I will be careful.”

“Do you feel somewhat disappointed?” Xu Jingwu glanced at Lin Zheyu.

“No,” Lin Zheyu shook his head.

That was simply how the world worked. Even though he had joined the Feihong Gang, he only possessed a bit of deterrence against ordinary people; against the great families of Songyi City, he was nothing. No matter how much talent he displayed, until he grew, it was merely talent.

For now, he was still just a small figure.

“The Xing family is the largest family in Songyi City besides the City Lord. Their strength is very formidable,” Xu Jingwu said. “One-third of the Songyi City Guard is controlled by the Xing family. If you are targeted by them outside the city, even I would find it hard to stand up for you.”

Xu Jingwu represented the Xu family and the Feihong Gang—a coalition of several families—not just himself. He could not turn against the Xing family entirely just because of Lin Zheyu.

“However, you don't need to worry too much. As long as you are within the city, they won't dare to cause trouble recklessly. After all, the City Lord is here to guard the city,” Xu Jingwu added, trying to reassure him.

“The City Lord’s surname is Chen, right? From the Chen family?” Lin Zheyu asked curiously.

“No. There is only one City Lord, and he was sent from the Great Wei Palace to manage Songyi City. The Lord has no family or faction here in Songyi City. With the City Lord's strength, he is enough to suppress a city single-handedly,” Xu Jingwu said calmly.

*Suppressing a city single-handedly!*

Lin Zheyu chewed on those words, finding them incredibly domineering. Just how powerful did one have to be to deserve such a description?

“I wonder what level of strength the City Lord possesses. A Grandmaster?” Lin Zheyu couldn't help but ask.

“I'm not sure. No one knows the City Lord's true strength; they only know he is very, very strong. No family in the city dares to defy the City Lord's will. Anyone who does simply disappears from Songyi City,” Xu Jingwu said with some emotion.

He had seen several families vanish from Songyi City like that. Overnight, not a single person was left, silently and terrifyingly. Since then, no family dared to cause trouble in the city; any skirmishes were kept to minor brawls or took place outside the city walls.

Seeing Xu Jingwu’s guarded expression, Lin Zheyu did not press further.

The atmosphere cooled. The opera continued on stage, and Gang Leader Xu occasionally hummed along.

“You aren't married yet, are you?” Xu Jingwu suddenly asked.

“I am not married.”

Lin Zheyu’s heart skipped a beat. Having a bad premonition, he quickly added, “I was separated from my parents and kin; I haven't had the heart to think about marriage.”

“Marriage is a major life event, governed by parental command and matchmakers. You should wait until you find your family before considering it.”

“It's fine, no rush. I was just asking. My Xu family has many young women; if you have time, I can introduce you to some. If you marry a woman from the Xu family, you will be one of us, and the Xing family won't dare do anything to you. You don't have to aim for marriage immediately—just get to know them first, and consider marriage only if you find a match,” Xu Jingwu said.

He placed great importance on Lin Zheyu. With such talent, if he had a renowned master to guide him, he might become a Blood Qi Realm powerhouse in the future.

“Thank you, Gang Leader Xu,” Lin Zheyu said.

Since things had been put that way, it was hard to refuse. It was just getting to know people; if he didn't find them to his liking, the Gang Leader couldn't force him to marry, could he?

...

Lin Zheyu stayed to accompany Gang Leader Xu through a few more opera acts before leaving.

Walking out of Feihong Tower, he headed straight for the apothecaries in the city. He visited several shops before he managed to buy all the necessary ingredients. With prices rising, purchasing the ingredients for eight doses of Blood-Nourishing Bone-Strengthening Soup cost him a total of one hundred and one taels of silver.

Carrying the herbs, he returned to his courtyard to continue his martial training.

(End of Chapter)