“Satisfying both sides? Ninth Master, I cannot agree.” Mo Zi poured herself a cup of tea, ignoring the delicacies filling the table, having heard that food and wine in pleasure houses could be somewhat unclean. However, as for tea—Yuan Cheng was drinking it, and seeing his complexion and expression normal, it should be fine.
“Brother Mo, this isn’t up to you, nor is it up to me.” Although Mo Zi didn’t accept his apologetic wine, Xu Jiu still drained it himself.
“Ninth Master, Zan Jin is my brother. His injuring your Eighth Brother was on my account. You disregard reason and prioritize gang rules first—I can also value friendship over your rules. Moreover, your Eighth Brother merely can’t take a beating and passed out temporarily. He’s missing no arms or legs, has no holes in his body. If he wakes up without a scratch, should we then remove his limbs to satisfy both sides?” In her view, it was Huo Ba who was useless and incompetent. If Huo Ba was at this level, she expressed doubt about how skilled Xu Jiu could be.
“Zan Jin, if Ninth Master dares make a move, you needn’t show mercy. Use everything your grandfather and father taught you. If you can’t win, you’ll disgrace them—understand?” If Xu Jiu was going to be unreasonable, she would be stubborn too. If jianghu people insisted on resolving problems with force, then so be it—who was afraid of whom?
“Understood!” Zan Jin responded loudly. “Can’t disgrace Brother Mo either. Surnamed Xu, just name a place and we’ll have a match. If I lose, do whatever you want, just don’t trouble Brother Mo. If you lose, I’ll take responsibility for the rotten things your turtle brother did. I’ll remove one of your arms, that’s all.”
Hearing this, Mo Zi smiled with narrowed eyes. What a “that’s all”—said so satisfyingly that although she had wanted to avoid combat, she now wanted to ask Xu Jiu to set the terms and immediately determine superiority. The more she witnessed Zan Jin’s martial arts, the more she felt she had stumbled upon a reclusive master by sheer luck. That emerald green sword had yet to leave its scabbard but had encountered no worthy opponents.
Though Xu Jiu was young, he had been proud of his martial arts since youth. Naturally he couldn’t tolerate Mo Zi and Zan Jin’s arrogance. Without another word, he silently struck at Zan Jin with his palm.
Zan Jin didn’t waste words when fighting. He channeled his energy to his right palm and met Xu Jiu head-on with force against force.
After Xu Jiu withdrew his palm, his whole body trembled. His face grew even darker, full of surprise.
As for Zan Jin—smiling cheerfully, not moving an inch.
One palm didn’t count. Light blazed in Xu Jiu’s eyes as his second palm immediately followed with a third. Though the moves seemed continuous and powerless, the large fellow on the other side changed expression.
Zan Jin still met palm with palm.
Xu Jiu struck faster and faster, and Zan Jin countered faster and faster.
When masters exchanged moves, Mo Zi—couldn’t understand. However, she had Chou Yu on her side, whose martial arts could be considered first-rate.
“Starting with the second palm, Xu Jiu used his full strength.” As he said this, his expression grew somewhat grave. “Most likely this is his renowned ultimate technique, Leopard Emerges from Snow Mountain. This Xu Jiu’s martial arts are far stronger than Huo the Turtle’s. I’m afraid I alone wouldn’t be his match. Don’t know if Brother Zan can withstand it?”
Although Mo Zi couldn’t understand, seeing Zan Jin’s composed expression, she wasn’t worried. “Who is that person sitting beside Xu Jiu?”
She asked casually, and Chou Yu could actually answer: “This person should be the Second Master Lu Man of Pingjiang’s Mackerel Gang. Though I’ve never seen him in person, rumor has it he’s missing part of an eyebrow, and his pair of Water-Parting Stingers are like vipers in water—extremely vicious.”
“What’s Lu Man’s relationship with Xu Jiu?” Besides both being gang leaders.
“The Mackerel Gang is one of the Five Great Shipping Gangs. Though the Leopard Gang isn’t in the Five Great Shipping Gangs’ alliance, it’s the boss of the capital’s waterways. Especially in recent years, its influence has expanded extremely rapidly. Almost all the small shipping gangs in the two provinces including the capital have submitted under its banner. It can already be compared in scale to the Mackerel Gang’s three divisions and six halls, and the Leopard Gang’s membership exceeds the Mackerel Gang’s. Previously there was no known connection between the two gangs, but the Mackerel Gang is somewhat similar to the Leopard Gang—both old gang leaders intend to retire.” Chou Yu, compared to Mo Zi who had joined the shipping world halfway, spoke with authority.
The Leopard Gang was a shipping gang? Commanding most of the boatmen who made their living on the water? The sound of Xu Jiu and Zan Jin’s clashing palms echoed in her ears as Mo Zi felt a bit of a headache. Her shipyard at Hongyu Cove hadn’t even started operations, yet she’d already offended a shipping gang? Speaking of a water-related gang—why take the name of a leopard? If it were called Crocodile, she might have made the connection and tried harder to avoid conflict.
Absorbing new information in her mind, Mo Zi drank her tea. The cup’s rim happened to frame Xu Jiu, Lu Man, and Yuan Cheng in one arc, and her eyes narrowed.
If Lu Man and Xu Jiu, both being shipping gang members, were at Wu You Pavilion to strengthen their relationship, then why was Yuan Cheng at their table? It didn’t look like they had just met today and become drinking buddies. Judging from current interactions, Lu Man seemed to hold some fear and respect toward Yuan Cheng—they should have known each other for a while. Just now Chou Yu said the two gangs previously had no connection, and though Xu Jiu and Lu Man sat side by side, when she entered, not only did they not seem familiar, they barely made eye contact. So the hypothesis that Yuan Cheng was the intermediary for this drinking banquet made perfect sense.
Yuan Cheng had once been the top corrupt official. After becoming a prisoner, there were still groups of masters attempting to break him out of prison, showing that though his family assets were confiscated, his influence hadn’t completely dissipated—the lingering glow continued to shine and generate heat.
Following the first hypothesis, Mo Zi’s second hypothesis was: Both the Leopard Gang and Mackerel Gang were in periods of leadership transition. Lu Man was Second Master, over forty years old. When the old gang leader retired, he should be first in line for succession, but she saw this person looking deeply worried, showing none of the joy of someone about to become boss. Looking again at Xu Jiu—he had Huo Ba above him. Though his reputation and martial arts were obviously far superior to Huo Ba’s, the position of gang leader might not go to him.
She had originally heard from Chou Yu that Xu Jiu was chivalrous, and just now Xu Jiu also said he wouldn’t demand Lin Dalang’s debt from Lin Zhen Niang, so Xu Jiu’s character was still quite good. Yet he publicly claimed he must vent anger for his brother and cause trouble for Zan Jin. This was actually quite contradictory. But if—
If she defined Xu Jiu as an ambitious person, then this behavior of publicly pleasing his turtle brother made sense. He needed to obtain Huo Ba’s complete trust for only one reason: he had ulterior motives, he wanted to become the Leopard Gang leader. So he had to first stabilize internal matters.
In other words, these two men might both want to become gang leaders but coincidentally both had uncertain prospects. Yuan Cheng took the opportunity to bring them together, both letting them help each other and smoothly gaining a huge favor? With Yuan Cheng’s capabilities, this banquet where old friends met new friends becoming a conspiracy meeting was most reasonable. Neither beauties nor Qianniu Guards could obstruct him.
Thinking of this, she had a bold idea and shouted: “Stop!”
Yuan Cheng—if he had set up this scheme, then let her make use of it. Making use, not asking for help. This distinction was important.
Zan Jin stopped, and Xu Jiu also stopped.
Mo Zi confirmed another point for her hypothesis—this Xu Jiu was no petty villain.
“Ninth Master, this fighting is scaring the beauties. Why not ask all unrelated people to leave, to avoid harming innocents?” She didn’t know how Yuan Cheng would dismiss these people, but she was quite direct.
Xu Jiu felt somewhat bewildered, but Mo Zi’s words weren’t wrong. He waved his hand to have all standing people leave.
Hua Yi didn’t move.
Whether Xiao Yi’s senior brother was sent by that certain someone to monitor Yuan Cheng, she didn’t think so, but Hua Yi’s identity couldn’t be ignored.
She tilted her head slightly, gazing fixedly at Yuan Cheng without moving, lips pressed together very lightly.
Yuan Cheng saw this, a shallow line appearing between his brows. Yet he made the correct response to Mo Zi’s minute gesture: “Hua Yi, since the host at the table has spoken, go wait outside. Guests follow the host’s convenience. If you can’t stand the hunger, or fancy any girl, go ahead.”
Hua Yi said he would wait, and left.
Rather pitiful—Hua Yi and Xiao Yi, this pair of senior brother and junior sister, were both unfortunate siblings with difficult masters to serve.
Xu Jiu didn’t have as many psychological activities as Mo Zi. He said: “Brother Mo, can we start now?”
Mo Zi chuckled: “Ninth Master, victory and defeat are already decided. Why be stubborn?”
Xu Jiu exhaled and inhaled heavily, his chest heaving. Both hands were tightly tucked into his sleeves, seemingly trying to hide his fatigue. Zan Jin shook his large hands twice, grinning smugly. During Mo Zi’s speech, his breathing had already steadied. Who was stronger than whom—no need to elaborate.
Seeing Mo Zi had figured it out, Xu Jiu was also straightforward: “Brother Mo is right—victory and defeat are decided. But I have a thousand subordinates. No matter how capable your brother is, can he withstand them all? Believe it or not, if I want his life, he absolutely won’t live long.”
“I don’t believe it.” Mo Zi wasn’t afraid of threats. “Your subordinates number merely a thousand—can they cover the entire earth? You can’t even catch a small debt collector—what can you do to my brother? Even if my brother doesn’t hide, I still have ways to keep you too busy to trouble us—I just need to invite your Eighth Brother for a little drink.”
Sure enough, Xu Jiu’s expression darkened. He vaguely sensed something was wrong, though his words remained stubborn: “You think inviting my Eighth Brother for apologetic drinks will settle things?”
“I don’t intend to apologize. I just want to tell him that someone behind his back is plotting how to bypass him and become Leopard Gang leader, planning to cooperate with people from the Five Great Shipping Gangs.” Words could be spoken irresponsibly—Great Zhou law had no slander statute.
Xu Jiu’s voice suddenly turned cold: “If you dare speak nonsense, I’ll kill you.”
The shallow line between Yuan Cheng’s brows disappeared, his eyes curved into two pools of smiling moons. He had caught up with Mo Zi’s thinking.
Mo Zi shook her head and sighed: “Ninth Master, I never mentioned that person’s name. Why confess without being pressed?” Martial people were ultimately martial people—strong limbs, yes. No matter how clever their heads, they were still a tiny bit less than hers.
“However, since Ninth Master has confessed, I’ll also speak plainly. Whether Ninth Master wants to become gang leader and lacks allies, or this one here—” she pointed at the dumbstruck Lu Man, “—wants to become gang leader and needs Ninth Master’s support, I hope both of you can have your wishes come true and achieve swift success. What I just said was purely my own speculation. I guessed correctly—Ninth Master, don’t be angry. I have no evidence, and the two people here couldn’t possibly betray Ninth Master. I’m not foolish enough to actually go drink with Eighth Master. We three are ordinary common people just trying to get by. We truly don’t wish to offend Ninth Master, such an ambitious leader. If Ninth Master wants Eighth Master not to suspect your loyalty, we brothers are willing to help Ninth Master. We only hope the Leopard Gang won’t trouble us from now on. What does Ninth Master think?”
You help me, I help you—what a beautiful world.