Chapter 81: Nothing Else Matters

Shi Boyu, the head of the second branch of the Jiangxiang Gang's Medicine King Hall, stood silently for a long time before the ruins of the Xianle Dance Hall.

It was blown up!

Someone blew up the Xianle Dance Hall!

This was Jiangxiang Gang's business!

It was the most profitable business for the entire second branch, perfectly fine yesterday, and now it had been bombed.

Not only was the dance hall gone, but Du Hongxi, the second branch's patrol officer, and Zhou Yujuan, the dance hall owner, were missing and their fates unknown.

Who did this? Is this person crazy?

Who would dare blow up the Jiangxiang Gang's dance hall and kill its members?

What did he think the Jiangxiang Gang was?

Branch Head Shi Boyu was originally a Red Staff in the third branch of Greenwater Hall. After meritorious service, he was promoted to become the head of the second branch of Medicine King Hall. He had been in office for less than two months when this happened.

It was raining, and Shi Boyu was in an extremely foul mood.

Xiang Guicheng, the second branch's Red Staff and a third-level martial cultivator, looked at the scattered rubble and broken tiles, gritting his teeth and cursing, "Which bastard did this? We'll dig three feet deep to unearth that scoundrel!"

Several thugs under him quickly echoed:

"It must have been that cross-dresser. We'll rip her heart out, cut out her liver, pull out her tendons, and flay her alive!"

"Just killing that woman isn't enough; we need to take down the entire Yu Family Cloth Shop!"

"Du Hongxi, if you're watching from above, wait for us brothers to avenge you!"

The thugs were filled with righteous indignation, Red Staff Xiang Guicheng was furious, and Branch Head Shi Boyu's cheeks twitched repeatedly, but he remained silent.

Zhong Desong, the Sage of the second branch and a second-level ascetic cultivator, also watched silently from the side.

The Sage's duty within the branch was to recommend worthy individuals, and he was currently considering candidates for the next patrol officer.

A thug suddenly stepped forward and said to Red Staff Xiang Guicheng, "Brother Xiang, yesterday I saw that bastard Qin Tianjiu eating at Fuhua Steamed Bun Shop. He was so brazen, practically strutting around."

Xiang Guicheng frowned and asked, "Which Qin Tianjiu?"

A thug next to him reminded, "That fatty named Qin, the one responsible for the Geng Family Pharmacy incident!"

"Damn it!" Xiang Guicheng spat his half-smoked cigarette onto the ground and said to Branch Head Shi Boyu, "Boss, just say the word, and I'll have someone grab that little fatty and skin him alive!"

Before Shi Boyu could speak, his confidant, Sun Xiao'an, interjected, "Brother Xiang, calm down first. The Boss is distraught. We can discuss these matters later."

"What good is being distraught?" Xiang Guicheng roared loudly. "We need to avenge old Du first!"

Sun Xiao'an shook his head and said, "Brother Xiang, we haven't found a body, so we can't say for sure that Du Hongxi is dead. If he's not dead yet, talking about revenge isn't appropriate, is it?"

Xiang Guicheng frowned, "I don't want to nitpick with you guys. Forget old Du for a moment, we still need to avenge our dance hall."

Sun Xiao'an nodded, "The dance hall must be avenged, but it's still hard to say who the enemy is."

Xiang Guicheng retorted, "Who else could it be? It's that Fatty Qin and that cross-dresser. Fatty Qin is back, and he dares to parade around in a bun shop? He's clearly not putting our Jiangxiang Gang in his eyes!"

Sun Xiao'an took a puff from his hookah, then sneered, "Brother Xiang, if Yu Nan really had that kind of ability, she wouldn't have left Ligou and dared not return. As for why Qin Tianjiu is back, that still needs to be investigated."

Xiang Guicheng's eyes widened, "How long will this investigation take?"

Sun Xiao'an blew the ashes from his hookah, "That depends on what the Boss decides!"

Xiang Guicheng said no more.

Sun Xiao'an advised Branch Head Shi Boyu, "Boss, this matter requires careful consideration. You should return to the branch headquarters to await news. I expect the Hall Master will send someone to inquire."

Shi Boyu nodded, got into a carriage, and returned to the branch headquarters, with Sun Xiao'an following him.

A confidant, in this context, was someone who advised the branch head.

Upon reaching the branch headquarters, Shi Boyu dismissed the others and asked Sun Xiao'an, "I heard that Red Staff Xiang Guicheng and patrol officer Du Hongxi usually don't have much of a relationship, but today it seems their bond is quite deep."

Sun Xiao'an added tobacco leaves to his hookah and shook his head with a smile, "Boss, you've just arrived, so you might not be familiar with some people's dispositions. At the beginning of the year, Xiang Guicheng borrowed 300,000 from Du Hongxi, but Du Hongxi only gave him 100,000. Xiang Guicheng then led people to the dance hall to corner Du Hongxi, who barely saved his life with the help of a Ghost Servant. Last month, Xiang Guicheng, after having a few too many drinks, went to the dance hall and slept with Zhou Yujuan. Du Hongxi fought Xiang Guicheng for an entire day and night over this. What kind of relationship do you think they could have?"

Shi Boyu frowned, "So, today's display..."

"It's all very suspicious!" Sun Xiao'an said, frowning. "Ever since the Geng Family Pharmacy incident, I've found this whole thing strange. We might have provoked someone we shouldn't have. And now Qin Tianjiu is back, which makes it even more bizarre."

"How so?"

"Boss, think about it: we've only just gotten involved in the Geng and Yu families' affairs—or rather, we've only been observing, not even drawing our knives—and someone bombs our dance hall. Is this something a human being could do? Even our Hall Master wouldn't act so ruthlessly!"

Shi Boyu lightly tapped the sofa armrest, "How about we bring Qin Tianjiu back and question him?"

Sun Xiao'an quickly shook his head, "We can't arrest him, absolutely not. If we do, we'll fall into a trap. I've already sent people to investigate, and we should have news today."

***

At Fuhua Steamed Bun Shop, Qin Tianjiu ordered twenty baskets of steamed buns and was eating with Tie Yin.

Iron Seal is a unique official position within the Three Heroes Gate. Unlike other gangs that emphasize divisions into halls and branches, the Three Heroes Gate uses seals to delineate ranks.

Within the Three Heroes Gate, the lowest-ranking members have no seal and work under an Iron Seal.

An Iron Seal typically has five or six subordinates, handling trivial matters on the ground.

Above Iron Seals are Copper Seals, above Copper Seals are Silver Seals, and above Silver Seals are Gold Seals, which are held by the Three Heroes Gate's three gang leaders.

In Puluo Province, the Three Heroes Gate has the simplest management hierarchy, and it is also the most powerful gang.

Little Fatty Qin's superior was Iron Seal Zhang, named Zhang Liuze, who was over fifty and had a straightforward disposition.

Zhang Liuze was a first-level Food Cultivator. Meeting Little Fatty Qin, who was also a Food Cultivator, the two immediately clicked.

The two went to the steamed bun shop for lunch every day, ordering at least thirty baskets per meal, along with several hearty dishes. Every time they saw the two arrive, the shop assistants trembled:

"Sirs, the kitchen staff are exhausted. We truly can't keep up with the steamed buns. Perhaps you two could come back tonight?"

Zhang Liuze was very displeased: "We never get enough to eat when we come to your place!"

Little Fatty rubbed his belly and said, "Let's settle for being half-full for now, Brother Liu. This meal is on me."

Within the Three Heroes Gate, regardless of age or status differences, everyone addressed each other as brothers, even the gang leaders.

Zhang Liuze snorted, "How much money do you even earn? Save up more silver, take some tonics, and pass that first-level cultivation stage first."

Whenever they ate together, Zhang Liuze never let Little Fatty Qin pay.

As they walked down the street, checking various shops for any issues, Zhang Liuze asked Little Fatty, "The Jiangxiang Gang's dance hall was blown up last night. Tell me the truth, is this related to you?"

"Of course it is," Little Fatty said through gritted teeth. "I absolutely despise those Jiangxiang Gang scoundrels. I wish I could..."

Zhang Liuze kicked Little Fatty, "You brat, I'm telling you, if this has nothing to do with you, don't talk nonsense with me. I'm not here to listen to your bragging."

Little Fatty scratched his scalp and lowered his head, "I've thought that in my heart, but who actually did it, I don't know."

Zhang Liuze punched Little Fatty playfully and laughed, "I know you, you don't have that kind of ability. You just like to talk big, you just..."

Zhang Liuze suddenly stopped smiling and turned his head to look behind him.

A man wearing a forward cap was slowly walking behind them. When he saw Zhang Liuze turn around, he quickly pretended to be buying something from a street stall.

Zhang Liuze walked straight over and lifted the man by his forward cap, "Why are you following us?"

The man in the forward cap glared, "Who's following you? This isn't your road; can't I walk here?"

Zhang Liuze chuckled, "I'll ask you one time: who are you? If you don't tell me, you're going to suffer."

The man in the forward cap gritted his teeth and said, "I'm telling you, I'm from the Jiangxiang Gang! Let go of me, or I'll make you..."

*Thwack!*

Zhang Liuze punched the man in the forward cap squarely in the mouth. Two of his front teeth broke, and he started to cry.

Zhang Liuze turned to Little Fatty Qin and said, "Little Fatty, this is a brother from the Jiangxiang Gang. Make sure to 'welcome' him properly."

Little Fatty rolled up his sleeves, "Brother Liu, how should I 'welcome' him?"

Zhang Liuze thought for a moment, "This brother's had it rough enough. Leave him alive; just don't kill him."

***

At the second branch headquarters, Branch Head Shi Boyu frowned deeply, looking at his subordinate, who had been beaten beyond recognition. "I didn't expect Qin Tianjiu to have joined the Three Heroes Gate."

Sun Xiao'an waved his hookah, signaling everyone to withdraw, then whispered to Shi Boyu, "Boss, if we had really listened to Xiang Guicheng today and arrested Qin Tianjiu, what do you think the consequences would have been?"

Thinking of this, Shi Boyu felt a wave of cold dread.

The Jiangxiang Gang was only a medium-sized gang in Puluo Province.

If they truly provoked the Three Heroes Gate, wiping out one of their branches would be done in the blink of an eye.

"Didn't Xiang Guicheng also want to arrest Qin Tianjiu?" Shi Boyu still felt something was amiss.

Sun Xiao'an shook his head, "Do you think he would really go and arrest Qin Tianjiu? I doubt it. Don't let him agreeing to it fool you. When it came to actually acting, he'd suddenly catch a cold, get a chill, or his leg would cramp up. He'd always have an excuse to push the matter away. If you were impatient enough to arrest Qin Tianjiu yourself, that would be equivalent to arresting someone from the Three Heroes Gate. How much trouble would that cause?"

Shi Boyu's face darkened. "I have no grudges with Xiang Guicheng. Why would he try to harm me?"

Sun Xiao'an sighed, "When a branch head is gone, a Red Staff takes over. That's an unwritten rule of the Jiangxiang Gang. You rose from being a Red Staff in Greenwater Bay to become the branch head of Medicine King Gully. Xiang Guicheng is also a Red Staff. How do you think he feels about that?"

"So he thinks I'm standing in his way?" Shi Boyu gritted his teeth, then turned to Sun Xiao'an and asked, "What do you think we should do about this?"

Sun Xiao'an thought for a moment and said, "If you ask me, do nothing at all."