Chapter 2

(Second update, please support, come and support the new book baby)

Qingtong Township is divided into East and West, each controlled by a different branch of the gang, with Baiyun Gang occupying the East.

Collecting regular fees is one of the sources of income for the gang.

Of course, ordinary people don't have to pay these fees; only merchants and shop owners do.

Qinghu Martial Arts Hall is said to have come from elsewhere. To establish itself and teach in Qingtong Township, it should have nothing to do with Lin Xiao, but coincidentally, Qinghu Martial Arts Hall is located within the territory of Baiyun Gang.

You can open a hall and teach, but you must follow the rules and pay the regular fees.

Coincidentally, the location of Qinghu Martial Arts Hall is under the jurisdiction of the head of the East, Zhou Xingmu. Zhou Xingmu assigned this task to one of his subordinates, Wang Tiegeng, who bet with other subordinates that he could collect the fees within three days.

For some reason, Wang Tiegeng passed this task to Lin Xiao, stating that Lin Xiao must collect the fees within three days, or he will report to the head and demote Lin Xiao to a regular gang member according to the rules.

Elite gang members receive one tael of silver per month, while regular gang members receive half a tael. Baiyun Gang has strict rules: once demoted, a member cannot be promoted again within a year.

Lin Xiao needs to support himself and Zhou Zheng, pay monthly fees to the school, and save some money. Half a tael of silver is simply not enough.

He was thinking about when he could get a promotion and a raise, so he certainly doesn't want to be demoted and have his salary cut.

When Lin Xiao brought his three subordinates to Qinghu Martial Arts Hall, Wang Tiegeng was sleeping in a brothel, surrounded by two prostitutes.

The door of Qinghu Martial Arts Hall was tightly closed, with a series of shouts coming from inside, strong and orderly, creating an inexplicable momentum.

"Open the door." Lin Xiao's voice was cold and stern.

"I... I..." Wang Xiaohu hadn't finished speaking when Wang Daniu rushed over and kicked the door forcefully. The door shook, and Wang Daniu stumbled backward, his thin face turning red as he became angry. At that moment, Wang Xiaohu, short and stocky, rushed over and used his shoulder to push the door open, almost falling over himself.

"O... Open... Xiao... Brother Xiao..." Wang Xiaohu stood steady, trying to claim credit, but Lin Xiao was quite helpless, as listening to him speak was exhausting.

"Who?"

"Who dares to knock on the door?"

Shouts suddenly rose, and the martial arts students inside rushed over, about a dozen in total. Lin Xiao stepped in with his sword drawn.

"Who would have thought it's you, the one who fainted last night."

"Ha ha ha, what are you doing here? Not fainted enough, want to experience it again?"

Seeing Lin Xiao, the dozen martial arts students were initially stunned, then burst into laughter.

"Sh... Sh... Shut up!" Wang Xiaohu stammered, his face turning red with anger. Wang Daniu and Zhou Dazhu stepped forward, standing beside Lin Xiao, gripping their wooden clubs tightly. The front end of the clubs was thicker and embedded with nails, making them more lethal.

"Done laughing?" Lin Xiao's eyes were sharp, his tone cold: "Done laughing, call your hall master out."

"What are you, to see our hall master?" A tall young man in his early twenties pointed at Lin Xiao, sneering coldly.

As soon as the tall young man finished speaking, Lin Xiao lunged forward and kicked him in the stomach, causing him to bend over and fall to the ground. Just as he was about to get up and counterattack, he felt a cold, sharp sensation on his neck.

A sword, a black iron sword, was pressed against his throat, making his face pale and his body tremble with fear, unable to move, as the other's eyes were filled with a cold, deathly gaze.

"Stop."

"Let him go."

The other martial arts students were shocked and rushed over, while Wang Daniu and the others immediately rushed to Lin Xiao's side, glaring at the martial arts students.

"This sword has cut off three people's hands and pierced two people's throats. Do... you want to try?" Lin Xiao's voice was eerie, like a cold wind, making the martial arts students involuntarily shrink their necks, their bodies covered in goosebumps.

The tall young man, with the iron sword at his throat, trembled and wet his pants.

He didn't want to die, but the person in front of him gave him a sense that he would kill.

"Defeated enemy, one more victory."

A stiff, mechanical voice suddenly sounded, making Lin Xiao slightly startled, but he didn't show it.

"Stop." A deep voice suddenly rang out, carrying an inexplicable authority, instantly dispelling the无形的寒意. The martial arts students scattered, and a middle-aged man in a gray short robe walked over with a stern face. His arms were wrapped in bandages, looking thicker than usual, and his fingers were spread, with prominent joints, exuding a sense of astonishing strength, as if he could crush steel.

"Hall Master."

"Hall Master is here."

The students were delighted, feeling a sense of reassurance.

"Little punk, daring to cause trouble in my martial arts hall, are you tired of your own bones?" The middle-aged man had a fierce appearance, his face stern, his voice low and menacing, his eyes dark and terrifying, making Lin Xiao's heart tremble, feeling as if he were being stared at by a tiger, as if an invisible hand had grabbed his heart, almost suffocating him.

"Lin Wuming, an elite member of Baiyun Gang, is here to collect the regular fees." Lin Xiao maintained his composure, retracting the iron sword, and looked the man in the eye without fear, speaking calmly, each word seeming to take great effort.

"Collecting fees? The last one, Wang Tiegeng, left on his knees begging for mercy. What about you?" The middle-aged man sneered, his eyes growing even darker and more terrifying, his entire body exuding an oppressive aura, making it hard to breathe.

Wang Daniu and the others, along with the martial arts students, involuntarily took a few steps back, feeling their breathing ease, while Lin Xiao stood firm, not retreating a step, though he was secretly surprised that Wang Tiegeng had come and failed.

"Do you want me to break your arms and legs, or crush every bone in your body?" The middle-aged man approached step by step, and in a daze, Lin Xiao seemed to see a tiger approaching, each word and sentence exuding a terrifying aura, the pressure making him feel suffocated and dizzy.

Lin Xiao gripped the sword hilt and scabbard tightly, his teeth clenched, his body tense, struggling to stay conscious.

"You can break my arms and legs, crush my bones, or even kill me." Lin Xiao said with difficulty, his eyes narrowed: "But unless you leave Qingtong Township, others will still come to collect the fees. Even if you leave, as long as you continue to teach, you will still have to pay, either to Baiyun Gang, Qingyun Gang, or Hongyun Gang."

The middle-aged man was slightly taken aback, not expecting this young man to have such insight, unlike a typical gang member. This was unexpected.

"You... have some courage." The middle-aged man retracted his terrifying aura, his voice still low: "To collect the fees, I'll give you a chance."

"I don't need your chance, I'll come back. Let's go." Lin Xiao quickly glanced at his three subordinates, then quickly retreated, turning to run out the door when he reached the entrance.

The middle-aged man was surprised, then smiled slightly, finding this little punk interesting.

Lin Xiao didn't know what the man was thinking, but he was clear that he should not be led by the man, but rather take the initiative and control the situation. The pressure from the man was intense and terrifying, and in a situation where he couldn't turn the tide, decisively giving up was a good choice.

Stepping out of the martial arts hall, the wind blew, and Lin Xiao shivered involuntarily. He realized his back was drenched in sweat, and his mouth had a metallic taste, the taste of blood from biting his gums. His body felt weak, almost to the point of collapse.

It was bad, Lin Xiao realized his condition was poor, feeling as if he had just recovered from a serious illness, weak and exhausted.

He had realized something was wrong and decisively retreated, otherwise the consequences would have been unpredictable.

Lin Xiao was brave and willing to face danger, but he would also temporarily retreat when necessary, to live longer.

Otherwise, what would happen to Zhou Zheng if he died?

Even if he didn't die, a serious injury would be worse, at least he wouldn't drag Zhou Zheng down.

Relying on the gang to take care of you in old age?

Unless you have made significant contributions to the gang, don't think too much, especially for a gang member. Once you're useless, you're useless, and once you're dead, you're dead.

"Brother Xiao, your face..." Zhou Dazhu said with concern.

"Nothing." Lin Xiao replied calmly.

"Brother Xiao, what if we can't collect the fees?" Wang Daniu said anxiously: "We'll be demoted."

"Don't panic." Lin Xiao responded calmly, as panicking wouldn't help. If it really can't be done, then he would have to accept the punishment. A living person can't be held back by a small issue.

Just now, Lin Xiao had wanted to retreat immediately, but the man's aura was too terrifying, targeting and oppressing him. Lin Xiao could only resist with all his might, barely able to speak.

"Is this what a martial arts expert is like?" Lin Xiao thought, feeling a chill.

Baiyun Gang also has martial arts experts, but he is just a low-level gang member from a common family, and martial arts are far from him.

Fortunately, when he became an elite gang member, he received a welfare package, learning a basic桩功 (zhuang gong) and basic swordsmanship, which is one of the factors that distinguishes elite members from regular members. In simple terms, regular members are cannon fodder, while elite members are the true members of the gang.

"Zhou Dazhu, go buy some food." Lin Xiao said.

"Okay." Zhou Dazhu responded immediately.

The four-person team needed a base or a gathering place. Zhou Dazhu lived in a house with a yard, making it suitable as a temporary base for the four of them.

As they left, Lin Xiao asked: "Did you hear any strange sounds in the martial arts hall?"

"Strange sounds?" Wang Daniu scratched his head, thinking hard, then shook his head: "No."

"No... no... no..." Wang Xiaohu stammered in response.

Zhou Dazhu shook his head calmly.

Lin Xiao fell into deep thought.