Chapter 86

Chapter Eighty-Six: Persuasion

In the Law Enforcement Hall, a man in white stood by a pillar, his hands behind his back, gazing intently at the patterns carved on the pillar. His white robe was slightly wrinkled and stained with blood, but these imperfections only accentuated his sharp eyebrows and straight nose, giving him an imposing presence that defied any sign of dejection.

Ou Peng entered the Law Enforcement Hall and immediately saw the man in white. The man, hearing the sound, turned around. Their eyes met, and Ou Peng stopped in his tracks. The man in white also froze, and they stared at each other for a moment. Both of their eyes narrowed simultaneously, then they withdrew their gazes. The man in white returned to examining the patterns, while Ou Peng resumed his steps, walking to the chair in the center of the hall and sitting down.

Ou Peng sat in the chair, silently observing the tall figure in white before him, deep in thought. The man in white did not look at Ou Peng directly, and the air in the hall became tense.

The Six Tigers of Piaomiao also entered the Law Enforcement Hall. Hu Yunyi, the leader, sat to Ou Peng's right, while the others stood, including Liu Yuzhou. After a while, some of them grew impatient. Liu Qingyang, the fifth elder, frowned and said, "You, Yu, you have been captured by our Piaomiao Sect. Why are you still putting on airs? Do you want me, Liu Qingyang, to give you a taste of my axe?"

Ou Peng was annoyed and glared at Liu Qingyang, lightly scolding him, "Fifth Brother, hold your tongue."

Liu Qingyang was不服气 (unwilling to back down) and said, "Third Brother, this fellow..."

Before he could finish, the man in white said, "Since I have been captured, my life is in your hands. Why should I say more?"

Ou Peng smiled and said, "Brother Shui, don't take it to heart. My fifth brother is just a rough man. Don't let his words bother you."

The man in white, Shui Yupeng, snorted and said nothing more.

At this moment, Shangguan, the fourth elder, spoke up, "Brother Shui, do you still think this is your Luoshui Gang? Since you know you have been captured by us, you should have the awareness of a prisoner, not act so righteous, as if we captured you by some fluke, thus disgracing your martial arts."

Shui Yupeng glanced at Shangguan, but said nothing.

Shangguan continued, "I know what you are thinking. You believe that our Piaomiao Sect's sudden attack caught the Luoshui Gang off guard, leading to your defeat. If the Luoshui Gang had been more alert, it would have been us who were wiped out, right?"

Shui Yupeng snorted and said loudly, "These are just petty tricks, not worthy of mention."

Shangguan also snorted and said sternly, "What petty tricks, what despicable means, what plots, what schemes—whatever it takes to win is a good strategy. In the martial world, there is no need for justification or righteousness. Brother Shui seems to have forgotten the rule of the jungle, where the strong prey on the weak."

Shui Yupeng said, "I don't need you, Shangguan, to remind me. I know it well."

Shangguan replied, "Since you know this, you should also know that any gang that can merge others will one day be merged itself. You reap what you sow. Brother Shui, you haven't forgotten how the Luoshui Gang grew, have you?"

At this, Shui Yupeng's face became uncertain, and his resolve wavered slightly.

Seeing this, Hu Yunyi spoke up, "Brother Shui, are you still lamenting your plan to attack the Xinrong Sect? Did our intervention ruin your plans?"

Shui Yupeng's face darkened, and he said, "That's right. The Luoshui Gang has always relied on the Luoshui River for survival, with no base on land. To develop, I planned for years to incorporate the Xinrong Sect, but your interference thwarted my efforts. If we hadn't been so focused on Xinrong, you wouldn't have had the chance to succeed so easily."

Shangguan laughed and said, "As the ancients say, those who scheme against others will be schemed against. Brother Shui, you must have heard this before. Moreover, the story of the mantis and the cicada is not uncommon in the martial world. Being ambushed by our Piaomiao Sect only shows that you were too careless. You could plot to move onto land, but the gangs on land could also plot to move into the water."

Shui Yupeng sighed and said, "Man's plans are inferior to heaven's. If heaven has forsaken me, what can I say?"

Ou Peng then smiled and said, "Brother Shui, you are mistaken. It's not that heaven has forsaken you; it's that heaven has opened its eyes."

Shui Yupeng was taken aback and asked curiously, "What do you mean, Great Leader Ou? Are you saying that your Piaomiao Sect's annexation of the Luoshui Gang is actually a great help to me?"

He then laughed coldly.

Ou Peng, seeing this, did not argue but asked, "Does Brother Shui know the background of Xinrong Sect's leader, Zhao Xin?"

"Zhao Xin?" Shui Yupeng said with disdain, "Isn't he just a bandit who received funding from a wealthy merchant in Yucheng, allowing him to survive in the gaps between the sects? What background could he have?"

"What about Zheng Rong?" Ou Peng continued.

"Zheng Rong?" Shui Yupeng was puzzled and said, "Isn't he the second-in-command of the Xinrong Sect? A scholar whom Zhao Xin robbed on the mountain? They say they became friends after a fight, and Zheng Rong joined the bandits."

Ou Peng smiled and said, "Brother Shui is correct. Later, Zheng Rong realized that robbing on the mountain was not a sustainable way of life, so he facilitated Zhao Xin's connection with the wealthy merchant in Yucheng, leading to the establishment of the Xinrong Sect between Yucheng and Pingyang."

Shui Yupeng nodded involuntarily as he listened.

Then, Ou Peng asked, "Why do you think the wealthy merchant would cooperate with a bandit with no background?"

Shui Yupeng thought for a moment and said, "According to our information, the merchant wanted to expand his influence and gain fame, not just limit himself to business."

Ou Peng asked, "Why didn't the merchant seek help from the major sects in Yucheng or the Piaomiao Sect in Pingyang?"

Shui Yupeng said, "Perhaps he thought Zhao Xin was easier to control? If he cooperated with a major sect, he would be left with nothing."

Ou Peng laughed and said, "That makes sense. But Brother Shui, why do you think the Xinrong Sect, so close to our Piaomiao Sect, has not been annexed by us, but we instead targeted the Luoshui Gang?"

Shui Yupeng laughed and said, "How would I know? Perhaps you thought the Xinrong Sect was just a fly, with too little meat to be worth the effort."

Ou Peng said, "Brother Shui is wrong. If the Piaomiao Sect could annex the Xinrong Sect, our influence would immediately extend to the vicinity of Yucheng, which would be a significant benefit for us."

Shui Yupeng was puzzled and asked, "Then why hasn't Great Leader Ou made a move?"

Ou Peng smiled mysteriously and said, "Because of Zheng Rong."

"Zheng Rong?" Shui Yupeng was stunned.

Ou Peng continued, "Zheng Rong is a lay disciple of Changgeng, the Law Enforcement Elder of Dalin Temple!"

Hearing this, Shui Yupeng drew a sharp breath. As the leader of a gang, he was not lacking in strategic vision; he was only lacking in information. This information asymmetry directly led to the different judgments he and Ou Peng had about the Xinrong Sect.

Neither of them was a fool. Once Ou Peng pointed this out, Shui Yupeng immediately understood.

He was about to touch the tiger's tail.

The word "abandoned" could lead to many thoughts. First, as the saying goes, even when beating a dog, one must consider the owner. Although Zheng Rong is an abandoned disciple, he is still from Dalin Temple. Even if Dalin Temple no longer wants him, it doesn't mean they won't care. Punishing an abandoned disciple is not showing respect to Dalin Temple. Moreover, even if Dalin Temple doesn't intervene, the Law Enforcement Elder could still show concern from a personal perspective. The Law Enforcement Elder of Dalin Temple is not someone the Luoshui Gang can provoke. Not to mention the connections in the martial world, just the disciples of Elder Changgeng could destroy the Luoshui Gang.

Second, "abandoned" implies the possibility of "return." No one knows when the abbot of Dalin Temple might change his mind and take the abandoned disciple back. This possibility cannot be ignored. Moreover, the abandoned disciple of Dalin Temple has not been publicly announced to the martial world. Even Ou Peng learned this through a very secret channel. If one day Dalin Temple declares that the "abandonment" was a mistake, anyone who acts against the Xinrong Sect would become an enemy of Dalin Temple.

Sigh, the word "abandoned" is used brilliantly by Dalin Temple.

Thinking about this, Shui Yupeng felt disheartened, and his expression became bleak.

However, he still said sarcastically, "Even if the Luoshui Gang fails to annex the Xinrong Sect and is instead destroyed, or falls into the hands of Dalin Temple, it would still mean the destruction of our gang. What difference does it make from the current situation? Great Leader Ou, you are just a hundred paces ahead of me, but you have the right to laugh."

Ou Peng smiled and did not argue. Instead, he looked at Li Jian, who nodded and stepped forward. He came to Shui Yupeng, drew his sword, and with a wave, Shui Yupeng thought his end had come. He closed his eyes, ready to die heroically. But after a long wait, he felt no pain and opened his eyes in surprise, looking at Ou Peng.

Ou Peng smiled at him, just as before, saying nothing.

Shui Yupeng looked at Li Jian in confusion, but was then stunned by what he saw.

"Is... is this a sword aura?" Shui Yupeng, pale-faced, looked at the fluctuating light at the tip of Li Jian's sword and exclaimed, "Is there really such a sword technique in this world?"

After a while, he took a deep breath and said, "Li Jian's martial arts have reached such a high level. I have no words to say about my defeat."

Then, he said to Ou Peng, "I thought being ambushed by Great Leader Ou was just bad luck, and that you had tricked me. I was distracted during our fight and thought you were just average. Now I realize that you were holding back."