Am I the old man who's always by my apprentices' side?

Chapter 208 Baishui Village

Baishui Village is located beside the Baishui River.

Although Baishui River is called a river, it is actually not much wider than a stream.

When Zhong Hui and the others arrived, they could still see many shirtless martial artists swimming in the river, and several women washing clothes on the riverbank. If they hadn't known that this was the White Dragon Gang, they would have thought that this peaceful and tranquil place was some secluded village!
"Is the White Dragon Gang truly infamous?"

Looking at the scenery before him, Ye Hanxing couldn't help but lean close to Zhong Hui's ear and whisper a question.

On their way here, the group had inquired about it beforehand.

To say that the White Dragon Gang runs rampant in the countryside and preys on the people is not entirely true.

After all, the White Dragon Gang relied on collecting protection money to establish itself in the area. Once they collected protection money, they had to actually do something, otherwise, if this continued, it would definitely arouse the dissatisfaction of the local powerful families.

The mountain bandits in Daxing Mountain have never harmed the villages and counties near Baishui River, precisely because the Bailong Gang has always protected the surrounding area.

But it's even more impossible for them to get the people to praise them.

Sun Ping spent money to gather a lot of inside information. It is said that the bandits in Daxing Mountain are all in cahoots. No one knows whether the so-called protection fee of the White Dragon Gang is only for the existing bandits or the bandits who were first collected from the protection fee.

Even more extreme, some say that the bandits were actually raised by the "adults" in the county!
Zhong Hui and his group originally intended to come to the White Dragon Gang, but they gave them a warning and then gave up.

After all, as long as the Peach Blossom Sect is doing well and the industry that everyone has high hopes for is fine, it's always better to avoid trouble.

What truly made them decide to wipe out the White Dragon Gang was that they learned that the gang leader had taken eight concubines!

Originally, it's understandable for someone with money to take concubines, whether for wealth or sex; who doesn't love money and sex? But the problem is that he snatched all eight concubines! Moreover, besides lust for beauty, he also engaged in illicit activities, like the Peach Blossom Sect, where he forcibly seized land, shops, and businesses.

“If the government doesn’t intervene, it means that the two sides have been colluding for a long time. If we intervene rashly, I’m worried that we won’t be able to explain ourselves.”

Feng Guang was the most opposed to everyone interfering in this matter, saying, "The White Stone Immortal Sect is no ordinary martial arts sect now. In fact, it can be considered a 'country.' It's not so easy for countries to get along. If we interfere in the politics of the Xiao Kingdom, that... is probably not appropriate."

Zhong Hui had almost no idea about this. She scratched her head and said, "But Second Senior Sister is also a princess of Xiao Kingdom! She's the 'Grand Princess Who Protects the Nation'!"

Ye Hanxing thought for a moment and said, "I heard that Senior Brother Heshilie's father is General Heshilie of the Shuntian Army Camp in Baozhou. Why don't we write to Senior Brother Heshilie and tell him about this?"

Feng Guang shook his head: "Not to mention that military and political affairs are unrelated, and it is a big taboo for a general to interfere in local government affairs, he is probably already in Longxi now. It is a matter personally given to him by the sect leader. It is not good to send a message or to disturb him rashly."

Zhong Hui stamped his foot in frustration: "Then what do you suggest we do?"

Before Feng Guang could speak, Sun Ping interjected, "Let's just use our power to intimidate them and force the White Dragon Gang leader to hand over all the women he's forcibly taken. Then we can send them to work for the Peach Blossom Sect." "Would that work?"

"It's that simple?"

Zhong Hui and Ye Hanxing both showed signs of doubt.

"People in the martial arts world, especially gangs like this, are the most likely to bully the weak and fear the strong. If you're assertive, they won't dare to do anything." Sun Ping looked disdainfully at the "peaceful" Baishui Village in the distance and said, "Besides, our Baishi Immortal Sect has a great reputation. As long as they hear that we've left a 'messenger,' they can receive messages at any time. What can they do? After you send them away, you go back to Baishi Mountain first. I'll inquire here to see if any sect or gang has a grudge against the Bailong Gang. I'll anonymously send a message, and they'll naturally start fighting amongst themselves. Who knows, the Bailong Gang might even be wiped out by another force!"

"Fine……"

Having no better options, Zhong Hui had no choice but to agree to Sun Ping's "plan." Feng Guang, however, while avoiding Zhong Hui and Ye Hanxing, gave Sun Ping a deep look, and though he didn't say anything, he shook his head slightly.

Sun Ping pretended not to see Feng Guang's hint, and seeing that Zhong Hui and the others agreed, he immediately urged them a few times.

Then, the five men swaggered into Baishui Village, ignoring even the henchmen guarding the entrance.

Zhong Hui and his men had long since mastered the art of shrinking distances, allowing them to cover a distance of more than ten steps in a single stride, making them impossible to stop. Some men, upon seeing this, turned pale with fright and scrambled to the depths of the village to deliver the message.

"Boss! Something terrible has happened—"

"Someone has broken into the village!"

The entire Baishui Village erupted in chaos. A minor leader who appeared to be in charge was the first to step forward, first bowing as a greeting, and then began to chant a secret verse: "Baishui is divided into two mountains, a hidden dragon lies in the southern village, the wind blows the waves, the waves beat against the duckweed, you have come to our door, so please speak freely and do not spoil the harmony!"

This is to inquire about everyone's identity. The first two sentences state their sphere of influence and backing, the middle two sentences explain the business model of their company, and the last two sentences show that the manager, having sensed that the group's intentions were not good, and being confident in his abilities, lowered himself to test them.

Upon hearing this, Sun Ping was about to speak when Zhong Huixian snorted coldly and replied, "The bright moon hangs high over the North Mountain. I don't care who you are, I won't serve your gang!"

Zhong Hui came from the Jade Void Sect, which was one of the most prestigious sects in the north. Naturally, they had their own secret code for identifying themselves. The original code was "The bright moon hangs high over the northern mountains, Jade Void Sect asks the sword." However, the Jade Void Sect was so famous that most people knew who they were just by hearing the first half of the code.

Zhong Hui disliked the White Dragon Gang's methods, so he only said the first half of the sentence, and the rest of his words clearly indicated that he was there to cause trouble.

Upon hearing that it was the Jade Void Palace, the leader was both puzzled and somewhat fearful. He quickly bowed and cupped his hands, saying, "So you are brothers and sisters from the Jade Void Sect. Our White Dragon Gang and the Jade Void Sect are thousands of miles apart, and we should keep to ourselves. I wonder if there is some misunderstanding? Please give me some face, and let's talk it out to avoid drawing swords and hurting our harmony!"

With a "whoosh," Zhong Hui drew a long sword from somewhere. The sword's light was sharp and clearly extraordinary, which frightened the leader so much that he trembled again.

The "grandmother" of the Jade Void Sect brandished her sword and shouted, "What are you talking about! If you know what's good for you, tell your leader to release all the women you've kidnapped, or I'll massacre this wretched village of yours today!"

(End of this chapter)