Gou Zai Wu Dao Chao Shi Xing Nian Da Gong

The headquarters of the Black Snake Gang.

Wu Xiangwei sat imposingly at the head of the hall, his face gloomy, a hint of impatience in his eyes.

Two vice leaders of the Black Snake Gang, Zuo Hu and Tian Wenchang, sat on either side of the main hall.

The three of them were sworn brothers, with Wu Xiangwei being the eldest, Tian Wenchang the second, and Zuo Hu the youngest.

"Brothers, the black market auction is in half a month, and we absolutely cannot miss that twenty-year-old Five-Element Flower. To secure it, we need to raise 30,000 taels of silver. We're still short 10,000 taels. What do you think we can do to get it?"

"Brother, if you ask me, we should just go out of the city and rob a few wealthy households, and that will raise enough money."

A fierce glint flashed across Zuo Hu's face as he spoke in a ruthless tone.

He had a leopard-like head and bulging eyes, a face full of scars, a tall and strong body, arms as thick as horses could run on them, and a pair of iron fists as big as vinegar jars. He was a disciple of the Iron Fist Martial Arts School and was proficient in Iron Sand Fist.

Iron Fist Martial Arts School never forbids its disciples from joining gangs; on the contrary, it encourages them. As a result, its disciples develop domineering and arrogant personalities, becoming notorious bullies in their respective areas. Because of this, they and the benevolent Hammer Cloud Martial Arts School dislike each other, especially since both sides practice heavy fist techniques, making them even more unwilling to submit to each other, and their relationship is like that of mortal enemies.

This Zuo Hu possessed the cultivation level of the early stage of the Bone and Tendon Realm. He had committed countless evil deeds with the Black Snake Staff, and his infamous reputation could stop children from crying at night.

"Second brother, you are mistaken. Because of Gao Fei's incident, the government has been keeping a close eye on us. If we rob wealthy households now, we will surely face a swift and severe crackdown. At that time, the three of us brothers will be like stray dogs."

Tian Wenchang shook his head and retorted.

He was thin and wiry, dressed in a scholar's robe and a headscarf, befitting a middle-aged scholar. He usually enjoyed pedantic writing and indulging in refined tastes. However, he also possessed exceptional physical and mental skills and was adept at using insidious hidden weapons, causing his opponents considerable trouble.

"This won't work, that won't work, so what do you suggest we do?"

Upon hearing this, Zuo Hu angrily retorted.

"Yeah, second brother, you're full of clever ideas, hurry up and think of a way."

Wu Xiangwei looked at Tian Wenchang with anticipation and said.

"Brother, I think we should approach this from two angles. That should guarantee we can raise ten thousand taels of silver within half a month."

Tian Wenchang remained calm in the face of the questioning, and smiled confidently.

"Oh? Tell me quickly." Wu Xiangwei's eyes lit up and he hurriedly asked.

"First of all, we must exploit every opportunity in the local industries, without worrying about the future. Once you, Brother, overcome this obstacle in your internal organs, everything will fall into place."

"The local neighborhoods must continue to exploit the lowly, and the protection fees should be increased by another 50%. Especially for those with some wealth, we must find a way to confiscate their property."

"There's no need to keep those fat sheep at the gambling den until the New Year. Let's slaughter them all and we're sure to make a fortune."

"..."

"Secondly, as Third Brother said, we should go out and plunder. However, we must not target the powerful families in the surrounding towns. Have Third Brother lead men out to contact the bandits on the Blackwater River and intercept merchant ships. Do not target the major powers in the inner city, only those in the outer city."

(Please remember the website ①⓪①ⓚⓚⓢ.ⓒⓞⓜ for the fastest chapter updates)

"However, this matter must be carried out in secrecy. We must silence all witnesses and ensure our identities are not exposed."

After Tian Wenchang finished speaking, he added a sinister reminder.

"good!"

"This first task is for you to handle, Second Brother."

"The second thing, Third Brother, aren't you on good terms with Li Chong, the chieftain of Fishbone Bay? Go contact him and pull off a heist together. Let me know in advance if you encounter anything tricky, and I'll handle it personally."

Upon hearing this, Wu Xiangwei slapped the armrest of his chair, his gloom vanished, and he confidently set out his plan.

"Yes, sir!"

......

Wang's Lianfeng Ship, located right next to the moat of the southern city, was shrouded in thick smoke all day long, with the deafening sound of iron hammers and black water gushing into the river.

The ironworks, warehouses, and residences stretched out in a large area, occupying most of the riverbank.

Wang Teng led Zhou Sheng through the most spacious courtyard in the middle, giving him instructions in a low voice as they walked.

"My father just returned home today and agreed to meet you. Show me what you've got, and I'll help you increase your payment."

Zhou Sheng nodded silently, his face showing no emotion.

Wang Teng's father is the head of the Wang family. It would be good to be highly regarded by him, but he wouldn't care if he was looked down upon, since he has his grandfather, who is his greatest support.

"Father, I've brought Zhou Sheng, the retainer, to see you."

Once outside the study, Wang Teng raised his voice and shouted.

A voice came from inside saying "Come in," its tone authoritative.

The two pushed open the door and entered. Wang Ganwang sat in the central armchair, with a handsome young man standing beside him. His features resembled Wang Teng's.

"Father, elder brother, this is my fellow disciple Zhou Sheng, who has come to our Lianfeng Ship to serve as a test weapon offering."

Wang Teng quickly introduced.

Zhou Sheng stepped forward, cupped his hands in greeting, and said, "Greetings, Patriarch Wang, greetings, Brother Wang."

"He is indeed a handsome man."

Wang Ganwang forced a smile and casually praised her. Then he said a few polite words like "The Wang family will not mistreat you," before waving his hand and saying, "Go ahead."

Wang Teng wanted to say something more, his lips moved, but he ultimately didn't utter a sound and led Zhou Sheng out.

After the two left, Wang Ganwang looked worried and rubbed his temples.

"Look at your brother, what kind of people does he hang out with? I told him to befriend that Zhao Xiong, but he said he couldn't stand him. He never gives me a moment's peace!"

"Father, please calm down. My second brother is just a bit naive. Although his friends may not have much potential, they are all honest and reliable," Wang Jin advised with a helpless expression.

Wang Ganwang shook his head and changed the subject, "Forget it, let's not talk about him. The leak of that batch of bows and armor last time put us in a very passive position. If it weren't for Patriarch Zhang personally intervening, our Wang family would probably have been completely ruined."

"You must personally go to transport this shipment to the prefectural city. Nothing can go wrong."

"Father, don't worry, I will find more guards."

...

"Junior Brother Zhou, let me take you to the Lianfeng Ship first, so you can get to know some of the blacksmithing masters. You'll need to work with them when there's work to be done in the future."

After leaving, Wang Teng led Zhou Sheng towards the blacksmith shop.

The two soon arrived at a blacksmith shop, where the sounds inside were deafening, the red-hot furnace radiating waves of heat, and a dozen shirtless men were busy working, sweating profusely.

"Where is Master Yu?"

Wang Teng looked around but couldn't find anyone, so he pulled over a blacksmith to ask.

"They've gone to the back to test the knife," the man replied loudly.

Wang Teng then led Zhou Sheng towards the backyard.

Soon, they arrived at a spacious area where various strange objects were set up, including human-shaped wooden stakes, stone blocks, and sandbags wrapped in black iron sheets, which looked like they were for martial arts training but didn't quite seem to be.

A robust old man with gray hair and beard stood in the center of the room, holding a gleaming long knife in his hand. He handed it to a middle-aged man, while repeatedly giving him instructions.

The middle-aged man nodded, then took out his long knife and began hacking at the strange objects.

Zhou Sheng recognized that the person was using the basic sword technique that Wang Teng had taught him a few days ago.

"Five parts strength, chop the tin target. Ten parts strength, chop the wooden dummy..."

The robust old man watched from the side, making demands repeatedly.

The middle-aged man did as he was told and worked up a good time, soon working up a sweat.

"This knife test doesn't seem to be as simple as it appears."

Zhou Sheng thought to himself. He looked at it even more carefully.