The man the Sanhe Gang sent to take over was named Qian Ming. As it turned out, he was also from Dashu Village. Xu Yang had seen him a few times and was familiar with him.
The Sanhe Gang had a hall nearby, located in the area between Dashu Village, Li Family Village, and Bai Shi Workshop.
Back when he had planned to ambush Li Hu, he hadn't come here. It wasn't because he knew Li Hu was already in hiding, but because this hall had over a dozen men stationed there year-round. Trying to kill Li Hu here would have been unrealistic, which was why he had chosen to ambush him outside the village where Li Hu's mistress lived.
On his way into the city, Xu Yang took a detour to this place. He planned to pay the residence fee to prevent these people from coming to his home and causing trouble.
The Sanhe Gang's residence fee was charged per person: five copper coins a month.
It wasn't a lot of money, but it wasn't a little, either. The amount was calculated to keep you barely scraping by, ensuring you could make a tribute to them every single month.
When Xu Yang arrived, he found that most of the men who used to follow Li Hu had been replaced. Several were unfamiliar faces.
He quickly found the person in charge of records and handed over the ten copper coins he had prepared.
"Which village? What's your name?"
"Bai Shi Workshop. Xu Yang," Xu Yang said.
But after he gave his name, the man didn't write it down. Instead, he shouted to someone at the door, "Go get Master Qian! Tell him Xu Yang is here."
Xu Yang's heart sank. 'Could the Sanhe Gang have discovered that I was the one who killed Li Hu?'
He kept his expression neutral. Soon, Qian Ming arrived—a middle-aged man with a large potbelly.
This man, like Li Hu, was not a Martial Artist. Xu Yang wasn't particularly afraid of him.
Even if the Sanhe Gang had figured out what he'd done, he was confident he could fight his way out of here. The ones he was wary of were the Sanhe Gang's Martial Artists, not these front-line lackeys.
"So you're Xu Yang?" Qian Ming narrowed his eyes, looking Xu Yang up and down. 'As expected of a peasant who's worked his whole life,' he thought to himself. 'His body is certainly sturdy.'
"Greetings, Master Qian," Xu Yang said with a smile, trying to make his powerful frame seem smaller.
In just one month, he had changed a great deal. He had shot up in height, and his body had become frighteningly muscular. It was hard for Qian Ming not to notice.
Qian Ming stared at him for a moment, then his large hand suddenly slapped Xu Yang's chest with a dull thud. Xu Yang used the momentum to stumble back a few steps, a pained look on his face.
Qian Ming was heard exclaiming, "A body like yours is wasted by not being in a gang! Come work for me. I guarantee you'll live the good life—ten times better than slaving away for someone in the city."
Xu Yang's heart sank. 'They want to trick me into joining the Sanhe Gang so they can make a move on Xu Qing. Otherwise, why would they need to call for Qian Ming when I was just here to pay the fee?'
If he refused, it would be a slight to Qian Ming's reputation, giving him an excuse to make trouble.
If he agreed, Qian Ming could do whatever he wanted with him with just a single word.
"You flatter me, Master Qian. I have the courage of a mouse. Following you would only bring shame to your name."
Qian Ming's face darkened. "You look down on me?"
"Kid, Master Qian is giving you a chance. This is an honor for you."
"You don't know what's good for you!"
"How dare you disrespect Master Qian! Kill him!"
...
The lackeys all around started shouting.
Fear washed over Xu Yang's face. "Master Qian, please understand! I deeply admire a hero like you, but I'm currently working for the Huang Family in the city. I've signed a contract. If I break it, the Huang Family will surely not let me off."
He brought up the Huang Family. That should have some effect.
"Fine. If that's the case, I won't force you. I heard you have a sister who's just dead weight, always fighting you for food. The Sanhe Gang wants to buy her. You're not going to refuse me again this time, are you?"
Qian Ming's words were dripping with threat.
'You've already refused me once. Refuse me again, and I'll lose my temper.'
Xu Yang took a deep breath and said, "My sister and I have only had each other to rely on since we were little. I would never sell her, no matter what. If there is nothing else, Master Qian, I must hurry to my work for the Huang Family."
Qian Ming didn't get angry. Instead, he started laughing. "You dare to refuse me twice in a row, yet you claim to be a coward. Go on, then. Since you're unwilling to sell, my Sanhe Gang won't force the deal."
"Thank you for your understanding, Master Qian!" Xu Yang cupped his fists in a salute and turned to leave.
Qian Ming's eyes narrowed to slits as he watched Xu Yang depart. In the end, he didn't press the matter further. Xu Yang mentioning the Huang Family twice had had some effect.
Xu Yang might be a nobody in the Huang Family, but his uncle, Zhou Shunchang, had been with the family since before they rose to power. He surely had some influence.
Besides, if things got too ugly, even these peasants would fight back. At the very least, they couldn't be too obvious about it.
"Doesn't he work in the city? A few of you, get ready. I want to make sure he doesn't make it home tonight."
"Master Qian, if something happens to him tonight, won't the Huang Family suspect it was us?" one of the underlings asked.
If he was threatened today and died tonight, they would be the primary suspects if the Huang Family decided to investigate.
"Then we'll wait a few days," Qian Ming said.
Although the Huang Family had only risen to prominence in recent years, it was best not to provoke them if it could be avoided. None of the major families in the city were simple. If they were easy to deal with, the Sanhe Gang wouldn't be stuck shaking down peasants for money.
...
'Looks like I'll be getting less sleep again tonight.'
Xu Yang walked quickly toward Weiyuan Hall. Just now, Qian Ming had clearly shown killing intent, but he'd been deterred by the Huang Family's name and held back from acting on the spot.
He had originally planned to deal with the Sanhe Gang after Breaking the Gate and Gathering Qi, but it seemed he could no longer wait.
The truth was, the matter of Li Hu's death had only remained a secret because no one knew he was practicing martial arts in the city. Once that was exposed, it would be easy for people to connect the dots back to him. A life-or-death confrontation between him and the Sanhe Gang was inevitable.
'In that case, we'll see who dies first.'
'More than a dozen men... not easy to kill.'
Before leaving, he had discreetly observed the Sanhe Gang's hall. There were thirteen men. Four or five of them were equipped with sabers. If he wasn't careful, forget about killing them—he might not even be able to save his own life.
He had only been training in martial arts for a month. He could handle a few people bare-handed without a problem, but if his opponents had Weapons, even one or two of them would be a danger to him.
As he walked toward the city, Xu Yang mentally reviewed everything he knew about the Sanhe Gang, searching for any useful information.
"Ah Yang!" A voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
He looked up and realized he had unconsciously arrived outside Weiyuan Hall. The person who had called out to him was his cousin, Zhou Xia.
"Cousin, what are you doing here?" Shaking off his thoughts, Xu Yang hurried over.
"What, I can't come visit?" Zhou Xia flashed a mischievous smile.
Xu Yang scratched his head. "That's not what I meant!"
"Dad sent me to check on you."
As she spoke, she opened her hand. Lying in her palm were a few pieces of gleaming silver, which looked to be about two taels. "Dad wanted me to bring you this. He told me to tell you not to give up, no matter what."
Xu Yang first nodded to show he hadn't given up, then immediately shook his head. "I can't take this. Uncle has already helped me so much."
His uncle's monthly stipend of two taels sounded like a lot, but both of his male cousins were married with children and didn't have respectable jobs. Their income was low, so the whole family depended on his uncle for support.
"Dad knew you wouldn't take it. He said it's a loan. Once you become a Martial Artist, you have to remember to pay him back."
"Alright."
Only then did Xu Yang accept the silver from Zhou Xia's hand. He said earnestly, "Thank my uncle for me. And please, tell him that I will definitely succeed in Qi Gathering."