The moment Su Yu stepped onto the dirt road of Qingxi Village, his brow twitched.
Near his front door, two figures in gray clothes and green sashes swaggered out of his neighbor Uncle Liu's house.
It was Cao Bin's two men!
Through the half-open door, he could see that Uncle Liu's house was a wreck. Smashed tables and chairs littered the floor.
Uncle Liu, his face as wrinkled as old bark, was slumped on the dirt floor, his cloudy old eyes filled with despair. Beside him, his young daughter clung to his arm, sobbing uncontrollably.
When the two men came out and saw Su Yu, they broke into sinister smiles. "You must be Su Yu. We've been looking for you for days. Time to pay your taxes!"
Running right into them, Su Yu's heart sank. He could only force a smile and open his door. "Gentlemen, I've been in the city practicing Martial Arts. I just got back."
"Oh, practicing Martial Arts?"
"So you have money for Martial Arts, do you? Good, good. Then you'll definitely have the money for your taxes."
The two men watched Su Yu with smirks, following him into the house after he opened the door.
"What kind of tax are you collecting, and how much?" Su Yu asked, affecting an air of fearlessness as he casually sat on a wooden stool.
"The Bovine Hide and Sinew Tax. One tael of silver per head! The Grand Gang Leader personally ordered it to support the Black Stone Army, defeat the Black Lotus Sect rebels, and defend Black Stone City!"
Su Yu scoffed internally. 'A fine-sounding excuse, but it's just the Water Snake Gang's pretext for lining their own pockets.'
The Black Stone Army's control over the city and its surroundings was extremely limited these days; the area had long since fallen under the autonomous rule of various factions.
He had asked around about the Water Snake Gang at the martial arts hall over the last few days.
The Water Snake Gang was a faction from the Outer City, roughly equal in power to the Money Gang, the Cyan Salt Association, and the Flying Locust Gang. Its primary territory was along the Black Water River, encompassing areas like Qingxi Town, where Su Yu lived.
Lately, however, they had suddenly grown much more powerful, seizing multiple territories from the Money Gang and the Cyan Salt Association. It seemed they were on the verge of unifying the entire Black Water River outskirts.
'The Water Snake Gang is growing stronger by the day. Direct confrontation is out of the question.'
Having already formed a plan, Su Yu readily took out one tael of silver and handed it over. "If it's to aid the army, then it is my duty."
The two men exchanged a look, a vicious glint in their eyes.
One of them took the silver but didn't leave. He tossed it in his hand, his eyes coiling around Su Yu like a viper. "How's your Martial Arts training coming along? Have you broken through the first gate yet?"
The question made Su Yu's heart clench.
He was well aware of Cao Bin's malice toward the Su Family. His older cousin, Su Hong, had warned him about it before.
"I've been practicing the White Ape Fist for a while now. I'm about to attempt the first breakthrough!"
Seeing Su Yu's calm and composed expression as he spoke, the two men grew uncertain.
The moment they learned Su Yu was practicing Martial Arts, they had decided to cripple him.
After all, Brother Cao's orders were clear: the Su Family must not be allowed to rise. One family member practicing Martial Arts, Su Can, was already one too many. If this Su Yu also trained, who knew what could happen.
However, neither of them had managed to make the first breakthrough themselves. If they fought Su Yu, a victory wasn't guaranteed.
Just as the two were hesitating over whether to cripple Su Yu then and there, a resonant shout boomed from the doorway. "Second Brother! You're back! Why didn't you tell your big brother?"
Su Hong's tall frame crossed the threshold as he strode into the room.
Upon seeing Su Hong, the two Water Snake Gang members instinctively flinched. Of course they knew of Su Hong from the Snow Wolf Gang. They'd heard he had already achieved his first Martial Arts breakthrough; his strength was far beyond theirs.
"Gentlemen, I've paid my taxes. Is there anything else?" Su Yu asked, his tone casual. He felt a wave of relief at Su Hong's arrival.
"Since the taxes are paid, we'll be on our way!"
The two turned to leave, but as they reached the door, they shot him a look of pure venom.
After the two left, Su Hong's expression darkened. He sat down and asked, "Second Brother, are you alright?"
"Good thing you got here when you did, Big Brother." Su Yu poured Su Hong a bowl of water, his voice frighteningly calm. "They were testing me. If you hadn't arrived, they might have attacked."
"Those bastards!"
Su Hong slammed his fist on the table. "They're really going after the entire Su Family. Just a few days ago, they targeted Third Uncle's fish stall again. It's a good thing you've been away. I've been keeping an eye on them, and I figured they'd come looking for you!"
Su Yu's expression turned cold. 'I can't let them keep coming after us like this!'
"Big Brother, have you found a way to deal with Cao Bin?"
"Don't even talk about it." Su Hong shook his head, dejected. "The Water Snake Gang is too powerful now. They've swallowed up several of the Money Gang's streets and aren't showing anyone respect. My superior in the Snow Wolf Gang just told me to endure it."
Su Yu fell silent for a moment, then suddenly rose and shut the door and windows tight.
In the dimness, his voice was low and steady.
"Big Brother, since we can't avoid this, we should strike first. Let's kill those two."
"What?" Su Hong was stunned, staring at his normally level-headed younger cousin.
"If they don't die, they'll keep harassing the Su Family until they've destroyed us completely!" Su Yu's voice was ice-cold.
Su Hong looked again at Su Yu's calm face, deeply shaken. 'After Second Uncle's death,' he thought, 'my younger cousin has changed completely.'
"Alright!" Su Hong was a decisive man himself. He slammed his hand down. "Leave those two to me. Once they're dead, Cao Bin won't have any spare men to target you with for a while!"
"So where do you plan to do it, Big Brother?"
Su Hong began to think. "It can't be in the village, and we won't get a chance in the city. It looks like our only option is to ambush them on the road back."
Just then, Su Yu lowered his voice. "Big Brother, I discovered a hideout they use on the Black Water Riverbank. We could try ambushing them there."
"Good, I'll go take a look! As for you, you haven't had your first breakthrough yet. It's too dangerous, so you're not going!"
Su Yu shook his head, a flicker of confidence in his eyes. "Big Brother, I've joined the Qian Family Fishing Team and learned how to fight underwater. You handle things on land, and I'll take care of the water. It's too dangerous for you to go alone!"
Su Hong tried to argue, but Su Yu was resolute. Left with no choice, Su Hong could only remind him again to be careful.
The two of them settled on the details and decided to make their move at dusk.
...
At dusk, the setting sun, red as blood, stained the reed marshes of the Black Water Riverbank a grim, golden crimson.
Deep within the dense forest, beside a hidden, sheltered bay, Su Yu and Su Hong lay motionless in the tall grass. One held a Fish Spear, the other carried a Broadsword on his back, and both their eyes glinted with murderous intent.
After waiting for more than an hour, they finally spotted the two Water Snake Gang members.
"That Su Can from the Su Family... heard he's talented in Martial Arts and has a chance of becoming a true Martial Artist. Shouldn't Brother Cao hurry up and get rid of them? If we run into Su Can, it could be dangerous for us."
"Relax. The Su Family are just small fry, and the gang has bigger things to worry about right now. Once Brother Cao is finished, he'll come back and deal with Su Hong and Su Can. We'll just have to clean up the rest of the family."
Watching the two men draw closer, Su Yu and Su Hong remained hidden in the forest, not yet making their move.
"Big Brother, wait until they're on the boat. I'll approach from underwater and launch a surprise attack."
"You watch for an opening and move in for the kill!"
Su Yu wasn't taking any chances; his plan was built around a surprise attack.
Su Hong nodded. 'My younger brother is meticulous,' he thought. 'This gives us a much better chance than a head-on assault.'
The two Water Snake Gang members returned to their dilapidated sampan. One ducked under the boat's canopy while the other sat at the stern, coiling a rope.
Su Yu slipped out from the dense woods, Fish Spear in hand, and slid silently into the water.
The moment he entered the water, Su Yu felt a difference.
The Qi and Blood cultivated through his training had greatly strengthened his body, and he now found the cold water much more bearable.
Like a ghost, he slowly made his way to the hull of the boat.
The sky was now dim, and the faint light on the water's surface provided perfect cover for Su Yu.
At the stern, the gang member had just finished coiling the rope. As he prepared to stand, he suddenly felt the boat dip slightly.
SPLASH!
The surface of the water erupted as a hand shot out, grabbed the man's collar, and yanked him down with brutal force.
SPLOSH!