Lu Sheng had never heard of a renowned expert capable of nearly killing a Tongyi-level master with a single palm—and without using internal energy. To put it in perspective, a Tongyi master can momentarily merge the full strength and vitality of their body, rapidly boosting both speed and power.
One Tongyi is nearly equal to the combined strength of two peak Tongli practitioners.
Internal energy typically serves only to enhance speed and strength. So even those famed for mastering both internal and external martial arts shouldn’t outmatch a Tongyi expert by such a large margin.
After much effort, the old man, Wang, was finally rescued. He coughed up a mouthful of blood and slowly regained consciousness. Surrounded by curious gang members, he struggled to sit up and looked straight at Lu Sheng.
"Isn’t this the Heart-Shattering Palm!? Which freak taught you this technique!? Tell me, I swear I won’t beat him to death!"
Lu Sheng froze in place.
"Heart-Shattering Palm... Could it be the same Heart-Shattering Palm that was passed down through Old Wang’s family?" someone murmured, clearly stunned.
"I’m so ashamed of myself!" Old man Wang suddenly shouted. He shook off the people trying to support him and sprang to his feet.
"Where did you learn the Heart-Shattering Palm? You’re using all the wrong moves! Your strength is off! And yet... you still managed to seriously injure me with one strike!? That’s just not fair!"
Despite his frustration, his gaze never left Lu Sheng. In fact, his eyes grew brighter with every second.
Lu Sheng remained speechless. Could it really be connected? He had learned the Heart-Rending Palm from Zhang Xun, the chief constable. He never imagined it would be linked to the old man's family techniques. Judging by the reaction of the crowd, the Heart-Shattering Palm had clearly been a signature of Old Wang’s for a long time. It didn't seem like a coincidence.
"You're stronger than me! Much stronger!" Old man Wang said solemnly, brushing off Zhao Jie’s helping hand.
"I can’t teach you—but my elder brother can! Yes, my elder brother... he can! With your talent, and his strength, maybe—just maybe—we can find a path forward. A glimmer of hope!"
Lu Sheng frowned, confused and intrigued.
The people nearby didn’t quite grasp what Elder Wang meant, but the middle-aged woman’s eyes flickered with a hint of realization—as if she understood his intentions.
“Little brother, are you willing to become a member of my Red Whale Gang?” Elder Wang asked solemnly as he stepped closer to Lu Sheng. Then, he suddenly slapped his forehead.
“Oh right, I forgot—you originally came here to join our gang!”
“Elder Wang... you should rest for now. I can handle things from here,” the beautiful woman said gently.
“Alright then, Ning Zhi, I’ll leave this young man in your care for now,” Elder Wang replied, nodding. He recognized his injuries couldn’t be ignored any longer and needed time to recover.
Before Lu Sheng could say anything, he watched as a group quickly gathered around Elder Wang and escorted him away. Elder Ouyang remained behind, accompanied by a few others.
Those who stayed all looked at Lu Sheng with the same respect and curiosity that Zhao Jie and Elder Xiao had shown earlier.
“Brother Lu, why don’t we move to the inner room and talk there?” Elder Xiao suggested.
“Alright,” Lu Sheng agreed, relieved.
He wasn’t afraid of offending powerful people, but unintentionally harming an old man who held no grudge against him—and possibly gaining the Red Whale Gang as an enemy—felt unfair and unnecessary.
Seeing Lu Sheng agree, Elder Xiao turned to the middle-aged woman to confirm. After receiving her approval, he led the way. Only three people entered the inner chamber—Zhao Jie wasn’t permitted to join.
Inside the room, Elder Ouyang and Lu Sheng took their seats, while Elder Xiao stood silently by to listen.
Ouyang Ningzhi appeared to be in her early thirties, though she was actually over fifty. Her long, shapely legs were crossed at the knees, tilted gracefully to one side. With a full chest, a straight posture, and a refined, elegant figure, she sat with poise and confidence. Her dignified expression only enhanced her striking beauty.
“Brother Lu’s strength—we’ve all seen it. It’s truly extraordinary. The most suitable role for you in the gang would be that of Foreign Affairs Envoy. However, we’re not authorized to make that appointment ourselves. We’ll need to report to the gang leader and wait for all the elders to deliberate before a decision can be made.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Lu Sheng replied with a smile. “My goal in joining the Red Whale Gang is to study and exchange stronger martial arts. The position is secondary.”
“Stronger martial arts? Our gang is second to none in the entire North,” Ouyang Ningzhi said with a smile. “Our gang leader is known as the greatest swordsman in the North. If you’re looking for the finest martial arts, the Red Whale Gang is your best bet. Even the government office can’t compare to us.”
Elder Xiao added his explanation on the side.
“Our boss’s reputation is unmatched in the northern lands. Even the general commander of Yanshan City addresses him as a junior in his presence.”
“Oh?” Lu Sheng raised an eyebrow in mild surprise. While the government might be inefficient, it had still managed to hold power for many years. For a gang leader to be considered on equal footing—or even above—government officials, the strength and foundation of the Red Whale Gang were clearly far from ordinary.
“Right now, ghosts are causing chaos, and many regions are in dire straits,” Ouyang Ningzhi continued. “Several of our elders are currently assisting the government in handling various crises, so the appointment of a Foreign Affairs Envoy may be delayed. For now, I’ll temporarily raise Brother Lu’s position to the rank of Nine Fish. I hope you don’t mind.”
“No problem,” Lu Sheng said with a grin. “Just don’t forget to include the benefits I’m entitled to.”
“What kind of contributions are needed to gain access to the Xuanwu Pavilion in the gang?”
“The Xuanwu Pavilion contains several public martial arts techniques,” Ouyang Ningzhi answered seriously. “Anyone with a rank of Five Fish or above can access the basic ones freely. Those at Nine Fish can access all martial arts up to the Tongli level. Whether internal or external techniques—if it can be trained to the Tongli stage, you’ll have full access.”
“All martial arts up to the Tongli level?” Lu Sheng’s eyes lit up with excitement.
The Tongli level was the current realm of the Black Tiger Saber Technique that Lu Sheng had practiced. According to the manual, the technique could only reach the Tongli stage at best. Anything beyond that—the Tongyi realm—could not be taught and had to be comprehended through personal insight.
That was precisely how Lu Sheng advanced. After some guidance from Zhang Xun, he had grasped the principles of Tongyi on his own.
In fact, there were martial arts manuals that went beyond Tongli—books that offered step-by-step instruction on how to achieve Tongyi—but such texts were exceedingly rare.
“And if you want access to higher-level techniques or direct guidance from masters within the gang, you’ll need to earn gang contributions,” Ouyang Ningzhi added with a smile.
She and Elder Xiao went on to explain some basic knowledge about the Red Whale Gang.
For example, the gang’s ranking system was indicated by fish symbols embroidered on their clothing. Ordinary members all the way up to leaders wore garments marked with one to nine fish, with nine being the highest.
Above that rank came the white whale insignia, representing the elders and officers responsible for internal and foreign affairs. The double white whale mark was unique to the two deputy gang leaders. And finally, there was the red whale symbol, the exclusive emblem of the gang leader.
After their conversation, the afternoon had waned into early evening. Ouyang Ningzhi excused herself and left.
To celebrate Lu Sheng’s induction, Elder Xiao and Zhao Jie invited him to a banquet at a nearby restaurant. They drank and laughed, and after several rounds, Elder Xiao set down his cup and sighed deeply.
“To be honest, the world is full of peril. Even in our gang, the casualty rate is high—so there’s always a strong demand for capable fighters.”
“The casualty rate is high? What exactly do you mean by that, Brother Xiao?” Lu Sheng asked, puzzled. He had his suspicions, but kept them to himself.
Elder Xiao gave a bitter smile.
“Brother Lu may not realize it, but Yanshan City only appears peaceful and prosperous. In the shadows, threats lurk, and people die every day without a sound. Our Red Whale Gang is one of the main forces dealing with these hidden dangers. In fact, we’re often leading the charge.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIazG90nbiB
Why do you think the court tolerates the existence of so many gangs like ours?”
Lu Sheng narrowed his eyes slightly, caught off guard by the man’s honesty.
“Dangers? What kind of dangers are there in Yanshan City?”
Zhao Jie, who had been listening quietly, suddenly chimed in, unable to hold back any longer.
“Brother Lu, I hope you don’t mind if I call you that?”
“What’s the harm?” Lu Sheng said with a casual smile, waving his hand.
Zhao Jie spoke again, his face full of bitterness.
“You have no idea how dangerous this world really is. More than a dozen people join our gang every single day. That’s over three hundred days a year—do the math, that’s more than three or four thousand people annually! With numbers like that, over so many years, why do we still only have a few tens of thousands in the gang?”42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcFxrZ8DnBX
“Where do you think the rest went? They’re either dead or crippled.”
Elder Xiao sighed softly and added,42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOBHBx7f4AR
“Judging by what Zhao Jie said, our Red Whale Gang is doing relatively well. Even if we can’t always fight, at least we get some benefits. Other sects out there... they’re suffering far worse.”
The lantern in the private room flickered, casting long shadows on the walls. For a while, the three of them sat in silence.
After a moment, Lu Sheng finally asked quietly,42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjZcgyoRTqs
“I wonder... what exactly are these dangers you’re talking about?”
“There’s no need to tiptoe around it,” Elder Xiao waved his hand casually. “Most of what we deal with are man-made disasters. Arresting criminals—murderers, arsonists, thieves, and rapists. Then there’s the usual gang business: fighting over territory, resources, and clashing with old rivals. All of these are just the human side of disaster.”
He paused briefly before continuing, his voice lowering.
“But sometimes, we encounter black disasters. These are the strange and inexplicable things. Like a while back—remember Wang Yuanwai in the city? His two daughters vanished overnight. When they were found, they were lying under a willow tree by the Songbai River, their bodies covered in thick black hair. If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t have believed it even if someone told me.”
“Is that... really true?” Zhao Jie asked in shock.
“True. Absolutely true. I saw the girl myself—she was only eleven or twelve, and her entire body was covered in black hair, even clothes couldn’t conceal it. Later, Wang Yuanwai begged our gang for help, and it was our Foreign Affairs Envoy, Li, who handled it. He personally put the girl down. They say that when he acted that night, the entire courtyard sounded like thunder.” Elder Xiao’s expression was filled with a mix of awe and sorrow.
“Black disasters... do they happen often?” Lu Sheng asked, his eyes narrowing. He could tell that this term was the gang’s way of referring to supernatural events.
“Not frequently—but they do happen every few months. Sometimes more, depending on the season. Usually, if you ignore them, they fade on their own. And even if they don’t, they rarely spread. Most stay confined to a small area. As long as you avoid that place, you’re safe,” Elder Xiao explained.
Lu Sheng nodded slowly. He understood now how most ordinary people dealt with these eerie, unexplained occurrences—by staying away and hoping to be left untouched.
“Speaking of which, something strange happened nearby not long ago. Brother Lu, have you heard about it?” Zhao Jie suddenly cut in.
“What strange thing?” Lu Sheng asked, his tone calm but curious.
Zhao Jie furrowed his brows and lowered his voice.
“There was a scholar named Wang Ziquan who lived in the area. One night, for some unknown reason, he went out to a pleasure boat... and never returned. He just vanished. Not long after, there was quite an uproar about it.”
Elder Xiao picked up where Zhao Jie left off.
“I remember that. I even asked the higher-ups if we should intervene, since the incident was stirring up a lot of public fear. But the reply we got was straightforward—‘No need. Leave it alone. Things will settle down soon enough.’”
Lu Sheng narrowed his eyes, a subtle glint flashing within them. He remained silent, but a faint realization was already forming in his mind.
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