After listening to Chen Ying's explanation of the general situation, Lu Sheng's frown deepened. The details of the case reminded him of the massacre that had taken place at Brother Xu Daoran's home in Jiulian City—a case still unsolved, with the murderer never found.
He closed his eyes and fell into deep thought. Under the watchful eyes of those around him, he slowly opened them again.
"I'll take on this matter. But I can't promise results. If I fail to resolve it within a year, I will step down from this position."
Chen Ying’s eyes revealed a trace of helplessness. Even the two deputy leaders had hesitated to act on the Wu San incident because of its uncertainties—yet this young man dared to accept the challenge?
"Then so be it," the leader Hong Mingzi said with a hearty laugh. "A newborn calf is not afraid of a tiger. Brother Lu, although you’re taking over the post, if this matter becomes too much, let it go early. We don’t want to lose another Wu San."
Lu Sheng nodded silently.
After further discussion, the actual scope of the responsibilities Lu Sheng would be taking on was confirmed.
He would oversee approximately three hundred elite sword-wielding team members, several shops in Yanshan City, over a dozen farms on the outskirts, and several oil mills. Most notably, he would control more than ten blacksmith shops and craftsman workshops—specialized facilities used for forging weapons and tools for the gang.
Though Wu San’s industries were not vast in number, they were critical to the gang’s operations. This was also the main reason even Deputy Gang Leader Gongsun Zhanglan had wanted to take them over.
However, Lu Sheng wouldn’t be allowed to fully utilize these assets immediately. For now, he was permitted only to mobilize some manpower to address the iron mine issue. Only once that problem was resolved would he officially be recognized as a Foreign Affairs Envoy.
With the meeting concluded, Elder Wang—the Internal Affairs Envoy—approached Lu Sheng personally. He pulled him into his carriage, and the two departed back to Yanshan City.
On the road, Elder Wang formally began to speak to Lu Sheng about his family's famed martial art: the Heart-Shattering Palm.
"The iron mine issue is deeply troublesome. Brother Lu, you must act according to the situation—don’t be reckless. Also, regarding the Heart-Shattering Palm, I want to ask: did you learn it from a man named Zhang Xun in Jiulian City?"
"Yes," Lu Sheng replied with a nod. "It was indeed Captain Zhang Xun who taught me."
"So it is. Zhang Xun was once one of my disciples. At the time, I thought his aptitude was too poor, so I didn’t pay him much attention. I never expected he’d actually reach the level of Tongli..." Elder Wang sighed. "I haven’t accepted many disciples in my life, but sadly, the ones I had high hopes for never amounted to much. The ones I overlooked turned out to be the most promising."
"Brother Wang, that’s what they call planting willows unintentionally and getting shade," Lu Sheng said with a smile.
"Perhaps you're right," Elder Wang replied, shaking his head. "Brother Lu, I wanted to ask—would you be interested in learning the authentic Broken Heart Palm passed down in my Wang family?"
Lu Sheng raised an eyebrow. He knew that the authentic Heart-Shattering Palm was the Wang family’s secret martial art—something not casually shared. It would surely come with strict conditions.
"What do you mean, Elder Wang?"
Elder Wang glanced at him meaningfully. "My elder brother has a daughter—beautiful, gentle, and refined..."
As soon as Elder Wang started speaking, Lu Sheng's expression turned awkward.
"Elder Wang, stop, stop." Lu Sheng quickly waved his hands. "I’m still young. I haven’t even figured out my own path yet—I'm not ready for such a major decision. Maybe once I’ve made something of myself in the martial world, we can talk about it again."
Elder Wang was visibly disappointed. But seeing the sincerity in Lu Sheng’s expression, he didn’t press the issue. He knew the young man was telling the truth. Besides, the situation with Wu San was far from resolved—this was no time to think about marriage arrangements. Elder Wang couldn't help but feel regret. If Lu Sheng hadn’t stepped into this mess, his older brother might have made the proposal personally, and there would still have been a chance...
The conversation soon turned to martial arts. Elder Wang found himself deeply inspired by Lu Sheng’s insights, gaining fresh perspectives and admiration for the young man.
Lu Sheng, in turn, learned a great deal about the current state of the martial world—from gang politics and power structures to how to navigate dangerous situations, and what matters were best avoided or delegated.
After returning to his residence in Yanshan City, Lu Sheng rested briefly and then turned in for the night.
Early the next morning, Wu San’s general—a man named Duan Meng’an—personally came knocking at his door, bringing several men with him.
As soon as Lu Sheng opened the door, he was greeted by two rows of men standing solemnly outside. Each one was burly and muscular, with thick waists and fierce auras.
Before the sun had even risen, the group bowed in perfect unison.
"Greetings, Big Brother!"
Their thunderous voices echoed through the morning air, shaking the wooden beams of the building.
Lu Sheng stood in the doorway, staring at the neatly lined men in their gray uniforms. Their coordinated energy and booming address made him feel like some underworld boss straight out of a martial world tale.
"From now on, just call me... uh... what did you used to call Wu San?"
The man in front—stocky, broad-shouldered, with a crew cut and a face full of flesh—stepped forward.
"To answer Big Brother, we called him Boss Wu."
Lu Sheng’s expression stiffened. The thought of being called "Boss Lu" by a crowd like this made his scalp tingle.
"Just call me Young Master or Sir."
Duan Meng’an, the leading man, scratched his head awkwardly.
"Then I’ll go with Young Master. 'Sir' sounds too formal—like someone with an official title."
"That works." Lu Sheng nodded. "Now, let’s head downstairs. Tell me—what forces can I mobilize at the moment?"
The group quickly moved downstairs, some mounted on horses and others on foot. Lu Sheng and Duan Meng’an climbed into a carriage.
Inside, Duan Meng’an began his report.
"Young Master, at present, you can mobilize four Tongli Realm masters—including myself—alongside 32 skilled fighters. The rest are regular gang members. After Boss Wu's fall, our branch suffered heavy losses. Most of the industries were split up and absorbed by the internal affairs departments. Only the iron mine and a few related assets remain. We’re not what we used to be—please bear with us, Young Master."
"And how exactly do I mobilize them? Is there a password, a token, or something else?" Lu Sheng asked.
"We use a token. It acts like a seal of authority." Duan Meng’an produced a bronze emblem and handed it over. "Our branch is the Sixth—known as the Black Soil Branch. Any brother under Black Soil who sees this token will follow your command, Young Master."
Lu Sheng examined the token in his hand. It was finely crafted, shaped like a fish with intricate patterns of rice ears and pine branches etched into its surface.
As Duan Meng’an continued his explanation along the way, the carriage slowly rolled out of Yanshan City. Flanked on both sides by armed guards, the Red Whale Gang’s banner fluttered in the wind as the group made its way toward the iron ore mine.
The sky gradually brightened, but thick clouds loomed overhead, casting a heavy gloom over the land. Even in broad daylight, everything felt dim and oppressive.
More than half an hour after leaving the city, the carriage rumbled along a black-and-yellow dirt road. Scattered along the roadside were abandoned stone pits—deep scars in the earth.
They looked like craters left by artillery shells, dotting the terrain one after another, east and west. Some spanned over ten meters wide, while others were just a few meters across.
Lu Sheng squinted out the carriage window, his expression growing somber as the strange landscape passed by.
"Why are there so many holes here?" he asked. A foul scent drifted in on the wind—faint but unmistakable. It carried the stench of rotting flesh, like meat left to spoil under the sun.
Duan Meng’an glanced at the pits outside and answered:
"My lord, this area used to be where stone houses for Yanshan City were built. But for some reason, the site was abandoned years ago, leaving behind all these empty pits."
Lu Sheng gave a slow nod.
"How much farther to the mine?"
"We’re about halfway there, still a bit to go."
"No rush. Let me know when we arrive," Lu Sheng said, settling back.
"Yes, Young Master." Duan Meng’an shifted closer to the window, carefully watching the road ahead.
The carriage eventually left the pitted stone zone behind and entered a stretch of rolling hills blanketed in pale white flowers. Compared to the bleak quarry area, this grassland was full of color and quiet vitality.
The convoy pressed forward, winding through the hills, and by noon they finally reached the area surrounding the Red Whale Gang’s mining site.
Here, the gang had established a small wooden settlement. Miners, supervisors, and gang members had once gathered here to form a makeshift village known simply as Iron Mine Village.
This was their destination.
As the wheels clattered steadily over the dirt path, Lu Sheng remained seated by the window, adjusting his breath and meditating lightly—until he was gently nudged awake by Duan Meng’an.
"Young Master, we’re about to arrive at Iron Mine Village."
Lu Sheng opened his eyes and turned to gaze outside.
The carriage slowly rolled past a walled manor. Its high gray-and-white walls were mottled with age and wear, giving off a cold and abandoned aura. There were no signs of life—no movement, no sound—only an eerie silence that clung to the air like fog.
The path curved to avoid the manor, forcing the carriage to take a detour.
As they turned, Lu Sheng’s gaze lingered on the manor. Inside the high walls, the silence felt heavier—almost suffocating. It didn’t look like anyone had lived there for a long time.
"This is Song Family Estate," Duan Meng’an muttered, his face draining of color. Despite his bulky frame and rugged appearance, the fear in his eyes was unmistakable.
Lu Sheng noticed the contrast immediately and raised an eyebrow. "Song Family Estate… is this the manor where the incident happened?"
"Yes, Sir," Duan Meng’an replied, his voice low. "Boss Wu was investigating this place. After entering, he never came out. Later, they found him… in the woods outside..." He trailed off, lowering his head and avoiding the sight outside the window. "The brothers here today are new. They don’t know the story. I’m the only one in the team who remembers what happened at this manor. So please… don’t mention it."
Lu Sheng narrowed his eyes and continued to study the slowly passing manor. As the carriage creaked by its front gate, he noticed something unsettling—the red-painted doors, which should’ve been shut tight, were slightly ajar.
Through the narrow gap, he could see inside.
A courtyard choked by decay. Withered plants drooped over dry soil. Fallen leaves blanketed the ground, while bare branches reached up like claws toward the sky.
"No one lives in Song Family Estate anymore, right?" Lu Sheng asked quietly.
"There used to be," Duan Meng’an replied, almost in a whisper. "The owners were a young scholar and his sister. After the incident… no one knows where they went."
"Doesn’t look like anyone’s left." Lu Sheng leaned forward, peering through the widening view as the carriage rolled past. Each angle revealed more of the forgotten courtyard:
A withered, lifeless tree.
Windows coated in a thick layer of white dust.
White mourning lanterns swaying gently in the breeze.
Pillars marred by long, erratic scratches.
And then—on a stone bridge within the manor—stood a figure.
A scholar.
His hair was unkempt, his robes disheveled. He stood still, almost statue-like, staring directly at the carriage as it passed.
Lu Sheng’s eyes widened. His sharp gaze caught every chilling detail: the scholar’s expressionless face, the crimson veins crawling through his bloodshot eyes, and a deathly pallor across his skin. Had it not been for his wide-open eyes, Lu Sheng would have thought he was already dead.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgOgzI2qcTE
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