TWWDS - Chapter 27
Chapter 27
Chao Qingxiu leafed through the account ledgers, sighing over her purse all the while.
What a cash-strapped gang leader she was.
Luckily, besides the assorted properties that brought in only limited income each year, the Zizhuo Gang still had a few other sources of revenue.
Yan Kaixian spent most of the year escorting caravans. As for Xiao Xiangyu, having only just returned from a visit to her family home, she had moved her entire family enterprise, chiefly a dozen or so fishing boats and the workers who helped with the fishing, to the vicinity of Shifang Wharf.
River fish were plentiful throughout Jiangnan. Selling them locally brought a good income, but selling them in the north could fetch dozens of times the southern price.
Then there was Yue Zhiwen. After the Zizhuo Gang had dispersed, he had not carried on through the martial world. Instead, he had gone into business as a bookseller.
He had a talent for broad learning, so naturally he knew quite a bit about medicine. By treating the sick, he had made himself a comfortable living. If he had not found it impossible to forget the tragedy of Gang Leader Shangguan's sudden death, he would probably have retired then and there, sought out a place of clear streams and green hills, and lived as a farmer.
With the three hall masters doing their best, they had just barely managed to hold the gang together.
As for Chao Qingxiu herself... she had little savings and an even lesser talent for making money. The only thing about her worth noting was that ever since transmigrating, one accident had followed another. Looking back, she always found herself wondering, "Did I have the [Case Trigger] active the whole time?"
Chao Qingxiu took the [Case Trigger] from her system space, examined it for a moment, and chose to use it.
[System: [Case Trigger] has taken effect. Remaining uses: 2/3.]
Chao Qingxiu: "..."
She now confirmed two things. First, an item like this would stay quietly where it was so long as she did not truly use it. Second, all the accidents she had encountered before might really have had nothing to do with the system. The public order in Gaofang Prefecture simply had a great deal of room for improvement.
Third, according to the item's description, she would soon be running into a new accident.
Chao Qingxiu stared silently at the thing in her hand, then tossed the [Case Trigger] back into her system space without hesitation and pretended she had done nothing at all.
In any case, the [Case Trigger] would not make cases more likely to occur. It would only make its user more likely to encounter them. So long as she did not stir things up herself, nothing would happen.
Chao Qingxiu rose from her desk, preparing to inspect the gang's condition as she had planned.
She intended to go to Shifang Wharf first.
Chao Qingxiu put lightness technique to use and went straight out through the window, racing through the foliage. Before long, she reached the riverbank.
Xiao Xiangyu was sitting on a fishing boat, angling. A straw hat shaded her head, a stalk of grass hung from her lips, and she looked perfectly at ease. When she heard movement in the distance, she sprang from the boat onto the dock.
"Gang Leader?"
"It's me," Chao Qingxiu said. "I came to see Third Sister Xiao."
After they had exchanged courtesies, Chao Qingxiu explained the purpose of her visit.
She had sought out Xiao Xiangyu to ask for her opinion on developing trade along the waterways.
After all, Gaofang Prefecture bordered a river, the Zizhuo Gang already had riverside property, and waterborne transport was an exceptionally profitable line of business. If they could make a success of it, it would benefit the gang immensely.
Not knowing why the Gang Leader had come, Xiao Xiangyu was taken aback by the question. Then she said, "What the Gang Leader says is, of course, entirely correct."
As someone who understood the patterns of workplace conversation, Chao Qingxiu nodded and waited in silence for the rebuttal. Such an opening was usually followed by a qualification.
Xiao Xiangyu said, "But Fengxiang City is the Baihe Gang's base. They are a gang from Shizhou as well, and they are accustomed to earning their living on the water. If our ships were to berth in Gaofang Prefecture, I doubt they would be pleased."
She left some things unsaid. Gang Leader Shangguan had once had a similar idea and had fought some of the Baihe Gang's experts. In the end, she had prevailed by a narrow margin and won three tenths of the waterborne trade for the Zizhuo Gang.
But since Shangguan Hui's death and the gang's dissolution, their old agreement naturally no longer held.
Chao Qingxiu made a mental note of the names "Fengxiang City" and "Baihe Gang," then smiled. "I see. Then there's no need to rush."
Xiao Xiangyu said, "Still, there is something we can plan to do with the river port. The Baihe Gang may be wealthy and powerful, but since they have not established a Branch Office in Gaofang Prefecture, we can naturally get a hand in the local business."
Chao Qingxiu said, "I know nothing whatsoever about the waterways. I rely on Hall Master Xiao entirely to devise the plan."
Xiao Xiangyu had originally been Branch Chief of a Zizhuo Gang Branch Office. Now that the organization had shrunk so dramatically, it no longer needed a separate branch, so she had naturally been promoted to the gang's Third Hall Master. Yan Kaixian served concurrently as Senior Hall Master, while Yue Zhiwen was Second Hall Master.
Xiao Xiangyu immediately clasped her hands in salute. "I shall not fail the trust the Gang Leader has placed in me."
Chao Qingxiu made it a habit to wander around headquarters whenever she had time, not only to inspect the gang but for another important reason: to practice lightness technique. After finishing her conversation with Xiao Xiangyu, she left immediately, plucking two apricots from a tree along the way.
Watching Chao Qingxiu walk away, Xiao Xiangyu wore a thoughtful expression.
She had noticed long ago that the young gang leader had clear, focused eyes and slow, even breathing, plainly indicating that she had trained in martial arts. Nothing exceptional had marked her movements, but when she reached for the fruit, the slightest lift and turn had been exquisitely precise. She must have studied under a renowned master.
A master would not normally teach an advanced palm art and then an ordinary lightness technique. Chao Qingxiu was therefore probably a master hidden in plain sight, deliberately concealing her martial arts.
Recalling how Chao Qingxiu had remained composed when faced with trouble at Mingsi Hall, Xiao Xiangyu became even more confident in her new guess.
Although she did not know why Chao Qingxiu behaved this way, Xiao Xiangyu was grateful both for having her avenged the late Gang Leader and for securing the antidote. She resolved to keep the secret and never reveal a word of it.
Having already seen Xiao Xiangyu, Chao Qingxiu next planned to visit Yue Zhiwen. On the way, she passed the gang's training ground and paused to watch for a moment.
From the third-floor window of Yanhuan Pavilion, she could see the training ground if she slipped outside and stood atop the trees.
The thought that she was not the only one in the gang studying made Chao Qingxiu's determination to improve each day flare once more.
Li Yao and Li Yi were among them, practicing martial arts. Most of the gang's members had mediocre skills, and few had ever practiced inner strength. What they were training now was a sword art called Five-Step Sword. Their predecessors in the Zizhuo Gang had collected the technique and developed it from Five Animals Play. It belonged to the internal school of swordsmanship. Regular practice strengthened the body, and with time, one could cultivate some vital energy from the outside inward.
The member supervising their training was Qin Yishan, one of Yan Kaixian's trusted confidants who had come with her at the time. When she saw the Gang Leader pass, she greeted her and deliberately said, "Miss Li Yao and Miss Li Yi are very diligent. Their martial arts are coming along well, too."
Qin Yishan knew the Li sisters had known the Gang Leader for a long time, so she made a point of adding this observation. No sooner had she spoken than she saw a smile appear on the Gang Leader's face.
After hearing her subordinate's report, Chao Qingxiu asked, "Is Second Brother Yue here today? I thought I would visit him."
Yue Zhiwen had originally ranked fourth in the Zizhuo Gang. Now that he was Second Hall Master, Chao Qingxiu called him Second Brother.
Qin Yishan replied, "The Second Hall Master went out this morning. He should be back soon."
Chao Qingxiu said, "Then I'll wait for him at Wanjuan Study."
Wanjuan Study was where the gang kept its books. After Yue Zhiwen had left the gang, he had supported himself by running a bookshop, so the hall had naturally fallen under his management. Chao Qingxiu stepped inside and glanced around. Most of the shelves were only half full, plainly exposing the gang's lack of a broad scholarly foundation.
Her gaze lingered for a moment on the cabinet of chess manuals, then she crossed to the shelf of medical books and pulled down a volume of Bencao Zhengyao.
It was, after all, one of the gang's own medical texts, and its contents were highly specialized. The opening alone mentioned numerous common poisons and medicines.
Chao Qingxiu was very interested. Now that she was a true member of the martial world, she might well encounter some sort of poisoning accident one day. The trouble was that her internal power was still far from deep enough. Any poison capable of depriving an expert of fighting power would, if used on her, let her start life over.
Since she could not master inner strength in a hurry, she had no choice but to familiarize herself with common poisons and medicines and guard against trouble in advance.
After reading for about the time it took one stick of incense to burn, Chao Qingxiu was silently memorizing the plants illustrated in the book when she heard footsteps outside. She looked up and saw Yue Zhiwen approaching.
There was a look of pleasure on Yue Zhiwen's face, and he bowed from the waist. "I have kept the Gang Leader waiting."
He had gone out that day to take inventory of what remained of Tian Changtian's belongings.
Most of Tian Changtian's property would be confiscated, while a small portion would be distributed among the gang's members as rewards. Yue Zhiwen selected the things he valued most, packed them into a case, and brought it directly to Wanjuan Study. He said, "This is the fine sword I obtained... obtained from that man. It is quite a good weapon. The Gang Leader has no saber or sword at hand now, so perhaps you could make do with it."
He opened the case. Inside lay a short sword the length of an arm, with two seal-script characters, "Yingchen," carved on its scabbard.
Chao Qingxiu drew the sword. Its light was clear as autumn water, and its edge radiated an icy chill. Now that she was in a gang, any day she might be swept into a group fight without warning. She really did need a handy blade for cutting people. Smiling, she thanked him. "Thank you, Second Brother Yue, for going to such trouble for me."
Yue Zhiwen looked toward the shelves. "Has the Gang Leader studied medicine?"
Chao Qingxiu did not conceal how far she had progressed. "I've only read a few pages. I wouldn't say I have studied it."
Yue Zhiwen had a taste for broad learning. He chatted with Chao Qingxiu for a while and soon discovered that, although she lacked practical experience, everything she had learned was of a high standard. It was plainly not the sort of knowledge an amateur enthusiast would ordinarily encounter.
A thoughtful look crossed his face, and then he nodded as though he had understood.
The two had known each other for far too short a time, and Chao Qingxiu's earlier behavior had left an especially deep impression. Yue Zhiwen came from the same gang as Xiao Xiangyu, and he had formed the same mistaken impression of Chao Qingxiu.
Unlike colleagues who could find time to slack off while clearing out a shipyard or go shopping while inventorying a traitor's belongings, Yan Kaixian had worked solidly from morning till night. One of her subordinates came to report that many people had seen the Gang Leader wandering around headquarters that day, and that she might be growing restless after too much quiet.
Yan Kaixian changed her route to go see Chao Qingxiu. The latter was still not at Yanhuan Pavilion, so Yan Kaixian asked some gang members guarding the area. They said that since the midday break, no one had seen the Gang Leader leave.
In a world of martial artists, seeing no one go out did not mean no one had gone out. There was always lightness technique, disguise, concealed mechanisms, and any number of other highly practical possibilities. Yan Kaixian had always understood that. After confirming that she could hear no movement inside and noticing that the top-floor window was open, she guessed that the Gang Leader must have left by way of the treetops.
Her guess was correct.
For the past several days, Chao Qingxiu had been practicing her palm technique.
The moves recorded in the Yuxuan Taiyin Palm were complex and changeable at first. Fortunately, her memory was good enough that she could still cultivate them slowly. Farther on, however, the moves began to seem utterly inexplicable. Whenever she reached "Pushing the Boat with the Current," she found no way to continue the sequence, and later moves such as "Sorrow Hard to Forget" made no sense to her at all. She simply set the palm technique aside for now and turned to practicing Tizong Art.
Since she could not increase her attack power immediately, she could at least put points into Agility and find a way to improve her chances of survival.
Like many people who had read martial-arts novels, the moment Chao Qingxiu learned lightness technique, she resolved to seize every opportunity to try it. After inspecting headquarters that morning, she had meant to stay in Yanhuan Pavilion and read the documents there, as she had planned. Then she saw birds wheeling outside, found it amusing, and darted out through the window once again.
Drawing on the lessons of her former life, Chao Qingxiu felt that slacking off was the true essence of work.
She had originally meant to try standing on the thin branch of a treetop. Once she realized that her present abilities could not manage it, she pushed off the branch, shot out through the air, and traveled all the way to the gang members' quarters. Only then did she grasp a tree trunk and come to a stop, swaying lightly.
Two parrots that had been preening their feathers turned to look at her, seeming unable to understand why a person had suddenly appeared beside them. Then they beat their wings and flew off.
Chao Qingxiu closed her eyes. Since beginning to train martial arts, she had occasionally experienced flashes of inspiration like this. She would still her breath and quiet her mind, then carefully sense the profound mysteries of heaven and earth.
Only after nearly an hour did she open her eyes again.
The season had reached late spring and early summer. Flecks of floating catkin still dotted the air. The east wind had fallen still, but every time less than the burning of one stick of incense had passed, it would stir again and lazily waft a few white tufts onto Chao Qingxiu's lapels.
Unwilling to disturb the gang members' lives, Chao Qingxiu was turning back when she heard a burst of rather noisy voices from the disciples' quarters.
A familiar voice called out, "I only just came back. I don't know what happened."
The speaker was Li Yi.
Chao Qingxiu pressed lightly against the trunk with her right hand, using the push to drift several feet forward before landing slowly on the ground.
The disciple guarding the gate saw her suddenly appear and saluted with clasped hands. "Gang Leader."
Chao Qingxiu gave a meaningful look. "I was passing by and heard voices. What happened in there?"
At that very moment, someone hurried forward and reported what had happened.
In truth, most of the gang members who had now been summoned back still did not know what sort of person Chao Qingxiu was. Nevertheless, since they had accepted her as their leader, and Yan Kaixian and the others held her in such high respect, none of them dared show her any disrespect. They now reported the whole matter to her in full.
The disciples' quarters consisted of a series of small courtyards, with three to six people living in each. One gang member in the quarters known as A4 was named Song Qi. Her parents had both been old members of the Zizhuo Gang and had now joined the organization again. She lived with Li Yao and Li Yi.
After noon that day, Song Qi had been practicing her writing in the courtyard. When she heard someone call her from outside, she set down her brush and paper for the time being.
A Tenth Commander responsible for the matter stepped forward and addressed Chao Qingxiu. "Reporting to the Gang Leader, a jade pendant that Song Qi had left on the table in the A4 quarters has disappeared. Li Yi suddenly returned a quarter-hour ago, then left again. Since the two women share a courtyard, we asked around about what happened."
The Tenth Commander felt vexed for having allowed the subordinates to shout so loudly and disturb the Gang Leader. But Li Yi was an old acquaintance of the Gang Leader, and the commander wanted to settle the matter before Chao Qingxiu became displeased.
Chao Qingxiu said, "In that case, I'll go and take a look."
The Tenth Commander did not dare stop her and hurriedly accompanied her there.
The disciples' quarters were a group of small square courtyards. When Yan Kaixian and the others rebuilt the gang, they had been unable to invest much here. Conditions were about the same as in Yanhuan Pavilion and offered nothing beyond basic shelter. People could live in rooms on either side of each courtyard and in the main house. Song Qi and the others had carried a stone slab into the center of the courtyard and set it up as a table. It was there that they had been practicing their calligraphy.
Song Qi and the others had already been called to a stop and were standing obediently where they were. They watched their superior lead a very young figure in scholar's dress inside.
She had glimpsed Chao Qingxiu from a distance a few times before and knew that the Gang Leader herself had come, so she bowed respectfully.
Chao Qingxiu swept the area with a glance. On the stone slab lay a neat stack of paper, a brush, and an inkstone. She asked, "Has anyone touched the things on the table?"
A gang member at the side answered, "No."
Chao Qingxiu turned to Song Qi and asked, "What did the jade pendant look like?"
Song Qi said, "It was crescent-shaped, about the size of my thumb, and blue-green." She hesitated, then added, "Perhaps the subordinate misremembered..."
Chao Qingxiu raised a hand in a gesture to stop her, then said, "I have a rough idea of what happened."
Comments
Post a Comment