The sun was setting slowly, preparing to hide deep into the mountains as darkness enveloped the surroundings. As the day grew darker, cooking smoke rose one after another, filling the air with the aroma of various foods.
Wei Tao had finished a day of hard work. He first attended to the daily affairs of the Martial Arts Hall, arranging the supplies to be purchased the next morning. With his tasks completed, he left the hall before nightfall.
After about fifteen minutes, he turned out of the long street and crossed narrow lanes, finally reaching the entrance to Medicine Stone Lane. Suddenly, a faint noise reached his ears from not far away. The sound consisted mainly of a woman crying, mixed with the impatient scolding of men.
Wei Tao followed the sound and turned his head, recognizing the house where a young couple, who had recently moved in, resided. Just as he passed by the door, the woman's cries suddenly escalated, turning into hoarse wails.
Immediately following the cries, there was a crackling sound, and a husky man's voice spoke fiercely, "A debtor must pay his debt. If you can't afford it, then your woman will have to go with us. Whether she becomes a slave or is sent to a brothel to sell her body, it has nothing to do with you."
The poor couple mourned their fate, but the reality was that a debtor must indeed pay his debt. Wei Tao had witnessed similar situations before and had no interest in intervening. Thus, he quickened his pace and made his way towards his own home.
However, the woman continued to cry, "When I first borrowed the money, we agreed to borrow ten and repay twelve, with a two percent interest. But now you say it's nine out of thirteen, clearly robbing us of our money."
A loud bang echoed through the air as the door to the courtyard was forcefully knocked open. A disheveled-haired woman was thrown out, landing on the gravel road in the middle of the alley.
Wei Tao stopped in his tracks and looked back, observing the distressing scene.
He happened to glance at the man who had just emerged from the doorway. The man was robust and muscular, with bulging muscles on his shoulders and arms that exuded a fierce and brutal aura at first sight.
Wei Tao's brows furrowed slightly as he recognized the man's identity. While he didn't know the man's exact name, he knew him by the nickname Black Crow. Black Crow was a minor leader of the Black Clothes Gang who used to frequent Medicine Stone Lane.
A neighbor's house had been extorted by Black Crow, resulting in a settlement involving a drug gang. Despite the resolution, a significant sum of money was lost, and all the medicines that had been collected from the mountains for half a month were wasted.
After that incident, Black Crow had disappeared for a while, but to Wei Tao's surprise, he had reappeared, engaging in high-interest loan activities.
Black Crow was accompanied by several men dressed in black. The bulges around their waists hinted at concealed weapons, their purpose unknown.
Black Crow was about to step forward and grab the woman's hair when he noticed Wei Tao standing a few steps away, silently observing. Black Crow's initial expression of fierceness and warning shifted to a slight startle.
His gaze turned into a mix of surprise and recognition as he stared at the red moire lines on the shoulders and cuffs of Wei Tao's training gown. Black Crow seemed to want to say something but ultimately chose to cup his fists together and give a respectful salute before swiftly turning away.
The men behind him followed suit, quickly leaving the scene without even daring to raise their heads.
As a former member of the Black Clothes Gang, Black Crow swiftly identified the young man in front of him by the red-striped training uniform on a black background. While they might not fear an honorary disciple of the Red Line Martial Hall, the red stripes on a black background denoted an inner court direct disciple, completely altering the situation.
Even within the outer city, the Red Line Martial Hall held a position of considerable power.
Although it may not rival the larger gangs closely connected to the inner city, the Red Line Martial Hall was still not an entity that people like Black Crow could provoke.
Wei Tao regulated his qi and blood flow, watching the departing figures with an expressionless face, never uttering a word from start to finish. If a real fight were to break out, it would be fortunate if the opponents didn't wield sharp weapons. If a few individuals charged at him with knives, it would be hard to say who would emerge alive in the end.
The woman behind him continued to whimper and cry, her voice fading into the darkening night. The rest of the houses remained shut, with no one daring to step out and investigate. Such was the state of affairs in the peripheral zone of the outer city. The residents felt as though they were submerged in a cold, murky pond, uncertain when they would sink to the bottom and become colder corpses.
Upon arriving home, a meal had already been prepared and set on the table. The soup consisted of boiled wild vegetables, the dish was chilled wild vegetables, and the staple food remained wild vegetable dumplings. This was a common autumn meal for the family. It allowed them to save a bit during this time, accumulating enough provisions and funds to endure the harsh winter of heavy snow and mountains.
Wei Rongxing lifted the lid and placed a large bowl of stew in front of Wei Tao. He then poured him a small bowl of shochu.
"Tao'er, you work hard all day, so you should eat more meat to replenish yourself."
"I had a full meal at the Martial Arts Hall during noon, and so did Father."
Wei Tao attempted to push the meat-laden soup pot away, but Wei Rongxing resolutely stopped him.
"Eat, I can make do with the wild vegetables, and I don't have to work at night."
As he spoke, he picked up the wooden bowl at hand and swiftly finished the boiled wild vegetable soup.
"Today, I encountered Black Crow from the former Black Gang," Wei Tao remarked casually while picking up a stewed piece of meat with his chopsticks and taking a sip of wine.
"Oh, he joined the Qinghe Society, and now this small area is considered their territory," Wei Rongxing replied.
After a pause, he added, "This man came to our house in the afternoon and collected eight hefty protection fees."
"He collected eight hefty protection fees from our family?"
Wei Tao narrowed his eyes, his face reflecting the flickering light of the oil lamp.
"Yes, when the Wuyi Gang was in control, it was always six big bucks per month, but now that it's under the Qinghe Society, they've raised it by two," Wei Rongxing explained as he picked up a wild vegetable dumpling, deftly splitting it in half and adding some pickles.
"There's no other choice. We pay for peace, but these are just trivial matters. You don't need to worry about them. Focus on your cultivation at the Martial Arts Hall."
Wei Tao nodded, finished the soju in his bowl, and pushed most of the remaining stew back to the center of the table. "I'm full. Let's save this meat for another time."
"I'm not hungry. Just eat some wild vegetables..." Wei Rongxing was about to decline, but Wei Tao had already stood up and walked out the door, leaving him no choice but to take the bowl of stew for himself.
After the meal, Wei Tao performed a few sets of punches in the courtyard, wiped his body with a damp towel, and returned to his small stone house to lie down and sleep. Perhaps due to the recent rain and fog, the house felt damp with a faint musty smell. Wei Tao opened the window, allowing the moonlight to cast a slanted glow in the corner, giving a faint brightness to the green moss.
"I need to find a way to earn some money. I can't keep living in these conditions all the time."
"And as for the Qinghe Society, I'll go to the martial arts hall tomorrow and ask Senior Brother Peng if he knows anything about them."
Gazing up at the crescent moon hanging in the night sky, numerous thoughts raced through Wei Tao's mind until he drifted off to sleep unconsciously.
..................
"The Qinghe Society?"
Peng Yue finished a set of punches, picked up a towel, and wiped the sweat off his face. He furrowed his brow, pondering for a moment before shaking his head.
"I haven't heard of that gang."
Wei Tao poured herbal tea for the both of them and, upon hearing Peng Yue's response, paused his hand movements. "Even Senior Brother Peng hasn't heard of them?"
"For a low-level gang that lacks fame, it's normal for me not to have heard of them. It would be abnormal if I had."
Peng Yue chuckled and said nonchalantly, "Seventh Junior Brother, you can just go straight to their leader. There's not much to consider."
Wei Tao was slightly taken aback. "But I haven't investigated how many members they have or what level of strength their leader possesses..."
"Well, Seventh Junior Brother, you misunderstood me. In the distant city where we make our living, it's not all about fighting and killing. We value harmony and moral conduct."
"To cherish peace and persuade people with virtue?" Wei Tao took a deep breath, his expression filled with puzzlement.
Peng Yue took a sip from the large teacup, chewing on the tea leaves as he spoke casually, "Valuing peace means making them realize the importance of maintaining peaceful and positive relations with us. As for persuading people with virtue, as disciples of the Red Line Sect, we naturally prioritize displaying strong and virtuous martial skills."
"Of course, I'm not suggesting that you confront their hideout directly. We are practitioners of martial arts, not bandits who enjoy fighting and killing. What I mean is for you to go and talk to their leader, which can also be seen as a form of respectful greeting. As long as the members of the Qinghe Society are not a bunch of idiots, they will understand what needs to be done afterwards."
"Actually, according to the usual practice, it should have been the Qinghe Society paying a visit to you, Seventh Junior Brother, at your door. It's possible that they are new to the business and not familiar with the protocol, or they may not be aware of your identity as a junior brother. That's why this misunderstanding occurred. So, if you go and talk to them, it will prevent any similar incidents from happening in the future and save everyone's face."