Changning Prefecture has forty-nine districts, of which only four actually belong to the territory of the Flying Eagle Gang, including the extremely dilapidated Changle Square.
Third Master Tiger, as one of the thirteen gang leaders of the Flying Eagle Gang, and a fairly strong one at that, his territory was a third of Shunyi Fang.
Compared to Changle Square, Shunyi Fang was much more prosperous. The streets were bustling with people, unlike Changle Square, which was characterized by its year-round sewerage flow and the appearance of a slum.
"Third Master Tiger has his own mansion in Shunyi Fang with three entrances and exits. Tsk tsk, when can we also live in such a big mansion?" Huang Bingcheng said with a look of envy.
For the likes of them, who were at the bottom of the gang hierarchy, they didn't dream about making a big name for themselves but rather about living a stable life.
There were two gang members of the Flying Eagle Gang guarding the entrance of Third Master Tiger's residence. Huang Bingcheng quickly approached them with a fawning smile, "It is Boss Wang and Brother Tian on duty today. Could you please pass on a message that Su Xin from Changle Square is seeking an audience?"
"Su Xin? The Su Xin who killed Chen Dao?" The two looked at Su Xin with a playful look.
A chill ran down Huang Bingcheng's spine. As he had guessed, the news had already reached Third Master Tiger.
But to his surprise, the two men didn't give Su Xin a hard time. They simply said, "Go in, Third Master Tiger is waiting for you."
A puzzled Huang Bingcheng led Su Xin inside, and the two men promptly closed the door behind them.
"What do you think, Old Wang, do you think this kid will be able to come out?"
"I don't know, but if he does come out, he'll definitely have a place in the Flying Eagles Gang!"
"Why? Just because he killed Chen Dao?"
"No, it's because he killed Chen Dao and then dared to come here. This kind of courage is uncommon!"
Inside the hall, Su Xin finally met the famous Third Master Tiger.
In addition to the Gang Leader, the Flying Eagle Gang has three Hall Masters; the Master of the Punishment Hall who is in charge of punishments, the Master of the Good Deeds Hall who manages assets and logistics, and the Master of the War Hall who wields the most potent forces in the gang.
Besides them, the decision-makers of the Flying Eagle Gang are the thirteen gang leaders. Third Master Tiger is one of the stronger among them.
Third Master Tiger was already in his fifties, almost sixty.
His temples were already streaked with a hint of grey. He was one of the earliest brothers who followed Sha Feiying, the Gang Leader of the Flying Eagle Gang, to conquer the world.
The first thing Su Xin noticed when he entered were Third Master Tiger's hands.
The man was unimpressive, just like an ordinary old man.
But his hands were unusual, the bones were exceptionally broad and dark, even appearing to have the color of gold and iron.
Su Xin had read about Third Master Tiger's profile.
He had practiced Iron Sand Palm for nearly forty years. His martial arts had reached great heights, able to shatter stones and break jade!
"So you're Su Xin? You have the guts to see me right after killing my adopted son!"
Third Master Tiger spoke coldly. With a forceful grip, the teacup in his left hand instantly crumbled to dust!
Huang Bingcheng shuddered violently, and nearly fell to his knees on the spot out of fear.
The man's reputation had preceded him.
Third Master Tiger's temperament was not that good.
"It's not that I'm courageous, but that I know you wouldn't kill me," Su Xin sat in his chair, his face devoid of any signs of fear.
Third Master Tiger laughed in anger, "Spare you? Do you know how long it took me to nurture Chen Dao? From his twentieth year until now! A whole twenty years' worth of time!
The successor I trained for twenty years was killed by you in just one stroke, and you say I won't kill you?"
Su Xin looked straight into Third Master Tiger's eyes, showing no signs of retreating, "Even if I hadn't killed Chen Dao, one day you would have killed him yourself!"
The complexion of Third Master Tiger immediately changed.
"What do you mean?"
Su Xin retorted indifferently, "What I mean is exactly what you mean, Third Master Tiger. Chen Dao had become a threat to you. By killing him, I have actually done you a great favor."
"Your meaning?" Third Master Tiger's expression returned to normal, "Then please elaborate, what exactly do you think my intentions are?"
"Third Master Tiger, you are only in your fifties, while Chen Dao was already forty.
Originally, when you wanted to train Chen Dao as your successor, he performed exceptionally well.
He had mastered the Iron Sand Palm by the age of forty, and his strength wasn't much different from that of a weaker gang leader.
However, all this didn't sound like good news to you, because he was growing too quickly!
With your amount of vitality and energy, you could have been a gang leader for at least another ten years.
You can wait for ten years, but can Chen Dao? He has the strength of a gang leader but no subordinates. Can he be content with this?
I believe you must have felt it, Third Master Tiger. You were finding it harder and harder to suppress him.
The territory of the Flying Eagle Gang is not that large. Even if he had the strength of a gang leader, he didn't have the territory or manpower that comes with it!
The only choice left for him was to make you retire early.
You step down, and he steps up!"
After finishing his piece, Su Xin took a sip of the tea on the table, appearing relaxed. However, his words startled Huang Bingcheng.
Were you a storyteller before, Boss? You can even make up such an extraordinary story.
If we upset Third Master Tiger now and he slaps us, we won't make it out of here alive!
But unexpectedly, Third Master Tiger didn't respond as Huang Bingcheng had imagined - charging over to slap them. Instead, he fixed his gaze on Su Xin, with a hint of wariness flashing in his eyes.
When he was at Su Xin's age, all he knew was to fight and kill with all his youthful passion.
And that analysis made by Su Xin was as if he had read his mind, practically verbalizing everything he was thinking.
This cunningness, it wasn't something you'd expect from a young man barely sixteen or seventeen years old. It was more akin to a middle-aged veteran.
Little did he know that in a previous life, Su Xin was an expert in analyzing people.
He was responsible for managing hundreds of people. He might not have known technology, but if he didn't know how to figure out people, he wouldn't have been able to hold his position for so many years.
Third Master Tiger stared at Su Xin coldly, and just when Huang Bingcheng was almost scared out of his wits, he suddenly burst into laughter.
"Good! Very good! Everyone in the Flying Eagle Gang says that you, Su Xin, are a formidable fighter. But in my opinion, it's your brains that deserves the most praise."
Third Master Tiger looked at Su Xin with a hint of admiration in his eyes. "But this matter can't be settled so easily. You killed my godson, so you owe me another, don't you think?"
Without hesitating, Su Xin kneeled on one knee and respectfully said, "I am here to greet my godfather!"
After that, Su Xin immediately pulled out the silver note worth five hundred taels from his bosom and presented it with both hands.
"Five hundred taels of silver is not much, but it represents my sincerity. I hope you can accept it, godfather."
"Very good, very good! Su Xin, I hadn't judged you wrong." Third Master Tiger casually took the silver note and put it on the table next to him, admiration in his eyes deepening.
Five hundred taels of silver didn't mean much to him, but such a thoughtful, tactful young man was a rare find these days.
Strength could be trained, but calculating cunningness was hard to cultivate.
"Su Xin, from now on, you'll be in charge of Happy Forest. I'll also register your new status within the gang.
However, since you just became a small gang leader, aside from your own prowess, there are only ordinary gang members under you.
I have two skilled youngsters here; they'll be working under you from now on."
Third Master Tiger clapped his hands. Two young men walked into the courtyard from outside.
One of them was about twenty-something, displaying no emotion on his face, looking as if everyone owed him several hundred taels of silver.
The other one seemed to be nearly thirty and seemed to be the exact opposite of the first one, always cheerfully smiling and cordial towards everyone.
"This is Li Huai and Ji Gang. They have been with me for a few years now and are quite handy. I believe they'll be a good help to you."
The stoic Li Huai merely nodded at Su Xin in response, while Ji Gang chuckled and said, "Boss Su, it looks like I'll be following you from now on."
"Brother Ji is too modest. You're a senior member of the Flying Eagle Gang. I should be learning from you."
Su Xin kept a humble front, refusing to naively believe that Third Master Tiger had assigned him these two men solely for his benefit.
With regard to someone who had just killed his godson and analyzed him thoroughly, no matter how cautious Third Master Tiger was around Su Xin, the latter would deem it normal."
However, thinking of controlling him, Su Xin, with just two people, it seemed that Third Master Tiger was oversimplifying things.
"Alright, you can wait outside. I still have a few words to say to Su Xin."
With a wave of Third Master Tiger's hand, Li Huai and Ji Gang promptly stepped outside.
Huang Bingcheng gave Su Xin a look of admiration.
His Boss was indeed extraordinary, having resolved the matter so simplistically and even gained such a powerful pillar as Third Master Tiger!
Having Third Master Tiger as his godfather, Su Xin's status in the Flying Eagle Gang was practically rock solid.
And as the first gang member to pledge allegiance to Su Xin, this also confirmed that he, Huang Bingcheng, had made the right bet!
After everyone else left, Su Xin respectfully asked, "Godfather, do you have any other instructions?"
"You've learnt internal strength, haven't you?"
Third Master Tiger's words took Su Xin by surprise.
According to his Intel, only the Gang Leader and the three Hall Masters of the Flying Eagle Gang were adept at internal strength, but how did Third Master Tiger know that he had internal strength?
Seeing Su Xin's shock, Third Master Tiger nodded satisfyingly, "You needn't worry, I won't snatch away your internal cultivation methods. As for internal strength, I do possess it."
Su Xin cautiously asked, "But I heard that within our Flying Eagle Gang, only the Gang Leader and the three Hall Masters are adept at internal strength. You and the other Hall Masters are just known for your external martial arts skills."
"They know shit!"
Third Master Tiger dismissed disdainfully. "When we started the Flying Eagle Gang, we had nearly thirty people. We are the ones who have fought alongside the Gang Leader in creating the foundation for the gang. He knows internal strength! Wouldn't he teach us?
Actually, all thirteen big gang leaders of the Flying Eagle Gang have been taught internal strength by the Gang Leader.
However, with martial arts, mere vigorous practice isn't enough. It also depends on one's natural talent.
The human body has 108 acupoints. Refining thirty-six acupoints will result in reaching the Initial Postnatal realm. Refining seventy-two acupoints will mean reaching the Intermediate Postnatal realm, and refining all one hundred and eight acupoints signifies achieving the Great Perfection of the Postnatal realm.
Only after stepping into the Postnatal realm can one claim to be a true martial artist. Sadly, even after nearly four decades, I have refined merely thirteen acupoints."
All these things revealed by Third Master Tiger were new to Su Xin.
However, he guessed that the Quanzhen Sect's Primary Inner Power he had won in the lottery should cover all this.
But since he had just gotten the cultivation method and hadn't looked at it yet, he went for revenge relying only on the bit of True Qi he had cultivated through the 5% proficiency gifted by the System.
"Given the power of your Iron Sand Palm, godfather, even a martial artist of the Initial Postnatal realm would not be able to stand against you." Su Xin complimented.
"That'll do, you don't need to butter me up. Go back and get to work. Happy Forest borders the Green Bamboo Gang's territory. Remember, do not bring shame on our Flying Eagle Gang."
Seeing that his words had stunned Su Xin, Third Master Tiger nodded in satisfaction.
"Yes, godfather, I shall take my leave then."
After bowing respectfully to Third Master Tiger, Su Xin turned around and left the living room.