Chapter 172: Truth Lies Beneath the Blade's Edge

The situation of this fight has become clear; the Righteousness Group has an obvious advantage. If these people are from the Fuqing Gang, there might still be a chance.

Hu Jianren is fierce wherever he goes; he's the most troublesome organization overseas.

Li Xin saw the battle was settled, so he didn't intervene; making a name for himself today would be enough, giving him leverage later. If he doesn't reveal his strength, a loud reputation is useless—no one will care.

This is still small-time; his reputation in Harbor Bay doesn't work here.

Members of societies and extreme-path organizations are all the same: they don't feel pain until a knife strikes them, and their mouths are extremely tough.

Gao Jie saw the situation turning bad, took his nearby men and turned to leave, but had barely gone a short distance when he was blocked.

"Take them out!"

After Jianjun dealt with the two nearby gunmen, he kept his eyes on Gao Jie, not letting him escape; otherwise, how could the boss take over his territory?

Gao Jie saw someone blocking the road, and the gunmen he had arranged showed no movement; he immediately drew his gun before he could even raise his hand.

A single three-edged military spear pierced his throat accurately; Jianjun and his men acted swiftly, and in a short while they had taken everyone down.

Jianjun went to Gao Jie's corpse, pulled out the spear, wiped a bit of blood on his body, then sheathed it back at his waist.

After finishing, Jianjun led his men back to the bar; those petty thugs weren't worth their effort— they couldn't even match the boss alone.

He had a vague understanding of the boss's skill; in their last spar, he couldn't block three of the boss's moves—what could those petty thugs use to resist the boss?

As Jianjun had expected, the fight ended; everyone in the Righteousness Group was wounded, even Shanxia Zhongxiu took two blows.

He took off his outer clothing, bound the wound, came before Li Xin, and smiled at the corner of his mouth.

He happily asked, "Big Brother, do you think Tachibana Elder Brother would still scold me as trash if he saw me now?"

Li Xin looked at him and seriously replied, "No, Axiu is now a qualified leader of the Extreme Path Organization; no one can look down on you."

He no longer paid attention to Shanxia Zhongxiu, went to the Righteousness Group members, patted each on the shoulder, and even tidied their clothes.

After doing these things, he announced loudly, "From now on, you are the elders of the Righteousness Group."

"You all have the authority to recruit people, and you will become minor leaders of the Righteousness Group."

"If someone can develop, you can independently establish a group under your own name."

"Become a subordinate organization of the Righteousness Group, everyone work hard; the settlement fee won't be reduced for anyone, and the Righteousness Group will fully cover the medicine costs."

"There are also high bonuses waiting for you; you'll collect them later from the Shanxia Group Leader."

Li Xin didn't count the few who were lost; the living ones he would reuse—they are seeds, and he doesn't care whether they all sprout.

"Just a few results are enough!"

Those who could still stand, their faces excited—did they really become elders of the Righteousness Group?

"Being able to establish a group named after themselves is the highest reward for them!"

"Every member who joins the Extreme Path Organization—who wouldn't want to have a group named after themselves?"

"To Extreme Path Organization members, this is nothing short of a dream come true."

"Not to mention the high bonuses; at this moment their sense of belonging to the Righteousness Group has surged to unprecedented heights—from now on, the Righteousness Group is their protector, and no one can trample it."

"They will give their all to defend the Righteousness Group!"

"Because from now on, the Righteousness Group also has a share in them; as long as they have the ability to develop, they will become group leaders."

Together they bowed to Li Xin and shouted loudly, "Thank you, Esteemed Advisor; we will devote ourselves to the organization's work and not disappoint your expectations."

"'Whoever dares to defy the Esteemed Advisor's orders, we will tear him to pieces!'"

One could say these people lack culture, but they are not clueless; just look, and everyone knows who calls the shots in the Righteousness Group.

Li Xin showed a smile—excellent, the troops' morale is usable; everyone should work hard to bring in people for him!

The remaining trivial matters were handed to Shanxia Zhongxiu; he led those still able to act, seized the territory overnight—Gao Jie was gone, so they moved quickly.

Three days later.

Things developed smoothly; after the Righteousness Group crushed the Tainan Gang, the Extreme Path Organizations in Shinjuku Ward acknowledged the newly arrived Righteousness Group.

They now have the qualifications to establish a foothold in Shinjuku Ward.

Three days—only three days were needed—for the Righteousness Group to swell from over a hundred to four or five hundred members.

The members who didn't come that day watched those who had become minor leaders, feeling envy and jealousy but not daring to hate; in small-time circles, senior-junior notions run deep.

Well, there are also plenty who rebel against their superiors—a truly contradictory group!

That day three died; the settlement fees had already been distributed, and the remaining thirty or so all became minor leaders, each with a dozen or so followers.

Full of vigor, they took their subordinates over the next two days, loitering in the Righteousness Group's territory; if a subordinate messed up, the superior would give him a sound thrashing.

This is tradition—when a subordinate gets hit, he must apologize to the one who struck him; they are very obedient.

With the Righteousness Group's affairs settled, Li Xin immediately went to visit Cao Yiyixiong.

Time to pay a visit!

Li Xin brought a gift and called on the manor; upon seeing this Japanese-style private estate, he was genuinely shocked.

The courtyard's design is very simple, based on clean lines, subdued colors, and tranquility.

In the courtyard, water, stone, plants, and other natural elements are skillfully blended to create a harmonious, coexisting landscape.

The courtyard often employs borrowed scenery, integrating the mountains and waters outside the park into the view, embodying the unity of 'harmony'.

It rejects symmetrical beauty, displaying natural growth and spontaneous asymmetrical layout, giving the courtyard vivid and flexible qualities.

Whether rough stone, fine sand, or richly grained wood, all coexist harmoniously in the courtyard, giving it quite an artistic ambience.

The ornamental stones and plants in the courtyard carry specific cultural meanings: tortoise-crane stone symbolizes longevity, moss symbolizes tranquility.

Cao Yilang looked at Li Xin, carefully surveyed the whole courtyard, and began his introduction.

"This courtyard is the ancestral home of the Cao Yi family; the adoptive father, to show his regard for Li Xin, specially received him here."

"This courtyard has a history of over two hundred years; constant restoration and expansion have produced today's magnificent effect."

Cao Yilang pointed to those houses and added, "These buildings are all the work of a master, and all materials used are precious timber."

Li Xin, following his explanation, gained a new understanding of Cao Yiyixiong.

Looking at the ancestral home of that old bastard, he's clearly not just simply the Yamaguchi Group boss; the two‑hundred‑year‑old ancestral home explains everything.

Profound background!

In his heart, he raised Kusakari Ikuno's rank considerably, increasing his vigilance.

In Japan, any family that can be passed down for several hundred years cannot be underestimated; this shows they have their own unique way of survival.

Otherwise, they would have long been reduced to ashes and smoke!