Chapter 30: Boss

Warrior?

As Guan Tong's words fell, everyone present froze.

Huang Feiyang was stunned—could the boss really see through Chen Mu's cultivation?

Xie Hong and several top leaders, along with the hall masters, were shocked, then terrified.

Chen Mu is a warrior!?

Isn't Chen Mu not even sixteen yet?

"Impossible!"

Sun Gang blurted it out, his gaze at Chen Mu filled with shock, terror, and mostly disbelief.

"How could he possibly be a warrior? How old is this kid? Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"

"…" Chen Mu fell silent, looking up at Guan Tong.

"Shut up!"

Guan Tong pointed at Sun Gang, and the shouting Sun Gang instantly fell still.

"Though you've concealed your aura well, he…"

Guan Tong smiled, pointing at the bushy-browed giant, "Iron Ox was born with divine strength—his single arm exceeds five hundred jin. Only a warrior could overpower him."

…So that's how it was!

Chen Mu's heart cleared.

He had indeed overlooked this.

When he disarmed the bushy-browed giant, the man's strength far exceeded the other three.

But to Chen Mu now, such brute force meant little.

Guan Tong didn't deduce Chen Mu's cultivation from his aura.

He used the bushy-browed giant as a reference!

Thinking of this,

Chen Mu bowed, "Boss, your insight is piercing—I've only just broken through to warrior recently."

He admitted it…

It's really true!

Aside from Huang Feiyang, everyone else's expressions flickered with sudden understanding.

Breaking through to warrior isn't remarkable.

Most here are post-heaven warriors.

The key is Chen Mu's status—and his age!

A lowly gang member, under sixteen!

Combined, only extraordinary talent could achieve such a breakthrough.

"Poverty breeds scholars, wealth breeds warriors"—it's not just words.

For common folk to become warriors, they must possess peerless martial talent.

Though Chen Mu has Huang Feiyang as his cousin, a minor leader, how long has Huang Feiyang held that position?

Genius!

Almost instantly, everyone grasped the height of Chen Mu's talent.

"…" Sun Gang opened his mouth, staring blankly at Chen Mu, his head spinning.

Huang Feiyang is a warrior.

Chen Mu is a warrior too!

Both brothers are warriors!

He'd sent men to kidnap Chen Mu…

"Feiyang, you two brothers are impressive!" Xie Hong snapped back to himself, unable to hide his awe.

"Yes, especially little Chen—remarkable!"

"Congratulations, congratulations!"

"…"

Several top leaders and hall masters chimed in.

As for the bushy-browed giant and the other three, they kept their heads down, not daring to utter a sound.

They silently thanked their luck that they hadn't gone too far during the kidnapping.

Otherwise, they'd be dead—or crippled.

If Chen Mu, as a warrior, had killed them in self-defense, Guan Tong would've merely docked his monthly pay for a few months.

And from Guan Tong's expression now, he seemed quite impressed with Chen Mu…

"Good!"

Guan Tong clapped, smiling, "I never expected our Great Knife Gang to have a teenage genius."

"Not bad."

Chen Mu didn't humble himself; he smiled, "All thanks to my master's teaching. But he says my achievements mean nothing—I must break through to primordial within a year to even be called a 'genius.'"

Uh…

Guan Tong was speechless.

The others, including Huang Feiyang, were stunned and utterly dumbfounded.

Chen Mu having a "master" was surprising, but not shocking.

But "breakthrough to primordial within a year"—that was astonishing.

Innate martial artists aren't like wild vegetables in the fields — they don't sprout up everywhere just because spring has arrived.

In the entire Nanyun Prefecture, the known Innate martial artists can be counted on two hands.

If Chen Mu really did it in one year...

No — even within four years, before the age of twenty, breaking through to Innate would make him a genius, a super genius who could make it onto the "Hidden Dragon Ranking"!

The Great Zhou has nineteen circuits; each circuit governs several prefectures, and each prefecture governs several sub-prefectures.

Such a vast area, with a total population in the hundreds of millions.

Yet the young martial artists who can make it onto the "Hidden Dragon Ranking" number only one hundred and eight.

Every single one of these one hundred and eight is a super genius.

Nanyun Prefecture hasn't had anyone on the list for several decades now.

Could Chen Mu make it?

"Ahem~ Your esteemed master is a person of great skill, so naturally his demands on you would be a bit higher."

Guan Tong coughed once, steadied his composure, and continued, "Since Brother Chen Mu has already broken through to martial artist, it wouldn't be quite appropriate for him to keep patrolling the streets. How about this — Brother Chen Mu, you'll take on the role of 'Inspector,' overseeing conditions on the streets. Report directly to me on any matters. As for compensation, it'll follow the standard for a Big Head. How does that sound?"

Inspector?

Overseeing conditions on the streets?

Since the founding of the Great Blade Gang, has there ever been such a position?

The others present were shocked, stunned.

But anyone who'd risen to Big Head or Hall Master wasn't a fool.

This so-called "Inspector" was plainly something Guan Tong had specially created for Chen Mu!

Overseeing the streets, answerable only to him alone.

Put plainly, it was letting Chen Mu wander the streets while enjoying a Big Head's compensation!

Sun Gang had snitched, saying Chen Mu just took money without doing any work.

And now, with this special approval from Gang Leader Guan Tong, it was truly just taking money without doing any work!

Realizing this, Sun Gang's vision went dark and his head spun.

Huang Feiyang, meanwhile, was overjoyed, and excitedly shouted at Chen Mu, "Hu... Huzi, why... why aren't you thanking the Gang Leader yet!"

"Thank you, Gang Leader!" Chen Mu cupped his fist and bowed respectfully to Guan Tong.

"Hahaha, as long as they're talent, the gang will support them." Guan Tong laughed heartily. "Brother Chen Mu need not overthink it — just focus on your cultivation in peace. I too look forward to the day you break through to Innate."

"Congratulations, congratulations!"

"This Old Wang wishes Inspector Chen an early breakthrough to Innate!"

"..."

Xie Hong and the others offered their congratulations one after another.

Chen Mu cupped his hands in thanks.

Becoming "Inspector" out of thin air, taking money without doing any work — this was the goodwill Guan Tong was conveying.

There was appreciation, of course, but more likely it was currying favor with Chen Mu's "master."

Anyone who could say something like "break through to Innate within one year" must themselves be Innate.

At the very least, Innate!

Of course, Guan Tong might not fully believe it.

However, compared to befriending an Innate expert with a very high probability of being real, what did a mere Big Head's compensation amount to?

Just five hundred taels of silver a month.

Chen Mu's admission of his martial artist identity, and his deliberate invocation of his "master's" existence, had worked out better than expected.

Even if Guan Tong discovered in the future that this "master" didn't exist, it wouldn't matter.

Because by then, Chen Mu himself would already be Innate!

Even right now, Chen Mu wasn't all that afraid.

Postnatal Fifth Layer couldn't beat Guan Tong.

But if Chen Mu wanted to leave, Guan Tong couldn't stop him either!

A farce ended with Sun Gang being fined three years' monthly pay and having his left arm broken, while Chen Mu became "Inspector."

Huang Feiyang, taking the opportunity, became the new Big Head, replacing Xie Hong to hold down the territory on the Changping and Changlong side.

Two pieces of news spread swiftly through the gang.

"Amazing — it's been how long, and Huang Feiyang's already become a Big Head!"

"His little brother's even stronger — just fifteen and already a martial artist, appointed as 'Inspector.' Speaking of which, what does this 'Inspector' actually do?"

"Can't you tell? Eat, drink, and have fun on the streets!"

"Eat, drink, and have fun everywhere, then enjoy a Big Head's pay? Damn it all, why does a good thing like this never land on me! Aaaah~"