Chapter 36: Becoming the Gang Leader

Hu San did not want to lose face while Ruan Xing was in the middle of establishing her authority. In his anxiety, he gritted his teeth and risked injury to kill a few people as quickly as possible, but he had not expected Lu Youqi to charge over at the critical moment. Not only did he take a blade for Hu San, but he also quickly turned the evenly matched battle into a one-sided rout.

After the last dissenting person lay dead on the ground with eyes wide open in disbelief, Hu San caught his breath and asked in a low voice, "With Qiye's status and position, why bother stepping in to help me?"

Indeed, Lu Youqi was the first to kneel and surrender; even if he hadn't come to help, it wouldn't have been a mistake. But by helping, it made it seem as though he had disregarded their old camaraderie.

Lu Youqi tore a piece of fabric from his clothes to bind the wound on his shoulder and stop the bleeding. Upon hearing this, he wore a slightly ashamed expression. "Regarding your younger brother back then... although I only found out later that it wasn't a sincere attempt to take on a disciple, I did wrong by you in the end. This is merely a bit of atonement to soothe my conscience."

Hu San was silent. Ever since he learned today that his brother had become like this, although Hongtou Daoren was the primary culprit, he still couldn't help but feel resentment toward Qiye. If Qiye hadn't chosen his brother, perhaps his brother would still be alive and well by his side today.

Yet he could not take revenge on Qiye. When Ruan Xing praised him just now, he had used all his strength to suppress himself from speaking out in opposition; he could not ruin the Young Lady's plan.

Lu Youqi said, "This is what I owe you. If you have any needs in the future, you may come to collect at any time."

Hu San nodded silently. He knew clearly that Qiye was only being so polite and wanting to repay the evil he had done because of Ruan Xing's current influence. If he were still that ordinary, low-level gang member, Qiye would never have spared him a second glance.

The fresh scent of blood in the room was somewhat unpleasant. Ruan Xing covered her nose with her small hand in disgust. "How many were killed just now? One, two, three... eleven. If no one manages the territories of these eleven people, won't it fall into chaos? How about this: Hu San, you come be a Vice Gang Leader as well and manage these ownerless territories for me."

Having learned from the previous example, no one dared to question Ruan Xing's decision this time. A chorus of "The Gang Leader is wise" made Ruan Xing feel thoroughly satisfied.

She continued to instruct, "Little Hui, go find some people to clean this place up. It's an eyesore with all this blood."

As the first person to be named by the Gang Leader to do chores, Zhang Chenghui was filled with trepidation and hurriedly agreed, fearing that Ruan Xing would think he wasn't working hard and chop him down.

"You all may disperse. Little Qi, Little Wang, and that..."

"Hong Xi," the former gang leader and current Vice Gang Leader reminded her at the right moment.

"Mm, right, Little Hong, you few go and dismiss those family members who don't know what's good for them. How can they enjoy the benefits of the Red Head Gang but refuse to work for it? Make them spit out every benefit they've received from the Red Head Gang over these years. You all split up to handle this; discuss it well, don't mess it up, supervise each other, and there will be rewards for reporting." Ruan Xing tilted her head and revealed a playful smile. "Sword Lai will be watching you for me!"

Recalling the elusive youth they had just seen, everyone felt a chill in their hearts. They all knew that the youth was originally a disciple of Hongtou Daoren, and naturally, they knew how capable he was. No one dared to risk death to gamble on whether the youth was truly watching them, so they all hurriedly agreed.

"Also, Little Hong, from now on, Hu San will act as my proxy and only take orders from me. You are responsible for helping him get the industries and territories in his hands on the right track, understand?"

"Yes, Gang Leader," Hong Xi replied with his head bowed. "Then we subordinates will go get busy."

"Go," Ruan Xing nodded. After they had all left, she said to Hu San, "You don't need to follow me for this period. Any of them will do; find someone to watch them. First, help me see if they are doing their jobs properly, and second, learn well how to manage a gang. Your personality isn't actually suited for management, but you are the person I trust most right now, so you must learn well. Don't let those people act in compliance but secret opposition or line their own pockets."

"Yes, Young Lady," Hu San obeyed the order but did not leave immediately.

He hesitated several times before asking in confusion, "Young Lady, you are clearly not a cruel person. You are witty, intelligent, gentle, and kind, and you treat someone like me with such generosity. Why did you act like that just now? You looked so like a stranger... you didn't even seem like yourself."

Not expecting that she had such an image in Hu San's eyes, Ruan Xing shook her head with a smile.

"Those people are all old foxes. Even if I treated them with courtesy and kindness, they would only think I am an ignorant child who can be bullied at will, and they wouldn't listen to me at all. Furthermore, they aren't worth me wasting time and energy to win over one by one. If they don't listen, I'll just kill them. When I directly display an image and strength that makes them fear me, and let them know that as long as I'm unhappy I can kill their whole family at any time, then they will be afraid. Even if it's just for their own lives, they will obediently work for me."

After she finished speaking, her gaze toward Hu San contained a hint of complexity.

"But you are different; you are worth trusting."

When she first started in the Simulation, she made Hu San do many very dangerous, even suicidal, things, but every single time, Hu San did it without hesitation.

The Simulation is based on reality; even if she ordered Hu San to die now, he would execute it without hesitation.

A person like Hu San, who would repay even a little kindness with his life—how could he not be worthy of her full trust?

After she finishes using the Red Head Gang and leaves, the things she leaves behind for him should be enough for him to live out the rest of his life in peace.

"Although most people forget the pain once the wound heals and will soon harbor wishful thinking again, those old foxes who are used to the good life will naturally have ulterior motives too. However, that won't be my business by then, but yours. Before they grow bold enough to harbor dissent, you must learn how to manage them," Ruan Xing said earnestly.

"Yes, to be so valued by the Young Lady, this subordinate will certainly do my utmost." Hu San nodded solemnly, knelt on one knee, kowtowed to accept the order, and left.

Having resolved things here, the next step was to resolve the crisis of the Red Head Gang.

To fight for power and profit, one must first fight for power, then seize the profit.

If she had resolved the crisis first and then come to conquer the Red Head Gang, and the gang was full of thorns, even if she killed them all, who would she be establishing her authority for? Moreover, she didn't have the energy to manage a massive gang and handle the pile of affairs.

Fortunately, things were going smoothly so far. Now that this major matter was resolved, she had no more worries and could go handle the subsequent matters with peace of mind.

She headed to the Patrol Security Division Inspector's mansion alone. With Young Master Liu having given notice in advance, she was greeted as soon as she entered and was sent smoothly all the way to the Inspector's bedroom.

Inside the room, besides Young Master Liu and the Inspector, there was a beauty as delicate as a willow in the wind sitting by the bed, shedding tears.

This must be Young Master Liu's sister, the Inspector's most doted-upon concubine.

Ruan Xing had previously learned that this Inspector was in his thirties. He had a first wife who died after giving birth to a daughter, and the Inspector had not remarried since. Instead, he took a few concubines. This Liu Yiniang was his favorite, and she had given birth to the Inspector's only son, who was just three years old. Her status in the mansion was like that of the mistress of the house; the other unfavored concubines didn't even dare to meet her eyes.

She had expected a bright, sharp-witted beauty, but she didn't expect this style. However, it didn't matter; as long as the beauty and Young Master Liu had status in the Inspector's heart and could speak for her, it was fine. The deer-skin Talisman she had Young Master Liu send over had been worn by the Inspector obediently, proving that the Inspector still trusted the siblings. Saving this Inspector would not be a loss.

"You have finally come," the beauty said softly. Her gaze turned to Young Master Liu, and she asked hesitantly, "Is this... the expert you spoke of, brother?"

One couldn't blame Liu Yiniang; Ruan Xing's appearance was truly that of a soft, doughy little girl. If she weren't carrying a Short Sword and hadn't been stained with a bit of blood-evil aura in the Red Head Gang's meeting hall just now, no one would believe she had such magical abilities.

Ruan Xing nodded. She opened her mouth and fabricated a background for herself. "Madam, do not worry. My master is an expert living in seclusion in the mountains. I learned a fraction of my master's skills from a young age, which Young Master Liu has already witnessed."

Young Master Liu twitched the corner of his eye at the side. In his view, this kind of talk was clearly bluffing, but he didn't care about Ruan Xing's true identity. After all, she had helped him a great deal and sent such a huge credit his way. Now she had even made a special trip to save his brother-in-law. His relationship with Ruan Xing was no longer that of ordinary friends, but of bosom buddies.

"Sister, killing the thief who assassinated brother-in-law was entirely due to Miss Ruan's help. She is a person with real skills, so rest assured. She will definitely be able to save brother-in-law."

Young Master Liu spoke to comfort Liu Yiniang. From noon until dark, Liu Yiniang's eyes had already swollen like walnuts from crying. Only after hearing Young Master Liu's words did she nod slightly.

"I am going to begin. My sect has rules, so I must ask Madam to step aside for a moment."

Ruan Xing made an excuse to ask the two to leave.

Although the Inspector had the deer-skin Talisman to block the attack of the 【Break】 Talisman and was not injured, the Triangle Flag behind it could not be blocked. Besides the Inspector, several nearby guards had also been hit by the Triangle Flag's attack and had been unconscious since noon.

This was actually because their souls had been sucked into the Flag. If their souls could not return within three days, then there would be no saving them.

Previously, Ruan Xing could have also sucked the souls of those dead Guan into the Flag, but she didn't want to completely categorize herself into the camp of the Evil Cultivator. She hadn't started cultivating yet, and if there was a chance, she naturally wanted to walk the righteous path. She didn't want the social status of an Evil Cultivator, who was shouted at by everyone.

Therefore, she had already decided in her heart that this Flag could be used as a weapon for self-defense, but it must never be used to actively harm others.

The door was tightly shut. After Ruan Xing confirmed that there was no one inside or outside the room, she took out the Flag and activated it with a spell. With a gentle shake, faint black energy swirled around the Flag, and she separated the souls of the Inspector and the several guards.

As soon as they left the Flag, the Inspector's physical body lying on the bed reacted. His eyelids trembled slightly, and he made a hoarse sound in his throat, as if he were trying hard to speak but couldn't make a sound.

Ruan Xing put away the Flag and called the two back in.

"Madam, the Inspector has internal injuries. I have already treated him with Internal Strength, and he will wake up today. However, his mind will be a bit chaotic and he will have memory loss for the next few days. This is all a normal phenomenon, so do not panic. He will be fine after resting for a month or so."

Ruan Xing didn't want them to know anything about souls, so she used the vague term "internal injuries" to cover it up. In any case, mortals couldn't see souls. If she hadn't blood-refined the Flag and become its master, she wouldn't be able to see souls and black energy now, let alone save mortals who had lost their souls.

Fortunately, the two didn't dwell on such matters. To them, as long as the Inspector could live, the Liu family, relying on the Inspector, would not collapse.

Liu Yiniang was no longer crying by this time. She gently stroked the Inspector's face, which had now calmed down, and then thanked Ruan Xing. "Many thanks to this expert. I am a woman of the inner chambers and do not understand etiquette. Why don't you stay in the mansion so we can treat you? When the master wakes up, he will personally prepare a thank-you gift to express his gratitude for your kindness."

"That won't be necessary," Ruan Xing politely declined. "I am an acquaintance of Young Master Liu, so Madam need not be so formal."

"That's right, sister. Ruan Xing and I are as close as siblings, so there's no need for these empty formalities. You keep an eye on your husband first; if he wakes up later, you can tell him the situation. The light rice porridge and side dishes in the kitchen are being kept warm, so you two can eat together then. Ruan Xing and I will go check on those Feather Guard brothers first."

Young Master Liu stepped forward to say a few words to Liu Yiniang, then pulled Ruan Xing out the door and turned into the small courtyard next door, where those few Feather Guards who had loyally protected their master and were closest to the Qian-shi were currently gathered, lying there waiting for treatment.

These were all the Qian-shi's trusted aides; since they had been saved, they might as well be saved to the end—it was all just a matter of convenience anyway.

There were only a few maidservants in the room looking after the patients. Ruan Xing had already returned their souls earlier, so coming over was just to double-check that the souls had returned to their proper places, lest one or two parts of their souls be accidentally lost, which would be bad if they woke up as fools.

And she also needed to have a few words with Young Master Liu away from the others.

After checking on the Feather Guards and confirming that none of them were in any serious danger, Young Master Liu gave a few instructions and then took Ruan Xing to the study.

Inside the study, the two of them dismissed the servants and maidservants.

Ruan Xing couldn't wait and asked first: "You took that Daoist's head back; what did the City Lord say?"

Young Master Liu restrained the smile on his face, looking somewhat worried: "Just as you instructed, I told the City Lord that this Daoist only knew some evil tricks. I took the Feather Guards and found the room where he was hiding. I had intended to capture him alive, but I didn't expect his close-quarters combat skills to be so unremarkable, and I accidentally stabbed him to death. The City Lord didn't say anything else, requested a commendation for me, and had me appointed as the Left Commander of the Patrol Security Division to temporarily act as the Qian-shi. He also sent a physician over to examine my brother-in-law. Afterward, he concluded that this was a case committed by the Red Head Gang, ordered the Daoist's head to be hung at the city gate as a warning, and sent a letter to the Red Head Gang's Gang Leader, demanding he come forward to bear the consequences."

"Will this have any impact on you?" He asked somewhat nervously, "I don't know why the City Lord is so fixated on the Red Head Gang."

If this case were still under investigation, things would naturally be easier to discuss once the Qian-shi woke up. With the Red Head Gang Leader having become the benefactor who saved his life, the Qian-shi naturally wouldn't use the assassination attempt to wipe out the Red Head Gang.

But right now, Ruan Xing knew absolutely nothing about this high-and-mighty City Lord who never really managed affairs; perhaps she would need to run a few more Simulations to find a way to solve the problem.

"It doesn't matter. When your brother-in-law wakes up, we can think about it properly; there is still time."

Ruan Xing thought to herself, it seemed the people killed today could still be put to some use; she couldn't let Zhang Chenghui finish disposing of the bodies.

Didn't the City Lord want the Red Head Gang to provide an explanation? She wondered if a few turncoat culprits would be enough to qualify.

Thanks to ek0113 for the monthly ticket~ Thanks to Lun Dao for the monthly ticket~ Thanks to Hong Hua Yi Duo for the monthly ticket~ Thanks to Feng You for the monthly ticket~ (End of chapter)