Chapter 189: A Business Deal

"So arrogant, and you claim the nights are under your control? Aren't you afraid of being beaten to death?"

His gaze sank; the way these two burly men spoke so fluently, it was clearly not a matter of just a day or two.

The nights are under the control of the Xinghai Gang—what a massive ego. It seems the ground of Anzhou City is in need of a cleanup!

"Kid, I think you're looking for death. From what backwater corner of a wealthy family did a fool like you come from, daring to act like a master on our Xinghai Gang's turf!"

"Either pay up or get lost, otherwise, this master will show you what's what!"

Slowly walking in front of Shen Yu, the three men surrounded him. If the previous moment was a warning, then now the burly man was preparing to strike.

"What, you actually dare to make a move?"

"We're making a move on you, so what! Kid, do you still dare to resist? Believe it or not, this master will hack you to death!"

He gave Shen Yu a shove, expecting someone with such a slight build to fall over at a push, but the burly man used all his strength and couldn't move Shen Yu even a fraction.

In the end, even though his face turned red from the strain, he couldn't make him take a single step back. Sensing something was wrong, the burly man looked up and met Shen Yu's playful gaze, immediately feeling a chill.

At this moment, the burly man also realized they had encountered a tough nut to crack—the kind that shouldn't be provoked!

He thought of the martial arts experts they usually talked about while bragging and chatting together, who would draw their blades at the slightest disagreement and hack people down when in a bad mood.

That kind of "leaving after the deed is done, hiding one's merit and fame"—just thinking about it was exciting.

At the time, they spoke with surging hearts and listened with boiling blood, wishing they could be as carefree and dashing as those wandering martial artists.

But when it fell upon themselves, it was a different story, especially when it was others who could draw their blades at will, while they were the ones who might get hacked at any moment.

He had heard that these martial arts people acted without any scruples, some even killing just because they didn't like the look of someone. Could the person in front of him be such a ruthless character too?

He looked up at Shen Yu again and found that he had no intention of attacking, so the burly man mustered some courage and quietly took two steps back.

"Kid, this young girl is wanted by our Hall Master. Our Hall Master is not as easy to talk to as I am. Are you sure you want to wade into these muddy waters?"

"Those who go against our Xinghai Gang never have a good ending!"

"Is that so? Then today I want to try it out. I'd like to see just how arrogant your Xinghai Gang can be!"

"Fine, very fine, kid, you just wait for me!"

Glaring fiercely at Shen Yu, the men exchanged glances and hurried away, with no intention of going head-to-head with him.

When they first started running away, they would cautiously look back every now and then, fearing that Shen Yu might suddenly strike them.

Once they realized Shen Yu had no intention of chasing them, they frantically ran toward the distance with long strides.

They were just a bunch of small fries, tender little flowers who hadn't experienced the baptism of the martial arts world, and they couldn't withstand the ravages of real martial arts experts.

"They just ran?" He had thought they would get hot-headed and have a fight with him, but they turned and ran instead.

However, the monk may run, but the temple cannot. Under his Super Perception, everything was within his awareness. As a reward, he would go and wipe out their nest in a while.

"Young master, you should leave quickly. The Xinghai Gang has no humanity!"

Trembling as they walked forward, the old couple supported each other while saying this to Shen Yu with faces full of worry.

"Yes, don't let us implicate you!"

"It's fine, you two elders can rest assured. A bunch of small-time thugs can't hurt me!"

"Young master, you aren't a local, are you? You might not know how terrifying the Xinghai Gang is. They cover the sky with one hand in Anzhou City."

"There were people who were dissatisfied with the Xinghai Gang's extortion and chose to resist, only to be found dead in the river the next day."

"Externally, they claimed it was drowning, but we all knew they were beaten to death and thrown into the river!"

"Moreover, it is said that even the officials in the yamen have to look at their faces. If they don't get the nod from the Xinghai Gang, they can't even sit securely in their own positions, so they are not to be provoked!"

"So arrogant?" He frowned slightly. Even the yamen had to look at their faces? The Xinghai Gang really considered themselves masters. Anzhou City didn't need such arrogant people!

"Rest assured, you two elders, they can't do anything to me. Instead, how did you end up provoking the Xinghai Gang?"

"This... it's shameful to say! Sigh!" Unable to help but sigh, the old woman among the two had a look of sorrow on her face.

"Young master, to tell you the truth, I have a cousin who works in the yamen. We old folks usually run a tea stall to make a living, and it's inevitable that we get exploited, so we used his name."

"Who would have thought that a few days ago, we heard the former Governor He Yuan was arrested, and many people up and down the yamen were also arrested. My cousin was among them!"

"After that, for a period of time, people kept inexplicably getting food poisoning at our place and demanding compensation. We paid out all the money we had earned over the years, and it still wasn't enough."

"At this time, people from the Xinghai Gang appeared, saying they could lend us money and let us pay it back slowly. We were forced into a corner and had no choice but to borrow two taels of silver from them."

"Who would have thought that only five days later, they would come to collect the debt. We really had no money, so they wanted to sell Xiao Si to the Brothel."

"We have lived our lives honestly and never provoked anyone, why is it so bitter!"

Perhaps because she had touched upon her own pain, the old woman couldn't help but sob in a low voice, and the old man beside her was also sighing and lamenting.

Life is not easy. Facing a behemoth like the Xinghai Gang, ordinary people like them have no other way but to endure in silence.

However, in Shen Yu's view, it was likely that those who got food poisoning and the ones who lent the money later were the same group of people. This was clearly scraping the bone to suck the marrow, using up every last bit of value a person had.

A fine Xinghai Gang, they really have done everything to the extreme.

On the other side, Shen Yu's Super Perception had been following those who fled. At this moment, they had arrived at a luxurious courtyard and were standing respectfully before a thin man with a sharp mouth and monkey cheeks.

Upon hearing the report from these two, the thin man was so angry that he threw the teacup in his hand directly onto the ground, and the broken shards scattered everywhere.

"Where did this little punk come from, daring to snatch my woman? What are you two good for, failing to handle such a small matter!"

"Hall Master, it's just that the kid is a tough nut to crack, not easy to provoke!"

"Not easy to provoke? Is our Xinghai Gang easy to provoke? Offending me, Jia San, is offending the Xinghai Gang. Offending the Xinghai Gang means no one can walk out of Anzhou City alive!"

"I have five or six hundred brothers in my hall, every one of them is a good hand. I want to see if he has three heads and six arms, and if he can withstand a beating!"

"Tell the brothers to grab their weapons, kill this blind thing, and snatch back my ninth concubine!"

"Hall Master, didn't you say to sell her to the Brothel? We've already negotiated the price!"

"Slap!" A palm struck the face of the person who had just spoken. Jia San said with some frustration, "The price is negotiated, but I never said I was sending a virgin girl there!"

"Send her to my bed first so I can have some fun for two days. After she's done serving me, then send her to Cuiyu Pavilion!"

"Hall Master, this, this isn't good, is it!"

Damn it, isn't this a one-time deal? How are we supposed to do business with Cuiyu Pavilion in the future?

If it weren't for your sister climbing into the Deputy Gang Leader's bed, with business as bad as yours, I would have slapped you twice with my shoe soles already, damn it.

"What's so bad about it? My favorite concubine was sold to their Cuiyu Pavilion; do you know how much my heart aches?"

"You tell Cuiyu Pavilion that not a single copper coin of the silver can be missing. No, no, they have to pay more; after all, that was my favorite concubine, my dearest bedfellow!"

"Yes, yes, Hall Master, you are right!"

"Tell the brothers to grab their weapons, we're saving the boss's wife!"

Lifting a broadsword from the side, Jia San led his men directly toward the alley where Shen Yu was located.

With a rush, among the hundreds of men, there was no lack of experts; hundreds of burly men holding swords and blades walked down the street with fierce and menacing looks.

Along the way, the commoners who saw them retreated one after another; their demeanor was as arrogant as could be.

Sensing the group of people coming from that direction, Shen Yu raised his eyebrows slightly, "They're here!"

"They're here? Young Master, what's here?"

"The ones here to die!"

"What?" Before the old couple could understand what Shen Yu's words meant, a crowd of people had already swarmed over, scaring the old couple so much that their legs began to tremble.

They were both honest, law-abiding people; they had never seen such a display before.

"Young Master, Young Master, you should leave quickly!"

"Uncle, Auntie, it's fine, you go into the house first, it will be over in a moment!"

"Kid!" Strutting up to Shen Yu, Jia San looked him up and down, then let out a disdainful cold snort.

He had seen plenty of high-ranking officials and nobles, and he could see those experts from time to time; he considered his eye for people to be perfected.

The moment he saw Shen Yu, he made his judgment: the person in front of him was just a weak scholar, at most a weak scholar who knew a couple of moves. Nothing to worry about, a total loser.

"So you're the one who dares to go against us? Do you know who I am?"

"Isn't it just the Xinghai Gang? Those few people just said so!"

"Kid, you dare to provoke us even knowing we are the Xinghai Gang? You're courting death. If you're sensible, hurry up and hand over the money on you as a hardship fee for the brothers, otherwise, I'll make you pay!"

"Make me pay? I'd like to see how you make me pay. A mere Xinghai Gang, you really are a toad yawning—what a big breath!"

"This..." The young man opposite him was even more arrogant than he was; for a moment, Jia San was left speechless.

Those who could be this arrogant in front of him were either truly fearless or just putting on a bold front to bluff him. Looking at the one in front of him, he seemed to be the fearless type.

Could it be that he had kicked an iron plate?

"Kid, do you dare to state your name?"

"What? You want to know who I am, want to take revenge on me? Then listen clearly, my name is Shen Yu!"

"Shen Yu? Which Shen Yu?" He thought for a long time but couldn't think of who this was; he hadn't heard of this name among those in the underworld. Was this kid trying to bluff him?

Thinking that he, Jia San, had been mixing on the streets for so long, he considered himself knowledgeable and experienced; did he really think there was anyone he didn't know? Who was Shen Yu? He had never heard of him!

"Listen clearly, I am the Shen Yu who is the new Xichuan Governor!"

"What, Xichuan Governor? Could it be, you, you are Shen Yu, you..."