Free Web NovelChapter 22: Chapter 22: Red Stick
"Go ahead, Master."
The young man pulled his gaze away from the grand mansion before him.
"First, you need to fight well today..."
The Master’s fingertips caressed the satin cuffs of his sleeve as he began to speak slowly. "Today, you’ve come to the Fu Family residence. You’re not just carrying your own reputation, but also the reputation of our Black Shark Gang, the Gang Leader’s reputation, and my reputation.
The Young Master has only just taken his position. Countless eyes throughout the gang are watching, just waiting to find some flaw, some reason to cause trouble for the Young Master and drag him down.
If you lose face today and word gets out, causing the Gang Leader to become a laughingstock, none of us will let you off the hook..."
"Don’t worry, Master."
The young man said flatly, "I, Cao Tian, have fought no less than a hundred battles, big and small, since I started out on the docks. There has never been a time I didn’t give it my all..."
"I know you’re skilled. So young and already with a chance to become the Black Shark Gang’s number one Red Stick. I heard you even beat a Blood Refining expert last time."
The Master said with a smile, "But listen closely. I told you to fight *well*, not to fight with all your strength."
The young man frowned. "What’s the difference?"
"A big difference."
The Master shook his head. "And that brings us to the second important matter."
The Master took half a step closer, looked at Cao Tian, and slowly enunciated, "Today’s fight... you have to lose."
"Lose?"
A glint flashed in Cao Tian’s eyes.
"Of course you have to lose."
The Master pointed at the black-lacquered iron gate behind them and said earnestly, "Who is Young Master Fu? His father, Master Fu, is the richest man in Luan River. At least half the businesses in Luan River County are connected to the Fu Family. The thousands of men at the docks all depend on the scraps that fall from their table to survive.
And the Gang Leader was just taken in as Master Fu Er’s adopted son. The entire Black Shark Gang relies on the Fu Family’s power for backing at the docks.
If you beat Young Master Fu and make him unhappy, the entire Black Shark Gang will suffer for it..."
Cao Tian was silent for a moment before asking, "Master, what’s Young Master Fu’s skill level?"
"I don’t understand you martial artists’ affairs."
The Master thought for a moment. "I only heard that Young Master Fu has been practicing martial arts for less than two months, but his Talent is astonishing. Apparently, none of the guards in the Fu Family’s Nursing Home are a match for him anymore."
"Less than two months... his own guards... Heh heh..."
Cao Tian’s lips twitched into a sneer. "So I have to fight well, make it look good, and then kneel and admit defeat..."
Cao Tian said, his face devoid of expression, "My apologies, Master. I, Cao Tian, cannot fight this match today."
With that, he turned and walked away, ignoring the Master’s reaction.
"You! Stop right there!" freewёbnoνel.com
A sharp command rang out. Cao Tian stopped, but his expression remained unchanged.
"Who do you think you are? You think you can just not fight because you don’t want to? I think you’ve forgotten how you got to where you are today..."
The Master hurried after him, his face dark. He pointed at Cao Tian and unleashed a torrent of abuse. When the fire in his chest had been vented, his tone slowly softened.
"Cao Tian, I know your father, ’Rotten Gambler Cao,’ racked up a huge gambling debt last month. He’s still being held at the den and hasn’t been released.
Your mother is paralyzed and bedridden...
How much do you even earn from fighting in those unsanctioned bouts at the Walking Flesh Hall every few days? That place is the Cyan Luo Gang’s territory. Do you think they’ll let you live?
Even if you, Cao Tian, are highly skilled, if you won’t think of yourself, you have to think of your family. Your sister is almost of marriageable age, isn’t she? Do you want her to spend her life selling and gutting fish at the fishmonger’s?"
The moonlight washed over the stone steps. Cao Tian stood quietly in place for a long moment. Finally, he turned around.
"Master... I’ll fight."
Cao Tian said, letting out a breath.
"It’s good that you’ve thought it through."
The Master nodded in satisfaction, grabbed Cao Tian by the arm, and started walking toward the Fu Family’s grand mansion.
"This isn’t actually that difficult. The key is to make Young Master Fu happy.
If Young Master Fu is pleased, he’ll definitely reward you handsomely.
And when you get back to the gang, the Gang Leader will have a reward for you too..."
As he spoke, the Master reached the black-lacquered iron gate and knocked.
A moment later, a small window on the gate slid open, revealing half of a wary face.
"Who is it?"
"Chen Yanqiu of the Black Shark Gang. Young Master Fu Juemin sent for us."
The Master clasped his hands and bowed.
The gate slowly opened. Cao Tian and the Master followed a servant inside.
Before coming, Cao Tian had only heard that the Fu Family was wealthy. Only now did he understand the true extent of their riches.
They walked for a full ten minutes just to cross the courtyard in front of the gate. After entering the main residence, they wound through a series of corridors.
After walking for quite some time, the group finally stopped in a place that resembled a training hall.
The vast room was covered with soft cotton mats. A Western-style chandelier hanging from the ceiling illuminated the entire space as brightly as day.
In the center of the room, a person stood with his back to them in a Stance. Four or five men surrounded him, repeatedly striking his body with cloth-wrapped hardwood sticks—neither too lightly nor too heavily.
’Bone Forging? Around the Middle Stage of Bone Forging...’
Cao Tian could tell the man’s Martial Dao progress with a single glance.
He was also in the Bone Forging stage, but he was close to reaching Blood Refining. To reach the Middle Stage of Bone Forging in less than two months was astonishing, but for a wealthy family that lacked no resources, it wasn’t particularly rare.
’Body Forging can be rushed, but Martial Arts Skills aren’t something you can master just by practicing casually...’
Cao Tian subconsciously clenched his fists, thinking to himself.
The dull thuds of the strikes echoed in the training hall for a while longer before abruptly stopping. The men with the sticks all consciously dispersed. The person they had surrounded also relaxed his stance and slowly turned around.
Cao Tian finally got a clear look at the true appearance of the legendary eldest young master of the Fu Family. freēwēbnovel.com
Young and handsome. Even half-naked as he was, there was an innate aristocratic air to his every move.
"Are you the men Wu Pozhou sent over?"
The young man gazed at the two of them coolly, asking as he wiped sweat from his brow with a silk cloth.
The Master tugged on Cao Tian’s sleeve, then immediately bowed and scurried forward, offering respectful greetings.
Cao Tian’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He took a shallow breath, lowered his head, and clasped his fist. "This humble one, Cao Tian, greets Young Master Fu."
....
Fu Juemin sized up the two men before him, his gaze lingering on the young man named Cao Tian.
His second uncle, Fu Guoping, had told him to feel free to command Wu Pozhou if he needed anything. As it happened, he needed a sparring partner, so he had taken the opportunity.
He had sent someone to inform the Black Shark Gang during the day, and they had sent someone over by nightfall. Their efficiency was quite high.
Fu Juemin’s first impression of the young man was satisfactory. It was clear he had several years of hard-won skill under his belt, and he’d heard he was a Red Stick.
A place like the docks saw constant conflict. Becoming a gang’s Red Stick wasn’t easy. The sheer ruthlessness they carried was something the sheltered guards of his family’s Nursing Home couldn’t hope to match.
Of course, he’d have to test him to find out his true quality.
"Shuisheng, Youzhu."
Fu Juemin casually gestured to two guards from the Nursing Home. Wang Shuisheng and Sun Youzhu stepped forward in response.
"Go test this brother’s mettle."
After speaking, Fu Juemin turned and sat down on a sandalwood couch covered in soft satin.
Two Muscle Therapists from Xing’an Hall immediately came forward. They skillfully began massaging his swollen and bruised muscles and meridians with medicinal oil, treating the areas affected by the Stance training.
Fu Juemin watched the three men on the floor below while enjoying the treatment.
