Following the old Sect Master, the two of them returned to the Crimson Whale. Lu Sheng spent the next hours in meditation, swallowing several pills to soothe bruises and quicken the flow of his blood. After two days of rest, most of his injuries had faded to faint aches.
Once he was fully recovered, he immediately summoned his newly assigned deputy.
The young man sent to him by the old Sect Master was so delicately handsome it bordered on the absurd. His alias was Jade Lotus—a former Taoist priest, only four years older than Lu Sheng. At twenty-four, he possessed martial arts skill far beyond what his gentle appearance suggested. Wielding the Iron Tribulus, he excelled in the art of concealed weapons. In one duel, he had arranged his darts into the shape of a blooming lotus, a feat that earned him his famed title.
Inside the Golden Peace & Prosperity Restaurant…
They sat together in Chamber A on the topmost floor. Jade Lotus wore plain white robes, a matching ribbon binding his long hair that cascaded to his waist. His features were more refined than those of many women, and the sunlight spilling into the chamber softened further the glow of his snow-pale skin.
Lu Sheng regarded him with a strange expression. To be frank, aside from the internet back on Earth, this was the first time he had ever encountered a man so beautiful in person. Without the distinctly visible Adam’s apple at his throat, Lu Sheng might have assumed he was a woman in disguise.
“External Head, have you seen enough?” Jade Lotus asked, sitting straight-backed with an unreadable face.
Within the Crimson Whale Sect, the formal title for External Affairs Emissaries was indeed “External Head.”
“I’m sorry… this is my first time seeing a man as pretty as you, Brother Jade. I got distracted for a moment—my apologies,” Lu Sheng said with a small smile. Ordinarily, he was quite mild-tempered.
“Your subordinate also has no idea why I’m like this. It’s been this way since I was young,” Jade Lotus replied.
Lu Sheng nodded. He had already gone through Jade Lotus’ file. The young man had been beautiful since childhood—so beautiful he was nearly sold as a human pet. Fortunately, the old Sect Master intervened, rescued him, and raised him within the Crimson Whale Sect. Now, Jade Lotus stood as one of the Sect Master’s trusted confidants.
“Right, then. Let’s look at some troubles that need to be sorted out by External Head now,” Jade Lotus said as he drew a roll of sheepskin parchment from his sleeve and unfurled it with practiced care.
“Firstly, Mountain-Edge City has now completely fallen under External Head’s jurisdiction. The Old Sect Master has confirmed this. Of the three harbors under our management, a serial robbery took place in Eastern Mountain Harbor yesterday. The authorities have made no progress and are requesting our assistance.”
“I’ll leave this to you to handle. We don’t have many key personnel. Just let the Soaring Eagle Squad take care of it,” Lu Sheng replied casually.
Jade Lotus blinked, surprised. “Soaring Eagle Squad comprises Former External Head Wu San’s men—they were all his trusted subordinates, trained by him. Doesn’t External Head Lu intend to remove them from power?”
“Why would I remove them from power? As long as they’re obedient,” Lu Sheng said, waving a hand dismissively.
“Alright, then. Secondly, there’s trouble in the Eastern Mountain Society. The son of one of their Branch Chiefs was arrested for stirring up chaos in one of our casinos. Our men have detained him. It was someone from the Soaring Eagle Squad who apprehended him,” Jade Lotus continued.
“Let the Soaring Eagle Squad deal with their own mess,” Lu Sheng answered, his tone still unconcerned.
“Soaring Eagle Squad doesn’t care. They just want their money repaid. Otherwise, they say they’ll break his arm,” Jade Lotus reported evenly.
Lu Sheng frowned. “How much did that lad lose?”
“Two nights. Ten thousand taels.”
“HUH??” Lu Sheng’s jaw nearly hit the floor.
Ten thousand taels.
A single tael of silver held the purchasing power of a thousand dollars. Ten thousand taels… that was a billion dollars.
Two nights—and he managed to lose a billion?
“The lad claims he was scammed and would rather die than pay up,” Jade Lotus added. “Oh, and this happened on the same day you fought with Gongsun Zhanglan.”
Lu Sheng fell silent, his eyes narrowing to cold slits.
“Interesting. Such a big commotion, yet the Soaring Eagle Squad didn’t report to me in advance. Heh… interesting.”
“Soaring Eagle Squad may officially fall under the Crimson Whale Sect, but in truth, they’ve always operated as an independent force under External Head Wu San. It’s natural that they’re a little untamed,” Jade Lotus explained.
“I don’t need ‘untamed’. I want ‘obedient’.” Lu Sheng rose to his feet, fixing Jade Lotus with a steady gaze. “There are thirteen men in the Soaring Eagle Squad. Each one stands at the pinnacle of Strength Proficiency. How many of them can you take on?”
Jade Lotus thought carefully before answering. “One at most. They’re no ordinary fighters.”
Lu Sheng paced slowly, hands clasped behind his back. “When there are benefits, they keep everything to themselves. Only when they run into trouble do they think of me—the External Head. What good is the Soaring Eagle Squad to me like this?”
“If External Head acts against them directly, you may dampen morale. External Head Wu San only recently died—heroically, at that. If you eliminate his trusted men now, outsiders will see you as unreasonable, no matter the angle,” Jade Lotus warned.
“I don’t give two hoots about anyone’s heart. I want obedience,” Lu Sheng replied with a dismissive wave. “Why has our Crimson Whale Sect been able to attract so many to join us?”
Understanding dawned in Jade Lotus’ eyes. “For the prestige of being part of the Number One sect. It’s powerful, and the benefits are generous.”
“Exactly. So regardless of what others think, simply write out the entire incident—from start to finish—and put it up publicly. Most of our men only require a reason that lets them convince themselves. People always choose to believe what they want to believe,” Lu Sheng said.
Jade Lotus mulled over his words and grasped Lu Sheng’s intent.
With the Crimson Whale Sect’s strength and the rewards it offered, a momentary dip in morale meant nothing—as long as no one overstepped the bottom line.
Such a method suited a martial powerhouse like External Head Lu perfectly. Anyone with complaints could simply come seek him directly. As long as no one repeatedly caused trouble, no one would dare oppose the Sect solely for the sake of the Soaring Eagle Squad.
Having straightened out his thoughts, Jade Lotus found his impression of Lu Sheng shifting. He had originally assumed his new superior was nothing more than brute strength wrapped in muscle. But now, Lu Sheng seemed to carry an air of unfathomable depth. His grasp of human nature surpassed even that of many counselors in the yamen.
“We’ll go with that. I’ll leave it to you. Just show me the results. Anything else?” Lu Sheng asked.
“Nothing else. I can handle the remaining matters,” Jade Lotus replied, the excitement in his eyes settling into calm resolve.
“I’ll leave it to you then. I’m heading back to train,” Lu Sheng said. He rose, gave Jade Lotus a firm pat on the shoulder, and strode out without another word.
The Soaring Eagle Squad—once Wu San’s personal force—lasted only a few days under Lu Sheng’s pressure before quietly disbanding.
Their original plan had been to unite and pressure their new superior. None of them wanted their assets or influence reassigned once Lu Sheng arrived. But after the incident involving the Eastern Mountain Society’s casino, their endurance finally collapsed beneath the weight of that faction’s demands.
The entire mess had begun by coincidence. The Branch Chief of Eastern Mountain Society had just been reassigned to this region and hadn’t even informed the local factions of his arrival before his son—an avid gambler—charged into the casino. By the end of two nights, the young man had not only lost his money but also walked straight into a trap.
By the time both sides discovered each other’s identities, matters had already spiraled out of control.
Unable to withstand Eastern Mountain Society’s pressure, the Soaring Eagle Squad had no choice but to seek help from Lu Sheng. Lu Sheng arrived, resolved the dispute, and made the lad repay only the actual amount he had genuinely lost—which came to a mere few thousand taels of silver.
And with that, the entire matter quietly came to an end.
Eastern Mountain Society soon learned his name as well. The man who had beaten Gongsun Zhanglan to death could hardly remain hidden. By now, Lu Sheng’s reputation had spread through the upper ranks of every sect, society, and clan.
Thus, Eastern Mountain Society treated him with utmost courtesy, taking the initiative to apologize and present gifts. Their Branch Chief even offered Lu Sheng five thousand taels of silver as compensation for the trouble.
These things were trivial to Lu Sheng. What truly occupied his mind was the current fate of the Gongsun family.
Based on his informant’s report, the renowned hero of Mountain-Edge, Fang Zhidong, was personally escorting Gongsun Zhanglan’s younger sister, Zhang Huishu, south toward the Central Plains.
Even so, their path was far from safe. Word of Gongsun Zhanglan’s death spread quickly, drawing countless enemies out of the shadows. Among them were fighters at the Intent Proficiency realm, and more than ten experts at Strength Proficiency. Many were from small families that had once suffered under the Gongsun family’s tyranny; now they came to exact their vengeance at last.
Some even moved deliberately to hinder the escort party, hoping to earn favor with the Crimson Whale Sect.
Lu Sheng himself cared little about the woman’s fate. Fang Zhidong had given his personal guarantee—under such circumstances, it would be improper and morally indefensible for Lu Sheng to take action. He had a family as well; to break that unspoken rule would grant others justification to move against his loved ones in the future.
But though he could not strike directly, nothing prevented him from doing so indirectly.
After the Soaring Eagle Squad pledged allegiance to him, Lu Sheng dispatched several of their experts to watch over the situation. Their duty was simple: track Zhang Huishu’s movements.
As for Lu Sheng, he remained quietly in Mountain-Edge City, devoting his days to studying and training in martial arts.
…………
BAM!!!
A wooden cudgel as thick as an arm slammed into Lu Sheng’s skull—only to splinter apart with a sharp ka-cha.
“HAHAHAHA! AGAIN!”
Topless beneath the scorching sun, his entire body slicked with medicinal oil, Lu Sheng stood unmoving. His bald head gleamed under the harsh light, and a strangely ecstatic grin twisted across his face.
Around him, several burly men gripped cudgels with trembling hands, panting so heavily their eyes seemed ready to roll back.
They swung again. And again. Each strike landed with a dull thud, shuddering through their arms more than through Lu Sheng’s body. After a few more blows, they collapsed from sheer exhaustion.
“What’s wrong, what’s wrong? Did none of you eat?! Huh???” Lu Sheng barked irritably. ‘With strength like this, are they trying to scratch my itch?’
“Boss… we’re really out of strength…” Duan Meng’an said miserably as he pointed at the seven or eight collapsed men sprawled around Lu Sheng—each one a hulking brute in his own right.
“CALL ME YOUNG MASTER!” Lu Sheng snapped. His palm smacked down on Duan Meng’an’s head so hard the man nearly kissed the floor.
“Young Master! Young Master!” Duan Meng’an switched instantly, terrified. This boss is such a freak… he insists on being called ‘Young Master.’ But look at him—what part of him resembles those delicate, refined Young Masters?
Naturally, he kept those thoughts buried deep. Lately, boss’ temper has been getting worse… who knows why. He keeps hitting us out of nowhere. The blows aren’t even that heavy, but walking around with bruises is embarrassing, okay!?
“All the registered muscular men in the city base have already been summoned… but we’re all too tired…” Duan Meng’an complained weakly.
Lu Sheng was annoyed as well. He had been cultivating the Nine Lakes Steel Chains Skill for half a month now—yet he still hadn’t even reached Initiation.
This hard body technique required relentless blunt-force impact. At first, the many strongmen he gathered were enough, and he had made decent progress. But now, when he felt he was just one step from Initiation, their strength had become utterly insufficient.
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