Chapter Ninety-Six: Transformation

Five days later.

In the afternoon.

Inside a quiet room.

Qin Yi woke from his meditation, glanced at Kang Bo, who was drinking tea, and smiled. “Kang Bo, you have worked hard. You spent the whole day teaching me, so now I’ll have someone escort you back.”

“It was nothing, nothing at all.” Kang Bo waved his hands hastily.

Ever since he had struck up a connection with this young Gang Leader Qin, not only had he received five hundred taels in tuition, but his family had also been looked after in many ways by the Golden Tiger Gang. Even the calligraphy and painting shop his son ran was exempt from protection money.

“Then take care on your way, Kang Bo. You don’t need to come tomorrow,” Qin Yi said. Yesterday, both of the six-realm martial arts he had been learning had reached the beginner stage, so he had spent the entire day studying a literary discipline instead.

Unexpectedly, the Observation Method had also reached the beginner stage just now.

Truly a cause for celebration.

“All right.” Kang Bo nodded and left under the guidance of a gang member.

After Kang Bo was gone, Qin Yi opened the system panel.

Qin Yi:

...

Gigantic Spirit Art: Beginner+

Returning Sea Art: Beginner+

Observation Method: Beginner+

Energy: 545

He let out a breath. At last, he had entered the beginner stage.

Qin Yi decided not to learn the six-realm martial arts from the other martial halls in the city for now. No one knew when Wu Yulong’s master might come killing his way here, so this was no place to linger.

Now that he had two new martial arts, his strength could still grow a little more. So long as he did not encounter an Innate expert, it would be enough for the time being.

His next plan was to head for neighboring Qingzhou. There was a branch of the Daoist faith there: the Divine Firmament Taoist Temple.

In addition, the ancestral branch of the Daoist faith, the ruins of the Great Clarity Dao Palace, were also on the peak of the Taiji Mountain Range in Qingzhou. If there was a chance, he would certainly go up and take a look to see whether he could discover anything.

He looked at the sky; it was already afternoon.

“Let’s leave tomorrow,” he decided. Later, he would deal with the Golden Tiger Gang, and then depart the next day.

Just as Qin Yi was about to raise those two martial arts and one literary technique, a knock came at the door.

“Gang Leader, I have something to report to you,” came He Hongjun’s voice from outside.

“Come in.”

Soon, Qin Yi saw He Hongjun walk in, his face somewhat troubled.

“Has something happened in the gang?” Qin Yi asked when he saw that expression.

“Gang Leader, it’s not about the gang. It’s about the rebels!”

“The rebels?”

“Yes. An old friend of mine runs an escort bureau. He just returned from Liuhe County, more than a hundred li away. Guess what he saw?”

Without waiting for Qin Yi to ask, He Hongjun said gravely, “He saw large numbers of the provincial army retreating to defend Liuhe County. He also found out that the provincial troops at the front, along with the remaining county troops from Nanyang and Jiangning Prefectures, were utterly defeated by the rebel forces on the front line. Now they can only fall back to Liuhe County! If Liuhe County cannot hold, then the rebels’ next step will be to march straight on Xiangzhou City!”

Qin Yi frowned upon hearing this.

In truth, if the rebels pressed in, he did not believe the provincial army and those incomplete county troops would dare make a final stand at Liuhe County. The city walls there were not high, and they would be vulnerable to encirclement.

Perhaps in a day or two, the provincial army and those county troops would retreat to Xiangzhou City.

Xiangzhou City was strong, and there were still ten thousand provincial soldiers in the city who had not yet been committed.

“What are you trying to say? Speak freely,” Qin Yi said.

“Subordinate believes no one can say whether the provincial army can hold back the rebels. I think our Golden Tiger Gang should withdraw from Xiangzhou City first, while the city gates are still open! Once night falls and the gates are shut, by dawn tomorrow it will be uncertain whether anyone inside will still be allowed to leave. By then, getting out will be difficult indeed,” He Hongjun said solemnly.

“Mm, your idea is sound. Come, let us first go to the Golden Tiger Gang headquarters, then summon all the senior members for a meeting,” Qin Yi said.

He had originally intended to settle matters with the Golden Tiger Gang before nightfall anyway.

He was leaving Xiangzhou City tomorrow, and the Golden Tiger Gang was merely an organization he had hastily consolidated.

Once he left, the gang would certainly split apart. He had already been wondering how to handle that, after all. This makeshift union had, after all, helped him somewhat; it had helped him gather a literary discipline, so before leaving he naturally had to make proper arrangements.

He had not expected the rebels to be nearing Xiangzhou City already.

Two quarters of an hour later.

The Golden Tiger Gang headquarters.

All senior members above the level of hall master were present.

“Everyone, I have called you here to announce something. Just now, Deputy Gang Leader He told me that the provincial army at the front, along with the remnants of those two county troops, have already been driven back to Liuhe County, more than a hundred li away. The rebel army may reach the city at any moment,” Qin Yi said.

As soon as those words fell, many faces changed sharply.

“Gang Leader, is this information true?” Jiang Ying asked with a grave expression.

“True.”

“And there is another piece of news to tell you all: tonight, or tomorrow, I will be leaving Xiangzhou City, and from this point on I will no longer serve as the Golden Tiger Gang’s Gang Leader. As for who will take over next, we can discuss that shortly.”

This time, everyone was astonished again.

Especially He Hongjun. He had not expected the Gang Leader to step down.

Qin Yi raised his hand to silence them and went on. “Old He, how much cash does our Golden Tiger Gang currently have on hand?”

“Reporting to Gang Leader, about thirty thousand taels,” He Hongjun replied.

This money had all been accumulated over this period after merging all the gangs in the west of the city.

“Good. Take out the thirty thousand taels. Anyone who leaves the gang now and departs Xiangzhou City may take a share of the money according to rank. Those who stay will not get a share, but the gang’s properties will be left to you.”

“Make your choice,” Qin Yi said indifferently.

Many of them looked thoughtful at once.

In truth, thirty thousand taels was not much compared with the value of all the Golden Tiger Gang’s holdings.

But now that the rebel army was drawing near, no one could guarantee that Xiangzhou City would hold.

“I choose to leave!” He Hongjun raised his hand.

“Good. Anyone else?”

“I choose to leave as well!” Liu Chongjie said.

After that, seven or eight more hall masters chose to depart one after another.

What surprised Qin Yi somewhat was that Zuo Hanshan also chose to leave. This fellow had six-realm strength and had originally been the leader of the Green Snake Gang.

After that, no one else chose to leave.

Those seven or eight departing hall masters were basically all the hall masters from the original Golden Tiger Gang and Green Snake Gang.

In other words, almost all the senior leadership of the former Golden Tiger Gang and Green Snake Gang had chosen to leave.

“That’s everyone, is it?”

“Very well. Then the remaining assets of the Golden Tiger Gang shall be divided in two: Jiang Ying gets one half, Qi Feng gets the other. The Golden Tiger Gang is officially dissolved. No one objects, do they?” Qin Yi said.

Upon hearing this, both men let out a breath of relief.

They had obtained what they wanted.

“No objections!”

“Good. Those who just left the Golden Tiger Gang, come with me to divide the money!”

Before long, the eight hall masters, along with He Hongjun and Zuo Hanshan, had gathered.

From the thirty thousand taels, Qin Yi took eight thousand himself.

That left twenty-two thousand.

Each hall master received one thousand taels.

He Hongjun received five thousand taels, and Zuo Hanshan received three thousand.

The remaining six thousand taels were distributed among the gang members willing to leave.