There is a type of people in this world who appear dignified and filled with integrity, their faces alone suggesting they are heroes eager to right wrongs.
Elder Cai is just like that.
On the roads of Yuzhou, if the Dragon Head Association claims to be second, no other gang dares to claim the first spot.
It’s common for martial artists to fight and kill; smaller gangs might change leaders every four or five years, but the Dragon Head Association has always been the top dog. Thus, many martial artists come to Yuzhou, not bothering to remember the names of other gangs, knowing the Dragon Head Association is enough.
In the blink of an eye, the Dragon Head Association has stood unchallenged in Yuzhou for thirty years.
Elder Cai originally had eight sworn brothers; half died in the early days while establishing their base, and over the years, the surviving brothers either died or were injured in martial conflicts, leaving only Elder Cai fully able, without missing limbs.
To this day, no one on the roads of Yuzhou even remembers Elder Cai’s real name.
He had a nickname in his early years, but now, no one dares to use it; everyone respectfully addresses him as Elder Cai.
Elder Cai is not only lucky and skilled in martial arts, but he’s also said to have sparred with elders from major sects; even disciples from Qingcheng and Chunshan Sects passing through Yuzhou must present a visiting card to the Dragon Head Association. To be a local boss like Elder Cai is what many martial artists dream of.
Beyond this, only the great sect elders, sect leaders, and the Martial Arts Alliance leader are his equals.
—Ordinary martial artists can’t aspire to those positions, so in their daydreams, reaching the position of leader of the Dragon Head Association is the highest achievement they imagine.
Less than an hour after Meng Qi abducted three leaders from the Changxin Gang, Elder Cai, a renowned figure on the roads of Yuzhou, was already on their trail.
Mingchuan Temple is a long-abandoned temple, located in a remote area, frequented only by weasels and rats. Meng Qi, skilled in light-footed martial arts, is hard to follow; others can only guess his direction but can’t track him. Despite these disadvantages, the Dragon Head Association accurately located the place, proving the first gang of Yuzhou is not just in name.
Local bosses know everything that happens on their turf; they can trace any activity, thanks to their numerical advantage and having eyes everywhere.
Elder Cai did not come alone, but he left his men outside the temple gate.
Mingchuan Temple was subtly surrounded.
And it was done discreetly; unless one is an exceptional martial artist, it’s almost impossible to sense their presence—Dragon Head Association members stayed far off in the woods and mountain paths, not hiding intentionally; their shadows were visible if sought, not seeming like an ambush but rather like a show of force.
They made no noise and showed no faces.
This surprised Meng Qi.
The Dragon Head Association’s members vary in quality; they are neither the elite Imperial Guards nor trained assassins, and they cannot act without making a sound. These martial gang members often seem disorganized, but the Dragon Head Association knows their strengths and weaknesses; they at least avoid speaking rashly, which could lead to fatal repercussions.
Thus, Meng Qi took a few good looks at Elder Cai.
Whether righteous or cunning, it doesn’t affect the dragon vein’s judgment of a person.
Such a shrewd leader wouldn’t likely be careless enough to let slip any details of his dealings.
While Meng Qi was still pondering, people by the pond started shivering.
The accountant was frightened, while the other two were angered.
An unprovoked disaster, all stirred up by the Dragon Head Association, who publicly claimed they wanted to eradicate the Holy Lotus Sect branch to protect the people, yet secretly they conducted unspeakable transactions with assassins.
Wanting to confront them, the words reached the throat of the Changxin Gang leader but were swallowed back down.
Based on the origin of six hundred taels of gold, even if the truth matched their suspicions, without solid evidence, neither acting out nor questioning would lead to satisfaction, let alone convince fellow martial artists, and would offend Elder Cai.
Those two mysterious martial arts masters could walk away, but they had to keep scraping by on the roads of Yuzhou. If they carelessly offended Elder Cai of the Dragon Head Association, what would they do next?
Even if the Dragon Head Association were to fall today, a broken ship still has three pounds of iron—they couldn’t afford the collision!
The leader of the Changxin Gang felt so aggrieved he was nearly bursting, glancing sideways at the accountant of the Dragon Head Association and kicking him into the water.
Like a startled bird, the accountant flinched at the kick, immediately toppling into the water. He frantically tried to stand, his legs churning up mud and sediment, muddying the waters even more.
After his fall, the accountant choked on water and began to retch violently, the problem being that he was facing down into the water.
Du Biaotou’s expression changed drastically, and he immediately followed the Changxin Gang leader towards the shore.
This time, Meng Qi did not stop them.
Mo Li frowned deeply, unable to help turning his head away.
Fish, after all, care about the water.
Even if they don’t go underwater, they tend to look more often; it’s their nature, uncontrollable.
—Like a sand mouse facing a plate of sugar cakes, if it’s a plate of horribly tasting cakes, still placed in front of a sand mouse, it would probably feel terribly uncomfortable. This feeling is complex because it’s unclear whether it feels the sight is obtrusive or it’s pained by the spoiling of good food.
Doctor Mo originally detested this stagnant pool, and now it became unbearable.
Thus, he couldn’t help but raise his hand, sending a gust of wind that flung the still retching accountant out of the pond.
With waterweeds tangled around him, covered in mud and dirt mixed with vomit, the accountant splashed onto the ground, sliding four or five feet before ending up in a wretched heap at Elder Cai’s feet.
Even Elder Cai, who was accustomed to the vicissitudes of the martial world, twitched his eyelids, almost stepping back.
Fortunately, the accountant was sensible enough not to cling to Elder Cai’s legs, but shakily got up to plead: “Old Master, please listen to my explanation… I didn’t say it, really didn’t say anything against the Dragon Head Association, just… it was only about the gold, and that day many people saw it.”
With the Changxin Gang leader and Du Biaotou present, the accountant dared not bluff his way through and could only desperately defend himself.
He didn’t know how much Elder Cai had overheard from outside, but when Meng Qi spoke the last sentence, Elder Cai had already stepped into the courtyard, and at that time the conversation was about the Dragon Head Association taking gold for tasks but intentionally leaking information; the accountant’s mind buzzed, knowing trouble was brewing.
The Dragon Head Association handled countless shady dealings each year; being exposed was not much of an issue, as which gang didn’t engage in such things? But if it involved the people at the top of the Dragon Head Association or even Elder Cai’s scheming, who knows what secrets in the deal couldn’t be exposed? He was just an accountant, not enough to stake his life on! So now, he could only play dumb, acting as if he hadn’t thought through the implications, and pleaded bitterly about his years of service to the gang.
Elder Cai sighed, wanting to say a few words to save face, but the stench forced him to stop—
—the smell from the accountant, wafting straight to Elder Cai’s nose.
Meng Qi looked towards Mo Li with a smile, well done, Doctor!
Mo Li: “…”
That was indeed a coincidence.
The stench of rotting mud, more unbearable than the smell of blood.
Especially for those skilled in martial arts.
Elder Cai was getting on in years, and holding his breath was bad for his health.
In this moment of crisis, they might even need to exchange blows! If he was choked by the stench and then struggled with disrupted energy flow during combat, leading to a loss of his lifelong reputation, wouldn’t it be a joke?
The Changxin Gang leader smirked, clearly noticing Elder Cai’s dilemma; had it been him, he would have kicked the man away long ago. However, Elder Cai, ever righteous and honorable, had preached morals all his life; even if executing a traitor within the gang, he would convene the members and clarify matters before taking action, never torturing someone, unable to kick a desperately pleading subordinate to the side in front of his martial peers.
“Enough!”
Elder Cai’s forehead bulged with veins, and he barked sternly.
The accountant shuddered, belatedly noticing Elder Cai’s expression. Looking down at his own state, even he couldn’t bear it, scrambling and rolling to the side bushes to continue vomiting.
Elder Cai’s face darkened like the bottom of a pot, his gaze sweeping over the unfriendly expressions of Du Biaotou and the Changxin Gang leader, settling on Meng Qi, who stood with arms folded, enjoying the spectacle.
At this moment, coinciding with sunset, the sky was awash with evening glow.
In the desolate, broken temple, one man stood aloof from worldly strife, watching the hustle and bustle with a smile; Elder Cai couldn’t ignore him even if he wanted to.
Beside Meng Qi was Mo Li.
In Elder Cai’s eyes, although this person was quiet, the other often looked back with a smile, clearly very close.
Such closeness… wasn’t just the understanding between friends; who would stick so close to a friend with a smiling gaze and not leave? Elder Cai was old, but he wasn’t blind.
Sworn brothers?
Elder Cai mused that such people, with their unique appearances, would be hard to match in the whole world.
Could it be that these two were so discerning that they were only satisfied when they met each other, regardless of gender?
According to the Dragon Head Association’s members, both had participated in the kidnapping, with light-footed skills so advanced not even the gang’s fastest horses or dogs could keep up. When Elder Cai arrived, he knew his opponents were two highly skilled martial artists.
…So what kind of sworn brothers were these, so perfectly matched?
Wait, how did they meet?
Was it fate destined by the heavens, or did they seek each other out after hearing of the other’s reputation?
Elder Cai marveled internally, though his face showed nothing.
He didn’t rely on his status to act superior, but rather politely advised, “I see that both of you aren’t cut out for the martial world’s struggles. Why bother intervening in martial affairs? Being in the martial world means not having control over one’s own fate. The Dragon Head Association has its roots in Yuzhou; inevitably, we must deal with some shady matters. If we don’t, disaster follows. When I was young, I too acted impulsively according to my feelings, but now the deceased brothers and relatives await support, and the young members of the gang need feeding. I must do things against my conscience, turning a blind eye when necessary.”
Meng Qi scoffed, “So the four gangs and twelve assemblies decided to use Piaoping Pavilion’s fire powder, and even led the digging of pits near the forest in Jiangnan Eight Rhymes Hall, not fearing or caring about harming the innocent?”
Elder Cai didn’t dodge the question, instead responding directly, “Indeed, this was the idea of our four gangs and twelve assemblies, more precisely, the idea of myself and a few other gang leaders. Keeping the Holy Lotus Sect around is a disaster; better a short pain than a long one. As for those innocents involved… we’ve already stopped the traveling merchants, and those remaining, including you, because you are connected to the Holy Lotus Sect followers and to avoid alerting the sect, I only watched. If you wish to pursue this matter, regardless of the stance you take, I will accept all responsibility. This decision was mine, and I will bear it alone.”
Author’s Note:
Elder Cai is not a hero; he acts out of self-interest and without remorse, but his misdeeds aren’t born from personal desire. He may harm people, but not without reason, nor will he steal secret manuals or exterminate entire families. He’s sorry for the innocents, but that’s as far as his remorse goes, with no true guilt or regret afterwards.
A real hero cannot be a local gang boss.
This is just a typical, common martial world boss, adhering to his own set of life philosophies, unchangeable even when proven wrong…
