Chapter Twenty-Three: The Three Heroes Meet for the First Time

“Second son of the Zhang family, you are far too naïve! You really ought to learn from your father. Do you think that with just Liu Fu, you can topple the Cao Commerce Guild? That you can simply take two corpses away from my gates?” Master Liu’s expression shifted dramatically, his rage flaring. If he allowed himself to be cowed by a few words—perhaps even groundless threats—spoken by a junior, it would be as humiliating as being slapped in the face by Zhang Mingzhi before all. At this moment, his cheeks burned with indignation.

“How to learn is none of your concern!” Zhang Mingzhi’s face darkened as well, though inwardly he felt relieved. Amid the wind, the clamor of hooves grew more distinct; he tilted his head back and smiled, tinged with irony, as he observed Master Liu’s face, now stunned beneath its rage.

The thunderous beat of hooves echoed, swiftly reaching every ear present. Even Saiji Gade, kneeling before the gate, raised his head slightly, while Ding Li convulsed faintly on the ground, his eyelids fluttering before sinking back into darkness.

“Master Liu, it’s not I who wish to take them away—it’s those over there!” Zhang Mingzhi flashed a cunning smile, yet grew wary, fearing Master Liu might resort to desperate violence against Ding Li. He edged his mount closer to Ding Li, and waved his long spear, its gleaming tip signaling danger to all around. None dared approach where it pointed.

A mass of warhorses, clad riders in bright armor, swept in under the command of Provincial Marshal Yang Hongwen. Over two hundred cavalrymen formed a solid, two-winged wedge formation.

“In the dead of night, the city is under curfew—why are so many gathered here?” Yang Hongwen rode at the forefront, wielding a sharp Tang blade, his gaze icy as it swept over the Chaozhou gang, lingered briefly on Zhang Mingzhi at the center, then fixed upon Master Liu at the gate. Steeped in Confucian ideals, Yang’s heart brimmed with disgust as he coldly demanded, “Liu Lao San! Are you attempting to incite rebellion, or disturb the Marshal at this hour? Or perhaps you wish to repeat last night’s affair at the docks?”

“Never, General Yang, you jest! I wouldn’t dare!” For all his bravado, Master Liu was but a faction leader propped up by powers behind the scenes. Before Yang Hongwen, the trusted man of the Provincial Marshal Li Tiao, he dared not step out of line. He hurried down the steps, signaling desperately to his men, bowing and smiling obsequiously: “General Yang, you misunderstand! Just a minor matter in need of discussion—we’ll disperse at once! Forgive us for troubling you and your men, I’ll be sure to host you in apology another day.”

Not only Yang Hongwen himself, but any of the two hundred elite guards behind him would be more than Master Liu could contend with. Even with the backing of the Inspector and Maritime Commissioner, facing the Marshal’s personal troops, he remained a mere gang leader.

Especially now, with the army mobilized, Yang Hongwen could easily find pretext to take Master Liu away with a single command. It wouldn’t cost him his life, but he’d surely suffer for it.

“Do you take us for blind?” Yang Hongwen, fierce foe of evil, was unmoved by Master Liu’s attempts at appeasement. He glared, swept his gaze over the scene, and pressed coldly, “Wounded men everywhere, blood on the ground—and you claim you’re simply negotiating? I’d like to know what business requires negotiation with blood and lives!”

“No, no, General Yang, you truly misunderstand—just a small misunderstanding…” Master Liu feared not Zhang Mingzhi, but dreaded Yang Hongwen—not just for his status, but because Yang was notorious for hunting out troublemakers like himself. Cursing Zhang Mingzhi inwardly, Master Liu wiped sweat from his brow and pleaded, “It’s just a minor misunderstanding, a little friction among our brothers below. There’s no need to trouble you and your men, I’ll send them away at once and ensure proper discipline so you and the Marshal may rest easy!”

“Brother Yang! Two of my brothers are injured, I need a few men to help!” Zhang Mingzhi was utterly at ease now—Yang Hongwen and his soldiers made it impossible for Master Liu to attack Ding Li openly. He turned his horse toward Yang Hongwen, beckoned, and then flashed a sly smile at Ah Qi, the wielder of the Meteor Hammer at the gate. “Ah Qi, I need your help—bring that brother over, I’ll take them both. And don’t forget to send a few smart men along with Brother Yang, make sure they say nothing wrong, so Master Liu doesn’t get into trouble!”

Ah Qi finally understood, watching Zhang Mingzhi’s triumphant smile with twitching lips. Helpless, he shook his head, whispered instructions to his men, and politely helped the incapacitated Saiji Gade down the steps.

Yang Hongwen also sent a few trusted aides to assist Zhang Mingzhi, leaving Master Liu standing, forced to wear a cheerful mask while secretly grinding his teeth and cursing both Zhang Mingzhi and Yang Hongwen.

“Liu Lao San, I warn you only once!” Yang Hongwen finished his arrangements, his tone as cold as ever as he addressed the bowing Master Liu: “If you deliberately stir up trouble again, I’ll report to the Marshal. Even if I don’t, I can bring you to the barracks any time—and I guarantee you won’t be standing here then!”

“Yes, yes, General Yang, your words are wise—I’ll remember, never dare forget!” Master Liu bowed again, unwilling but utterly powerless to resist—these two hundred elite guards far outstripped anything he could muster.

“Hmph!” Yang Hongwen gave a cold snort, turned his horse aside, refusing another glance.

“Master Liu, I’m taking them now! No need to see us off!” Zhang Mingzhi rode up to Master Liu, leaned over his saddle, cocked his head with a contemptuous smile, and carelessly waved behind him. “Oh, and a few of your brothers seem eager to come along—I’ll take them too, treat them to good tea, so they don’t suffer at your house.”

“Shouyi, time to go!” Yang Hongwen, eager to leave, frowned at Zhang Mingzhi’s mocking tone. Killing a man was a matter of swift justice, but even toward villains like Master Liu, Yang preferred not to humiliate them publicly. He urged, “Let’s go, Shouyi!”

“Right, it’s late, we should head back!” Knowing Yang Hongwen’s temperament, Zhang Mingzhi shrugged indifferently, nodded, and then called to the silent Ah Qi, “Ah Qi! Come spar with me sometime, don’t stay cooped up in the house. Your skills haven’t improved, yet you’ve picked up all sorts of dirty tricks!”

“Shouyi, let’s move!” Yang Hongwen, just turning his horse, frowned again at the taunt and barked a low command, leading his troop onward.

Zhang Mingzhi grinned, paid no heed, waved to Master Liu, and squeezed his mount to follow, leaving Master Liu trembling with rage.

“Zhang Shouyi! Yang Jingyi! You’re pushing me too far…” Watching the crowd recede, Master Liu, shivering, slammed his jade-tipped cane on the ground. He never imagined he’d be outmaneuvered by two younger men, failing to keep Ding Li and suffering public humiliation.

Yet Master Liu knew that if it were only this matter, the Inspector and Maritime Commissioner behind him would not intervene. The fiasco at the docks last night had already infuriated his backers, and the decision to hunt down Ding Li was Master Liu’s own—his patrons had already abandoned the useless Lai Wu. Even now, they wouldn’t risk confronting the Provincial Marshal or Zhang Commerce Guild openly over him or Master Liu.

“Master, don’t be angry—it’s pointless. They’re officials, we’re not…” Ah Qi’s mood was bleak as well. Seeing his master so upset, he ventured a quiet comfort from behind.

“Useless! A bunch of useless fools!” Ah Qi’s words only enraged Master Liu further, who swung his cane at him and thundered at his men, “Worthless! So many of you couldn’t kill that brat on the spot! Are you just eating for nothing? Get out! All of you!”

In his fury, none of the Chaozhou gang dared challenge him; they retreated to either side, clearing a path for their master. Master Liu quickly regained his composure, glared at the downcast Ah Qi, snorted bitterly, and strode toward his mansion.

“Master, actually, I have an idea—at least it might prevent tonight’s incident from happening again in the future…” Ah Qi, trailing behind, finally couldn’t hold back and spoke quietly as they entered the gate.

“Hmm? What idea?” Master Liu paused, his eyes sharpening as he turned to scrutinize Ah Qi, his brows furrowed in suspicion. “Speak up, don’t hold anything back!”

“Yes, Master!” Ah Qi took a step back and nodded respectfully. After a brief consideration, he proposed, “Master, everything tonight happened because our status is different from Zhang and Yang—they’re officials, we’re the opposite.”

“Nonsense! Of course I know that!” Master Liu scowled impatiently at Ah Qi’s rambling, but seeing his aggrieved gaze, he sighed and nodded, “Go on, get to the point.”

“Militia!” Ah Qi had learned to be concise. He nodded and uttered the word directly. Master Liu was stunned, but the confusion quickly gave way to delight.

“I’ve heard lately that the Tang Dynasty is hard-pressed in Jiangnan—the bandit army is moving south along the river, and the imperial troops are unable to resist. In Fujian, militias have begun to form, mostly led by locals!” Seeing Master Liu grasp the idea, Ah Qi continued, “And it’s not hard to form a militia, especially for you! First, it’s the trend—sooner or later. Second, with the Chaozhou gang’s resources, we can support ourselves. Third, Inspector Lord Cao would gladly help—after all, our growing strength benefits his rivalry with the Marshal.”

“Exactly! Well said!” Master Liu immediately decided to adopt the suggestion, then pondered and added, “This must be done quickly! We cannot let the Zhang Commerce Guild beat us to it. If we establish the militia first, even if they try to imitate, Inspector Cao can hinder them. After all, Guangzhou city doesn’t need so many militias!”

“Master, your wisdom is unmatched!” Ah Qi quickly bowed, flattering his master, and received a look of approval.