In Sheng Tian City, on Chi Ming Street, at Qingshan Martial Hall.
Today, this once desolate Martial Hall was bustling with noise, as prominent figures of all sizes came to congratulate the old master Xu Qingshan.
Taking advantage of Xu Qingshan's temporary absence, Li Qing's table began to whisper among themselves:
"Old Master Xu is not simple at all. I heard that when he was young and strong, he married two concubines, but none of them got pregnant over the years. Who would have thought that after all this time, his newly taken concubine actually became pregnant!"
"Hey, I heard that he often scolded and beat those few wives and concubines for not bearing him a child."
"Is that so?"
Sitting nearby, Li Qing listened to these words with a slightly strange expression, but he merely continued to eat and drink, not joining in the discussion.
On the other hand, Qi Kang showed a gloating expression; he had never had a good impression of those who ran Martial Halls and exploited the common people.
After several rounds of drinks and dishes, the main guest of this banquet, Xu Qingshan, entered with a tall and slender man.
This man had a commanding presence, with bright, piercing eyes, and his entire demeanor was sharp like a blade. Xu Qingshan followed half a step behind this man, his expression respectful and humble.
"Young brother Zhang Lai, come in and take a seat. The Feiyun Martial Hall must be quite busy lately, right?"
With this one sentence, he revealed the identity of the visitor.
Feiyun Martial Hall!
One of the three major Martial Halls in the city, controlling nearly a quarter of the underground forces in the imperial capital.
As soon as Zhang Lai entered the Martial Hall, he was led by Xu Qingshan to the main seat. The other attendees immediately fell silent, and the atmosphere grew tense.
"Hahaha, everyone, eat and drink well! This brother Zhang Lai is one of the direct disciples of Feiyun Martial Hall!" Xu Qingshan immediately laughed heartily, lifting the mood.
However, the disciple from Feiyun Martial Hall did not hide his displeasure, repeatedly sighing, "Don't mention it. Recently, to catch that Star Thief, we at Feiyun Martial Hall have gone through great lengths. We haven't had a moment to breathe!"
Xu Qingshan immediately echoed, "Alas, that Star Thief has committed many crimes. Brother Zhang, you and Feiyun Martial Hall have truly worked hard to maintain peace in the city!"
"What can we do? That Star Thief has exceptional lightness skills, and only our Feiyun Martial Hall's Zongyun Technique can keep up. Naturally, this arduous task falls to us disciples." Zhang Lai shook his head and continued, "But for the peace of the citizens, this little hardship is nothing."
Upon hearing this, Qi Kang's impression of these Martial Hall members began to change slightly.
However, Li Qing couldn't help but want to laugh, as if he detected a completely different tone in those words.
"Qi Kang, when outside, you must remain calm. No matter what happens, do not become agitated," Li Qing quickly reminded.
Qi Kang looked somewhat confused; he didn't understand why his master was suddenly lecturing him at this moment.
"Master, what do you mean by that?" Qi Kang asked.
Li Qing replied, "I want you to be more composed. Don't let your blood rush to your head at every little thing; you must learn to be rational and control your emotions!"
Hearing this, Qi Kang was still puzzled, but the next moment, the conversation between Xu Qingshan and Zhang Lai resumed, and Qi Kang finally understood his master's intention.
"Young brother Zhang, you are truly noble. I heard that because of this matter, the monthly example money has increased on several nearby streets?" Xu Qingshan asked with some confusion.
Zhang Lai nodded while savoring the strong liquor in his cup, "That is indeed the case."
"Then we at Chi Ming Street cannot be left out. How about this: starting next month, our Chi Ming Street will also increase the monthly example money by one or two silver coins. Once the matter of the Star Thief is resolved, we will revert to the previous example money," Xu Qingshan proposed.
The guests at the banquet immediately fell silent, the atmosphere tense enough to hear a pin drop. Zhang Lai declined, "Eh, how can that be? The monthly example money was agreed upon beforehand; how can it just increase? Moreover, capturing the Star Thief is also our Feiyun Martial Hall's responsibility."
But Xu Qingshan immediately countered generously, "Regardless, Feiyun Martial Hall is working hard for the citizens of the city. Since the other streets have increased their fees, we at Chi Ming Street should do the same. We just hope that the Star Thief can be caught soon!"
"Alright! Since Master Xu has this intention, I will not refuse. We at Feiyun Martial Hall will definitely capture that Star Thief as soon as possible!"
Thus, Xu Qingshan immediately seized the opportunity to announce this matter.
He spoke a long string of grandiose words about how the Star Thief had committed numerous crimes, disrupting the order of the city and causing the citizens to live in fear.
And Feiyun Martial Hall had tirelessly traveled everywhere for this, so from now on, the monthly example money would increase by one or two silver coins. As long as the Star Thief was caught, they would revert to the previous amount.
After finishing, Zhang Lai also expressed his gratitude to everyone for their support in front of the attendees.
Creak!
Qi Kang's fists clenched tightly, his eyes slightly reddening.
The expressions of the other attendees were equally grim.
After all, no matter how much the Star Thief disrupted order, it did not affect them as business merchants.
Usually, they only regarded this matter as a rumor for amusement; they never expected it to actually fall upon them.
"That..."
Someone hesitated, not daring to be the first to speak up.
An increase of one or two silver coins each month would amount to twelve silver coins a year, which was no small sum!
Moreover, the Star Thief was elusive; not to mention capturing him, most people probably didn't even know what he looked like. Who knows when he would be caught?
This meant that as long as the Star Thief was not captured, they would have to keep paying an extra one or two silver coins as protection money!
Who could accept that?
Qi Kang finally understood why his master had previously advised him to remain calm and learn to be rational when encountering matters; he had already foreseen this scene.
Suddenly, Qi Kang's heart was filled with mixed feelings. He admired his master's foresight but felt disappointed that despite his martial skills, he could do nothing in the face of such injustice.
Thus, Qi Kang lowered his head, remaining silent.
Finally, someone in the Martial Hall spoke up, but the content of their words chilled the hearts of many.
"That's right, the heroes of Feiyun Martial Hall have indeed worked hard for us to have a peaceful business environment!"
"Exactly, I agree to increase the monthly example money by one or two silver coins!"
"I agree too!"
From the main seat, Zhang Lai smiled brightly and clasped his hands, "Thank you all for your kindness. Rest assured, that Star Thief will not be able to roam freely for long. With our Feiyun Martial Hall around, you can all rest easy!"
The few who echoed him were mostly merchants who usually had closer ties with Qingshan Martial Hall.
The rest of the attendees looked at them with expressions that seemed to say, "We have a traitor among us."
Clearly, these few had received prior instructions to cooperate with Zhang Lai and Xu Qingshan in this act.
Li Qing, sitting at the table eating and drinking, was completely unconcerned with these matters, savoring the food as if he were not the one who would have to pay.
(End of Chapter)