“Wangchuan, do you think the Caobang’s standing in the Jianghu is not prestigious enough? Do you look down on them a little?” Bai Jingtang noticed his lukewarm reaction to her suggestion and turned slightly to explain.
“You may only know that the Beggar Sect dominates the martial world. But when it cos to waterways, the Caobang occupies every river and lake. They even have the ability to sail out to sea. In their eyes, the Beggar Sect are nothing but land-bound ducks. Once you are on the water, even the most formidable Beggar Sect expert must behave.”
Su Wangchuan remained silent.
“The Caobang’s Gang Leader himself is said to be a Sixth-Rank expert.”
“Sixth Rank?”
His heart trembled.
“Yes.”
“The Sect Leader of my Qingcheng Sect is only Seventh Rank. The Caobang’s Gang Leader, as a seasoned Sixth-Rank expert, is only slightly inferior to our Sect Leader. But once on the water, even our Sect Leader would not dare claim absolute superiority.”
Her comparison was vivid and direct.
She continued,
“Moreover, the Caobang commands over one hundred subordinate gangs and hundreds of branch halls. Each hall possesses its own martial manuals. In order to gain the Caobang’s favor, all such manuals must be submitted to the Caobang’s main headquarters.”
At those words, Su Wangchuan finally grasped her true aning.
Within a single year, the Yulong Gang had absorbed the Green Bamboo Gang, Qingyi Sect, Nu Tao Gang, and Blackwind Stronghold, acquiring nurous First- and Second-Rank martial manuals.
All of them were delivered to the Caobang.
And the Caobang had more than a hundred such subordinate gangs.
Countless gangs scouring the Jianghu for manuals…
The size of the Caobang’s martial treasury could only be staggering.
Perhaps their system was not as refined and profound as those of the great orthodox sects, but the sheer diversity of techniques—especially the likelihood of rare niche arts appearing within it—was an enormous advantage.
For players, it might even be more suitable than the rigid orthodoxy of major sects.
As for the governnt…
No force in the Jianghu could rival the imperial court’s collection of martial arts.
“Thank you for the guidance, Captain Bai.”
“If the opportunity arises, I will seek entry into the Caobang.”
Now that he understood the tangible benefits, the mountain of prejudice in his heart began to dissolve.
“There is another matter you must pay attention to.”
Her tone shifted. She looked him straight in the eye.
“Recently, undercurrents are stirring among the gangs at the Prefectural Governnt. The Yulong Gang’s na has been ntioned repeatedly. I made so inquiries… It seems the Beggar Sect is dissatisfied with the Yulong Gang’s collusion with the Heilong County authorities to seize all of the Qingyi Sect’s properties. They are preparing to teach the Yulong Gang a lesson.”
Su Wangchuan’s expression tightened.
“The Beggar Sect is the number one gang in the world. If they move against the Yulong Gang, would that not an destruction?”
“Not necessarily.”
“The problem is that the Yulong Gang acted too forcefully this ti, showing no regard for the Beggar Sect’s face,” Bai Jingtang explained. “Previously, when Qingyi Sect invaded your hall, Yang Feiyue handled the matter lightly. The Beggar Sect had no grounds to object.”
“But this ti, although the Qingyi Sect’s sect master Feng Shaoguang was caught with irrefutable evidence, and the Beggar Sect had no dignity left to intervene openly, they still have many disciples within the Qingyi Sect. All of those properties are now gone. Their inco streams have vanished. They complain daily to their branch halls at the Prefectural Governnt.”
“The Beggar Sect headquarters must resolve this.”
Having spent years in the ga, Bai Jingtang understood Jianghu dynamics more deeply.
“They have two choices. Either support a new branch hall to challenge the Yulong Gang directly, or find fault with the Yulong Gang and, according to Jianghu rules, kill to establish authority.”
“What fault could they possibly exploit?” Su Wangchuan asked instinctively.
She shook her head lightly.
“For a gang, finding fault is easy. If the Yulong Gang killed even a single Beggar Sect disciple—or one of their relatives—during operations, that alone is sufficient pretext. The Beggar Sect could dispatch experts openly to storm your hall and kill under the banner of Jianghu justice.”
“And the authorities would not intervene?”
“They could. But the governnt’s wanted lists are already filled with Jianghu figures. They cannot manage everything. Besides, the Beggar Sect has informants everywhere. Yan constables, the Six Gates, the Embroidered Uniform Guard—wherever they go, the Beggar Sect knows. Many constable captains would not accept such a task. No one wants to poke that hornet’s nest.”
Her explanation exposed yet another dark corner of the Jianghu.
Living within it was fraught with danger.
No wonder the powerful and well-connected acted with such caution.
Su Wangchuan silently warned himself never to recklessly offend a great sect again.
“Before and after the auction, sothing will almost certainly happen at the Yulong Gang’s Heilong County hall,” Bai Jingtang said. “You should not get involved. I will have soone inform Lin Xun as well.”
“I understand.”
He knew his own limits. Even if he wanted to intervene, he lacked the strength.
After offering further advice, Bai Jingtang departed gracefully into the night.
A faint fragrance lingered in the air.
Su Wangchuan’s emotions were complex.
She had brought five manuals, a significant boon.
But she had also revealed truths about the Jianghu in 《spirit realm》—and the art of self-preservation.
Niche martial arts.
He felt a flicker of curiosity.
Yet the more pressing concern was the Beggar Sect’s impending move against the Yulong Gang.
As a mber of the Yulong Gang, he knew he was but a mayfly trying to shake a tree. If he interfered recklessly, the consequences could be disastrous.
Captain Bai had made it clear: the Beggar Sect would act only against the Heilong County hall.
The hall there was led by Song Minshu, with Elder Fang Kui assisting.
His thoughts churned.
In the end, he shook his head and turned toward the training grounds.
Without the strength to change events, there was no use dwelling on them. He should focus on cultivating 《Green Bamboo Staff Art》, pushing his Strength toward the forty-point threshold, and breaking into Second Rank. That was what truly mattered.
Midnight had passed. The training grounds lay silent.
He circulated 《Qingcheng Heart thod》, dispelling fatigue and drowsiness. From the weapon rack, he selected a mixed-iron staff. Its weight and cold tallic touch steadied the restlessness in his heart.
Horse stance.
Thrust.
Staff techniques and spear techniques shared a common lineage.
Spear techniques emphasized piercing thrusts;
Staff techniques favored wide, sweeping strikes—cleaving, sweeping, blocking, thrusting, smashing.
The Second-Rank martial art 《Green Bamboo Staff Art》 emphasized long-range sweeps and close-range strikes. Compared to 《Yang Family Spear Technique》, it was more flexible and its offense more ferocious.
With his foundation in Basic Spear Technique, Su Wangchuan quickly grasped the essentials.
The iron staff spun through the air, leaving layered afterimages. It crashed into the Iron Dummy Stake with resounding clangs. Each strike rebounded with trendous force.
That was the key difference between staff and spear.
A spear drove force deep into the target.
A staff could not fully penetrate. One had to endure the powerful recoil.
Only by reaching Minor Mastery—redirecting most of the force into the target through refined technique—could one be considered proficient.
After a while, the skin between his thumb and forefinger split open.
He applied wound dicine, wrapped the area in bandages, circulated 《Qingcheng Heart thod》 to restore health, and resud.
The dull echoes of staff strikes resounded across the training ground until dawn.
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