Chapter 215: Calculations Upon Calculations

Zhou Ziru considered himself well-versed in military strategy, adept at applying it to real-world affairs. Over the years, he had never failed, becoming not only his father, the Deputy Colonel's, chief strategist, but also personally orchestrating schemes that led to the capture of many notorious outlaws at the pass. He had accumulated over two thousand taels of silver in bounties. Disregarding his father's reluctance, Zhou Ziru distributed most of this money to the soldiers of Daoma Pass who served them. Although he was the most prominent young master in this small domain, his "do not harm those close to you" principle earned him a consistently good reputation among the common people.

This time, the widespread operation against the Fish-Dragon Gang was a spur-of-the-moment decision. Three days prior, a few ruffians from Lingzhou had found a friend of Zhou Ziru's. During a lavish dinner, they revealed their intention to eliminate Xiao Qiang, a member of the Fish-Dragon Gang. Zhou Ziru had initially no desire to meddle in such gang vendettas. However, these martial artists were straightforward in their dealings: they captured a desperate fugitive bandit who had fled near Daoma Pass and handed him over to Young Master Zhou without a word. Seeing that they only requested the Fish-Dragon Gang be detained for a night at Daoma Pass, without needing to get their own hands dirty, Zhou Ziru agreed. Unexpectedly, upon their arrival, the Fish-Dragon Gang produced a personal letter from the former Supervisor of Arms of Beiliang. This caught Zhou Ziru off guard, and he immediately regretted getting involved with these reckless martial artists. Yet, knowing how painstakingly he had built his reputation as "Young Master Zhou of Daoma Pass, a man of his word," he was unwilling to tarnish it. He reluctantly put on a stern face, detaining the Fish-Dragon Gang. However, he had secretly prepared for his trusted men to intervene with troops if the two factions started fighting, ensuring the situation would not spiral out of control.

However, a secret conversation at dusk with a regular acquaintance from Daoma Pass—a woman wearing a mink fur forehead covering—altered Zhou Ziru's somewhat conservative initial plan. He now resolved to make the Fish-Dragon Gang suffer a significant loss. He would not only accept the original favor from the martial world but also seize the profits from the Fish-Dragon Gang's goods for himself. Of course, he wouldn't openly antagonize the general, who now held an honorary military title. Instead, he would personally lead a team to finalize this business deal in Beiliang. With the Beiliang woman as a go-between, Zhou Ziru would deliver every coin that the Rank Four honorary military officer was due, or even more. This way, Young Master Zhou would also establish a connection with the former Supervisor of Arms. As for the lives of the dozens of Fish-Dragon Gang members, Zhou Ziru could only offer a few silent apologies.

Furthermore, his intricate plan aimed for more than just killing two birds with one stone!

Zhou Ziru, sitting high on his horse with an indifferent expression, looked up and subtly made a gesture. From a room in the inn, a man with a rough voice immediately shouted with all his might, "Today, Grandpa is trapped here by you, considering this a major setback, I admit defeat! But Grandpa has over thirty good brothers from the Fish-Dragon Gang here who would trade their lives for mine! Whoever dares to come up and seek death, Grandpa will consider him a true hero!"

Most of the Fish-Dragon Gang members stood by the window, watching the scene, naturally assuming they would remain uninvolved and even looking forward to a good show of soldiers apprehending bandits. They never expected to hear those words. The gang members almost spat a mouthful of blood onto the window. "Which scoundrel bandit is this bastard?" they wondered. A few hot-headed young members grabbed their blades, intending to follow the sound and eliminate this "son of a bitch" who had appeared out of nowhere. Before they could even leave, Second Leader Xiao Qiang and the steward gathered everyone into three adjacent rooms, forbidding anyone from acting. The Fish-Dragon Gang had not been in a position to be a complacent gang that simply collected money over the years; its members were well-acquainted with schemes and counter-schemes. Even the most foolish among them now knew they had fallen into a trap, and they all held their breath, not daring to make a sound. If it were merely a fight between rival gangs, none of them would be afraid. But the cavalry and armored soldiers outside the inn truly instilled terror. Even if they somehow survived, once the serious charge of "unauthorized killing of government troops" was laid upon them, how could the Fish-Dragon Gang still maintain a foothold in the martial world of Beiliang?

Liu Nirong, her face pale, arrived outside a room, steadied her rapid breathing, and reached out to knock on the door. She acted decisively, trapped in a seemingly hopeless situation. She hadn't even brought Gongsun Yang, going alone to the meeting with immense sincerity, wanting to discover who in the inn intended to drag the Fish-Dragon Gang into an abyss of no return. Liu Nirong hoped these people merely wanted money, but deep down, she knew that tonight, money likely wouldn't resolve the situation. Startled, she leaned back as a blade broke through the door. Liu Nirong could even clearly see the line of the blade, just an inch from her face!

The person in the room failed to hit with that one strike, decisively withdrew the blade, and kicked the door. Before Liu Nirong's delicate body could fall, she slapped the ground with one hand, spun, dodging the door panel, and stood in the corridor, her face ashen. She saw a carefree young man, carrying his blade with the back resting on his shoulder, step out of the room. He sniffed, then met Liu Nirong's gaze and laughed heartily, "If I had known it was such a delicate woman, I would have been more subtle with my blade."

Liu Nirong suppressed her anger and asked as calmly as possible, "Why do you want to frame my Fish-Dragon Gang?"

Although the young blade-wielder's demeanor was cynical and carefree, like a common rogue harassing women in the market, the look in his eyes and the aura of his grip on the blade sent a chill through Liu Nirong's heart. Indeed, he was an elite armored soldier from the Beiliang army. She remembered her grandfather, Old Leader Liu, talking about the difference between military soldiers and martial artists: both might have blood on their hands, but compared to the ruthlessness of the latter, the former possessed a fearlessness that truly permeated their very bones. This kind of resolve was a spirit forged in facing thousands of troops, an aura of grim determination from clawing one's way back from piles of the dead. After Liu Nirong confirmed the blade-wielder's identity, her body turned cold, and her spirits sank to rock bottom.

The man grinned and got straight to the point: "My second brother has taken a fancy to you. If you're smart, you'll obediently go back with him. He wants me to tell you this: if you agree to be his woman, the Fish-Dragon Gang will only lose these thirty-odd men. With my second brother's backing, your Fish-Dragon Gang will have unobstructed passage between Beiliang and Beimang in the future. You could even say it's a blessing in disguise. Consider it my second brother's betrothal gift. To be frank, my second brother already has a woman he intends to officially marry. As for you, Miss Liu, being a concubine without a formal title will suffice. Don't feel wronged; in fact, your Fish-Dragon Gang will be climbing to a higher social status. And for me, Zhao Yingchuan, to call you 'Second Sister-in-law,' what immense good fortune that would be!"

Liu Nirong sneered, "Your second brother, Zhou Ziru, truly plans everything meticulously. This humble woman is utterly impressed."

The young blade-wielder, who called himself Zhao Yingchuan, licked his lips and glanced at the man slumped in a chair in the room. This poor fellow was truly unlucky to fall into his second brother's hands. He had been given "Softening Tendon Powder," a drug once favored by ruffians preying on women, leaving him utterly helpless. Though he initially showed some of the stubbornness of a martial hero, unwilling to falsely implicate the Fish-Dragon Gang, Zhao Yingchuan had to slowly carve a bloody groove on his thigh with a knife, just half an inch from his crotch. The man finally lost his composure and, as instructed by his second brother, shouted the words at the top of his lungs.

Zhao Yingchuan stared at Liu Nirong, whom his second brother had taken a fancy to, thinking to himself that his brother certainly had good taste. He smiled and said, "If we've agreed, then please, Second Sister-in-law, follow me, Zhao Yingchuan, out the back door. Whether the Fish-Dragon Gang is surnamed Liu or Zhou in the future, we'll all be family. My second brother naturally has the ability to make the Fish-Dragon Gang one of the top gangs in Lingzhou. If negotiations fail, then don't blame me, Zhao, for knocking you out, slinging you over my shoulder, and tossing you onto my second brother's bed at his private residence. Even if you get fierce and try to gang up on me, it's fine; I'm confident I can still escape. As for the one inside, whether he lives or dies is no longer important to the big picture. But Second Sister-in-law, do you really prefer to make acquaintances through fighting?"

Liu Nirong felt a profound desolation. Were all children of officials so cunning and treacherous? Zhou Ziru was merely the son of a Rank Six Deputy Colonel, yet he was already so terrifyingly manipulative. Had her grandfather's cooperation with the descendant of the Supervisor of Arms not been like seeking a tiger for its hide? Could it be that from the very beginning, this was a trap set by the Fish-Dragon Gang's mortal enemies and the General's Residence? Liu Nirong took a deep breath and said calmly, "If you can leave this inn alive, tell Zhou Ziru one thing: go eat shit."

Zhao Yingchuan, carrying his blade, gave a thumbs-up in praise. "Second Sister-in-law has such spirit! I only hope that later tonight, when you're in my second brother's bed, you'll be just as pleasing."

A sudden silence fell.

Zhao Yingchuan's mouth twitched; he clearly hadn't expected such a woman to use foul language. There were actually two other people in the room, but neither Liu Nirong, one of their own, nor Zhao Yingchuan, the Daoma Pass blade-wielder, believed these two could do anything. Liu Nirong was simply worried they would be caught in the crossfire. She had no confidence that she could survive if she fought this blade-wielder, who was merely holding back his true skill and thus temporarily at a disadvantage. She subtly shifted her gaze, gesturing to the two people in the room not to act rashly. But the next moment, she was met with dual disappointment. One reason was that the young man also carrying a blade stood motionless by the window, his face indifferent. What most agitated Liu Nirong was that Wang Dashi, ignoring the dire situation, suddenly shouted and charged at Zhao Yingchuan. The Fish-Dragon Gang's foundational martial art was undoubtedly her grandfather's Cannon Fist, a branch of a certain boxing style from Liangchan Temple. It didn't pursue complex forms but focused on instantaneous explosive power. If this style was supported by robust internal energy, the boxing technique was naturally excellent. Unfortunately, in the hands of Wang Dashi, who had joined the gang not long ago and never truly mastered it, it became a mere display. Zhao Yingchuan even casually waited until the fist reached his face before kicking Wang Dashi in the knee. A slight turn of his head made the fist miss, and the next moment, his Beiliang blade was at Wang Dashi's throat. Zhao Yingchuan, one hand on his blade, the other gripping Wang Dashi's neck, mumbled to himself with a troubled expression, "Should I cut his throat, or crush it?"

"Don't!" Liu Nirong exclaimed.

Zhao Yingchuan heard the increasingly clear sound of horses' hooves outside, knowing his second brother's side had victory assured. With the leisure to seek amusement amidst the business, he said with a smile, "Second Sister-in-law, just tell me, 'My little uncle is so fierce,' and I'll let this good-for-nothing go."

Although Wang Dashi's skills were muddled, he possessed a simple-minded integrity. Even while restrained, he still shouted, his face flushed, "Miss, don't!"

"I'll say it," Liu Nirong stated expressionlessly.

Zhao Yingchuan tightened his grip with five fingers and lifted him, instantly suspending Wang Dashi's body in mid-air. Pressing his advantage, Zhao Yingchuan said, "Second Sister-in-law, please don't forget that little emphasizing 'li'!"

Liu Nirong was about to accept the humiliation. She opened her mouth, but then it wouldn't close. Her eyes widened as if she had seen a ghost or a demon.

She saw Zhao Yingchuan, limp like a dead fish, his eyeballs filled with sickly bloodshot veins—a clear sign of impending death.

Behind Zhao Yingchuan stood the blade-wielding man who had remained silent throughout. He delivered the fatal blow not by drawing his weapon, but by plunging his palm into Zhao Yingchuan's back, crushing his entire spine.