"Who the hell dares to act so arrogant?"
Just as the big man angrily shouted, he suddenly felt a chilling sensation on his neck. The glinting edge of a blade was pressed against his throat.
He then saw a group of bald men armed with knives approaching.
Under the sunlight, their shiny bald heads were so dazzling that it immediately reminded him who these people were.
Weren’t they the bald constables who broke the leader Lang Jun’s leg at the port?
"Let’s talk this over properly. Swords and knives don’t have eyes, take it easy," the big man said. Although he appeared calm, his heart was panicking like crazy. Broad daylight, and they unsheathed their blades without a word—this level of recklessness rivals even the Serpent Gang.
The big man’s name was Qiu Er. Within the Serpent Gang, he was nobody significant, just a minor thug who led a few henchmen. Compared to someone like Lang Jun, he was on a whole other level of insignificance.
"Old man, are they extorting you?" Lin Fan walked over to the old man’s side and asked softly, "Don’t be afraid. With us here, these scumbags can’t stir up any trouble."
Qiu Er was enraged. Who are you calling scumbags?
Couldn’t you see I’m a small leader in the Serpent Gang?
But with a knife at his throat, no matter how much anger boiled inside, he had to swallow it.
The old man dared not speak. Not because he didn’t trust Lin Fan, but because the Serpent Gang’s notoriety terrified him. He feared they would retaliate later, and by then, no one could save him.
Lin Fan knew that asking was pointless.
The old man was clearly afraid.
"We’re not extorting anyone. This is Serpent Gang territory. If they want to set up a stall here, they have to pay a stall fee. Even if you’re constables from the government, you have no right to intervene."
Even though Qiu Er’s face was pale from the blade against his neck, he still managed to put on a brave front.
He refused to believe that, under the clear skies, these constables would actually dare lay hands on him.
Not in a million years.
"Heh." Lin Fan tilted his head, raised his hand, and lightly patted Qiu Er’s face again and again. Though the slaps were light, they carried an air of undeniable humiliation. "You’re really bold, spouting garbage like that. What have you been drinking to have the guts to talk this way?"
Qiu Er looked at Lin Fan in complete confusion. He could understand each word Lin Fan said by itself, but put together, it made no sense to him.
Still, that didn’t stop Qiu Er from brimming with rage toward Lin Fan. He was dead set on claiming that this was Serpent Gang territory. No matter who ruled the land, as far as he was concerned, this place belonged to the Serpent Gang.
Besides, the gang’s power gave him assurance.
With the Serpent Gang backing him, he refused to believe anyone would dare provoke him.
"Forget it. Judging by that clueless, dumbstruck look on your face, it’s clear you’re just an illiterate fool. Explaining it in depth would be a waste of time." Lin Fan didn’t feel like talking further. He reached out and started searching Qiu Er’s body.
Qiu Er was alarmed and cried out, "What do you think you’re doing? Broad daylight—what are you trying to do?"
Lin Fan found ten silver taels on him. Collectively, the other thugs only had five taels total. Dirt poor—unbelievably so. It was hard to believe these people were even members of the Serpent Gang.
"Old man, the safety of Jiangdu City is our responsibility. Take these five taels as compensation for your damaged pear stall," Lin Fan said.
"Sir, this is too much, truly too much," the old man quickly waved his hands, not daring to accept.
But Lin Fan directly shoved the silver taels into the old man’s hands. "That’s also for emotional damages."
"Emotional what now?" The old man looked utterly confused. He couldn’t understand what Lin Fan meant.
Lin Fan didn’t want to explain. With the old man’s level of education and comprehension, he would never grasp what "emotional damages" meant.
"Pack up and head home quickly."
He urged the old man to leave.
"Bao Liu, help the old man pick up the pears on the ground."
The surrounding townsfolk and peddlers, watching the scene unfold, felt a suffocating sense of disbelief.
They had never imagined these constables would act like heroes descending on colorful clouds to brutally teach the Serpent Gang a lesson and save the old pear seller from dire straits.
"Lock these small-time thugs in the dungeon," Lin Fan declared with a wave of his hand, deciding the fate of the thugs on the spot.
He was the righteous, bald-headed constable, Lin Fan.
Even if the other party were members of the Serpent Gang, he would make it clear through his actions: mess with me, and I’ll mess with you—and have good reason to do so.
You think 107 years of cultivation was just for show?
"What are you trying to do?"
"We didn’t commit any crimes; you have no right to arrest us!"
"We’re from the Serpent Gang! You’re courting death!"
Lin Fan completely ignored the blustering thugs. He turned to the townsfolk and vendors on both sides of the street, clasped his hands, and said, "Rest assured, as long as you keep on the right path, I, Lin Fan, will ensure your safety."
After Lin Fan and his men hauled away the Serpent Gang members, the surrounding townsfolk broke into a storm of spirited discussions.
They had never heard of such a thing, nor had they ever seen it before.
It was truly eye-opening.
Qiu Er and his gang were bound to wooden racks. Lin Fan had people bring over a stack of books and strapped them to their stomachs.
"Boss, are we not training today?" Wang Baoliu asked.
Lin Fan replied, "I’ve seen how hard you’ve been working during training. But the thing you all lack most now is actual combat experience. And now, the opportunity is here. They’ll be your sparring partners. Don’t hold back; with all these books cushioning them, they shouldn’t die. Go all out."
The group of rookies had been slow in advancing their Head of Steel training.
But not bad nonetheless.
Still, to reach the second level of Head of Steel, they’d need more time.
Eventually, they’d leave this place. When that time came, it was important for them to at least have some self-defense skills.
Qiu Er couldn’t understand what Lin Fan meant by all this.
But he had an ominous feeling.
"What are you doing?" Qiu Er shouted anxiously, his expression tinged with panic.
Wang Baoliu and the others slowly approached the Serpent Gang members. This was their first real fight; naturally, they were nervous. They instinctively rubbed their bald heads. After days of arduous training, the moment to put their skills into practice had finally come. To say they weren’t nervous would be a lie.
But they were also a little excited.
Under Qiu Er and the others’ horrified gazes, one shining bald head after another charged toward them.
Even with the books cushioning their impact, Qiu Er still felt like his insides were churning. It was unbearable.
Lin Fan leisurely sipped tea, watching his men immerse themselves in rigorous practice. He couldn’t help but feel gratified.
Hard work always pays off.
At the same time, Zhu Hou, the Hall Master of the Mountain Opening Hall—one of the Serpent Gang’s Eight Great Halls—wore an expression as dark as a storm cloud.
A government constable had actually dared to arrest members of the Serpent Gang.
This was a blatant slap to his face.
"Someone come," Zhu Hou bellowed. Before long, a middle-aged man slowly entered the room. This was Zhu Hou’s right-hand man. While his cultivation wasn’t impressive, he handled all the matters of the Mountain Opening Hall both inside and out.
"Hall Master, what are your orders?" Ji Zhen asked.
"Our hall’s people were arrested by government constables. Go get them out and ask Wang Zhou what exactly he’s trying to pull," Zhu Hou said coldly.
"Understood, Hall Master. I’ll handle it immediately." Ji Zhen was stunned. He hadn’t expected the government to make a move against their gang members.
What on earth were they planning?