Chapter 116: The Poisonous Scheme

The matter of Xing Yan was but a minor interlude. In the days that followed, Zhuang Jin devoted himself entirely to cultivation, awaiting the night of the sixth, when the front-line offensive was set to begin.

The Medicine King Gang, naturally, could not sit idly by and wait for their doom. Dong Pei, the very architect of the initial hunting plan who had clashed with the East Bridge Dock multiple times, had also received the intelligence: "On the night of the sixth, the opponents my district must face are those old rivals: the East Bridge Dock and the Pingshui Wharf?"

He had managed to maintain his position as a sub-district leader by standing out amidst the incompetence of others. While the Medicine King Gang had suffered repeated defeats in the northern part of the city, his performance had been respectable. His advice had been heeded during the gang's various skirmishes in the north, and his "hunting plan" in May had earned him a reputation as a strategist. It was only through this that he remained a sub-district leader while the Medicine King Gang collapsed step by step in the north.

"At the end of last month, our gang just signed a truce with the Shen family; we cannot incite trouble for a short while. Facing twice our number of Shen family martial artists, there is no choice but to harass and delay!"

Dong Pei knew that no matter how brilliant a strategy might be, it was useless against an insurmountable gap in raw strength. He continued reading the intelligence report: "Liu Licheng of Pingshui Wharf, an old acquaintance, and the guardian of East Bridge Dock... Zhuang Jin?!"

He paused at the name, and a thought sprouted in his mind.

Back when Zhuang Jin was at the Fourth Meridian stage, he had joined forces with Duan Tao to kill a minor sub-district leader named Yu Chen, seizing two streets in a single night. He had been made an example of by the Shen family, and even then, he had caught Dong Pei's eye. Dong Pei had intended to eliminate him, but the exposure of the hunting plan had left him overwhelmed, and later, when Zhuang Jin went to the medicine fields outside the city, he had gradually forgotten him.

It was not until August and September, when Zhuang Jin returned to the northern city and twice ruined his plans, that Dong Pei realized the man had come into his own. At that point, schemes were useless, and he was constrained by the truce from attacking lower-level martial artists directly.

He had not expected that the next time he heard of Zhuang Jin, the man would already be at the Seventh Meridian!

Although Zhuang Jin’s rapid rise was likely due to the "Black Fiend Technique"—a method that squeezed potential at the cost of the future—it still demanded attention. The Medicine King Gang had naturally conducted a detailed investigation.

As a power capable of contending with the Shen family, the Medicine King Gang had resources. Even in the north, they were able to uncover everything about Zhuang Jin, a mere district guardian: his family background, the grievances with Zhuang Yutang and Zhuang Yuyong, his time as a beggar, his shared history with Gao Shi, the recent Miao Lun case, and the indifferent attitude of other district guardians—all were exposed.

"The Shen family is a long-established powerhouse of the prefecture, having dominated for over a century. Their foundation is deep, but this also means they are internally rigid. Because of his background, Zhuang Jin will inevitably face exclusion as he enters the middle and upper ranks... This is my opportunity!"

"And that Miao Lun case, the internal filth..."

Dong Pei looked at the report, thinking: "Zhuang Jin had a close companion when he was a beggar, named Gao Shi? If I recall correctly, he is currently here in the northern district, on Shunqing Street... I can send this man to test the waters!"

The ideal outcome would be for Zhuang Jin to defect.

"Although it is unlikely, what if that Zhuang Jin loses his head and falls for a piece of arsenic wrapped in sugar? That would be a massive humiliation for the Shen family, and I would be credited with a great merit!"

Dong Pei narrowed his eyes. "Even if it fails, it can provide a pretext for other Shen family guardians to attack him... The consequence, whether it be Zhuang Jin’s alienation, the intensified exclusion from other guardians, or even the higher-ups losing faith and suppressing him, will broaden the rift. That, too, would be a massive gain."

Even in the worst-case scenario, if he failed to turn him and Zhuang Jin responded perfectly with no suspicion, it would still serve to disgust and unsettle him. It was a win-win.

The tactic was far from honorable; it was dirty, base, and malicious. But as a true member of the Medicine King Gang, Dong Pei cared little for such trifles. The gang’s style was simple: focus only on utility, and use any means necessary to achieve the goal.

"Zhuang Jin, is it? Let me see what you’re really made of," Dong Pei murmured, pacing before the window as he gazed toward the East Bridge Dock.

...

In the northern district, within the Medicine King Gang’s sphere of influence at the Shunqing Street station, Gao Shi—now wearing a gray robe with three stripes on his chest, indicating he had broken through to the Third Meridian and attained the rank of squad leader—waved his hand. Two subordinates dragged in a struggling woman with her hands bound and her mouth gagged with white cloth.

"This Squad Leader Gao is truly a loyal dog, bringing yet another woman to our sub-district leader!" a martial artist in the courtyard whispered, unable to stomach the sight.

"Are you tired of living?! Think of Zhou Yuan..." another replied. The first martial artist shivered instantly upon hearing the name.

The so-called "Zhou Yuan" had once been Gao Shi’s sworn brother, having lent him money when Gao Shi risked his life to claim a bounty. Later, when Zhou Yuan broke through to the Second Meridian, he refused to acknowledge the debt and bullied Gao Shi for the sake of his own vanity. Once Gao Shi reached the Third Meridian, he severed Zhou Yuan’s meridians, crippled his cultivation, sold his parents and brother into slavery, and sent his wife to serve as a prostitute—it was an act of absolute cruelty, crushing bones and extracting marrow.

An elderly martial artist muttered, "That Gao Shi... he was a pitiable soul once. He isn't pitiable anymore, but he is no longer human, either!"

...

Compared to when Zhuang Jin saw him in May, Gao Shi had grown and matured, but the greatest change was not in his face; it was something else, something entirely alien.

With a martial artist's keen hearing, Gao Shi seemed to catch their whispers. He glanced back, his gaze as vicious as a wolf’s, causing the men to fall silent and look away like frightened rabbits. Yet, the moment he turned and stepped through the door, his face changed instantly, fawning and servile as he bowed to the man inside.

The man was Fei Xu, the sub-district leader of Shunqing Street and a Fourth Meridian martial artist. Seeing the woman Gao Shi had brought, his eyes leered as if to strip her bare. He slapped Gao Shi on the shoulder and laughed, "Gao Shi, you’re good! Very good! As it happens, I have a fine task for you!"

He relayed the orders from Dong Pei and the details: "...Your mission is to persuade that childhood friend of yours to defect to our Medicine King Gang!"

Gao Shi did not hesitate. "Very well, sir. Rest assured, I will handle this discreetly..."

"No," Fei Xu interrupted, "you will go openly!"

Gao Shi understood what this meant—that it would bring immense trouble to Zhuang Jin—but he still did not hesitate. "I shall obey your command, sir!"

...

On the sixth of December, at high noon, the area outside the district station—the busiest part of the town—was filled with the cries of vendors and the bustle of crowds.

Liu Licheng had come again. Zhuang Jin stopped his training, and Chen Yun brought out some side dishes. The two were drinking casually as they had in the past, discussing the evening's operations, when a subordinate requested an audience.

"If Guardian Zhuang has business, perhaps I should withdraw?" Liu Licheng said, rising.

Zhuang Jin’s gaze flickered slightly, and he smiled. "It’s likely just some trivial matter, why bother? I am a man who has nothing to hide... Brother Liu, why don't you step behind the screen? We shall discuss the evening's battle in detail shortly."

Liu Licheng agreed and moved behind the screen.

Zhuang Jin had the person brought in. It was Qian Wende, accompanied by another man. "Brother Zhuang, this Medicine King Gang martial artist was skulking about. I captured him, but he claims to be an acquaintance of yours..."

"He is indeed an old acquaintance. Wende, you may withdraw."

Zhuang Jin looked at Gao Shi. Having experienced so much, he had changed, but the man before him had changed even more drastically, appearing entirely like a stranger. "Gao Shi, what is your purpose here?"

"I am here to invite Guardian Zhuang to join our Medicine King Gang and share in our prosperity!" Gao Shi’s opening words were earth-shattering.