Chapter 125 : The Big Hub Tavern

The sound of flutes filled the evening air. Torches illuminated the sandy courtyard of the Big Hub Tavern, their flames dancing in the desert breeze. Drums echoed through the gathering, their rhythmic beats sending ripples across the sand.

Women dressed in pink danced around the courtyard, their revealing outfits exposing their bare arms and legs. Their movements attracted the attention of men seated nearby with mugs of wine in their hands.

Laughter and conversation filled the air.

Yet, away from the celebrations, near the gate, the owner of the Big Hub Tavern stood silently to one side, his head lowered.

At the far end of the courtyard, a man reclined comfortably on a raised platform, enjoying the attention of the women surrounding him.

He was none other than Man Geru, the new leader of the Fish Gang. He was wearing white robes just like the other members of the gang.

The Fish Gang members wore identical white martial robes, each bearing an embroidered fish emblem on the left shoulder.

One woman sat on his lap, while two others danced specifically for him.

He leaned back comfortably while servants refilled his cup. The celebration was in full swing.

"Brother Man Geru, you are really great. Just after taking over the Fish Gang half a year ago by killing the previous leader, today you crushed the long-time rival Strange Bird Gang and took over the entire territory." The woman sitting on Man Geru's lap praised him.

Right then, the tavern gate opened.

A man wearing sand-colored robes walked inside holding a sword. At first, no one noticed him.

"Maa." The sound of the goat brought the attention of the people toward him.

His steps were calm despite everyone looking at him.

One of the men who had been dancing near the women looked over. "Who are you?"

Yan didn't answer.

He continued walking across the courtyard. Another man carrying an axe stepped forward and blocked his path.

"Are you deaf?"

"What business do you have here? Don't you see where you are?"

Before anyone could say anything else, the axe-wielder rushed forward. Just when he reached Yan, he brought down his axe.

Yan raised his left hand and caught the axe blade between two fingers.

The man's eyes narrowed with apparent fear.

Before he could even move back, Yan's blade came from the left side of the man, and then his head separated and fell on the sand below. His eyes were open even in death.

Blood gushed out from the neck as the body fell, and the sand below absorbed most of it.

The people beating the drums halted their hands midway. The flute players stopped blowing.

The women stood in place and stopped dancing.

"You'll pay for that!" Another man came forward, emitting a spiritual qi foundation layer seven aura with his blade.

He rushed at Yan as fast as he could, and just when he arrived at Yan, the sand beneath his legs felt different. Before he could even grasp what was wrong, he slipped.

Yan's blade came from below, straight toward his head. It pierced through, and then Yan pulled the blade up vertically, slicing his head into two halves.

Man Geru narrowed his eyes. He looked toward the drums, the women, and the flute players and said, "Why did the music stop?"

"And you." Man Geru pushed the woman on his lap away and looked toward the dancers. "Why did you stop the dance?"

"Dance." He ordered.

The women exchanged frightened glances. One of them looked toward the bodies scattered across the courtyard before forcing herself to move again.

The dance resumed.

And when Man Geru looked at the drums, the drums resumed, followed reluctantly by the flutes.

The music sounded different now. Its rhythm was uneven, and the dancers' movements had lost their earlier grace.

Man Geru leaned back and pulled the woman onto his lap.

"Keep going," he muttered.

But the woman on his lap noticed her legs shaking a bit. Then she saw it was not her but the man on whose lap she sat. His left hand slipped onto her waist and held it tightly as well, while his right hand still clutched the cup.

She glanced up at Man Geru's face.

His gaze, however, never left Yan. They both stared at each other.

"Kill him!" someone shouted.

Two men hesitated and looked at their leader, seeing no trace of any fear in his eyes.

They raised their blades and rushed toward Yan.

When they reached him, Yan did not even glance at them.

"How dare you?" One of them shouted and lunged at Yan with his blade from the left side. Yan tilted his head just a centimeter. The blade swept over Yan's nose, and the man staggered.

Right then, Yan's sword in his right hand moved up and pierced through the man's heart.

The other man stood frozen. He did not attack at all.

Meanwhile, Man Geru lifted his cup in his right hand and gulped down all the wine. He threw the empty cup aside and watched the scene quietly.

Yan continued to move forward, toward Man Geru.

Some women stopped dancing, some still danced as Yan passed by them.

No one dared to attack him at all for a moment.

"Maa." The goat beside Yan cheered.

"Damn cowards!" Another man shouted. He jumped in front of Yan and emitted a spiritual qi foundation layer eight aura.

He lifted his sword and aimed at Yan's neck from the left.

But Yan continued walking. Yan grabbed the man's right hand with his left. The man felt severe pain in his arm.

Crack!

The bones cracked, and the arm burst apart under Yan's grip. Blood flowed down onto the sand.

Yan jumped backward, avoiding blood on his clothes. The man knelt and groaned in pain, staring at his half arm lying on the sand. Then he looked up at Yan and stepped away.

The goat left Yan and wandered calmly across the courtyard, stepping around the bodies.

"Maa."

The sand darkened with blood, and no one dared to face Yan again.

The tavern owner was the first from the crowd to run away from the tavern gate, and another followed.

The flute player and the dancers ran away as well.

The woman sitting on Man Geru's lap was trembling a lot as she stared at the silhouette drawing nearer.

The writer's official page carries this chapter; the version here was used without the writer's approval.

The woman's waist began to hurt again as Man Geru tightened his grip, forcing her to suppress a groan.

When Yan drew near, Man Geru grabbed the woman on his lap, kissed her on the lips, and looked at Yan. "What do you want? Why did you kill my men?"

Yan looked at him and said, "The goat. It wanted to be the next leader of the Fish Gang."

"Maa."

Man Geru put the woman aside, stood up, and walked slowly toward the goat.

Yan watched quietly.

After reaching the goat, Man Geru suddenly dropped to his knees and said, "I submit."

The remaining gang members who had not run away stared in shock.

Then Man Geru walked back to Yan and said, "As you requested..."

He glanced uneasily toward the goat.

"...the goat will become the next leader."

The words struck every member present like a shock.

"Maa." The goat lifted its head as if affirming its new role.

Yan looked at him. "You will remain the leader."

Man Geru blinked.

Confusion crossed his face.

Yan continued calmly, "But you will listen to me. First, answer my questions."

Man Geru nodded immediately.

"Tell me about the city," Yan asked.

Man Geru was confused about why someone would ask such a basic question. Either way, he nodded and answered, "Dust Fall City sits along the western desert trade route of the Mia Kingdom. Most caravans carrying various dry fruits and clothes across the desert stop here."

Yan nodded slightly. "Tell me about the power structure and detailed geography."

Man Geru straightened.

"Dust Fall City has four main districts."

He pointed toward the west. "The Caravan Gate. That's where traders enter the city. Bandits and thieves operate there."

"And toward the center of the city lies the Market Quarter. That's the black market. You can buy almost anything there: weapons, information, slaves, poison."

He continued.

"The Arena District lies to the north, where a giant arena is built."

Man Geru paused.

"The Arena Master?" Yan questioned.

Man Geru nodded. "The Arena Master, Zhang Jie, is the most powerful person in the city. I am too insignificant to know his cultivation level."

"But I know that whoever challenged him with the intention to kill..."

"...either became a slave or died."

"He holds absolute authority over the gangs of the city, including us."

Man Geru paused.

"Except the Old Quarter."

Yan raised his eyes slightly.

"Ancient families live in the Old Quarter, which lies farther north, beyond the Arena District."

"Even the Arena Master avoids it."

Yan listened quietly.

"What are the gangs that the Arena Master controls?" he asked.

Man Geru answered carefully.

"There are four major forces."

"The Sand Vipers. They control smuggling routes."

"The Iron Sand Guild. They are mercenaries. They sell their blades to whoever pays."

"The Crimson Ledger. They control gambling houses, debts, and information."

"And lastly..."

Man Geru glanced at the bodies half-buried in sand.

"...the Fish Gang."

"We just took over today after defeating the previous one, the Strange Bird Gang, and now we are responsible for collecting the protection fees."

"All of us have to pay thirty percent of our earnings to the Arena."

"What if you don't pay?" Yan asked.

"About that... if we don't pay, the Arena Master will support the minor gangs to overthrow us," Man Geru said.

"It's not just that. Paying is also like official recognition by the Arena."

"There are minor gangs?" Yan asked.

"There are many. The Fish Gang and the Strange Bird Gang were main rivals. The Strange Bird Gang was officially recognized by the Arena."

"However, they did not pay the Arena the fee for two months. The Arena Master then sent some of his men and helped us take over the position."

The goat climbed onto the platform where Man Geru had been sitting.

It looked around proudly.

"Maa."

The desert wind moved through the courtyard.

Yan nodded once.

Then he spoke.

"First."

"You will cancel this celebration."

Man Geru bowed his head. "Yes, Big Brother."

Yan continued.

"Every protection fee you collected today, give it back..."

"...you will return it."

Man Geru froze. "But..."

"There are no buts," Yan stated firmly.

Several gang members shifted nervously.

"It will be done," Man Geru did not argue.

Yan looked at him. "I also want two of your members dead."

Man Geru did not hesitate. "Sure, Brother. Tell me their names."

"I don't know, but they went to collect the protection fee from a vegetable seller. Not finding anything, they killed the seller and his old man," Yan said.

Understanding appeared on Man Geru's face. He looked at the man who had lost one of his hands. "Hublu, bring Kailava and Hansan."

Hublu stood up and nodded. He cut a piece of cloth from his dress, tied it to his half hand, which was bleeding, and left along with a few more members.

After about half an hour, Man Geru stood next to Yan.

Two people were placed in front of them. One was taller and the other was shorter. Yan recognized them.

Yan calmly walked toward them. The two men yelped in the sand, struggling against their binds with pure terror in their eyes.

Yan did not speak. He did not even slow his pace.

He lifted his sword.

A single, fluid motion brought the blade downward.

Blood sprayed across the sand.

Yan shook the blood from his blade and sheathed his sword. He murmured, "I have settled the favor."

Man Geru looked at Yan and asked, "Big Brother, what favor?"

"The vegetable seller gave me a vegetable."

Then Man Geru glanced at his dead men and thought, All of this, just because of a vegetable.

Above them, the goat stamped its hoof against the wooden platform.

"Maa."

---

A Few Hours Earlier,

Yan's surroundings changed from the dense forest to a city in desert sand.

Houses made of sand bricks were all around. Yan and the goat found themselves in the midst of a busy street, where caravans carrying dry fruits and clothes passed.

At the edge of the street...

"Fresh vegetables, imported from Green Forest! Hurry up and buy!" A young man wearing only red-colored bottoms was selling vegetables at a stall.

Behind the young man, an old man was seated who barely moved.

Yan then saw the vegetable seller looking toward him and asking him to come toward them.

Yan was confused by a stranger calling toward him. Either way, he walked toward the stall.

"Young man, did you by chance fight in the arena? You look so injured."

"Listen, if you don't have any silver, just don't go there to earn it. You don't have to put your life on the line for making a living."

"Here, take this." He handed some vegetables to Yan.

"I don't have silver to give you, but these vegetables will help you sustain for a while. Also, you should hurry to a clinic first."

The vegetable seller said.

Yan stood stunned while holding a vegetable that looked like it had carrot-like leaves at the top and a cabbage-like bottom.

After a moment, Yan said, "Thank you," and moved away.

The evening had not yet arrived here, but the strong sun rays and hot air began to cool a bit.

While holding the vegetable, Yan decided to walk through the street. He and the goat walked together. The goat adapted to the sandy ground faster than Yan did.

Yan still felt a bit odd walking through the sand all the time. They circled the street and came back to the vegetable seller.

But when they came back, people surrounded the stall.

"It's done by the Fish Gang... poor them."

Yan walked toward it as he listened to the murmurs, only to find the vegetable seller and his father lying dead. A man knelt next to them. Beside the man, a basket full of vegetables similar to what Yan was holding in his arm was present.

The seller and the old man had multiple fresh wounds. The seller had multiple stabs, while the father's throat was half cut.

Yan was still holding the vegetable that the seller had given him. Yan pushed the crowd aside and crouched beside the seller.

Yan placed his fingers gently on the man's forehead and closed the open eyes of the seller.

Memory Extract Activated.

Yan's vision changed. The people disappeared, but the street was the same.

Then Yan saw himself and the goat leaving the place.

"Poor man, must have fought hard in the arena." The young man murmured while looking at the back of Yan, who was walking away.

Right after Yan disappeared from view...

"My... my... look, someone in this city does charity." A tall man said while a shorter man walked beside him.

They were moving toward the vegetable stall. They were wearing white martial robes with a fish emblem embedded on their left shoulders.

The Fish Gang.

The vegetable seller stood stunned.

"Did you just give away a vegetable? Well, it's about time. Pay up the protection fee." The shorter man reached out to the stall and picked a vegetable.

"Esteemed guests, currently I don't have any silver. I already paid whatever I had to the Strange Bird Gang just this morning," the vegetable seller pleaded.

"Strange Bird Gang? They no longer exist. From today onwards, it's the Fish Gang. Whatever you paid to them does not count."

"And what did you say? You don't have silver." The tall man pressed himself against the vegetable seller.

"Listen! Today we are having a big celebration at the Big Hub Tavern. I want to gift some money to our leader. Hurry up and cough it up," the shorter man pushed all the vegetables on the stall to the ground.

The vegetable seller took two steps back.

"I really don't have..."

"Son..."

A low voice came from the side.

"What are you doing?" Hearing his father's weak voice, the vegetable seller glanced toward his father.

The shorter man was holding his sword against the old man's throat.

"Leave my father, please!" The seller dropped to his knees and begged the tall man.

"Give us money, and we will leave him," the shorter man brought the blade closer to the throat of the old man.

"I don't have any," the vegetable seller persisted.

"Then die." The blade slashed, cutting the throat of the old man. The blood gushed out.

"Father, Father... you...!" The seller stood in rage and lunged at the shorter man.

"Quite a courage you have got." The shorter man sneered and threw the old man's body toward the approaching seller.

The seller immediately stopped and caught his father in his arms.

Before he could react, the tall man stepped behind him and drove his sword through his back. The blade pierced his stomach and continued into the old man's body.

The seller's eyes widened. His grip weakened as the sword was pulled free.

His father slipped from his arms and fell to the ground.

The shorter man immediately stepped forward and stabbed the seller in the chest. At the same time, the tall man attacked from behind.

They continued stabbing him until he stopped moving.

After killing him, the two members turned toward the crowd and declared, "Whoever refuses to pay the protection fee whenever we ask will die. Understood?"

Then they left.

Yan's vision blurred as his surroundings changed back. The vegetable seller still lay in his arms.

Yan placed the vegetable that he had received beside the seller, stood up, and clenched his fists.

He looked toward the crowd and asked, "Where is the Big Hub Tavern?"

It was no secret that the Fish Gang was having a big celebration at the Big Hub Tavern.

"Listen, young man, you shouldn't be impulsive. It is said that the leader of the Fish Gang is a late-stage spiritual foundation cultivator," one old man among them suggested.

But Yan ignored the old man and asked, "Where is it?"

"I can show the way." The man who had knelt looked up. His eyes were red, and his forehead was tightened.

"Let's go, then," Yan said as he walked. The man walked beside Yan.

The goat walked just behind them.

Behind the three people, keeping a distance away, some other people followed.

They walked toward the south, and when the Big Hub Tavern was visible, the man pointed his finger.

"That's the one. I don't know if you are a fool, but please avenge my brother and father," the man said.

Yan turned toward the direction of the finger and found a gate.

Then Yan took the potion out of his pocket and gulped it down.

In an instant, his injuries disappeared. Then Yan and the goat walked toward the gate.