blueteamnovel Chapter 51 Nephew, how much do you know about the Black Tiger Gang?
Chapter 51 Nephew, how much do you know about the Black Tiger Gang?
Qin Hu was completely stunned.
He had never expected Zhang Yuan to be so tough, giving him no way out and ignoring his threats.
His facial muscles twitched violently, his eyes flashing with a fierce light, a surge of offended rage almost clouding his judgment. He took a sudden step forward, forcing out a few words through clenched teeth: "You... fine! Zhang Qingyang, you've got guts!"
"If it weren't for the king—" He seemed to want to say something, but forcibly held back the words.
He glared at Zhang Yuan through gritted teeth, finally letting out a cold snort filled with endless malice: "Hmph! I hope you won't regret this!"
"I'm waiting for you to come and collect it."
After saying that, he glared at Zhang Yuan, gripped the knife and money bag in his hand, turned around and led the three ruffians, who were both relieved and terrified, away from Willow Lane.
The setting sun cast long shadows of them, carrying a sense of dishevelment and lingering resentment.
At the alley entrance, only Zhang Yuan remained, standing alone.
He turned and walked towards the courtyard.
At the courtyard gate, Zhang Shi and Zhang Zhu quickly shrank back, but Zhang Jiu Mei's empty eyes, filled with immense fear, followed Zhang Yuan's figure through the crack in the door, her small body still trembling uncontrollably.
Zhang Gu watched Zhang Yuan enter the courtyard, his face filled with worry, and quickly stepped forward to greet him: "Young Master, you're back."
He lowered his voice and gestured towards the alley entrance: "That group... the Black Tiger Gang, they've been guarding the alley entrance all day. The leader is Qin Hu, with a few henchmen, they look really fierce, they only left when they saw you come back."
He paused, his voice carrying a hint of helplessness and a suppressed hardness: "Young Master, the old servant said those things earlier because I was afraid that you were young and impetuous and would get involved in the quagmire of these low-level martial arts people, thus tarnishing your reputation, and I was also afraid that you would suffer losses."
"But...but if something really happens, our Zhang family isn't afraid of him!"
Zhang Gu seemed to straighten his back a bit, and his tone carried a hint of the confidence of an old servant from a military officer's household: "Our Zhang family is a military officer's household! Our master was a sixth-rank Imperial Guard Commandant who died for his country; our family is of impeccable character!"
"As long as this old servant goes to the county government's military yamen to submit a report about the Black Tiger Gang blocking the gate and threatening us today, the yamen will not be able to sit idly by!"
"These lawless thugs, do they really think the law can't touch them?"
He took a breath, his voice lowered again, carrying a hint of realistic calculation: "Besides... the master still has some connections in Fengming County back then, and there are still some old acquaintances who can speak for him in the yamen."
"We can't just stand by and watch you, young master, be harassed by these filthy people and come to our door... But, relationships are like that; once you use one, it's gone forever..."
Zhang Yuan listened quietly, sensing the concern and consideration in Zhang Gu's words.
He nodded gently, his voice steady, without the slightest hint of youthful panic or excitement: "Master Gu, I know you are doing this for my own good, and also for the good of the Zhang family."
He raised his head, his gaze sweeping over Zhang Shi and Zhang Zhu, who were peeking out from the corner of the courtyard, before finally settling on Zhang Gu's worried face. His tone, however, was unusually firm: "But right now, there's no need to go to the yamen to submit a petition, nor is there any need to ask anyone for favors."
Zhang Yuan's voice was not loud, but every word was clear and carried an undeniable weight: "I offended the Black Tiger Gang today for no other reason than that Zhang Xiangyang, whom I have recognized as a brother, is no less than an ant in the world."
"The Black Tiger Gang tramples on human life and extorts me like this. If I back down, I will disgrace the Zhang family and dishonor my father's name as the 'Mountain Guardian Tiger'."
Zhang Zhenshan is known as the Mountain-Suppressing Tiger, a nickname Zhang Yuan only learned a few days ago while chatting with disciples at the martial arts school.
Zhang Gu looked at Zhang Yuan.
Zhang Yuan's eyes revealed a calmness beyond his years and an almost stubborn determination.
Zhang Gu opened his mouth, but in the end it only turned into a long sigh, a mixture of worry, helplessness and a hint of pride: "Sigh... Young Master... It's good that you know what's going on."
He shook his head, turned and walked towards the kitchen. "This old servant... will go and prepare dinner first."
The atmosphere was somewhat somber during dinner.
Zhang Shi, Zhang Zhu, and Zhang Jiumei huddled around a small table in the corner, holding their rice bowls, heads down, not daring to approach the main table.
Zhang Jiumei's small body was still trembling slightly, her eyes staring blankly at the grains of rice in the bowl, as if she had returned to that bloody and terrifying dock.
Zhang Yuan put down his chopsticks and waved to them: "Zhang Shi, Zhang Zhu, Ninth Sister, come and sit down."
The three children were stunned and hesitated, not daring to move.
Seeing this, Zhang Gu quickly said, "Young Master is calling you, come over."
Zhang Shi and Zhang Zhu then timidly pulled Zhang Jiumei to sit down on small stools next to the main table, still keeping their heads down and not daring to pick up any food.
As everyone was eating, Wang Quanfu walked in with a smile, carrying a small cloth bag: "Oh, just in time for dinner? Perfect, perfect, I haven't eaten yet."
He acted as if he hadn't seen Zhang Shi and the others, walked straight to the table, sat down, and placed the cloth bag on the table.
"Here, nephew, I've found you a few more portions of top-quality medicine. They're all good for nourishing your blood and qi, perfect for practicing martial arts and strengthening your body."
He picked up his bowl and chopsticks without a second thought, his gaze lingering on Zhang Jiumei's terrified face for a moment before quickly returning to a businessman's smile: "These kids... are they?"
Zhang Yuan calmly introduced, "Zhang Shi, Zhang Zhu, and Ninth Sister. They'll be living here from now on."
His tone was flat, as if he were talking about something completely ordinary.
Wang Quanfu said "Oh," nodded, and didn't ask any more questions. He just picked up some food and ate casually, as if they were really just a few insignificant servants and children.
After the meal, Wang Quanfu picked his teeth and winked at Zhang Yuan: "Nephew, would you like to speak to me privately?"
The two entered the study.
Wang Quanfu closed the door, his smile fading slightly. He lowered his voice and glanced outside, saying, "Nephew, it's not that your uncle is being nosy. The Black Tiger Gang is wary of Master Zheng, and also of your title as the son of the Imperial Guard Commander. On the surface, they won't dare to do anything to you. But... what about them?"
He gestured towards the door, indicating Zhang Shi and the others: "What about those little kids, and that one with the missing arm... what about them?"
"We can't stay cooped up in this little courtyard forever, can we? Fengming County isn't that big, but it's not that small either. There will always be times when we're all alone... The Black Tiger Gang has a lot of underhanded tricks up their sleeves, and it's impossible to guard against them all."
Wang Quanfu rubbed his hands, a troubled look on his face: "My uncle is a businessman. He does have some employees in his business, but... he always believes in making money through harmony and being kind to others. It's really not good for him to get involved in these kinds of fighting and offending local gangs."
"It's not that Uncle doesn't want to help, it's just that these petty people are difficult to deal with. If we offend them, the business will be hampered at every turn..."
He changed the subject, looking at Zhang Yuan with an inquiring tone: "Nephew, how much do you know about the Black Tiger Gang?"