Chapter 73: Great River Gang

Chapter 73: Chapter 73: Great River Gang

The scorching sun hung high in the sky. It was noon, a time that should have been blazing hot. Yet, Ye Xing’s heart sank, plummeting into a freezing abyss. The chill was bone-deep.

CLANG! The large gates behind him slammed shut. Two burly men with great sabers stood guard at the entrance, trapping Ye Xing inside the mansion.

In the courtyard directly ahead stood a middle-aged man in a black robe, exuding a fierce and savage aura.

"You must be the owner of this mansion! I’ve been waiting for you for a long time," the black-robed man in front of him said with a grin.

"Where are they?!" Ye Xing demanded, his eyes locked on the man before him. He recognized this black-robed man; they had met once before. This was the Gang Leader of the Great River Gang. Ye Xing had seen him a few days ago at the Beast Taming Pavilion when he was about to buy a Gale Leopard.

"Relax, they’re fine. I came to discuss something with you. Now that you’re back, I’ll let them go." The black-robed man shot a look at the two burly men by the gate.

One of the saber-wielding men immediately left the gate and headed into the Ye Mansion’s inner courtyard to release them.

Hearing that Qiao’er and the others were safe, Ye Xing breathed a small sigh of relief. His gaze shifted as he looked at the black-robed man. "I don’t believe we’re well-acquainted. What business might you have with me?"

"Hehe, allow me to introduce myself. My name is You Bin, and I am the Gang Leader of the Great River Gang from the neighboring Green River Town," the black-robed man said with a chuckle. "I’ve come today to propose a partnership."

"A partnership?" Ye Xing’s brow furrowed.

"That’s right, a partnership!" the black-robed man said in a low voice. "I took the liberty of investigating you. You opened a shop in Phoenix Town selling all sorts of novel items, and you’re raking in several hundred Gold Coins every day. Several hundred Gold Coins... I’m truly impressed. My Great River Gang’s total monthly income is only about that much. You’re a veritable god of wealth."

"However, your strength is too low. You should know, having a lot of money with little strength just makes you a fat sheep, and you need protection. My Great River Gang is large and powerful, with over a thousand members. And I, the Gang Leader, am a Martial Artist at the Martial Arts Sixth Realm, the Qi Gathering Stage." The black-robed man smiled. "With the Great River Gang protecting you, we can partner up and make money together. Wouldn’t that be wonderful?"

’After all that talk, he’s just here to collect a protection fee!’ Ye Xing thought. His gaze flickered, and he asked, "And what kind of partnership did Master You have in mind?"

"It’s simple. You keep your shop running—the bigger, the better—and the Great River Gang will protect you. We’ll split the profits nine-to-one," You Bin said.

"Nine-to-one?" Ye Xing’s eyes shifted. He had a feeling it wasn’t that simple.

"That’s right. Nine-to-one. You get one part, I get nine," the black-robed man stressed.

’Right... hehe, nine-to-one. A nine-to-one split, my ass. I work my fingers to the bone to earn one part while you motherfuckers take nine-tenths of the profit? What do you take me for, a hen that lays golden eggs?! This is just blatant robbery.’ Ye Xing was seething, but he suppressed his fury, his expression unreadable. "Hehe, Master You, that profit distribution seems a bit unreasonable, don’t you think? We’re the ones working ourselves to death to make the money, while your Great River Gang just sits back and reaps the rewards, taking ninety percent of the profit. That’s a little hard to justify, isn’t it?"

"Brat, how dare you speak to our Gang Leader like that!"

With a furious shout, the man from the gate strode over, Great Saber in hand, his face a mask of malevolence.

Ye Xing’s expression changed slightly. From the aura emanating from the man, he could faintly sense that this person’s Inner Power Cultivation was higher than his own.

"Hehe, Little Ye, allow me to make an introduction." The black-robed man pointed at the burly man and chuckled. "This is one of my Great River Gang’s Squad Leaders, Xue Yong, with a cultivation at the Martial Arts Third Realm. The one who went into the inner courtyard earlier is named Hong Hai. He’s also a Squad Leader in my Great River Gang, and also at the Martial Arts Third Realm. From now on, they will be living in your mansion to be in charge of your protection!"

Ye Xing frowned. ’Protection in name, surveillance in reality.’

After a pause, the black-robed man’s gaze swept over Ye Xing, cold and menacing. "Little Ye, I’m doing this for your own good!" he said, his voice laced with threat. "You must understand, more money isn’t always better. With your current cultivation at only the Martial Arts Second Realm, controlling too much wealth will just get you killed. Ten percent of the profits is more than enough for you to live a very good life. Just focus on making money and don’t overthink the rest, you hear me?"

Just then, the other Squad Leader from the Great River Gang emerged from the inner courtyard with Qiao’er and Aunt Qiao.

"Waaah, Big Brother!" The little girl ran over, crying, her eyes filled with tears.

"Qiao’er, don’t cry. Big Brother is back now, isn’t he?" Ye Xing reached out and wiped the tear stains from the little girl’s face. "Did they bully you? Did they hit you?"

"They didn’t hit me!" The little girl shook her head, teardrops still clinging to her long eyelashes. She sobbed, "But... Big Black and the Cyan Wolves are all dead! These bad men barged into our home and locked me and Mom in the backyard. Big Black, Wolf One, and Lang Er came to save us, but they killed them all! Waaah!"

The little black dog, Big Black, along with Wolf One and Lang Er, were Ye Xing’s and the little girl’s Demon Beast companions. Although they hadn’t been together for very long, they had already formed a bond.

Upon hearing that all three of his Demon Beast companions had been killed, Ye Xing’s face instantly darkened. He turned to the black-robed man and said, "Master You, you keep talking about a partnership. Is this your idea of sincerity?"

"They’re just a few Demon Beasts. Why do you care so much?" the black-robed man said nonchalantly. "Besides, Demon Beasts are very dangerous. Many people are killed by them every year."

"You’re lying! Big Black and the Cyan Wolves were very good! They always listened to me! They would never kill anyone for no reason," the little girl cried, her eyes red and teary.

Ye Xing’s gaze hardened. He said in a low voice, "Master You, when you talk about Demon Beasts hurting people, you must be referring to the ones in the Demon Beast Mountain Range. Big Black and the Cyan Wolves were my Demon Beast companions. They would never have harmed me; in fact, they could have protected me!"

"Your safety is now the full responsibility of our Great River Gang. Hong Hai and Xue Yong are both at the Martial Arts Third Realm; that’s more than enough to protect you. If you think that’s not enough, I can send a few more of my men," the black-robed man said coldly. "I’ll say it again: Demon Beasts are dangerous. If you dare to buy any more, you’d better worry that your new pet might harm this little girl." His tone was thick with threat and warning.

"Of course, for your own safety, I’ll have Hong Hai and Xue Yong watch you at all times to make sure you don’t set foot in the Beast Taming Pavilion." The black-robed man smiled and patted Ye Xing’s shoulder. "You’re a smart man. You should understand what I mean. Just focus on making money, and I’ll ensure you live a very prosperous life."

The black-robed man’s meaning was obvious. He wanted to turn Ye Xing into a money-making machine for the Great River Gang. The gang would take the lion’s share of the Gold Coins, leaving only scraps for Ye Xing. At the same time, they would prevent him from buying Demon Beast companions to increase his strength, keeping him firmly in their grasp. If Ye Xing refused, the black-robed man would likely turn hostile on the spot.

"I understand Master You’s meaning perfectly! With Master You’s immense strength, it is my honor to be able to rely on the Great River Gang." Ye Xing’s eyes glinted as he smiled. "However, I’d still like to fight for a two-eight split. As it happens, I acquired a treasure on my recent trip to Sunset City. I’d like to offer it to Master You in hopes that you might be a bit more lenient."

As he spoke, Ye Xing immediately reached for his lower back.