Chapter 303: Rearranging the Seats in the Council Hall

Wudang Sanshou!

Su Wangchuan used a soft palm to dissolve the opponent’s attack. Yet Gao Chong had clearly anticipated this. Borrowing the force, he sprang upward, his legs slicing through the air like curved blades, aiming straight for the throat.

If that kick landed solidly, the victim would either die or be crippled.

Gao Chong’s attacks were extremely vicious. He had no intention of showing mercy.

Su Wangchuan changed moves just as quickly. His five fingers pressed downward in a smooth motion, blocking the lethal arc of the opponent’s foot. At the same time, he activated 《Dragon-Elephant Body-Protection Technique》 and the Black Tortoise Art. His muscles, bones, and flesh tightened like steel as he stepped forward.

His body surged ahead.

A crushing Bajiquan punch smashed into Gao Chong’s chest and abdomen.

BOOM!!

Gao Chong’s kick missed. His body suddenly went numb, his breathing slightly disrupted. His movements slowed for a split second.

The next moment, his entire body was blasted backward like a cannonball, slamming violently into the octagonal cage.

It felt as though he had been hit head-on by a car traveling at one hundred eighty kilometers per hour.

He crashed onto the floor.

His bones and muscles went limp as he spat blood, staring at Su Wangchuan in disbelief. A strained rasp escaped his throat.

“Ghh… ghh…”

For a long time, he could not even stand up.

Chen Gang was equally stunned.

He knew Su Wangchuan was strong, but he had never imagined that Gao Chong—who had defeated him so easily—would fail to last even a single exchange against Su Wangchuan.

The fight had barely begun before Gao Chong was completely crippled.

Chen Gang had not even seen clearly how Su Wangchuan had sent him flying.

And the technique used…

was Bajiquan.

Chen Gang’s eyes widened. He looked at Su Wangchuan, then at Gao Chong lying on the ground coughing blood.

The latter’s injuries appeared even worse than his own.

Gao Chong could not even move his body.

This was internal injury.

“I told you,”

Su Wangchuan said coldly to Gao Chong,

“If you come alone to challenge a gym and end up in the hospital, with no one to take care of you… it’s rather pitiful.”

After saying this, he turned to the disciples of the Bajiquan Martial Arts Gym.

“Take care of your master.”

“Yes.”

“Understood.”

The disciples had been watching nervously from the side. Now that the gym had been saved, they hurried forward to assist Chen Gang.

“Thank you.”

Chen Gang forced a smile.

“I didn’t expect you to be this strong, Brother Su.”

“There’s a lot you don’t know.”

That was Su Wangchuan’s true thought, though he did not say it aloud. Instead, he replied calmly:

“You’re already a grown man, yet you still let people challenge your gym. Get rid of that ridiculous rule of yours.”

“Alright! I’ll remove it immediately.”

Chen Gang smiled bitterly.

Soon, the emergency medical robot arrived.

Inside the gym’s medical room, Chen Gang received imaging scans and bone-setting treatment. With proper recovery, he would likely return to normal in about a month.

Gao Chong’s condition was much worse.

Several ribs had been broken. His internal organs had shifted slightly, and he also suffered from mild concussion. At the very least, he would be confined to a hospital bed for two months.

Gao Chong looked as if the sky had collapsed on him.

He regretted everything.

In the end, he was taken away by the medical robot.

Just as Su Wangchuan was about to leave the Bajiquan Martial Arts Gym, Chen Gang called out to him from behind.

“Brother Su.”

“I have two friends. They are stronger than I am, and they know far more martial arts than I do. I could introduce you to them—you could learn boxing techniques and other martial arts from them.”

Chen Gang’s words filled Su Wangchuan with pleasant surprise.

“Really?”

“Where are they?”

Su Wangchuan’s eyes lit up.

An opportunity for free instruction was something he would never pass up.

“B City.”

Chen Gang’s answer was like a bucket of cold water poured over him.

Not even in the same city.

It was across provinces.

Su Wangchuan shook his head helplessly and waved his hand.

“Forget it. I’m not planning to leave the city anytime soon. I can’t get away right now.”

The situation within the Caobang was too unstable. He could not afford to be absent even for a single day.

“That’s alright.”

“If you can’t go to B City, I can invite them to visit the Bajiquan Martial Arts Gym. Once they hear that I’ve been injured, they’ll definitely come see me. When they arrive, I’ll ask them to give you a bit of guidance—and let them see what a true martial arts prodigy looks like!”

Chen Gang’s words took an unexpected turn.

Su Wangchuan’s eyes brightened.

“Good! It’s settled then.”

“I’ll head back for now.”

“When your friends arrive, I’ll come see you again.”

“Alright.”

…

A carrier pigeon message from the Caobang summoned Wangchuan urgently to the prefectural hall for a council meeting.

When Wangchuan arrived, the atmosphere was completely different from the last grand meeting before the Blood Moon Incident.

Hall Master Yin Xingtian had already been transferred back to the headquarters.

The three former Helm Leaders had all been replaced by new faces.

Cui Mingjue now held the position of Helm Leader of the Main Helm, while the other two Branch Helm Leaders were strangers to Wangchuan.

Three Island Lords had also been replaced.

Old Seven now had many strands of silver hair scattered across his head.

The “Money God,” Lin Cunxin—who oversaw the hall’s finances—sat there with a sour expression, as though someone owed him several million taels of gold.

Zhao Jinshan, the Deputy Hall Master responsible for personnel, the Armory Manual Vault, and weapons, kept scratching his scalp anxiously. His hair was visibly thinning.

The atmosphere of the meeting was bleak.

When Old Seven saw Wangchuan enter, a trace of relief appeared in his eyes.

Among the three waterways, only the Sanhe River region—managed by Wangchuan—was still generating profit. No chaos had erupted there, and there were no daily reports of water bandit attacks.

Lin Cunxin and Zhao Jinshan also nodded to Wangchuan—something that rarely happened.

The Sanjiang Branch Helm under Wangchuan’s command was not only the only branch still sending money to the hall, but also the only one that remained strong and well-organized.

“Old Seven.”

Wangchuan cupped his fists in greeting.

He was about to sit in his original seat near the entrance when Old Seven raised his hand.

“Wangchuan.”

“Sit in the front.”

Cui Mingjue immediately stood up and offered his seat.

The Branch Helm Leader opposite also hurriedly stood aside to make space.

Just like that, Wangchuan moved from a marginal seat near the doorway to a position beside the “Money God,” Lin Cunxin.

He now sat in the same row as Cui Mingjue of the Main Helm.

They were equals.

Many people revealed expressions of envy.

But they also understood that this was something they could never match.

The Sanjiang Branch Helm had been exceptionally stable lately.

All transport fleets were guarded with double security.

Additional patrol boats had been deployed.

Daily expenditures had doubled.

Meanwhile, the other three branch helms now had neither money nor manpower.

They were practically collapsing.

“This time, I have gathered everyone here,”

Old Seven began,

“because the current situation is extremely severe.”

“Although the Salt Gang suffered even greater losses than we did, the Beggar Sect emerged from the Blood Moon Incident almost unscathed.”

“Now they have begun moving into the docks of various counties, raising the monthly protection fees and squeezing our shipping business more and more.”

“We must take action.”

“We must suppress the Beggar Sect’s growing arrogance.”

“Everyone—share your thoughts.”

Hearing this, Wangchuan’s heart tightened.

They were planning to take action against the Beggar Sect.

At a time like this?

Was Old Seven planning to bite down on the hardest bone and demonstrate the strength of the Caobang, intimidating the surrounding forces?

The three Deputy Helm Leaders all revealed troubled expressions.

The three Island Lords lowered their heads and remained silent.

Lin Cunxin and Zhao Jinshan exchanged glances and frowned slightly.

Zhao Jinshan spoke first.

“Hall Master, after the Blood Moon Incident, the Beggar Sect’s sub-branch in the prefectural city not only received a newly appointed Branch Master from above, but that Branch Master also brought two Deputy Branch Masters with Third-Rank Martial Artist strength.”

“Right now, the Beggar Sect has three Third-Rank Martial Artists in the prefecture, plus Zhang Ye—who is close to Third Rank—and several Second-Rank experts…”

“Dealing with the Beggar Sect… will be extremely difficult.”

“Yes.”

Lin Cunxin nodded in agreement.

“I’m worried that if we make a mistake, the hall will suffer heavy losses. That would only make the situation worse—and our business even harder in the future.”