Chapter 44: Meet the New City Lord
In the next few days, Ruan Xing began to work overtime to refine potions and talismans. She locked herself in the yard every day except for sleeping and eating time. She didn't even have time to see Ruan Tao when Hu San took her over.
She just took the time to instruct Hu San to personally teach Ruan Tao the external and internal strength techniques, as well as how to use medicinal baths and liquid medicine, and try to get Ruan Tao started within half a month. If she has talent, it is possible to have an uninterrupted supply of liquid medicine until she has achieved a small degree of success.
In addition to hundreds of [Break] talismans, she also obtained hundreds of [Protect] talismans. With the help of the rough tailoring knowledge contained in the introductory weaving skills, she made all the monkey skins into vest-like armor, which was fixed with thin ropes and can be adjusted in size. If she has a small body, it can cover her entire upper body. For someone with a body like Hu San, it may only be a breastplate. But it is not a big problem. As long as it can be worn on the body, the [Protect] character spell can play a protective role. The only difference is the appearance and comfort.
There were also thousands of bottles of liquid medicine. Except for the fifty bottles each for Hu San and Ruan Tao, the rest were put into the warehouse by the housekeeper to be rewarded to the stewards if they did a good job in the future, or to be taken away when Hu San and Ruan Tao did not have enough for their practice.
After working hard these past few days, Ruan Xing was just about to take a good nap when the butler came back to report, "Boss, Steward Wang wants to see you."
Wang Dongxing? Is he busy?
Ruan Xing felt a little strange, but still said, "Let him wait for me in the study."
After washing his face to refresh himself, Ruan Xing went to the study and asked directly, "What are you in such a hurry to see me about? Tell me quickly. I'm waiting to go back to sleep."
"It's not me who wants to see you, it's him who wants to see you." Wang Dongxing smiled bitterly, "He has been fidgeting since yesterday, pestering me to see you. I was wondering, when did you two know each other? I asked him but he wouldn't tell me, so I thought maybe there was some kind of relationship, so I brought him here."
Wang Dongxing pulled out a timid little boy from behind him. Perhaps because Ruan Xing's attitude today was too casual and he looked a little approachable, he looked at Ruan Xing with some resentment and said aggrievedly, "You really forgot about me."
This... Ruan Xing thought for a long time before he remembered, and smiled awkwardly, "Xu Can, I remember."
She stuffed poison into this boy's pocket.
"Today is already the seventh day." Xu Can reminded.
"Okay, come with me." Except for some that she felt necessary to carry with her, all the various medicines that she had taken from the old man's cave were placed in her room. The antidote was also in the room.
Xu Can followed her and whispered, "Boss, I'm not a useless person. I can learn anything you want me to do for you in the future."
His life is in Ruan Xing's hands, but Ruan Xing forgot about him so easily. It is hard to say whether he will give him the antidote in the future. He has to show the value of his life.
Ruan Xing took a look at him. She remembered that he was a very calm and smart child, but he was too young and she had no use for him for the time being. The reason she saved his life was firstly because she didn't want to waste simulation times looking for the secret room where Pei Qianhu hid his treasures, and secondly, it was to give Wang Dongxing an excuse to get most of Pei Qianhu's inheritance. Finally, she felt it was a pity that he died like this since he had potential.
"How are you doing in the Wang family?" Ruan Xing suddenly asked, "They annexed the inheritance that should have belonged to you. Do you hate them?"
Xu Can shuddered, "Boss, my last name is Xu... not Pei."
This ability to not give a direct answer and to divert attention is quite suitable for taking the civil service exam. Ruan Xing changed the subject and asked, "Did your uncle teach you martial arts?"
“…I have never taught you that.”
Pei Qianhu brought him back in order to make him his superior's disciple. Apart from cultivating his knowledge and education and brainwashing him into the friendship of his family, he naturally would not teach him anything else.
Ruan Xing found the bottle of antidote on the shelf and poured out ten pills for him. "Then go study. You have a sharp mind. It shouldn't be difficult for you to pass the exam and become an official."
Xu Can smiled bitterly. Nowadays, people value literature over martial arts. Being an examiner is much more difficult than practicing martial arts and joining a gang. But at least Ruan Xing gave him a direction to work towards. His life was temporarily saved. He took the pill with both hands respectfully and said, "As you command."
In fact, Ruan Xing didn't know what to let this kid do. Sending him to study was just a leisurely move. There were still more than ten years before the plot began. If Xu Can could meet the standards of the immortal for selecting disciples in more than ten years, maybe she could use this leisurely move in the world of immortal cultivation.
Asking Wang Dongxing to take the man back, Wang Dongxing leaned close to Ruan Xing's ear and whispered, "Sister Ruan, how did you get to know him? Just tell me, I'm very curious."
"You have no respect for your elders. Call me gang leader." Ruan Xing rolled his eyes at him.
"Yes, yes, Master~" Wang Dongxing laughed, and suddenly thought of something, his eyes widened, "Could it be that Pei Qianhu's extermination of his family is related to you? Did you do it? No wonder you told me the night before, you didn't figure it out?! Then do you know how to tell fortunes?"
Ruan Xing was confused by the series of questions. She was too lazy to answer and only said, "If you believe it, it exists. If you don't believe it, it doesn't exist."
"Well, then I will definitely believe you. Also, the other calculations you made are also quite accurate... It doesn't matter. Pei Qianhu has no good relationship with anyone anyway, and no one will avenge him. I'll go back first. I'll take my leave~" Wang Dongxing bowed happily and took Xu Can home.
After seeing the people off, Ruan Xing no longer felt sleepy. After thinking for a moment, she decided to take the initiative towards the new city lord.
After a quick simulation, Ruan Xing chose the memory and saw the appearance of the new city lord. She asked the housekeeper: "Who in our gang can draw? Call them over to me."
The butler responded and went to look for someone. After a while, he brought back an old gentleman with an untidy beard. "This is the one who originally drew the wanted poster in our gang..."
Wanted order? Ruan Xing thought, it's almost the same, "Draw it first and let me tell you to draw it."
The old man unfolded the rice paper and dipped it in ink.
"A man in his thirties, with a square face, thick eyebrows, and a fleshy chin and nose... No, no, draw this place a little further inward, his hairline is quite bald..."
After Ruan Xing's guidance, the old man finally completed the painting.
As expected of a painter who started out as a wanted poster artist, the lines of the characters are clear and the facial features are captured. Although there is not much artistic content, the painting is still quite similar.
Ruan Xing said with satisfaction, "Great, draw a few more pictures according to this, and search secretly in the city. If you find him, don't alert the other party, send someone to inform me first." "This person... looks familiar." The housekeeper hesitated, "Boss, there was a report the other day that someone was secretly asking about you. It was this person, but I went to see later. That person was not only asking about you, but also about the leaders of several other small gangs in the outer city. It didn't seem like he had any intention of snooping, so I didn't pay much attention to it."
"Oh? Do you know where he is now?" Ruan Xing became excited. She didn't expect that the new city lord came so early. It had been two days and she still didn't know.
"According to my subordinates, that person has been drinking tea and listening to books at tea stalls on the streets recently. He is very easy to find. I will send someone to find out which street he is on."
Ruan Xing went back to change his clothes. When the housekeeper came back to report that the person had been found, he got on a carriage without any mark of the Red Head Gang and traveled in a low-key manner.
On Ping'an Street, there was a semi-open tea stall with seven or eight low tables. A few scattered customers were sitting in the shade covered by mats, drinking herbal tea and resting their feet. An old man was sitting there talking excitedly about the story of the Red Head Gang eliminating mountain harm for the people and the monkeys in Qianling Mountain causing disasters.
Here you can drink tea for free if you tell stories and also get a tip of one or two cents from customers if you tell them well. The most important thing is that it is a positive publicity for the Red Head Gang. You can get some tips from the Red Head Gang after telling stories for a whole day. Therefore, some residents who cannot work but have good speaking skills often come here to supplement their family income.
The middle-aged man sitting at the table at the edge of the tea stall was listening with great interest. Suddenly, someone sat down next to him, and a clear girl's voice said, "Uncle, let's share a table."
There weren't many rules for this kind of street tea stall, so he subconsciously said, "Sit anywhere." Then he suddenly realized that the tea stall was not full, and there were empty tables in the back, so why would someone want to share a table with him?
He looked over inquiringly, but was surprised to find that the other person was just a six-year-old girl.
The girl gave him a lovely smile and he smiled back. His wariness gradually faded away. Maybe the girl just didn't have money to buy tea but wanted to listen to the book but was embarrassed to sit at a table alone.
He was about to ask the shopkeeper to serve another bowl of herbal tea to the girl, but he heard the other party say, "With your status, isn't it inappropriate for you to drink tea in a place like this?"
The expression on the man's face gradually turned cold, and he said, "Little girl, did you recognize the wrong person?"
Ruan Xing propped his chin on the table with his elbows, tilted his head and said, "Lord City Lord, if you want to find out any news, you can come and ask our Red Head Gang. As long as you can afford it, there is no news in Jiangning City that the Red Head Gang cannot find out. Even the news about the gang leader can be told to you."
Seeing that Ruan Xing had already confidently revealed his identity, the man no longer had any need to hide anything. "Indeed, I entered the city alone only three days in advance and you found me. You Red Head Gang are indeed well-informed."
"But I am a little curious. I don't have any items or tokens that can prove my identity. Even the document of appointment by His Majesty has not been issued yet. How can you be so sure that it is me?"
Of course it was because of the simulator. I saw your appearance with my own eyes in the City Lord’s Mansion half a month later.
Ruan Xing smiled mysteriously, "I can't just tell you about my eating skills, so why not tell me first, what news do you want to know?"
The man originally came to gather information about the various gangs in Jiangning City with the intention of cooperating. There were too many people in the government and the public who were just sitting there doing nothing. If he used the city lord's order, the Patrol Security Division would listen to his arrangements, but the news would surely leak everywhere like a sieve, and he would never be able to catch whoever he wanted.
It would be better to seek help from the local tyrants. As long as we offer them benefits that they cannot refuse, and show them the pros and cons, and use both kindness and force, most of the local tyrants will be willing to cooperate for mutual benefit and live in peace.
This was also his previous experience as an official in other places.
He looked at the little girl in front of him, not with contempt, but with caution. After a moment's hesitation, he asked, "Why don't you tell me who you are first?"
Only seven days had passed since the leader of the Red Head Gang was replaced. Apart from that farewell at the city gate, she had not appeared in any public occasion. Therefore, apart from a few officials who had met her at the city gate and members of the Red Head Gang, no one knew that the new leader was a six-year-old girl.
The man entered the city in a low-key manner and had no contact with officials. He only inquired for information from the lower-class people in the city. Naturally, what he heard were some groundless rumors and he didn't know her identity.
Without Ruan Xing knowing, she had become the most mysterious person in Jiangning City.
"My name is Ruan Xing, the new leader of the Red Head Gang." Ruan Xing smiled sweetly.
The man's eyes flashed with surprise, but he did not suspect that Ruan Xing had lied to him. He said with emotion, "I didn't expect that there is a child as smart as you in the world. You can suppress many adults and become the leader of a gang at such a young age. It's a pity that you are a girl, otherwise you can study hard, take the imperial examinations and become an official, which is the way to rise to the top."
He saluted and said, "Boss Ruan, my last name is Sun, and I am the second child in my family. So, you can call me Sun Erlang. We can talk about the title of city lord later. Right now, I need to keep my identity secret."
"Of course, I, Ruan Xing, am a very honest person."
"Really? Why is it that what I heard these past two days is different? Everyone says that the new leader of the Red Head Gang is a cruel and moody person who will kill an entire family if he disagrees with someone."
"Nonsense! I am such an honest and kind person!" Ruan Xing slammed the table and said angrily: "Who spread this rumor? I will kill his whole family!"
She was a little cruel only on the day she became the gang leader, but otherwise she was a gentle and kind good gang leader, okay?
Sun Erlang was silent for a moment, skipped the topic, and said with a smile: "What I saw today is indeed different from the rumors, but the status of the Red Head Gang in Jiangning City is difficult for others to shake. Even if you don't get involved in this mess, it won't have any impact. I don't know why Gang Leader Ruan wants to help me? What do you want by taking the initiative to find me?"
"That's easy." Apart from her mother losing her job, this incident had almost no impact on her. However, she was also worried because Hong Xi hadn't heard any news about the Luoqi Pill for such a long time. That's why she wanted to get in touch with the new city lord. "Erlang, you are well-informed in the capital. Have you ever heard of the Luoqi Pill?"
"Luoqi Pill?" Sun Erlang was stunned for a moment, then he clapped his hands and laughed. "Since Gang Leader Ruan asked about Luoqi Pill, then you must have reached the post-natal realm, right? As far as I know, there is no post-natal cultivation method in the world except the secret storage in the palace. Gang Leader Ruan, how did you get the post-natal cultivation method?"
How did she know where the Red-headed Taoist got his skills from? Was this skill very mysterious? The Red-headed Taoist wasn't that powerful, but he was able to get it. She thought the skills weren't that rare.
Wait, does it mean that the Red Head Taoist doesn’t practice himself, and doesn’t allow Red Head to help others reach the perfect state of internal strength? Is it not because he is stingy, but because he knows that it is impossible for him to find the Luoqi Pill?
The so-called "the day after tomorrow" was just a pie in the sky that he painted for the Red Head Gang. If he let these people reach the day after tomorrow but could not give them the Luoqi Pill needed for the day after tomorrow cultivation, these people would either look everywhere for the news of the Luoqi Pill or become dissatisfied and rebel. Neither of them was the result he wanted to see, so he could only pretend to be stingy and suppress their progress in practicing the exercises.
When he thought of this possibility, Ruan Xing felt a chill on his back and broke out in a cold sweat.
(End of this chapter)
