Chapter 173 The wind and the remaining clouds
"This is the East Lake Gang's treasured game, how dare you act wildly..."

"Fuck you, we're going to smash your Donghu Gang!"

At noon on the second day of the second lunar month, the Donghu gambling house in the west of Yingchuan City was doing the most prosperous business when a group of uninvited guests suddenly broke in. These people were quite skilled and knocked over a dozen thugs in the gambling house in no time. Then they brandished knives, guns, sticks and clubs, smashing the gambling house to pieces. Many gamblers were unable to dodge and were hit by punches and kicks for nothing.

For a moment, wailing was heard everywhere and people fled in panic.

The owner of the gambling house rushed in from the backyard in a hurry, but before he could see the situation clearly, he was kicked to the ground by a burly man who was coming towards him.

After the smashing and looting, Liao Chuan approached with a steel knife, stepped on the shopkeeper's face, tapped his cheek with the cold blade, and said in a cold voice: "Are you the manager?"

"Sir, it's a misunderstanding! It's a misunderstanding..." The shopkeeper saw the situation and didn't dare to be stubborn anymore. He begged for mercy again and again, "Sirs, do you know the leader Li of the East Lake Gang? This gambling house is his. It must be a flood that washed away the Dragon King Temple today. It's a misunderstanding..."

"No misunderstanding!"

Before he finished speaking, Liao Chuan had already thrust the blade, and the sharp tip of the blade immediately dug out the shopkeeper's right eyeball. Instantly, bright red blood gushed out from the terrifying hole, and the shopkeeper let out bursts of screams like a pig being slaughtered in pain.

"Listen!" The tip of Liao Chuan's knife was pressed tightly against the shopkeeper's temple. The shopkeeper was so scared that he endured the heart-wrenching pain, quickly closed his mouth, and looked at Liao Chuan in panic with his only remaining eye.

Seeing this, Liao Chuan snorted coldly and said, "Go back and tell Li Lao Hu that he has offended someone he shouldn't have offended. He should clean his neck as soon as possible in the next two days and wait for me to chop him off!"

"you……"

"Did you remember?" Without waiting for the shopkeeper to speak, Liao Chuan suddenly pressed the knife down. The sharp tip of the knife instantly pierced through the skin and almost pierced through the shopkeeper's head. The shopkeeper was so scared that he quickly responded, "I've got it! I've got it!"

"That's enough!" Liao Chuan turned around and looked at the gambling house which had become a mess, then said to the dozen or so disciples of Jingmen, "Take the money away and set this place on fire."

"Yes!"

The flames shot up into the sky, and Liao Chuan led his men to leave the gambling house quickly. Passersby on the road were terrified and dodged, fearing that they would get into trouble.

In less than half an hour, the gambling house that was crowded with people shouting excitedly just now has turned into ruins and ashes.

……

From noon on the second day to dusk on the fifth day. In just three days, war broke out in Yingchuan City, disasters continued, and the six gambling houses, three brothels, seventeen shops, and three land and water docks under the East Lake Gang all suffered a devastating disaster.

Liu Xunyi ordered the disciples of Jingmen to destroy the Donghu Gang's businesses one by one at lightning speed. Even many other businesses that were protected by the Donghu Gang suffered misfortune to varying degrees.

Many people went to report to the police, but the government had already received He Shan's strict order that they would not intervene in any matter related to the Donghu Gang.

Those businesses that had paid hefty tributes to the East Lake Gang immediately began to complain and rushed to the East Lake Gang to demand an explanation from Li Lao Hu.

Liu Xunyi issued a ban to thousands of businesses, big and small, in Yingchuan.

In the Yingchuan area, all noodle shops, rice shops, silk shops, blacksmith shops, reservoirs, butcher shops, vegetable vendors, etc. are not allowed to do business with the Donghu Gang. Anyone who colludes with the Donghu Gang without authorization will be regarded as opposing the Xianwang Mansion.

The Donghu Gang members who stayed behind in various places had bruises on their faces or broken arms and legs. They were all beaten and driven back to the Donghu Gang by the disciples of Jingmen, and had no choice but to ask Li Lao Hu for help.

For a time, in Yingchuan City, except for the Donghu Gang’s old nest, there were almost no other places to find Donghu Gang disciples. Even at the bustling dock every day, there was no longer any sign of Donghu Gang members bullying the city.

Half of the Pan Huai ship merchants were taken away, and naturally returned to the Pan family. All the cronies that Li Lao Hu had planted were driven away. In the past three days, there were at least 20 to 30 businesses that had the same experience as Pan Huai ship merchants.

The Donghu Gang had been rampant in Yingchuan for so many years, and this was the first time they had encountered such a disaster. Many Yingchuan people who were oppressed on a daily basis were delighted and said it was a great relief.

There are also some forces outside the East Lake Gang who, as if the clouds have cleared and the moon has appeared, have been unable to contain themselves and are ready to take advantage of the opportunity to quickly encroach on and even divide up the East Lake Gang's territory.

Li Lao Hu repeatedly sent people to the government to ask He Shan to send troops for help, but He Shan always refused to see him for various reasons, turning a blind eye to the disaster of the Donghu Gang and the chaos in Yingchuan City. This made Li Lao Hu even more upset, feeling that danger was lurking everywhere and he could not rest day or night.

……

On the evening of the fifth day of the second lunar month, the East Lake Gang's meeting hall was brightly lit, filled with people, noisy and chaotic.

Li Lao Hu sat at the first seat with a gloomy face, while the gang's main managers were fidgeting like ants on a hot pan, looking around, whispering to each other, arguing fiercely, or frowning and keeping silent.

Although their appearances were different, their expressions were all filled with anxiety, and the atmosphere in the hall changed from the relaxed and comfortable one in the past to become extremely depressing.

"Reporting to the gang leader, the Xishan Gang leader said that he has been feeling unwell these days, so he cannot come as invited."

"Reporting to the gang leader, the mother of the head of Longtou Mountain has passed away. Everyone in Longtou Mountain is in mourning, so we can't come."

"Reporting to the boss, the owner of Wanyuan Salt Shop has refused to see anyone. No matter how hard I knocked, no one answered..." "Boss, the ship merchants at the dock have united and stopped paying our share. When the brothers went to collect the money, they said that if we didn't pay, it would be fine, but if we paid, we would suffer. Some even slapped our brothers in the face..."

"Boss, another 123 brothers have sneaked away today. Together with the ones who sneaked away before, we have lost nearly 300 people in three days. If this continues, let alone taking back our territory, I am afraid that even our nest will soon be lost..."

Bad news came one after another.

Li Lao Hu's face turned pale, and he shouted angrily, "Enough! Enough! These bastards used to flatter me and call me brothers when they had nothing to do. Now that I'm in trouble, they avoid me like the plague god, and some even add insult to injury, wishing to push me to death. Sooner or later, I will make them live a life worse than death, and they will be helpless even if they cry out to heaven or earth! Humph! Pan Chuba, Liu Xunyi, they are trying to push me to a dead end, do you really think I'm afraid of you?"

"Boss, Liu San is back!"

Accompanied by an excited shout, two servants were seen carrying the breathless Liu San and jogging into the meeting hall.

As soon as they saw Liu San, the hall suddenly became quiet, and everyone's eager eyes were cast on him at the same time.

"Liu San, how is it?" Li Lao Hu quickly stood up, rushed to Liu San in two steps, and asked anxiously, "Did you send the silver?"

"Sent...sent..." Liu Sanlian drank several bowls of water, and finally felt a little relieved. He quickly replied, "Reporting to the leader, one hundred thousand taels of silver, not a penny less, all sent."

"Did He Shan accept it?" Li Lao Hu asked again.

"I accepted it!" Liu San nodded desperately, but before Li Lao Hu could speak, he added, "I accepted it, but the result was the same as the previous times. After taking the money, they sent me back."

"what?"

Liu San's words startled everyone. Li Lao Hu gnashed his teeth in anger and asked, "Did you see He Shan with your own eyes when you went there this time?"

"I saw it!" Liu San said, "After receiving the money, the government officials wanted to kick me out, but I threw a tantrum on the spot, forcing them to have no choice but to ask He Shan to come out and see me."

"and then?"

"Then I asked He Shan, you have received several batches of money from us in these three days, why haven't you solved the problem for us?" Liu San said.

"Good question!" Li Lao Hu praised. "What did he say?"

"He Shan kept making excuses, saying that this time we had offended the Xianwang Mansion, and that this matter was of great importance and that we had to take a long-term view." Liu San said indignantly, "Then I asked him how he planned to take a long-term view. He Shan was silent. I asked him again and again, saying that if he wanted to take a long-term view, why did he take our money? In three days, we have already paid 180,000 taels of silver. Even if we throw these 180,000 taels into the water, there should be a sound, right?"

"Well said!" Li Lao Hu nodded repeatedly, "If you don't want to help us, then return the money. How can you take money from people but not help them get rid of their misfortunes?"

Liu San hurriedly said, "Yes, I asked him this as ordered by the mansion master, but He Shan scolded me for being insignificant and a nobody who had no right to bargain with him. And before I could say anything else, he ordered his men to beat me out with sticks."

"Damn it, it seems to me that He Shan is clearly trying to rip us off." A dark-faced man said angrily, "He accepted all the gold, silver and jewelry we gave him. But he turned a deaf ear to our pleas. What a despicable and shameless thief!"

"He Shan did this because he didn't want to offend the Xianwang Mansion." Another older man with a long beard said, "We have been dealing with He Shan for so many years, and we know that he has always been a man who would not do anything without profit, and would always protect himself first when encountering trouble. In the past, he always responded to our requests, firstly because we gave him enough benefits, and secondly because what we asked for did not touch his life and property, so he was naturally happy to profit from it and make a fortune. But today is completely different. The anger of the Xianwang Mansion has spread to the entire Yingchuan, and everyone outside is in danger, and He Shan is the same. How could he put himself in danger to save us?"

"Boss, in my opinion...why don't we ask for help from the Hexi Qin family?" Liu San pondered, "The reason why we offended the Pan family is because of the Hexi Qin family. We have done so many things for them. Now that we are in trouble, how can the Qin family just ignore us?"

"Can you get out?" Li Lao Hu snorted, "Now, the people in the Xianwang Mansion have sealed off Yingchuan City tightly, and not even a fly can fly out. Moreover, even if our message can be sent out, will the Hexi Qin family really send people to help us? Everyone knows that the bow is put away after the bird is dead, and the dog is cooked after the rabbit is dead. Now in Yingchuan, the only person who can help us is He Shan. First, he is a government official. No matter how presumptuous the Xianwang Mansion is, they will never dare to openly oppose the Mongolian court. Second, He Shan has soldiers in his hands. If he comes forward to help us take back the territory, it will be easy as pie."

"But judging from He Shan's attitude, it seems that he will not help us deal with Prince Xian's Mansion." Liu San hesitated.

"That's because the benefits we gave him weren't enough to make him risk his life for it." Li Lao Hu was so angry that he was shaking all over. He said word by word, "He Shan wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to make a lot of money from me. He was waiting for me to beg him in person."

Today, Li Lao Hu was angry and regretful. He was angry because the monkeys scattered when the tree fell, and it rained when the roof leaked. He regretted that after learning about the relationship between Pan Chuba and the Xianwang Mansion, he should not have provoked the Pan family again, otherwise there would never be such a disaster today.

After all, it was because of his greed, and he couldn't blame others.

"What the gang leader means is..."

"Please tell He Shan that I am willing to give out all the gold and silver accumulated by the Donghu Gang over the past few decades in exchange for his helping me. At least... 30,000 taels of gold..." Li Lao Hu said tremblingly, "When he is free, I will take out one third and deliver it to him personally. The rest... will be delivered to him after this matter is over." As he said this, Li Lao Hu's heart was bleeding.

"Boss, this is what we brothers have saved up through decades of hard work..."

“No problem!” Li Lao Hu glared with a pair of bloodshot eyes and said viciously, “As long as the green mountains remain, there will be no shortage of firewood! Everything I lost today, I will definitely get back from these people who took advantage of my misfortune one day... No! Then I will make them pay double to avenge today’s shame!”

……

(End of this chapter)