Chapter 263: From Now On, Yang Fusheng

At the Yulong Gang Water Stronghold.

When the disciples from the Sanjiang Branch Helm brought the corpse of the Third-Rank Martial Artist to Yang Feiyue, he was dressed in plain white robes, seeing He Haisheng off on his final journey.

Upon learning that the killer had failed in his attack on Wangchuan and had instead been counter-killed, he hurried to the corpse and lowered his head to examine it carefully.

“It is him!”

Yang Feiyue’s eyes turned sharp as he muttered to himself:

“I had long heard that Fu Jundao has a rather formidable brother who is extremely skilled in Eagle Claw techniques. These hands—slender bones, fingers curling like hooks—are exactly the characteristics of someone who cultivates 《Eagle Claw》.”

“I never expected that this person would be the one sent.”

“Good!”

“Your Helm Leader is truly impressive. To think he could actually counter-kill a Third-Rank Martial Artist!”

Yang Feiyue now had an even deeper understanding of Wangchuan’s strength.

“Gang Leader.”

“This is a confidential letter our Helm Leader asked us to deliver to you.”

One of the men took out a letter from his robes and handed it to Yang Feiyue.

Yang Feiyue’s gaze instantly grew deep and sharp. He accepted the letter, turned aside to open it, and a glint flashed in his eyes as he read.

When he finished, he tore the letter into pieces and stuffed them directly into his mouth, swallowing them.

“Each of you will receive fifty taels of silver as compensation. You may return now.”

“Yes!”

After the group departed, Yang Feiyue sat alone in the hall, staring at the corpse of the Third-Rank Martial Artist before him.

His eyes were filled with unwillingness and hesitation.

…

That very night, the mourning hall for He Haisheng suddenly exploded and caught fire. The flames burned fiercely.

Immediately afterward, news spread from the Yulong Gang Water Stronghold.

A Third-Rank Martial Artist had appeared again at the stronghold and launched an assassination attempt on the Gang Leader during the mourning ceremony.

At the final moment, the assassin ignited He Haisheng’s mourning hall together with the large quantities of tung oil that the Yulong Gang had prepared.

Yang Feiyue personally led his men and dragged the assassin down, killing him in the mourning hall.

Both the assassin and Yang Feiyue were swallowed by the sea of flames!

Several Yulong Gang disciples also died in the blaze.

Within two days,

the Yulong Gang lost both its Gang Leader and Deputy Gang Leader in succession.

The Yulong Gang was left leaderless.

Three halls and one water stronghold were now temporarily managed by their respective Hall Masters.

Lin Xun, Song Minshu, and Fang Kui were completely caught off guard. They hurriedly sent carrier pigeon messages to the Sanjiang Branch Helm, requesting that Caobang intervene, avenge the Gang Leader, and uphold justice for the Yulong Gang!

…

Caobang’s Hall Master, Old Seven, personally led a group to the Yulong Gang Water Stronghold to investigate.

Wangchuan escorted them with three full ships of men along the way.

After the news spread, the Deputy Branch Master of the Beggar Sect’s sub-branch, Zhang Ye, heard that the Third-Rank Martial Artist had perished together with Yang Feiyue. He immediately knelt in the sub-branch hall, tears streaming down his face.

Soon afterward, he hurriedly sent people by boat to the Yulong Gang Water Stronghold to investigate.

The water stronghold was now under complete lockdown. Only the ships of Caobang and the Yulong Gang were permitted to approach.

From afar, the Beggar Sect’s scouts saw large numbers of Yulong Gang disciples wearing white mourning bands tied around their heads. Their clothing had also been replaced with plain white garments.

White funeral streamers were raised high throughout the entire stronghold.

If the Gang Leader had not truly died, there would never have been such a grand display.

The Beggar Sect’s informants quickly sent the news back to the sub-branch:

“Yang Feiyue is indeed dead.”

“The Yulong Gang is leaderless.”

“Old Seven of Caobang personally came to offer condolences.”

“Many prominent figures from nearby families and local factions have also arrived…”

“Brother Fu!”

When Zhang Ye heard this news, he nearly fainted from grief.

The Fu brothers had been personally contacted by him. Yet in only two days, the man had died.

Zhang Ye was filled with guilt.

But he did not dare to go and demand the body.

The Beggar Sect could not bear such a disgraceful accusation.

They had already slaughtered the other side’s hall, killed their Hall Master, and now both the Deputy Gang Leader and the Gang Leader had died as well.

That would look like an attempt to wipe out the entire Yulong Gang.

The Beggar Sect was, after all, a prestigious and orthodox sect.

Although many forces in Sanhe Commandery already knew what had happened and suspected the Beggar Sect the most, the moment Zhang Ye dared to step forward publicly, Caobang would not spare him—and the Beggar Sect itself would not tolerate him either.

As Yang Feiyue was buried and laid to rest, the conflict between the Yulong Gang and the Beggar Sect appeared to finally calm down.

Old Seven personally appointed Song Minshu as the new Gang Leader of the Yulong Gang.

Order gradually returned to the gang.

When Old Seven departed, he stood on the deck of the large ship and deliberately cast a deep glance at Wangchuan, who stood respectfully nearby.

“The feud between the Yulong Gang and the Beggar Sect will come to an end for the time being. You handled this matter well. However… in the future, you must not act rashly again. If anything goes wrong, the consequences will be severe.”

“I understand Old Seven’s guidance. I will remember it.”

Wangchuan nodded in acknowledgment.

The fleet returned to Sanhe Commandery.

Only then did Wangchuan take his own men and sail downstream back to the Sanjiang Branch Helm.

In the rear courtyard, he saw Physician Liao waiting there.

And beside him…

stood a man whose hair had been completely dyed black and whose face was covered with a thick beard—

Yang Feiyue.

“You have suffered some hardship, Gang Leader.”

Yang Feiyue stood up and returned the salute with cupped fists.

“From this day forward, there will no longer be Yang Feiyue in the Jianghu.”

“There will only be Yang Fusheng.”

The man’s face was filled with the weariness of life. The ambition that had once burned within him had been completely consumed by the fire he himself had ignited.

After receiving Wangchuan’s secret warning letter, Yang Feiyue had spent an entire night thinking.

In the end, he chose to abandon the Yulong Gang and let go of half a lifetime of ambition in order to preserve his life.

Using the corpse of the Third-Rank Martial Artist and several Beggar Sect bodies, he staged a scene in which he and the assassin perished together in the flames.

From that moment onward, there would no longer be a Yang Feiyue in the Jianghu.

From that moment onward,

the Sanjiang Branch Helm gained a new man—

Yang Fusheng, Physician Yang.

Yang Feiyue chose to remain at the Sanjiang Branch Helm for several reasons.

First, Wangchuan had saved his life. He wished to stay and strengthen the Sanjiang Branch Helm as another Second-Rank Martial Artist.

Second, he worried that he would not be able to adapt to a secluded life. Rather than hide away, it was better to settle somewhere he could live comfortably.

And finally…

He could abandon his ambitions, but he would never abandon the Martial Path.

“Physician Yang, you may remain in the infirmary from now on. Physician Liao will manage the front courtyard. You may cultivate in the rear courtyard, and ordinarily no one will disturb you.”

Wangchuan had insisted on saving Yang Feiyue precisely because he valued his Jianghu experience and formidable martial arts.

He knew that after leaving the Yulong Gang, Yang Feiyue had nowhere else to go. The Beggar Sect’s informants were everywhere. Only by remaining within a Caobang branch helm could he truly be safe.

With Yang Feiyue’s assistance, the Sanjiang Branch Helm now had a fifth Second-Rank Martial Artist.

Compared to its original foundation, the strength of the Sanjiang Branch Helm had now grown to more than twice its former scale.

Once Wang Yuehui, Hong Kaibao, and Li Qing advanced to the Second Rank, the combat power of the Sanjiang Branch Helm would rise to an entirely new level.

Yang Feiyue nodded.

“For many years, I spent nearly every day handling gang affairs and had little time to cultivate. Among Third-Rank martial arts, I have only practiced 《Dragon-Elephant Body-Protection Technique》, 《Parting-Waters Saber Art》, and 《Water Strider》. Now it is finally time to calm my mind and focus on cultivation.”

“In that case, Physician Yang, cultivate well. I will not disturb you further. I still have some matters to attend to.”

“Wangchuan, come by and sit whenever you have time.”

Yang Feiyue smiled as he watched Wangchuan leave.