บท 4: Long Gang
Two year has passed by in the blink of an eye.
Ever since he arrived at the city, Ximen Wei led a life of crime and thievery.
For the sake of survival, he resorted to doing all sorts of misdeeds, from stealing goods to mugging stray children and young masters of wealthy families.
Although the notorious noble Song Peizhi gave him trouble from time to time, as long as he stayed in the Criminal District, he will be practically safe from the guards and law enforcers, just like any other slave escapees who reside here.
Eventually, he joined a gang and participated in their activities.
"Ximen Wei, wake up! We're in trouble!" - Inside a broken wooden house, a child around the age of 13 was fumbling around in panic.
"Hou Yang? What's happening? Why did you wake me up?"
Hou Yang is a 13 years old orphan and a part of the gang Ximen Wei joined, he got black bags under his eyes, dishevelled dark hair and a yellow skin tone.
His clothes were ragged and dirty, with sewed patches all over the place.
"They are cracking down on us! I've just heard they raided the Kang gang and Luo gang's headquarters… They're doing a purge!"
"Wait what? What gave them the guts? Are you sure? Luo gang leader is a stage 2 Qi Trainee."
Ximen Wei did not slack on his research regarding Qi Experts. Intel and information are more accessible inside criminal organizations after all.
In order to become a Qi Expert, one has to first pass through 3 stages.
The first stage involves sensing the Qi in the surroundings.
The second involves controlling the Qi.
And lastly, the third involves absorbing the Qi bit by bit to strengthen the body and prepare it for "Qi Ascension".
They call these people, who are in the process of becoming a Qi Expert, Qi Trainees!
Ximen Wei still does not know anything about Qi Ascension but inside the Criminal District, as long as you have the money, you can buy anything.
"The-They said the Noble Families dispatched their troops, including multiple Qi Trainees and even the Level 3 Fu Rong!" - Once Ximen Wei heard the news, he shuddered and got up from his mattress.
A level 3 Qi Trainee is no joke!
Someone at that level can mop the floor with the entirety of the Criminal District unless the bigshots act, which is unlikely since they want to keep a low profile.
He looked towards Hou Yang and inquired:
"Where are we going tho?"
"First we are getting Jin Bao and Lai Yaoting then we will meet up with boss, boss said he got a plan for us."
Jin Bao and Lai Yaoting are also orphan children who joined the gang in order to make a living and survive in this cruel environment.
Apparently, all gang members of this Criminal District are either criminals, orphans or slave escapees and the one Ximen Wei joined, the Long gang, is almost made up of orphans only.
"A plan for us?"
"Yes, he said we are going to leave the city and travel up south to the Tang Mountains, Boss Long Gen said he knows someone there.." - even Hou Yang couldn't help but frown at what he said.
The Tang Mountains is an area riddled with dangers and ferocious beasts, without the help of a powerful Qi Trainee or a Qi Expert, one will perish for sure.
However, when Ximen Wei heard this, his eyes flashed with hope.
Surely, whoever is able to live in the Tang Mountains must be at least a level 3 Qi Trainee or a Qi Expert, right?
"Alright… Let's get Jin Bao and Lao Yoating and go."
After getting the other two members, they went to a desolate alley and met up with the rest of the Long gang.
Fortunately, they met with no hiccups on the way, the purge team of the Noble Families is still a good distance away, they have enough time to prepare and leave the city.
After meeting up with the rest of the Long Gang, Ximen Wei was a bit surprised.
Almost every person of the Long Gang who gathered here was a child.
Everyone single one of them was an orphan whose age was hovering around 8 and 14.
'Did boss recruit more members? Is he planning to use us as cannon fodder? Or sell us to a slave trafficker?'
'Also, where are the seniors?'
After observing for a while, Ximen Wei noticed that there was not a single person who was above the age of 14, which was quite peculiar…
Couple minutes has passed by, and finally, an old men wearing a clan dark robe, contrast to what the children here are wearing, arrived.
This old man is Long Gen, the gang leader of the Long gang.
He appeared out of nowhere last year and started recruiting people, mostly children whose parents are lost or died in the war between Western Wen and the Su Dynasty.
He provided shelter and food, while the children did the dirty work for him.
Ximen Wei found out about him couple months ago, and as a result, decided to join his gang.
When the man arrived, all the children looked at him with a respectful gaze.
After all, other gangs does not accept weak, orphaned children for they are a burden and troublesome.
Long Gen put his left hand behind his back while he stroked his white beard with his right. After eyeing the children for a while, he nodded and said in a gruff voice:
"Good, everyone is here.. I'm pretty sure some of you have heard this but, let me repeat in case anyone did not."
"The Noble Families of Green Lotus City has teamed up and started cracking down on criminal organizations, as a result, we can not live here any longer or we will either be caught or killed."
"So I've decided leave the city and head towards the Tang Mountains, I have someone there who will take good care of us… Tang Mountains is a dangerous place with beasts and monsters, if you want to leave, leave now or it will be too late.."
Some of the children who heard they were going to the Tang Mountains immediately left after saying goodbye, after all, despite being young, they grew up in the Criminal District and therefore are sensible and reasonable, they know with their current group they do not stand a chance against even the weakest Qi Beast.
And some other like Ximen Wei asked about logistics and food, but the response they got in return disappointed them.
"We'll be going on foot and you children have to take care of your own food."
'Going on foot? Taking care of our own food? How are we supposed to do that? We can't even find enough food for the day in the bustling Green Lotus City, let alone outside in the wilderness…'
After hearing this, even more children left, leaving only 11 people including Ximen Wei, Hou Yang, Jin Bao and Lao Yaoting.
The people who stayed have no choice other than to leave the city and escape to a faraway place.
Their life is endangered since they were either people who escaped from the clutches of the noble families, and they can not live without the support of an organization or a gang.
The Noble Families are cracking down on crime, catching the slaves who escaped and throwing the criminals in prison.
This time, their team is too powerful for the Criminal District to take on, if the Criminal District fell, they will surely be caught by the Noble Families and live the rest of their lives as a lowly slave.
"Sigh, well… Meet me tomorrow around dawn outside the Southern City Gate, I have something to take care of now…" - Said old Long Gen as he disappeared into the shadows.
"Wait what?" - Realization finally dawned upon the remaining 11 children, they have to exit the city on their own and meet up with Long Gen.
Ximen Wei : "????"
Hou Yang : "???"
Everyone was puzzled, they thought Long Gen was going to somehow smuggle them out of the city but apparently they have to leave on their own.
How are they supposed to do that?
If they leave the Criminal District in the first place, they're done for, they will immediately be apprehended by the law enforcers, after all, escaping slavery is considered a serious crime here.
But now they have to head towards the heavily guarded Southern City Gate, somehow skip the identity inspection procedure, pay the exit fees and get past the guards..
That's almost an impossible task to accomplish.
The sole reason why Ximen Wei is still in this rotten city where he's wanted by the authorities, is because he can't leave in the first place!
If he can, he would have left this place years ago, never to come back!
"Now what?" - Asked Lao Yaoting, his tone carrying with it a sense of dejection and hopelessness.
"How are we supposed to leave the city on our own?"
"Sneak in a merchant's carriage?"
"No that's too risky…"
"But it's our only choice, either risk it all or be a slave for the rest of your life."
Once Jin Bao heard the word slave, he gulped down his spit and started sweating, then he murmured in a low voice:
"No… I'm risking it all!"
Ximen Wei knew of the strange behaviour of Jin Bao, apparently, whenever the word "slave" was brought up, it seems to trigger some nasty memories of his.
'Poor Jin Bao..'
"Same."
"Me too." - Said Ximen Wei and Lao Yaoting at the same time, then they looked at Hou Yang and asked:
"What about you Hou Yang?"
"Yes, I'd rather get caught trying then await my fate…"
"Alright, that's everyone in our group.. What about the rest?" - Said Ximen Wei as he looked at the remaining children.
Two children left once they heard they have to leave the city on their own, leaving 9 in total..
"This is what is left of the Long gang… huh?"
"We'll leave them be, I'm pretty sure they have their own plans, plus the more we carry the bigger the burden on us." - Added Hou Yang through gritted teeth.
Bang!
Just when Hou Yang finished his sentence, the children heard fighting sounds coming from couple miles away..
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