At the age of eight, he impersonated the orphan of a military officer and went to the martial world.

"Boss?" Two trusted subordinates emerged from the shadows beside the gate and approached Qin Hu. One of them whispered, "That young master... what did he mean by his last words? What does 'not considered unclaimed' mean? And what about that 'Zhenwu Token'...?"

Qin Hu slowly straightened up, the fawning and humility on his face vanishing instantly, replaced by a gloomy expression mixed with ruthlessness and calculation.

He lowered his head, his fingers rubbing the cold brocade box hard, making a soft creaking sound.

"Hmph," Qin Hu sneered, a fierce glint in his eyes, "He says the knife has an owner, then I'll make it ownerless! Only then will he accept this 'gift'!"

"As for the Zhenwu Token..." A glint of greed and apprehension flashed in Qin Hu's eyes, "This thing is a hot potato, but it's definitely a valuable gift! If we have the chance to get our hands on it and give it to the Wang family, it will be a tremendous achievement!"

He clutched the box, turned, and strode away from the quiet street in front of the Wang family's house, his footsteps echoing clearly on the bluestone slabs.

As he walked, he uttered chilling words through clenched teeth.

"The Wang family patriarch is a cunning old fox. He hides behind the scenes and sends out a mere brat to deliver the message... Ha, this kid has quite the appetite, wanting both the knife and the order!"

Qin Hu's face looked unusually ferocious in the dim light. He licked his dry, chapped lips, his eyes filled with icy killing intent.

"I, Qin Hu, am just a dirty worker. Anyone who wants me dead... I'll send them on their way first!"

His final words, carrying the madness and resolve of a desperado, echoed in the night:

"Zhang Zhenshan? Hmph, just a dead 'Mountain-Suppressing Tiger,' he can't scare me, Qin Hu!"

……

Two days.

During the day, Zhang Yuan would go to the martial arts school to practice, and after returning, he would go to Xiao Yang's courtyard to teach Zhang Jian left-handed swordsmanship, and Zhang Jiu Mei would also learn from him.

Zhang Jian was actually physically weak, but he stubbornly persisted in learning swordsmanship.

Moreover, having lost an arm, he seemed to be more suited to the left-handed swordsmanship taught by Zhang Yuan.

Zhang Jiumei gritted her teeth, brandishing her wooden sword, her eyes revealing a fierce glint.

The courtyard gate was gently pushed open, and Xiao Yang's figure flashed in, stepping aside to let the people behind him pass.

Wang Ziteng.

Wang Ziteng strode up to Zhang Yuan: "Zhang Yuan!"

Zhang Yuan stopped giving instructions and gestured to Zhang Jian and Zhang Jiumei. The two immediately sheathed their swords and retreated to the shadows, blending into the background.

"Ziteng, you've arrived," Zhang Yuan nodded in response. "It seems the Guzhu Gang has kept their promise to me."

Wang Ziteng nodded and went straight to the point: "The gang leader asked me to pass on a message. Our Guzhu Gang accepts your proposal!"

"The gang leader himself said that after we take down the Black Tiger Gang, we won't take a single penny of the profits from the docks—you can do whatever you want with them!"

A glint flashed in Zhang Yuan's eyes, and a smile appeared on his lips: "Chief Zhao is a smart man. He knows that such wealth is hard to hold onto, so it's better to distribute it and secure his future."

He then asked, "How many brothers did the Guzhu Gang send this time?"

Wang Ziteng immediately replied, "Master He is personally leading the team! Twenty skilled fighters from the gang, all seasoned veterans, have already settled outside the city. Master He said it's enough!"

Zhang Yuan nodded slightly.

He Dashan, a master of the Innate Realm from the Guzhu Gang, is a seasoned veteran of countless battles in the martial world. His combat prowess absolutely crushes Qin Hu.

The elite troops he brought were far superior to the rabble of thugs and hooligans of the Black Tiger Gang.

This power is enough to raze the eastern docks of the city.

Wang Ziteng's eyes burned as he pressed, "Zhang Yuan, when do we make our move?"

Without any hesitation, Zhang Yuan turned his gaze to the deep night outside the courtyard and uttered two words decisively:

"tomorrow."

Having received Zhang Yuan's confirmation, Wang Ziteng grinned, a smile laced with a mixture of ruthlessness and excitement, and nodded emphatically: "Alright! Tomorrow! I'll wait for tomorrow!"

He said no more, cupped his hands in farewell to Zhang Yuan and Xiao Yang, and quickly disappeared into the alleyway, clearly going to make arrangements overnight.

Zhang Yuan watched him leave, whispered a few words to Xiao Yang, and then led Zhang Jiumei back to his own courtyard.

We had just arrived at the courtyard.

"Young master!"

"Young Master Qingyang!"

A few low, yet excited and respectful calls broke the tranquility of the courtyard.

In the small courtyard, more than a dozen men stood solemnly.

Most of them wore faded coarse cloth short jackets, straw sandals or worn-out cloth shoes, and held gleaming white waxwood spears or military-issue waist knives at their waists.

Although their clothes were simple, even patched, everyone stood straight as a pine tree, their eyes sharp as eagles, exuding an aura of seasoned veterans.

Zhang Yuan glanced at them and immediately recognized two of them as Wang Ergou and Li Dachui, who had helped him hold down that strong ox in Zhangjiazhuang.

Their dark faces were filled with excitement as they nodded and smiled warmly at Zhang Yuan.

The most burly man, with a faint scar on his face, stepped forward, clasped his hands in greeting, and said, "Young Master, our brothers received a message from Brother Zhang Gu that you've found us a good job at the Weiyuan Escort Agency!"

"We are all very grateful. Thank you, young master, for remembering us old folks!"

His voice was loud and clear, with the straightforwardness characteristic of soldiers.

"Exactly! Young master, this is a hundred times better than toiling in the fields!" a lean man chimed in, his eyes gleaming. "Our old bones are practically rusting from working in the fields. If we don't get some exercise, we just don't feel right! The life of a knife-wielding warrior is much more enjoyable!"

"Indeed," another veteran sighed, patting the barrel of his rifle. "The skills I honed under Captain Zhang back in the day are wasted if I don't use them now! Becoming a bodyguard is just perfect!"

At this moment, the scarred man's gaze fell on Zhang Yuan's face. His brows furrowed slightly, and his voice deepened: "Young Master, we heard from Master Gu that Qin Hu of that damned Black Tiger Gang has somehow messed with you?"

Before he could finish speaking, he slammed the hilt of his spear into the ground with a thud, his eyes fixed intently on Zhang Yuan: "Since the brothers are all here, how about... we go and wipe out that damn Black Tiger Gang? It'll save you the trouble, young master!"

His voice wasn't loud, but it exuded a chilling killing intent.

As soon as he said that, the dozen or so veterans behind him almost instinctively shifted their bodies slightly, staggered their feet, and stood in a seemingly loose but deadly triangular wedge formation.

In an instant, a battlefield killing intent, far purer and colder than that of the Songshi Town rebels, imbued with the iron will of a hundred battles, spread through the courtyard like an invisible wave!

The murderous aura was condensed and did not dissipate, yet it seemed as if it could transform into a ferocious beast that would devour anyone at any moment.

The air seemed to freeze for a moment.

Their threat to eliminate the Black Tiger Gang was no empty boast.

These veterans, who had crawled out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood, once they formed a battle formation, their power was far beyond what the Black Tiger Gang's street thugs could imagine.

Zhang Yuan met the veterans' burning gazes and felt the reassuring aura of military might, a barely perceptible warmth flashing in his eyes.

He pondered for a moment, his face no longer showing any trace of youthful naiveté, only a rock-solid composure and decisiveness.

He spoke slowly, his voice clear and calm, yet carrying an undeniable weight: "I am deeply grateful for the kindness shown to me by my uncles and elders, and I will no longer hold back."

"Tomorrow, I will go to the East City Wharf, raze the Black Tiger Gang to the ground, and kill Qin Hu!"

His gaze swept across the resolute faces of each veteran: "At that time, I ask that you uncles lend me a hand, keep watch for me, wipe out the remaining rebels, and ensure that not a single one escapes!"

"promise!"

Without the slightest hesitation, without any unnecessary words.

As if receiving a military order, the dozen or so veterans simultaneously clasped their hands, bowed, and solemnly agreed!

The deep, rhythmic voices converged, like muffled thunder rolling across the courtyard, carrying the echoes of clashing swords and galloping horses, announcing the coming of the Black Tiger Gang's doom.

The murderous aura intensified in the courtyard.