Starting with photographic memory, I've worked my way up to become a martial arts immortal.

Han Qian looked in the direction Jiang Yuan was pointing and instantly spotted a thin figure quietly shrinking into the depths of the crowd.

When the man saw that he had been identified, he froze, his face turned deathly pale, and his legs trembled like leaves.

"You, come out." Han Qian's voice was not loud, but it carried an irresistible force.

The crowd parted to make way, completely exposing the pale-faced gang member. He looked young, with a pointed face and monkey-like features; he was a low-level henchman of Ma Wu.

"What's your name?" Han Qian asked.

Zhang Lian quickly stepped forward and said, "Replying to the young master, his name is Sun Tian. He has only recently joined the gang and does not yet know the rules."

Han Qian glanced at him. "Who told you to speak?"

"Yes, yes."

Zhang Lian chuckled awkwardly and bowed his head as he retreated, but a hint of anger flashed in his eyes.

Han Qian spoke gently to the bewildered gang members standing there, "Sun Tian, ​​tell me what you saw. Regardless of whether it's right or wrong, I won't hold you accountable for your past mistakes, okay?"

Ma Wu's heart tightened, and he glared fiercely at the young gang member, his eyes filled with warning.

The young gang member was terrified. He looked at Zhang Lian, whose face was grim, then at Han Qian, who was expressionless, and Jiang Yuan, whose calm eyes exuded immense pressure. He opened his mouth, but...

"I...it was too dark, and I was too far away to see what happened."

The gentle expression that Han Qian had been trying to maintain on his face froze instantly, then turned into a cold rage.

He repeated, "Too dark? Couldn't you see clearly?"

Sun Tian lowered his head, his body trembling like a leaf in the cold wind, but he stubbornly whispered, "Yes, Young Master, I really didn't see it clearly."

Ma Wu's tense back relaxed almost imperceptibly.

"Where are the others?" Han Qian demanded.

"Young Master, I didn't see it clearly either."

"Me too."

A few people mingled in the crowd whispered.

The air suddenly dropped to freezing point.

Ma Wu barely managed to suppress a laugh, as the movement aggravated his wound and caused another sharp pain.

Seeing Han Qian's grim face and Jiang Yuan's silence, he felt a strange sense of pleasure.

Good! These brats weren't raised in vain after all!

Young Master?

Hmph, on this street, sometimes reputation and fists can't compare to real, tangible connections of interest!

"Is the young master determined to condemn his own people?"

"Brother Ma started the conflict because of money collected by the gang..."

"That guy surnamed Jiang says it's Ming Jin, so it really is Ming Jin? Who knows if he's just bluffing?"

"Shh! Keep your voice down, are you out of your mind?! How could the young master be wrong?"

Han Qian's gaze swept over the whispering gang members, his expression growing increasingly grim.

He wanted to continue investigating but couldn't find any evidence.

Simply brushing it aside would damage both my own reputation and my senior's.

Having reached this point, he felt like he was in a bind.

Just then, Jiang Yuan, who had been standing quietly by watching, noticed his junior brother's predicament and suddenly shook his head and chuckled.

The laughter was soft, yet it seemed quite abrupt in the quiet moment.

Everyone's attention was involuntarily drawn to him.

"Junior Brother Han, this matter arose because of me, so I will handle it myself."

Jiang Yuan left a sentence behind, slowly took a step, and walked up to the thin figure.

Sun Tian's face twitched, and he looked away, not daring to meet his gaze.

"Sun Tian, ​​I'll give you three chances. If you don't tell the truth, I'll cut off your arm the first time, your leg the second time, and your tongue the third time." Jiang Yuan's voice was calm, revealing no emotion.

"Why me?! Others were there too!" Sun Tian raised his head in resentment.

Jiang Yuan smiled faintly and said, "Don't worry, if you don't tell me, I'll find someone else."

"I, I... Ah!" While Sun Tian was still hesitating, he felt a sharp pain in his arm.

He stared in disbelief at his forearm, pierced by white bone fragments, never expecting that Jiang Yuan would actually dare to make a move in front of the young gang leader and a group of people.

The crowd's eyelids twitched, and an uproar erupted instantly. Many people immediately raised their weapons and aimed them at Jiang Yuan.

Jiang Yuan's expression remained unchanged, seemingly unaware that the atmosphere had become tense, and he continued, "Next time it's the legs."

"I'll talk, I'll talk!"

Sun Tian was filled with remorse, and all traces of hope in his heart vanished. He recounted the events that had just occurred without bias, in their entirety.

Jiang Yuan listened calmly, "If you had done this earlier, none of this would have happened to you."

"Yes, Master Jiang is right. I was blinded by greed." Sun Tian was in so much pain that he could barely stand, and large beads of cold sweat kept pouring out.

"Where are the others?"

Jiang Yuan's gaze swept over the few gang members who had been present, and those men immediately felt as if they had fallen into an ice cave.

"Master Jiang, spare us! We're willing to testify!"

"Ma Wu struck first, we all saw it!"

"very good."

Jiang Yuan strolled back to Han Qian's side.

Han Qian's face flushed red. "Senior Brother Jiang, what do you plan to do with this person?"

"This is a matter within Junior Brother Han's faction, so I won't interfere," Jiang Yuan said with a smile.

Ma Wu's face turned deathly pale instantly. He was about to argue when he saw Jiang Yuan slowly raise his hand.

Han Qian nodded, but then turned his gaze to Zhang Lian, his voice not loud, "Zhang Lian, is this how you usually collect tributes for my Green Robe Gang?"

Veins throbbed on Zhang Lian's forehead. He knew that if he hesitated or tried to protect anyone at this moment, he would be finished.

He suddenly stepped forward and, in full view of everyone, kicked Ma Wu hard in the injured chest!

"Agh!" Ma Wu let out a miserable howl as he was kicked and rolled away.

"You dog! How dare you try to deceive me!" Zhang Lian roared, pointing at Ma Wu with eyes wide with rage.

The gang members looked at Ma Wu, who was curled up in pain on the ground, covered in blood, and then at Zhang Lian, who looked like a mad tiger. They all fell silent, their hearts filled with even more chill.

Han Qian watched Zhang Lian's performance, then glanced at the unmoved Jiang Yuan, knowing that if he didn't take a clear stance, today's matter would not end well.

He stopped looking at Zhang Lian and Ma Wu, and turned to Jiang Yuan, cupping his hands in a deep voice:

"Senior Brother Jiang, I'm sorry you had to see this. It's unbecoming of someone to have such a scoundrel in our sect. Not only is his conduct improper, but he also dares to use flattery and sophistry to try and mislead us when things come to a head. Such behavior is absolutely unforgivable!"

He turned to face all the gang members, his voice clear and cold, echoing throughout the crowd: "Ma Wu, you have violated gang rules and show no remorse even after the incident, making false accusations and deceiving your superiors. You are guilty of multiple crimes! According to gang rules, you are to be executed on the spot to set an example!"

"Zhang Lian!"

Han Qian looked at Zhang Lian, whose face was deathly pale, and said, "As the leader, you failed to judge people properly and did not investigate the matter, almost causing a major mistake. You shall be given ten strokes of the cane and have three months' salary deducted as a warning!"

"As for you!" Han Qian swept his gaze over the gang members who had just stepped forward. "Your monthly allowance will be deducted! A second time, and you'll be severely punished!"

Once the order was given, no one dared to object.

Immediately, two of Han Qian's trusted men stepped forward and, ignoring Ma Wu's cries and pleas for mercy, dragged him to a shadowy spot.

A moment later, a short, muffled thud was heard, followed by a faint smell of blood.

Zhang Lian's face was ashen, and the other gang members bowed their heads, not daring to even breathe loudly.

Han Qian waved his hand, "Hurry up and clean this place up, then go back and reflect on your actions!"

The gang members felt as if they had been granted a pardon, and then slunk away.

Only a pool of dark red blood, not yet fully congealed, remained on the ground, starkly visible in the dim moonlight.

Han Qian then turned to Jiang Yuan again, his face filled with sincere apology: "Senior Brother Jiang, I am truly ashamed of what happened today."

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "Junior Brother Han, you're too kind."

He knew in his heart that the reason today's matter could be resolved so easily was simply because of the change in his status brought about by his entry into the Ming Jin realm.

If it were me two months ago, I would have been robbed of all my money, and I might have even been beaten up by Ma Wu and his gang.

In this world, strength still reigns supreme; power and status often carry more weight than mere reason.