The Great Song Dynasty's Soul-Forging in Progress

Wang Zhonghua muttered to himself, closed the window, shutting out the boundless night and the impending bloodshed.

Qian Ba, the tyrant of Zhao Family Village's gambling dens and red-light district, possessed a face that was unforgettable. A scar running from the corner of his eye to his chin on his left cheek resembled a crimson centipede crawling across his face, writhing with every expression, appearing almost grotesque. His triangular eyes were always bloodshot, their gaze chilling and venomous. Yet, what these fierce eyes couldn't conceal was a lustful greed for women—the more ruthless a man, the more easily his bones were corrupted by the soft touch of women.

The "Bai Xiang Lou" and "Si Fang Gambling House" he controlled were Qiu Laohu's money bag and also his Qian Ba's den of debauchery. By day, he counted silver in the back room of the gambling house, and by night he would stay in the boudoir of Bai Xiang Lou, embracing different girls and listening to them sweetly call him "Master Qian," enjoying the double satisfaction of power and desire. He often said to his subordinates, "What men seek in this life, isn't it the thrill of licking blood from the edge of a knife and the pleasure of a woman's belly?"

Little did he know that his carefree days were already marked on Wang Zhonghua's chessboard, with the countdown already underway.

To deal with this "red-chained snake," Wang Zhonghua didn't use knives and axes, but rather a slow-acting poison—human hearts.

"People like Qian Ba," Wang Zhonghua said to Du Ziteng and Qin Tiedan in the secret room, "rely on violence and women to control their subordinates. They seem like an impregnable fortress, but in reality, they're a disorganized mess. Their foundation is fear and self-interest. As long as you shake their fear and shift their interests, their walls will crumble on their own."

Du Ziteng was a quick-witted young man; his eyes darted around and he immediately understood: "Does Young Master Wang mean to hollow him out from the inside?"

"Not bad." Wang Zhonghua gently placed a chess piece on the chessboard. "However, there can't be just one kind of parasite. There must be rumors, there must be enticement, and there must be a threat that he can see but can't touch. Only by using all three at once will he panic, become confused, and bite his own tail."

The execution of the plan was like a delicate surgical operation, and the surgeon was none other than the usually taciturn Qin Tiedan.

Qin Tiedan's mission was to make contact with the men under Qian Ba ​​who weren't truly wicked. He changed into a coarse cloth shirt, his fierce face capable of frightening a child, and every night he would squat in the small tavern behind the gambling den. He didn't drink alcohol, only water, his eyes scanning each thug who came out like a wolf.

The first one to be "fished" was Hu Laosan, the gambling den's head of patrol. He was in his forties, with a paralyzed mother and three teenagers at home. He followed Qian Ba ​​purely to make a living. That night, he had just received his reward money when Qin Tiedan cornered him at the alley entrance.

"I'm Wang Zhonghua's man," Qin Tiedan said bluntly, his voice like a rumbling thunderclap.

Hu Laosan was so frightened that his legs went weak and he almost knelt down. He had witnessed Qin Tiedan's ruthlessness in breaking three ribs with a single punch on the street, and he knew even better what the name Wang Zhonghua meant in Chenzhou City now.

"Master Qin...please spare my life!"

"Who wants your life?" Qin Tiedan frowned, took out two fifty-tael silver ingots from his pocket, and threw them at his feet. "Young Master Wang said he'll cover your mother's medicine and your child's food. Qian Ba ​​can give you wealth, but he can't give you stability. Follow Young Master Wang, and you'll have a way to survive."

Old Hu was stunned. He looked at the two silver ingots, then at Qin Tiedan's eyes, which held no mockery whatsoever. His throat tightened, and after a long while, he choked out, "Master Qin... I... my worthless life will belong to Young Master Wang from now on!"

Qin Tiedan patted him on the shoulder, his fan-like hand almost knocking Hu Laosan to the ground: "Stop with the formalities. What Young Master Wang wants you to do is introduce me to all those brothers in the gambling den who are forced to work for him. I won't force them, I'll just ask one question: Do you want a peaceful life? Do you want a wife, kids, and a warm bed?"

In that simple and brutal way, Qin Tiedan used the money given to him by Wang Zhonghua and the promise of "stability" to carve a crack in Qian Ba's defenses. He didn't need eloquent words; his fists, his imposing presence, and the reputation of Wang Zhonghua behind him were the best persuasive power. In just five days, eleven of Qian Ba's seventeen managers and leaders were "invited" for tea by Qin Tiedan. When they returned, each of them had a settlement allowance in their pocket, and their eyes had changed.

Meanwhile, Du Ziteng, Ma Nao, Zhang Simao, Duan Gong, and other young members of the "Brotherhood" spread rumors like beans into gambling dens and brothels.

Pretending to be gamblers who had lost everything, they pounded on the dice table at the Sifang Gambling House, shouting, "That bastard Qian Ba ​​has already secretly transported Qiu Laohu's silver to Chenzhou! I saw his carriage carrying over a dozen chests of gold and silver out of the city with my own eyes a few days ago!"

They pretended to be customers indulging in the pleasures of the brothel, whispering to the girls in the boudoirs of Bai Xiang Lou: "Young Master Wang has some news that Qian Ba ​​has made connections with a high-ranking official in Chenzhou. As soon as Qiu Laohu fell, he immediately switched sides. We lowly underlings are just his pledge of allegiance to his new master!"

They even disguised themselves as peddlers, gossiping with pimps in the corners of brothels: "Have you heard? Master Zhao has fallen from grace, and all the account books are in Young Master Wang's hands. He's kept track of every dirty trick Qian Ba ​​has played over the years! General Di's personal guards are already on their way, specifically to arrest those who force women into prostitution!"

These rumors, like poisonous vines with barbs, slowly tightened around Qianba's neck. He initially paid no attention, until he discovered that the gambling den's accounts had gone from making a fortune to incurring continuous losses—the supervisors were turning a blind eye to the cheaters; the lenders were no longer as aggressive in pursuing the IOUs; and even some of the veteran gamblers dared to point their fingers at him and curse him after losing everything, then swagger out without anyone stopping them.

Qian Ba ​​was enraged. In the private room on the top floor of the "Bai Xiang Lou" restaurant, he kicked over the gold-inlaid and jade-adorned gambling table, roaring, "You're all useless trash! Have I been feeding you all?!"

His newly acquired eighth concubine, a courtesan named Yu Jiaoniang, whom he was holding in his arms, was terrified. Qian Ba ​​grabbed her chin, his triangular eyes gleaming with lust: "What are you afraid of? I'm not dead yet! Go, sing me a song, sing 'Eighteen Touches,' and if you sing it well, I'll reward you with a gold hairpin!"

Yu Jiaoniang forced a smile as she strummed her pipa, inwardly cursing. She had long been turned by Du Ziteng's men—Wang Zhonghua had promised her that if she brought down Qian Ba, he would grant her her freedom and send her to Chenzhou to start a new life. As she played the pipa, her peripheral vision glanced out the window, where Qin Tiedan's towering figure stood motionless on the opposite rooftop, like a menacing guardian.

"Brother Qian, something terrible has happened!" A trusted henchman rushed in, stumbling and crawling. "Old Hu... Old Hu has taken a dozen or so brothers and gone to join Wang Zhonghua!"

"What?!" Qian Ba ​​shoved Yu Jiaoniang aside, and the latter fell to the ground, pretending to cry, but actually hiding the smile on her lips.

"And...and Mr. Li, the accountant, has also disappeared, and all the account books were taken with him!"

The scar on Qian Ba's face, swollen red with rage, resembled a centipede ready to devour someone. He suddenly drew his sword and shattered the screen in front of him with a single blow: "Rebellion! They've all rebelled! Investigate! Find out who's spreading rumors, find out who's trying to steal my man! If you find out, I'll skin him alive!"

But no one dared to move. The thugs inside exchanged glances, their eyes filled with unease and hesitation. They had all heard the rumors and received offers from Qin Tiedan's "brotherhood." Following Qian Ba ​​meant living on the edge, with no certainty of tomorrow; following Wang Zhonghua meant money, stability, and a way to survive.

People's hearts have long since fallen apart.

Just then, the madam nervously handed over a letter: "Master Qian, it was sent by Wang... Wang Zhonghua."

Qian Ba ​​snatched the letter, unfolded it, and found only one line of text:

"Wealth is tempting, but one must be alive to acquire it and also alive to spend it. The pavilion ten miles outside the city will offer you a respectable position. You won't go? Then let's give it a try."

Those nineteen words, however brief, plunged Qian Ba ​​into an icy abyss. He understood—Wang Zhonghua wasn't threatening him, but rather delivering a verdict. A verdict that he was abandoned by all, a verdict that his power was waning, a verdict that if he didn't know his place, he wouldn't even retain any "dignity."

He looked up at the window; the night was as dark as ink, but he knew that in that unseen darkness, Wang Zhonghua's net had tightened completely. And Qin Tiedan, that fierce demon who could shatter a man's skull with a single punch, was probably crouching in some corner, waiting for him to refuse, waiting to smash his head in with a single punch.

For the first time, Qian Ba's hands trembled so badly he could no longer hold the knife.