Chapter 0007: Soft and Hard Tactics (Part One)

Mu Sanshou said: "Do you know the consequences of a red-hot steel needle piercing the eye?"

Luo Liedao: "Master Mu, you are also a prominent figure in the concession, there is no need to bicker with us insignificant individuals. Even if there is a need for violence, shouldn't it be conducted elsewhere? After all, this is a church, and as the old Chinese saying goes, 'Above our heads, there are deities...'"

Mu Sanshou still did not turn around, watching as the steel needle rapidly cooled from red to gray. He nodded and said, "You are right! Such a filthy matter, I should not get my hands dirty myself." He put away the steel needle and waved his hand, signaling for a subordinate to bring him a small knife.

Mu Sanshou's imposing presence intimidated his subordinates, yet it had no effect on Luo Lie, who remained calm and composed. With neither arrogance nor servility, he said: "Please feel free to speak your mind, Master Mu."

Mu Sanshou glanced at it, picked up the pendant, weighed it in his hand, and then said: "The quantity seems to be incorrect, doesn't it?"

Mu Sanshou took a step closer to Luo Lie, coldly sizing up the young pastor before him: "Do you think this is the end?"

Master Mu swiftly delivered another slap to him, causing the blind man to spin around like a top

Mu Sanshou said: "Your background, as long as I want to investigate, I can uncover it clearly. An Zhai is much simpler than you. You were selected to study abroad, while he belongs to the eliminated group. A once-promising young man has unfortunately taken a different path. At the age of fourteen, he apprenticed under a master and learned a bit about fortune-telling and feng shui, claiming to be a successor of the golden point. Unfortunately, while waving the banner of the golden point, he engages in dubious activities. " The golden point and the mountain-walking he mentioned are two branches of the eight unconventional paths outside the rivers and lakes. Beyond the traditional three hundred sixty trades, there are eight unique paths that are not recognized by the legitimate trades, yet wherever there are people, these eight paths exist.

Before he finished speaking, Mu Sanshou had already sheathed his flying knife, raised his right hand, and struck him hard across the face. He then slowly stood up, and the candle flames on either side trembled violently under the pressure of his formidable presence

The blind man opened his eyes as if he had seen a savior, shouting hoarsely: "Luo Lie, save me, save me!"

Luo Liedao: "We will make up for the missing parts within a week!" Although there was uncertainty in his heart, he did not show any weakness in his demeanor.

Mu Sanshou's smile on his face suddenly faded: "Anyone in Huangpu who has heard my name should know the consequences of offending me!"

The blind man exclaimed: "Third Master is formidable. Speaking of which, we are all from the same sect; you are the senior, and we are the juniors. This time, it is as if the Dragon King's temple was flooded, and family members do not recognize each other. Please, with your magnanimity, do not hold a grudge against a small person like me. Just treat me as if I am nothing and let me go!"

Luo Liedao: "The fault lies with us. How to resolve this, we kindly ask Third Master to chart a course for us. As long as we are able to do it, we will certainly do our utmost to make amends"

Mu Sanshou seemed not to have heard and continued: "I cannot speak for the larger matters, but nothing that happens in the French Concession can escape my notice." He raised his head to look at the distant statue of Jesus: "This small church once had a priest with the surname Guo, correct? You are his distant relative, and the chubby one is called An Zhai. You are both from Jiaodong, right? You attended the Chinese and Western School together. When you were thirteen, you were selected to study in America for nine years. Unlike others who studied machinery, railways, arms, and ships with the aim of strengthening the nation, you first mixed in with the Universal Circus, wandering around for five years. Later, when the circus disbanded, you somehow found a way into the seminary, studying the Bible, preaching, and eventually becoming a pastor. Truly unconventional!"

Luo Lie turned around to look at Ye Qinghong, but Ye Qinghong's gaze was directed towards the stained glass of the church, appearing as if she were an outsider. Luo Lie had no choice but to shift his attention back to Master Mu San: "Master San, please wait!"

Although Mu Sanshou heard the footsteps, he did not turn around. He picked up a steel needle about an inch long and inserted it into the smoking pipe. Then he tilted his head to the right and took two strong puffs from the Hetian jade mouthpiece. The tobacco leaves flickered in and out with his inhalation, while the tip of the steel needle had already turned bright red in a short time. This steel needle was specially made, with the tail end embedded in a finely crafted Huanghuali handle. Usually, Mu Sanshou used it as a tool to clear the mouthpiece, but at this moment, he clearly had other uses in mind.

The eight categories are: Jin Dian (Fortune Telling), Qi Gai (Begging), Xiang Ma (Highway Robbery), Zei Tou (Theft), Dao Dou (Grave Robbing), Zou Shan (Fraud), Ling Huo (Sorcery), and Cai Shui (Official Courtesans). These eight trades are collectively referred to as "Five Elements and Three Families." Jin Dian pertains to the practice of fortune telling, Xiang Ma involves highway robbery, Dao Dou relates to grave robbing, Zou Shan refers to deception, Ling Huo is associated with sorcery, and Cai Shui denotes official courtesans. Although it appears there are only eight trades, in reality, these eight encompass nearly all the unconventional professions in the Jianghu (martial arts community). Throughout history, almost all Jianghu sects are closely related to these categories.

"What kind of deity is this? I, Mu Sanshou, will only worship the loyal and righteous Lord Guan! The foreign gods are nothing in my eyes!" Mu Sanshou suddenly turned around, his deep-set eyes radiating a chilling glare, causing his subordinates to tremble in fear at his outburst. Whether friend or foe, Luo Lie secretly admired Mu Sanshou; this man could dominate the Huangpu River not by chance.

Not long after, Luo Lie returned, holding a wooden box in his hand. Upon opening the box, it contained a pendant and several silver coins.

Mu Sanshou revealed a smile that was both enigmatic and profound upon hearing these words

Mu Sanshou sat with his back to the church's main door, holding a pipe in his right hand, facing the blind man, whose face was turned upside down. Not far behind the blind man was the crucifixion statue of Jesus nailed to the cross. If given a choice, the blind man would prefer to swap places with Jesus, after all, He was suffering upright.

The blind man was unsure if he had completely dissipated the force of Mu Sanshou's slap, his bulky body slowly spinning in mid-air. Although his head felt swollen, he was not mentally disoriented. He keenly sensed that the tense atmosphere on site had eased somewhat, and his small eyes, in their slow movement, locked onto Ye Qinghong not far away. "Shh! Shh!" He successfully drew Ye Qinghong's attention to himself: "Put me down! Put me down..." Before he could finish his sentence, Ye Qinghong had already turned around and walked alone to the statue of Jesus, silently praying.

Mu Sanshou held up a photograph in front of Luo Lie, and the photo was of Ye Qinghong. Luo Lie sighed inwardly; previously, in order to be cautious, he had instructed the blind man to destroy the wallet and the photograph to avoid leaving any evidence. It was certain that the blind man had kept this photograph because he found Ye Qinghong beautiful, thus leaving a potential risk. However, it was clear that Mu Sanye's interest in them was not solely due to this photograph.

All of his subordinates exited the small chapel, and Luo Lie sat down beside Mu Sanshou

Although Luo Lie's expression was calm, he was shrouded in an invisible pressure inside. The elderly man sitting beside him was a formidable figure who commanded respect in Huangpu. As long as he was displeased, it was possible that he and the blind man would become two floating corpses in the Huangpu River by dawn. Interacting with this person felt like seeking skin from a tiger. Luo Lie was certain that Mu Sanshou's visit was not merely to retrieve lost items; otherwise, he would not have approached him with both threats and courtesy, nor would he have given a young junior the opportunity to stand on equal footing.

The eight doors have changed with the passage of time, and the dynasties have also undergone transformations. However, despite the myriad changes, the essence remains unchanged. After the fall of the Qing Dynasty, some trades merged with one another, while others split into several factions, reflecting the principle that what has long been divided must unite, and what has long been united must divide.

Luo Lie shook his head, stating that the ignorant are blameless; the more one knows, the more trouble one encounters. The wise approach to life is to see through things without revealing them.

The crimson steel needle approached the blind man's small eye; although it was still an inch away, the blind man seemed to have already sensed the burning pain, screaming in terror.

The blind man shouted from behind: "I didn't say anything at all..."

Mu Sanshou sighed: "Young man, you are not being honest enough!" His gaze turned to the blind man still hanging upside down beside him: "I have struggled in Huangpu for so many years, personally witnessing the fall of the Qing Dynasty and the rise of the Republic of China, having seen countless tales of rise and fall. To be able to live to this day, to still sit in the position of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce in the French Concession at nearly sixty years of age, is not something that can be achieved solely by luck.

Luo Lie's smile remained calm: "If we, as juniors, were ever qualified to offend Master Mu San, it would be an honor even in death!" The implication is that we are merely juniors, while you, Master Mu San, hold such a high status; why would you stoop to our level? If it were truly the case, then your magnanimity, Master Mu San, would be rather narrow-minded

The blind man tightly closed his eyes, and every part of his body trembled with excess fat

Mu Sanshou picked up the spiral tower-shaped pendant and, in a rare calm tone, asked, "Young man, do you know what this is?"

The blind man's line of sight was obstructed by Mu Sanshou, and he did not immediately see Luo Lie and Ye Qinghong walking side by side into the church

Luo Lie observed clearly that the small knife was indeed his own. When he was at the Blue Mill, his intention in drawing the knife was to prevent Lu Weilin from harming too many innocents. Unexpectedly, Mu Sanshou actually collected the flying knives that had been lost at the scene. Mu Sanshou picked up the flying knife and pressed it against the blind man's neck, which had turned purplish due to congestion, saying: "Isn't it very uncomfortable? Do you want me to help you let some blood to relieve the pressure? That would make you feel much better"

The blind man widened his small eyes, feeling that Ye Qinghong was by no means a kind-hearted and ignorant girl. At this moment, he began to search for Luo Lie, this friend who had shared hardships with him, yet had not even glanced at him until now. Could it be that he had forgotten about himself as well

At the entrance, Luo Lie's calm voice sounded: "A small eyeball cannot withstand so much heat in a short period of time; it will inevitably expand from the inside and then explode completely. Third Master, it would be better for you to keep your distance, otherwise, you might get splattered all over your head and face. Blinding your eyes is a minor issue, but getting your esteemed clothing dirty would be quite unfortunate."

Luo Lie laughed, while simultaneously casting a fierce glare at the blind man. Although the blind man could not see his expression clearly, he had a tacit understanding through a kind of spiritual resonance regarding Luo Lie's gaze, and he shouted loudly: "It's not that I said anything, I didn't say anything at all!"

The blind man cried out: "Master Mu San, you are my dear grandfather, I know nothing, I know nothing..."

He walked towards the confessional, and Mu Sanshou's subordinates intended to follow him, but Mu Sanshou waved his hand to indicate that it was unnecessary

Ro Lie took the opportunity to flatter, saying: "I have always admired and respected the heroic deeds of Master Mu San greatly!"

Mu Sanshou suddenly burst into laughter, nodded, and then patted Luo Lie's shoulder: "Young man, you have courage! Sit down!" He pointed to a nearby bench, took the lead in sitting down, and added: "Everyone unrelated, get out!"