Chapter 122: Chapter 77: Bisecting Skulls on Twin Peaks!
Giant Whale Gang!_3
“Knock knock knock!”
When afternoon arrived, there was a knocking at the manor’s gate.
“Could this be the esteemed guest from Wanling Pavilion?” Hearing the sound,
Su Changkong stood up and headed towards the door.
At this moment, Su Changkong had deliberately dressed up, adopting an attire that befitted his identity as an alchemist. He donned a loose-fitting white robe, which with his handsome features, added an air of scholarly elegance to his appearance.
Su Changkong opened the manor’s large door, and there stood a man in blue. The man appeared to be in his forties or fifties, with slight streaks of white at his temples. His countenance was not striking, but he bore an authoritative air that suggested a position of power. On his back, he carried a bundle.
Furthermore, the slight protrusion of his temples and the spirited look in his eyes indicated that he was likely a martial artist, and not one of meager ability.
“I was introduced by Old Wan. My name is Cui He. May I ask how the young master should be addressed?”
Upon seeing the youthful appearance of Su Changkong, the middle-aged man in blue brightened up, bowed with his hands clasped in front of him, and introduced himself.
“My surname is Su, you can call me Su Changkong. Please, come in and take a
seat.”
Su Changkong gave his name and invited the middle-aged man in blue, Cui He,
to enter and sit down.
Cui He nodded and entered the manor, his gaze sweeping around. “Does Mr. Su
live here by himself?”
“Yes, I prefer a peaceful environment for my alchemy practice,” Su Changkong nodded and casually replied.
Cui He was the first visitor to come calling, and Su Changkong led him to the living room and poured him a cup of tea.
Cui He politely picked up the teacup and casually inquired, “Mr. Su is not originally from Ink Forest Prefecture City, are you?”
In response, Su Changkong nodded, “My family resides in Cattle Village of Hanfeng County. I’ve been traveling for the past few years, living without a fixed abode, and only came to Ink Forest Prefecture City a few months ago.” Naturally, Su Changkong couldn’t reveal his real origins. Cattle Village was thousands of miles away, and in a completely different direction from
Clearwater City.
Of course, even if Su Changkong claimed he was from Clearwater City, aside from those of Black Iron Manor, nobody else had heard his name, nor could anyone verify it, as he had been using the alias “Wen Tai” in his previous wanderings.
“I see…” Cui He nodded and didn’t pursue the matter further.
Changing the subject, Cui He asked, “I’ve heard from Wan Xun that Mr. Su is proficient in alchemy?”
“I know a thing or two,” Su Changkong modestly stated, not overstating his expertise.
Setting down his teacup, Cui He looked up at Su Changkong and said frankly, “To be honest, our gang’s alchemist is getting on in years and recently fell seriously ill. He said that he can work for at most another two or three years before he will have to retire. Consequently, our gang is in need of a new alchemist. From what I learned from Wan Xun, Mr. Su should be an independent alchemist without any family ties, correct?
This statement gave Su Changkong a pretty good idea of Cui He’s purpose for coming – he wanted to recruit him into his gang!
And a gang that could cultivate its own alchemist was certainly no ordinary minor gang!
“Indeed, alchemy is my passion, and I have no family,” Su Changkong acknowledged, and then he ventured, “May I be so bold to ask which gang Mr.
Cui is affiliated with?”
Cui He laughed heartily and made no secret of his affiliation, “Mr. Su must have heard of us-I am affiliated with the Giant Whale Gang.”
“The Giant Whale Gang?”
Hearing this, Su Changkong was momentarily stunned.
Su Changkong had indeed heard of the Giant Whale Gang.
In Ink Forest Prefecture City, the Giant Whale Gang was a vast and well-known gang, mainly active in the Blue Rain Sea, controlling the strategic passages.
Any merchant ship wishing to do business in the Blue Rain Sea had to pay tribute to the Giant Whale Gang!
The gang was full of experts, and its leader, Sikong Yong, was one of InkForest Prefecture City’s top powerhouses. He had gained fame at a young age with quite a legendary experience.
One could say that in Ink Forest Prefecture City, the Giant Whale Gang was one of the largest gang forces, not something small town gangs from Clearwater City, like White Jade Gang or Black Cavalry Gang, could compare with!
Cui He, who stood before him, was from the Giant Whale Gang and was planning to recruit alchemists into their ranks.
Alchemists were not only scarce in number but also generally belonged to major families, like Sun Yiyear, who inherited his alchemy craft from his family lineage rather than starting from scratch.
Training an alchemist from the ground up undoubtedly took a lot of time and effort, so finding one with a certain level of expertise and absorbing them into the gang was the most time and effort-saving method!
Previously, Su Changkong had approached Wan Xun to sell Vivid Qi Pills, leading Wan Xun to speculate that Su Changkong or the alchemist behind him was likely without a family lineage; otherwise, he would not need to sell Vivid Qi Pills to make money, as family consumption would suffice. Hence, he recommended Su Changkong to Cui He.
“If… joining the Giant Whale Gang as an alchemist is indeed a good choice!”
Su Changkong’s mind began to whirl with thoughts, improving alchemy required a large pile of resources, all of which cost money! The Giant Whale Gang was undoubtedly a financial behemoth, and by joining them as an alchemist, setting aside other perks, as long as there were opportunities to practice alchemy, he could continuously enhance his alchemical skills, essentially using someone else’s money to improve his own craft! A mutually beneficial arrangement!
“Mr. Su, are you interested in joining the Giant Whale Gang?” inquired Cui He. If Su Changkong refused, Cui He wouldn’t insist; he would just look for someone else. With the allure and heritage of the Giant Whale Gang, there were plenty of alchemists willing to join.
Of course, the demands of the Giant Whale Gang were quite strict: they only recruited very young alchemists with potential, as they need long grooming and could then serve the Gang for many years.
Most accomplished alchemists were of advanced age, and even if coaxed into joining the Giant Whale Gang, they wouldn’t be able to work for many years. With many disciples in the Giant Whale Gang, an alchemist’s workload was enormous!
For instance, Sun Yiyear of Precious Pill Residence, who was older, belonged to the kind who were very lax; he would rest several days before starting a new batch of alchemy, and outsiders seeking his assistance had to queue and wait for his availability.
Su Changkong’s age met the requirements; as for potential, that would need to be tested.
“I am indeed somewhat interested,” Su Changkong replied truthfully.
If he joined the Giant Whale Gang as an alchemist, it would be as if he had a never-ending stream of people requesting his alchemy services. He would no longer have to worry about spending his own money on alchemy and running a deficit.
Once his alchemy skills improved, his alchemy would not incur losses and could even become a source of profit!
Upon hearing this, Cui He appeared to be in a good mood and spoke up, “Mr. Su, would you mind if I test your alchemy skills first?”
Even if Su Changkong agreed to join the Giant Whale Gang, Cui He had to assess his foundations first.
He was not worried about Su Changkong’s alchemy skills being poor; he feared that his natural talent in alchemy was ordinary. In that case, even if they invested a lot of resources, they wouldn’t see a return on their investment.
Therefore, they had to test Su Changkong’s level and potential in alchemy.. After an evaluation by the senior alchemist in the gang, they would decide whether to employ or absorb him!