The Villain's Counterattack

Chapter 338 Are you sure I will let you go?

In the end, Murong Fu was unable to see Wang Jiantong for the last time. Even though he rode at full speed all the way, with the horses provided by many Beggar Gang branches along the way, he was still a step behind and only made it to the funeral of the former Beggar Gang leader.

In the mourning hall, many high-ranking Beggar Gang leaders gathered together. It was a grand ceremony, but also a battlefield for power struggle. Even though Wang Jiantong regained consciousness before his death and communicated with many high-ranking leaders of the Beggar Gang, he still could not avoid the power struggle after his death.

The top leaders of the Beggar Gang knew Murong Fu's itinerary very well. After all, he had repeatedly asked for fast horses from the Beggar Gang branches along the way, so it was impossible for him to hide it from anyone. However, when he arrived in Luoyang City, he knew that he was one step too late after all, so he simply took a shower at a Beggar Gang intelligence office, changed into a set of fitting clothes, and replenished some food and water. Only then did he cheer up and come to Wang Jiantong's funeral hall.

He followed the established etiquette and, after signing up, strolled into the mourning hall. The many Beggars' Sect leaders around him kept their eyes on him, observing his every move. After all, he was a distinguished guest specially designated by the late leader, Wang Jiantong, to receive special attention. The fact that Qiao Feng of the north and Murong Fu of the south were equally renowned was no fluke. Most of them were unaware of Murong Fu's martial arts prowess, but who among the Beggars' Sect leaders was unaware of Qiao Feng's formidable abilities?

Many people previously put Qiao Feng and Murong Fu on the same level. In fact, the top leaders of the Beggar Gang were unwilling to see this and even disdained it. But after learning about Murong Fu's martial arts from Wang Jiantong, Ma Dayuan and Qiao Feng himself, they suddenly felt a little unbelievable.

You have to know that a person's energy is limited. How could they accept that Murong Fu, the young master of the Murong family, the head of Gusu College, a scholar who passed the imperial examination and obtained a formal official position in the Song Dynasty, actually possessed martial arts comparable to that of the Beggar Gang leader Qiao Feng?

Murong Fu's face was icy, his eyes slightly dim, but he didn't utter a single mournful cry, nor did he shed a single tear or wail. He simply bowed respectfully, burning incense, and then sighed deeply, "With a steely heart, you shoulder the responsibility of justice. With your eighteen cudgels, you suppress the four directions. With a hundred thousand followers, you march to battle, preventing any barbarian cavalry from invading our borders. Old Leader Wang, I have great respect for you. You manage such a vast Beggars' Sect with hundreds of thousands of members. I have to admit you are truly impressed."

"You were born before I was born, and I was already old when I was born. It's a lifelong regret that I couldn't see you in your prime. I once heard someone say that if I outlast all those stronger than me, I'll be the most powerful in the world. Then I'll jump over the graves of you powerful ones and brag, which is fine. After all, you can't possibly refute me, right?"

"I originally planned to come visit you in a month to show off my achievements and piss you off, but now I won't have the chance to see your angry expression. But since you're lying here now, you can only listen and not refute what I say. So I have some good news for you. There are no beggars in Rongjing County, Yazhou Prefecture, Chengdu Prefecture. There is a beggar gang there, but no beggars. There are also twelve newly wealthy families, and they no longer plan to beg. Are you angry?"

Murong Fu's voice was not loud, but many of the Beggar Gang's leaders were paying close attention to his movements. When they heard this, their faces were more or less moved, not for Murong Fu, but for the former gang leader Wang Jiantong.

Ma Dayuan's heart moved, and he thought the time must be ripe. He strode out and bowed slightly to Murong Fu. This was the necessary etiquette for a host, but the words he said made Murong Fu frown: "Before the gang leader passed away, he missed Murong Company very much. He said that if we were not destined to meet, he asked me to convey a few words on his behalf."

Murong Fu looked up at him, but waited silently without saying a word. Ma Dayuan was a little uneasy at the look. He coughed and imitated Wang Jiantong's voice, saying, "The old beggar can't stand his boasting. Those little beggars in Rongjing County are not even a fraction of the Beggar Gang's disciples. Wait until he blesses all the Beggar Gang members before he brags."

Ma Dayuan finished speaking, not even glancing at Murong Fu's stiff expression. He turned and returned to his seat. The other high-ranking members of the Beggars' Sect looked at Murong Fu, his expression gradually darkening. Then, he suddenly burst into a barrage of curses, "You old man are truly wicked. Even in your deathbed, you still haven't forgotten to set a trap for this young master? You're blessing all the members of the Beggars' Sect. Is this what a human being would do?"

The Beggars' Sect leaders were all upset when they heard this. Wasn't this what they were supposed to do? How could this be considered inhumane?

Murong Fu continued, "The Beggars' Sect covers the entire Great Song Empire, with hundreds of thousands of disciples, from all walks of life. How do you expect me to take care of them? I consider myself talented. I can spend three to five months a year on a county and make it the best in the prefecture. I can also handle a prefecture and definitely be the best along the way. But along the way, I will need external forces to barely cope. After all, if I do something, I will do it to the best of my ability. If I can't do it well, it's better not to do it at all."

"But this is the extent of my talent. The Beggars' Sect has hundreds of thousands of disciples, covering the entire Great Song Empire. You're asking me to clean up this mess with ill intentions. I can easily manage a prefecture, and I can even spare a little time every year to travel and enjoy the scenery. With the Murong family's financial support, I have no shortage of money. Wouldn't it be wonderful to live a leisurely life? Why do you have to bear this heavy burden? It doesn't benefit me in any way."

"The Beggars' Sect is a powerful faction, the greatest in the world. However, I don't need much from you. When I can, I'll just give you some benefits and make it a win-win situation. Why bother with all this effort? You'll end up dying of exhaustion, just like you did." Murong Fu snorted, "I respect you as a hero, but if you want me to be a hero, forget it. I come from a noble family, and all I want is to live a carefree and happy life."

When the Beggar Gang heard this, they actually felt that it made sense. This man was indeed smart. He had ten points of strength but was only willing to do five or six points of work. Not only could he do the work well, but he could also live a carefree and happy life. He was determined not to bear anything he could not afford.

Seeing the strange looks from the Beggars' Sect leaders, Murong Fu sneered, "Don't even think about targeting this young master. My Murong clan owns Taihu Lake, Gusu College, and numerous other businesses. We're incredibly wealthy, so why would we become beggars? Besides, I see you're already quite good. You're not aggressive enough, but you're more than capable of maintaining the status quo. The leader and deputy leader complement each other perfectly, making them a perfect match."

At this point, Murong Fu cast his gaze towards Qiao Feng and Ma Dayuan, shaking his head. "Although they're ostensibly the chief and deputy gang leaders, in reality, I think they're more appropriately the inner and outer gang leaders. Qiao Feng is out there charging into battle, using force to resist invasion and suppress disobedience, defending the nation and forging ahead. And Ma Dayuan is in there coordinating plans and coordinating all four sides. Isn't that just perfect? ​​Why do you have to drag me into this?"

Upon hearing this, Qiao Feng and Ma Dayuan looked at each other in surprise, and they indeed understood it instantly. This might be the consideration of the former gang leader Wang Jiantong. They seemed to be good at what they did, but if there must be a superiority, people in the martial arts world still have to judge the superiority by martial arts. Therefore, Qiao Feng was the gang leader and Ma Dayuan was the deputy gang leader.

But the real gang leader was doing the work of the deputy gang leader and charging forward, while the deputy gang leader was the one who held the real power and was in charge of the rear. However, Ma Dayuan's martial arts skills were not good enough, so he could not be the real gang leader. Otherwise, if he was picked by someone, it would damage the reputation of the Beggar Gang.

Only then did the higher-ups of the Beggars' Sect react and understand the good intentions of the former leader Wang Jiantong. Especially after hearing what Murong Fu said about doing things within one's capabilities, and even trying not to overload, but doing everything within one's capabilities, and even deliberately taking small measures, they were speechless.

But this boy was born into an extraordinary family, and even if he didn't work hard, he could live a happy life. They couldn't say anything about it, and could only say sourly that he had no ambition to make progress.

But Murong Fu suddenly said something that shocked everyone: "In the martial arts world, martial arts skills are ultimately what counts. Whoever has the strongest fist has the loudest voice. Qiao Feng, Qiao Feng, now you and I are equally famous, and our martial arts skills are similar, but what will happen after you become the leader of the Beggars' Sect? While you are busy with gang affairs, don't neglect your martial arts training. Don't let me leave you far behind in ten years. There will only be Murong Fu in the Central Plains, not Qiao Feng in the north and Murong in the south."

Upon hearing this, Qiao Feng laughed heartily and said, "Ten years is too long. How about we agree to a competition every three years? If my martial arts skills decline too much, I'll just give up my position as gang leader!"

"No!" The leaders of the Beggar Gang were shocked and all objected.

Qiao Feng waved his hand and said, "Brothers, you should have confidence in me, and you should also have confidence in Brother Murong."

Murong Fu was speechless. Did you calculate that I would let you win?

However, Wang Jiantong was no simple person, as he could plot against him to this extent. Especially when Qiao Feng explained the functions of a Beggar Gang VIP token, Murong Fu really couldn't refuse.

He could ask the Beggars' Sect to do three things, and they must work together and not violate any of the rules. With such a great temptation, he really couldn't bear to refuse.

Murong Fu promised the Beggars' Gang three students each year to enter Gusu College. He then carefully placed the Beggars' Gang VIP Token close to his body, saying, "This token will only be effective when used in conjunction with the Gusu Murong Golden Token. Each time it is used, it will be announced to the world. Please be aware of this, all the experts of the Beggars' Gang!"