A Plan to Seize the Gang

1,132 words

Sun Ergou scratched his head awkwardly. “He didn’t say when exactly, but from how he spoke, it should be soon. As for where the meeting is being held… I don’t think he mentioned that either.”

Han Li frowned. It seemed Sun Ergou’s information was not precise. There were certainly many details missing.

He lowered his head in thought, and all of a sudden, a flash of inspiration struck. A rather clever idea took shape.

Han Li studied Sun Ergou carefully, then said with a faint smile, “Sun Ergou, I’ve been satisfied with your work these past few days. The last piece of news in particular was a great help. I’ve decided to reward you handsomely.”

Sun Ergou’s heart leaped with joy. An involuntary grin spread across his face.

He had only passed along a few bits of gossip. He never expected to earn the favor of this young master, enough to warrant a heavy reward. Dealing with him was indeed straightforward. But what exactly would the reward be? A pile of gold and silver? Jewels?

Sun Ergou’s imagination began to run wild.

“Would you be interested in becoming the chief of the Siping Gang?”

The words struck like a thunderbolt, draining the color from Sun Ergou’s face. His soul nearly fled his body.

“Young master, please don’t jest with me! I’m not worthy of such a position. What qualifications do I have to be a gang chief?” Sun Ergou wailed, his voice trembling.

“Why not? With my backing, seizing control of a mere Siping Gang is well within reach. Or would you rather remain a lowly dock overseer for the rest of your life?” Han Li coaxed lightly.

Sun Ergou’s face flickered through a storm of emotions—joy, fear, and above all, excitement.

Every man, somewhere deep down, dreamed of holding beautiful women in his arms, grasping great power, controlling the life and death of others. The ambition buried at the bottom of Sun Ergou’s heart had been kindled by Han Li’s few simple words.

But he still had reservations. He did not immediately agree.

“Our chief and his three protectors are no weaklings in martial arts. Can the young master really subdue them?” Sun Ergou probed in a low voice.

“Subdue them? Heh. Is that necessary? I’ll just kill them all.” Han Li laughed coldly, as if swatting flies.

Sun Ergou shivered. This young master’s bloodlust was immense. If he refused, he would probably be dealt with on the spot.

“Since the young master honors me so, I’ll stake my life on it. I will follow your every command.” Under the combined pressure of soft persuasion and hard threats, Sun Ergou finally consented to take the risk.

“Good. That’s more like it.” Han Li nodded with satisfaction.

“Give me a time when your chief will be out.” Han Li asked casually.

“There is one. Every afternoon these days he visits Xiaoxiang Court, the most popular brothel in the west part of the city. He’s been obsessed with the top courtesan, Little Gold Branch. But the three protectors always accompany him. That might be troublesome. Perhaps we should wait a few days for a better opportunity?” Now that he had committed, Sun Ergou was already thinking about his own survival and future fortune.

“No need. Now that I know the time and place, taking their lives is as easy as turning over my hand.” Han Li said it lightly, as if commenting on the weather.

“But after they die, I’m afraid you won’t have the power to take over the Siping Gang.”

“That’s true. I’m only a minor head in the gang. There are many others with higher rank and seniority than me.” Sun Ergou said with some shame.

“Don’t worry. If I say you will be chief, then you will be. I’ll assign Qu Hun to you. He will eliminate everyone who opposes you and stay by your side to protect you for now.” Han Li spoke with complete confidence.

He then calmly tapped three times on the wall separating the rooms. Moments later, Qu Hun appeared before them.

Han Li reached into his bosom and pulled out the Soul Summoning Bell. He stroked it briefly, then solemnly handed it to Sun Ergou. “Keep this on you. As long as you carry this object, Qu Hun will obey your orders. He will deal with your enemies and help you ascend to the position of chief.”

Even a non-master could command Qu Hun through the Soul Summoning Bell if they possessed it—this was an alternate method Doctor Mo had taught Han Li for controlling the corpse-servant. Moreover, as long as the original master whose blood essence was on the bell remained alive, no one else could tamper with the artifact. Han Li had no fear of Sun Ergou harboring treacherous intentions.

Sun Ergou had personally witnessed Qu Hun’s terrifying power. Accepting the small bell filled him with surprise and joy, and his courage immediately swelled.

“Thank you, young master, for your great kindness. I will serve you to the bitter end!” Clever as he was, he understood that even if he became the Siping Gang chief, he would still be a puppet of this young master. So he seized every opportunity to profess his absolute loyalty.

“Go prepare. As soon as your chief is dead, take advantage of the chaos to seize control of the gang. But keep this firmly in mind: bring me the man who saw the male and female immortals, unharmed. I have questions for him. Understood?” Han Li’s final words were harsh, showing how seriously he regarded this matter.

“Rest assured, young master! I will deliver him intact. I won’t disappoint you!” Sun Ergou immediately thumped his chest and swore an oath, putting on a face of utmost devotion.

“Good. Take Qu Hun and leave. The next time you come to see me, you will be a gang chief.” Han Li dismissed him without change of expression.

“I’ll take my leave!” Sun Ergou, having received his dismissal order, promptly withdrew from the room. Qu Hun followed closely behind.

The moment Sun Ergou left, Han Li rose to his feet. He paced half a circle in the room, then suddenly pursed his lips and let out a long, lilting whistle. The Cloud-Wing Bird dove in through the window and landed on his shoulder.

Han Li took out a small bottle and shook out a single Yellow Chestnut Pill—the bird’s favorite treat—and gently fed it into its beak. Then he said in a soft voice, “Little one, follow the man who just left. If he tries to flee beyond the city walls, come and tell me immediately.”

The Cloud-Wing Bird, as if understanding perfectly, chirped a few times in acknowledgment, then flew back out the window and vanished into the sky.

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Reading Guide Decoding

Power Transfer: The Puppet Chief Gambit

Cultural / Xianxia Notes

Puppet Chief Strategy (扶植傀儡帮主): The tactic of installing a patsy to control a power structure is a recurring theme in Chinese historical and martial arts fiction. It reflects a sophisticated understanding of power: true mastery lies not in occupying every seat, but in controlling the person who does through invisible leverage. In the Mortal Stream version, Han Li optimizes this by adding an immediate assassination phase and a supernatural enforcer (Qu Hun) to suppress any rebellion—making the takeover as surgical and low-cost as possible.

Soul Summoning Bell (引魂钟): This is a classic Daoist ritual tool, typically used in feng shui, exorcism, or summoning ceremonies. In xianxia, it gets weaponized into a remote-control device for soulless servants. The logic here is brilliantly paranoid: the original master’s blood essence prevents the bell from being re-tuned, so even if Sun Ergou wanted to betray Han Li, he physically cannot repurpose Qu Hun. It’s a contractual lock built into the artifact itself.

The Cloud-Wing Bird (云翅鸟) as an Agent: Han Li’s use of a tamed spirit bird for low-profile surveillance continues a pattern seen in earlier chapters. This is not just a pet; it is a mobile intelligence asset with zero paper trail—perfect for a cultivator who wants to remain invisible. The fact that he feeds it a rare Yellow Chestnut Pill (黄栗丸) immediately after issuing a command shows he understands the economics of loyalty: even a bird must be paid.

Chapter Overview

We open with Han Li deciding he’s had enough of waiting for Sun Ergou’s vague intelligence on the fanatical cult’s meeting, and he instead pivots to a far more direct plan: take over the Siping Gang itself. This chapter is a masterclass in Mortal Stream strategy—Han Li doesn’t just ask for an invite; he creates his own usurper. He identifies a useful but low-ranking pawn (Sun Ergou), dangles the promise of power to override his fear, and commits to a surgical strike against the gang’s leadership. The plan is cold, efficient, and ruthless: kill the chief and his three protectors, wipe out opposition with Qu Hun as an enforcer, and install Sun Ergou as a puppet chief. The ghostly pragmatism is so thick you could cut it with a Flying Sword. And just when you think the transaction is done, Han Li silently dispatches his Cloud-Wing Bird to tail Sun Ergou—showing that trust is a liability he cannot afford, even with his own cat’s-paw. Get ready for a chapter that proves the fastest way to a secret is to own the people who keep it.

Key Plot Points

Han Li realizes that waiting for Sun Ergou’s fragmented information about the divine-couple cult will not yield results quickly. He decides to take proactive control.
He proposes a radical idea: make Sun Ergou the new chief of the Siping Gang. Sun Ergou is terrified and incredulous; he lacks the qualifications and the backing.
Han Li calmly dismantles Sun Ergou’s objections: with his own support, seizing the gang will be easy, and he would rather be a puppet chief than a lifetime dock overseer. He ignites Sun Ergou’s buried ambition.
Sun Ergou tests Han Li’s commitment, warning that the chief and his three protectors are not weak. Han Li answers with a cold laugh: “Just kill them all.”
Sun Ergou, now fully aware of the stakes, agrees to the plot and immediately provides a practical window: every afternoon, the chief visits the Xiaoxiang Court brothel with his three protectors.
Han Li reject the idea of waiting for a better opportunity. Now that he knows the time and place, their deaths are merely a formality.
He then addresses the succession problem: Sun Ergou lacks the rank to take over. Han Li’s solution is to assign Qu Hun as his personal enforcer and bodyguard.
Han Li hands over the Soul Summoning Bell to Sun Ergou, explaining that as long as he carries it, Qu Hun will obey his commands. He also notes the bell’s protection mechanism: the original blood master cannot be overwritten, so there is no risk of Sun Ergou betraying him with it.
As a final instruction, Han Li orders Sun Ergou to deliver the man who saw the “male and female immortals” alive and unharmed for interrogation.
After Sun Ergou leaves, Han Li does not relax. He summons the Cloud-Wing Bird, feeds it a pill, and gives it a surveillance mission: follow the departing Sun Ergou and report back if he tries to flee the city.

Reading Guide

This chapter embodies a core Mortal Stream principle: “If you cannot find the key, take the lock.” Instead of endlessly searching for the cult’s meeting point, Han Li simply decides to own the territory the cult operates in. The beauty is that he doesn’t do the dirty work himself—he outsources the takeover to a desperate pawn with everything to gain. The true star of the chapter is the brief, chilling exchange: “Subdue them? Heh. Why bother? Just kill them all.” That line is a perfect capsule of Han Li’s entire worldview: negotiation is just the appetizer; violence is the main course when it costs less. Keep an eye on the final detail: the Cloud-Wing Bird. Leaving the transaction with an insurance policy shows that even when Han Li appears to trust someone, he is already calculating the escape routes and contingency traps. This chapter is short, but tight as a drum—every word pushes the plot forward without a moment of wasted sentiment.