He obtained the God of All Laws from human skin.

Chapter 64 Iron Hand Gang

That's right!

Zheng Ding was not fond of anything else; he preferred pictures of beautiful women.

To outsiders, how can a picture compare to a real person with flesh and blood?

But in Zheng Ding's view, no matter how beautiful the courtesans in the brothel were, they could not compare to the quiet and serene portraits of beauties in his box, which he could examine at will.

Normally, whenever he had free time, he would lock himself in his room, turn on the lamp, and spread out the dozen or so paintings one by one on the table, bed, and chair, examining them carefully, sometimes from after dinner until midnight.

When he sees something he's happy with, he'll talk to himself while looking at the painting, as if the people in the painting can really hear him.

The painting of a beautiful woman holding a fan was Zheng Ding's favorite among these old collections. He bought it from a wandering Taoist priest at a high price.

Since he bought it, this painting of a beauty holding a fan has been a prized possession, always kept at the bottom of his camphor wood chest. He takes it out every few days to appreciate it.

Sometimes, when he was engrossed in reading poetry in his study, he would hang the painting on a shelf to the side, as if the woman in the painting was holding a fan and keeping him company while he studied.

But that's all normal now.

Zheng Ding hadn't opened the camphor wood chest for quite some time since he saw the propaganda poster at the county government office.

Qin Chuan's painting skills were truly different from those of others.

Not only does it look remarkably like the real person, with a charming and graceful demeanor, but its eyes are also extremely alluring.

I used to think that my paintings could be considered "portraits of beauties".

Looking back now, what was that supposed to be a "beauty painting"? It was clearly just a child's doodle.

Zheng Ding casually set aside the painting of a beautiful woman holding a fan that he had cherished most, then carefully placed the promotional poster on the table, examining it intently for about half an hour before letting out a long sigh.

The painting is beautiful, but he cannot stay long.

After all, it was secretly stolen from my uncle's place, so if it were discovered, I would definitely get a scolding.

I just hope that the Heaven and Earth can finish their painting as soon as possible.

Thinking of this, he stood up, carefully rolled up the propaganda poster, wrapped it in silk cloth again, and gently placed it on top of the camphor wood chest.

As for the painting of a beautiful woman holding a fan that he had casually placed aside, he simply picked up the end of the scroll, shook it, and then haphazardly put it into the painting basket next to him, not even bothering to re-tie the rope.

He turned around, blew out the lamp, climbed into bed, and soon his even breathing could be heard.

Moonlight streamed in through the cracks in the window, falling directly on the old painting basket on the bookshelf.

The painting of a beautiful woman holding a fan, which had been rolled up in a ball, was now slowly unfolding a corner under the moonlight.

First the fan, then the half-covered face, and finally those eyes.

Then,

Those eyes suddenly moved.

......

The next day,

Qin Chuan also arrived at Heaven on Earth ahead of time.

Seeing this, Ah Niu didn't waste any words and told him to follow him.

The two wandered through the streets and alleys for about a quarter of an hour, walking from the south of the city all the way to an area near the northern dock.

Finally, Ah Niu stopped in front of a rather grand house.

Qin Chuan looked up and saw a black lacquered gate with brass door knockers. Two stone lions squatted at the entrance, baring their teeth and claws, looking majestic and awe-inspiring.

Above the door hangs an ebony plaque with three large characters written on it: "Iron Hand Gang".

The gate was wide open, and two men dressed in short clothes stood at the entrance.

Ah Niu nodded to the two people at the door, then led Qin Chuan across the threshold, through the front yard, and straight to the side hall.

Inside the house, Master Qian was sitting in a grand chair, talking to the person next to him.

Hearing footsteps, he raised his eyelids and glanced around. Seeing that it was A Niu bringing Qin Chuan in, he simply nodded slightly.

However, Zhao Fuquan, who was standing next to Master Qian, changed his expression immediately upon seeing Qin Chuan, clearly not expecting Qin Chuan to appear here.

Not long after Qin Chuan went inside, a series of hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside the hall.

A gang member dressed in shorts and tight-fitting clothes strode into the main hall, knelt on one knee, clasped his hands in a fist and bowed to Master Qian, saying, "Master Qian, the gang leader has ordered that a meeting of the gang be convened immediately. Please come to the meeting hall as soon as possible."

Upon hearing this, Mr. Qian immediately stood up.

He straightened his clothes, preparing to head to the council hall, with Zhao Fuquan following closely behind.

Halfway there, Qian Ye saw Qin Chuan standing to the side, pondered for a moment, and suddenly said, "You come with me too."

Zhao Fuquan's eyes widened even more upon hearing this.

You have to understand, he had been following Master Qian for four or five years before he finally earned the right to go to the council hall with him.

So this kid has only been here a few days, and on his first visit to the Iron Hand Gang, he was able to come into the council hall with them?

Ah Niu was also slightly taken aback, but quickly regained his expressionless demeanor.

Qin Chuan responded and followed.

As soon as the group left the main hall, passed through the front yard, and walked along a long corridor paved with blue bricks, they were greeted by a group of people before they even reached the entrance of the council hall.

The leader was a burly middle-aged man with broad shoulders, a square face, thick eyebrows, and high cheekbones.

Ah Niu subtly moved half a step closer to Qin Chuan and lowered his voice, saying, "This is Song Hai, the second-in-command. He's in charge of the dock business and the share of money from the street vendors. Besides the gang leader, he's the best fighter in the gang."

He paused, then continued, "Master Qian and him have never gotten along. One manages the gambling dens and restaurants, the other manages the docks and streets. On the surface, they keep to themselves, but they've been competing with each other for a long time. When you enter the council hall later, keep your eyes open, be sensible, and don't say anything out of line."

Before he finished speaking, the second-in-command, Song Hai, had already walked up to him.

The two groups exchanged glances. Song Hai didn't say anything, just smiled, waved his hand, and strode towards the council hall.

Mr. Qian squinted at it a few times, then followed closely behind.

The council hall, located in the very center of the Iron Hand Gang's headquarters, is a high-ceilinged hall with upturned eaves.

Above the door hangs a black plaque with gold lettering that reads "Hall of Loyalty and Righteousness".

Qin Chuan followed behind Master Qian as they crossed the threshold.

The hall was extremely spacious, with several sandalwood chairs on both sides. In the innermost seat, a person sat upright.

This is clearly the leader of the Iron Hand Gang, "King Yama Ma".

Qin Chuan had assumed that the leader of the Iron Hand Gang, "King Yama Ma," would be a burly, menacing man with a fierce face.

But the person in front of him was completely different from what he had imagined.

Sitting in the main seat was a middle-aged man who looked quite refined. He was of medium height and had a thin face, and looked quite like a poor scholar who was somewhat frustrated and unsuccessful.

Behind King Ma stood another person.

That was a disheveled Taoist priest.

The man's attire stood out starkly from the group of physically imposing men in the room. He wore a drab gray Taoist robe, his hair haphazardly tied into a topknot and held in place by a wooden hairpin.

His face was thin and wiry, with a few sparse goatees on his chin. His eyes were half-closed, as if he were dozing off or lost in thought.

Song Hai and Master Qian each took their seats with their respective groups.

Qin Chuan was naturally not entitled to sit, and was pulled to stand in a corner by A Niu.

Seeing that everyone had arrived, Ma Yanwang, who was seated at the head of the table, nodded and then pointed to the disheveled Taoist priest beside him, saying...

"Ladies and gentlemen, the first thing I wanted to do today was to introduce you to someone. This is Master Hu, a distinguished guest I have specially invited."