Chen Tai's movements never faltered; it seemed his body, still battling the Handkerchief Qing in the downpour, was struggling against the rain. Yet, scenes of his hometown flashed before his eyes. As a boy, he ran barefoot on the muddy paths of his hometown, practicing martial arts, working, and playing—all these images appeared before him. He had thought that once he arrived in Hong Kong, he could wear shoes and keep his feet dry, but unexpectedly, after going around in circles, he had returned to the way things were back in his hometown.
Who can be blamed for all this? Blame heaven, blame earth, blame yourself, but not Song Tianyao. He was able to make those around him rise to prominence, so naturally he wouldn't forget his relative. It's just that one wrong step led to another, thinking that he could make a name for himself in the gang with his martial arts skills, and ultimately he ended up on this path of no return.
Who's to blame for things turning out this way tonight? Song Tianyao? Impossible. Even if Song Tianyao has no connection with me now, he would never harm me. Besides, he gave me many opportunities. If I were like Scribe Hui, I would probably have already achieved great success. Thinking it over, tonight it seems I can only blame myself for being stupid. It seems I've made every wrong step in my life. I shouldn't have come to Hong Kong, shouldn't have fought at the docks, shouldn't have been vouched for by Song Tianyao, shouldn't have disobeyed Song Tianyao and refused to work in the factory, shouldn't have worshipped Big Brother, shouldn't have joined the triad, and most importantly, shouldn't have been foolish enough to come to this street tonight, thinking of tipping someone off. With Song Tianyao's mind, how could he let the people around him get into trouble? Sister Fen and the others must not be upstairs, otherwise that guy nicknamed Nine-Tattooed Dragon would definitely have shown up to help, instead of watching me fight to the death here. Silly Tai, that nickname really wasn't wrong.
It turned out he was wrong. He thought that Song Tianyao and Scribe Hui, now big shots, would have long forgotten Xianyu Shuan's family, which was why he wanted to make amends for Song Tianyao. He never expected that his idea would still be part of Song Tianyao's plan. But it's alright; not all rich people are heartless and ungrateful. Song Tianyao and Scribe Hui hadn't forgotten their old friends just because they were wealthy. Long before they dealt with these underworld Big Brother, they had already moved Sister Fen and the others to safety. In Song Tianyao's heart, these old friends were like his grandfather and parents—family.
Such talent deserves to be called Big Brother, and can rise higher and higher step by step. It's just a pity that I realized this too late. Looking at tonight's situation, I'm afraid I'll never have the chance to see Song Tianyao again in this lifetime.
Chen Tai, who was confused since childhood, suddenly felt that he had become smarter and knew how to use his brain, but it was too late.
Should I Handkerchief Qing now? Tell them that there's no Sister Fen inside, and that I don't want to get involved in this mess anymore? Is it too late? Can I even get out? Oh well, since I'm called Silly Tai, I might as well be Foolish to the end.
His movements were fluid and swift, his figure shifting and intertwining. The longsword drew sparks from the nine-section whip. Originally, the Handkerchief Qing whip had wrapped around the longsword, trying to disarm Chen Tai. Unexpectedly, Chen Tai used brute force to break free of the whip and instead used the opportunity to close the distance.
Although startled, Handkerchief Qing remained calm and lashed out with his nine-section whip toward the back of Chen Tai's head! Chen Tai ducked to avoid it, but the whip tip viciously wrapped around his back, tearing off a piece of flesh! If Handkerchief Qing was confident he could have snapped Chen Tai's spine with that one blow!
Chen Tai was seriously injured in the back, but he also took the opportunity to leave a wound on Handkerchief Qing. It looked scary, with a lot of blood on his chest and abdomen, but it didn't penetrate deep into the flesh. If Handkerchief Qing hadn't withdrawn his move in time, the two of them would have ended up with one having a broken spine and the other having his abdomen ripped open!
Lui Lok had been standing on the side of the street watching the fight as if it were a show, his face expressionless. But now, he found himself unconsciously placing his hand on the handle of his gun.
This Silly Tai, should be called Crazy Tai. His fighting style is suicidal, disregarding life and death. These reckless people are the hardest to deal with. Lui Lok didn't care about Handkerchief Qing's life or death, but he felt something was off about Chen Tai. As a police officer, Lui Lok had seen a lot, but this was the first time he'd seen someone smile so calmly when their life was hanging by a thread. The smile seemed harmless, but in this situation, it was more terrifying than the knife in his hand, sending chills down Lui Lok's spine.
This guy's gone mad.
Although Handkerchief Qing had the upper hand, the two were now locked in a life-or-death struggle, and who could say for sure what would happen in an instant? If anything happened to Handkerchief Qing, Lui Lok might really have to personally take to the field and kill him. Only then did Lui Lok realize that in his eagerness to see the scene clearly, he had gotten too close to the battlefield, turning from a spectator into a character in the play.
Tonight in Hong Kong, stages are everywhere. Standing on the stage, one becomes a character in a play.
Queen's Road appeared deserted, but shadowy figures thronged the covered Wind-and-Rain Corridor and side streets. These figures formed small groups, like social animals, guarding their own territories. Occasionally, they would exchange glances with other figures across the rain, but more often, they would peer towards the Cloud Palace Hotel, scouting for any activity.
A dozen burly men held up umbrellas to shield several elderly men with graying hair from the rain. Although the old men's eyes showed a variety of emotions—some gloomy, some frightened, some helpless—the other martial arts figures around them looked at them with awe.
These old men were once powerful figures in the underworld. Many of the Big Brother captured by the Britain soldiers were their disciples and descendants. To the major gang leaders in the underworld today, these senior Big Brother who have long since retired from the world of martial arts are the pillars of stability, and naturally deserve special respect.
However, these old men didn't really want to get involved in the affairs of the martial arts world anymore. They had made their living in the martial arts world their whole lives, and it was only thanks to the Mazu and the heavens that they could die peacefully. Besides some so-called prestige and empty reputation in the martial arts world, they had nothing else to offer. They were only held in a high position by the martial arts scions around them and couldn't shirk their responsibilities, so they could only put on a brave front and put on a calm demeanor to reassure everyone. From the outside, the old men all appeared confident and reprimanded the disciples and students who couldn't help but come up to ask for their advice.
"What's the panic? Restaurants run by Foreign Devil close after midnight. Even if Song Tianyao were Foreign Devil China person, the restaurant wouldn't change its rules!"