Lin'an County.
Red Leaf Town.
As the town with the smallest population and smallest area among the settlements under Lin'an County's jurisdiction, Red Leaf Town had nothing remarkable about it. Only a dye-making raw material called Red Leaf Grass had earned it a little renown.
That day, in a private residence down some small alley in Red Leaf Town, a tall, lean middle-aged man sat in the courtyard.
His rough, broad hands held dry firewood, which he fed into the brazier before him.
Flames surged within the brazier. Above it sat an earthenware pot, constantly bubbling and giving off white steam that spread a faint, bitter medicinal scent through the yard.
The middle-aged man's face was somewhat pale, and he did not appear to be in good condition.
His bare upper body clearly revealed a black palm print on his lower back.
Judging that the heat was about right, the middle-aged man lifted the lid of the pot and prepared to ladle himself a bowl of medicine.
Suddenly, sharp whistles of wind tearing through the air rang out from all around.
The middle-aged man's expression changed. He flung away the porcelain bowl in his hand and leaped nimbly into the air.
Just as he moved away, bolts shot into the brazier where he had been standing, piercing straight through it.
The earthenware pot atop the brazier also fell to the ground with a crack and shattered.
"Who's there!?"
The middle-aged man vaulted onto the roof, swept his gaze around, and shouted fiercely.
"Tian Song, old man, I never expected you to still be so nimble after being injured so badly. It seems your family's Ape Fetus Technique truly is extraordinary."
A burst of hearty laughter came from outside the courtyard. Then a burly figure appeared atop the wall.
The moment Tian Song recognized the newcomer, his face turned ugly.
"Liu Yuanshan, it's you!!"
That was right. The newcomer was none other than Liu Yuanshan, the Tooth Gang's Second Gang Leader.
"You had the chance to leave Lin'an County City, but unfortunately, you didn't cherish it. Now, even if you want to leave, you can't."
Liu Yuanshan spoke slowly, wearing an indescribable smile.
Members of the Tooth Gang carrying crossbows had already appeared atop the surrounding walls.
Their icy arrowheads were aimed at Tian Song, ready to strike at any moment.
"I'll give you one chance. Hand over the complete manual for the Ape Fetus Technique, and perhaps I'll leave you an intact corpse."
"Dream on!!"
Tian Song understood that he would likely be unable to escape this calamity. He also knew his opponent's methods well—no matter what, they would never let him off easily.
With an angry roar, he stomped through the roof tiles and shot forward, charging toward Liu Yuanshan.
Since he could not escape death either way, he would drag someone down with him before he died.
"Fire."
Liu Yuanshan waved his hand, and the crossbowmen beside him fired without hesitation.
Crossbow bolts tore through the air, flying straight at Tian Song.
Tian Song had no choice but to halt his attack and dodge.
Yet crossbow bolts continued to fly at him from all directions. Already wounded, his movements were hindered. After only a few breaths, blood began to trickle from the corners of his mouth as he forcibly drew upon his qi and blood.
Watching the bolts still shooting toward him without end, Tian Song knew that if this continued, even his last bit of strength would be exhausted. Then he could only die beneath a rain of arrows.
"Death either way, then..."
He immediately drew a deep breath, his face flushing red. In the next instant, his originally gaunt body began to swell. Within a few breaths, he had become much more robust, the exposed lines of his muscles bulging with a contradictory sense of immense strength and agility.
"Are you going all out!?"
The cold, mocking smile on Liu Yuanshan's face vanished at the sight, replaced by a trace of gravity.
"Get out of my way!"
After his transformation, Tian Song's speed became astonishingly swift, and even his injuries seemed to no longer affect him.
Facing dozens of crossbow bolts flying toward him, he swung both palms and shattered every single one.
That was not all. The shattered bolts shot toward the walls, piercing straight through the crossbowmen.
In that single exchange, more than half of the twenty-odd Tooth Gang members atop the walls were killed or injured.
The rest could no longer pose any threat to him. Tian Song moved like an ape, incomparably nimble as he charged straight at Liu Yuanshan. He had only one goal: even in death, he would take Liu Yuanshan with him.
Watching Tian Song rush toward him, Liu Yuanshan did not dare show the slightest negligence. He knew Tian Song's strength well. Unlike the Axe Gang, the Fist Gang had no major power backing it. The reason it could hold a place on Crock Street was Tian Song's strength.
His combat strength was absolutely that of an expert even among those who had completed sinew tempering.
It was only because Tian Song was severely wounded now that Liu Yuanshan had the qualifications to fight him.
"You're merely a spent arrow, yet you still dare ignite your qi and blood. You're courting death."
Liu Yuanshan snorted coldly. His figure was also exceptionally nimble as he leaped down from the wall and swung a leg at Tian Song.
Their legs and palms collided with a thunderous boom, then separated at a touch. The next instant, they clashed again, dull impacts erupting one after another through the small courtyard.
"Useless, Tian Song, old man. I'd like to see how much longer you can hold on."
As they fought, Liu Yuanshan continued to sneer.
His words sounded casual, but both his legs were already beginning to give out.
Tian Song seemed to have gone mad, attacking him wildly without regard for anything. Tian Song was already far stronger than him, and now he completely disregarded his own injuries. In no time, Liu Yuanshan had fallen into a disadvantage.
"Before Tian dies, I'll certainly take you with me."
Tian Song roared like a madman, and his offensive instead became even more ferocious, driving Liu Yuanshan backward without cease.
Just as Liu Yuanshan was about to retreat beneath the wall, to the point where there was nowhere left to retreat, Tian Song gathered his strength in one burst and prepared to use the momentum to finish him off. Then a fierce wind came from behind him.
Mixed within that fierce wind was a trace of fishy stench. Tian Song swiftly realized something, turned around, and threw a vicious punch.
A thunderous boom rang out. Yet before Tian Song could react, he felt a chill touch against his lower abdomen.
The next instant, force erupted. Tian Song was sent flying backward, slamming viciously into the wall and directly collapsing it, his body buried beneath a pile of rubble.
Although he quickly burst out from the rubble, his body could not help but sway. Before he could say anything, he spat out a huge mouthful of blood.
His eyes were wide with fury as he stared fixedly at the figure that had suddenly appeared not far behind him.
"Meng..."
Before he could finish, his body fell backward to the ground. Blood poured from his seven apertures, and all life left him.
That was right. The one who had struck was none other than Meng Hongsheng, the Tooth Gang's Gang Leader.
Before coming here, he had known that Tian Song would certainly make a desperate last stand. Thus, he had hidden in the shadows, waiting only to deliver the final, decisive blow and end the battle.
"This old Tian Song truly was formidable. I never expected him to unleash such fighting power even while severely wounded."
By now, Liu Yuanshan at the side had relaxed as well. His body was soaked with sweat, showing that the previous battle had been anything but easy for him.
"It is said that Tian Song's family-inherited Ape Fetus Technique originated from a first-rate martial art. Even among second-rate martial arts, it ranks among the very best. It is only natural that it possesses such combat power."
Meng Hongsheng walked forward slowly, looking at Tian Song, who had died with his eyes open, and spoke indifferently.
After saying that, he crouched down and began searching Tian Song's body.
But aside from some miscellaneous items, he found nothing he wanted.
He immediately gave an order to the other Tooth Gang members in the courtyard.
"Search everything in the courtyard."
"Yes, Gang Leader."
The gang members swiftly began moving.
Yet half an hour later, the entire courtyard had been turned upside down, and they still had not found what he wanted.
"It seems old Tian Song did not leave behind the secret copy of the Ape Fetus Technique. What a pity for such a martial art."
Seeing this, Meng Hongsheng could only sigh, a trace of regret appearing on his face.
It was not as if he had never considered leaving Tian Song alive and obtaining this martial art from his mouth.
But given Tian Song's temperament, prying open his mouth would never have been easy. Moreover, even if Tian Song had revealed the cultivation method, Meng Hongsheng would not have believed him. That was why he had shown no mercy and killed him outright.
"Forget it. I'll leave this place to you, Yuanshan. Clean up the loose ends."
"Understood, Gang Leader."
Hearing this, Liu Yuanshan immediately nodded in response.