Undertow

Lin'an County.

Red Leaf Town.

As the town with the smallest population and area among the towns under Lin'an County, Red Leaf Town had no remarkable features. Its only claim to fame was a dye raw material called Red Leaf Grass.

One day, in a residential house in a small alley within Red Leaf Town, a tall and thin middle-aged man sat in the courtyard.

In his rough, large hands, he held dry firewood, feeding it into the stove in front of him.

Flames surged within the stove, and atop it sat a clay pot. White steam continuously bubbled out, releasing a faint, bitter medicinal scent into the courtyard.

The middle-aged man's face was a little pale, and his condition didn't seem very good.

His bare upper body clearly showed a dark palm print on his lower back.

Estimating that the heat was just right, the middle-aged man lifted the lid of the clay pot, intending to ladle out a bowl of medicinal soup.

Suddenly, sharp whistling sounds of something cutting through the air erupted from all directions.

The middle-aged man's expression changed. He flung the porcelain bowl in his hand away and leaped nimbly.

Just as he moved away from the ground, the stove was already struck by numerous crossbow bolts, piercing it directly.

The clay pot on the stove also fell to the ground with a crack, shattering.

"Who's there!?"

The middle-aged man leaped onto the rooftop, his gaze sweeping around as he shouted.

"Old man Tian Song, I didn't expect you to still be so agile even when you're this injured. It seems your family's Ape Fetus Technique is truly extraordinary."

A hearty laugh echoed from outside the courtyard, and then a strong figure appeared atop the surrounding wall.

Upon seeing the person clearly, Tian Song's expression immediately turned grim.

"Liu Yuanshan, it's you!!"

That's right, the person who appeared was Liu Yuanshan, the second leader of the Tooth Gang.

"You had a chance to leave Lin'an County City, but unfortunately, you didn't cherish it. Now, you can't leave even if you wanted to."

Liu Yuanshan spoke slowly, a smile that was hard to describe on his face.

Around the walls, Tooth Gang members holding crossbows had also appeared.

The cold tips of the arrows 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 with an intact corpse."

"Dream on!!"

Tian Song knew that he was likely beyond saving this time. He also knew their methods all too well; no matter what, they would never let him off easily.

He roared in anger, stomped on the roof tiles, and his body shot out, charging towards Liu Yuanshan.

Since escape was impossible either way, he wanted to take someone down with him before he died.

"Fire."

Liu Yuanshan waved his hand, and the crossbowmen beside him immediately fired without hesitation.

Bolt after bolt pierced the air, heading straight for Tian Song.

Tian Song had no choice but to halt his attack and dodge.

However, crossbow bolts continued to fly from all directions. He was already injured, making his movements somewhat inconvenient. After a few breaths, due to forcefully channeling his Blood Essence, a trickle of blood flowed from the corner of his mouth.

Looking at the crossbow bolts still being shot at him, Tian Song understood that if this continued, his last bit of strength would be exhausted, and he would only be able to die by a hail of arrows.

"Death awaits me either way, so..."

He took a deep breath, his face flushing. His originally gaunt body seemed to swell up in the next moment. Within a few breaths, he had become much stronger. The muscles exposed on his body bulged, giving off a contradictory feeling of immense power and agility.

"He's going to fight desperately!?"

Seeing this, Liu Yuanshan's mocking smile vanished, replaced by a look of solemnity.

"Get out of my way!"

After transforming, Tian Song's speed became quite astonishing, and even his injuries seemed to have no effect.

Facing dozens of crossbow bolts aimed at him, he moved his palms, shattering all of them.

Not only that, but the shattered crossbow bolts flew back towards the wall, piercing the archers.

In just this one move, more than half of the over twenty Tooth Gang members on the wall were killed or wounded.

The remaining ones could no longer pose a threat to him. Tian Song moved like an ape, extremely agile, heading straight for Liu Yuanshan. He had only one goal: to take Liu Yuanshan down with him, even in death.

Seeing Tian Song charging at him, Liu Yuanshan dared not be careless. He knew the opponent's strength well. Unlike the Axe Gang, the Fist Gang had no powerful backing. Their foothold on Crock Street was entirely due to Tian Song's strength.

His combat power was definitely considered expert among those who had achieved great success in Muscle Forging.

It was only because the opponent was severely injured now that he had the qualification to face him.

"You're just a spent force. You dare to erupt with Blood Essence? You're seeking death."

Liu Yuanshan snorted coldly. His movements were also very agile. He leaped down from the wall and raised his leg to smash at the opponent.

The two met with a bang as their legs and palms collided. They broke apart on contact, only to crash into each other again in the next moment, muffled thuds echoing through the small courtyard.

"It's useless, old man Tian Song. I want to see how much longer you can last."

Liu Yuanshan sneered as they fought.

Though he spoke lightly, his legs were already starting to feel the strain.

Tian Song opposite him attacked him ferociously, as if he had gone mad, disregarding everything else. Liu Yuanshan was already at a disadvantage due to his significantly lower strength, and now, with Tian Song completely ignoring his own injuries, Liu Yuanshan found himself pushed further back.

"Before I die, Tian will definitely take you with me."

Tian Song roared, his demeanor turning even more frantic, and his attacks grew even more ferocious, forcing Liu Yuanshan to retreat continuously.

Just as Liu Yuanshan was about to be forced back against the courtyard wall, with nowhere left to retreat, a gust of wind came from behind him.

A hint of a fishy smell accompanied the strong wind. Tian Song quickly realized what was happening and turned, throwing a powerful punch.

A loud bang echoed, but before Tian Song could react, he felt a cold sensation in his lower abdomen.

The force erupted in the next moment, sending Tian Song flying backward. He slammed hard into the courtyard wall, collapsing it and burying him under a pile of rubble.

Although he quickly burst out of the debris, his body couldn't help but sway. Before he could speak, he spat out a mouthful of blood.

His eyes widened in fury as he stared intently at the figure that had suddenly appeared not far behind him.

"Meng..."

His words were cut short as he fell backward onto the ground, blood flowing from all seven orifices, his life force completely extinguished.

Indeed, the person who had attacked was none other than Meng Hongsheng, the leader of the Tooth Gang.

He had known before coming that Tian Song would definitely fight back desperately, so he had hidden in the shadows, waiting for the final, decisive blow to end the fight.

"This old man Tian Song's strength is indeed not bad. I didn't expect him to unleash such combat power even when heavily injured."

At this moment, Liu Yuanshan on the side also relaxed. His body was already drenched in sweat, clearly indicating that the previous exchange had not been easy for him.

"This Ape Fetus Technique passed down in Tian Song's family is said to be derived from a top-tier martial art, and among second-tier martial arts, it ranks among the very best. It's not surprising he could display such combat power," Meng Hongsheng said as he slowly walked forward, looking at the unclosed eyes of Tian Song.

After speaking, he squatted down and began searching Tian Song's body.

However, apart from some miscellaneous items, he found nothing he was looking for.

He immediately gave instructions to the other Tooth Gang members in the courtyard.

"Search everything in the courtyard."

"Yes, Gang Leader."

Soon, the gang members sprang into action.

After only half an hour, the entire courtyard had been turned upside down, but they still couldn't find what he wanted.

"It seems old man Tian Song didn't leave behind the secret manual for the Ape Fetus Technique. It's a shame for such a martial art," Meng Hongsheng sighed, a hint of regret on his face.

It wasn't that he hadn't considered leaving Tian Song alive to obtain the martial art from him.

However, given the latter's temperament and character, prying open his mouth would not be easy. Moreover, even if he revealed the cultivation method, he wouldn't believe it, which was why he had killed him without holding back.

"Fine, I'll leave the cleanup here to you, Yuanshan."

"Understood, Gang Leader."

Hearing this, Liu Yuanshan immediately nodded in agreement.