Interrogation and the First Drop of Blood

"Xiang Yang, what do you want? I'm telling you, don't mess around. We're from the Giant Bear Gang. If you dare to hurt us, our two gang leaders will never let you off."

Zhao Shan, covered in blood, watched Xiang Yang approach step by step. He shivered all over, feeling as though his wounds didn't hurt as much anymore. He struggled to sit up, glaring fiercely at Xiang Yang, trying to intimidate him.

Beside him lay Li Qian, who had fallen to the ground and lost a few teeth. Seeing Xiang Yang walk over, he wanted to curse Xiang Yang along with Zhao Shan, but his teeth were missing, and he couldn't even understand what he was saying himself.

"Don't worry, I just want to ask, why are you guys on Black Mountain? I remember that although your Giant Bear Gang bullies the weak and oppresses the good, you haven't sunk to the point of becoming mountain bandits."

With a slap, Xiang Yang forcefully tore Li Qian's clothes and used the brown cloth strips to wipe his still-dripping Thick-backed Saber. As he spoke, he gestured with the saber, its tip pointed at Li Qian's throat. Li Qian turned deathly pale and sat on the ground, not daring to move.

Seeing this, Zhao Shan felt his heart grow cold. His father, Xiang Da Niu, was a formidable man who had managed to kill two people and injure over a dozen, including Hu Qiang, during an attack by mountain bandits. This kid was also ruthless, capable of taking down two strong adult men like them at such a young age.

"Hmph, of course, we don't need to stoop to being mountain bandits. Our two gang leaders just had us come to Black Mountain for something. You might be strong, kid, but I don't believe you're stronger than Black Wind Mountain Stronghold. Let us go if you know what's good for you. Otherwise, if you delay the important matters of Leader Hu of Black Wind Mountain Stronghold, a hundred deaths wouldn't be enough."

Zhao Shan thought he was invoking a powerful figure to save himself, but he didn't realize he was shooting himself in the foot. Hearing this, Xiang Yang's eyes lit up, filled with curiosity and excitement.

From his encounter with Black Wind Mountain Stronghold, he knew that Hu Qiang was severely injured. His abilities, which were at ten-tenths, were now at most one-tenth. The tiger had become a sick cat, making it the perfect time to strike. However, Hu Qiang was currently protected by many bandits in the stronghold, and Xiang Yang couldn't find an opportunity, so he had to leave dejectedly. Now, hearing that Hu Qiang had other plans and was colluding with Xiong Da and Xiong Er, he became interested.

"I remember your surname is Zhao, right? You harassed a poor widow who relied on selling wontons to make a living in the busy market. My father caught you and taught you a harsh lesson."

Xiang Yang walked past Li Qian and stood in front of Zhao Shan. He kicked the steel saber by Zhao Shan's hand over ten meters away, then crouched down and grabbed Zhao Shan's hair. The immense strength made Zhao Shan cry out in pain, tears welling up in his eyes. His knife wounds felt less painful than this.

"Easy, easy, Master Xiang. We can talk about anything. Whatever you want to know, I'll tell you everything without holding back. Your father is a martial arts master, and you're a worthy son of a good father. I surrender, I surrender."

Hearing this, Xiang Yang frowned. His father, Xiang Da Niu, was a martial arts master? Didn't only Magistrate Li and over a dozen constables know about his father's saber skills? But then again, Xiang Da Niu had been a constable in Anyuan for over a decade, so it wasn't surprising that he might have inadvertently revealed his skills a few times and been noticed.

This made it harder to find the culprits who had colluded with Hu Qiang to harm Xiang Da Niu. At the very least, they couldn't use their knowledge of Xiang Da Niu's martial arts prowess as a clue to find the killer.

"Enough nonsense, tell me quickly, what connection does Hu Qiang have with your Giant Bear Gang?"

Xiang Yang's mood soured at this thought, and his expression turned grim. The cold light in his phoenix eyes, combined with his recent display of strength in defeating the two, filled Zhao Shan with fear. He quickly recounted the entire story of their trip up the mountain, terrified that Xiang Yang would get impatient and kill him.

Li Qian, despite his slurred speech, nodded in agreement from time to time, proving that Zhao Shan wasn't omitting or deceiving anything, thus trying to curry favor with Xiang Yang.

According to the two, the two leaders of the Giant Bear Gang and Hu Qiang indeed had a close relationship. The three were sworn brothers and were already acquainted before Hu Qiang became a mountain bandit. After Hu Qiang went up the mountain, they didn't contact each other much openly, but they secretly kept in touch.

Especially when the Giant Bear Gang encountered rivals they couldn't handle, they would secretly hire Hu Qiang and the people from Black Wind Mountain Stronghold to kill them. Over the years, many strong figures in the underworld had died this way, while the Giant Bear Gang grew stronger and stronger.

That wasn't all. Hu Qiang was greedy for money and lustful. To please him, Xiong Da and Xiong Er of the Giant Bear Gang often offered him money and beautiful women for his pleasure.

Life in the stronghold was harsh, and Hu Qiang wasn't in a position to do as he pleased. Therefore, under Xiong Da and Xiong Er's arrangements, he often disguised himself and entered Anyuan County, seeking pleasure in the red-light districts under the Giant Bear Gang's territory. He would spend a day and a night there, after which at least five frail women would be left in a terrible state.

By the end of their story, Zhao Shan and Li Qian's eyes were filled with envy. What more could a man ask for than such a life!

Xiang Yang's heart churned with a tempestuous storm. Colluding with Hu Qiang to eliminate rivals – was Xiang Da Niu killed for this reason?

It was well-known that the Giant Bear Gang had always been arrogant and overbearing in Anyuan, oppressing the weak. Xiang Da Niu, being kind and honest, often stood up for the weak and helped those in need, just like in Zhao Shan's case. It was plausible that he was killed because he became a hindrance to the Giant Bear Gang.

As he thought this, a terrifying cold glint appeared in Xiang Yang's eyes, causing Zhao Shan and Li Qian to shrink back. They were too familiar with such a look. It was the same look butchers had before slaughtering pigs, and Xiong Da and Xiong Er had before killing people. It was the aura of killing.

"Calm down. The truth hasn't been ascertained yet, so I can't act rashly. However, this is a direction worth investigating. According to these two, Hu Qiang is recuperating uncomfortably in the stronghold after his injury. He wants to recuperate at the Giant Bear Gang's place in Anyuan County. This is a heaven-sent opportunity. I can use this chance to eliminate Hu Qiang first and then force him to reveal the mastermind. That way, Xiong Da and Xiong Er can be identified."

Xiang Yang let out a long sigh, calming his excitement. He then looked at the two men before him, hesitating.

These two had already contacted Hu Qiang and delivered the message. Their deaths wouldn't affect Hu Qiang coming down the mountain. More importantly, they recognized him. If he let them return to the county, Xiong Da and Xiong Er would know everything that happened at the foot of the mountain and would never let him go.

However, he felt a bit conflicted about killing them. After all, he was an otaku from Earth. He would hesitate even to kill a chicken, let alone a person.

"I can't be soft-hearted. This is a matter of life and death. There's no other choice; I have to kill them even if I don't want to."

Survival versus death – this was a choice with no choice. Killing others versus being killed, there was no choice either. Moreover, having come to this world with aspirations of martial arts and wandering the jianghu, bloodshed was inevitable.

While Xiang Yang was hesitating, Zhao Shan and Li Qian, being astute individuals, sensed Xiang Yang's murderous intent. They exchanged glances and simultaneously lunged at Xiang Yang, their eyes filled with the madness of a life-or-death struggle. Faced with death, they had to fight back.

Xiang Yang smiled at their lunging attack. Now he didn't have to choose.

A flash of red light from the saber, a twist of his wrist, and the strength of his arm. How could two injured, unarmed men be his match?

With a single slash, the throats of both men spurted out a fountain of blood. They fell to the ground, struggling to cover their throats, their eyes fixed on Xiang Yang with venomous resentment. Their deaths were eerily similar.