Green Wolf Gang and Taking Action

The three men all had thick limbs and broad, sturdy frames; one look told you they were people who had tempered their strength year-round. The two leashed dogs were likewise built like short pillars, their muscles firm and solid. Their great mouths hung open, sharp teeth bared and drool dripping, with red stains still clinging to their teeth.

Xiang Yang's heart stirred. He had not even reached Anjia Manor yet—where had these men come from? Could An Qinglong have anticipated something and sent people here in advance to stand guard?

With a simple, honest smile, Xiang Yang bent his back, hunching over as he carried the red dates toward the three men. "Sirs, I'm from Encirclement Village. My family harvested two baskets of red dates, and I thought I'd bring them to Anjia Manor to sell for a good price."

Only after drawing close did Xiang Yang sense that something was off. The man without a dog aside, the other two wore blue clothing and each had a wooden wolf-head ornament hanging from his waist. That was the standard gear of the Green Wolf Gang, another major gang in Anyuan County.

And those two vicious dogs were anything but cute. They looked extraordinarily savage and bloodthirsty; bits of flesh were still visible on their teeth. If the men had not held them back, they would have already pounced. They also resembled the Green Wolf Gang's distinctive chained green wolves.

"Selling dates? Give me a few to taste."

The unarmed man's eyes lit up. This godforsaken place was hot and sunny, with no entertainment whatsoever. They could only stand here staring into space, and his mouth had been plain and tasteless all day. Some red dates would be just right.

As he spoke, the man did not care whether Xiang Yang agreed or not. He reached out and grabbed a large handful, tossed several into his mouth, and chewed for a while. The muscles in his face relaxed. Even without saying a word, anyone could see how comfortable and happy he was.

The other two men holding the vicious dogs gave him cold glances. Unlike the date-eater, they did not relax at all. Instead, they closed in on Xiang Yang, one before and one behind, sealing off his retreat. The two vicious dogs also stared fixedly at one of the bamboo baskets, growling warily.

Xiang Yang found it rather baffling. What did these two Green Wolf Gang members mean? On the surface, he was just a date seller, a farmer who understood nothing and knew nothing. Were they planning to silence him too?

"Forget it. Look at that fool's face—he definitely doesn't know our people have already surrounded this place. Kid, let me give you some advice: turn back now. Don't go to Anjia Manor."

The man eating dates wanted to spare Xiang Yang, but the two Green Wolf Gang members thought otherwise. The blue-clad man with the round face and large eyes watched Xiang Yang vigilantly. "Dump out that basket of red dates. Hurry up."

At this point, the date-eating man also realized something was wrong. He tossed away the dates and, with a swish, yanked a leather whip from his waist. With a crack, he lashed it through the air. Judging by its force and the strength behind it, even if he knew no martial arts, he had certainly practiced with that whip for many years.

Xiang Yang's face darkened. His Wild Goose Feather Saber was beneath the basket on his left. How had these two discovered there was something suspicious about him?

But when he saw the two vicious dogs glaring like tigers watching prey, their slightly twitching black noses still speckled with tiny insects, he instantly understood.

Back at the Blacksmith Shop, he had wounded so many people with the Wild Goose Feather Saber. Though he had hastily washed it once after returning to his little courtyard and removed much of the bloody smell, just because humans could not smell it did not mean dogs could not. A dog's nose was unmatched when it came to tracking scents.

"You two beasts, ruining my grand plans."

At that moment, Xiang Yang had a curse on the tip of his tongue. He also felt that his luck was terrible. His so-called disguise had turned into a joke. If there were trained dogs inside Anjia Manor too, the chances of his being recognized would be high.

It had to be said that there was a vast gap between ideas and reality. Ever since Xiang Yang had transmigrated, he had carried the Wordless Book, and things had gone smoothly for him during this period, without any setbacks. He had become somewhat arrogant. Neither the Giant Bear Gang nor the Little Knife Society had been worth his notice; he had felt that he was the protagonist chosen by fate.

His original plan had been excellent: disguise himself and enter Anjia Manor, locate Young Master Lan first, then use Martial Prowess to subdue everyone inside. Yet before he had even entered the manor, two vicious dogs had seen through his tracks and disguise, dealing him a blow right over the head.

"Fine. From now on, I must be cautious and then even more cautious in everything I do. Better to be awakened by two dogs than to die at someone else's hands someday because of my arrogance and conceit."

His mind clear, Xiang Yang's expression changed from simple and honest to shrewd and profound. With one kick, he sent the bamboo basket flying. As red dates scattered everywhere, he leaped up as well, thrust his hand into the basket, and drew out the Wild Goose Feather Saber. By the time his feet touched the ground, the long blade had already left its sheath. The entire motion flowed like drifting clouds and running water, impressively dashing.

On the other side, seeing Xiang Yang change faces faster than turning the pages of a book, the two blue-clad men holding the dogs released their leashes and let the vicious beasts pounce at him, shouting, "Go! Bite him to death!"

As for the other man, he gripped his leather whip and stared intently at Xiang Yang. His feet shifted through the weeds with rustling sounds, always keeping himself safe while remaining ready to strike the instant Xiang Yang exposed an opening.

The vicious dogs lunged. Xiang Yang retreated several steps, then exerted force and flew up with a kick, striking the waist of one dog where its white fur showed as it leaped. With a wronged yelp, it rolled away in a tumble.

The other vicious dog seized the chance to leap at Xiang Yang. Its huge mouth opened, ready to bite him, but Xiang Yang stretched out his left hand and held the saber sheath crosswise before its jaws. With a crunch, it bit down, nearly shattering its dense, sharp teeth.

Another kick sent this vicious dog flying aside as well. Had Xiang Yang not held back, those two kicks would have been enough to kill both dogs.

"So you really are a trained fighter. Are you someone from the Little Knife Society here to deliver a message? Blow the whistle! Call people! Call them!"

When the whip-wielding man saw Xiang Yang handle the two fierce, bloodthirsty dogs so cleanly and decisively without even using the blade's edge, his legs went weak. Yet his words remained vicious. At the same time, he flicked his leather whip toward Xiang Yang.

Xiang Yang had already made up his mind. Since he had not killed the dogs, he naturally would not injure people either. The Wild Goose Feather Saber flashed, and he unleashed Unraveling the Cocoon from the Hu Family Saber Technique. Following the path of the incoming whip, he sliced through it, directly ruining the man's familiar weapon of many years and cutting it into two. At the same moment, he backhandedly threw the sheath from his left hand, striking the whip-wielding man in front with a smack and knocking him down.

That was not the end. He pushed off the ground and sprang forward, striking left and right, slapping the two Green Wolf Gang members—whose fighting strength had plummeted after losing their vicious dogs—until stars danced before their eyes and they spun round and round.

"Now I ask, and you answer. If there is even the slightest mistake, don't blame this young master's blade for failing to recognize people."

In a matter of moments, the three men and two vicious dogs had all been taken out. Terror and panic rose in their hearts. Normally, this standard combination of three men and two dogs would not fear even seven or eight men, but today they had truly met their downfall.

"Big brother, let's talk this over. I'll tell you everything I know, without holding back a single word. Our people are all around this area now. If you kill us, you won't be able to escape either. Please, don't act rashly."