After Han Zheng left, Jiang Tai remained standing in the study, his face cycling through hesitation, struggle, and other emotions before finally hardening with ruthlessness.
A man without a ruthless heart was no true gentleman; a man without poison was no true husband!
He treated them as his eldest and second brothers, but had they ever spared a thought for him?
After the Three Harmonies Gang was established, Gao Kaiyuan and Cao Bin each had their own followers. Only he, Jiang Tai, had few gang members willing to follow him because he was the youngest and weakest.
As a result, throughout all these years, he could only offer suggestions on matters large and small within the gang. He could not even make decisions.
Now that he finally had such an opportunity to turn his life around, how could he possibly give it up?
Having made up his mind, Jiang Tai immediately left and headed into the gang hall.
Cao Bin was only in his fifties. By the standards of a Xiantian martial artist, he was not old at all and should have been in the prime of life.
Upon reaching Xiantian Mortal Transformation, one's fleshly body underwent Marrow Washing and Hair Replacement, greatly increasing one's lifespan. Living past a hundred was generally no problem.
However, he had suffered internal injuries in his early years. Thus, in his fifties, his vitality and blood had already begun to decline, and even his hair had turned gray.
When he received news of his only son's death, Cao Bin went blank for a moment, and half his hair instantly turned white.
"Gao Kaiyuan! I will not rest until one of us is dead!"
Cao Bin's expression instantly became incomparably ferocious.
"Eldest Brother, I heard Second Brother's men actually killed Cao Rui?"
Jiang Tai pushed open the door and entered, fury written all over his face. "What is Second Brother doing? It was normal for everyone to have some disputes in the past; it did not matter how their subordinates clashed.
"But Cao Rui was your biological son, Eldest Brother—his own nephew. How could he bring himself to do it?"
Cao Bin roared, "He is not your Second Brother, nor is he my second brother!
"Gao Kaiyuan has coveted the Three Harmonies Gang for more than a day or two. He even wants to kill me. What is there that he would not dare do?"
Cao Bin had not the slightest doubt about the truth of the matter.
After all, Cao Rui had previously clashed with Gao Kaiyuan's subordinates. It was only natural for them to kill this time.
Besides, so many subordinates had witnessed it. His son had died at the hands of gang members under Gao Kaiyuan's command.
Cao Bin suddenly turned to Jiang Tai. "Third Brother, Gao Kaiyuan killed my only son. This time, I will not rest until one of us is dead!
"With Gao Kaiyuan's personality, once he monopolizes the Three Harmonies Gang, he certainly will not tolerate you either.
"You and I should join forces, strike first, and kill Gao Kaiyuan. The Three Harmonies Gang can become the Two Harmonies Gang, and we can still gain a foothold in Black Stone County!"
Jiang Tai revealed a conflicted expression, then gritted his teeth. "Second... Gao Kaiyuan has acted with such vicious ruthlessness. I am willing to join forces with you, Eldest Brother!"
"I'll gather the men right away!"
Cao Bin summoned his subordinates, mobilized his trusted followers, and headed straight for Gao Kaiyuan.
The Three Harmonies Gang's hall stretched along half a street. Cao Bin and Gao Kaiyuan each occupied one side.
At this moment, Gao Kaiyuan still did not know that his men had "killed" Cao Rui. He was listening to other subordinates report the results of their recent investigation.
"Gang Leader, over the past few days, we took over Hall Master Feng Yuan's investigation results and looked into the five suspects he had listed before.
"There were some twists and turns. We clashed with the County Yamen constables several times, and some of our men were even detained.
"Fortunately, the investigation is nearly complete. Four of them can be completely cleared of suspicion.
"There is only one person we have not investigated in depth."
"Oh? Who is that person?"
"Han Zheng, disciple of Li Jingzhong from the Zhenwei Martial Arts School. His strength should be around the Houtian Late Stage.
"It is said that he is the most outstanding among Li Jingzhong's current generation of disciples. He once escorted a merchant caravan for Shenghe Hall and is said to have even slain a Demon.
"At the Martial Arts Academy, he successively defeated Shopkeeper Guo's son, Guo Mingyuan, and Song Tianqing of the Song family, earning the qualification to study the White Ape Through-Arm Fist.
"Behind him stands Li Jingzhong, the 'Through-Arm White Ape.' He is, after all, a Xiantian martial artist, so the brothers did not dare enter the Martial Arts Academy to investigate in detail."
"Zhenwei Martial Arts School!"
A sharp gleam immediately flashed in Gao Kaiyuan's eyes.
He was now almost certain that Han Zheng was the one who had killed Ma Gui and Wang Xiong, then Feng Yuan!
When he had examined Wang Xiong's corpse, he had seen that Wang Xiong died at the hands of the Vajra Fist.
But at that time, Gao Kaiyuan had only been slightly suspicious of the Zhenwei Martial Arts School.
His visit to challenge Li Jingzhong had merely been picking a fight at random, meant only to show outsiders that his subordinates could not die for nothing.
After seeing Li Jingzhong's response, Gao Kaiyuan had concluded it was probably not Li Jingzhong. Li Jingzhong had no reason whatsoever to kill Ma Gui and Wang Xiong.
As for the disciples in the Martial Arts Academy, Gao Kaiyuan considered them all greenhorns who had never seen blood. How could they possibly kill Wang Xiong?
Who could have imagined that after making such a huge circle, they would end up right back where they started? The most suspicious person was actually a disciple of the Zhenwei Martial Arts School!
Now everything matched up.
Killing intent appeared in Gao Kaiyuan's eyes.
Whether Han Zheng truly knew about that matter or had merely killed Wang Xiong first, then Feng Yuan, over a personal grudge with Ma Gui, Han Zheng had to die!
Just as Gao Kaiyuan was preparing to send someone to seize Han Zheng, a subordinate suddenly pushed the door open in a panic.
"Gang Leader, this is bad! The First Gang Leader and Third Gang Leader have come to kill us with their men!"
Gao Kaiyuan's expression immediately changed. "Have they gone mad? Everything was fine yesterday, and now they want a gang fight? And when did Old First persuade Old Third as well?"
The subordinate anxiously said, "The First Gang Leader has truly gone mad this time! We killed Cao Rui—how could he not go mad?
"Gang Leader, think of something quickly! They are already heading straight for our hall!"
"What did you say!? We killed Cao Rui? Who killed him?"
Gao Kaiyuan's eyes widened at once.
Even though he had always openly and secretly struggled against Cao Bin, he would never have killed Cao Bin's son. That would have been forcing Cao Bin to perish together with him.
The subordinate was also stunned.
He had always thought Deng Bao and the others had killed Cao Rui under Gao Kaiyuan's orders.
The subordinate hurriedly said, "Wasn't it under your instructions, Gang Leader?
"This morning, Deng Bao led men to Shenghe Hall to collect Spiritual Medicine, but Cao Rui also brought men to seize the Spiritual Medicine.
"The two sides began fighting after a single disagreement. Wang Tie Zhu, one of Deng Bao's subordinate leaders, was brave and fierce beyond compare, charging straight to Cao Rui.
"But that bastard Cao Rui ignored the rules and directly used a weapon to strike with lethal intent. Wang Tie Zhu then killed him in return."
Gao Kaiyuan froze briefly, then erupted into curses. "Bastards! Who allowed them to act on their own?"
Before Gao Kaiyuan could react, cries of battle had already risen outside.
Gao Kaiyuan's heart sank. He hurriedly pushed open the door and went out.
Outside, Cao Bin and Jiang Tai had already led their men to surround Gao Kaiyuan's hall so tightly that not even water could pass through.
Gao Kaiyuan took a deep breath. "Eldest Brother, this matter is a misunderstanding. I truly never wanted to kill Cao Rui!
"I watched Cao Rui grow up. Although you and I have our disputes, how could I possibly kill my own nephew?
"Even the rules of the martial world say that calamity should not extend to one's family. We are sworn brothers—how could I do such a thing?
"This was a tragedy caused by subordinates who killed until their eyes turned red and lost control.
"I will give you an explanation, Eldest Brother. I will hand over every person who acted at the scene for you to deal with!"
"A misunderstanding?"
Cao Bin gave a miserable laugh. "Gao Kaiyuan, and even at a time like this, you are still playing tricks with me!
"If you had not given the order, how would those gang members dare kill my son?
"Now you are still pretending to be innocent, thinking this matter will be over if you hand over a few scapegoats?
"Wishful thinking!"
Cao Bin's expression grew increasingly ferocious. "The hatred of killing my son cannot coexist under the same sky. Today, we will not rest until one of us is dead!"
Jiang Tai also spoke with grief and indignation. "Second Brother, this is the last time I will call you Second Brother.
"The three of us brothers rose from humble beginnings and struggled so hard to build the Three Harmonies Gang into what it is today.
"Yet because of this power, wealth, and honor, you cruelly killed Cao Rui. Your heart truly is vicious!
"When he was little, he admired you the most. He even said that when he grew up, he wanted to become a man like his Second Uncle. How could you bring yourself to do it?
"Originally, I did not wish to interfere in the dispute between you and Eldest Brother. But now, I have no choice but to act."
"Listen to my explanation..."
A sheen of sweat had already appeared on Gao Kaiyuan's forehead.
Gao Kaiyuan was not afraid of Cao Bin alone.
But with Jiang Tai added to the equation, Gao Kaiyuan had no confidence in defeating the two of them.
He simply could not understand how his subordinates had somehow killed Cao Rui when everything had been fine.
Deng Bao was his trusted confidant and always acted with a clear head. He should have known the consequences of killing Cao Rui.
Besides, Cao Rui himself was a Peak Acquired Stage martial artist, and his Eight Snake Strikes had received Cao Bin's true teachings.
If the two of them fought, who would win and who would lose was still unknown.
Instinct told Gao Kaiyuan that something was wrong with this matter. He had to stabilize Cao Bin and the others first, then investigate.
But the hatred of killing one's son could not coexist under the same sky. To Cao Bin, any explanation from Gao Kaiyuan was sophistry, an insult to him!
"Kill!"
With a flip of Cao Bin's hands, two green snake-shaped daggers fell into his palms.
At the same time, Cao Bin's palms took on a faint dark-green hue, appearing somewhat sinister.
Cao Bin was called the Green Scale Hand partly because of his signature Eight Snake Strikes, and partly because he had once cultivated a poison art passed down from the Miao territories of western Hunan.
He refined all manner of poisons into his hands, allowing them to corrode an opponent's inner force and flesh.
Even when using short weapons like daggers, poison would seep into the weapons themselves, making them exceptionally vicious.
However, Cao Bin was also suffering backlash from this poison art.
His decline in vitality and blood was also because, after being injured in the past, he could not suppress the poison art. Instead, the toxins invaded his meridians, and more than half his cultivation had to be used to suppress their spread through his body.
Meanwhile, Gao Kaiyuan's Shattered Jade Hand could split gold and shatter jade, possessing astonishing offensive and defensive power alike.
He could even directly use the Shattered Jade Hand to withstand Cao Bin's Poisonous Snake Dagger. His cultivation technique faintly countered Cao Bin's.
Jiang Tai at the side immediately joined the battle as well.
Known as the Positive Sun Hand, his famous Solar Palm Technique was broad and open, blazing and fierce.
His cultivation was somewhat weaker than both Cao Bin and Gao Kaiyuan's, but he had barely reached the Late Xiantian Mortal Transformation Realm.
With two against one, they instantly suppressed Gao Kaiyuan.
The disciples under both sides also surged forward and began slaughtering one another.
The vast Three Harmonies Gang hall was instantly stained crimson with blood.