"Bahuo!"
"Brother Zheng!"
Cao Neng and Gong Chao spoke up almost simultaneously to stop him.
They had both served in Zhongshan Prefecture for a long time. Though neither had met Huang Kai in person, they had seen him in recordings. The moment Huang Kai leaped out, they recognized him.
Only Zheng Bahuo was new here and didn't recognize Huang Kai.
"Brother Xu, who is this man?"
Huang Kai fixed Zheng Bahuo with a stare, then asked Xu Yi.
If this had happened before, he would have attacked Zheng Bahuo without a second thought. But Xu Yi had just set him straight, and the headstrong young man was full of stories about Guo Jie and Yuan She, heroes who rushed to others' aid and rescued those in danger. He barely managed to keep his anger in check.
Xu Yi said, "To be honest, Brother Huang, I just arrived in Dongshan Prefecture. I thought I'd naturally take over as its prefect, but this Brother Zheng also says he's here to assume the post. Unfortunately, my background is humble. According to our two superiors, the position should go to someone of noble birth. Since that's the case, I have no choice but to yield."
As he spoke, he clasped his hands solemnly toward Huang Kai. "When I visited you earlier, I spoke of becoming prefect of Dongshan. It seems I was presumptuous. Please don't take offense, Brother Huang."
"What a shameless bastard!"
Zheng Bahuo burst out laughing. "Still, you know your place. Since you've admitted defeat, get the hell out of here right now. And one more thing—"
He hadn't finished when Huang Kai exploded in fury. With a string of wild yells, he thrust out his black steel spear like a venomous dragon, its strike as swift as thunder. It smashed right