Who Was Behind the Mad Sand Gang?

"Big brother, who are we killing this time?"

Great Fortune Martial Arts Hall.

A man with a terrifying scar across his face spoke arrogantly.

Master Li took a sip of tea and said calmly, "Little Tiger, over the years, you've handled plenty of bloody business for me."

"With my support, the Mad Blood Gang has grown to the size it is today."

"You, too, were once nothing but a little beggar. Now you're the famous Tiger Brother. You may not be a towering figure, but here in Fangcheng, there aren't many who dare to take you lightly."

Kong Hu's heart stirred. He instantly understood what the other man was getting at.

He rose and clasped his fists. "Big brother, I wouldn't be where I am today without you, Kong Hu. So just tell me—what do you want me to do this time?"

"If you tell me to go east, I won't take a single step west."

"If you tell me to kill myself, I won't utter a word."

"Otherwise, I'm no man!"

"Good!"

Master Li's smile widened.

"Little Tiger, I haven't misjudged you. I backed you to become the leader of the Mad Sand Gang because of that grit in your blood and your gratitude to those who helped you."

With that,

he turned away and sighed. "Little Tiger, since you've put it that way, I won't keep anything from you. This time, I need you to kill a few people."

"Who?"

"He Ping, and his younger brother, He An."

A trace of menace crossed Master Li's face. "He An especially deserves to die. He threatened me, and even humiliated me in front of everyone."

"I won't be able to swallow this hatred until he's dead."

"But... if you kill those two brothers, the Town Martial Division will unleash its fury on you. The Wu Family might even get involved."

"You know what that would mean, don't you?"

Kong Hu gave a scornful laugh.

"Don't worry, big brother. I'd kill them to vent your anger even if it were the Town Martial Division and the Wu Family standing in my way. Even if the old Jade Emperor himself came down, I'd still do it."

"I just have one request, big brother. When I die, make sure you look after my brothers in the Mad Sand Gang."

Master Li was very pleased with Kong Hu's attitude.

"Don't worry. You won't die."

He gave his instructions. "Before you make a move, send a few brothers to cause trouble at his house. Once he loses his patience and hurts them, you can take revenge on him in secret."

"That way, you'll have a perfectly good reason."

"Then I'll step in. Even if someone wants to avenge them, they'll have to think twice about offending me—and the Meng Family."

"After all, while someone's alive, others might care about them."

"But once they're dead, who would care?"

He smiled craftily, like an old fox. "You see what I mean, Little Tiger?"

Kong Hu roared with laughter.

"Big brother, you've thought of everything. This way, you won't have to look after my brothers, and I can wholeheartedly clear every obstacle from your path."

Two days later.

"Get lost!"

A furious roar rang through the sky.

The moment the words fell, a figure shot through the air and crashed heavily to the ground. The others jumped in fright.

He Ping's eyes were bloodshot as he roared, "Bastards! You come to my house every day to provoke me. Who's putting you up to this? Aren't you afraid of dying?"

At that,

the Mad Sand Gang disciples all swallowed nervously.

Even with one arm severed, He Ping was still a Martial Artist in the Muscle Condensing Realm. He wasn't someone they could provoke at will.

If they hadn't been given strict orders, they'd never have dared to act so brazenly, coming here day after day to provoke He Ping into fighting. At least now, they'd finally completed their assignment.

But...

Everyone glanced at the two badly injured disciples.

They were in a pitiful state.

"Just you wait! You dared to lay a hand on our brothers in the Mad Sand Gang. Our leader won't let you get away with it!"

After leaving those words behind,

they carried the two injured disciples and fled as if their tails were on fire.

He Ping panted heavily, the murderous intent in his eyes still undiminished. "Damn it, it's been so long, and now every stray cat and dog thinks they can come pick a fight at my door."

Wang Rou stepped forward and wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Brother Ping, are you all right?"

"I'm fine!"

He Ping let out a breath of relief.

Wang Rou looked worried. "Why do you think they keep coming here to provoke us? We haven't offended anyone."

"And that Mad Sand Gang they mentioned—do you know anything about them, Brother Ping?"

"I do."

Once they were inside the courtyard, He Ping gave her a rough rundown of the Mad Sand Gang.

Wang Rou grew even more worried.

"If we haven't offended them, why do they keep coming to pick a fight? I've lost count of how many times they've come these past two days."

He Ping sighed.

Before long,

Wang Zheng and Sun Wangxian arrived one after the other, having heard what happened.

As soon as Wang Rou saw them, she tactfully stepped away, leaving the men room to talk.

"Brother He, are you all right?"

He Ping shook his head.

Sun Wangxian was the first to curse. "Damn it, those bastards just won't quit! They've come around more times than I can count in the past two days."

"If you hadn't stopped me, I'd have gone straight to their hideout."

"I'd like to see what game they're playing. They don't dare do anything else, but they've got a whole arsenal for making people miserable. They're more disgusting than a mouthful of shit."

His words were crude, but the point was sound.

Wang Zheng chimed in too. "Exactly. They're doing this just to make life miserable for you, Brother He. It's Sister-in-law and Ru'er who have to suffer."

"If it comes to it, I'll stay here today instead of going home. I'll keep watch outside."

"Every time they show up, I'll beat them up, until they're too scared to come back. Let's see who's tougher—them or me."

"No need."

He Ping sighed. "I know He An asked you to look after Rou'er and me for a few days, but this is too much trouble for you."

"Not only would it disturb your peace, it could even make you enemies."

"Just stay home. You don't need to come running over every time you hear a little commotion. I may have lost an arm, but I'm not helpless."

"With those people, I can take on one or a pair at a time."

"But..."

Wang Zheng wanted to say more, but when he met He Ping's gaze, he could only let it go.

He Ping forced a smile.

"Don't worry."

"Whatever else, I used to be with the Town Martial Division, and I'm still a Martial Artist in the Muscle Condensing Realm."

"If they keep provoking me, I can let it go. But if I lose my temper and charge into their hideout alone, I doubt any of them could hurt me."

"Besides, if something really happens, I don't believe you two would stay away."

Wang Zheng and Sun Wangxian exchanged glances, helplessness flickering in their eyes. They didn't want to discourage He Ping, but with him in this state, there wasn't much more they could say.

As they were leaving, Wang Zheng reminded him, "Brother He, if anything happens, just say the word. We're brothers. There's no need to hold back with your brothers."

"Don't worry. I know what I'm doing!"

He Ping laughed freely.

Once the two men had left, a trace of worry rose in He Ping's eyes. He looked outside and murmured, "He An, what on earth are you doing? When are you coming back?"