Hong Liuyun led Hu Suye and the others over. Looking at Bi Fan, he broke into a hearty grin and clapped him on the shoulder. "Good lad! Well done! You finally made that scoundrel Nangong Hongye eat humble pie!"
Bi Fan cupped his hands and smiled. "You flatter me, Brother Hong!"
Shang Chenzong hurriedly cupped his hands in salute. "Greetings, Senior Brother Hong!"
Wu Qinghong and the others behind him followed suit. Hong Liuyun was a straightforward, easygoing man, and he quickly waved them off. "Hey, we're all brothers here. No need for all these formalities!"
"By the way, Junior Brother Shang, how did you end up with Brother Bi Fan? And why are there so few of you left? What about Ma Fei, Liao Wen, Liao Wu, and Chen Liang? I don't see any of them!"
A trace of grief crossed Shang Chenzong's face. He lowered his head, his voice catching as he said, "They all... sacrificed themselves..."
Hong Liuyun's eyes widened like copper bells. "What happened?"
Wu Qinghong filled him in on the whole story. As he spoke, the Nine-Headed Snake Race members' grief and indignation only grew stronger.
Hong Liuyun's eyes reddened. He clenched his fist so tightly his knuckles turned white, then slammed it into the ground, sending up a cloud of yellow sand. "Those beasts from the Great Peng and Kirin Clans! I'll tear them limb from limb!"
Everyone fell silent, but fury blazed across the faces of the Nine-Headed Snake Race members. They wished they could find Jiang Xinpeng and skin him alive.
After a long while, Shang Chenzong pulled himself back from those days of fleeing for their lives. His voice heavy with emotion, he said, "That's what happened. We were lucky to meet Brother Bi Fan at the critical moment. Otherwise, our