Act 3, Big Gun

[Part 1: Wulong Fortress]

Looking towards the Old Pipe Alley, to the east of the alley is a small workshop for processing copperware, while to the west of the alley is a market for processing corn pipes and Dark Wood.

Walk another twenty steps or so from the alley entrance, and you'll see the sign for Xingfuli Community Health Center. Next to it, on a low hill rising slightly, sits a tall, stout wooden building—that's Wulong Fortress.

The walled city was surrounded by fences. If you looked closely, you would see that most of the fences were made from scrap steel plates rolled out of the mill, recycled material from a knife factory. To put it simply, think about it: the kitchen fruit knives we use now all have a handle, and that part of the iron bar is welded on.

The blade material from large processing plants is difficult to shape using stamping technology, so a softer stainless steel is added as the handle by welding. These fences are made of steel plates that have been cut by stamping machines, and they are full of holes from the handles. They are probably scrap materials that the knife workers living in Wulong Fortress secretly took from the factory.

The five layers of steel plates with handle holes inside and out have become a unique sight outside Wulong Fortress, serving as both a wall and a security screen. If a pedestrian were unlucky enough to fall on this layer of railing, their flesh would definitely be torn into pieces. If they went to a surgeon for stitches, the doctor would probably have to ask the patient's family to pick up the pieces of flesh before performing the surgery.

"Impressive!" Upon seeing the iron mesh, 9527 immediately gave Thumb: "Outside, tobacco leaves are fried in oil, but coming into this fortress is like climbing a mountain of knives—this decor is truly imposing!"

The gatekeeper and Thumb Guy exchanged a glance, communicated with each other, and then opened the gate to let people in.

The ground floor is filled with shops, resembling a large department store. From breakfast stalls on the west side of the podium to real estate agencies and tailor shops in the middle, there is also a small space between the first and second floors, which seems to be a converted attic from the former Wulong Villa. Chunhua Hair Salon is located here.

There were Chinese signs for beauty salons and hair salons nearby, as well as matchmaking agencies for prostitutes and matchmakers. The prostitutes' signs indicated that they were engaged in the sex industry, while the matchmakers were legitimately arranging dates for single men.

Looking further east from the annex building, a main gate facing south leads to the main hall of the Wulong Villa, which is also the home of Old Master Dongfang Hao. However, this main gate is a bit difficult to access, as the roads on both sides extend outwards, leading residents to illegally add numerous iron mesh panels as hanging boards, using them as rain shelters to build small convenience stores.

Refrigerated containers and barbecue grills are placed here. Further away are a basketball court and three wells. Looking up at the buildings, the once luxurious and grand martial arts training poles of the Wulong Villa, as well as the archway built with seven bronze dragon-patterned pillars, are all relics left over from the training grounds after the entrance. Now they have become telephone poles, with dense wires flying in from all directions and landing in ordinary people's homes.

"Is the landlord seeing any guests today?" Thumb Guy went to the lobby and immediately grabbed a kind-looking young man.

The young man was still washing up by the incense burner in the lobby, his head and mouth covered in foam. He wasn't wearing any clothes, only his underwear. When he saw the woman from outside, he panicked and ran away in a flash. Two minutes later, he changed into the cotton shop's employee uniform and slowly crossed the threshold of the old building.

"So it's Brother Mana back. I didn't come to greet him, so I'll punish myself with three drinks. We'll settle those three drinks at tonight's supper."

Thumb, just as it was about to unleash its soul power, said, "Tsk, stop talking nonsense."

"No! No, no, no! Big brother, please don't hit me!" The younger brother, who looked no more than twenty-one or twenty-two, leaned close to Thumb and sniffed at the two strange women. "The landlord has moved to the seventh floor now. He has rheumatism, and living on a lower floor isn't good for his health—some officials came looking for someone today, asking Grandfather to do them a favor."

Thumb asked in a low voice, "Are you talking about the militia or...?"

"Of course it's the militia," the younger brother whispered. "Guangling Zhixi only sends gifts; they wouldn't bother him."

Thumb: "Is the landlord still inside?"

"I don't know about that." The younger brother shrugged and then secretly glanced at the two girls next to Thumb: "May I ask your names, ladies? Do you have a blog? Do you surf the internet? How about we add each other on WeChat and chat?"

9527 tilted his head and leaned closer to his Thumb: "Has this guy never seen a woman before?"

"When you met the gunsmith before, you acted like you'd never seen a man before," Thumb retorted. "That's how it is here. Most women with a bit of looks have to sell their bodies—the people in Wulong Fortress are all from the bottom of society. If someone asks for your WeChat, it's considered an acknowledgment of your beauty. Not directly sexually harassing you is already extremely restrained."

9527: "Then it's alright."

Thumb: "I suspect you're insulting me, but I have no proof."

Jiang Bailu, without saying a word, pointed to the elevator--

"--Walk!"

After the three left the incense hall in the front hall, the guide took off his work clothes again, went shirtless, and continued washing up. He neatly folded his clothes, brushed his teeth, and washed his hair at the same time. He glanced meaningfully at the sticker on the mirror.

Those were tiny logos of anonymous people, and the titanium-plated steel stamp on the Flash Butterfly Armor, just like the cartoon characters in advertisements, like the chibi versions of Superman, Batman, or Ultraman from our childhood.

"Come on!----"

From the alleyway outside the main gate, rows of strong men doing their morning exercise run past the wall; most of them are employees of the knife factory.

"Effort!----"

Without saying a word, the young man slung the towel over his shoulder, picked up his work clothes and took them to the cotton-fluffing workshop. He immediately joined the morning runners, exercising and cheering with them.

"Struggle!!!----"

"We're all bundled up so tightly," Bailu said, puzzled. "Why did that guy on the first floor recognize my sister-in-law and me as women at a glance?"

Xiao Qi and Bailu were both wearing the Flash Butterfly Armor. This suit of armor also had a complete set of cold-resistant cotton and linen fabric and a waterproof poncho over it, and they wrapped their face helmets with headscarves.

Thumb explained, "Ade is a mixed-race; his mother has one-sixteenth lapis lazuli blood. It's already quite rare by his generation."

"Ade?" Bai Lu asked doubtfully, "Why doesn't he join the militia or..."

Thumb continued, "His full name is Zhao Youde. Also—this kid isn't the one who watches over the incense hall on the first floor; he just likes to wash his hair and brush his teeth there. He works in the fortress making cotton quilts. As for why he doesn't join the militia or pursue a military career..."

I stuck my index finger into the small advertisement in the elevator.

--Thumb continued.

"Yulong Hotel, see that? Security guards cost 8,400 Hui Stone Currency, standard equipment includes USPs and stun batons. The captain level is guaranteed to be equipped with fully automatic weapons."

"Look at this militia advertisement again."

"The Lieyang Fort security team, under the jurisdiction of the district government, is recruiting volunteers. They will receive a monthly living allowance of 1,800 yuan, and their armed forces will be at their own expense."

"Moreover."

Thumb's eyes dimmed.

"Ade's father was a gambling addict, and his mother died early. He had to survive, eat, drink, and find a wife. Once he left the village, the debt collectors would try to sell his organs for money. It's like the son has to pay for the father's debts."

"In this life, there's no such thing as living the life you want—you're often not in control of your own destiny."

"There are many other people in the walled city with families, who are hungry, cold, and penniless. How can they talk about justice?"

Just then, the elevator stopped at the 1.5th floor. Several flamboyantly dressed and heavily made-up women squeezed in; they were the top courtesans under the management of the brothels in Wulong Fortress.

Putting aside the fact that these women are all over forty years old, and without any intention to attack their appearance, their heavily armored descriptions suggest they are retired bathhouse workers who have returned to the walled city seeking new employment opportunities.

"Oh my, isn't this Mana! The big shot with the Hand of Omnipotence!" The woman in the lead was wearing a high-slit cheongsam, her features were somewhat scattered, and with her cheap foundation and perfume, Bailu mistook her for some kind of monster.

The woman in the cheongsam, fanning herself with a peach blossom fan, squeezed her way to Mana's side.

"--What wind blew you back?"

Thumb: "Cough! Cough cough cough! Mind your manners."

"Hehehe," the woman in the cheongsam told her friends to lean against the elevator wall to make room for the guests. After that, they didn't have much in common to talk about.

"Could it be that you've patronized some of my sisters' businesses before?" Bailu asked curiously.

Thumb shook his head. "No, they've always thought that way—to find a reliable man to settle down with."

"That's right!" the woman in the cheongsam perked up again. "It's just that Brother Mana looks down on us ordinary women."

Bailu wanted to say something more, but her sister-in-law kicked her.

9527 could clearly sense that Bailu was a bit extreme. Like Xue Ming, the siblings couldn't stand the human flesh trade.

But if I had to insist—

These tall, slender service workers are probably not human. Judging monsters by human moral standards is probably too much to ask.

They are nearly 185 centimeters tall, almost two meters tall when wearing high heels, and are all hybrids of calamity beasts.

"What's wrong?" The woman in the cheongsam covered her mouth with her peach blossom fan, sacrificing her last shred of dignity. "I can smell your disgust. Are you looking down on us?"

"Hehe." The goldfish-eyed little sister sidled up to her older sister, grinning mischievously, "I just love making money while lying down! What else can I do? Kneel down? So many people want to lie down but don't have that kind of luck!"

"Stop arguing with the guests." A young woman in a dark blue Hanfu leaned forward with a gloomy expression, her pupils and hair even taking on an eerie, cold blue hue. "The landlord is still waiting for us. We have important guests to entertain today, so get yourself together and go serve them."

Thumb immediately asked upon hearing this.

"--Are the younger sisters here to meet the militia?"

The leading woman in the cheongsam looked arrogant as she dismissed the peach blossom fan from her lips and revealed a generous smile, as if she had found a good new employer.

"It's a client of the White Shark Association who needs Mr. Landlord to do something. To close the deal, we naturally need to sing and dance."

Bailu cursed under her breath, "Shameless!" but kept her expression hidden from the mask, seething with anger.

Xiao Qi remained completely unmoved; instead, she noticed something intriguing—

--The one in the bright red cheongsam at the head of the dress looks like a koi fish.

The hyperthyroid, goldfish-eyed girl on the side, fanning the flames, looked like a yellow croaker in her tight-fitting clothes.

As for the blue-haired girl in the navy blue Hanfu behind her, she looks exactly like an electric eel come to life.

All three of them share the same characteristic.

The eldest sister had wavy curly hair, and earrings were hidden under her hair. The little Anubis jackal head was the steel stamp of Meteor's helmet.

The second sister wore black-rimmed glasses on her forehead to cover her ugliness; the frames also had gold jackal markings.

The third sister was more direct; near her palm, she had a large wolf mask with a shooting star tattooed on her arm. Looking through the black gauze, one could see a Fusou Wannian lock tattooed on her chest.

In addition, the other two silent sea monsters also bore the mark of the nameless General of Tears on their accessories, faces, and bodies.

So when they got to the seventh floor, Xiao Qi asked Thumb and Bailu to wait a bit, letting these flamboyant ladies go about their business and have some fun with the VIPs of the White Shark Association.

Xiao Qi, along with Thumb and Bailu, sat on a bench in the aisle of the teahouse, deliberately hiding next to the fire escape, waiting for the White Shark Association members to leave before assessing the situation.

[Part ②: Shameless Bastard]

In the tea room where guests are received, there are five wooden dummy statues.

--Then they saw an elderly man with white hair practicing martial arts; it was Dongfang Hao.

His boxing stance is powerful and vigorous, his techniques are flexible and varied, and he inhales like an ox and exhales like an arrow.

The teahouse was crammed with about twenty thugs, all dressed in shiny black clothes and boots.

The two leading members of the White Shark Association Gang are brothers.

The two sat in the host's seat in Dongfang Hao's house, which was originally the place where the Grandfather and his wife did tea ceremony and calligraphy and painting.

My older brother is a man of refined tastes and a respectable person. In the underworld, he's known as the Xuanfeng Hu, referring to his two Nepalese kukri knives and his Chicago typewriter, and how swift and efficient he is in gang fights. He sits very politely and formally.

The younger brother wasn't so particular; he had a pair of muddy boots hanging by the door, and he had taken off his socks and was barefoot, resting them on the old man's tea table.

"Rolling Earth Dragon, well done! You did a great job!"

The younger brother, encased in the white fox fur cloak, watched with great interest.

"Wow, impressive! How old is the old man? He can still perform such moves? That's quite something!"

My younger brother's nickname is "Sangmen Xing," and he and his older brother, Xuanfeng Hu, are two shareholders of a security company under the White Shark Association. To put it bluntly, they are remnants of the War Gang who have changed their skin, transformed into militiamen, and returned to work.

The reason these two cannot reveal their real names is also related to the chaotic ecosystem of Lieyang Fort. As mentioned before, the wizards here understand evil magic and can cast curses upon knowing a person's real name. Therefore, most villains burdened with blood debts never dare to utter their real names.

Dongfang Hao finished performing a set of gymnastic boxing moves with feigned profundity, but his original air of a reclusive master was gone. Hearing the teasing from the Sangmen Xing, the Grandfather chuckled and returned to the tea table to brew tea and serve water to the two distinguished guests. He took special care of the Sangmen Xing, serving him a cup of tea and snacks.

"Oh! As long as the young master is enjoying it!"

The Sangmen Xing, who had initially been arrogant and domineering, now seemed to have thrown a punch at empty air, becoming all bark and no bite.

"Hey, I called you Rolling Earth Dragon! Look at you, acting like a lackey! Don't you think it's shameful?"

Dongfang Hao quickly shook his head, his beard swaying wildly, "No, no, no, no! It's not shameful at all, hehe."

Just then, the older brother, Xuanfeng Hu, who hadn't said a word, suddenly kicked his younger brother's leg off the table.

"Nonsense!"

The kick was so powerful that it nearly knocked half of the Sangmen Xing's body off balance, and also smashed the table leg and chair.

The Sangmen Xing plopped down on the ground, and the tea and snacks that Old Master Dongfang was about to deliver also suffered. The scalding teacup spilled onto the trouser leg of the henchman next to him, burning him and making the henchman howl.

A happy little boy had half a piece of osmanthus cake on his face and tasted it carefully.

"The snacks for the rich are just so delicious!"

The Sangmen Xing looked disheveled, and as he got up from the ground, he covered his buttocks. He stood next to his brother and became sinister and ruthless.

"Put your shoes on." Xuanfeng Hu took out his cane, hooked his younger brother's shoes from the side door, and handed them back to his brother.

The Sangmen Xing: "Hmm."

Xuanfeng Hu: "Explain yourself clearly!"

"Good! Big brother!" Sangmen Xing.

Xuanfeng Hu: "I need to ask Mr. Dongfang Hao, the Dragon from Across the River, to settle a small matter at Yangjiang Ferry Terminal. Go on, speak clearly, so that Mr. Dongfang Hao can hear me clearly and understand everything."

The Sangmen Xing muttered to himself as he put on his shoes.

"Sir, we need your help with something. A group of foolish soldiers from our unit have detained a shipment of our goods."

Xuanfeng Hu: "What do you mean by 'blind soldiers'? They're heroes protecting the people!"

"Yes, that's right." The Sangmen Xing nodded hurriedly. "You are a highly respected person! Fifty years ago, who didn't know you, Rolling Earth Dragon?"

Xuanfeng Hu: "Crossing-the-River Dragon!"

"Yes, yes, everyone knows your name," Sangmen Xing quickly added. "Now, whether it's the Police Department, the militia, or even the heroes of the warband, they all have to listen to you and give you face."

Halfway through the sentence--

--Dongfang Hao's expression changed subtly, but only for a moment. His fierce gaze vanished, and he returned to his smiling demeanor.

"There's room for discussion! This is easy to talk about, it just might not be that quick."

"No need to rush!" Eldest brother Xuanfeng Hu immediately said, "I believe this is definitely a misunderstanding—after all, those cargo boatmen and grain farmers are all law-abiding citizens, all law-abiding citizens."

The Sangmen Xing chimed in, "All you have to do is make a phone call to get them out of Yangjiang Ferry, and we'll take care of the rest."

Yangjiang Ferry is the safest place in the entire Lieyang Fort, with the most naval police vessels, and it is also the location of the Guangling Zhixi Battle Group's military camp.

If the anti-drug team in charge of this case leaves Yangjiang Ferry, they'll probably be riddled with bullets and dismembered by these two brothers.

"You want me to help you kill someone?" Dongfang Hao asked calmly, a smile still on his face, though not as enthusiastic as before.

The eldest brother, Xuanfeng Hu, wanted to explain further, "Grandpa, don't worry! We just want justice. In broad daylight, under the clear sky, I'm sure the heroes of the warband wouldn't wrong an innocent person! But to clear up the misunderstanding—to clear up the misunderstanding, we definitely need a suitable place to meet and put aside our differences."

The younger brother, the Sangmen Xing, immediately said, "Let's set up a banquet at Songya Farm, sixteen miles outside Yangjiang Ferry. The butterfly fish here is exceptional. I 'White Shark Association. Let's have a good drink with our heroes."

Dongfang Hao: "You want my help to kill members of the Warband? I used to be a member of the Warband too."

In the main hall where the tea ceremony was held, behind the two brothers was the shrine to the God of Guns, and the three Master of Ceremonies of gunpowder were still enshrined in the altar.

Above them is a plaque, now inscribed with "Long Live to a Hundred Years," but originally it was supposed to be "Evil Buster."

"--That's great! The old man is indeed a reasonable person!" The Sangmen Xing performed a riddle for Dongfang Hao on the spot.

Immediately after, Xuanfeng Hu waved his hand, and his underlings came over to bring cigarettes and lighters. They were then slapped hard by their boss and finally understood his true intentions. They hurriedly handed over all the money they had prepared.

That was a whole box full of paper money and cash, totaling 1.84 million Hui Stone Currency.

Xuanfeng Hu picked up the teacup, his eyes practically spitting fire, challenging Dongfang Hao to a fight.

"You need to think clearly about how you went from being a dragon crossing the river to Earth Dragon!"

"Take this money, and you'll live a long and healthy life! Your brothers will go through fire and water for you, Brother Hao!"

The underlings shouted in unison—

"--I'll go through fire and water for you, Brother Hao!"

The shouts of the workers during their morning exercise drifted in from outside the window, fading into the distance. Work was about to begin, and people were rushing to the streets to clock in at the factory.

"Come on!----"

"Effort!----"

"Struggle!----"

"Hehehehe." Dongfang Hao suddenly laughed with relief.

He quickly closed the lid of the money box.

"I'm so sorry, hehehe. I'll take the money, but this job is a bit tricky. How about this?"

The old man snapped his fingers, immediately ordering several of the top courtesans from the brothel to come in and perform songs and dances for the two young talents.

"Shall we watch something exciting first?"

The Fish Demon slowly entered, made a perfunctory entrance before the tea hall, and bowed to the two distinguished guests.

The younger men watched until their throats were dry, and the young man who had just finished eating the osmanthus cake murmured to himself.

"I never expected such a scumbag as Wulong Fortress to have such a beauty!? I like mature women!"

The underling only shut his mouth after the two bosses turned their heads away.

"Ah Feng told me that these monster hybrids all come from arts schools, so of course they can't compare to the Jiali from the White Shark Association! But when it comes to figures, the monsters are definitely more attractive."

Dongfang Hao squatted beside the Xuanfeng Hu, his face full of a lewd smile, looking exactly like a lecherous old man.

"Why don't we rest here for a while? We can come back later."

Xuanfeng Hu grew impatient, finding the old man's chatter annoying.

He took a machete from his waistband and threw it deadly at the woman in the cheongsam in front of him.

The knife spun out, but Dongfang Hao kicked it away halfway through its flight and then grabbed it tightly back into his hand.

The old man returned the machete, his face filled with disbelief; he was so frightened that his heart wasn't quite right.

"Young Master, if she has slighted you two, she doesn't deserve to die."

Before he could finish speaking, the second young Sangmen Xing, unleashed another slash—

This time, Dongfang Hao was finally powerless to stop it.

He's too old; he's too old to walk.

The Sangmen Xing was five feet away from him; even in his youth, he wouldn't have been able to catch the sudden flying knife.

The Grandfather closed his eyes, not wanting to see blood.

--The top courtesans in the brothel are all very clever. When they see a customer venting his anger, they immediately run to hide in various places, trying to hide behind tables, chairs, and screens, or even hugging a henchman as a shield.

Only one silly-looking pufferfish girl stood with her mouth open, seemingly unaware of what was happening. Her chubby, oval face turned round and plump from fright.

The throwing knife grazed her forehead, barely breaking the skin, before a hand caught it.

"--Son of a bitch!"

9527 cursed and swore, then grabbed the knife and kicked the silly girl beside her into the corridor.

Thumb Guy and Bailu are still hiding in the back.

"What's wrong with her?!"

"No, I don't know either! My sister-in-law told us not to do anything rash!"

"Why did she just run off by herself?"