Changle Gang territory.
Feng Sheng, once a hall master of the Golden Fish Gang, had now found refuge with the Changle Gang.
He was on close terms with one of the Changle Gang's hall masters.
That hall master had urged Feng Sheng to join the Changle Gang. The gang leader had also promised him that, if he joined, he would become the Changle Gang's seventh hall master.
Faced with such a warm invitation, Feng Sheng was naturally quite tempted. For now, though, he was still considering it.
After all, joining another gang immediately after his own had been destroyed would inevitably make people look down on him.
What was more, the Changle Gang already had too many hall masters—six in all. If he joined, there would be seven.
He also knew something about the Changle Gang's leader. He knew the man had great ambitions but little talent, was only average in strength, and was nevertheless wildly ambitious.
If he followed him, he might well end up repeating the Golden Fish Gang's fate.
He had been lucky this time to escape alive. Next time, he might not be so fortunate.
The Golden Fish Gang's destruction had dealt Feng Sheng a heavy blow, leaving him dispirited. He planned to rest for a while and recover his fighting spirit.
One day.
Feng Sheng was leisurely sipping tea beneath a pavilion.
His friend in the Changle Gang, Hall Master Yang Hao, suddenly pushed open the courtyard gate in a hurry, his face alight with excitement.
"Something big has happened!"
Hall Master Yang Hao hurried over and sat down in front of Yang Hao. He picked up the teapot, poured himself a cup, and drained it in one gulp.
"What happened?"
Feng Sheng looked at Yang Hao curiously.
He knew Yang Hao fairly well and understood that he wasn't an impatient man. He was usually quite steady, too.
It had to be something serious for him to be so flustered.
Yang Hao's eyes glittered as he congratulated Feng Sheng. "The Green Tiger Gang leader is dead. Your great vengeance has been avenged!"
"What! The Green Tiger Gang leader is dead!?"
Feng Sheng's eyes widened, his face full of disbelief.
Han Qi, standing beside him, was equally incredulous. He was stunned. "The Green Tiger Gang leader only destroyed the Golden Fish Gang not long ago. How could he have died just like that!?"
Yang Hao also sighed with emotion. "It's absolutely true. It happened last night. According to our spy in the Green Tiger Gang, a black-clad blade guest wearing a Black Dragon Mask assassinated their leader last night."
His face showed wariness and his eyes held admiration as he continued, "That man broke into the Green Tiger Gang leader's residence and killed him in less than ten breaths."
"Later, a hall master rushed over to save him, but the man sent him flying with one move. To bring the Green Tiger Gang's three hall masters to heel, he then killed Hall Master Xu Kun with a single slash!"
As he told the story, Feng Sheng and Han Qi were both stunned. "He assassinated the Green Tiger Gang leader in ten breaths, severely wounded a hall master with one move, and killed another with a single slash..."
The two exchanged a glance, each seeing the shock in the other's eyes.
Feng Sheng, himself a hall master, even unconsciously touched his neck, feeling a chill crawl along it.
He had fought Xu Kun before, and they had been evenly matched.
If that man could kill Xu Kun with one slash, couldn't he do the same to him?
Feng Sheng was shaken. At the same time, intense curiosity surged in his heart. "Who in the world is this man?"
Seeing the shocked expressions on Feng Sheng and Han Qi's faces, Yang Hao burst into laughter. "When I first heard about it, I looked exactly like you two!"
"Whoever this man is, he avenged the Golden Fish Gang for me!"
Feng Sheng said with a sigh.
Han Qi nodded as well, his heart brightening. "I was being hunted because I captured the Green Tiger Gang leader's brother-in-law. Now that the leader is dead, I doubt the others will keep hunting me over it!"
With the Green Tiger Gang leader dead, the grudge between him and the gang had finally been wiped away.
The Green Tiger Gang's other hall masters had no enmity with him, so naturally they wouldn't go out of their way to hunt him down.
"Now the Green Tiger Gang has changed its name to the Black Dragon Gang, and that mysterious blade guest has become its leader..."
After laughing, Yang Hao's face clouded with worry. "That man is formidable. If he's wildly ambitious, I wonder whether he'll threaten our Changle Gang."
Just then, a former member of the Golden Fish Gang suddenly rushed in.
He first saluted Feng Sheng and Yang Hao, then turned to Han Qi and said, "Brother Qi, Hall Master Ruan Jin of the Green Tiger Gang is looking for you. He asked me to pass you this letter!"
"Green Tiger Gang Hall Master Ruan Jin!?"
Han Qi looked at the newcomer in surprise, confusion on his face. "He wants to see me? I don't even know him!"
Feng Sheng was also baffled. He looked at Han Qi and said, "The Green Tiger Gang is the Black Dragon Gang now. Could it be that this new Black Dragon Gang leader knows you?"
"How could I possibly know a gang le—"
Han Qi opened the letter and began to object automatically, but when he saw what was written inside, he stopped, startled.
"This..."
Han Qi's pupils contracted. As he stared at the words "Water Monkey, come see me at once," his heart gave a thump.
"Damn it, could they have captured A Chu!?"
Han Qi was filled with doubt and unease.
Water Monkey was his nickname. When he fished in Heilu Bay, he had been the best swimmer among his friends, so they had nicknamed him Water Monkey.
He had joined the Golden Fish Gang long ago, and no one had used that nickname in ages.
Only Liu Chu still called him that from time to time.
"No, the Green Tiger Gang leader is already dead. Why would they go after Liu Chu? Could it be..."
Suddenly, Han Qi remembered the scene in the alley that day, when Liu Chu had killed Green Tiger Gang Hall Master Zhu Kai in a few moves.
"Could this mysterious blade guest be Liu Chu..."
Han Qi was even more uncertain. "No way. Could Liu Chu really be that powerful!?"
But then he remembered that Liu Chu had learned martial arts for only a few months and had already killed a Grade-Entry Realm martial artist in a few moves. It didn't seem entirely impossible after all.
"Hall Master, I have something urgent to take care of."
Han Qi addressed Hall Master Feng Sheng.
Feng Sheng furrowed his brows. "Ruan Jin is a Grade-Entry Realm martial artist. Do you want me to go with you?"
Han Qi shook his head. "No need. I know what I'm doing."
He understood that his business with Han Qi was probably connected to the mysterious Black Dragon Gang leader. Feng Sheng accompanying him wouldn't help.
If his guess was wrong, it might even put Feng Sheng in danger.
When he left the Changle Gang, he found Hall Master Ruan Jin waiting for him, just as expected.
"Please."
Hall Master Ruan Jin said politely.
"Much obliged."
Han Qi replied absentmindedly, following Hall Master Ruan Jin toward the former Green Tiger Gang's territory.
The two soon arrived at the Green Tiger Gang. As they entered the compound and saw gang members coming and going, Han Qi felt a little uneasy.
He forced himself to stay composed and followed Ruan Jin to the main hall.
"Please go in. The leader is waiting for you inside."
Ruan Jin gestured for him to enter, then withdrew.
Han Qi took a deep breath, summoned his courage, and stepped inside.
Within the hall, a black-clad blade guest stood silently with his back to Han Qi. He looked mysterious and powerful.
Han Qi's heart stirred, and he couldn't help wondering whether he had guessed wrong.
The figure turned around, revealing a face wearing a Black Dragon Mask. The dark dragon mask was made of iron, cold and imposing.
Meeting the man's gaze, Han Qi felt as though a lurking black dragon had fixed its eyes on him. He was crushed by an immense pressure, and his breathing stopped.
The black-clad figure reached out his left hand and slowly removed the mask.
Han Qi's eyes widened. The farther the mask slipped, the more shocked he became. "Liu Chu! It really is you!"
"That's right. It's me."
Liu Chu smiled, finding Han Qi's stunned expression rather amusing.
"You... you really killed the Green Tiger Gang leader!?"
Han Qi still couldn't believe it. His mind went blank as he stammered out the question.
Liu Chu nodded slightly. "He sent people to assassinate me. To make sure nothing could go wrong, I had no choice but to send him to meet the King of Hell first."
His tone was casual, as though it were nothing. But to Han Qi, his words sounded like thunder crashing overhead.
He stared at the Liu Chu before him, so poised and imposing, and could hardly reconcile him with his good friend Liu Chu.
Yet, looking at that face, he was certain: this was indeed his good friend Liu Chu!
From a mere fisherman to the leader of a faction in just a few short months... Liu Chu had truly risen like a shooting star, his status transformed beyond recognition!
Once he had recovered his wits, Han Qi didn't know what to call Liu Chu.
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