The Patrol Bureau's men poured out from its East First Street branch in a mighty procession.
The force numbered nearly a hundred—not a huge contingent, but on East Street, usually peaceful in the afternoon, it drew plenty of attention.
A crowd of onlookers had already gathered by the roadside: commoners and vendors, their chatter buzzing through the air.
"Goodness, the East Street Patrol Bureau's officials are looking quite the part today! It's been ages since we've seen a show of force like this!"
A sharp-tongued woman with a vegetable basket craned her neck and clicked her tongue in amazement.
Beside her, a man selling flatbreads took a bite and mumbled through his mouthful:
"Silver spears with waxed tips. Usually, all they do is scare us ordinary folk.
But today they're putting on quite a display. Maybe some big shot's coming, and they want to look good?"
"I heard..."
A gaunt man who seemed to be in the know lowered his voice and said mysteriously:
"It's got something to do with the new County Magistrate!
Patrol Commander Gong's probably just trying to curry favor."
"Make a name for himself? More like putting on a show!"
A porter carrying a shoulder pole sneered.
"If this County Magistrate's really got any ability, why doesn't he raid those bloodsucking gambling dens on South Street, or bust up the human traffickers' hideout on West Street?"
Still, some sharp-eyed people sensed that something was off.
"Something's not right..."
On the second floor of a teahouse, an elderly man among several well-dressed patrons narrowed his eyes and watched the direction the procession was heading.
"Look. Patrol Commander Gong is leading them himself.
The Patrol Chiefs are all there, too...
This is no ordinary business."
Another patron chimed in:
"They're heading straight for East Fourth Street?
Any farther and they'll be outside the city, on the City Defense Army's turf."
"East Fourth Street?"
The porter from earlier froze, then shook his head.
"Come on!
East Fourth Street's the Blood Ape Gang's den. Patrol Commander Gong may be strong, but Wang Han's no pushover.
I'd bet some young master from the Inner City got into trouble, and his family got Patrol Commander Gong to settle things.
For someone to get Patrol Commander Gong to come in person, they'd have to be from one of the Four Great Families—Qin, Yuan, Shen, or Ning!"
His reasoning sounded convincing enough, and many onlookers nodded along.
As far as they were concerned, even with Gong Tian there, the lazy, useless Patrol Bureau taking down the Blood Ape Gang was a fool's dream.
But the procession kept moving in silence, swiftly crossing one street after another.
The closer they drew to East Fourth Street, the more the pedestrians' faces were marked by wariness and numb resignation.
At the sight of the Patrol Bureau's force, many people instinctively ducked out of sight, watching nervously from the shadows.
Red Scarf Alley was where the Blood Ape Gang had its headquarters.
When the Patrol Bureau's force surged into its entrance and sealed off both ends of the alley and several key crossroads, the Blood Ape Gang's hidden sentries finally realized what was happening.
"Damn it! The Patrol Bureau really came to our doorstep!"
"Quick! Go inform the gang leader!"
After a brief, deathly silence, shouts, roars, clashing weapons, and hurried footsteps erupted into chaos.
Red-headbanded toughs with savage expressions poured out of houses, gambling dens, and brothels lining both sides of the alley.
Clutching clubs, knives, and spears, they looked flustered, but there were so many of them that they quickly gathered into a dark mass, blocking the passage and facing off against the Patrol Bureau's force.
Clip, clop, clip, clop...
The crisp beat of hoofbeats broke the tense silence in the alley.
Gong Tian urged his horse through the crowd and rode to the front of the procession.
Several Tendon Changing Patrol Chiefs and Yang Ning, wearing a bamboo hat, rode behind him.
He still wore his black outfit and had no armor on, looking more like a rich young master out for a stroll.
At the same time, the Blood Ape Gang members blocking the way parted like a tide, opening a path.
A massive, powerfully built giant strode out. It was none other than the Blood Ape Gang's leader, "Mad Iron Fist" Wang Han!
Four or five formidable-looking lieutenants followed behind him. Among them was the deputy gang leader, "Ghost Abacus" Chen Qi, while the eyes of several others glittered with sharp light. They were clearly no weaklings.
Wang Han studied Gong Tian for a moment, deep wariness flashing in his eyes.
But his fleshy, scarred face soon twisted into a grin, and he spoke in a voice like a thunderclap:
"Hahaha!
I was wondering who'd made such a grand entrance. So it's Patrol Commander Gong himself!
What wind blew you, great man, all the way to my neck of the woods today?
Is there some misunderstanding? Or did one of my brothers get careless and offend the Patrol Bureau's officers?
Allow me to apologize on his behalf!"
Faced with these courtesies, the other side remained silent.
Seated on his horse, Gong Tian looked down at Wang Han's fake smile with cold indifference. His lips parted.
"Wang Han, I fucked your mother."
"???"
"!!!"
It was as if a spell had silenced all of Red Scarf Alley.
The Patrol Bureau's officers, the Blood Ape Gang members, even the few commoners peeking from afar—all stared in stunned disbelief.
Had Patrol Commander Gong just said what they thought he'd said?
Even Wang Han's fake smile froze. His expression shifted from shock to confusion, then disbelief, before finally erupting into a storm of murderous fury.
"Gong! Tian!"
The muscles in Wang Han's scarred face twitched, and his scars flushed red. His voice rasped with sheer violence.
"I respected you as a Patrol Commander and gave you some face!
You son of a bitch... You dare insult me like this?!"
Gong Tian scoffed. For the first time, his impassive face showed undisguised mockery and a cold intent to kill.
"What are you supposed to be?
You think you're worth my respect?"
He thrust a hand toward Wang Han, his voice crashing like thunder in everyone's ears.
"I came here today for one reason and one reason only! To uproot your Blood Ape Gang and wipe it off the face of the earth!
You, Wang Han, and every last one of your beasts are going to prison!"
"Patrolmen, hear my command!" Gong Tian barked, no longer sparing a glance for Wang Han, whose face had turned livid and whose aura was in turmoil.
"Here!"
The nearly hundred Patrol Bureau officers behind him answered in unison, their voices shaking the alley.
"Today, we crush the Blood Ape Gang!
Anyone who resists will be killed without mercy!"
"Yes, sir!"
Only now did Wang Han realize that Gong Tian truly meant to destroy the Blood Ape Gang.
Shocked and furious, he instinctively glanced at the people beside Gong Tian. As his gaze passed over the figure wearing a bamboo hat, the figure seemed vaguely familiar.
Then he saw the young man slowly raise a hand and remove his hat, revealing a youthful yet resolute face, along with...
A smooth, gleaming white jade mask that seemed to glow on its own in the dim alley!
The eyes behind the mask gazed at him calmly, burning with nothing but icy, bone-deep murderous intent.
Yang Ning!
Wang Han understood everything!
No wonder Gong Tian had brought so many men!
It was all for this kid—for his sake!
"So it was you, you little bastard!"
Wang Han laughed in fury.
"Fine! Just fine!
You little brat, you think you can take on my Blood Ape Gang just because you've latched onto the Qin Family and gotten Gong Tian on your side?"
He surged forward, his qi and blood erupting around him.
"I'll send you to your grave today!"
Wang Han's voice rang out like a night owl's cry, wild with madness.
"Brothers, there's nothing left to say!
Follow me and fight our way out!
Kill those damn officials!"
"Kill! Kill! Kill!"
His diehard gang members roared with him, eyes bloodshot as they raised their weapons.
"Kill!"
Gong Tian spat out the word coldly. Without another word, he slowly raised his right hand.
As his command rang out, he floated down from his horse and charged straight at Wang Han.
Yang Ning lifted his eyes, his gaze cutting through the chaos to crash head-on into Wang Han's furious stare.
He said nothing. He simply drove forward with his fists, joining the Patrol Bureau's tide as it surged toward the Blood Ape Gang.
Brother Wu, Uncle Wu, and all the innocent people dragged into this because of me...
Today, I'll use my fists to win you justice!
Blood debts must be paid in blood!
Before you continue