Cutting Loose

Li Mazi stood beside Wen Hua. It was his first time visiting the Zhang residence.

Although Li Mazi had caused Wen Hua quite a bit of trouble at the beginning, after being subdued and through their time together, Wen Hua had learned that he was a loyal and righteous man.

Wen Hua did not want anything to happen to him, so he had brought him to Zhang Yu's residence to recover from his injuries.

"Master, his name is Li Mazi. I want to let him stay here and recover." Wen Hua looked at Zhang Yu timidly.

Zhang Yu glanced at Li Mazi.

[Name: Li Zhong]

[Realm: Peak Ming Force]

[Training Aptitude: Good]

[Comprehension: Good]

[Fate Trait: Loyal Heart and Righteous Guts]

Tsk, tsk. He actually had a Fate Trait. No wonder he had remained unwaveringly loyal to the Black Tiger Gang.

"Your name is Li Zhong?"

"Yes, Gang Leader." Li Mazi hurriedly bowed in reply.

As for why Zhang Yu knew his real name, he did not think too deeply about it.

"Do you dare take Pu Kuang's corpse to the Broadsword Gang headquarters and tell them to gather one hundred thousand taels of gold within half an hour and deliver it to the Black Tiger Gang? Otherwise, the Broadsword Gang will be struck from existence," Zhang Yu said blandly.

"Why wouldn't I dare?" Li Mazi did not hesitate in the slightest.

"Good. Go. If you handle it well, when you return, you will become my, Zhang Yu's, nominal disciple. Your path in martial arts will never be cut off again," Zhang Yu said.

Thud!

"Thank you, Gang Leader!" Li Mazi dropped to one knee, his face filled with excitement.

Shortly afterward, Li Mazi took several Black Tiger Gang members with him and dragged Pu Kuang's corpse toward the Broadsword Gang headquarters.

Zhang Yu liked having people with loyal hearts and righteous guts under his command. Though Li Zhong's training aptitude and comprehension were merely good, once such people were nurtured, they could be trusted without reserve. In the future, they would become the most steadfast backbone of his forces.

"Come on. We're going to the Broadsword Gang as well." Zhang Yu rose and walked outside.

Niu Mancang, Li Yue, Wen Hua, Zhao Dun, and Xia Shuang hurriedly followed.

The Broadsword Gang headquarters stood in the busiest part of Vermilion Bird Street. It was a sprawling five-courtyard mansion that covered a vast area.

Li Mazi walked in front, while two Black Tiger Gang members pushed a wooden cart behind him. Pu Kuang's corpse lay on the cart.

The closer they came to the Broadsword Gang headquarters, the more nervous the two men pushing the cart became. Their legs trembled uncontrollably.

Li Mazi, on the other hand, was not afraid in the slightest. He glanced at the two men. "Don't be scared. Just push the corpse to the entrance, then leave."

"Captain, we're not afraid. We'll stay with you—"

"No. Listen to me," Li Mazi cut him off.

Vermilion Bird Street was the most prosperous district in Boundless City. The moment Li Mazi and the other two pushed their wooden cart onto Vermilion Bird Street, they immediately drew everyone's attention.

"Isn't that Li Mazi from the Black Tiger Gang?"

"Who's on the cart?"

"Gasp... that looks like Hall Master Pu from the Broadsword Gang."

"What's going on? Hall Master Pu is dead? What are Li Mazi and the others doing?"

"What else could they be doing? They must be going to the Broadsword Gang to carry thorns on their backs and beg forgiveness."

"Tsk, tsk. Even if Li Mazi kowtows and begs, the Broadsword Gang probably won't spare him."

The crowd buzzed with discussion. At once, more than a hundred spectators followed Li Mazi and the others toward the Broadsword Gang headquarters.

When they reached the entrance of the Broadsword Gang headquarters, the two gang members were already shaking like sieves, while Li Mazi's face showed no fear at all.

"You two, leave." He first sent the two men away, then personally dragged Pu Kuang's corpse off the wooden cart and tossed it before the Broadsword Gang's gates.

When the two Broadsword Gang members guarding the entrance saw Pu Kuang's corpse, their faces changed drastically.

"Hall Master Pu!"

One of them immediately ran into the courtyard to report it, while the other glared at Li Mazi and shouted coldly, "What happened? Who killed Hall Master Pu?"

"Pu Kuang dared to run wild in our Black Tiger Gang, so our Gang Leader slaughtered him. Our Gang Leader said that your Broadsword Gang has half an hour to produce one hundred thousand taels of gold and deliver it to our Black Tiger Gang. Otherwise, there'll be no need for the Broadsword Gang to exist." Li Mazi raised his head and spoke loudly.

His voice carried across half the street.

Gasp...

"Has... the Black Tiger Gang gone mad?"

"Did I hear that right? The Black Tiger Gang wants to strike the Broadsword Gang from existence?"

Everyone on Vermilion Bird Street was stunned.

"Li Mazi, you're courting death!" After his initial shock, the Broadsword Gang guard drew his blade and pointed it at Li Mazi.

Though Li Mazi was injured, he was still a peak Ming Force martial artist. The guard before him was only an ordinary man. Li Mazi stepped forward, grabbed the wrist holding the blade with his good hand, and twisted.

Crack!

The man's wrist snapped.

The blade fell into Li Mazi's hand. Pshht! With a single slash, he beheaded the man.

Splurt...

Blood sprayed half a zhang into the air.

"You're nothing but a dog, and I'm a Ming Force martial artist. You dare point a blade at me?" Li Mazi had completely cut loose.

The previously clamorous Vermilion Bird Street fell into a brief silence after everyone saw Li Mazi behead a Broadsword Gang guard with one stroke.

Everyone wore the same expression.

(⊙ˍ⊙)

Dumbfounded!

After several breaths of silence, a deafening uproar finally erupted.

"He's mad. Li Mazi has completely gone mad. He'll definitely die horribly in a moment."

Others held the opposite view.

"Not necessarily. Since Li Mazi dared to do this, he must have something to rely on."

The two sides began arguing loudly. More and more people gathered outside the Broadsword Gang's gates, and everyone shared the same thought: Boundless City was about to see a change of skies!

Li Mazi felt utterly refreshed after slaughtering the Broadsword Gang guard. For years, the Broadsword Gang had kept suppressing the Black Tiger Gang. In the past, any random Broadsword Gang member could order them around as they pleased. He had long wanted to vent this foul breath.