Black Tiger Gang, Do You Dare Accept the Challenge?

Liu Zimu calmly looked at Cai Kun and the Water Serpent Gang members behind him.

"Hall Master Liu, everyone wants to avenge our fallen brothers!" Cai Kun shouted.

"Slaughter those three Black Tiger Gang bastards and use their heads to pay tribute to our dead brothers!"

As soon as his words fell, a deputy hall master seated below Liu Zimu abruptly rose to his feet. This man was Zhou Zhennan, dark-skinned and violent-tempered by nature. Zhou Zhennan had an excellent relationship with Cai Kun.

Cai Kun had been planted in the Water Serpent Gang by the Golden Saber Gang as a spy, so naturally, he had to maintain good relationships with the Water Serpent Gang members.

Normally, Cai Kun often treated Zhou Zhennan to drinks and gambling. Sometimes, he even arranged for Zhou Zhennan to spend the night at Spring Breeze Pavilion. Zhou Zhennan had long regarded Cai Kun as a good brother.

Seeing Cai Kun take the lead in seeking revenge for the gang's brothers today, he was the first to jump out in support.

"Manager Cai speaks reason. So many of our brothers died—why should we discuss a truce with them? In my opinion, we might as well use these three dogs as sacrifices to the banner!" Zhou Zhennan's voice boomed like a great bell.

Qian Hao sat in his chair, his fingers rubbing the armrest. His palms were soaked in sweat, and he could only force himself to appear calm.

Shi Kang, meanwhile, was deathly pale. Beads of sweat the size of soybeans rolled down his cheeks.

Shi Kang leaned slightly toward Lu Hao, his voice trembling. "H-Hao... Hao-ge, wh-what do we do?"

Lu Hao did not turn his head. He said quietly, "Kang, relax."

For some reason, after hearing those words, the panic in Shi Kang's heart eased somewhat, and some color returned to his face. Even Qian Hao, sitting beside him, gradually steadied himself upon hearing them.

Liu Zimu took in the expressions of all three. Qian Hao's face was taut, Shi Kang was pale and drenched in sweat, while Lu Hao alone remained composed. She could not help but regard Lu Hao more highly, thinking that this young man from the Black Tiger Gang had some courage after all.

Naturally, Liu Zimu could not simply watch Qian Hao and the other two get beaten to death by the Water Serpent Gang members.

In truth, Liu Zimu herself had no desire to negotiate with the Black Tiger Gang.

Her husband, the previous hall master of the Water Serpent Gang's Clear Water Hall, had died at the hands of a Black Tiger Gang hall master while fighting the Black Tiger Gang over territory.

Today, she had only arranged this negotiation because of the Water Serpent Gang leader's orders. Yet the hatred in her heart for the Black Tiger Gang had never diminished.

"Enough! Shut your mouths!"

Liu Zimu slammed her hand against the armrest and sprang to her feet. The full curves beneath her pale green clothes rose and fell violently. Everyone's eyes fixed on those rolling waves, and a tempestuous sea churned in their hearts.

"Manager Cai, Deputy Hall Master Zhou, I understand how you feel." Liu Zimu looked at the two men.

"Tell me, which brother present does not want revenge? But today, the Black Tiger Gang people have come to our Water Serpent Gang, which makes them guests." Her gaze swept across the gang members in the council hall.

"If you all swarm them at once, what kind of heroes would that make you? If word of this gets out, outsiders will not say we avenged our brothers. They will only say that our Water Serpent Gang won by numbers and won without honor!"

Liu Zimu paused, her eyes settling on Cai Kun. "Manager Cai, what do you say?"

Under Liu Zimu's stare, Cai Kun felt guilty. His eyes shifted about, and he stammered without managing to say a word.

Seeing this, Zhou Zhennan spoke up to ease the situation. "Hall Master Liu, since you will not let us win by numbers, then we will send out three people and have three fair duels with them. How about it?"

When Cai Kun saw Liu Zimu focus her attention on him, he had thought his plan to ruin the negotiations between the two gangs would fail today. He had not expected Zhou Zhennan to come up with such a fine idea for him, and his eyes immediately lit up.

Liu Zimu turned to Qian Hao again. "Deputy Hall Master Qian, you heard him. Three duels. Does your Black Tiger Gang dare accept the challenge?"

Qian Hao turned to look at Lu Hao and Shi Kang, thinking to himself that these two boys had not even awakened their qi and blood. Sending them up would be no different from sending them to their deaths.

But matters had reached this point. Refusing the challenge was also a dead end. Whether he stretched out his head or pulled it back, the blade would still fall—he might as well accept the challenge.

With that thought, Qian Hao did not consult Lu Hao or Shi Kang. He directly slapped the armrest.

"Fine! We'll do as Hall Master Liu says. Three against three, fair duels!"

Seeing Qian Hao accept, Liu Zimu smiled faintly and sat back down. The two bulging mounds before her swayed twice more. Several gang members lowered their heads while secretly peeking upward, their eyes going straight.

Liu Zimu shifted her gaze to Zhou Zhennan.

"Deputy Hall Master Zhou, since you wish to avenge the gang's brothers, one of the spots for the fight will be yours. How about it?"

Zhou Zhennan snorted coldly.

"It is Zhou's honor to avenge the gang's brothers!"

Liu Zimu then turned her gaze toward Cai Kun.

The moment Cai Kun saw Liu Zimu looking at him, his heart clenched. He cursed inwardly, This slut isn't going to make me fight, is she?

As he was thinking this, Liu Zimu spoke. "Manager Cai, you have also been the most eager to avenge the gang's brothers. Then one of the places in this fight will be yours as well."

"Th-This... Hall Master Liu," Cai Kun's expression turned somewhat ugly. "I only manage the gang's fish stalls and ferry. I am not skilled at fighting. Making me go up there would be... would be rather inappropriate."

Liu Zimu glanced at him, thinking inwardly, If it is inappropriate, why were you inciting everyone to avenge the gang's brothers? But she did not expose him.

"Manager Cai, you are also a Martial Apprentice of the First Gate-Breaking Realm. How is that inappropriate? How about this: you choose an opponent from among the Black Tiger Gang's three first."

Cai Kun had originally lacked confidence, but when he heard Liu Zimu let him pick his opponent first, his eyes darted around.

When he entered the council hall, he had already noticed the Black Tiger Gang's three men. Qian Hao was the deputy hall master of the Black Tiger Gang's Everjoy Hall, in the Second-Layer Gate-Breaking Realm. As for the two men behind Qian Hao, since they were only fit to stand to the side, their realms could not exceed the First Gate-Breaking Realm.

He stared at Shi Kang and Lu Hao for a few more moments and saw sweat on Shi Kang's face and nervousness in his expression.

Cai Kun immediately raised his hand and pointed at Shi Kang. "Hall Master Liu, I choose him."

When Shi Kang saw Cai Kun choose him as an opponent, he was first startled, then secretly delighted.

Just now, Liu Zimu had said that Cai Kun was only in the First Gate-Breaking Realm. Fortunately, Shi Kang had broken through a few days ago and was also in the First Gate-Breaking Realm. If he risked his life later, he might just be able to defeat his opponent.

"Good." Liu Zimu nodded faintly, then looked at Zhou Zhennan. "Deputy Hall Master Zhou, you choose an opponent as well."

Though Zhou Zhennan was reckless, he was no fool.

He shared the same thought as Cai Kun. Qian Hao was the strongest among the Black Tiger Gang's three men, so he would choose the Black Tiger Gang's other member.

Thus, Zhou Zhennan raised his hand and pointed at Lu Hao. "I choose him."

When Lu Hao saw Zhou Zhennan choose him as an opponent, he silently assessed Zhou Zhennan's realm as well.

The hall master of a Water Serpent Gang hall was in the Third Gate-Knocking Realm. A deputy hall master was in the Second Gate-Knocking Stage. Against him, Lu Hao should be certain of victory.

Qian Hao turned again to Lu Hao and Shi Kang and said in a low voice, "Listen carefully, you two! You may bleed, and you may die, but you cannot disgrace our Black Tiger Gang! Whoever dares fear battle, I'll deal with him before the Water Serpent Gang even has to!"

Lu Hao and Shi Kang answered in unison.

Qian Hao turned toward Liu Zimu. "Hall Master Liu, may I ask who you have arranged as my opponent?"

Liu Zimu's willow brows lifted, and she smiled softly, making the curves before her chest tremble slightly with her laughter.

She shifted one of her long, jade-like legs wrapped in black gauze shorts. "Today, let me personally experience Deputy Hall Master Qian's skills."

Qian Hao's expression changed drastically upon hearing this.

Liu Zimu was in the Third Gate-Knocking Realm, while he was only at the Second Gate-Knocking Stage. If he had succeeded in Gate Breaking a few days ago, perhaps he would still have had the strength to fight.

But now, his internal injuries had yet to heal, and his qi and blood were depleted. Today, he feared his blood would splatter across Clear Water Ferry.