Over the surging river, the leaders of the two sides—one fleeing, the other pursuing—gradually disappeared into the distance.
"Flying Fish" Ren Fengtao truly could not beat "Flying Phoenix" Qian Sanniang, but he could at least keep her from catching him.
For him, that was probably enough.
Beside the riverside dock, the two sides facing off had also come to blows.
Ren Fengtao's martial arts were nothing special, but the Giant Whale Gang members he had brought were tough customers. Their skills were unremarkable, yet they fought with fearless courage and worked together seamlessly. One glance was enough to tell they were well-trained fighters.
The Flying Dragon Gang members, by contrast, fell far short. They had considerably more people, but forget working seamlessly together—they could barely cooperate at all. As for courage, the less said the better. The moment danger appeared, they backed away. Never mind fighting to the death; they were not even willing to risk an injury.
That was the only reason the Giant Whale Gang could hold its ground despite being badly outnumbered.
But numbers were numbers. After a while, the Flying Dragon Gang members found several staves from somewhere, and the Giant Whale Gang could no longer hold on.
A staff might have neither a sharp edge nor much weight, but it was still a proper long weapon. The advantage of an extra inch of reach was especially clear in a group fight.
Brave as the Giant Whale Gang members were, they could not withstand several staves thrusting and whipping at their legs from among the blades and swords. They were soon driven back step by step, their formation on the verge of collapse.
Seeing their helpers at a disadvantage, someone among the Barge Haulers shouted, "Let's help them!" The others rushed forward.
They were no fools,