A Lang's Death

"I'm Little White Tiger! Who the fuck wants to lay a hand on my Old Ninth?"

Little White Tiger leaped down, hoisted the motorcycle, and hurled it at the crowd closing in on Old Ninth.

Hi Dog swung his rear wheel around in a stylish skid and stopped atop a car.

Rat-tat-tat!

Earthworm raised the two guns hanging from his neck and fired both at once.

"You want to touch Brother Nine? Did you ask us first?"

"Fuck you! I'm not dead yet! Who the fuck had the balls to touch Brother Nine?"

Bone, Xiao Feng, and the others formed a protective line in front of Old Ninth.

There were only a dozen or so of them, but they forced A Lang's men back across the road.

Little White Tiger exchanged a glance with Old Ninth, and they smiled in silent understanding.

"Tiezi, can you hold out?" Little White Tiger tossed him his cigarettes.

Old Ninth grinned. "I'm killing him today, no matter what."

"Done." Little White Tiger raised his chin and declared loudly, "My brother said A Lang dies today. Whoever gets in the way dies too."

"Fuck, with this handful of men?" A Lang sneered. "You're not getting out of here."

Little White Tiger had arrived, but the difference in numbers was still glaring.

"You want to compare numbers?"

Little White Tiger pulled out a radio, pointed at A Lang, and roared arrogantly, "Move in!"

Vroom!

Crash! Crash! Crash!

A heavy snowplow came barreling down the street, smashing through everything in its way.

Vehicles scrambled aside. Those that failed to move in time were flipped onto either side of the road.

Its high beams blazed as the snowplow drew closer.

The two sides faced off across the street, and the snowplow sped right between them.

Only then did they see the three freight trucks following it, their beds covered with thick green tarps.

Clack!

The snowplow stopped in the middle of the road. Xiao Fei, his hair tied in two braids, kicked open the door and vaulted onto the roof.

"CNM, you outsiders from beyond the city, where's the gunfire? Let the boss see whether his money was well spent!"

"Let those guns roar!"

Earthworm yanked the tarp off a truck.

The men in the truck bed rose as one.

More than a hundred weapons spat fire simultaneously.

Caught under the sudden barrage, with the trucks giving their attackers the high ground, A Lang's lackeys covered their heads and scattered.

For a while, the gunfire was deafening.

Xiao Fei narrowed his eyes and calmly lit a cigarette.

In less than three minutes, not a single man on A Lang's side dared remain standing.

Most had been dropped in the first volley. The survivors could only cower beneath the cars along the roadside.

The men from outside the city were fucking fearless.

During the exchange of fire, they hadn't even bothered taking cover.

A Lang's face went from red to green.

"A Lang, CNM! Got any other tricks?"

Old Ninth jumped onto a car roof.

Ten brothers stood at Old Ninth's side. This was the bond between these young men; living and dying together had never been empty words.

Spectators, passersby, and the owners of nearby businesses crouched on the ground beneath the overwhelming presence of Old Ninth and his brothers, too frightened to lift their heads.

At that moment, Little White Tiger and Old Ninth had beaten them into complete submission.

At that moment, a group of young men was about to make its name in the underworld of Ice Prefecture.

At that moment, no one dared look down on them.

Elsewhere, Mr. Li watched everything through a video feed.

From Old Ninth overpowering A Lang one-on-one to Little White Tiger's rescue at the critical moment, every move demonstrated their courage and strength.

Old Ninth had lured the enemy away, struck straight at his stronghold, and known when to advance and retreat.

Little White Tiger had traveled a hundred miles to borrow men and rushed to the rescue through the night, all for brotherhood.

Their coordination was frighteningly seamless.

"A true dragon and tiger." Mr. Li stared at the video and sighed in admiration. "With either one, Ice Prefecture could be brought to heel."

Mr. Li stubbed out his cigarette, patted the secretary beside him, and smiled wearily. "Just watch. If they survive, the next hundred years will belong to them."

The secretary watched the two men in the video with a mixture of belief and doubt.

Old Ninth and Little White Tiger had crushed A Lang, and now stood surrounded by their brothers, looking down on everyone else.

Every spectator along the street lay prostrate on the ground.

"All who see me must bow their heads," the secretary murmured.

"I'm very fortunate." Mr. Li watched the pair in the video and broke into a delighted smile. "Two uncut gems in my hands. Hahaha!"

"Make the call. Get them out of there." Mr. Li nodded in satisfaction. "The big boss will love this video."

"So this is Red Three Street's deadliest blade?"

"I doubt Red Three Street can hold them anymore."

"That's fucking badass."

"At their age, all I knew how to do was jerk off."

"The first people in over a decade to make Old Ding eat shit."

The onlookers stared, dumbfounded, at the young men standing shoulder to shoulder.

Old Ninth took a deep drag and passed the cigarette to Little White Tiger, then to Hi Dog, Bone, and Xiao Feng.

One cigarette, a dozen or so men, one drag each.

"Brother." Little White Tiger turned to Old Ninth with a grin. "How's that for a grand entrance?"

"CNM, call the men!" Earthworm shouted at Lei Zi from outside the city.

"Boss!"

"Boss!"

"Boss!"

Lei Zi's men from outside the city climbed out of the trucks one after another and bowed to Old Ninth.

This was acknowledgment from Lei Zi's men.

Over a hundred men spread out across the vehicle roofs. Braided Hair clenched a cigarette between his teeth and shouted, "CNM, from today on, my boss calls the shots in West Garden! Tell Old Ding that! If he doesn't like it, he can bring a blade and come over!"

No one dared answer on the silent street.

These men from outside the city were too ferocious. Together with Old Ninth and Little White Tiger, they would give even Old Ding himself a hard time.

"A Lang, you're dying today." Old Ninth ripped off his shirt. "We're avenging Piglet."

"Revenge!"

"Revenge!"

The dozen or so brothers advanced toward A Lang.

Blinded in both eyes, A Lang knew he had no chance of escaping. He decided to make a final stand.

He jumped onto the roof of a car in the road and shouted to Old Ninth, "Got the guts to let me make a call?"

Old Ninth sneered and tossed A Lang a phone.

A Lang fumbled around and dialed a number.

"Boss."

"CNM, wait for me! I'll save you today, no matter what!"

Old Ding's roar came through the phone.

A Lang trembled slightly in the cold wind.

Even the calculating Old Ding had lost control for the sake of a brother. Two trails of bloody tears ran down A Lang's face. All those years hadn't been for nothing.

"Boss, don't come. I lost today." A Lang didn't know whether Little White Tiger had more men lying in ambush, and he didn't want Old Ding risking his life for him. "I'm going now. I'll follow you again in the next life."

"People say the business we're in will curse our sons to be born without assholes, but... you've treated me well."

"Take care of my little brother, boss."

With trembling hands, A Lang hung up.

"CNM, A Lang, don't do anything rash! Wait for me! Wait!" Old Ding's voice roared through the phone.

After tossing the phone back to Old Ninth, A Lang let out a shout, and gray steel covered his entire body.

"Come fight!"

"CNM, avenge him!"

Old Ninth and Little White Tiger leaped forward together.

"So fucking what if he's an Awakened? Get him!" Hi Dog drew his kukri and charged after them.

"Death Coil!"

"White Tiger Silver Claw!"

"Void Burst!"

The three men's skills intertwined.

Little White Tiger and Old Ninth took A Lang's punch head-on, both spitting blood.

But they also caught hold of A Lang's arms.

Old Ninth coiled around A Lang's left arm like a giant python, while Little White Tiger locked down his right arm just as tightly.

They had restrained A Lang, but the other brothers' blades and bullets still couldn't hurt him.

A Lang's terrifying defense left the young men helpless.

Old Ding was already on his way, and the seconds kept ticking past.

If this dragged on any longer, A Lang might actually turn the tables.

A Lang laughed wildly. "You're all coming to the grave with me!"

"Bullshit!"

Xiao Fei pulled a saw out of the vehicle and tossed it to Hi Dog. "Saw through him!"

"CNM!"

A Lang was pinned to the ground like a condemned prisoner. Hi Dog jumped onto his back, grabbed the saw, and began cutting.

The grating screech of metal against metal reached every spectator's ears, making their hair stand on end.

Five minutes later.

"Boss..."

At the end of his endurance, A Lang screamed his final word just as Hi Dog's saw severed his neck.

Blood spurted several meters into the air.

A boss who had ruled the streets met his end.

That was life in the underworld. Someone new would always rise.

Today it was Little White Tiger and Old Ninth. Tomorrow, there might be more.

Under everyone's horrified gaze, Old Ninth lifted A Lang's head.

"Let's head back."

Little White Tiger swept his hand through the air.

The vehicles on the road obediently cleared a path.

This battle made Old Ninth famous throughout Ice Prefecture.

This battle cost Old Ding his trusted lieutenant.

This battle made Little White Tiger a household name in West Garden.

Ten minutes later.

Old Ding finally arrived. Standing in the road, he stared at his headless brother, threw back his head, and let out a long howl.