Flower Boss Attacks

Late at night.

Black Mountain Town.

Little White Tiger slowly woke up. Old Ninth and the others sat on the bed, elated.

All the brothers had awakened. It was cause for celebration.

Becoming an Awakened in the apocalypse meant moving up in the world. Even if they stopped working the streets someday, they could still live well.

Before Little White Tiger could ask anything, red lights flashed throughout the town.

Clang, clang, clang!

Bells rang out, and the town instantly erupted into noise.

"What's going on?"

Puzzled, Old Ninth pushed open the door and ran straight into Xiao Fei, who was rushing toward them.

"Everybody up! Fuck, hurry! Get ready to evacuate!"

Xiao Fei was drenched in sweat, his expression tense.

Old Ninth asked in confusion, "What happened? Are the Transformed attacking the town?"

It was the first time any of them had seen Xiao Fei look like this, as though something utterly terrifying had invaded.

Mobilizing the entire town like this was anything but normal.

Xiao Fei hauled Earthworm out of bed. "Hua Yougui died in the Wood Shed yesterday. His head's missing. Flower Boss has left the city to take revenge on us, and he's brought Ming King and Nalan. Black Mountain Town can't hold them off. Run into the mountains, now!"

Old Ninth and Little White Tiger exchanged looks.

The city bosses weren't supposed to leave the city. That was the rule. How had Flower Boss dared to break it?

And how had Young Master Hua died outside the city for no apparent reason?

"Isn't he afraid of retaliation?" Earthworm asked, rubbing his sleepy eyes.

If the powerhouse outside the city found out, war between the city and the outside would be inevitable.

That powerhouse could overpower even the Ice Prefecture Five Overlords.

"Things aren't like they used to be," Xiao Fei swore bitterly. "I got word that the five old bastards in the city held a vote. The Nalan Family, the Hua Family, and Ming King all voted to come out."

When Nalan had wanted to leave the city for revenge before, Flower Boss had opposed it most fiercely.

Now things had changed. Flower Boss and Nalan were seeking revenge together, and they'd brought Ming King along.

The other two factions' objections no longer mattered.

"Move!"

Realizing how serious things were, Old Ninth pulled on his clothes while directing the brothers to prepare to flee.

Xiao Fei handed Little White Tiger the case containing the Bloodweeping Bow from his back. "Keep your weapon with you. Follow me."

They rushed out of the courtyard. The town's original residents had already begun an orderly retreat.

Apparently, this wasn't their first mass evacuation. The townspeople showed little panic, with the young helping the elderly toward the mountains.

Rumble, rumble, rumble!

Even as they spoke, the enemy arrived.

Vehicles filled the winding road outside town.

The imposing convoy stretched for hundreds of meters.

"They'll catch us sooner or later at this rate." Xiao Fei cursed under his breath. "You go ahead. I'll take some men and hold them off."

There weren't many Awakened in town. Stopping the city's main force was impossible.

Staying behind meant certain death.

Little White Tiger glanced at the townspeople receding into the distance. "I'll stay with you."

Old Ninth nodded too. They couldn't abandon Xiao Fei just to save their own skins.

"They're here for you. Run!"

Xiao Fei pointed toward the mountains. "I've already notified Overlord. Tiezi, look after my family."

The people of Black Mountain Town all shared the same ancestry. Everyone fleeing was a relative of Xiao Fei's.

Those clan bonds, thicker than water, were what allowed them to survive outside the city.

"Staying alone is suicide. I'm with you. Fuck it, what's there to be scared of? Get your weapons."

Little White Tiger refused to abandon his brother. Leaving Xiao Fei to make this hopeless stand would give him no chance of survival.

Nalan and Xiao Fei had a blood feud between them.

Just as Little White Tiger and Old Ninth were about to arrange an ambush with their brothers, Xiao Fei struck.

Two swift blows knocked them unconscious. "Earthworm, take everyone and go."

Sweat dripped from Xiao Fei's forehead as he roared impatiently, "Stop fucking throwing your lives away!"

"We're the Lei Zi you brought in. If something goes wrong, we don't drag our employers down with us. That's the rule. Go."

"Brother," Earthworm said, his voice thick with tears. "I'll stay with you."

Smack!

Xiao Fei slapped him across the face. "Stay, my ass! Get the fuck out! Nalan's fucking here for me!"

His hatred with Nalan ran deep. If Nalan couldn't find Xiao Fei, Nalan would surely take it out on the townspeople of Black Mountain Town.

After hitting Earthworm, Xiao Fei gripped his hair, his heart aching. "Little brother, you have to protect our family. The town can't be left without any Awakened. Maternal Great-Uncle is getting old. It'll be up to you from now on. Old Ninth and Little White Tiger are good men. Stick with them. Don't worry. There are tunnels under town. I'll make it out for sure. Go."

"Black Mud Mountain boys, get over here! Bring your weapons! Let's show these city bastards what kind of hard cases these harsh mountains breed. Bury every last one of them here!"

At Xiao Fei's shout, dozens of men carrying guns rushed out of the alleys.

"Fuck it, those city bastards aren't shit! Kill them!"

"Xiao Fei, just tell us how we're doing this."

"Yeah! We'll find out who's got balls right here in town today!"

The hardened bandits of Black Mud Mountain had spent years living on the edge of a blade. A scene like this didn't frighten them in the least.

Every one of them stared excitedly at the approaching convoy, as though pumped full of drugs.

"Get out!"

Xiao Fei kicked Earthworm away. "Stay alive. Make something of yourself."

Earthworm, a grown young man, sobbed uncontrollably and clung to Xiao Fei's leg. "Brother, I'm not leaving! I want to stay with you!"

"Bone, take them away." After kicking several more times, Xiao Fei looked at Bone.

"Tell Little White Tiger that when Lei Zi take a job, we see it through. Forget the final payment. I'll take the heat for him. From now on... look after my family."

It sounded as though Xiao Fei was entrusting his family to them before his death. Everyone knew he probably wouldn't survive.

Three Fifth Awakening fighters had left the city. Even if the powerhouse from outside arrived, that might be more than he could handle.

Xiao Fei had chosen to stay for Little White Tiger and Black Mountain Town.

For a Lei Zi to go this far was already more than anyone could ask.

Thud!

Bone dropped to his knees and, without a word, knocked his forehead against the ground several times for Xiao Fei.

"Brother Fei, I'll deliver your message. Thank you."

Whoosh!

All the brothers knelt before the Lei Zi.

"Brothers, we owe you for today. On behalf of our boss, thank you all. If you're still alive tomorrow, the drinks are on me. If you don't make it, I'll avenge you."

Bone and the others didn't want to leave either, but if they stayed, Old Ninth and Little White Tiger would certainly die.

Xiao Feng drew a dagger. "Brother Nine said a man can't live without loyalty. Running away today means betraying you. But we're doing it to protect Brother Tiger and Brother Nine, so please forgive our disloyalty. We can die, but Brother Tiger and Brother Nine can't. I'm sorry."

Chop!

Xiao Feng brought the blade down and severed a finger.

"Underworld rules say betrayal earns you three stabs and six holes. Today, I'll start with a finger. We'll remember your kindness and avenge your deaths. If we haven't cut off Flower Boss's and Nalan's heads within three years, I'll come down there myself and kowtow to you in apology."

Chop!

Gritting their teeth, the brothers chopped off their little fingers and dropped them on the ground.

The deputy beside Xiao Fei grinned. "That's one hell of a speech."

Another deputy reached out and ruffled Bone's hair. "Fuck, we're Lei Zi. We take money to do a job. Whether we live or die is down to fate. That's the rule."

"Kid, the Lei Zi of Black Mountain Town never betray their employers. Remember that." Xiao Fei turned away and stopped looking at Bone.

"Go!"

Fighting through the pain, Bone hoisted Earthworm onto his shoulder and ran toward the mountains.

After everyone left, only Xiao Fei and his men remained in the deserted town.

Click!

Xiao Fei lit a cigarette, then calmly turned to his brothers. "Scared?"

"Scared, my ass."

"Fuck, this world's gone to shit. The sooner we die, the sooner we're reborn."

"Haha! Lose your head and all that's left is a bowl-sized scar. What's there to be scared of?"

Xiao Fei bowed to them, guilt weighing on him. "I'm sorry. I wanted to give you a better life. I broke my promise."

"Without you, we'd have starved long ago."

Xiao Fei grinned. "Then fuck talking. Let's hit the road together today."

"Right here in fucking Black Mountain Town, we'll show those city bastards this isn't a place they can just march into!"

Xiao Fei swept his hand forward, and his men ducked into the houses on both sides of the road, preparing for battle.