Bull Terrier, who lost his good buddy

The Fight to the End Chess and Card Room was packed with people.

The owner of the shop next door had replaced the shattered ceiling chandelier with a simple new bulb, lighting the hall as brightly as daylight.

More than thirty Chaos Faction players who hung around the neighborhood stared at the crime scene, exchanging wide-eyed looks as chills ran through them.

The scene... was too gruesome, too bloody!

Beside a mahjong table, Old Yin knelt face down with his butt sticking up, his body curled like a baby's and wrapped in an enormous curtain. Half a step from his face lay a ten-yuan note...

From the front, Old Yin looked as though he were kowtowing to the ten yuan.

He had died from a blade piercing his neck, and his blood had pooled all over the floor.

The man loved money more than life itself. As long as there was profit in sight, he would sell anyone out, even offer up his own ass... This death suited him perfectly.

Nearby, the woman who had clamored to buy drugs had broken out in festering sores before she died; the middle-aged man who believed gambling was all about winning lay peacefully on a couch, half a set of mahjong tiles stuffed in his mouth and ten yuan clutched in each hand; and the blunt, foul-mouthed young man with the cigarette had had his tongue cut out and pasted to his forehead...

Everyone in the hall was a villain, but seeing four of their companions die so horribly still made them shudder.

At the front of the crowd, a burly young man in a tank top and a hip-hop-style cap surveyed the four bodies. Veins bulged on his forehead, and his chest heaved.

His nickname was Bull Terrier. He was a core member of Shanghai's Roadside Dogs Organization and a trusted associate Lame Boss kept close, ranked just a little higher than Old Yin.

"...Old Yin, Old Yin!" Tears welled in Bull Terrier's eyes as he bent down and grabbed Old Yin's body. "How could you just die like this?!"

"Sorry for your loss, Terrier," a player beside him offered.

"Sorry for my fucking loss?!" Bull Terrier turned and snarled, "This bastard invested in a gym with me! I fucking put up the initial payment, and renovations started last month! How could he just die...?!"

By the roadside on Tongren Road.

Several SUVs stopped. Huang Wei and the others, who had just arrived, glanced from their vehicles toward the Mahjong Parlor entrance. Their hearts sank when they saw the crowd of players gathering there.

"What's going on? Why are there so many people?" Ren Ye asked anxiously.

Gu Nian's brows knitted slightly. "There's a smell of blood. A strong one."

"Cars three and four, and the guys from Huangjiang District, stay put. Everyone else, come with me." Huang Wei gave the order over the radio, then pushed open his door and stepped out.

Following more than a dozen New Year's Watchers, Ren Ye charged straight into the Mahjong Parlor's main hall under the stares of the Chaos Faction players at the entrance.

The moment they entered, every New Year's Watcher froze.

First came shock at the horrific scene, followed by a surge of frustration.

Old Yin was dead!

They had arrived a step too late.

"Fuck!"

Huang Wei unconsciously loosened his collar, staring at Old Yin's corpse as he gritted his teeth.

Behind him, Ren Ye asked coldly, "These people... were the targets we were supposed to arrest?"

"Yes." A New Year's Watcher beside him nodded.

While they stood stunned, Bull Terrier rose from beside Old Yin's body and turned toward Huang Wei. Feigning grief and outrage, he said, "Esteemed New Year's Watchers, I'd like to report a crime! My good buddies were murdered... Fuck, killing them wasn't enough-the killer even posed their bodies! I believe some criminal is challenging the New Year's Watchers. They must be severely punished!"

His words dripped with mockery. There was no way this man didn't know why the New Year's Watchers had come, or what dirty business Old Yin had been conducting in secret...

Huang Wei looked at him coldly. "How did they die?"

"You're asking me?" Bull Terrier regarded Huang Wei with amusement and gave an obnoxious shrug. "You're the law enforcement officer! Am I supposed to investigate how they died for you?!"

The two stared at each other as the surrounding Chaos Faction players instinctively closed in around the New Year's Watchers.

Whoosh!

A halo of light appeared, and the Magic Wand abruptly materialized in front of Gu Nian's chest. "All of you, back the hell off!"

After her shout rang out, Bull Terrier waved his people back, then addressed Huang Wei flippantly again. "Need our cooperation? Just say the word."

Huang Wei stared straight at him. "Do you know what happened in University Town?"

"Heh, wasn't it just two fugitives getting killed? What about it?"

"Were they really fugitives? Had they never been in this Mahjong Parlor?" Huang Wei pointed at his chest, stressing each word. "You really didn't know them?!"

Bull Terrier bared his teeth in a grin. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Let me tell you, those Bell Society members crossed the New Year's Watchers' core interests and bottom line. They won't end well!" Huang Wei raised his brows and continued, "And I guarantee you, anyone who helped them won't end well either. It'll be ugly!"

"Oh, now I understand."

Wearing his baseball cap, Bull Terrier took two steps back in feigned terror, then bent down and squatted beside Old Yin's corpse again. Tilting his head, he asked, "My dear brother, did you sell information to those Bell Society criminals? Did you help hide them? Did you sell your ass in this room?! Get up and tell this New Year's Watcher... We need to cooperate with their work!"

The room fell silent. Ren Ye watched Bull Terrier darkly, his fists clenched.

"Hold on... wait, my brother's answering." Bull Terrier stiffened and brought his ear close to Old Yin's bleeding mouth. After pretending to listen for a moment, he suddenly stood and answered Huang Wei, "Oh! My brother told me to ask you for evidence. Do you have any? If you do, he'll confess and submit to punishment right away!"

Sarcastic, mocking, and openly confrontational.

This was how Chaos Faction players treated the New Year's Watchers: with hostility and resistance. Ever since the Star Gates had appeared, that conflict had never disappeared. It had merely been somewhat restrained by a relative balance.

"Oh, looks like you don't." Bull Terrier stared at Huang Wei's face. "Heh, then what the fuck are you talking about? Esteemed New Year's Watchers, please find my brother's killer as soon as possible, or I'll go through the Mystical Tribunal..."

Before Bull Terrier could finish, Ren Ye's large hand suddenly seized the back of his collar and slammed him downward.

Whoosh!

A Star Source Fluctuation erupted from Bull Terrier's body. He snapped his head around, only to feel his brain reel and his consciousness grow muddled.

"Ren Ye, don't do anything rash!" Huang Wei called.

Bang!

Ren Ye clamped his left hand hard around Bull Terrier's neck and smashed his head against the mahjong table.

Light flashed, and the ancient yet lavish Heavy Sword appeared in Ren Ye's hand.

Slash!

Cold steel flashed. The blade sliced through Bull Terrier's right ear like tofu, and blood covered half the table.

Clean, decisive, and brimming with murderous intent.

"I'm not a New Year's Watcher! I don't have to show you evidence!" A strange, seductive light flickered in Ren Ye's eyes. Pinning the man's neck with his left hand, he roared hysterically, "Where are those Bell Society people? Talk!"

"Ren Ye!"

Xu Peng stepped forward and grabbed Ren Ye's right arm. "Don't do anything rash..."

"My family's in danger! Get off me!!" Ren Ye flung Xu Peng's arm away, killing intent showing on his face as he prepared to meet Bull Terrier's eyes and use Enchantment in front of everyone.

Old Yin was dead, and the trail had gone cold again. Terrified for his father's safety, Ren Ye couldn't bear to wait any longer.

Huang Wei froze for a moment and failed to intervene immediately.

The surrounding New Year's Watchers instantly gathered around Ren Ye, turning to face the Chaos Faction players, all of whom had activated their mystical states.

A battle was about to erupt.

Ren Ye focused his will and turned Bull Terrier's head with his left hand, about to meet his gaze.

Bang!

Just then, a muffled impact sounded inside the room. Ren Ye was instantly thrown backward, stumbling into Huang Wei.

He looked toward the doorway in shock. It felt as if a train had hit him, yet he hadn't suffered any serious injuries.

Footsteps sounded as a refined-looking middle-aged man entered with four others. He merely glanced at the Chaos Faction players, and they withdrew on their own, suppressing their mystical powers.

"Fuck!"

Bull Terrier sprang up in a fury, pressing his palm over the wound on the right side of his face as he glared viciously at Ren Ye. "I'll fucking kill you...!"

"Stop!"

The refined man barked from the doorway.

Bull Terrier's chest heaved, his eyes fixed on Ren Ye. It took him a full three or four seconds to calm down enough to step back twice.

"Have we broken the law?" The refined man turned to Huang Wei.

"No one said you had." Huang Wei glanced at the severed ear on the table and waved his team over. "We're leaving!"

With that, the group pulled Ren Ye along and followed Huang Wei toward the exit.

The refined man blocked the doorway and demanded, stressing every word, "If we haven't broken the law, what gives the New Year's Watchers the right to cut off someone's ear?"

Huang Wei walked up to him and slowly raised his head. "Believe me, I'll take off this New Year's Watcher uniform and clear you Roadside Dogs out of Tongren Road tonight!"

The refined man fell silent.

"Don't fucking push your luck!" Huang Wei cursed, then frowned and called, "We're leaving!"

With that, the group left the Mahjong Parlor.

"You're just letting them go?!" Standing in the hall, Bull Terrier furiously kicked Old Yin's corpse aside. "I won't take this! I'm calling people to make some trouble for them."

The refined man looked at him. "The higher-ups are fighting over that Star Gate inheritance. Don't stir up trouble. You offended Huang Wei today, so disappear for a few days. Go take a Star Gate mission. Understood?"

"Yeah!" Bull Terrier answered, trembling with rage.

Everyone was quiet on the drive back.

Huang Wei collected himself and said softly, "Someone got there before us. They seem to be looking for those Bell Society people too. And I keep feeling that the crime scene in the Mahjong Parlor looked like..."

"Pull over. I need to take a piss." Ren Ye, who had been silent the whole time, suddenly spoke.

"Okay." Huang Wei pulled over by the roadside, preparing to get out with him.

"I'm taking a piss. You don't need to follow." Leaving those words behind, Ren Ye walked toward a small grove beside the road.

Huang Wei rested his chin on his hand, looking troubled. "Fuck, I keep feeling there's more than one group causing trouble. Maybe even more than two..."

Everyone listened to Huang Wei's analysis without saying a word. Only Gu Nian glanced toward the grove with an odd expression on her pretty face.

About five minutes later, Huang Wei sensed something was wrong. He immediately extended his class perception, then his expression froze. "Shit, Ren Ye's run off! Fuck, that kid's lost his head again..."

Smack!

Gu Nian suddenly reached out and caught his wrist. "Has your father ever been kidnapped?"

"Huh? What are you doing?"

"Anyone would be frantic if their father were kidnapped." Gu Nian looked at Huang Wei and spoke unhurriedly. "Only an animal wouldn't be! So, are you an animal?!"

"...!" Huang Wei frowned at her but made no further move to leave.

"He isn't a New Year's Watcher yet... Your leash won't work on him." Gu Nian said gently, "Let him run for a while before we chase him, okay?"

An hour later.

Bull Terrier left Tongren Road, sniffling miserably as he spoke into his phone. "Find me a Light System player who can heal external injuries quickly... My ear's been cut off. Yeah, talk later."

After hanging up, Bull Terrier walked a few more steps beside a construction site, then abruptly stopped and looked behind him.