A Chang froze for a moment.
Then he pressed his lips together without speaking, his bloodshot eyes fixed ahead, a trace of hatred in their depths.
Following his gaze, Wei Sheng saw a sturdy man leaning back beneath the covered walkway, his posture relaxed and his expression at ease, with a mole the size of a black bean on the left side of his nose.
Cao Defa!
The big brother backing Niu Er!
A veteran of the Gaoliu Branch Hall who ranked among the "brothers"!
In the branch hall, members fell into roughly three ranks:
Small fry, like Wei Sheng and A Chang had been;
Veterans, old hands who had spent a few years in the gang;
The "brothers," who ranked as minor leaders, like Cao Defa before them. His standing in the branch hall was second only to Fire Ox, one of the Five Tiger Generals.
Five or six men were gathered around Cao Defa, chatting idly. Something they said made him roar with laughter.
"What happened?" Wei Sheng withdrew his gaze and looked at A Chang. "How did you get on his bad side?"
"I..."
A Chang opened his mouth, then gave a brief account of what had happened.
In short...
It was all Niu Er's fault!
Niu Er's unexpected death had kept A Chang excited for days, and he had told everyone he met...
Which had angered Cao Defa.
After all, Niu Er had been his underling. With Niu Er now dead for no apparent reason, he had already been fearful and furious, with nowhere to vent.
And A Chang had gone around spreading the news. Wasn't that a slap in his face?
And so.
A Chang had become the chicken killed to warn the monkeys.
Of course, A Chang was not the only one spreading word of Niu Er's death, but he was the only one beaten.
Ultimately, Cao Defa had picked on A Chang because he stood alone, without backing, and was easy to push around.
"This was my fault. I got too carried away... Brother Sheng, keep your distance so I don't drag you into it... Brother Sheng?"
When no answer came for a long while, A Chang looked up, only to find Wei Sheng nowhere beside him.
Looking around, he spotted a figure in blue moving past the crowd toward Cao Defa and his men.
A Chang's heart clenched!
He hurried over and caught Wei Sheng, lowering his voice. "Brother Sheng, don't be rash. There are too many of them!"
He wanted to let the matter rest, but his tugging still drew Cao Defa's attention.
Cao Defa looked down at the two of them. His mocking gaze swept over A Chang before settling on Wei Sheng, his expression playful.
He slowly stood.
Seeing this, his followers stood as well, staring at Wei Sheng and A Chang with strange grins.
The idle chatter in the courtyard vanished in an instant. Everyone's gaze followed Cao Defa's and landed on Wei Sheng, as though they were watching a show.
Watching Cao Defa close in step by step, A Chang went pale.
Cao Defa suddenly frowned. He had noticed that Wei Sheng was far too calm under his pressure, and that displeased him greatly.
You're good at putting on an act. Let's see how you keep it up once I make my move!
Just as Cao Defa prepared to strike.
"Brother Fire Ox!"
A spirited shout came from the gate.
"Brother Fire Ox is here?!"
Everyone in the courtyard stiffened, hastily abandoning their idle demeanor and retreating to either side, leaving a path through the middle to welcome Fire Ox.
Even Cao Defa was no exception, leading his followers into the crowd on the right.
A Chang seized the chance to pull Wei Sheng over to the left, a trace of relief flashing in his eyes.
Before Wei Sheng arrived, he had learned from the other gang members that Cao Defa had already reached the entry level in Savage Bull Fist. If they really fought, Brother Sheng would surely suffer badly.
Wei Sheng remained expressionless.
He was in no hurry.
He followed everyone's gaze.
A powerfully built man walked into the courtyard.
He had a broad, round face, a burly frame, and bulging muscles. Dressed in a short blue outfit, with ox-horn tattoos on his exposed arms, he looked utterly fierce and carried an intimidating air!
He was the head of the Gaoliu Branch Hall, one of the Five Tiger Generals serving under the master of the Black Tiger Hall, nicknamed "Fire Ox"!
"Brother Fire Ox!"
Everyone in the courtyard hurriedly greeted him with respect.
"Mm."
Fire Ox strode beneath the covered walkway, sweeping his gaze over the courtyard. "You should already know why I'm here.
"I won't waste words. Anyone who has reached the entry level in Savage Bull Fist, step forward!"
As his words fell.
Three of the thirty-odd gang members stepped forward.
Cao Defa looked around. Apart from himself, there was a dark-skinned man named Hu Wan, and...
"Hm? Wei Sheng?!"
Cao Defa's eyes widened. He wondered whether his eyes were playing tricks on him.
Hu Wan had been a butcher, his family had no shortage of meat, and he was built like a gorilla. It was hardly strange that he had reached the entry level in a month.
Cao Defa himself had spent several taels of silver on nourishing food and medicinal supplements to reach the entry level.
But Wei Sheng...
A penniless, powerless mud-legged peasant, scrawny to boot-how had he managed to reach the entry level too?!
"Brother Sheng?!"
A Chang's eyes widened in disbelief, followed by wild joy.
Brother Sheng had always been steady and never joked about important matters. If he dared step forward now, he must have reached the entry level in the fist technique!
Even so.
He still found it inconceivable.
And he was not alone.
The other gang members all looked astonished as well.
Some even showed doubt.
Fire Ox remained expressionless. "Anyone who has reached Minor Accomplishment in Savage Bull Fist, take another step forward!"
Cao Defa and Hu Wan exchanged a glance. Neither moved.
But just then.
The blue-clad figure between them moved again, taking another step forward.
"What?!"
Cao Defa's pupils contracted. "Wei Sheng has reached Minor Accomplishment in Savage Bull Fist? How is that possible?!"
He could not believe it.
Nor was he alone. Hu Wan and the others also stared wide-eyed in disbelief.
They all practiced Savage Bull Fist and naturally knew how difficult it was. Reaching the entry level in a month was already a stroke of luck, yet this boy had not only done that, but reached Minor Accomplishment too?
Fire Ox pointed at Wei Sheng, then at Cao Defa. "You, and you! Step out!"
The two stepped out.
"Fight so I can see. Use your Savage Bull Fist at Minor Accomplishment!"
Fire Ox spoke mildly. Those words were naturally directed at Wei Sheng.
Cao Defa's expression soured. How could he fail to see that Fire Ox intended to make him Wei Sheng's target and stepping stone?
Was he worthy?!
Cao Defa was seething.
But he did not dare hate Fire Ox, so he vented all that anger on Wei Sheng, striking with his full strength from the outset.
"Rampaging Ox Charges Across the Wilderness!"
Cao Defa stamped hard against the ground and charged like a wild ox, gathering all his strength into his fists as he drove them straight at Wei Sheng's abdomen and chest!
Wei Sheng stood motionless, as though scared senseless.
Cao Defa sneered inwardly. So what if you've reached Minor Accomplishment? Fighting is about experience. I've been in the gang for two and a half years and fought a hundred battles. How could a fledgling like Wei Sheng compare!
Fall!
But just as Cao Defa closed to within a foot of Wei Sheng, Wei Sheng moved.
"Rampaging Ox Parts Its Mane!"
Wei Sheng raised his hand. The movement looked unremarkable, yet it deflected Cao Defa's furious punch with perfect timing, draining away most of its force.
At the same time, he caught Cao Defa's wrist and yanked him forward. As Cao Defa lost his balance, Wei Sheng raised his hand and slapped him!
Smack!
Cao Defa spun in place like a top. Before he could react, several more slaps cracked across his face, and finally a kick sent him flying.
By the time he climbed back up, he no longer looked anything like his former self.
His face was covered in blood and swollen like a pig's head, two teeth had been knocked out, and he looked utterly dazed.
However.
Before Wei Sheng could even breathe a sigh of relief, every hair on his body suddenly stood on end. An intense threat was closing in from behind!
Before you continue