Severed heads

Great Saber Hong demanded that the Wang Family prepare fifteen hundred taels of silver and deliver it to Shrimp Gully within three days to ransom Wang Biao, or else wait to collect his corpse.

Time was pressing.

Zhang Lingfeng dared not delay.

First, he brought Ma Fei, Wu Yun, Ye Fan, and the others home so Wang Fang could see their lineup.

Wang Fang knew Zhang Lingfeng was no longer the man he once was, but she had never expected him to get every Dark Force martial master in the school to accompany him to Shrimp Gully to rescue Wang Biao.

With so many Dark Force experts helping, her older brother would surely be safe.

Her wariness and approval of Zhang Lingfeng both deepened somewhat.

Yet what happened next nearly made her jaw drop.

Huang Jiefu arrived leading a group of bailiffs. He was actually going with Zhang Lingfeng to Shrimp Gully to rescue the captive, and even declared that he would cut Great Saber Hong into ten thousand pieces.

"Great Saber Hong has committed every evil imaginable. Anyone has the right to put him to death! Everyone, follow me! We swear not to rest until Great Saber Hong is dead!"

Zhang Lingfeng led the group in shouting on Datong Street.

Then several horse carts, ox carts, and donkey carts carried them all toward Shrimp Gully.

"Wipe out Great Saber Hong! Rid the people of this scourge!"

"Wipe out Great Saber Hong! Rid the people of this scourge!"

"Wipe out Great Saber Hong! Rid the people of this scourge!"

After Zhang Lingfeng and the others left, Tang Baihu and Li Si led a group of Warm Breeze Hall members through the streets, shouting. They circled the eastern district twice and lingered for quite a while outside the homes of several clerks and patrol inspectors.

"What are they trying to do?"

"I heard they're going to wipe out Great Saber Hong."

"Who's so arrogant that he dares declare he'll wipe out Great Saber Hong? Isn't he afraid Great Saber Hong will come to his door and slaughter his entire family?"

"I heard it's the owner of Warm Breeze Hall, Zhang Lingfeng from Zhang Family Gully."

"A mud-legged peasant dares spout such wild claims."

Several clerks and patrol inspectors discussed it. When Liu Dongsheng heard the news, he could not help speaking disdainfully.

"You may not know this, sir, but Zhang Lingfeng has gathered all the school's Dark Force experts to go to Shrimp Gully with him."

A patrol inspector reminded him.

"How long has Zhang Lingfeng even been at the school? Does he have that much pull?"

Liu Dongsheng sounded doubtful.

"It's absolutely true. Even Head Bailiff Huang is personally leading a team to Shrimp Gully to catch Great Saber Hong and his men in one net."

The patrol inspector looked utterly serious.

"This..."

Liu Dongsheng sensed trouble. Zhang Lingfeng actually had such influence. Why had he never heard of it before?

"How much longer until they arrive?"

Near Shrimp Gully, Wei He asked.

Xu Laiyi ran over from up ahead and said breathlessly, "They'll be here in another three quarters of an hour. We can notify Great Saber Hong now."

"Good."

Wei He quickly looked at Chen Sanshi.

Chen Sanshi addressed the two hooligans from Stone Village who had once followed Wang Dashan and had later been subdued by him. "Did you hear everything I just told you clearly?"

"Yes. Master San wants us to tell Great Saber Hong that Master Zhang has brought five Dark Force experts, along with a whole crowd of government men."

"Master San respects Great Saber Hong as a true man and doesn't want him to die at the government's hands. That's why he's sending us to warn him."

The two hooligans were called Sanjiao and Dapen. They had once followed Wang Dashan in plaguing the villages and throwing their weight around. Now they guarded Stone Village's water source for the Zhang Clan, and Chen Sanshi had long since trained them into obedient dogs.

"Good. Go, quickly. Once this is done, come back to Warm Breeze Hall with me. I'll reward you handsomely!"

Chen Sanshi patted Sanjiao and Dapen on the shoulders as he spoke.

"Thank you, Master San."

Sanjiao and Dapen were extremely excited.

In their eyes, Chen Sanshi had already become a local big shot, someone they worshipped. The three of them immediately ran toward Shrimp Gully.

When Zhang Lingfeng brought Wu Yun and the others to meet up with Chen Sanshi's group,

Sanjiao and Dapen also met Great Saber Hong in Shrimp Gully.

"Master Dao, we serve Master San."

Great Saber Hong's men carried Sanjiao and Dapen like chicks and tossed them in front of him.

"I've only ever known people to call me Master Dao. Who's this Master San?"

Great Saber Hong laughed.

"Master San is the hall master of Warm Breeze Hall. He respects you, Master Dao, and sent us to tell you that Master Zhang is bringing a group of Dark Force experts and a large contingent of government men to capture you. He says you should release the captive and run."

Sanjiao smiled.

"And who is Master Zhang?"

Great Saber Hong looked puzzled.

"Master Zhang is the biggest master in Zhang Family Gully. Even Master San serves him. Master Dao said that Master Zhang is studying under Master Guo and will become his personal disciple in the future.

"To deal with you, he specially called over several senior brothers and sisters from the school."

"Master San told us to tell you that Master Zhang's senior brothers and sisters are named Ma Fei, Zhao Hu, Yang Tao, Liu Rushuang, and Wu Yun, and there's also a junior brother called Ye Fan."

"Master Dao, hurry and leave. Once Master Zhang gets here, things will be terrible."

Sanjiao and Dapen spoke one after the other, thinking that coming to warn Great Saber Hong might earn them a reward.

"Thank you for your kindness. In that case, you can leave first!"

Great Saber Hong smiled.

He had never heard of Zhang Lingfeng, but he had dealt with several of the Guo Wei Martial Arts School's Dark Force experts on the road, since they held posts at pharmacies or certain gangs and escort agencies.

"All right, then we'll..."

Sanjiao and Dapen were a little disappointed that there was no reward money to collect. But thinking that they had finished the job so quickly and would still receive a reward when they returned, they began to rise and leave.

Whoosh!

Just then, a blade flashed. Two heads flew up, and blood sprayed into the air like fountains.

"Bring that Wang fellow here."

Great Saber Hong's expression was cold. He roamed from place to place committing crimes; how could he have been raised on fear? The Wang Family had actually sent two greenhorns to intimidate him. They were simply courting death.

"Master Dao, if the Wang Family doesn't send the silver, let me strip his skin and pull out his tendons."

A subordinate tossed Wang Biao in front of Great Saber Hong.

"Spare me! Don't kill me! My father will bring the money to ransom me!"

Looking at the two still-warm corpses, Wang Biao was so frightened that he lost control of his bladder and bowels.

"Your old man dared send two idiots to toy with me. Have you had enough of living? Who is Zhang Lingfeng? Tell me clearly!"

Great Saber Hong lifted Wang Biao's chin with the back of his heavy saber.

"Spare me, great king! My father must have given Zhang Lingfeng the silver and asked him to bring it to ransom me. Oh, right, Zhang Lingfeng is my brother-in-law! My younger sister is betrothed to him. He must be here to ransom me."

Wang Biao racked his brains as he spoke.

"If you dare lie to me, you'll end up just like them in a moment."

Great Saber Hong knew Wang Biao was a money tree and could not be killed yet. He decided to send someone to ascertain the truth. "Send a few sharp-eyed brothers out to see who's come."

"Yes!"

"You lot, come with me."

One of the leaders took several underlings who often prowled the official roads looking for prey and went out to gather information.

In just a quarter of an hour,

the minor leader came running back, panting.

"Master Dao, a crowd of government men really is coming up ahead."

The minor leader reported.

"What? Damn it! Your Wang Family would rather spend its money on the government than use it to ransom you? Do you really think I won't dare kill you?"

Great Saber Hong sent Wang Biao flying with a kick.

"How many men are coming?"

Great Saber Hong asked.

"About thirty or forty government men, plus several experts with extraordinary bearing. I recognized two of them. One's called Ma Fei, and the other's Zhao Hu. Both once held posts at a major pharmacy and escorted medicinal supplies for it. They're renowned Dark Force experts."

"There's also a handsome young fellow called Ye Fan or something."

"Now I remember. They really do seem to be from the Guo Wei Martial Arts School."

Several subordinates spoke in turn.

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