Chapter 209
As soon as Xiang Wentian arrived in Nanjing, he received Ren Changfeng’s fierce attack as a greeting, leaving him at a loss whether to laugh or cry. This man really had boldness—five people coming to assassinate him! He felt admiration in his heart. He asked Xiao Fang whose name the man who had slashed him was. Xiao Fang helplessly replied, “There’s only one such reckless person in the Northern Hongmen—his name is Ren Changfeng!” Ren Changfeng! Xiang Wentian decided to remember that name.
Xie Wendong and Jiang Sen returned to the hall and privately asked him, “Have you seen the two new Heavenly Kings?” Jiang Sen pondered for a moment before nodding and saying, “The one who shot and interrupted Changfeng’s Tang sword must be Gun King Zhan Long. I saw Changfeng’s slash clearly from behind—it was extremely fast; most people would find it hard to dodge even if they tried. Zhan Long was able to draw his gun, aim, and shoot in such a short time, successfully interrupting the downward swing of Changfeng’s sword. He’s truly amazing; I can’t compare to him.”
Xie Wendong nodded. Although he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, Jiang Sen’s description allowed him to relive the scene in his mind. After a long while, he smiled and said, “Hmm! Gun King—truly the Gun King. It’s said his marksmanship ranks among the top three in the world. Surely his claims aren’t unfounded.”
Jiang Sen, still shaken, worriedly said, “Brother Dong, we must be extra careful around this man in the future. Especially when meeting him, we can’t be distracted in the slightest, or else… his gun is too fast.” Xie Wendong nodded with a smile and asked, “What about Wolf King Qian Xixi?” Jiang Sen closed his eyes and recalled. If he wasn’t mistaken, the ugly ghost who appeared later must be Qian Xixi. He shook his head and said, “His swordsmanship is good, but he’s too impulsive. Moreover, it seems he has a taboo—he can’t stand others calling him ugly.” Seeing Xie Wendong laughing, he added, “Actually, he is really ugly.” Xie Wendong said, “Regardless of whether he’s ugly or not, as long as there’s a weakness, he’ll be hard to deal with. Zhan Long is indeed a troublesome person. For someone like him, if we can’t use him for our own benefit, we should get rid of him as soon as possible to avoid future problems. What worries me is Xiang Wentian—we know too little about him, and I’m not sure what to expect.”
It was the first time Jiang Sen had met Xiang Wentian, and the charisma he exuded was truly breathtaking. He was different from Xie Wendong, who carried a subtle, sharp, and piercing aura. Xiang Wentian, on the other hand, was full of masculinity, exuding dominance in every move he made. These two men with such contrasting temperaments might have been destined to be rivals from the start. The thought of playing a role in the conflict between such figures made Jiang Sen’s blood boil, filling him with anticipation.
He asked, “Brother Dong, since Xiang Wentian has already arrived in Nanjing, should we attack or defend?”
Xie Wendong smiled and said, “Xiang Wentian, an old friend! He’s come all the way from Guangzhou to Nanjing. If we don’t treat him to a meal, it would be a great failure of hospitality on our part.”
Jiang Sen was stunned and asked, “Brother Dong, you’re not planning to invite Xiang Wentian for a meal, are you?” Xie Wendong laughed heartily and nodded, “That’s right! I do want to invite him for a meal. No wine is perfect, no banquet is flawless. Let’s see if Xiang Wentian has the courage to come!”
An invitation was sent to Nan Hongmen that very night. Xiao Fang held the invitation for a long time, frowned, and said, “A meal? Xie Wendong isn’t that kind as to invite us for a meal! No wine is perfect, no banquet is flawless—this meal won’t be pleasant at all. Brother Xiang, I think it’s better not to go.”
Xiang Wentian shook his head and smiled, “If I don’t go, it will only make people in the martial world laugh at Nan Hongmen for being cowardly. I must go to this meal, and I’ll make it a grand occasion!”
Shui Shang Ren Jian was a luxurious hotel. As its name suggested, the entire building seemed to be built on water, with a semi-circular structure and a green lake in the center, along with pavilions on the lake, giving off a sense of “a small bridge, flowing water, and homes.” It used to belong to Xiang Wentian, but it was won by Xie Wendong in a bold gamble during the last Hongmen summit, so it should now belong to the Xie family. This time, whether intentionally or not, Xie Wendong chose this place for the banquet.
The next afternoon, Xiang Wentian indeed arrived. Dozens of luxury cars stopped in front of Shui Shang Ren Jian, with over a hundred people getting out. Xie Wendong stood at the door smiling warmly, waiting for a long time before approaching Xiang Wentian, his smile even brighter. He stepped forward and said, “Brother Xiang, it’s been days since we last met, but you still look as great as ever!”
Xiang Wentian didn’t hesitate either. He stepped forward, shook Xie Wendong’s hand, and said with a smile, “What are you saying, Brother Xie? My appearance can’t compare to your current success and pride!”
Both of them laughed happily and walked into the hall hand in hand. If someone who didn’t know the truth saw them, they would surely think they were old friends who hadn’t seen each other in years. But what they really thought was the complete opposite—they wished the other person would disappear from this world right away.
Xie Wendong led Xiang Wentian to the dining hall, which was empty. At the center stood a large round table filled with dishes and drinks. Xie Wendong gestured politely and said, “Brother Xiang, please!”
Xiang Wentian shook his head and said, “You are the host, I’m the guest. Brother Xie, please go first.” Xie Wendong didn’t hesitate any longer and sat down first. Xiang Wentian sat down to his left. Of the more than a hundred subordinates who came with him, only four stood behind him. He glanced at the dishes and drinks on the table and nodded in secret—everything was luxurious. He said, “It really costs Brother Xie a lot.” Xie Wendong replied, “Such simple food can’t satisfy Brother Xiang’s standards.”
Xiang Wentian smiled and said, “If even this is simple food, then there’s probably nothing delicious in the world.” After a pause, he asked casually, “I heard one of my subordinates was invited to City T by Brother Xie. What’s the reason?” Xie Wendong poured two glasses of wine, handed one to Xiang Wentian, and said calmly, “City T is a great place. The buns there are very famous. Maybe your subordinate wants to try them!” Xiang Wentian laughed and asked, “I wonder when he’ll be able to return?”
Xie Wendong replied helplessly, “It depends on whether he wants to.” Before Xiang Wentian could speak, Xiao Fang, who was standing behind him, couldn’t contain his anger any longer and shouted, “It’s because you don’t want him to!” Xie Wendong picked up his glass and drank it in one gulp, not even glancing at Xiao Fang. Xiao Fang’s eyes widened as he reached into his chest, but Xiang Wentian waved his hand to stop him, saying, “When it rains, mothers get married. Birds must eventually spread their wings and fly. Forced melons aren’t very sweet.”
Xie Wendong smiled, looked at his glass, and sighed, “Actually, I really admire Brother Xiang’s courage for coming to this dinner. If it were me, I would never come.”
Xiang Wentian laughed and said, “That’s why Xie Wendong is Xie Wendong, and Xiang Wentian is Xiang Wentian.” “Right, makes sense!” Suddenly, Xie Wendong pointed around and said calmly, “I’ve hidden no less than three hundred men around here. Outside, there are at least a thousand more.” Rubbing his hands around the glass, he added, “As long as I throw this glass to the ground, the men inside and outside will rush in and destroy everything in this dining hall without hesitation.”
Upon hearing this, Xiao Fang’s heart trembled. Xie Wendong was not a liar; if he said so, it must be true. Cold sweat immediately broke out on his forehead as he secretly blamed Xiang Wentian for being too impulsive—he shouldn’t have attended Xie Wendong’s dinner in the first place. Yet Xiang Wentian wasn’t nervous at all. Pointing at Xiao Fang behind him, he said, “Brother Xie, it seems you already know this person, Xiao Fang, so I won’t introduce him.” Then he pointed at a burly man standing next to Xiao Fang, whose donkey-like face was full of pits and was extremely ugly, and said, “This is Qian Xixi. His sword is extremely sharp; to this day, I’ve never seen anyone able to get the upper hand against him.” Next, Xiang Wentian pointed at a burly man on his right and sighed, “His name is Zhan Long. His spear skills are incredibly precise. I guarantee that within five meters, no one in the world can dodge his bullets.”
Xiang Wentian had never lied in his life. Xie Wendong sighed. The distance between him and Zhan Long was less than three meters. He said with a smile, “I just want to drink with Brother Xiang today.”
Xiang Wentian replied with a smile, “Wine is a wonderful thing. Wouldn’t it be a waste not to drink it?” Xie Wendong said, “The ancients said, ‘With a true friend, a thousand cups are not enough.’ I wonder if we count as true friends?”
“Of course! Definitely!” Xiang Wentian said while drinking. Xie Wendong thought for a moment, then laughed heartily and said, “That’s right! Indeed, we are!”
In this world, the person who is your greatest enemy is also definitely your closest friend.
Xie Wendong and Xiang Wentian had met three times and drunk together three times, always having a great time—this time was no exception. They took turns drinking, and before they could even take a few bites of food, the table was already piled with wine bottles. Hidden away, Ren Changfeng sighed deeply, put away his knife, and shook his head, muttering, “It seems Brother Dong won’t let us take action.” He said to Jiang Sen, “Look how happily Brother Dong and Xiang Wentian are drinking!” There was a hint of envy in his tone. Jiang Sen lamented, “If it weren’t for Zhan Long, Xiang Wentian would never still be here drinking!”
Ren Changfeng was stunned and asked, “Are you saying Brother Dong is worried about Zhan Long?” Jiang Sen shook his head and muttered, “I’m confident I can kill him with a single shot from hiding.”
The drinking continued from afternoon until evening, and Xiang Wentian left, swaying slightly. Xie Wendong stood up to see him off. Watching the departing convoy, Xie Wendong sighed softly and murmured, “What a pity.”
Jiang Sen didn’t know when he had appeared behind Xie Wendong and said, “Brother Dong, actually I could have killed Zhan Long with just one shot in secret.” Xie Wendong replied helplessly, “It’s not Zhan Long I’m worried about—it’s that person Xiang Wentian didn’t introduce.” Jiang Sen tilted his head and thought for a moment; there indeed was such a person. If not for Xie Wendong mentioning him, he would have completely forgotten about him. This person had an extremely ordinary appearance—so ordinary that anyone who saw him once would never look at him a second time. If asked to describe what he looked like now, Jiang Sen probably wouldn’t be able to. Plain features, an ordinary build—combined to form an ordinary person who could be easily forgotten once seen. Jiang Sen couldn’t understand how such a person could concern Xie Wendong, so he looked at him doubtfully. Xie Wendong narrowed his eyes and said, “The secret team has intelligence that there are two right-hand men beside Xiang Wentian. Both of them possess extraordinary skills, their combat abilities on par with those of the Eight Heavenly Kings. One of them is named Yu Dian—fearless in battle, wielding a knife in his left hand and a gun in his right. It’s hard to find anyone who can match him. But his appearance is unremarkable, and he doesn’t often show off his skills, so not many people know about him. The person standing beside Zhan Long today is very likely him.” “Oh!” Jiang Sen gasped and couldn’t help but say, “The Southern Hongmen does have quite a few capable people!” Xie Wendong smiled and said, “Xiang Wentian can dominate the south not just because of his own efforts, but also because he has a group of loyal and capable people supporting him.” Now at a loss for what to do, Jiang Sen asked, “Brother Dong, what should we do?” “Just deal with it!” Ren Changfeng walked over confidently and interjected, “When soldiers come, we send generals to resist; when water comes, we use earth to block it. What are we afraid of?!” Xie Wendong laughed loudly and said, “Changfeng is right—when soldiers come, we send generals to resist; when water comes, we use earth to block it!”
Xie Wendong’s tolerance for alcohol was growing by the day. He drank heavily with Xiang Wentian without showing any signs of getting drunk. That evening, a meeting was held to decide to hold back for now, observing Xiang Wentian’s moves before taking further action. At the same time, he summoned Dong Xinlei and Nie Tianxing, who were in City T, back to Nanjing to strengthen his own forces. He also called the four top leaders of the Northern Hongmen gang, asking them to lead their men to provide urgent support to Nanjing. This was part of Xie Wendong’s plan—he actually didn’t think the situation in Nanjing was that serious. By bringing in these four leaders, he intended to use them as pawns and eliminate them at the right time to establish new leaders. After all, these four were all old followers of Jin Peng with great influence. If they turned against him, the consequences would be unimaginable. So, Xie Wendong preferred to err on the side of killing them rather than leaving any chance, aiming to bring up young forces loyal to him. It wasn’t aimed at the old man personally; it was simply the unchanging principle that one generation of rulers deserves one generation of ministers. Who wouldn’t want to hand power to those loyal to them?
While Xie Wendong was mobilizing his forces, Xiang Wentian was also sending troops from various places to Nanjing continuously. Both sides were determined to settle this battle here. The upheaval within the Hongmen gang shocked the whole world. The big bosses and influential figures in the underworld also flocked to Nanjing to witness the showdown between the two largest gangs in the north and south, as it affected their future allegiance—whether to side with the north or the south. Nanjing became the focus of attention for the entire underworld, with all eyes on it and on the two main players in this great drama.