Chapter 234

Jinyan stepped forward to take a look. The man’s face was as pale as paper, his lips blue, and his pupils gradually widening. Looking down, Jinyan saw a deep wound beneath the man’s ribs, with flesh turned outward and blood continuously flowing. With his extensive experience, Jinyan shook his head after just one glance and sighed softly, “This man won’t make it.” Jiang Sen felt a chill down his neck. Turning his head, he saw Ashui with tears streaming down her face, dripping onto his neck. He took a deep breath and said firmly, “Why cry? A man shouldn’t cry when he’s bleeding.”

Xie Wendong understood Ashui’s feelings. Watching his brother, who had shared life and death with him, slowly die while he was powerless to do anything was an emotion that couldn’t be easily endured. He glanced at the pursuers behind him; vague figures could be seen moving in the dim darkness. Patting Ashui’s shoulder, he narrowed his eyes and said, “Keep the hatred in your heart. Remember, we will avenge this. I’ll be with you.”

“It probably won’t be that easy!” A sharp shout came from the bushes, followed by a flash of a blade aimed at Xie Wendong. No one expected enemies to be hiding so close in the bushes, and they were extremely calm, waiting until everyone’s attention was on Ashui and her dead brother before attacking. The blade was as fast as a meteor. Before the man could speak, the blade arrived first. Xie Wendong was human, not a god. He hadn’t anticipated enemies in the bushes either. By the time he saw the blade clearly, it was already in front of him. There was no chance to dodge. The blade pierced straight at his heart. Xie Wendong was hit like by a train, flying several meters backward. His chest tightened, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.

The attacker was the bald man who had fled after being shot by Jinyan at the beginning. His attack on Xie Wendong was also completely unexpected, as he didn’t feel the pleasure of the blade piercing flesh—it felt more like stabbing into a lump of cotton, soft and without any resistance. A bulletproof vest! The bald man reacted quickly, realizing that Xie Wendong was wearing protective clothing. With a sigh, he retracted his blade and ran away. With blood at the corner of his mouth, seeing the bald man about to escape, Xie Wendong hurriedly shouted, “Don’t let him get away!”

Xie Wendong’s words finally snapped the others out of their shock. Everything happened so fast that they hadn’t reacted in time, and Xie Wendong had already been stabbed by someone.

Jiang Sen, Ren Changfeng, and Jin Yan launched their attacks almost simultaneously, rushing at the bald man who was trying to escape. Without seeing him draw his sword, Ren Changfeng’s blade was already pointed at the bald man’s back. Jiang Sen had somehow taken off his coat and, with a loud shout, threw it at the bald man. The coat descended like a large net, covering him completely. The bald man was remarkable—he didn’t even turn around; instead, he swung his sword backward, splitting the incoming coat in two. But as he did so, his speed slowed slightly, which was enough for Ren Changfeng. His sword, like a venomous snake, bit into the bald man’s back. Thanks to his quick reaction, he ducked as the blade struck, then staggered forward a few steps before plunging into grass half his height. Without hesitation, Ren Changfeng leaped after him, but Jiang Sen grabbed him and said sternly, “Brother Dong is more important. There are still pursuers behind!”
“Too bad,” Ren Changfeng growled through gritted teeth, “I couldn’t kill that bastard with one strike.” “There will be another chance!” Jiang Sen’s expression was terrifyingly dark. They turned back. Xie Wendong was supported by Shui Jing, bending over and gasping for breath, with blood droplets dripping from his mouth. Jiang Sen rushed forward and asked, “Brother Dong, how are you?”
Xie Wendong raised his head, snapped his teeth, and shook his head. “I’m fine. I’m not going to die! Seven or eight bullets almost took my life back then, let alone this slash. I’m just worried that this attack made that bald guy more cautious, and next time he attacks, it might not be so easy to deal with.” Hearing this, Jiang Sen and the others flushed with shame. With so many of them here, each thinking of themselves as skilled experts, they had allowed the enemy to move around freely as if no one else was there. If not for Xie Wendong using his coat to protect himself, they would likely have died long ago. Ren Changfeng swung his sword fiercely and said, “Don’t worry, Brother Dong. This won’t happen again. With me here, I won’t give that ‘Bald Brighty’ a second chance.”
Xie Wendong nodded and smiled. “Let’s go quickly. The people from the Southern Hongmen are almost here.” Everyone pricked up their ears. Indeed, the footsteps were getting louder. This delay had allowed the enemy to catch up significantly. Jin Yan stepped forward and bent down. “Come on, Brother Dong, let me carry you!” Xie Wendong shook his head. “It’s just a minor injury. No need!” With that, he strode away. He was a competitive person who wanted to avoid burdening his brothers as much as possible. Though he felt as if a heavy mountain was pressing on him, he still refused Jin Yan’s offer. He rarely changed his mind, and Jin Yan, understanding Xie Wendong’s character, said nothing more and followed closely behind, staying alert in case more enemies appeared to attack.

They didn’t know how long they had been running. The disciples of Nanhongmen behind them had long been left far behind—probably seven or eight li away. Yet they still couldn’t see where the old ghost was hiding. Jiang Sen, swinging his short legs, turned to ask Ah Shui on his back, “Bro, did you get the direction wrong?”
Ah Shui barely lifted his head to look around and said weakly, “Keep going forward. We’re almost there.” “Almost there? How much farther?” This was the third time Ah Shui had said “almost there,” and Jiang Sen’s patience was at its limit. Ah Shui smiled bitterly and said, “Just cross that mountain road ahead.” Hearing this, Jiang Sen almost collapsed. Without saying another word, he urged them to keep running!
By the time they reached the old ghost’s residence, it was already midnight. This place could be considered the outskirts of the suburbs—several isolated cottages sat at the foot of the mountain. The only connection to the outside world was a narrow, bumpy dirt path. It was too small to even be called a village. But at that moment, seeing those few dilapidated houses made them happier than seeing the imperial palace. Yet before they could get any closer, several burly men rushed out from both sides of the road with a whooshing sound. Expressionless, holding guns, they asked coldly, “What are you doing here?”
Xie Wendong glanced at them, then squatted down, pulling up his pants. He simply didn’t have the strength to speak. The long run had left his internal organs churning like the sea in a storm. Jiang Sen stepped forward and said, “We’re looking for the old ghost.” The burly men didn’t react, still asking coldly, “What are you doing here?” As they spoke, they slowly raised their guns.
Before Jiang Sen could say anything, Ah Shui on his back said in a deep voice, “Lao Wu, it’s me. They’re our own people.”
Hearing a voice, the burly men quickly lowered their guns and asked, “Is it Brother Shui?” Jiang Sen snapped, “That’s right! Our Brother Shui is seriously injured. If we delay any longer, he might die.” The burly men were shocked. They stepped forward to take a closer look. Although Ah Shui’s face was covered in blood and dirt, they recognized him. Waving his hand behind him, he hurriedly said, “It really is Brother Shui! Come on, a few brothers, help him!”
The other burly men quickly lifted Ah Shui off Jiang Sen’s back and ran straight toward the cottages. The man who had spoken earlier became much more polite and asked softly, “Brothers, who exactly are you?” Xie Wendong took a deep breath, feeling a bit relieved. He slowly stood up and said gently, “I’m Xie Wendong!”
“Ah?” The burly man’s mouth dropped open. He examined Xie Wendong carefully from head to toe. After a while, he bowed and said politely, “So it’s Boss Xie. I’m truly sorry for my behavior earlier.” Xie Wendong waved his hand and said, “There’s no need for formalities among our own people. I’m looking for the old ghost!”

As soon as he finished speaking, a loud shout came from ahead: “Brother Xie, what’s going on?” Just as he mentioned it, the person appeared. The old man was dressed in black; his already plump and tall frame, combined with the dark surroundings, made him look like a blind black bear that had come down from the mountains. He staggered over to Xie Wendong, slapping him on the shoulder with such force that Xie Wendong almost fell to the ground. The old man gasped for breath and asked, “What happened? I just received a call from A Shui saying you were under attack?”
Xie Wendong narrowed his eyes and stared at the old man without saying a word. The old man’s gaze gave him chills; scratching his head, he asked in confusion, “W-what happened?”
Xie Wendong said coldly, “You knew we were under attack—why didn’t you come to help?” The old man’s face contorted in frustration as he replied, “How could I not help?! I sent three groups of people, but none of them encountered you. I wonder where the hell you came from?!” Xie Wendong pointed to the tear in his shirt and said, “I made it here alive because of good luck. I thought the reputation of the Golden Triangle was enough to intimidate people, but it seems I overestimated you.”
Those words were like a knife stabbing into the old man’s heart. His face darkened as he said coldly, “Brother, I can ignore anything you say, but if you keep talking about the Golden Triangle, don’t blame me for turning against you.” Xie Wendong sneered and said, “Heh, what impressive! I hope that impressiveness lasts forever. But if I’m not wrong, your brother is probably already dead.” The old man was stunned and asked, “A Shui?” “That’s right!” Xie Wendong nodded.
The old man didn’t bother to get angry with Xie Wendong and rushed back to the cottage like the wind. Xie Wendong and the others followed slowly behind.
Just as he said, A Shui was indeed dying. There were several serious knife wounds on his body, but none fatal. However, one less deep wound happened to be on his liver, which was deadly. By the time the old man returned, A Shui was breathing heavily and his body was trembling convulsively. Many people around him were trying to give first aid, some injecting him with heroin in hopes of relieving his pain, but it was useless. The old man stepped forward and grabbed A Shui’s hand, unable to speak for a long time. He and A Shui both worked in the Golden Triangle’s external affairs department and had collaborated for many years, going through countless hardships together—like brothers. Now, seeing him lying on the bed, barely alive, how could it not break his heart?

When A Shui saw the old ghost, his paper-white face suddenly turned red. His purple-blue lips curled into a smile that resembled crying in the old ghost’s eyes. Gathering his strength, A Shui forced out three words: “Nan… Hong… Men…” After saying that, his body stiffened and he froze.

The old ghost was stunned. He mechanically shook A Shui’s body, repeatedly calling out, “Brother, you can’t fall asleep…”

The people around stood up, lowering their heads in silence. One of them stepped forward, covered A Shui’s wide-open eyes with a cloth, then turned to the old ghost and said, “Brother Ghost, A… A Shui is dead.” The old ghost stood there in daze for a long time before suddenly shouting, “Ah! It hurts so much!” He banged his head against the bed frame, crying bitterly. Xie Wendong, who hadn’t intended to come near, felt bad seeing the old ghost’s state. He stepped behind him, patted his shoulder, and said, “He’s already dead. What’s the use of crying?!”

The old ghost cried out, “He’s my brother! A brother born and died with me!” Xie Wendong sighed and narrowed his eyes. “The living must do something for the dead.” The old ghost stamped his foot, jumped up suddenly, stared at Xie Wendong, and roared, “Who did it? Who the hell did this?” A Shui’s words before dying were too faint, and combined with his extreme pain, it was impossible to hear clearly. Xie Wendong stayed silent, as there was nothing to say. He simply gave Jiang Sen a glance. Jiang Sen was clever—having been with Xie Wendong for years, he understood what was going on. He quietly left the room and found the only survivor among A Shui’s men. That man was also badly injured, with two stab wounds on his back. Whenever he moved, his pale bones could be faintly seen beneath the skin. Two men were skillfully bandaging him. Jiang Sen glanced at him and said calmly, “You won’t die.”

The man was confused by his words, his eyes filled with doubt. Jiang Sen continued, “Although you won’t die, A Shui is dead.”

Those words were like a thunderbolt. The man stood up abruptly, eyes wide, and asked, “What did you say?” Jiang Sen sighed and repeated, “A Shui is dead.”

“Brother Shui!” the man shouted and rushed into the room. It was better to let him meet the old ghost himself rather than having him go looking for him. The longer Jiang Sen spent with Xie Wendong, the more cunning he became. With a loud crash, the man broke through the door and rushed in. Seeing Ah Shui lying on the bed, covered in blood, his heart twisted instantly; his nose stung, and he burst into tears. The old ghost’s attention immediately shifted from Xie Wendong to him. It would have been fine if he hadn’t cried, but his tears only added to the old ghost’s annoyance. His eyebrows furrowed deeply as he kicked the man over, grabbed him by the collar, and demanded through gritted teeth, “Who turned Ah Shui into this? Tell me, who the hell is it?”
The man was terrified by the old ghost’s expression and immediately stopped crying. Staring blankly, he said, “The Nan Hong Men! It’s… it’s the Nan Hong Men who did it.”