Chapter 278

Upon hearing this, Jin Rong quickly nodded vigorously, fearing that Xie Wendong would drive her away. What a silly girl! Sighing inwardly, Xie Wendong smiled and said, “Indeed, there isn’t any.” He fiddled with the Coke cup in front of him, his eyes curved as he looked at Cang Lang, and said, “As the saying goes, it’s delightful to have friends come from afar. It’s a pity there’s no wine here; otherwise, I would definitely offer you a drink.” Cang Lang replied calmly, “If there’s friendship, anything can serve as wine.” Xie Wendong laughed and said, “That depends on how deep the friendship is.” Cang Lang said, “The friendship between us is as deep as the sea.” Xie Wendong was shocked, but his smile remained as he asked, “I’m puzzled—I don’t know when I developed such a deep ‘friendship’ with you.”

For the first time, a flicker appeared in Cang Lang’s eyes—pain, regret, disappointment, and hatred. He said indifferently, “I forgot to mention it. My surname is Ma.”

Huh! Xie Wendong took a deep breath. There weren’t many people with the surname Ma in the world, and the only family that had a feud with him was Ma Wu and Ma Feng. There was no need to ask further—Cang Lang must be closely related to these two, possibly even a direct relative. Thinking of this, Xie Wendong couldn’t help but laugh. Narrowing his eyes, he said cheerfully, “It seems I’ve stirred up a hornet’s nest.” A murderous intent flashed in Cang Lang’s eyes, his shoulders trembling as half of a sword blade appeared from his sleeve. Xie Wendong’s smile stayed intact, but the light in his eyes was terrifyingly sharp. To Cang Lang, Xie Wendong seemed both full of flaws and utterly flawless. He couldn’t guarantee that a single strike would kill Xie Wendong, which made him uncomfortable. His attention gradually shifted to Jin Rong. Expressionless and emotionless, he said, “Losing a loved one is a very painful thing.” Seeing that the other party’s focus had shifted to Jin Rong, Xie Wendong gripped his golden knife tightly, his attention fixed on Cang Lang’s arm. If Cang Lang dared to move, the knife would pierce his throat at lightning speed. Unfortunately, Xie Wendong wasn’t sure he could kill him with just one strike.

He suddenly relaxed, leaning back in his chair with his legs crossed, and said sympathetically, “I feel sorry for you. It’s a pity this kind of feeling has never happened to me.” He even shook his head helplessly. If anyone else had heard Xie Wendong’s words, they would likely have exploded in anger. Cang Lang only stiffened for a moment before returning to normal. The long sword blade had somehow fully appeared, and he said coldly, “Maybe you’ll feel it soon.” “Is that so?” Xie Wendong casually took out a cigarette, lit it, and asked a puzzling question, “I’m curious—how many brothers are there in your Ma family?” Cang Lang was momentarily stunned, not understanding the meaning of his question. Before Cang Lang could answer, and without waiting for him to, Xie Wendong suddenly moved. With a flick of his finger, the cigarette flew from his hand, aiming straight at Cang Lang’s eyes and eyebrows.

Almost instinctively, Cang Lang leaned back, and at the same time, Xie Wendong’s golden sword arrived. Although it appeared later, it was extremely heavy and reached Cang Lang almost simultaneously. Unprepared as he was, Cang Lang remained calm. With a slight swing of his arm, a flash of silver light appeared, followed by a soft thud and sparks flying as the cigarette hit the sword blade. Then, with a metallic clang, the golden sword was sent flying far away by the sleeve sword. At the same time, Cang Lang’s other sleeve sword, swift as lightning and carrying a gust of cold wind, pierced straight at Xie Wendong’s lower abdomen.

This was exactly within Xie Wendong’s expectations. He suddenly raised his crossed legs, aiming precisely at Cang Lang’s wrist holding the sword. The kick was powerful, but hitting Cang Lang’s arm caused Xie Wendong to feel pain in his own feet. Cang Lang’s sword attack slowed slightly but still struck Xie Wendong’s chest. If he hadn’t worn the protective undergarment given to him by the black belt, that sword strike would have pierced him through. Before the sword tip even left his body, his chest felt as if on fire, burning intensely. Xie Wendong didn’t care about that anymore. He grabbed Jin Rong’s waist tightly, pushed off the ground with both feet, and stumbled backward along with the chair.

How could Cang Lang let him go so easily? He kicked the table in front of him, scattering fries, cola, and bags everywhere. The screams of customers in the vicinity filled the air as they scrambled to avoid the mess.

Although his movements were fast enough, kicking over the table still took a moment, which was enough for Xie Wendong. When the Gray Wolf rushed closer to Xie Wendong again, Gao Qiang’s knife and San Yan’s gun were both drawn at the same time. With a gunshot, the Gray Wolf staggered, gave Xie Wendong a sinister glance, and then turned to run out of the fast food restaurant. He came quickly and left even faster; San Yan didn’t even have time to fire a second shot. The Gray Wolf swayed briefly before disappearing outside in an instant. Seeing someone shoot, the people around were terrified, scrambling around frantically, pushing their way out, turning the restaurant into a chaos of screams, cries for help, and children’s wails. Xie Wendong’s brows furrowed tightly as he snatched the gun from San Yan’s hands and fired two shots at the ceiling, shouting loudly, “Stay calm! We’re police!” It was a lie, but it worked. Hearing he was a police officer, the panicked crowd calmed down a bit. He pushed Jin Rong, who was still confused about what was going on, toward San Yan, then maneuvered through the crowd and finally made it outside. Looking around, there wasn’t even a trace of the Gray Wolf. “Damn it!” Xie Wendong gritted his teeth and cursed in anger. Since the Gray Wolf was connected to the Ma Wu brothers, this feud could no longer be resolved—there would only be death or destruction between them. With Xie Wendong in the open and the Gray Wolf hiding, coupled with his exceptional skills, the threat he posed was immense. San Yan and Gao Qiang also came out of the fast food restaurant, protecting Jin Rong. Seeing that the Gray Wolf had vanished without a trace, San Yan said helplessly, “Brother Dong, let’s go. If the police arrive, we won’t be able to explain ourselves.” “Mm,” Xie Wendong took a deep breath, his face icy cold as he said coldly, “Let’s go.” After they got into the car, Xie Wendong touched the back of his shirt—it was damp. Not even managing to exchange a blow with the Gray Wolf had made him sweat profusely. Even though he was his enemy, he couldn’t help but sigh in admiration. “The Gray Wolf is definitely the most skilled fighter I’ve ever seen.” San Yan also felt shaken and agreed, “If he had used a gun, the outcome could have been unimaginable. We probably wouldn’t have survived at all.” “So,” Xie Wendong narrowed his eyes, “if you don’t eradicate the threat completely, you’ll suffer the consequences.”

Jin Rong clutched Xie Wendong’s sleeves tightly, her fingers turning white from the force, clearly terrified. Tears in her eyes, she asked in a trembling voice, “Big brother, you lied to me. He’s not your friend. Who is he? It’s so scary…” Xie Wendong looked at the pitiful Jin Rong and trembled as well, recalling how he had rescued her from Ma Wu years ago. His heart ached as he patted her cold hands gently and said softly, “Don’t be afraid, little girl. I’m here, and no one can hurt you. I promise he’ll never appear in front of you again.” With that, he pulled Jin Rong into his arms, letting her head rest on his chest. When Cang Lang glanced at Jin Rong with murderous intent, Xie Wendong truly felt fear. All the trouble stemmed from Ma Wu. The reason he killed Ma Wu was ultimately because of Jin Rong. First Ma Feng, now Cang Lang—troubles never ceased. But for this little girl, even if killing Ma Wu brought more risks and troubles, Xie Wendong would never hesitate.

This was Xie Wendong—sometimes kind, sometimes heartless, but never unrepentant, otherwise he wouldn’t have a group of brothers willing to die for him. He possessed unparalleled wisdom, yet also impulsive recklessness. People are complex; there are no absolute good or evil people—good and evil depend on one’s mindset. Anyone can be good, and sometimes, anyone can become evil. Jin Rong still felt incredibly comfortable in Xie Wendong’s arms. Hugging him, she felt an indescribable sense of security. Even if the sky fell, she wasn’t afraid, knowing someone would surely step forward without hesitation to protect her. Unaware of time, Jin Rong fell asleep. Hearing her steady breathing, Xie Wendong secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He gently laid her down, resting her head on his lap. Lowering his voice, he said, “Qiangzi, contact Lao Sen. Tell him to use any means necessary, no matter how many people it takes, even if he has to dig three feet deep, he must bring Cang Lang to me.”

“Understood, Brother Dong!” Gao Qiang replied, took out his phone, and called Jiang Sen. Xie Wendong was still angry and added, “Brother Zhang, DL is your territory. As for what to do, I don’t want to say too much.” Sanyan’s face turned red as he punched his own thigh and shouted, “I swear…” Just as he was about to yell, he saw Jin Rong sleeping soundly, and his anger subsided. He unbuttoned the collar of his shirt and said in a low voice, “I damn well won’t stop Canglang unless I have to. Don’t worry, Brother Dong. Tomorrow morning, no matter what happens, I’ll give you an answer.” Sanyan’s eyes were red, especially the scar on his forehead, which turned bright red from blood flow. He was truly desperate.

Xie Wendong nodded slightly, his lips curling slightly. “I trust Brother Zhang to handle this. I’ll wait for news from you and Lao Sen.”

When he returned to the apartment building, Xie Wendong saw that Jin Rong was still asleep. Not wanting to wake her, he gently picked her up and carried her inside. In the apartment lobby, the security guards, not knowing what was going on, thought he might have ill intentions since he was carrying a sleeping girl. As a stranger, they tried to stop him, but Sanyan coughed deeply and simply said, “He’s one of us.”

“Oh!” The guards didn’t know Xie Wendong but recognized Sanyan. Seeing him, they backed away respectfully, like mice facing a cat. After going upstairs, Xie Wendong placed Jin Rong in a single room, carefully covered her with a blanket, and then left quietly. Li Shuang and Ren Changfeng, who were drinking inside, noticed their unusual expressions and guessed something might have gone wrong. They stopped drinking and asked as Xie Wendong came out, “Brother Dong, what happened?” Xie Wendong shook his head tiredly, sat down on the sofa, and let out a long sigh. Looking down, he saw a two-finger-wide cut on his chest. With a bitter smile, he pointed to the wound and said, “Canglang.”

“What?” Li Shuang and Ren Changfeng were stunned. “Canglang came to DL?” Sanyan said, “That swift swordsmanship is definitely real.” After saying that, he too couldn’t help but feel fear and sighed deeply. “If Brother Dong hadn’t been wearing those black belt clothes, the consequences of that sword strike would have been unimaginable. Canglang’s swordsmanship is even more vicious, deadly, and fast than wolf fangs!” “Canglang…” Ren Changfeng murmured those words and sighed. He had fought against Canglang once. He was a proud man, but he had to admit he wouldn’t be able to survive five moves against Canglang. It was hard to imagine under what circumstances someone could develop such skills. Xie Wendong narrowed his eyes and murmured, “This man must be eliminated.”

There weren’t many people who could impose a sense of pressure on Xie Wendong, and Cang Lang was definitely one of the best. He disliked this feeling of uncertainty, having to be on guard at all times. Xie Wendong murmured to himself, “Even if we could find him, who could actually control him?” As soon as these words were spoken, everyone in the room lowered their heads. These people could be considered experts, but compared to Cang Lang, they were nothing but amateurs. Ren Changfeng suddenly said leisurely, “Brother Dong, do you believe in the existence of the martial world?”
Xie Wendong was momentarily stunned and replied, “Isn’t the Hongmen part of the martial world?” Ren Changfeng shook his head. “If it were decades ago, the Hongmen might still have been considered part of the martial world, but now its nature has changed. People no longer pursue freedom and ideals in the martial world; instead, they seek money, profit, territory, and fame. The Hongmen is no longer what it used to be. It’s hard to find a true expert within the Hongmen—even me and Lao Lei are at most third-rate fighters in the martial world.”
“What about Cang Lang?” Li Shuang asked eagerly, captivated by the story. Ren Changfeng paused for a moment before saying, “He’s at least a second-rate expert. I think he must be part of the martial world; at least the person who taught him martial arts is from there. Brother Dong, those in the martial world should seek help from others within the martial world.” A glint appeared in Xie Wendong’s eyes as he asked doubtfully, “Where can we find such people?” Ren Changfeng walked back and forth in the room for a while, hesitating before slowly saying, “The Hongmen, the ‘Wangyue Pavilion’ of its elders.”
Wangyue Pavilion—a name once famous and well-known among those in the martial world—was merely an organization where the Hongmen’s elders gathered, yet its reputation surpassed that of the Hongmen itself. For a time, even the leader of the Hongmen was constrained by the Wangyue Pavilion, with its elders holding more influence than the leader. But later, as internal strife plagued the Hongmen, causing it to fragment, the Wangyue Pavilion gradually faded from the spotlight. Disillusioned with worldly conflicts, its members chose to live in seclusion. By now, even few within the Hongmen knew of the Wangyue Pavilion. Yet it was undeniable that the Wangyue Pavilion truly existed, and it was the real ‘Elders’ Pavilion of the Hongmen, with members who were genuine martial experts and extraordinary figures of the martial world.
“Wangyue Pavilion!” It was the first time Xie Wendong had heard this name; it sounded unfamiliar. After pondering it for a while, he shook his head and said, “The old man never mentioned it to me.”

Ren Changfeng smiled and said, “That’s quite normal. Although Wangyue Pavilion is an elder institution of the Hongmen, it has long since faded from the spotlight. Even now, with the fierce conflict between the north and south and countless casualties, not a single one of those elders or their disciples has stepped forward to say anything.” There was a hint of resentment in his words.