Chapter 206

The man who was whistling saw that things were almost under control, so he waved for everyone to stop the car. Turning to look at the men brought by Zhang Jufeng, he saw many dead or injured, a large number had surrendered, and quite a few had taken advantage of the chaos to flee—their fate was truly tragic. The man went over to Zhang Jufeng. Seeing him staring at him with wide eyes, he pulled down the black cloth covering his mouth, revealing his true face, and said calmly, “My name is Jiang Sen, the leader of the Blood Killing Squad of the Wendong Gang!” Zhang Jufeng could no longer speak. He nodded slightly, rolled his eyes, and collapsed to the ground. Jiang Sen sneered, reaching into his pocket to take out a blood patch, but was stopped by Xie Wendong, who rushed over. Shaking his head, Jiang Sen said, “Don’t kill him. Take him to the hospital!” Jiang Sen looked down and saw that Zhang Jufeng was covered in blood; his white clothes were dyed red, and his body was convulsing intermittently. He sighed, “It’s probably too late to take him to the hospital even now.” Xie Wendong said, “It’s a shame to kill someone like him. Try to save him. If we can use him for our own purposes, that would be even better.” Ren Changfeng also ran over at that moment. Seeing the blood-soaked man on the ground, he sighed softly and said melancholically, “What a pity. I originally wanted to fight you again, but it seems there’s no chance now!” He then turned and asked, “Brother Dong, what should we do now?” Xie Wendong smiled and said, “Without Zhang Jufeng, Xiao Fang will be heartbroken for a while. He won’t dare come back tonight. Let the brothers go back and rest. If anyone wants to go out, go ahead—I’ll cover all the expenses.” Hearing this, Ren Changfeng laughed loudly and said, “We won a battle tonight. I doubt many people want to go rest early. Brother Dong, you’re going to have to ‘spend’ a lot!” Xie Wendong also laughed and said, “I’ve never been stingy.” Xiao Fang still didn’t know that Zhang Jufeng was seriously injured and his fate was uncertain. He led his men in ambush, waiting for Zhang Jufeng to lure Xie Wendong out so they could attack from both sides and capture him alive. But no matter how long they waited, not only did Xie Wendong not show up, but Zhang Jufeng also didn’t return. Puzzled, he glanced at his watch. Logically, whether Zhang Jufeng had lured Xie Wendong out or not, he should have returned by now. But where was he? Could it be… Xiao Fang took a sharp breath. Could it be that something had happened to Zhang Jufeng? His heart turned cold. He thought to himself that he had to go check anyway. If another “Heavenly King” died at Xie Wendong’s hands, he wouldn’t even need to return to Guangzhou to face his elder, Xiang Wentian.

He waved his hand and shouted, ordering his hidden men to come out and head straight to the North Hongmen hall to support Zhang Jufeng. Less than a mile later, they saw someone running toward them, dressed in South Hongmen attire, staggering along with bloodstains all over him, looking in a terrible state. Trouble! Xiao Fang stepped forward quickly, grabbed the man’s clothes, and asked loudly, “What happened?” The man was drenched in sweat; he frantically wiped at his face, mixing sweat with dust and turning his face into a mess. Gasping for breath, he said, “Xie Wendong set an ambush; we fell into his trap.”

Xiao Fang’s head buzzed, and he swayed, almost falling. Swallowing hard, he asked urgently, “Where is Brother Zhang, the Heavenly King?” The man blinked, his face turning grim, and said, “The Heavenly King… the Heavenly King was killed by Xie Wendong!” “What?” Xiao Fang’s eyes widened. He grabbed the man’s collar tightly, almost lifting him off the ground. He was completely frantic, but suddenly he sensed something was wrong. At that moment, the man said coldly, “But before dying, the Heavenly King asked me to give you a message—he says he’s waiting for you on the path to the underworld!” Before he could finish speaking, a gleaming dagger fell from his sleeve into his palm, aimed straight at Xiao Fang’s lower abdomen.

Everyone knew Xiao Fang was extremely intelligent, but few realized he was also highly skilled in combat. As he was in a panic, he suddenly sensed something amiss—the man’s accent was strongly Northeastern. But before he could think further, the man’s knife was already there. Thanks to his sharp senses, Xiao Fang shouted loudly and stepped back quickly, narrowly avoiding the deadly strike. Fearing pursuit, he stepped back several more times before stabilizing himself. With a shake of his shoulder, he drew his side knife and looked up at the man, who was standing there smiling, not chasing after him. Instead, he pulled down his white South Hongmen clothes to reveal the black clothes underneath and said, “Xiao Fang! Your skills are truly remarkable. I’ve seen it for myself!” With that, he darted sideways and disappeared into the darkness beside the road, only his shouting voice remaining: “Xiao Fang, I advise you to return to Guangzhou soon!”

As soon as the man in black finished speaking, Xiao Fang’s men recovered from their shock and hurriedly drew their knives, ready to chase after him. Xiao Fang waved his hand and shook his head, saying, “Enough. You can’t catch him.” One of his trusted men, noticing his grim expression, mustered courage to ask, “Then, Brother Xiao, shall we still go to the North Hongmen hall to support Brother Zhang?”

Before Xiao Fang could speak, another group of people in white appeared ahead, running over in small groups, heads bowed in despair. Xiao Fang’s men were shocked; frightened by the previous incident, they drew their swords and prepared for battle. Upon seeing Xiao Fang, these people rushed forward and shouted, “Brother Xiao, something terrible has happened…”

Hearing their voices, Xiao Fang realized they were his own men. He closed his eyes and asked, “How is Brother Zhang now?” One of them cried out, “Brother Zhang is trapped by the North Hongmen; his fate is unknown.” Another said, “Brother Zhang was already seriously injured, and now he’s trapped—there’s concern for his life…”

Anxiously, Xiao Fang gritted his teeth and asked, “How did you fall into Xie Wendong’s trap?” The returning men recounted everything in detail: how Zhang Jufeng fought fiercely against Ren Changfeng, how he attempted to ambush Xie Wendong but was instead wounded, and how, after retreating, hundreds of motorcycles emerged from the North Hongmen, catching everyone off guard. Unprepared, they were utterly defeated. Zhang Jufeng was surrounded by several motorcycles and stabbed dozens of times. Hearing this, Xiao Fang sighed deeply and said sadly, “Brother Zhang’s life is in danger!” He raised his head, distressed, and said, “This is my fault.” A gentle evening breeze blew, and Xiao Fang’s eyes reddened as tears streamed down.

He had fought against Xie Wendong several times, but each time he suffered heavy losses. First, due to carelessness at Hongwu Villa, he lost a favorable situation and was forced to flee Nanjing. The second time, he ambitiously tried to fight Xie Wendong again but fell for his trick, losing Tianwang Li Wangye. This time, he intended to retaliate, but Xie Wendong brought out a “cavalry unit,” and Zhang Jufeng’s life was likely lost as well. The more he thought about it, the more upset and angry Xiao Fang became. In the South Hongmen, he had always been invincible, superior in strategy, with everything well-planned. But ever since meeting Xie Wendong, it seemed he was doomed to failure, constantly losing battles. His master, Xiang Wentian, trusted him so much, entrusting him with two Tianwangs, yet both were lost. How could he face his master again, or the other brothers in the sect?

Xiao Fang clenched his teeth, steeled his heart, turned around, and shouted, “I, Xiao Fang, have fought against Xie Wendong several times, suffering heavy defeats and countless casualties. I have no face to see my master, nor can I face my fallen brothers. Today, I am determined to fight Xie Wendong to the death. I welcome those who wish to follow me, and I won’t force those who don’t. Go back and tell my master that I, Xiao Fang, have failed him in his trust and failed to repay his kindness!”

Upon hearing this, everyone was moved to tears. Even such a great hero was willing to disregard life and death, determined to die in return for their leader. What did a mere soldier like themselves care about? They drew their swords and shouted in unison, “We’re willing to go with Brother Xiao!” “We’re men too!” “Kill Xie Wendong!”
Inspired by Xiao Fang’s passionate words, everyone was filled with determination to fight to the death against the North Hongmen. One man fighting bravely could make a hundred retreat—this was already terrifying. If thousands fought desperately, it would be earth-shattering. If Xiao Fang really led them to fight Xie Wendong, it was hard to say who would win. But not everyone was fearless. A few leaders, seeing that everyone seemed ready to die, felt uneasy. They exchanged glances, signaled to each other, and quietly stepped back into the crowd to discuss in hushed tones. “Xiao Fang really isn’t planning to go after Xie Wendong like this, is he?!” “I think so! But who is Xie Wendong? He might have set up ambushes ahead. Going there could be deadly!” “Exactly! If Xiao Fang is willing to die, why should we be dragged into his death?” “I say, guys, it might not be good if we simply say we won’t go, right?!” “Then what do you suggest?” “Hehe, let’s call our leader. If he finds out, he’ll surely stop him, and then we won’t have to go through this!” “Yeah, that’s indeed a good idea!”
In truth, they had no idea that Xie Wendong had calculated that Xiao Fang wouldn’t come, so there were no ambushes or defenses at all. If they attacked now, the North Hongmen’s stronghold would surely fall. Xie Wendong’s calculation was correct—if Xiao Fang had retained his sanity, his caution would have prevented him from attacking at this moment. But now, driven mad, he acted without reason, determined to die, which was beyond Xie Wendong’s expectations.

When Xiao Fangzheng planned to lead people to fight to the death against Xie Wendong, the phone suddenly rang. After answering, he found it was Xiang Wentian calling. Xiang Wentian didn’t say much on the phone; he merely said he was aware of the situation in Nanjing and advised Xiao Fangzheng not to act rashly, reminding him that as long as there were still resources available, they wouldn’t lack anything. He also comforted him a bit before telling him not to fight Xie Wendong again until he arrived in Nanjing. Xiao Fangzheng, being smart, realized that some of the subordinates were afraid of death and unwilling to join him in a final battle at the North Hongmen headquarters. So he reported the situation there to Xiang Wentian, who had called specifically out of concern for his safety. Xiao Fangzheng sighed, hung up the phone, and calmed down a bit, no longer as agitated as before. He thought to himself that it was fine for him to risk his life, but why should he drag so many others along into danger? He stood there dumbfounded for two minutes. Apart from the few subordinates who had secretly made the call, the others didn’t understand what was going on. One of them stepped forward cautiously and asked, “Brother Xiao, should we set off now?”
Xiao Fangzheng shook his head and smiled bitterly. “Everyone, withdraw. Without my orders, no one is allowed to start a fight with the North Hongmen on their own!”
Upon hearing this, everyone became disheartened, not understanding why Xiao Fangzheng’s mood had changed so suddenly after the call. They all looked listless, their arms, which had been gripping knives tightly, drooping uselessly. The happiest among them were probably the few subordinates who had secretly made the call. One of them even sneered softly, “Xiao Fangzheng doesn’t even think about who Xie Wendong is. Fighting him to the death is no different from seeking death!”
The North Hongmen celebrated their victory all night, probably drinking up the liquor from at least three nightclubs. Xie Wendong wasn’t stingy either; as long as the requests made by his subordinates weren’t excessive, he would fulfill them all. People’s loyalty couldn’t be entirely maintained through rules or personal charisma—sometimes, showing some kindness would make them even more devoted. Xie Wendong understood this, so he was very generous to his subordinates, especially to the families of those who died or were injured, giving them compensation amounts sufficient to ensure a comfortable life for a lifetime. He did this not only to address the needs of those who had died or been injured but also to show the living that no matter whether they were alive or dead, the Hongmen would never forget those who had contributed to the gang. This also relieved the subordinates of worries during the conflict between the two factions.

Xie Wendong also rarely found opportunities to relax. He went into a private room with a few senior officials, drinking and chatting. Xie Wendong didn’t drink often, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t drink. Few people from the Northeast couldn’t drink, and among those who could, few drank little. Ren Changfeng simply didn’t believe it. He was from Beijing and naturally carried an air of superiority, but he indeed had reasons to be proud. It wasn’t their first time drinking together; they had done so before at gatherings. But back then, there were too many people, and most importantly, he was skeptical of this young leader, sharing the same opinion as others—that Xie Wendong had only risen to power through his old master’s connections. It was only after joining Xie Wendong in resisting the Nan Hongmen’s attack that he understood why the old master had promoted this young man—it wasn’t due to connections but strength. Ren Changfeng was unusually excited today. He first drank heavily with Lingmin, but found it unsatisfying, as she was after all a woman and couldn’t be forced. So, slightly drunk, he went to challenge Xie Wendong to a drinking contest.

Jiang Sen, who was listening, shook his head and laughed, “Brother Ren’s drinking capacity is probably not as good as Brother Dong’s!” Ren Changfeng naturally refused to accept this. He picked up two glasses and placed them on the table, saying, “Brother Dong, let’s compare our drinking skills today—see who’s better!” “Okay!” Seeing his excitement, Xie Wendong couldn’t bring himself to refuse and nodded in agreement. He pushed the glasses aside and said with a smile, “When drinking with someone, use what’s appropriate. In the martial world, boldness is valued, and the same goes for drinking. Using small glasses is too stingy. I think using bottles would be better!”

Hearing this, Ren Changfeng laughed heartily and said, “Brother Dong is truly unique! Let’s drink from bottles!” The two started drinking from bottles instead of glasses. Jiang Sen and Liu Bo kept them company. Liu Bo took a big gulp and said, “Brother Dong, just now I pretended to be from the Nan Hongmen and tested Xiao Fang’s skills. He’s quite good—he managed to stay unharmed despite my sudden attack. He’s really impressive.”