Chapter 221

During the day, the wind was calm and the waves were still; neither side showed any movement. As night fell, the sky turned overcast, with the crescent moon hiding behind dark clouds, emitting a faint glow. This night was destined to be a sleepless one. Xie Wendong led over thirty members of the Blood Killers out of the city early and hid them in a wasteland in the southern suburbs. The weather was fine during the day, with bright sunshine, but at night, the biting cold wind easily penetrated their thin clothes, making them want to curl up into a ball. Winter nights, whether in the south or north, were never comfortable.

Ren Changfeng crouched in the withered grass, his collar turned up and his neck tucked in. “Brother Dong, should we start now? If this continues, we’ll freeze to death even if we don’t die in battle,” he said.

Xie Wendong was also human; he was just as freezing cold. His body trembled as he shivered. Taking a breath, he said with a bitter smile, “If I had known it would be like this, I should have brought more clothes when I left.”

Ren Changfeng replied, “It was warm during the day, and we were even hot in light clothes. Who would have thought it would turn into an ice cellar at night?”

Xie Wendong glanced around and saw that the others were also hugging their shoulders and curling up together. Most of the Blood Killers were from the northeast, and since they were suffering from the cold, Ren Changfeng’s condition was even worse. Xie Wendong reassured them, “Wait a little longer. Xiao Fang’s main forces haven’t moved yet. Going out now is tantamount to seeking death.”

Ren Changfeng sighed, shook his head helplessly, took out a cigarette, and started smoking it.

At 11 p.m., Jiang Sen called, saying that the people from the Nan Hongmen had already set out. Shortly after, Liu Bo brought news that the Soul Group had not moved either. Hearing this, Xie Wendong narrowed his eyes, his lips curling upward as he muttered, “Good!” He took out his phone and called the four leaders directly. Without saying much, he simply said, “It’s time for you to act.”

It turned out that Xie Wendong had already given these four men instructions during the day. Their task for that night was to launch a main attack on the Soul Group, eliminating them all at any cost. The four men agreed immediately, secretly rejoicing that the task seemed too easy. Their combined forces numbered no less than four thousand, while the Soul Group consisted of just twenty people. Four thousand against twenty—no matter how strong the Soul Group was or how incompetent their own men were, they could crush them. Even with just one punch each, they could turn those twenty people into meat paste. As soon as Xie Wendong hung up, the four men, along with their troops, rushed out from hiding. They weren’t fools either; they quietly bypassed Nan Hongmen’s main forces and headed toward where the Soul Group was located.

Xie Wendong put down the phone as Ren Changfeng muttered beside him, “Brother Dong, the task you gave those four big shots is way too simple, isn’t it?!” Xie Wendong smiled slowly and said, “That’s exactly the effect I wanted.” His expression turned serious as he narrowed his eyes and said, “It’s time for us to meet Xiao Fang too.”

As Xie Wendong had said, this time when the South Hongmen launched a massive attack on the city, Xiao Fang didn’t send anyone out; instead, he stayed at the headquarters to direct the operations. He was very pleased—control was in his hands, which meant he held the upper hand. The only thing bothering him was receiving the head of Qian Xixi from the North Hongmen earlier that morning. However, compared to Nanjing, Qian Xixi was insignificant. If he could capture Nanjing, even if he couldn’t kill Xie Wendong, he would still have a good excuse to present to Xiang Wentian.

He sat in the largest room in the hotel, drinking tea while studying the city map on the table, silently calculating where Xie Wendong might have stationed strong defenses and where the weaknesses lay. He wondered if he could drive the North Hongmen out completely before Boss Xiang returned. As he was thinking this, the phone rang. When he answered, it was Zhan Long. This gun master had been assigned by Xiao Fang as the vanguard, leading thousands of men into the city.

Xiao Fang became curious and asked, “Brother Zhan, have you encountered any resistance from Xie Wendong?” Zhan Long, who was in the city, smiled helplessly and said, “The strange part is that as we moved deeper into the city center, not only did we not see a single shot fired, we didn’t even spot a single member of the North Hongmen. Brother Xiao, do you think there’s some trick here?”

Xiao Fang was stunned and asked doubtfully, “No resistance at all?” Zhan Long, who was in the city center, replied confidently, “All four groups of troops have arrived in the city, and there’s been no obstruction along the way. It’s like a dead calm here.” Xiao Fang stood up and paced back and forth in the room, muttering, “What kind of trick is Xie Wendong playing here?!” After a while, he stopped, took a deep breath, and said, “Never mind that. Maybe this is just Xie Wendong’s empty city tactic. Brother Zhan, go attack the North Hongmen’s headquarters right now. Only by trying can we find out if there’s really a trick.” Zhan Long rolled his eyes. Xiao Fang was easy to talk to—asking him to take the risk while staying behind. Though he thought this in his heart, he didn’t say it out loud. Zhan Long smiled and nodded, “Okay, I’ll go right away.” Xiao Fang warned him, “Be careful, Brother Zhan.” Zhan Long replied, “Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing.”

The War Dragon moved slowly, stopping from time to time, afraid of falling into Xie Wendong’s trap. But he never imagined that Xie Wendong was already in the southern suburbs, quietly approaching their Nan Hongmen headquarters. Most of Nan Hongmen’s members had been sent out, leaving less than a hundred people in the headquarters. Yet the cautious Xiao Fang wasn’t worried at all, because among those hundred was Hongye, whose name struck fear into everyone’s hearts. Moreover, he couldn’t possibly think that Xie Wendong would abandon Nanjing to launch a surprise attack on his own base.

Xiao Fang had forgotten that Xie Wendong didn’t act according to normal human logic. Xie Wendong and Ren Changfeng, along with over thirty Blood Kill members, sneaked toward the hotel where Xiao Fang was staying. They encountered no obstacles along the way, nor were there any spies in hiding. It wasn’t until they approached the hotel that they noticed several burly men patrolling nearby.

Xie Wendong smiled slyly, nodded at the others, and strode forward. As they got closer, the men in front of the building finally noticed a group approaching. They were stunned but didn’t expect it to be people from the North Hongmen, let alone Xie Wendong among them. One of the leaders shouted loudly, “Who are you?” Xie Wendong smiled faintly, continuing to walk without slowing down, and said, “If you can’t even recognize me, you deserve to die!”

His confident tone and steady voice were not something anyone could fake. The leader was shocked and looked closely, but it was too dark to see clearly. He vaguely sensed that the man’s eyes were unusually bright, glowing with a cold light. He thought to himself that this person might be some important figure from headquarters. He asked doubtfully, “Who are you…?”

By the time he hesitated, Xie Wendong had already reached him. He stopped firmly and said softly, “Look more carefully.”

This time, the leader saw clearly. The man in front of him was not old, but his presence was awe-inspiring. A sinister aura seemed to penetrate his soul—only someone who had long held power could possess such an air. The leader scratched his head. Though he didn’t know this man, he didn’t dare offend him. On a whim, he asked from the side, “Brother, did you come from Guangzhou?”

Xie Wendong thought for a moment. He had intended to attack head-on, but it seemed unnecessary now. He smiled faintly, crossed his arms behind his back, looked up at the sky, and remained silent, putting on an arrogant appearance. However, the fingers behind his back twitched slightly. Ren Changfeng, who was closest to Xie Wendong, understood his subtle gesture and calmly stepped forward. Reaching into his pocket, he took out a red maple leaf and said solemnly, “In the scorching heat of June, a cold wind blows—red leaves fly southward.”

Ah! The junior leader gasped in shock. These people were from Red Leaf—no wonder they exuded such a murderous aura. He shuddered and hurriedly said, “Elder brother, wait a moment. I’ll go inside and give them a heads-up.” Ren Changfeng waved his hand and said, “No need. We have urgent matters. Step aside!”
“Well…” The junior leader hesitated. Though he feared Red Leaf, letting them in like this—if Xiao Fang didn’t ask questions, it was one thing, but if he did, he’d be in big trouble. Xiao Fang always valued discipline. Seeing his hesitation, Xie Wendong’s expression darkened, and he said sternly, “I don’t want to repeat myself. Unless you don’t consider Red Leaf as your own people.” With that, he tapped lightly on his waist, where his gun was stored. The junior leader naturally understood what that meant. Cold sweat immediately streamed down his forehead. People from Red Leaf were even too powerful for Xiao Fang to offend, let alone him. If these powerful figures got angry and shot him, there would be no place to appeal. He quickly waved his hand and said, “Red Leaf is certainly our own people. Elder brother, please follow me. But are the men you brought…”
Xie Wendong understood what he meant and nodded. “They can stay. Take me to see Great Heavenly King Xiao!”
The junior leader breathed a sigh of relief and nodded repeatedly. “Okay, okay! Elder brother, please follow me.”
Unsure, Ren Changfeng frowned and wanted to follow as well. Xie Wendong smiled slightly, gave him a subtle signal to worry not, and then, unnoticed by others, whispered quickly, “Act in two minutes.” After that, he followed the junior leader into the building.
Xie Wendong had rarely seen this hotel from the outside before, and it was his first time inside recently. From the outside, it looked like just an old building, but once inside, he realized it was quite extraordinary. The interior was luxuriously decorated. As he entered, he saw a spacious hall with a red carpet underfoot, soft to the touch. Tea tables and sofas made of sandalwood added a touch of antiquity to the hall. Xie Wendong nodded inwardly—Nan Hongmen truly had the elegance of people from the south, unlike the north, which valued grandeur.
The junior leader stretched out his hand and said cheerfully, “Elder Brother Xiao is on the third floor.” Xie Wendong’s expression darkened, his eyebrows rising as he said sternly, “Hurry up and lead the way. You can’t afford to waste time!”
“Yes, yes!” The junior leader quickly smiled apologetically, though inwardly he sneered. So what if they’re from Red Leaf? What’s the big deal?
The junior leader led Xie Wendong up to the third floor and pointed to the room at the back. “Elder Brother Xiao is in there. I’ll go give them a heads-up.”

Xie Wendong glanced at the black solid wood door at the end of the corridor, narrowed his eyes, and shook his head. “No need to bother yourself!” “It’s no trouble, no…” The minor leader tried to downplay it, but Xie Wendong acted swiftly, covering his mouth in an instant. Before he could understand what was happening, the blade of the golden knife had already severed his vocal cords. Looking at the minor leader’s terrified expression—eyes wide but unable to scream—Xie Wendong said softly, “I’m sorry, brother.” He supported the minor leader’s slowly falling body and gently laid it on the ground, then strode toward the room at the end. Before entering, he listened carefully; there was no sound inside. With a cold smile, Xie Wendong turned the doorknob and slowly pushed the door open a crack. He slipped in like a loach and then closed the door quietly. He carefully made his way through the entrance and peeked inside. Although it wasn’t small, it was just a spacious hall with a conference table in the center—empty, with no one around. Xie Wendong was shocked. Could the minor leader have been lying to him? He shook his head. No, the man’s expression didn’t seem deceptive. So where was Xiao Fang? He walked around the room and found a map on the table, marked with scribbles, circles, and symbols—clearly Xiao Fang’s plan. Next to it was an ashtray, with half a cigarette still emitting blue smoke.

As Xie Wendong pondered this, the side door on one side of the entrance suddenly opened, and a man stepped out, holding his pants, his lips moving as if muttering something. He came out just as Xie Wendong appeared, and both were caught off guard and froze.

“Xie Wendong!” It was Xiao Fang, who had just finished using the restroom. Seeing another person in the room, he doubted his eyes. The person who should never be there was exactly where he shouldn’t be, and his surprise was indescribable.

As he cried out in shock, Xie Wendong also moved. Although he hadn’t expected Xiao Fang to suddenly appear, he had been prepared and reacted quickly. He didn’t pull back his golden knife, still stained with the blood of the minor leader. Raising his arm, the golden light flashed as he thrust the knife at Xiao Fang’s throat.

Xiao Fang not only had an extraordinary mind but also remarkable martial skills. A flash of gold appeared before his eyes; realizing the danger, he quickly shook his head. The golden knife flew past with a sharp wind sound, and he felt a pain at the back of his neck, followed by a cold sensation. Xiao Fang let out a cry and fled through the door. Although Xie Wendong’s flying knife failed to hit his vital points, it still ripped off a large piece of flesh. Xiao Fang had no time to check his injuries nor the desire to fight Xie Wendong. Since Xie Wendong had come in person, he must not be alone—how could his group of a hundred or so people withstand them? His only thought was to run.