Chapter 237

Four people in the hall, with eight pairs of eyes, all stared at Xie Wendong. Their originally calm gazes suddenly ignited with a heat capable of melting anything. Xie Wendong was convinced of this. The fat man was undoubtedly Li Shuang. The wine bottle in his hand clattered to the floor as he rubbed his eyes vigorously and muttered, “Am I going blind?”
Jiang Sen darted forward from behind Xie Wendong, smiling and saying, “I can guarantee your eyes are definitely not playing tricks this time.”
“Oh! My God!” Li Shuang threw his arms open, rushed at Xie Wendong, and hugged him tightly. He stood there mouth agape, not knowing what to say, only patting Xie Wendong’s back repeatedly. Xie Wendong closed his eyes, enjoying this warmth that he didn’t often get to experience. The other three also stood up in amazement. These were all senior figures in the Wendong Club: San Yan, Gao Qiang, and Zhang Yanjiang. Gao Qiang, whose face usually looked as gloomy as in the coldest months, rarely showed a smile, but his eyes sparkled with excitement. San Yan stepped forward, grabbed Li Shuang by the collar, lifting him as if he weighed nothing, and set him aside, even giving him a kick. Muttering, he said, “Brother Dong has finally returned. Don’t keep him all to yourself.” Without caring about Li Shuang’s murderous expression, he gave Xie Wendong a big hug.
“You damn bastard!” Li Shuang rolled up his sleeves and stepped forward. San Yan raised an eyebrow, clenched his fist, and waved it in front of Li Shuang, saying with a smirk, “Want to fight?” Seeing San Yan’s fist, Li Shuang immediately lost his fighting spirit, but he still snapped, “I really want to beat you up!” San Yan tilted his head back, and Li Shuang quickly added, “I’m just afraid I can’t beat you!”
Ren Changfeng had been watching from outside for a while and muttered to himself, “Could these two be the ‘dragon’ and ‘tiger’ of the Wendong Club?!” He didn’t see anything special about them; instead, they seemed more like idiots to him. His voice wasn’t loud, but it didn’t go unnoticed by the people in the hall. San Yan glanced at Ren Changfeng, his gaze like a knife cutting across his face. After all, he was someone experienced. Since this man had come with Brother Dong, it wasn’t appropriate for him to say much. He simply said indifferently, “Friend, there has only ever been one dragon in our Wendong Club, and it’s definitely not me. Please keep that in mind.”

Ren Changfeng had always been arrogant, dismissing ordinary people as unimportant. Even when he met Xiang Wentian, he thought he was nothing special. A few words from Sanyan were like steel needles piercing his face, turning his pale complexion red. With a cold sneer, he looked down at his hands and said, “I thought so too. If just anyone could be called a dragon, wouldn’t the world become a den of dragons?” Sanyan narrowed his eyes and glanced at Xie Wendong, who smiled indifferently. Relieved, Sanyan said coldly, “Your words aren’t very pleasant.” Ren Changfeng replied, “The same goes for you.” Their eyes met, sparks flying. Even the straightforward Li Shuang sensed something was off. He had a good first impression of Ren Changfeng—clean-cut and refined, not like a gangster but more like a scholar. But he didn’t know how to intervene to persuade them, looking back and forth between them.

Sanyan’s gaze fell on Ren Changfeng’s hands. His palms were beautiful, with long, pale fingers, but his palms and fingertips were covered in thick calluses—hands that were used to holding knives. Sanyan said, “Your knife skills must be good.” He thought that someone who spoke so rudely and was so arrogant yet still survived must have exceptional skills. He wanted to test him. Like poles attract like poles, especially when two outstanding people are together. Ren Changfeng shared this thought. When he heard Jiang Sen praising Sanyan highly, he felt a surge of determination. With a loud laugh, he said, “It’s better to obey than to be polite.”

Jiang Sen shook his head and sighed softly, “This is really troublesome!” He stepped forward and stood between the two, saying, “You two can have a fight if you want, but it’s a bit much to start fighting as soon as Dongge gets home.”

Sanyan slapped his own head, blaming himself for being too impulsive. He nodded and smiled, then turned to Xie Wendong, saying, “Dongge is too happy to be back today, and I lost my head for a moment. Dongge won’t blame me, right?!”

Xie Wendong laughed and said, “We’re all on the same side. It’s fine to have a fight as long as it doesn’t damage relationships. By the way, Brother Zhang, when are you returning to City H?”

Sanyan said with a grim expression, “Having been away for so long, I can’t help but worry about my brothers back home. With nothing much going on in the new hall these days, I took the chance to come back.” “Indeed!” Xie Wendong was deeply moved. What Sanyan said was exactly what he was thinking. People who are far from home are like drifting leaves—eventually, they must return to their roots. He sighed, “Brother Zhang really understands me. Half a year has passed in the blink of an eye. I’ve been wandering around, but no matter where I go, I can’t find the same joy as at home.”

Li Shuang widened his eyes and said, “If that’s the case, Brother Dong, don’t leave. Whatever the conflict between the Northern and Southern Hongmen is, it’s none of our business. Brother Dong, lead us as before, and let’s fight together with Wendong’s group!” With that, he sighed, his face filled with sorrow, and said, “Sigh! I really miss those old days when, no matter how big the risks were, we were always together, united as one.” Li Shuang’s words reflected what the others were thinking too. Gao Qiang’s deep gaze grew even darker. He agreed with Li Shuang, but he also knew Xie Wendong wouldn’t abandon the Hongmen. Sure enough, Xie Wendong pondered for a long time before slowly saying, “I owe too much to Old Master Jin. I have to repay it now or later. There are things you can’t just ignore just because you don’t want to.” The martial world is like a vortex; once you step in, it’s as hard to get out as to climb to the sky.

Li Shuang asked anxiously, “Brother Dong, are you still going to leave?” Xie Wendong nodded. “When?” “I don’t know, but I won’t stay long. Now that the war between the North and South has reached a critical moment, as the temporary leader, I have no reason not to go to the front lines.” Li Shuang’s shoulders slumped, and he fell silent.

The atmosphere in the room became somewhat gloomy. Sanyan laughed, kicked Li Shuang in the backside, and said, “Why are you still frowning with Brother Dong back? No matter where he is, we’re one team. Don’t forget—we’re the strongest force in the world!” Zhang Yanjiang, who had remained silent until then, spoke up with a smile, “Exactly! People can’t stay confined within boundaries. If we want to grow and become stronger, we must go out. Our ambitions haven’t diminished from before, have they? What’s the Northeast? What’s China? Haha…” Li Shuang shrank back, looking at him in surprise, then glanced at Sanyan and Gao Qiang, muttering, “I think things are already good enough now.”

Sanyan rolled his eyes at him, stretched his arms to loosen his muscles, and said, “The world is wonderful, with many things we haven’t seen yet. I think we’ll have the chance to experience them in the future.”

“There must be!” Xie Wendong laughed. He rubbed his cold hands and pushed the crowd aside, saying, “Stop standing at the door. Don’t you feel cold?”
It would have been fine if he hadn’t mentioned it. But once he said it, Ren Changfeng shivered and kept saying, “Right, right, let’s sit inside.” Without waiting for anyone to ask, he followed Xie Wendong into the house. Sanyan muttered unhappily as he closed the door, “Who is this guy? How can he be so brazen?” Jiang Sen, who was at the back, said helplessly, “He’s the proudest but most skilled person in the Northern Hongmen.” He lowered his voice and added, “His name is Ren Changfeng. His swordsmanship is outstanding. I think only Lao Lei in the Northern Hongmen can match him!”
“Oh!” Sanyan nodded deeply and sneered, “Pride is obvious, but skill isn’t.”
Everyone sat down. Li Shuang brought out a bunch of beers and handed them around. Xie Wendong took a sip, pouted, and said with a smile, “Home-brewed liquor is still the best.”
Zhang Yanjiang’s eyes lit up as he laughed, “Brother Dong, tell us some interesting stories from the Hongmen!” Xie Wendong glanced at everyone, took a slow sip of his drink, and said, “There aren’t many interesting stories. There’s plenty of fighting, though. In Nanjing, there have been battles involving thousands of people. Both the Southern and Northern Hongmen have suffered many casualties.”

“A fight involving thousands of people?” Li Shuang immediately became excited, his face filled with longing. He sighed, “Fighting with so many people at once—just thinking about it makes my blood boil. If only I could go too…” Sanyan shot him a glance and interrupted, “Do you think you’re good at fighting?” Li Shuang replied seriously, “I don’t even consider ordinary people a threat.” Sanyan sneered, “Heh, aren’t ordinary people the ones who don’t take you seriously?!” Li Shuang grumbled in anger, unable to do anything about him, and muttered, “What an annoying guy.” “Who do you mean?” “Certain people! Some annoying folks!” The two kept arguing back and forth, turning red in the face, much to everyone’s amusement. The others didn’t mind much—after all, they were used to them arguing more often than being quiet. Ren Changfeng, unaware of the situation, wondered if Wen Dong’s group wasn’t very united, given such intense conflicts between these two strong figures. He glanced at Jiang Sen beside him, who understood his meaning and whispered, “If one of them is in danger, the other will risk their life to save them.” “But…” Ren Changfeng looked at Sanyan rolling up his sleeves and Li Shuang, who seemed to say, “What can you do to me?” Jiang Sen replied helplessly, “Maybe this is their way of strengthening their friendship!” “Oh!” Ren Changfeng nodded, half confused but somewhat understanding. Just as the two were about to start fighting, Xie Wendong suddenly spoke up, calmly saying, “I really do want to take a few brothers with me on this trip to Yunnan, to join forces with the Golden Triangle and take on the Nan Hongmen!”

In one sentence, Sanyan and Lishuang immediately stopped tearing each other’s clothes and started hugging. The latter laughed foolishly and said, “Go to Yunnan? Well… of course I have to go, right, Brother Sanyan?” Sanyan nodded seriously and said, “To be fair, Xiaoshuang is indeed a good candidate—full of drive and bravery, perfect as a vanguard.” Lishuang beside him couldn’t stop smiling, nodding repeatedly, and secretly gave Sanyan a thumbs up. But then Sanyan added, “However, Xiaoshuang has never been to Yunnan, has little experience with the Golden Triangle, and is impulsive, prone to causing trouble. If he goes, who knows if he might ruin Brother Dong’s plans!” Xie Wendong nodded. Sanyan was telling the truth—Lishuang’s flaws were just as prominent as his strengths. He asked, “What about Brother Zhang’s opinion?” “I think the most suitable person is me. First, I’ve been to Yunnan and am familiar with the environment there. Second, I often deal with Lao Gui and know the Golden Triangle inside and out. Third, I’m confident in my own abilities and can help Brother Dong!” Sanyan listed three points without any hesitation. Years of experience had made his composure as thick as city walls. Lishuang could no longer hold back. He grabbed a wine bottle and waved it in the air, shouting at a volume that seemed capable of shattering the windows, “You guy, stop being so shameless!” Gao Qiang and Zhang Yanjiang quickly grabbed Lishuang from both sides, comforting him, “Calm down—everyone knows this already!” Xie Wendong laughed heartily and said, “What if Brother Zhang goes to Xintangkou?” Sanyan replied, “If Xiaolongtang isn’t on track, I won’t have time to return to City H either. Brother Dong doesn’t need to worry about that.” Xie Wendong nodded and said, “Good. It would be even better if Brother Zhang can go.” Hearing this, Lishuang panicked. He shook his shoulders violently, breaking free from Gao Qiang and Zhang Yanjiang, and shouted, “No! If Sanyan can go, I can go too!” Xie Wendong looked at Lishuang, whose face was red with anger. He stood up, tapped his own head with his index finger, and muttered, “What a headache!” As he walked toward the stairs, he said, “Then let Xiaoshuang go too!” “Gah!” Lishuang jumped high, took a big gulp of beer, wiped his mouth on Sanyan, and said, “Great!”

Even though Gao Qiang was usually quiet, he couldn’t sit still now. He stepped forward eagerly, but before he could speak, Xie Wendong suddenly turned around and said with a smile, “If Qiangzi doesn’t go, it feels like something’s missing!” Gao Qiang felt warm inside and nodded slightly, saying, “Thank you, Brother Dong!” Seeing Xie Wendong’s gaze on him, Zhang Yanjiang instinctively stood up and said, “Brother Dong, I’ll stay to keep watch!” Xie Wendong inwardly praised him—among these people, only Zhang Yanjiang truly understood his concerns. With most of the gang’s key members transferred away, he was worried about potential chaos within the gang. Having this head of the Law Enforcement Hall stay would surely put his mind at ease. Xie Wendong expressed his gratitude, “Yanjiang, you have to worry yourself again this time!”

Zhang Yanjiang smiled and said, “What are you saying, Brother Dong? I know exactly what I need to do. Don’t worry about home!” Xie Wendong nodded deeply and went upstairs. Li Shuang asked, “Brother Dong, where are you going?” “To sleep!” Xie Wendong replied crisply. In this world, nothing matters more than sleep!

Xie Wendong returned just in time, during the school’s final exams. Although he no longer cared much about school and a diploma meant nothing to him, he still wanted to give his parents an explanation. He went to University H with only Gao Qiang. Li Shuang wanted to follow, but Xie Wendong said, “I don’t want to draw attention.” With that, Li Shuang fell silent. Over the past year, aside from not growing any taller, he had gained quite a bit of weight. Xie Wendong, who was originally a bit thin, made it hard not to draw attention when the two walked together—one fat and one thin. University H had changed a lot in a year. As an elite school, it had ample funds to make its appearance more splendid than other schools. The old, dilapidated school gate had been removed, replaced by grander, wider marble gates in a white shade. The main building’s interior and exterior had been painted beautifully, giving it a fresh look. Xie Wendong stood in front of the gate and looked around for a while. Having seen much of the world, he couldn’t help but exclaim, “Not bad!”