Chapter 287

The man fell, drawing the attention of the others. One of them shouted, “There are more people from Tianyi over there!” At that cry, he rushed at numbers five and six, glanced at the fallen man whose nose and mouth were bleeding from severe injuries, then roared and grabbed their weapons to charge at Ren Changfeng. Ren Changfeng paid no attention to them. With a swift twist, he dodged the incoming blades, moved like lightning, grabbed the attacker’s clothes, and pulled hard upward. The man screamed as he was flung two feet into the air. Before he could land, Ren Changfeng swung his fist, hitting him in the chest with a crisp crack. The man cried out, flew sideways, and collided with those rushing up behind him. Gritting his teeth, he tried to get up, but felt a pain in his chest and collapsed again, with a hole in his chest—at least three of his ribs had been broken by Ren Changfeng’s punch.

When a master acts, it’s immediately clear whether he’s skilled. Ren Changfeng’s movements were clean, swift, and extraordinary, instantly stunning the men behind him. Although Toad Eye was fighting against Yu Xiaohuan, he kept glancing at the situation. Seeing Ren Changfeng easily take down one man, he realized he had encountered a master. He swung his stick forcefully to push Yu Xiaohuan back, stepped out of the fight, and said coldly, “Yu Xiaohuan, we’ll settle this account later!” Then he threw his stick aside, pulled out two slender daggers from under his clothes, and slowly walked toward Ren Changfeng. When only five steps separated them, he stopped and sized Ren Changfeng up. Ren Changfeng stood firm, arms crossed, head tilted upward, eyes fixed on the ceiling, not even glancing at him—his arrogance evident. Toad Eye’s eyes darted around in confusion. He couldn’t believe Tianyi had such a person; he didn’t understand how someone like this had appeared out of nowhere. Looking further back, there were two more people—one sitting and one standing. The standing man was over 1.85 meters tall, expressionless, with deep eyes, exuding a chilling aura. The sitting man seemed to be in his twenties, with narrow eyes, laughing as he drank wine, as if the entire group wasn’t fighting for their lives but performing a game in front of him. Ah! Toad Eye gasped in shock, not daring to be careless. He fixed his gaze on Ren Changfeng’s face and asked, “Are you from Tianyi?”

“Hmph!” Ren Changfeng didn’t move at all, not even glancing at him, only giving a disdainful snort. Toad Eye clenched his fist, gritting his teeth, and asked again, “Do you have a grudge against us?”

“You’re not worthy enough,” Ren Changfeng said coldly. “Then why did you hurt my men?” Toad-Eye’s nose almost twisted from anger. If it weren’t for not knowing Ren Changfeng’s background, he would have already rushed in to fight. Ren Changfeng snorted, “It’s going to rain, and my mother is getting married. They’re seeking death—what can I do?” “I’ll kill you, damn you!” Toad-Eye shouted, lunging forward with his arms stretched out, two daggers over a foot long aimed at Xiang Wentian’s chest and abdomen. He was already short, and with his hunched posture, he resembled a big meatball rolling forward. What a fool who keeps seeking death! Xiang Wentian sneered secretly, slipped his feet, and just managed to dodge as the sharp daggers scraped past his clothes. Before Toad-Eye could change his attack, Xiang Wentian swung his fist downward with force. With a “bang!” the fist hit Toad-Eye right on the forehead. The latter staggered back several steps, barely managing to steady himself, his ears ringing as if the world were shaking. It took half a minute before Toad-Eye regained his senses. Roaring in fury, he pulled out his daggers and charged again. His steps were unsteady, his body leaning forward, his speed not slow but lacking in momentum, all show and no substance. This time, Ren Changfeng didn’t even dodge. When the opponent got close, he lifted his foot and kicked. The tip of his foot passed between the two daggers and struck Toad-Eye right on the chin. With a cry, Toad-Eye jumped high into the air before crashing to the ground, his eyes wide open but his gaze unfocused. Ren Changfeng slowly pulled back his leg, brushed off his pants, and said leisurely, “Please continue.”

Toad-Eye heard Ren Changfeng’s words but didn’t process them. The chin is a vital part of the body—being hit hard and still able to stay conscious meant he was quite remarkable. It was just a pity he had run into Ren Changfeng, a top-tier expert from the Northern Hongmen. Staring blankly, he stood up, instinctively gripping the handles of his daggers, swaying as he walked toward Ren Changfeng. By then, everyone else in the bar had stopped fighting and was focused on the two of them. Even Yu Xiaohuan couldn’t help but admire Toad-Eye’s relentless spirit. It felt like an eternity passed before Toad-Eye finally reached Ren Changfeng, swinging his daggers weakly forward. “You’re quite resilient!” Ren Changfeng sneered coldly, ignoring the daggers. He grabbed Toad-Eye’s face and swept his leg across the latter’s feet, lifting him into the air. Ren Changfeng then pressed down hard on Toad-Eye’s face. With a “thud!” Toad-Eye’s head hit the ground with a loud noise.

Ren Changfeng stood up, his arms hanging limp, blood dripping from his fingertips onto the ground. He glanced around, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly as he said, “Next, who’s up?”
The members of the Zhongyi Gang were already terrified. At his question, they quickly stepped back. Someone screamed and rushed out of the bar like crazy. Like a fuse, the others followed, shouting as they rushed outside as well. Ren Changfeng swiftly caught up to one of them, grabbed his collar, and said coldly, “If you’re leaving, take the trash with you!” He then pointed at Toad Eye, who was lying unconscious on the ground. Without daring to say another word, the man picked up Toad Eye and ran away. Once outside the bar, the members of the Zhongyi Gang checked Toad Eye’s injuries. One of them called out a few times but saw no response, so he shouted, “Call someone! Get help quickly!” His words reminded the others, who quickly pulled out their phones to call for help, claiming that the Heaven’s Will Group had skilled fighters to assist and that things were extremely chaotic. The members of the Zhongyi Gang fled in panic. Yu Xiaohuan ordered his men to clean up the mess. They looked at Ren Changfeng, whose face wore a sinister smile, with awe, shivering inwardly and thinking that one really can’t judge a person by their appearance. This man seemed gentle and refined, but when he got angry, he was as terrifying as a nightmare.

He walked up to Xie Wendong, looking worried, and said, “Mr. Xie injured the second-in-command of the Zhongyi Gang. They will surely send someone to take revenge.” Xie Wendong acted as if it wasn’t his concern and retorted, “So what?” “I’m afraid…” Yu Xiaohuan’s eyes shifted, and after a pause, he said, “After all, they have more people and greater strength, while Mr. Xie’s side only has three people, so…” “Haha!” Hearing this, Xie Wendong laughed heartily and said proudly, “More people and greater strength? Think of my Hongmen—there are over ten thousand members from top to bottom, with influence spanning more than ten provinces. Who has more people than me? Who has greater strength than me?!” Though his words were arrogant, they were true. At present, the power of the Northern Hongmen far surpassed that of the Southern Hongmen, and indeed, no other gang in China could compare to them. Just one man under Xie Wendong’s command had easily defeated the Zhongyi Gang, which dominated Shanghai, showing just how strong they were. For a moment, even Yu Xiaohuan felt his blood boil. If only he could join the Northern Hongmen and follow someone like Xie Wendong—his life would be full of pride. He was still sensible enough to know that joining at a time of crisis would only earn him disdain from others and make it hard for him to be taken seriously. He wanted to maintain his dignity, hoping that Xie Wendong would invite him again. Yu Xiaohuan said, “Mr. Xie, I truly admire the strength of your gang. But I think now isn’t the right time to join. After all, my second brother is still here, and he…”

Before he could finish speaking, Xie Wendong had already stood up and said calmly, “If that’s the case, I won’t disturb you any longer. If you change your mind, please call me.” With that, he waved his hand and left with Gao Qiang and Ren Changfeng. Seeing them about to go, Yu Xiaohuan became anxious. If he killed the leader of the Zhongyi Gang and left, they would surely blame him, and by tonight, the Zhongyi Gang might destroy his Tianyi Bar. He wanted to stop them but had no good reason, leaving him so flustered that his face turned red. “By the way!” Xie Wendong stopped at the door, turned around, and smiled brightly, “You don’t have to worry about the Zhongyi Gang coming here. I’ve secretly arranged people outside. Even if Xiang Wentian comes in person, he might not be able to gain an advantage. You can sleep soundly tonight.” Seeing Yu Xiaohuan’s surprised expression, he added with a smile, “Don’t thank me. I consider you a friend!” He narrowed his eyes, nodded, flashed a dazzling smile, and led his men away. Yet his smile, brighter than the sun, remained etched in Yu Xiaohuan’s mind, especially those words “friend,” which seemed to send a wave of warmth through his heart. Whether it was genuine or not, it was enough to move Yu Xiaohuan for a while.

“There aren’t many opportunities in life, and good ones often come only once. If you miss such a person, you’ll regret it for a lifetime,” said a bald man as he approached Yu Xiaohuan, speaking earnestly. He was completely convinced of Xie Wendong’s abilities. Of course, Yu Xiaohuan was aware of this too! He sighed deeply, stamped his foot heavily after a long pause, filled with emotion, and said, “Enough! From today on, we’ll change our surname to Hong!” With that, he dashed after them.

Xie Wendong didn’t leave. He stepped out of the bar and stopped at the door, taking out a cigarette from his pocket. “Brother Dong, what’s wrong?” Ren Changfeng asked, puzzled, thinking there was still something unfinished. Xie Wendong lit the cigarette and said, “Let’s wait five minutes.” “Why?” Ren Changfeng was utterly confused. Xie Wendong waved his hand and said, “Don’t ask. Just wait.” Ren Changfeng looked at Gao Qiang in confusion, who gave an indifferent look, as if it had nothing to do with him. When Ren Changfeng looked at him, Gao Qiang shook his head, indicating he didn’t understand either. Ren Changfeng squatted down, looked up at the sky, and imitated Xie Wendong’s tone, saying, “Maybe it will be nice weather tomorrow.”

Five minutes passed, and Yu Xiaohuan ran out of the bar. Seeing Xie Wendong smoking at the door, he was initially stunned before realizing that Xie had guessed he would come after him and had stayed put the whole time. Completely conquered, he bowed deeply and said respectfully, “Mr. Xie, please allow me to call you Brother Dong!”
“Haha!” Xie Wendong smiled kindly, placed a hand on his shoulder, and said cheerfully, “I was waiting for you to say that. It seems I now have another brother.”
Hearing this, Yu Xiaohuan also smiled in relief. Xie Wendong, though appearing gentle, could sometimes be more formidable than a towering mountain. At that moment, Ren Changfeng beside them shook his head and sighed, “I get it now.” Gao Qiang gave him a puzzled glance and shook his head, unsure what he was muttering to himself again.
Tianyi Hui officially declared its loyalty to Xie Wendong and merged into the Northern Hongmen. Naturally, Tianyi Bar also came under its control. From then on, the Northern Hongmen finally found a foothold in Shanghai, marking the beginning of a struggle between the Northern and Southern Hongmen there. Just as Xie Wendong and Yu Xiaohuan had predicted, the Zhongyi Gang refused to give up easily. In the middle of the night, over a dozen cars, carrying more than a hundred people, arrived with the intention of swallowing Tianyi Hui whole. This time, the leader was Liu Shujun, the second-in-command of the Zhongyi Gang.
Although his name contained the character for “handsome,” he wasn’t handsome at all. His face resembled something carved by a knife—flat and broad. Seen from the front, it looked like an eye, nose, and mouth drawn on a pancake. His small eyes were red and bloodshot, his nose prominent, and his mouth like a lion’s. He spoke with a snoring voice. Despite his unattractive appearance, he was considered relatively gentle within the Zhongyi Gang, highly loyal, and his skills, honed over years of fighting, were remarkable. Liu Shujun was puzzled—Tianyi Hui was already defunct, and he knew exactly how weak Yu Xiaohuan was. How could they have gathered such formidable fighters? By the time he gathered his men and arrived at the bar, it was already past 3 a.m. The sky was dim, streetlights cast weak light, there were no pedestrians on the road, and the empty alleys were still. The night wind blew, causing an old newspaper on the road to flutter and make a rustling sound.

Liu Shujun felt an uneasy sensation, though he couldn’t explain why. Instinctively, he touched the steel knife hidden under his clothes to calm himself, laughing inwardly at how his status was rising while his courage was shrinking. In Shanghai, as long as he didn’t run into people from the Nan Hongmen, who else could he fear?! Encouraging himself, he ordered his men, “Block the streets. If you encounter the police, send them away. Just say the Zhongyi Gang is here handling matters!” His men agreed and parked four cars at each end of the intersection.

Liu Shujun led the way out of the car and headed straight for the bar, carrying a large knife over two feet long. The tip of the knife scraped against the ground, producing a harsh screeching sound. With over a hundred people and a hundred knives, the constant clashing of blades created a terrifying atmosphere. When they were about ten steps away from the bar, Liu Shujun raised his hand to stop them. Pricking his ears, he heard nothing but the wind—utter silence. It was so quiet it was almost frightening. Liu Shujun stared at the bar for a long time. Inside, it was dead silent; the doors were locked, the windows covered with iron shutters, and all secured with a massive lock. Such calmness in the face of a great threat was illogical. But he didn’t care. With a fierce swing of his arm, he shouted, “Go!”