Chapter 330

Bloodshed erupted as they began killing indiscriminately. Wei Ming was terrified, living in constant fear. Although he had secretly colluded with the Soul Group, it might not save his life; instead, it would only make Xie Wendong hate him even more. He understood the situation, but it was too late to back out—like being on a tiger’s back with no way down. Wei Ming was paranoid all day long, assuming every event, big or small, was a trap set by Xie Wendong to harm him. Over time, he might not be affected much, but his subordinates were driven mad by his fear. One of his advisors came up with a plan: “Xuan Zidan met with Xie Wendong before leaving the Loyalty Gang. Brother Wei can use the same tactic.”

“Meet Xie Wendong? Why? I can’t even hide from him now!” Wei Ming snapped in anger. “The North Hongmen and Xie Wendong’s faction are indeed terrifying, but the real threat lies in Xie Wendong himself. If he dies, the North Hongmen won’t be able to resist the South Hongmen’s attack and will be preoccupied with survival. Xie Wendong’s faction will lose its leader and have to retreat to his hometown in the northeast. But Xie Wendong is protected by many skilled fighters; even the Soul Group can’t attack him. With our strength, we have no chance at all.” After hearing this, Wei Ming nodded repeatedly and said seriously, “Exactly. Go on.”

“So, I suggest Brother Wei meet Xie Wendong. The meeting is just an excuse; the real goal is assassination. And we have the Soul Group as a backer. If we tell them we plan to assassinate Xie Wendong, I think they’ll be eager to send someone.” “Hmm!” Wei Ming walked back and forth in the room, hands behind his back, sometimes frowning, sometimes smiling. After a while, he worriedly said, “The problem is, Xie Wendong might not even meet me.”

“If Brother Wei goes under the pretext of leaving the Loyalty Gang, Xie Wendong should refuse.” “What if he insists on meeting us on North Hongmen’s territory? If Xie Wendong can’t kill us then, our lives will be in danger.” “Haha, anyway, Xie Wendong is the leader of North Hongmen. We should at least act magnanimously. Brother Wei can insist that Xie Wendong meet us on our territory. If he refuses, it will harm his reputation. With Xie Wendong’s intelligence, he’ll come.” “Sigh! I hope so!” Wei Ming let out a long sigh, feeling somewhat relieved.

North Hongmen, Flower Hotel. Jiang Sen answered Wei Ming’s call and passed on his main message to Xie Wendong. After hearing it, Xie Wendong smiled slightly but said nothing.

Jiang Sen said, “It’s really unexpected that Wei Ming already wants to withdraw.” Xie Wendong shook his head and said, “It’s not strange at all.” “Why?” Jiang Sen asked in confusion. “Wei Ming is the strongest among the many members of the Loyalty Gang, and he’s never suffered any losses under our leadership. Plus, he’s recently reconnected with the Soul Group—his power seems at its peak. For him to suddenly say he wants to leave is indeed puzzling.” Xie Wendong sneered and countered, “Do you know why the Soul Group is called that?” “Oh…?” This really stumped Jiang Sen. He scratched his head, his face turning red, and said embarrassedly, “Brother Dong, I’m not really sure about that.” Xie Wendong replied, “The Soul Group—once it sticks to you, it won’t let go. If anyone provokes it, it’s like ghosts and evil spirits from hell, clinging to you relentlessly. From their constant ‘attention’ to my life, it’s clear that the Soul Group’s ability to haunt people has reached perfection. Since Wei Ming has allied with them, he can’t just pull out whenever he wants. Quitting? That’s nonsense. First, he doesn’t have the intention, and second, he doesn’t have the courage.” “Exactly!” Jiang Sen nodded with a smile. “There’s definitely a trick involved.” Dong Xinlei, who had remained silent until then, said, “Whether there’s a trick or not, we should go.” Jiang Sen raised an eyebrow and asked with a smile, “Going into a place we know has dangers? We’re risking our lives here, not reading martial arts novels or making movies!” Xie Wendong laughed heartily after hearing this. He took out a cigarette, lit it slowly, and said, “Lao Lei is right. We have to go.” “Huh?” Even Brother Dong said that? Jiang Sen really didn’t understand. Dong Xinlei said slowly, “If Wei Ming is sincere, we have no reason not to go. If it’s fake, if there’s a trick, the Soul Group must be involved. If there’s a chance to eliminate the Soul Group, Brother Dong definitely won’t miss it.” Xie Wendong smiled and said, “Lao Lei just said what I was thinking.” Jiang Sen smiled bitterly and still shook his head. “Anyway, it’s too dangerous. I suggest Brother Dong not go. The people sent by the Soul Group this time are no ordinary ones. They hide in the shadows. Even if we’re well-prepared, we might not be able to defend ourselves 100%. If anything happens to Brother Dong, the consequences… would be catastrophic.” Dong Xinlei nodded vigorously as he listened. As soon as Jiang Sen finished speaking, he added, “I completely agree and support Lao Sen’s opinion.”

Xie Wendong smiled and said, “Lao Lei, whose side are you really on? You switch sides all the time—east then west. Being a fence-sitter isn’t a good habit.” Dong Xinlei shrugged and replied, “When I said Brother Dong should go, that was just based on my understanding of him. I agree with Lao Sen’s opinion—that’s what I truly think. But I also know that once Brother Dong makes a decision, no matter how much Lao Sen and I say, it won’t matter.” “If you know it’s useless, then why not hurry up and get ready?” Xie Wendong stood up, stretched his limbs, and yawned deeply.

The two exchanged glances and shook their heads. Xie Wendong made up his mind—they couldn’t be changed. Since he had to go anyway, he needed to prepare thoroughly and do everything possible to minimize risks. After they left, Xie Wendong sat down in the boss’s chair behind the desk, turned to face the window, and fell into deep thought. No one knew better than he did how terrifying and powerful the Soul Group was, but he had to face it. The situation between him and the Soul Group had reached a point where one of them would perish or the other be destroyed. As he thought this, Xie Wendong smiled bitterly. He had fought against the Soul Group many times, gaining the upper hand and causing them heavy losses, but ultimately, the initiative had always been with them. It was always the Soul Group that came after him, and it was extremely difficult for him to strike at their core, even with the help of the Red Army. For example, even if they managed to capture all the assassins sent by the Soul Group this time, what about next time? And the time after that? More formidable opponents would appear. They could never be completely eliminated. The only way to eliminate the threat forever was to uproot the Soul Group itself. Even Xie Wendong considered this unlikely, a distant dream. So, he could only smile bitterly. “Sigh!” As Xie Wendong was lost in thought, a sigh interrupted his thoughts. Without turning around, he knew who it was. Apart from him, there was only Xiao Feng in the room. He smiled and asked, “Feng, why are you sighing?”

Xiao Feng sat in the corner, watching Xie Wendong’s back, and said, “Brother Dong knows the danger clearly. Why does he still insist on going?” Xie Wendong replied helplessly, “You reap what you sow. Since things have come this far, it’s better to face them head-on rather than avoid them. At least that way, we can gain a slight advantage.”

“Don’t you fear it, Brother Dong?” Xiao Feng had always been puzzled—why could this young man around his own age accomplish so many astonishing things? Why could he gather around him a large group of people with diverse personalities but all talents, who willingly followed his orders? No one would likely believe it could be explained by luck alone. Xie Wendong rubbed his chin and smiled, “I’m afraid, but fear is useless. It’s something you have to face; you can’t shirk it.” He sighed and added, “I hope this time, the Soul Team can make progress and not disappoint me too much.” Xiao Feng asked in confusion, “Brother Dong, the stronger the opponent, the greater the threat to you!”
Xie Wendong replied with a smile, “The greater the threat, the faster one grows. The underworld is a bloody society—either you advance or you fall back. If one day you no longer encounter enemies strong enough to push you forward, then your downfall is near.” Xiao Feng shook his head and said, “I don’t understand.” Xie Wendong replied, “As time goes by and you see more things, you’ll naturally understand.”
Wei Ming chose a very remote location. The Fresh Flower Hotel was already near the southern suburbs, but it still took over two hours to get there by car. With ten cars and more than forty people, Xie Wendong brought along his best troops. Aside from Dong Xinlei, who stayed behind to guard, and Sanyan, whose injuries hadn’t fully healed, almost all the key members were present. Even so, Jiang Sen wasn’t at ease and sent a large number of Blood Kill members to follow closely, ready to provide backup in case of any problems. Xie Wendong sat in the car, eyes closed, resting. Jiang Sen, on the other hand, couldn’t be so relaxed; he kept glancing out the window to observe the surrounding terrain. The further they drove, the more uneasy he became. Other vehicles on the road were barely visible, and both sides were covered in dense forests. As evening approached, the forests became pitch black—no light could be seen, no sound heard, not even birdsong. It was eerily silent. Jiang Sen took a breath and said softly, “Brother Dong, it’s too quiet—unnaturally so.” “If it were natural, that would be strange,” Xie Wendong replied, still with his eyes closed. “I guess this time, the Soul Team has gone all out and won’t hold back.” Jiang Sen was shocked. He wanted to persuade Xie Wendong to turn back, but seeing his calm expression, he swallowed his words.
With a “gulung” sound, Jiang Sen swallowed hard and said nothing more. Xie Wendong slowly opened his eyes, looked at him, and smiled, “Old Sen, your courage has diminished compared to before.”

Jiang Sen shook his head and said, “Our statuses are different. Before, we were like earthen pots—we could go all out, take risks for wealth and fame, and it didn’t matter if we had to fight to achieve our goals. But things are different now. We’ve achieved success and fame. As Dong Ge said, we’re like porcelain; once broken, the loss will be too great.” Xie Wendong smiled and pondered for a moment before saying, “It’s true we’re like porcelain, but only porcelain that has gone through trials will shine brightly and truly be of the highest quality. If we’re too afraid of everything, we’ll end up like ordinary earthen pots sooner or later.”

Li Shuang, sitting in the front, shook his head as he listened to their conversation and muttered, “What’s the point of talking about porcelain and earthen pots? If the Soul Group is coming, let them come. When have the Chinese ever been afraid of the Japanese? When has Wen Dong ever lost to their Soul Group?!” Jiang Sen gave him a glare and snapped, “Fine, when the Soul Group shows up, I’ll leave it to you—take care of them by yourself.” Li Shuang blinked and tilted his head, saying, “Well, it’s not that I’m not afraid…” Xie Wendong waved his hand and laughed, “We’re almost there. Talk less and let everyone get ready.” Hearing this, Jiang Sen and Li Shuang looked outside. Sure enough, the convoy turned onto a small road, with tree branches stretching out on both sides, brushing against the vehicles and making a rustling sound. Not far ahead was a two-story building, brightly lit, with figures moving inside from time to time. This was Wei Mingxuan’s place—a villa that had been built and then abandoned. The convoy stopped at a distance from the villa. Jiang Sen was the first to get out of the car. After looking around for a while, he thought to himself that it was a truly desolate place. The villa stood alone in the middle, surrounded by dense forests on both sides. Its white walls stood in sharp contrast to the dark surroundings. Upon closer inspection, it was clear the villa was just a shell—unfurnished, with no windows or doors installed, leaving everything open. As he observed, Jiang Sen calculated in his mind and bent down to speak to Xie Wendong inside the car, “Dong Ge, shall we go in?” At that moment, Xie Wendong was also observing, even more carefully than Jiang Sen. With a somewhat serious expression, he nodded and said, “Let’s go in! Since we’re here, we might as well make the most of it.”

The convoy moved smoothly all the way to the villa’s front. With a crisp sound, the doors opened, and over forty people came out almost simultaneously. There were more than twenty burly men standing in front of the villa. The leader, in his thirties, had short but thick eyebrows, small eyes, and a rugged appearance beneath his tanned skin. Upon seeing Xie Wendong get out of the car, he was overjoyed, thinking, “He really came!” He had never met Xie Wendong before but had seen his photos and had some idea of his appearance. He started smiling from afar, spread his arms, and strode forward. But before he could get close to Xie Wendong, a thick arm blocked his path, and a cold voice rang in his ear, “Who are you?” The burly man turned and saw a tall young man standing to his right, with a stern face and icy eyes. He shuddered but kept smiling and said, “I’m Wei Ming from the Loyalty Gang.”

“Oh, so this is Brother Wei.” The tall young man said nothing. Jiang Sen stepped forward first, extending his hand with a smile. “What a pleasant encounter.”

“Who are you?” Wei Ming looked at this young man, not very tall but extremely strong, and shook his hand hesitantly. “Jiang Sen, from the Wendong Club.” Jiang Sen cheerfully “grasped” the other man’s hand, applying hidden strength, while smiling politely and saying, “I hope Brother Wei will take care of me in the future.” Ah! At the mention of Jiang Sen’s name, Wei Ming gasped in shock, and more than half of his joy vanished. Although he didn’t know Jiang Sen personally, his reputation as a ruthless killer was well-known, filling him with fear. Oh no, he’s here too—things are getting complicated. As Wei Ming was pondering, he suddenly felt a powerful force from the other man’s hand, as if it could overturn mountains. His heart trembled, and he had to respond with all his strength. Their hands were clasped together, but their expressions were vastly different—Jiang Sen was smiling casually, while Wei Ming was already sweating, his face looking extremely unnatural. Seeing this, Xie Wendong behind them clapped his hands and said with a laugh, “That’s enough, Old Sen. Your ‘enthusiasm’ can stop here.”

Jiang Sen reluctantly released his hand and asked with a smile, “Huh? Why is Brother Wei sweating? Isn’t it quite hot today?” Wei Ming forced a ugly smile and said, “I’ve been feeling weak lately and sweat easily.”