Chapter 337

The addition of the Blood Killers and members of the Northern Hongmen was undoubtedly a devastating blow to the Soul Group. Especially the Blood Killers, whose entire bodies were covered in black, with even their faces hidden under black cloth; the only thing not black was their knives, whose blades emitted a dazzling glow from time to time. Leading them was a burly man with his chest exposed, wearing no clothes underneath, with a thick white bandage wrapped around his lower abdomen. He held a barbed axe covered in blood, charging at the front of the group. His pupils were bloodshot, and a vertical scar on his forehead was bright red, as if about to bleed. Needless to say, aside from the Three-Eyed Man, no one else could imitate his signature third eye.

Entering the villa’s hall, they saw utter chaos—dead bodies piled up like mats, blood flowing like rivers, limbs scattered everywhere. The walls and floors were covered in bullet holes and bloodstains. Even though he wasn’t at the scene of the fighting, one could imagine the intensity of the battle. There were many dead in the hall, and those who survived continued to fight endlessly.

The men in white from the Southern Hongmen clashed in a final duel with the members of the Dark Group dressed in black. The Three-Eyed Man was puzzled—when did the Southern Hongmen appear? Why were they fighting against the Soul Group? Those below asked him what he meant, who they should help. The Three-Eyed Man laughed loudly and said, “Damn it! If you step on two piles of trash at once, neither of them becomes a good cake! Kill them all! Kill them together!” He didn’t see Xiang Wentian arriving in time to save Xie Wendong’s life and assumed the Southern Hongmen had come to add to the chaos; otherwise, they wouldn’t have started killing indiscriminately.

At his command, the men below ignored everything and rushed forward with their knives, slashing and killing anyone they encountered, whether from the Soul Group or the Southern Hongmen.

Not seeing Xie Wendong in the hall, the Three-Eyed Man rushed upstairs. The narrow staircase was already crowded with at least thirty or forty people from the Soul Group and the Southern Hongmen. After several attempts, he not only failed to get upstairs but was also pushed back by the fighting parties. Annoyed, he stamped his feet and shouted, “Damn it, move aside!”

Both sides were fighting so fiercely their eyes were red—who would listen to him? The fighting continued, and more people piled in. Desperate, the Three-Eyed Man pulled a submachine gun from a corpse of a Soul Group member and fired wildly at the crowd in the staircase. Instantly, members of the Soul Group and the Southern Hongmen fell to the ground, screaming in pain.

As Sanyan was in the midst of fighting fiercely, someone in the crowd shouted, “Sanyan, you’re going to die!” Hearing this, Sanyan froze, put down his gun, and asked doubtfully, “Fatty?” “It’s me! Damn it, I didn’t die at the hands of the Soul Group—almost got killed by you.” A figure pushed his way through the crowd, covered in blood, making it impossible to tell whether it was his own or someone else’s; his face was unrecognizable. Yet Sanyan recognized him and rushed forward, grabbing his arm. After examining him for a moment, he asked worriedly, “Are you okay? Where’s Dongge?”

It was Li Shuang. Shaking his big head, he said in a deep voice, “I’m hurt, and Dongge is too. This time, the South Hongmen has done us a huge favor. All grudges are forgotten. Brother Sanyan, go to the second floor to help Dongge.” Finally seeing a relative, Li Shuang lost most of his strength and collapsed weakly.

“Fatty!” Sanyan lifted Li Shuang’s weight of over 200 pounds with one hand and called to his men behind him, “Send a few people to take Fatty to the hospital. The rest of you come with me to the second floor.”

Li Shuang, though weak, was still conscious. He shook his head and said, “I can’t die. I won’t leave unless I see Dongge is fine.” Then he pushed Sanyan away and said, “Ignore me. Go help Dongge—he’s hurt worse than I am.” Li Shuang had no fewer than thirty cuts all over his body, and Dongge’s injuries were even worse. Sanyan immediately grew anxious, handed Li Shuang over to his men, and without hesitation, rushed up to the second floor with his bloodied comrades. The members of the Soul Group upstairs and downstairs were already exhausted from fighting and couldn’t withstand the assault from Sanyan and his men. Before long, they were routed and scattered in all directions.

At this moment, as they tried to flee, Xie Wendong prevented them from leaving. Seeing Sanyan arrive, he became energized and shouted, “Kill every last wolf among the Soul Group—leave none alive!”

No matter how strong the individual members of the Soul Group were, they couldn’t withstand the full force of China’s two strongest and largest factions. Many panicked and jumped off the second floor, only to find that the North Hongmen had stationed troops below. Anyone who came down was knocked down and mercilessly slashed. Sadly, out of the nearly 200 members of the Soul Group, fewer than 20 managed to escape. As the battle neared its end, only a few members were still fighting desperately, but it seemed unlikely they could hold out. Both the North and South factions began cleaning up the battlefield, dealing with corpses and the wounded. Xie Wendong put on a coat, was supported by Xiaofeng, looked around, and let out a long sigh, thinking to himself, “What a close call!”

As long as the Soul Group remains intact, I won’t find peace. Xie Wendong resolved that he couldn’t just passively suffer attacks—he had to put pressure on the Soul Group’s headquarters. At that moment, Xiang Wentian approached. Seeing Xie Wendong deep in thought, he smiled broadly and said, “Brother Xie, are you thinking about how to take revenge?” Xie Wendong was startled for a moment before laughing upward, though his laugh was weak. He said, “Brother Xiang is the enemy I respect the most, as well as the friend who understands me best.” “Friends? Haha…” After laughing, Xiang Wentian sighed sadly and said, “As long as the North and South remain divided, we can never be friends. But once they unite, one of us might not even live to see that day. Fate plays tricks—it seems we’re destined to be rivals in this life.” “Indeed!” Xie Wendong sighed deeply. Xiang Wentian was the most admirable enemy he had ever faced, the most heroic person he’d known. Though he wasn’t a hero himself, that didn’t mean he didn’t admire heroes. It was just a pity they stood on completely opposite sides—perhaps that was fate! “Can’t fate be changed?” Xie Wendong looked at Xiang Wentian, who had stepped to the window and was gazing at the night sky. The moon, as if pained by the bloodshed on earth, hid behind the clouds. With a bitter smile, Xiang Wentian said, “In fact, both of us are just pawns—pawns in the hands of the older generation, striving hard for their unfulfilled desires. The saddest thing about life is that one can’t control their own destiny.” Xie Wendong took a breath. Xiang Wentian’s words cleared his mind and made him think of deeper, more profound things. Yes! He had led thousands of passionate men from the North Hongmen and Wendong Society from Nanjing all the way to Shanghai, shedding so much sweat and blood. Why? Wasn’t it to repay Old Master Jin for his kindness and to fulfill his unfulfilled dream of unifying the North and South? But once the North and South were truly united, could it last? The Hongmen, though called a “jianghu,” was actually seen as the underworld in people’s eyes. Could a country tolerate such a powerful underworld that could rival the government? “Heh… cough… cough…” Xie Wendong wanted to discuss more with Xiang Wentian, but his body began to “rebel”—severe coughing made his body tremble. Xiang Wentian turned around and saw Xie Wendong’s face as pale as paper, with large drops of sweat rolling down his forehead. Frowning, he asked, “Brother Xie, are your injuries serious?!” Far more than serious! Xiao Feng knew how severe his injuries were and said emotionally, “Brother Dong, let me take you to the hospital!”

Xie Wendong coughed while waving his hand, gasping, “I… I still have things to say.” “But Brother Dong, your injury…” “It’s fine. I know what I’m doing…” Xie Wendong shook his head, but as soon as he finished speaking, his legs gave way, and he collapsed like mud. The clothes on his body fell to the ground, revealing his blood-soaked white shirt underneath.

Xiang Wentian was close enough to see clearly and was shocked. He reached out to pull back the clothes to check, but Xiao Feng, fearing he might have malicious intentions—after all, they were still enemies—quickly stepped in to stop him. She stretched out her hand and struck at Xiang Wentian’s wrist. He smiled slightly, flipped his hand, and swiftly captured Xiao Feng’s wrist. Xiao Feng frowned, gritting her teeth secretly as she quickly struck back. Xiang Wentian laughed and released her wrist. Bending his middle finger, he snapped it sharply, and with a light ‘thud’, a pocket knife over three inches long flew out from between her fingers. Their movements were lightning-fast. By the time everyone realized what had happened, the fight was already over. Xiao Feng’s face was red, and her delicate hands trembled slightly—clearly she had been outmatched.

Seeing this, Sanyan shouted angrily and drew his sword, ready to step forward. Xiang Wentian waved his hand and said with a smile, “Friend, I truly have no ill intentions. If I wanted to harm Brother Xie, he probably wouldn’t be alive by now. If you don’t believe me, you can ask your companions.”

Sanyan stared at him suspiciously for a while before turning to look at Jiang Sen and the others. They nodded slightly, confirming that Xiang Wentian was right. If not for his timely arrival, Brother Dong and their group might not have survived to this moment.

Xiang Wentian carefully pulled back Xie Wendong’s clothes, took a look, then frowned and said to him, “It seems you can’t say anything now. The only thing you can do is close your eyes and let your people take you to the hospital, if you still want to continue fighting me.”

Xie Wendong couldn’t speak. He forced a smile, indistinguishable from pain, and finally closed his eyes. Sanyan, Jiang Sen, and the others didn’t dare delay any longer. They stepped forward, lifted Xie Wendong, glanced at Xiang Wentian, moved their lips but said nothing, then quickly left the building. Ren Changfeng walked last. Before stepping down the stairs, he suddenly stopped, turned to Xiang Wentian, bowed, and said softly, “Thank you!” Then he nodded and said nothing more. For someone as proud as Ren Changfeng to say “thank you” was no easier than climbing to the heavens.

Xiang Wentian laughed heartily and said, “No need to thank me. Even if you thank me now, if we meet again in the future, I definitely won’t show any mercy.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Ren Changfeng’s laughter came from downstairs. “This time, I owe you one. Next time, I’ll surely spare your life.”
“Haha!” Xiang Wentian shook his head and laughed. It was hard to find anyone more arrogant than Ren Changfeng in the world. Not long after Sanyan Ren Changfeng and the others left, Lu Kou returned, looking somewhat anxious. Seeing this, Xiang Wentian knew something must have happened and asked, “What’s wrong? Did something happen?”
Lu Kou said urgently, “Brother Tian, we need to leave quickly. A large army is heading this way. And…”“What?” “The leader of the Soul Group who fled has gone into the army. I didn’t get the chance to kill him.” As he spoke, Lu Kou pulled Xiang Wentian outside. “An army?” Xiang Wentian was puzzled. He didn’t understand why an army would be involved. Even in fights among the underworld, it should be the police or armed police who stepped in—there was no need for the military! Moreover, how could the leader of the Soul Group end up in the army? He asked, “Was that man captured by the military?” “It seems not. It looks like someone in the military knows him well.” Xiang Wentian was utterly confused and couldn’t figure out what was going on. The Nan Hongmen couldn’t stay any longer. After all, with corpses everywhere in the villa, they would never be able to wash away their involvement, not to mention the mysterious involvement of the military.
Sanyan and the others drove straight to the city hospital. Xie Wendong’s injuries were even worse than before, and he was already unconscious. Everyone was extremely anxious. Sanyan drove himself, putting the car in its highest gear. On the highway, the car almost floated off the road. But the more anxious they became, the more problems arose. In the distance, roadblocks were set up on the road ahead, with people in military uniforms patrolling back and forth, checking passing vehicles. Sanyan had an idea. Whether it was the police or the military ahead, he wasn’t afraid. But despite not being afraid, his team was covered in blood, and there were knives and guns hidden in the car. If they were seen, they wouldn’t be able to explain. Even if they could bribe them, it would still take a lot of time. Every second wasted increased the risk for Brother Dong. He didn’t dare take that risk. Turning to Jiang Sen behind him, he said, “There are roadblocks ahead. Tell the others behind to be careful—‘throw what needs to be thrown, take off what needs to be taken off.’ We’ll detour first.” Without waiting for Jiang Sen to respond, he turned the steering wheel and drove the car into the woods by the road.

No one expected that Sanyan’s sudden insight would just happen to save Xie Wendong’s life. The roadblocks ahead were indeed set up by the military, and their main target was Xie Wendong. It wasn’t that the central authorities were ready to take action against him, but rather a son of a high-ranking official from Beijing held a deep-seated grudge against him and wanted to take this opportunity to eliminate him outright. It was just that Sanyan’s accidental intervention saved him from this disaster.