Seven Star Gang, Main Hall.
The various Hall Masters and Elders had gathered in one place, voices booming, yet the atmosphere was not celebratory. Instead, it carried a restless unease.
Gang Leader Ma Changhai sat high above, his face gloomy as stagnant water. Looking at the chaotic scene below, his fury mounted continuously.
These past few days, the Seven Star Gang had followed the Gao family’s instructions, stirring up trouble in the northern part of the city, but the results were hard to describe.
Not only had they failed to effectively suppress the arrogance of that newly appointed commander, but they had repeatedly blundered. First, they had “mistakenly killed” a direct descendant of the Huang family; then, they had provoked the powers of the western city, bringing a whole mess of trouble down upon themselves.
The commotion had been no small matter, but trouble had followed closely, and they had failed to touch Chen Sheng’s foundation at all. The Gao family was already dissatisfied and even suspected that information might have been leaked.
Today, he had urgently summoned everyone precisely to enforce discipline and strictly root out the mole. However, before he could open his mouth to speak—
“Repooort—!!”
A shrill cry suddenly came from outside the hall, accompanied by staggering footsteps. A gang member tumbled and crawled his way inside, his face deathly pale, eyes filled with terror, as though he had seen a soul-reaping evil ghost.
“What are you panicking for?! Did your father die?!”
Ma Changhai had been worrying that his rage had nowhere to vent. Seeing this, he slammed the armrest of his chair and berated him sternly.
That gang member shuddered in fright, prostrated himself on the ground, and his voice shook beyond control. “N—no… it’s not this one’s father… it’s you, Gang Leader… your residence… the Old Master… he… he’s had an accident!”
“What?!” Ma Changhai’s pupils contracted sharply, and he rose abruptly. “What happened to my father? Speak!”
“W—when we arrived, the Old Master… he was already killed by thieves… the body… the body was already cold…” the gang member replied with a sob.
“Boom—!”
Once these words were spoken, the entire main hall instantly exploded! The Gang Leader’s father murdered? This was no ordinary revenge killing; clearly, someone was deliberately targeting the Seven Star Gang, targeting Ma Changhai himself!
“Who?! What about the murderer?! Was he captured?!”
Ma Changhai’s eyes were bloodshot, nearly splitting. He rushed down the steps in one bound, grabbed the messenger by the collar, and actually lifted him off the ground.
“N—no… when we went, the residence was already empty…” the gang member replied with difficulty, his face turning purple from being choked.
“Worthless! A bunch of worthless fools!”
Ma Changhai flew into a rage and threw the man to the ground like a torn sack, his mind falling into instant chaos.
His father was advanced in years, but he had guards by his side. Yet someone had silently infiltrated and killed him?
He was just about to immediately take people back to his residence to investigate when another confidant stumbled into the main hall, his expression one of utter panic.
“Gang Leader! Terrible news! Something huge has happened!”
Ma Changhai’s heart sank heavily, and an ominous premonition gripped him. “W—what now?!”
“Madam… Madam and the Young Master… they… they’ve gone missing! Everyone left guarding the residence… they’re all dead!”
“Impossible!”
Ma Changhai was struck as if by lightning and roared hoarsely. “The residence location is secret and heavily guarded. How could they possibly…”
The hiding place for his wife and children had been carefully arranged after he learned from the previous Gang Leader’s lesson. Aside from a scant few absolute confidants, no one knew the specific location. How could someone have pinpointed it and abducted them?
“It’s true. A group of mysterious people with extremely formidable skills suddenly attacked. Their methods were ruthless, and our people couldn’t resist at all… By the time reinforcements arrived, the residence was empty. There was only blood everywhere…”
“Investigate! Investigate this for me! Even if you have to dig three feet underground, find Madam and the Young Master! Tear those bastards into ten thousand pieces!!”
Ma Changhai was completely panicked. His parents, wife, and children had suffered disasters one after another. This was clearly an attempt to cut off his descendants and destroy his family!
“Yes! Yes!”
Several confidants quickly accepted the order and rushed out of the main hall in panic. The remaining people looked at one another, all terrified speechless by the successive pieces of terrible news. A panicked atmosphere permeated the Main Hall.
However, those confidants had just rushed out the main door when they were blocked back by another batch of even more panic-stricken gang members. Over a dozen people tumbled and crawled into the main hall, their voices shrill, filled with despair.
“Terrible news! Gang Leader! Something terrible!”
Hearing this familiar, grating cry, Ma Changhai felt darkness swim before his eyes and the world spin. He subconsciously reached out to grab a nearby pillar before he could barely steady himself.
What… what else could there be?!
“Soldiers! Government troops are attacking us!”
“They’re killing anyone they see! Many brothers are already dead!”
“The Main Hall… the Main Hall is completely surrounded! We can’t get out!”
Accompanying these desperate cries, from beyond the Main Hall came the clear clang of clashing weapons, the sharp whistle of crossbow bolts piercing the air, and the shrill screams of gang members as they died!
“What?!”
This time, it was not only Ma Changhai. All the Seven Star Gang upper echelons inside the main hall turned pale with horror and rose abruptly! Government troops actually dared to directly attack the Main Hall?!
Inside the Main Hall, the scene instantly devolved into total chaos. Exclamations, curses, and the sounds of tables and chairs colliding were incessant.
Ma Changhai’s face was livid, terrifyingly ferocious.
The disaster befalling his parents, wife, and children and the siege by government troops had happened almost simultaneously. He subconsciously connected the two—this was fundamentally a lethal trap targeting him, targeting the entire Seven Star Gang!
With a loud “Clang!” he abruptly drew the heavy Nine-Ring Great Blade beside him. The rings on the blade collided, emitting a piercing sound.
“Brothers! The authorities won’t give us a way to live and are attacking our door! We can’t worry about anything else now! Everyone, follow me and kill our way out! Stop the soldiers!”
He forced himself to calm down, attempting to steady morale. “Don’t panic! As long as we hold on, the Gao family’s reinforcements will arrive soon! Then we’ll see if they still dare to be arrogant!”
Before his voice fell, Ma Changhai had already taken the lead, blade in hand, charging toward the main hall door. Some of the incited gang members, seeing this, also drew their weapons and followed with shouts.
In the chaotic crowd, Yang Hu imperceptibly exchanged a glance with several other Hall Masters he had already reached an understanding with. He then also drew his weapon, put on an expression of righteous indignation, quickly caught up, and deliberately stayed close behind Ma Changhai, assuming the appearance of a loyal protector willing to die alongside his lord.
In the midst of the chaos, Ma Changhai glanced back and saw Yang Hu closely following. A trace of relief flashed in his heart.
In times of crisis, loyalty and treachery are revealed. This man had indeed not been unworthy of his promotion; he truly possessed some loyalty.
If they could survive this tribulation, he would definitely be entrusted with heavy responsibility!
…
Outside the main entrance of the Seven Star Gang’s Main Hall.
Over a dozen corpses lay scattered across the ground, most of them pierced through by massive, powerful wind-piercing crossbow bolts, their deaths miserable.
Over a hundred fully armored soldiers in strict formation advanced steadily like a moving steel wall.
Blade light flashed, and crossbow bolts whistled. Although the Seven Star Gang members were not few in number, they were mostly a disorganized mob. Under the slaughter of regular troops, they were almost entirely routed in a one-sided battle, suffering catastrophic casualties.
“All of you, stop!!”
Ma Changhai rushed to the door and let out a thunderous roar that shook the surroundings, attempting to stabilize the collapsing situation. The Nine-Ring Great Blade in his hand slashed out fiercely, its blade wind instantly cutting down a soldier charging at the front.
However, what answered him was the cold vibration of several trigger mechanisms!
“Shoosh! Shoosh! Shoosh!”
Several thick wind-piercing crossbow bolts carrying an aura of death instantly shot toward him!
Ma Changhai’s expression changed drastically. Reacting extremely quickly, he grabbed a nearby gang member who had no time to dodge and held him up as a shield before him!
Several muffled thuds rang out, and that unlucky gang member was instantly shot into a sieve. Borrowing the force of the impact, Ma Changhai retreated in disarray inside the great doors, using a door pillar to shield his body.
Through the crack in the door, his gaze locked firmly onto the black-armored youth sitting on a tall horse not far away, his expression cold and severe.
“Chen Sheng!!”
Ma Changhai roared hoarsely. “What do you think you’re doing?! In broad daylight, under the bright heavens, can the authorities slaughter so unscrupulously?!”
Chen Sheng sat astride his horse, his gaze meeting Ma Changhai’s venomous line of sight calmly. His voice spread clearly across the battlefield.
“Ma Changhai, Gang Leader of the Seven Star Gang, you and your ilk have committed rebellion and insurrection, colluded with bandits, and oppressed the good. The evidence is conclusive! This official, acting on the orders of the County Lieutenant, is lawfully exterminating you and purging the area. What is inappropriate about that?!”
He paused, and his voice suddenly turned severe. Shouting toward the remaining Seven Star Gang members inside the door, he said, “All of you, listen! If you do not wish to have three generations of your families implicated, drop your weapons immediately, kneel, and surrender. This official can show leniency and execute only the chief evil, Ma Changhai! Those who stubbornly resist will be killed without mercy!”
“Chen Sheng!!”
Ma Changhai nearly shattered his teeth, his eyes blood red. “I’m only asking you one thing! My father, my wife and children… was it your doing?!”
The corners of Chen Sheng’s mouth hooked up in a cold arc. He neither admitted nor denied it. But this silent response, in Ma Changhai’s eyes, was already the best answer!
“Ahhhh—!!”
Ma Changhai went completely mad. Turning back to the panicked gang members behind him, he incited them at the top of his lungs.
“Brothers! Don’t believe this dog official’s lies! Surrender means only death! Follow me and kill our way out! Slaughter this brat! As long as we escape, with the Gao family’s protection, we can still enjoy ourselves freely by the Qinglin River! But whoever dares to bite the hand that feeds them and betray the gang, the Gao family will never let—”
“Puchi—!”
A muffled sound of a blade sinking into flesh abruptly cut off Ma Changhai’s hoarse roaring.
Ma Changhai’s body stiffened abruptly. Disbelieving, he lowered his head and saw a familiar blade tip piercing out from his abdomen! Intense pain instantly swept through his entire body!
He turned his head with difficulty. What entered his eyes was Yang Hu’s face, so close yet cold and utterly expressionless.
Yang Hu, having succeeded with one strike, showed no desire to continue fighting. He immediately released his grip on the blade and retreated, his body moving like lightning as he charged directly toward the government troops outside, shouting at the top of his lungs, “Yang Hu, a sinner who abandons darkness for light, is willing to assist my Lord in exterminating these rebels!”
Outside, Chen Sheng raised his hand slightly, and the wind-piercing crossbows that were just about to fire instantly halted.
And inside the main hall doors, all the Seven Star Gang members were as if struck by an immobilization spell, dumbstruck as they watched this heaven-shaking reversal. For a moment, not a single person reacted.
————