Chapter 89

Gangpanyang, the leader of the Black Blood Gang, looked back and forth between the front and back doors with a flustered expression and shouted,

"Damn bastards! To stab us in the back like this? You sons of bitches..."

"Stabbing in the back is what you say to allies. Why would we be on your side?"

Gangpanyang, who had been cursing, blinked and tilted his head in confusion. The man who had burst through the front door, a sword slung over his shoulder, stood askew and looked at him.

"Such bullshit... You foolish brat, you only know what the underground of Ganshan can teach. How can you reveal your ignorance with just a few words? And you're the head of an organization. I'm really impressed by the level of Ganshan, really impressed."

Gangpanyang, unable to respond to the man's rapid-fire words, was left speechless, his mouth agape. The man, seeing this, shook his head slowly and raised his empty left hand, waving it to signal his subordinates. Thugs armed with sharp blades began to stealthily move to surround the Black Blood Gang and Zhang Jian.

"These bastards...! Do you really want to fight to the death? You all came in with weapons? Don't you know this is a no-win situation? Do you want to rot in the Martial Alliance's prison for the rest of your lives?"

"Insane bastard. Why go through the trouble of killing everyone? If you just take the leader, the rest will follow."

Gangpanyang's face contorted.

"...You, Wang San! You and your wandering brats have suddenly come and muddied the waters of Ganshan's underworld... Well, fuck it. If you want to fight, let's fight. Boys!"

"Yes, Boss!"

The Black Blood Gang thugs responded loudly and pulled out various blades from under the tables and chairs scattered throughout the inn. Black cleavers, short swords, axes, and more were now in the hands of the Black Blood Gang thugs.

Wang San, who had been called by that name, looked at this with a bewildered expression and kicked a nearby table with his foot. Under the overturned table, a blade was revealed.

"...This is really funny. Did you attach blades under all the tables in this inn?"

"Since we're the only ones here now. Hehe."

Gangpanyang laughed confidently. Wang San, tapping the sword on his shoulder, soon roared.

"Hey! You idiots! If you just hand over your leader, I'll take the rest as subordinates! Do you still want to fight? Can't you see the difference in numbers?"

"Eat shit, bastard!"

"We're the Black Blood Gang! We won't follow some wandering brat of unknown origin!"

As Wang San said, the number of the Huilong Sect surrounding the Black Blood Gang was almost double. There were so many that some couldn't even fit inside the inn and were standing outside in the rain. However, the Black Blood Gang thugs, each armed with axes and swords, bared their teeth and growled, showing no signs of surrender.

"Fools. If you want to die, I'll give you that. Go ahead."

The Huilong Sect, surrounding the Black Blood Gang, started running with a roar, whether it was a battle cry or a scream, as Wang San waved his hand in the air again.

Gangpanyang glared at them and shouted back.

"These bastards are just spineless fools! Kill them all!"

"Ugh-!"

Thus, the Black Blood Gang and the Huilong Sect began to fight. There were no flashy martial arts moves or brilliant strikes. Each thug held a blade and moved in a messy, desperate manner, seeking each other's blood. They were all back-alley ruffians and thugs who relied on fists.

The few who could use martial arts were slightly behind, eyeing each other warily. Gangpanyang, the leader of the Black Blood Gang, and Wang San, the deputy leader of the Huilong Sect, were among them. Wang San, with a sword slung over his shoulder, and Gangpanyang, holding two hand axes he had pulled from under a chair, glared at each other.

While the Black Blood Gang and the Huilong Sect fought, and their leaders looked for openings, Zhang Jian, standing in a corner, rolled a cigarette, lit it, and watched the Black Blood Gang with a slightly surprised look. Usually, those in the underworld or the evil path betray their allies as easily as flipping a palm, depending on the situation.

The fact that they were still on their leader's side despite the numerical disadvantage suggested they had some reason to trust him or couldn't easily betray him. Zhang Jian puffed on his cigarette, exhaled smoke, and scratched his chin. Regardless of the reason, there was no need for him to step in and save them. After all, until the Huilong Sect broke down the door, they were his enemies.

As he puffed on his cigarette and looked around, he suddenly felt a gaze and turned his head to see Wang San, the leader of the Huilong Sect, frowning and looking at him.

Zhang Jian, exhaling smoke, said abruptly,

"What are you looking at?"

"...Who is this guy?"

Wang San's eyes moved to the Black Blood Gang members lying unconscious around Zhang Jian. They had all been knocked out by Zhang Jian's fists and hadn't regained consciousness. Realizing this, Gangpanyang shouted,

"That's Wang San, the deputy leader of the Huilong Sect! The Wang brothers, including him, are key figures in the Huilong Sect! If you're looking for the Huilong Sect's base, he'll know where it is!"

Wang San's expression changed slightly at this.

"...You're looking for our base? What's going on here?"

Zhang Jian, putting the cigarette back in his mouth, looked at Wang San with dark, sunken eyes. His casual stance, the way he glared, but his legs firmly supporting his body and his waist and shoulders straight, indicated he was maintaining a proper level of tension. He might be the best fighter among the thugs here.

At that moment, a thug, his eyes half-rolled, charged at Zhang Jian with a roar. A large, black cleaver was raised high, gleaming.

However, the cleaver's descent was slower than the blur of Zhang Jian's right arm and the sound of a punch. The thug's teeth shattered, his eyes rolled back, and he collapsed.

Seeing this, Wang San, tapping his shoulder with the back of his sword, smiled strangely.

"Seems like you're a guest here... Why are you looking for the Huilong Sect's base?"

"Are you the leader?"

Zhang Jian answered Wang San's question with another question. Wang San, snorting, replied,

"I'm Wang San, the deputy leader of the Huilong Sect. The youngest of the Wang brothers. Who are you? Why are you here?"

But Zhang Jian, not intending to answer, tilted his head slightly. Wang San didn't seem to be a demon of the Demon Palace, but he couldn't be sure just by appearance, as he couldn't identify demons until they awakened their demonic arts.

"Ugh-!"

"Die, bastard!"

"Aah! My, my arm!"

"You son of a bitch!"

While Zhang Jian, Wang San, and Gangpanyang faced each other in a triangular formation, the other members fought fiercely. Red blood splattered the old wooden floor of the inn, and injured thugs screamed and fell, gasping for breath. Those with serious injuries soon died, while others cried out in pain.

The Black Blood Gang was ultimately losing. Despite their courage and loyalty, they couldn't overcome the numerical disadvantage. Gangpanyang, even while standing in a standoff, glanced at them with anxious eyes.

Wang San, noticing this, smirked.

"Scared now? It's too late. We'll hang all your members on the streets as an example. Not a single one will be spared."

"You, you bastard..."

Wang San, still smirking, looked at Zhang Jian.

"And you. I don't know what you're doing here, but if you don't talk, you'll die with them. Don't be a bother."

Zhang Jian, with the cigarette in his mouth, chuckled. Whether or not he was a demon of the Demon Palace, the attitude of a bastard was clear. Wang San, seeing Zhang Jian's smile, was about to say more.

"Laughing, are you? What are you...?"

At that moment, Gangpanyang, seizing the opportunity, threw the axe in his left hand. The hand axe flew towards Wang San's head.

However, the axe didn't split his skull. Without even looking, Wang San, as if he had a third eye, swung the sword on his shoulder, and a metallic clang echoed as Gangpanyang's axe was deflected.

"Die!"

But Gangpanyang, moving simultaneously with the throw, charged at Wang San's exposed front and brought down the axe in his right hand. The blade gleamed, seemingly infused with all his strength.

Wang San extended his empty left hand towards the axe. It looked more like a reflexive defensive move than a martial arts technique.

Gangpanyang saw the hand. He put more force into the axe, intending to split Wang San's head and hand. A moment later, the axe and hand met.

"...Huh?"

Gangpanyang's axe didn't cut through Wang San's hand. The hand didn't split or bleed; it simply grabbed the axe. Stunned, Gangpanyang alternated his gaze between the captured axe and Wang San.

Wang San smiled.

"Your head will be hung at the highest point in the street."

Then, the sword flashed, and Gangpanyang's head flew to one side and fell. The headless body spurted blood and collapsed.

Wang San, drenched in the spurted blood, continued to smirk. He adjusted the axe he had caught and looked back at Zhang Jian. Zhang Jian, standing with his fingers on his belt, puffed on his cigarette, the red glow of the ember illuminating his face under the hat.

"...You don't seem to be a guest or a martial artist invited by the Black Blood Gang. Too calm. What are you doing here? Are you from the Martial Alliance?"

Zhang Jian, after deeply inhaling the remaining cigarette and flicking the butt away, exhaled smoke and said,

"Are you from the Green Snake? Or the Black Snake?"

Wang San, who had been smirking, quickly stiffened. He raised his sword, pointing it at Zhang Jian with a cold expression.

"...You should be interrogated, not killed."

"Maybe, but that's what I was going to say."

Zhang Jian, answering, twisted the hilt of the sword at his waist with his left hand and glanced around the inn. The Black Blood Gang, despite the initial disadvantage, couldn't turn the tide and were now all on the ground. Some were dead, but even the best-off were captured by the Huilong Sect and lying face down.

The Huilong Sect members, breathing heavily, looked at him, their eyes gleaming with murderous intent, ready to charge at his command.

Zhang Jian's gaze finally fell on the Black Blood Gang members he had knocked out earlier. Among them were the Zhi brothers, who had not been hit by him. Zhi Ming and Zhi Yun, lying on the ground, rolled their eyes and froze when they met Zhang Jian's gaze.

At that moment, Wang San, seeing this as an opening, raised his sword and axe. Simultaneously, Zhang Jian's sword left its scabbard.

A metallic clang echoed, and Wang San was flung to the side, rolling over the tables. The cleanly severed sword and axe fragments rolled around him.

Zhang Jian, momentarily holding his sword forward, soon stood straight and shook it. Despite cutting through the sword and axe, the sensation of the sword was strange. His sword, with a large chip in the middle, was vibrating.

"Fast..."

Wang San, who had been rolling on the tables, pushed himself up and stood, swaying slightly. His shirt was torn horizontally across the chest, but there was no blood.

Wang San, tearing his shirt as if it was uncomfortable, revealed his upper body. A long, red line ran horizontally across his chest, but there were no other wounds. He straightened his back and said arrogantly,

"...But no matter how fast you are, you can't cut through my flesh. The edge of a blade is useless against me."

Zhang Jian, hearing this, chuckled. Despite his claim, the red, raised flesh and trembling body suggested he was in pain.

"Kid, stop showing off."

Shaking his head, Zhang Jian sheathed his sword and leaped.

Wang San, expecting Zhang Jian to be startled and revealing his upper body, hastily stepped back to counter the charging Zhang Jian. But Zhang Jian, moving three steps faster than his retreat, struck his jaw.

"Ugh!"

A crack was heard, and Wang San's jaw snapped to the side. Zhang Jian, not stopping there, spun on his left foot and delivered a roundhouse kick to the other side of his jaw. Wang San, unable to even scream, spun in the opposite direction, his eyes rolling back, and fell forward.

Zhang Jian, dusting off his hands, looked around the now silent inn. The Huilong Sect members, who had been standing awkwardly, slowly lowered their weapons at his gaze.