Chapter 95

Chen Ergou and Zhao Jin walked into the courtyard one after another, immediately drawing everyone's attention. As soon as Chen Ergou appeared, seven or eight young men rushed over to greet him, respectfully calling him "Second Brother." The most mature of them even quickened his steps, coming close to whisper, but upon seeing Liu Yong by Chen Ergou's side and the group behind him, he closed his mouth.

"All of us are brothers, just say what you have to say."

"Second Brother, Copperhead Big Brother died at his lover's place last night. Sun Wug and Old Zhang are also dead. His lover is hiding in the house, but she's fine. They say the bodies were brutally chopped up with axes." This person spoke in a low voice, his face pale.

Chen Ergou's body trembled, but he had been prepared and quickly regained his composure. He asked in a low voice, "Has One-Hair and Bighead Huang arrived?"

"They have, they're in the room inside where Copperhead Big Brother was. They've been discussing for half an hour."

Hearing this, Chen Ergou looked back and saw Zhao Jin and the others chatting and laughing. His mind became much more at ease. He then said in a serious tone, "I'm going in too."

The messenger was taken aback, looking at Chen Ergou in disbelief. He looked around, bit his lip, and whispered, "If you really want to fight for it, the brothers will follow you to the end. But I'm willing to follow, the others behind might not be so sure!"

Chen Ergou smiled, patted the man's shoulder, and said, "Zhu Zi, I'll remember this favor. After today, our good days might just be around the corner. Just wait and see!" The man called "Zhu Zi" was stunned, watching as Chen Ergou and the group of tall, yet youthful-looking men walked into the courtyard.

The crowd at the entrance of the Black Tiger Temple yard parted to the sides, all looking at Chen Ergou's group with unfriendly expressions. Although Zhao Jin and the others were armed with standard weapons, their young and innocent faces, with only a light stubble, made them seem very young. At first, they were cautious, but later they showed contempt.

"Chen Ergou, what are you doing, bringing a bunch of kids to play?"

"Don't say that, Chen Ergou got to where he is by bullying kids..." Some teased, others laughed maliciously. Chen Ergou's face turned pale, feeling extremely awkward. The people gathered there mostly didn't care about Zhao Jin and the others.

However, the few young men who had called Chen Ergou "Second Brother" pushed through the crowd and followed behind him, glaring at the surrounding people, but they didn't dare to argue because they were outnumbered.

"Chen Ergou, you don't have many brothers, but they are all reliable!" Zhao Jin said with a laugh from behind.

Chen Ergou smiled and turned back. The fear and excitement on his face had diminished. He said proudly, "After that lesson, I've been very careful in my dealings. I choose people who don't cause trouble, aren't afraid of trouble, and can handle things. They are all good brothers." Zhao Jin nodded and smiled, "I'm increasingly convinced that Chen Ergou can manage this area well."

They talked and laughed as if no one else was around, which made the surrounding people even angrier, and the mocking voices grew louder.

Earlier, these people thought Chen Ergou was leading a group of half-grown kids into the crowd, but they didn't expect him to head straight for the courtyard. This made the mocking turn into curses.

"One-Hair and Bighead Huang are discussing important matters inside. What are you going in for, Chen Ergou?"

"Copperhead Big Brother is dead. Instead of taking care of your people, you bring kids to cause trouble. Are you out of your mind?"

Amidst the angry curses, Chen Ergou remained calm. He turned back and said to Zhao Jin with a smile, "Let me tell you, One-Hair has a few three-inch-long black hairs on his left cheek. He says it's a sign of good fortune and never cuts them. He oversees this casino for Copperhead. Bighead Huang has a big head and commands a dozen men. He handles the business outside the casino."

"What are you going to do?" Zhao Jin asked curiously.

Actually, it was only twenty steps to the courtyard gate. Nine fierce-looking men were already blocking the entrance. Chen Ergou was a bit scared and slowed his steps, but seeing Zhao Jin chatting and laughing, his courage grew.

"I'm just going to collect some rent from the surrounding area. It's very poor here, so I don't collect much." Chen Ergou stopped after saying this. Two more steps and he would be at the gate.

At the entrance of the Black Tiger Temple, nine men stood there, holding iron rulers and short knives, glaring at Zhao Jin and the others.

"Chen Ergou, are you blind or stupid? Is this something you can meddle in now?" one of the men said coldly.

Before they could respond, another man cursed, "If you don't want to die, kneel at the gate and wait for the two lords to come out and beg for forgiveness."

"Why can't we go in?" Chen Ergou's subordinate, Zhu Zi, shouted angrily.

Hearing his shout, the men at the gate sneered. One of them spat on the ground and pointed at Zhu Zi, saying, "Because your mother is a half-closed door, you can't go in!"

The men at the gate and the onlookers burst into laughter. Zhu Zi's face turned red, and he was about to charge forward but was held back by Sun Dalei.

Compared to Sun Dalei's size and strength, the man was no match. Seeing someone stop them, the men at the gate felt even more confident. One of them laughed and mocked, "Look at your cowardly faces, go back and don't embarrass yourselves here." After Zhao Jin had Sun Dalei hold the man, he turned to Chen Yi and said with a smile, "Chen Yi, can you cut off the hair of the man in the middle without hurting his scalp?"

"Sure!" Chen Yi nodded and smiled. Before he finished speaking, he stepped forward, drew his long sword, and a cold light flashed!

When Chen Yi sheathed his sword, the laughter in the courtyard had not yet stopped, but it suddenly ceased. Everyone saw that the man in the middle had a bald spot on his head, and the rest of his hair was hanging down. How could the cut be so precise?

The man felt a chill on his head, touched it, and let out a scream. His companion raised his arm, but before he could complete the action, Zhao Jin's long spear had already thrust out, not at his body but between his legs.

What was he doing? The man's movement froze. Before he could react, Zhao Jin pressed and lifted his arms, and the spear struck his groin heavily. The man let out a scream from deep in his throat, dropped his weapon, and curled up like a shrimp.

On the other side, someone cried out in pain, seeing a man clutching his wrist, his weapon on the ground, and blood seeping through his hand. Wang Zhaojing, with a graceful demeanor, sheathed his sword.

"Get out of here, or next time it will be your life!" Zhao Jin said coldly.

The courtyard fell silent. No one expected these half-grown kids to be so strong. The men at the gate looked at each other, and one of them, holding a short knife, charged forward, unwilling to be bullied by a group of kids.

A large figure blocked his path, it was Sun Dalei. Sun Dalei swung his double-bladed axe without hesitation. The man could only defend, or his head would be smashed.

But Sun Dalei's strength was far beyond his, and he wielded a heavy axe. Moreover, no one expected Sun Dalei to be so fast.

There was a "crack," and the man's short knife fell to the ground, his arm at an odd angle. He let out a loud scream. Sun Dalei didn't hold back, kicking the man out and cursing, "You ungrateful thing."

Sun Dalei knew he was considered timid by his companions and was seizing the opportunity to show his bravery. The man became the unfortunate one, and it was only because Sun Dalei was kind that he used the flat side of the axe. If he had used the blade, the man's half-body would have been cut off.

After this, the men at the gate scattered, and the onlookers, who occasionally whispered, didn't dare to speak. They could only watch as Chen Ergou and his group walked in.

At the entrance of the temple, there were two men, but they had already seen the fight at the courtyard gate and were stunned, with no intention of blocking them.

"Zhu Zi, you lead the brothers in the courtyard. I'll go in with Young Master Jin." Chen Ergou, now calm, instructed Zhu Zi, then lifted the curtain and bowed, "Young Master Jin, please!"

Zhao Jin didn't hesitate, walking in with a big step. He turned back and said with a smile, "Chen Ergou will be in charge in the future, so he should come in second!" He said this for Chen Yi and Wang Zhaojing to hear. Chen Ergou, as a small leader, was far below them in status, even compared to Dong Bingfeng and Sun Dalei. So Zhao Jin said this separately.

Inside the temple, Zhao Jin had only been once before, remembering it as a noisy and crowded place. This time, it seemed to have been renovated, becoming more spacious with five gambling tables, likely by connecting the main hall and a side room. It looked like business was good.

The last time he came, Cheng Tongtou was in a small room to the side, which was still there. The casino was empty, and only the sound of arguments could be heard from the small room.

"One-Hair, stop spouting nonsense. You and Pig-Killer Li have been colluding for a long time. Why should I be the one to act..."

"Bullshit, you've been trying to take over the salt trade. Didn't you just swear allegiance to Yan Blackface a few days ago?"

The two men were cursing and arguing, completely ignoring Cheng Tongtou's affairs and not noticing that someone had entered. They were discussing and revealing their true intentions, so only they could enter, and the guards outside were intimidated by Zhao Jin's group, not even daring to sound the alarm.

Zhao Jin looked at Chen Ergou and said with a smile, "Cheng Tongtou really messed up. The few key figures under him all have second thoughts. He even dared to collude with Yunshan Temple and go against us. He must be out of his mind."