C15 Shuai Guo

He was just a punk from the Green Bamboo Gang, yet inexplicably, a shiver ran down Shi Qing's spine as he gazed at Chen Xiaozhi.

Whoosh!

In a flash, Chen Xiaozhi snatched up a small white plate and hurled it. The plate blurred into a streak and struck the back of the head of a mad dog who had leapt out the door. The plate shattered, and with a muffled groan, the mad dog collapsed, a large indentation in his skull. Blood trickled from his nose; he was breathless.

"He's dead!" Onlookers on the street outside cried out in terror and scattered.

"Ah!" A clueless Fate Gathering member, knife in hand, charged at Chen Xiaozhi.

But his attack was short-lived.

With a swift kick, Chen Xiaozhi sent him soaring through a wooden window, narrowly missing Shi Qing and crashing to the ground outside.

"Who are you?" Shi Qing's pupils constricted, and he gulped. As a fellow martial artist, he recognized Chen Xiaozhi's formidable strength. Shi Qing himself was merely a Copper Skin Realm martial artist, newly initiated into the Martial Dao with a basic level of fist technique—enough to handle street thugs but no match for someone of Chen Xiaozhi's caliber.

"My name is Chen Xiaozhi, and as of today, I'm the boss of Killing Bull Lane. And I owe you one for taking care of that mad dog," Chen Xiaozhi said, dusting off his hands and rising leisurely to approach Shi Qing.

"You... if we're harmed, the Fate Gathering's top brass will launch a full investigation. Think it over!" Shi Qing, sensing the murderous glint in Chen Xiaozhi's eyes, stepped back, his voice tinged with panic as he mentioned his connections. His earlier bravado had vanished.

"If all of you die here today, who's to know?" Chen Xiaozhi's smile was chilling.

Shi Qing felt his scalp prickle. He had not anticipated facing such a formidable opponent.

Without hesitation, he grabbed a comrade and thrust him at Chen Xiaozhi, then bolted out the door, knowing he was no match for the young man. Fate Gathering had wealth and muscle; even their rank-and-file had some training, which made them tougher than the Green Bamboo Gang—but only to the untrained eye. The expense of martial arts was beyond what ordinary families could afford. For people like Shi Qing, the only way to gain real skill was to join a gang and pick up whatever techniques they could.

Shi Qing was quick, but Chen Xiaozhi was quicker. He stepped, launched himself with the momentum, and soared past the Fate Gathering members like a roc, bursting through the door and landing a punch on Shi Qing's back.

"My brother is Shi Wei, the Nine Lives Stone. He'll never let you get away with this!" Shi Qing, feeling the rush of air behind him, spun around and threw a punch, bellowing.

Bang!

Their fists collided, and Shi Qing shuddered, then a cloud of blood burst from his body, and he fell backward.

Chen Xiaozhi withdrew his hand with composure, ignoring the body on the ground. He turned and re-entered the house, where he dispatched the remaining Fate Gathering members with ease. Under his overwhelming force, none stood a chance. In under a minute, every last one of them lay lifeless.

"Boss... we're all on the same side here..."

"Please, don't kill me!"

Chen Xiaozhi unleashed his formidable power, leaving the few surviving members of the Green Bamboo Gang both awed and invigorated. But their elation soon turned to dread as they noticed Chen Xiaozhi's indifferent gaze turning toward them after dispatching the Fate Gathering's men. Bloodstained and with a chilling expression, he made the room feel as cold as an ice cellar.

"Dead men tell no tales," Chen Xiaozhi said, his lips curling into a faint smile.

In an instant, he struck down another man.

Minutes later, the Flower House was shuttered, and a trembling Xu Ma stood before Chen Xiaozhi, surrounded by over a dozen bodies. The air was thick with the stench of blood. While she was visibly pale with fear, the young man before her sipped his tea with casual ease.

"Starting today, I'm the boss of this street. Keep the protection money coming, same as always," Zhao Qi declared, standing stoically by Chen Xiaozhi's side.

"Understood," the old procuress managed, her head bobbing nervously.

She thought this youth was more fearsome than a rabid dog—a demon who killed without a second thought.

"Have you got all that I told you to remember?" Chen Xiaozhi probed further.

"Yes, yes, I've got it all!" Xu Ma responded, eager to please.

"Zhao Qi, take word of this to the moat. Say that Shi Qing and his crew came looking for trouble, and in the ensuing fight with the mad dog, both were gravely injured. I finished off Shi Qing before he died; everyone else is dead, leaving just us alive," Chen Xiaozhi instructed.

"Young Master, the moat authorities might not buy that story," Zhao Qi cautioned, his brow furrowed.

"Whether they believe it or not is irrelevant. The dead can't speak, and what can they do about it now? Besides, Killing Bull Lane is insignificant—who's going to care?" Chen Xiaozhi was confident, now more familiar with the Green Bamboo Gang's dynamics. Zhao Qi added, "Shi Qing's older brother, Shi Wei, is a notorious tough guy known for his brutality. He's been in countless fights over the years, surviving serious injuries time and again. He's a prominent enforcer for the Fate Gathering, nicknamed 'Nine Lives.'"

"No need to worry. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," Chen Xiaozhi dismissed the concern with a wave of his hand.

Acknowledging the signal, Zhao Qi quickly departed to relay the message to the gang.

"You're a smart one, so I'll spare you the lecture. I'm sure you're well-acquainted with the other shopkeepers on the street. Do me a favor and give them a heads-up, let them know what to expect," Chen Xiaozhi said, his piercing gaze fixed on the old procuress. "I'm a man who appreciates kindness and never forgets those who are good to me. But if anyone tries to cross me..." His laugh was unsettling.

Suddenly, Chen Xiaozhi's palm crashed down onto the nearby table, sending splinters flying as the thick wood splintered, and a haze of dust billowed out.

The old procuress dropped to her knees in terror.

Eventually, Zhao Qi returned with a short-haired youth in tow, followed by a group of twenty or thirty. The youth had a delicate appearance, more befitting a noble than a street thug. But Chen Xiaozhi, reassured by Zhao Qi's demeanor, hurriedly stepped forward and bowed respectfully. "I have the honor of meeting the military officer."

"So, you're the one who killed Shi Qing?" Zhang Chao's face soured as he surveyed the room filled with dead bodies, his gaze shifting between shock and anger as he stared at Chen Xiaozhi. Zhao Qi had briefed him on the way over about what had transpired.

Shi Qing was, after all, Shi Wei's own brother, and Zhang Chao was well aware of his formidable capabilities. He found it hard to believe that a mere mad dog could take Shi Qing down. But according to Zhao, the mad dog had gravely wounded Shi Qing before dying. It was Chen Xiaozhi who had stealthily struck the final blow, ending Shi Qing's life with a single slash.

"Yes," Chen Xiaozhi feigned a look of distress.

Taking a deep breath, Zhang Chao stepped forward to examine the injuries on both the mad dog and Shi Qing, then summoned the old madam to question her. Meanwhile, Chen Xiaozhi and Zhao Qi stood by, dutifully awaiting their fate.

"This is tricky, military officer! Shi Qing was a rising star being groomed by the Fate Gathering, and his brother Shi Wei is even more influential. Shi Wei is bound to come after us... We can't afford to be the ones in the crosshairs. We need a fall guy to take the heat off us, to appease the Fate Gathering before we can sit down and sort this out," a quick-witted underling murmured into Zhang Chao's ear, casting furtive glances at Chen Xiaozhi and Zhao Qi.

Zhang Chao's anxiety eased as he considered the advice. As a military officer overseeing a modest territory with a mere sixty men, his resources seemed ample until one considered the opposition. The Green Bamboo Gang was no match for the Fate Gathering, much less the formidable Shi Wei. Taking the fall for this could spell his doom, especially since Shi Wei was notoriously reckless and fiercely protective of his brother.

Resigned, Zhang Chao beckoned Chen Xiaozhi over and said coolly, "Impressive work! You're young, but you've got guts. We don't see talent like yours in the Green Bamboo Gang very often. Since you're the one who took down Shi Qing, you've earned your stripes. Currently, I'm short-staffed and can't spare anyone to oversee Killing Bull Lane. Since you two were already patrolling here, you'll take charge from now on. I'll make sure your name is recorded in the book of merits." With a strained smile, he added, "Do well," before departing swiftly with his men. In just one day, Chen Xiaozhi had risen to the rank of leader, a feat unthinkable to others in the gang.

Yet, the onlookers from Zhang Chao's entourage couldn't help but regard Chen Xiaozhi and Zhao Qi with a mix of glee and pity, as if they were already as good as dead.

After a brief exchange, the group hurriedly vacated the gloomy scene.

"Take care, military officer!" Chen Xiaozhi called out, bowing to Zhang Chao's retreating figure before slowly rising, his gaze steady and contemplative.

"We should head out. The City Lord's Mansion's enforcers will be here any minute," Chen Xiaozhi said, leading Zhao Qi away from Killing Bull Lane.

The recent strife between the Green Bamboo Gang and the Fate Gathering had escalated to frequent deadly clashes, with the City Lord's Mansion's officials typically left to clean up the aftermath. No sooner had the pair departed than a swarm of bailiffs and constables arrived. Both the City Lord's Mansion and the gangs were acutely aware of the delicate balance of power. As long as the underground factions' conflicts didn't spill over to affect Crowfield's citizens or tarnish its reputation, the authorities would turn a blind eye. However, if the constables caught someone in the act, that would be an entirely different matter.

News of Shi Qing's death swiftly made its way to his brother, Shi Wei.