The Thirteen Tigers Come to the Rescue

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“Even when outnumbered, I can still cut down the enemy commander amid ten thousand troops.” Wang Zhen held his head in his hands and glanced sideways at Wei Jiang.

“What the hell are you thinking? With this many people, go on—try charging out there and taking Wan Daming’s head.” Wei Jiang’s eyes widened as he stared at Wang Zhen as though he were an idiot. “You’d better start thinking about how we’re going to break out of this gymnasium.”

“You’re awfully good at talking while lying there. Why don’t you try standing up?” Wang Zhen roared angrily.

“What the hell are you shouting for? Look at the situation we’re in! And you’re still yelling at me?” Wei Jiang shouted back, unwilling to give way.

“Hey! If you hadn’t called me here, would I have known any of this was going on? This is all your fault!” Wang Zhen released his head, clenched both fists, and swung at Wei Jiang.

“So what if I called you? Do you do everything I tell you to do?!” Wei Jiang let go of his head as well and threw a punch at Wang Zhen.

Watching the two men beat each other, everyone else stopped attacking.

“Brother Ming! Those two seem to be fighting among themselves!” one of the underlings shouted toward Wan Daming.

“Hahahaha! Have you given up resisting?” Wan Daming slowly leapt down from the raised platform on the second floor, landing one level at a time.

Before Wan Daming could reach the basketball court, Wang Zhen, who was lying on the floor, suddenly seized someone by the trouser leg and used the momentum to pull himself upright. He punched the man squarely on the bridge of the nose, then kicked him several yards away. The man crashed into a group of enemies along the way.

Wei Jiang rose with him, picked up the truncheon Wang Zhen had dropped, and swung it at the man who had kicked him most viciously. As he struck, he muttered, “You hit me so hard just now. I’m not letting you off.” The man struck by Wei Jiang flipped backward and slammed into three or four people behind him.

“Heh. Pretending to fight among yourselves and waiting for the right opportunity—this really is your style.” Wan Daming paused in surprise, then stood where he was and applauded. “Surround them!”

Wang Zhen and Wei Jiang stood back to back, their injuries making it difficult to remain upright.

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“Well? Do you still have enough strength to break out?” Wei Jiang tilted his head slightly, his gaze never leaving the enemies in front of him.

“Probably not. I’m completely spent. Those last few blows used up everything I had. The fact that I can still stand is already a miracle.” Wang Zhen breathed heavily, but the fist in his hand remained tightly clenched.

“Sigh... Are we really going to be finished here today?” Wei Jiang looked up at the gymnasium ceiling and let out a long sigh.

“Everyone, attack! Beat them until they can’t even crawl, then tie them up!” Wan Daming swept both hands forward. His underlings and a group of officers surged toward them.

A tremendous crash broke through the advancing horde. At that very moment, the doors of the gymnasium burst open. A shaft of sunlight pierced the gloom and shone onto the chaotic battlefield.

A lone figure stood silhouetted against the light, a long staff in his hand. Its surface gleamed coldly, as though a war god had descended upon the earth. He strode forward, each step making the floor tremble faintly. With a single sweep of the staff, he whipped up fierce gusts of wind and instantly sent several underlings closing in on Wang Zhen and Wei Jiang sprawling to the ground.

The staff’s shadow moved like a dragon. Wherever it passed, enemies collapsed, crying out in pain, none of them able to get close. His eyes were as sharp as an eagle’s as they swept across the room. An imposing aura radiated from him without any need for anger, making everyone shudder—even Wan Daming instinctively took a step backward.

“Heh. I was wondering who it was. Do you really think you can save those two and walk away?” Wan Daming sneered when he recognized the newcomer.

Wang Zhen’s pupils widened in shock as he stared at the person before him. He could never have imagined who this person was. He turned toward Wei Jiang, only to find a faint smile curling at the corner of Wei Jiang’s mouth.

“Wan Daming, Wan Daming... How should I put this? As long as the green hills remain, there will never be a shortage of firewood, don’t you agree? There’s no need for you to wear yourself out fighting these two here. Even if you win, they’ll only lose two people. But you? Take a look around you. Look at the people lying beside them. How many of your men have already fallen?”

The young man held the long staff in one hand and kept the other in his pocket, smiling brightly at Zhao Daming.

“So what? If I take those two down, I’ll stand above everyone else at Luocheng No. 1 High School! Besides, now that you’ve shown up, even if you’re no longer a student there, I can take you down along with them!” Wan Daming shouted hysterically, staring fixedly at the young man as though he might tear him apart at any moment.

“In that case, I suppose negotiations are over? There’s one more thing you should know: I’ve already transferred back to Luocheng No. 1 High School.” The young man looked utterly unconcerned, as though the nearly hundred people around him did not exist.

“I never said I wanted to negotiate with you. Since you’ve returned to Luocheng No. 1 High School, you can walk straight out that door if you want to leave alone. I’ll let bygones be bygones. But if you intend to take those two with you, then I’m afraid you’ll have to ask my brothers whether they’re willing to let you.” Wan Daming folded his arms across his chest, sat down in a chair behind him, and crossed one leg over the other.

“Hahahaha, Wan Daming. Do you really think I would come here alone, without making any preparations?” The young man continued standing casually in front of Wang Zhen and Wei Jiang, right in the midst of the surrounding crowd.

“Wang Zhen, can you still run?” Wei Jiang nudged him with his left hand.

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“I’ve rested enough. I can probably make it out, though it’ll be difficult. But can you tell me who this young man is?” Wang Zhen grabbed Wei Jiang’s hand.

“We’ll talk about that after we get out. Now isn’t the time. Regulate your breathing and get ready to run.” Wei Jiang slowly lowered the truncheon, doing his best not to let anyone notice.

“Wan Daming, take a look at the second floor behind you. You’ve been surrounded!” The young man slowly retreated step by step, gradually drawing closer to Wang Zhen and Wei Jiang.

“What?” Wan Daming turned around in disbelief.

“Run!” Wei Jiang hurriedly pulled Wang Zhen toward the exit.

“Hey, wait for me, you ungrateful bastard!” The young man quickly dropped his staff and chased after them.

Hearing the commotion, Wan Daming turned to look at the young man. His underlings also realized what was happening and promptly gave chase.

“Don’t pursue them! We’ve already taught those two a lesson. Keep your heads down for a while and stop causing trouble. Wang Zhen and Wei Jiang won’t be able to make any waves over the next few days. As for that kid, let him go.”

Wan Daming shook his head, slowly walked out of the gymnasium, and returned to the locker room.

Wan Daming sat alone on a bench in the locker room, a cigarette clenched between his lips. Its feeble ember flickered in the darkness. For the first time in his life, Wan Daming felt genuine fear.

His legs began to tremble uncontrollably, and his eyes were hollow and lifeless. Supporting himself with both hands, he slowly rose and walked over to a locker. Then he slammed his fist into it with all his strength, leaving behind a massive dent.

“Why? I clearly beat him badly enough to drive him away, so why did he come back? Wei Jiang was already difficult enough to deal with alone. Adding Wang Zhen wasn’t a problem, but why does that guy have to come back too? This is going to be troublesome.”

Wan Daming threw away his cigarette and walked out of the locker room.

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