Chapter Nine: The Black Tiger Gang

Another night had fallen.

Once again, Chen Fan slipped quietly out the door.

His martial training had already made his movements much more nimble. His body twisted with an unusual suppleness, his actions exceptionally agile. He vaulted easily over the mud walls of narrow alleys, climbing atop the flat-roofed houses.

This was the outskirts of Feiling County; all around were low, single-story homes. Chen Fan moved freely across the rooftops, soon spotting flickering sparks of fire in the darkness.

He knew well that these were members of the Black Tiger Gang, still out on patrol.

In recent days, the Black Tiger Gang had spread throughout much of Feiling County’s outskirts, and Scholar Tree Street was among their patrol routes.

Those scattered torchlights in the night were especially conspicuous.

Chen Fan moved with light steps, carefully concealing himself in the shadows, never once caught by the patrols. This was far from his first night in action; coupled with intelligence he’d gathered from Wang Gang, Chen Fan now had these men entirely figured out.

The dozen or so thugs following Pi Liu’s lead were ordinary men, merely a little stronger than most, and though they had practiced basic martial arts, none had truly mastered them.

Pi Liu, the only one who had sensed true inner energy, had merely glimpsed the threshold; naturally, he couldn’t detect the carefully hidden Chen Fan.

Lying low on the rooftop, Chen Fan watched the torches below, listening to the shouts and curses of the patrolling thugs as he held his breath, calmed his mind, and silently followed them, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

Chen Fan was a man of infinite patience. He had repeated this silent pursuit for several nights now.

…

While Chen Fan lay in wait beneath the cloak of night—

At the port in the western suburbs,

Torchlight blazed everywhere, casting the docks in a harsh, flickering glow.

A powerful stench of blood drifted on the breeze from the riverside, spreading across the port.

Swish, swish!

A burly man darted through the streets, heading toward the sound of rushing water.

His body moved like lightning, his speed astonishing.

But ahead of him, a wall of torch-bearing figures barred his path.

They were all members of the Black Tiger Gang.

“Yuan Kuanglin! Surrender at once and I might spare your worthless life!”

Amid the throng of Black Tiger Gang members, a man in embroidered robes, temples streaked with white, gazed coolly at the man racing through the night.

This man, Yuan Kuanglin, paid no heed, charging straight ahead.

His entire body was stained with blood, his face flushed crimson.

Swish, swish, swish!

With dragon-like strides and fists swift as the wind, he surged forward.

Fists and palms collided—each impact sent a thug flying through the air, blood spraying across the night sky.

Screams rose and fell, echoing in the darkness.

Dozens of men could not stop Yuan Kuanglin alone!

The middle-aged man in embroidered robes watched with a cold sneer. “Yuan Kuanglin, you may be a formidable martial artist of the sixth rank, but you’re already gravely injured. I, You Shaohu, have reached the pinnacle of the fifth rank—why should I fear you?”

In the blink of an eye, You Shaohu leapt forward, appearing before Yuan Kuanglin like a thunderbolt, his fist punching out.

“Tiger Roar Fist!”

Crack!

The air was rent apart, the force razor-sharp.

You Shaohu held both a numerical and positional advantage. He seized the perfect moment, striking just as Yuan Kuanglin was between attacks. Caught off guard, Yuan Kuanglin was sent staggering several meters back, collapsing to the ground as a mouthful of blood sprayed forth.

This was the first time his relentless charge had been halted.

With that successful blow, the Black Tiger Gang members around them were instantly roused, their faces alight with excitement.

“Our chief is mighty!”

You Shaohu was, in fact, the leader of the Black Tiger Gang, and their foremost martial artist—one of the top powers in Feiling County’s underworld.

Yuan Kuanglin flipped to his feet, a fierce unwillingness burning in his bloodshot eyes as he fixed his gaze on You Shaohu.

“A tiger, fallen to the flat lands, is harried by dogs. If not for my injuries, with my strength reduced to barely a tenth, how could a nobody like you hope to defeat me?”

Though the two men were only one rank apart—and Yuan Kuanglin was slightly stronger—even at his full strength, the advantage was small. Now, grievously wounded, his power was almost gone.

You Shaohu sneered, unmoved by Yuan Kuanglin’s defiance. “The winner is king, the loser a bandit—what use are empty words now?”

With that, he charged forward again, unleashing another Tiger Roar Fist.

Yuan Kuanglin gritted his teeth and countered with his elbow.

The two martial experts clashed in a storm of blows.

The sharp crack of their strikes rang out again and again.

Yuan Kuanglin was a spent arrow, his strength higher but his condition dire; he was no match for You Shaohu. After only a few dozen exchanges, he was forced to retreat time and again, blood pouring from his mouth.

You Shaohu pressed his advantage, his attacks growing ever fiercer.

Suddenly, Yuan Kuanglin spat a jet of blood that shot forth like a shadow, piercing You Shaohu’s shoulder.

You Shaohu sprang back, eyes cold and wary. “The Blood Ignition Technique—do you have a death wish?”

Even as he spoke, white vapor rose from Yuan Kuanglin’s body, his aura surging. He shot You Shaohu a venomous glare. “If I survive this night, I’ll uproot your pathetic Black Tiger Gang, root and branch!”

With that, he stamped the ground, spun, and moved even faster than before—breaking through the encirclement in a flash.

As he fled, he struck down several Black Tiger Gang thugs almost without thinking.

He moved so swiftly that all the others saw was a blur disappearing into the night—no one could give chase.

You Shaohu watched Yuan Kuanglin’s retreating form, his face full of apprehension, a strange flush of color across his features, and a cold sneer on his lips.

“Threats are useless—a spent force! Do you really think you can escape? The area’s already sealed by the Black Tiger Gang. Once the Blood Ignition’s backlash sets in, any martial artist could end your life!”

With a wave of his hand, he ordered his men to pursue.

But Yuan Kuanglin, empowered by the Blood Ignition Technique, was inhumanly fast—none of them stood a chance of catching him.

Still, You Shaohu was in no rush.

The Black Tiger Gang had men spread for miles in all directions. The Blood Ignition’s effects were limited by time. Once it faded, Yuan Kuanglin would be left with only one path—death.

…

Chen Fan lay prone atop a roof, silently watching Pi Liu in the distance.

Suddenly, his ears twitched and his gaze shifted.

In the night sky, a flare of red smoke burst open.

Noises of commotion swept closer.

“It’s the rally signal!” Pi Liu’s voice brimmed with excitement. “Brothers, follow me!”

For days, Pi Liu and his men had patrolled with nothing to show for it—boredom gnawed at them. Now, at last, something was happening, and their spirits soared.

The Black Tiger Gang members under Pi Liu’s command sprang into action.

Chen Fan followed at a distance.

In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, they reached a desolate, uninhabited area. Chen Fan hid carefully behind a tree and soon heard the sounds of battle, cries rising and falling, and the faint scent of blood drifting in the air.

The constant screams made his heart pound with fear.

“Could the Black Tiger Gang be fighting another gang?” Chen Fan wondered.

He crept closer to the chaos.

Torches flickered wildly in the gloom.

Only then did Chen Fan see clearly—besides Pi Liu’s dozen men, there seemed to be other Black Tiger Gang members present.

From a distance, it was clear—this was no clash between gangs.

Rather, it was a single man fighting against dozens of Black Tiger Gang members!