hotmtlnovel Chapter 127. The Black Hands Tough Clan (2)
Chapter 127. The Black Hands Tough Clan (2)
Chapter 127. The Black Hand's Tough Clan (2)
Jiang Nengchu wasn't an idiot who only knew how to show off his strength. After all, there were all kinds of dark schemes lurking in the red light district of the Black Hand's Zhengzhou.
If one relied solely on strength and set out recklessly, they would likely die before ever leaving their mark. Of course, this didn't apply to an expert with overwhelming cultivation, but such an expert wouldn't find themselves working within the dregs of the murim to begin with.
Jiang Nengchu had actually meticulously prepared for the night's attack. He dispersed his troops for an ambush, following the strategy of attacking an enemy in various places with small gathered forces.[1]
Since Zhengzhou was a place where all kinds of intelligence gathered and rumors spread quickly, he had to be careful of every movement.
Although he may have recently grown stronger after absorbing the Red House's forces, it would be easy to lose everything if he let his guard down.
"First, we need to deal with the most annoying of them. The Viper Sword."
The Viper Sword was the most difficult to deal with among the three targets. Not only was his cultivation incredible, but he also possessed great wisdom.
He was skilled at perceiving the best time to hide in dangerous moments and always appropriately utilized his support forces around him during any power struggles. Moreover, his skill with setting traps was particularly annoying.
Jiang Nengchu knew that if he wasted energy on the others first, The Viper Sword would exploit any opening. That's why he made him his primary target.
"What do you plan to do?"
Experts generally didn't like to be ordered around by the weak, especially within the Xia Wu Sect. Even the Sect Master of the Xia Wu Sect was looked down upon, let alone a small-time commander.
Jiang Nengchu never expected that an expert on the level of the Silent Messenger would listen to him in the first place.
"The Arsenic Pig," Zhou Xuchuan said, casually twisting his wrists as if he was loosening them up.
"There's no way...?"
The Blue House's Head Madam's jaw dropped, while Jiang Nengchu frowned silently.
"I'll take care of him."
"That's ridiculous!"
The Blue House's Head Madam exclaimed before closing her mouth with a gasp. Her face turned as pale as a corpse.
I must have gone crazy!
Jiang Nengchu wasn't her concern. He was warm and gentle to his own people. He could forgive this level of disrespect to some extent. Moreover, she was one of his strategists, holding the highest level of authority after the Tough Bastard.
That's why she consistently attended the meetings before any operation.
The problem was the Silent Messenger.
She was afraid of him, a monster who had shown her an unforgettable intimidation since the first time they had met.
However, contrary to her worries, Zhou Xuchuan just stood up from his seat without even looking at her.
"The Arsenic Pig may not be as intelligent as the other two, but that doesn't make him a complete fool. Even if you defeat the Viper Sword, your forces will be decimated, and the pig bastard and his forces will definitely attack you. He might even take control of the Blue or Red Houses and hold them hostage."
"We're fully aware of that. It's just, even if you are the Silent Messenger, if you enter the Arsenic Pig's den alone..."
Jiang Nengchu raised his hand to stop the Blue House's Head Madam.
His already fierce eyes narrowed, becoming even more terrifying.
I never expected him to go this far. I don't know if it's his confidence in his cultivation or skill, but there's no reason for me to refuse.
He had already been concerned about the exact point that Zhou Xuchuan had brought up, even preparing several strategies to try to handle it. But now, there was no need to do so.
Even if the Silent Messenger failed, his skills would likely cause more damage than whatever Jiang Nengchu could have come up with.
I'd be happy if he manages to trade his neck for that pig's. That uncontrollable power is a double-edged sword. I may be able to cut down the enemy using it, but one day, it might turn against me. For now, I'll use it to my advantage.
With superhuman self-control, Jiang Nengchu barely managed to stop himself from smiling like an idiot. He didn't want to ruin this good flow.
"Understood. Then, we'll gather the remaining troops at the Blue House and focus on defending our territory. It'll be hard for us to provide you with support. Is that okay?"
"It's fine."
The outskirts of Zhengzhou were all just dark streets with poor security.
The intricately intertwined alleys were so dark that even Zhengzhou's residents were likely to get lost.
It went without saying that it was dangerous.
If a healthy man entered these streets, he would be sold into slavery before anyone noticed, and if a woman entered, she would be raped to death.
There were even places that members of the Xia Wu Sect, who were accustomed to Zhengzhou's red light district, wouldn't dare approach.
The east, west, and southern outskirts.
To the west, there was a night market that mainly sold counterfeit goods, stolen goods, and drugs.
The Snake Den.
When the lanterns rose instead of sunlight, a group appeared in the market's streets near the entrance to the Snake Den.
"Huh?"
A Xia Wu Sect member who was patrolling the streets suddenly felt something strange.
This feeling...
Something was bound to happen today.
Several people gathered in the crowd, walking through the market.
One person became two, and two became four.
In front of him was a wall that was a zhang high (roughly 3ish meters) with a pig's face painted on it. At the center of the wall was a suspicious-looking iron gate.
The only difference between this place and the streets he had come from was that here, the surroundings were lit by torches, and a large gatekeeper stood guard.
"W-well, I'll be leaving now, hehe!"
The employee laughed nervously and tried to run away, but Zhou Xuchuan's hand shot out, gripping the man by the back of the neck and holding him in place.
"Ugh!"
"You said you used to work in this arena, right?"
The employee nodded his head in response.
"Do you know the way inside?"
Feeling a growing sense of dread, the employee was about to say that he didn't know. However, he quickly closed his mouth and just shrank back.
As much as he wanted to avoid entering the arena, he feared upsetting the Silent Messenger even more. After all, his life was in the Phantom's hands.
"Then guide me."
"Sob sob!"
The employee couldn't hide his expression. His face crumbled, tears streaming down as snot dripped from his nose
Knowing very well what the Silent Messenger planned to do after invading the underground arena, he couldn't hold back his intense emotions.
If I had known this would happen, I would have written a will!
He walked forward, muttering under his breath and cursing inwardly.
"That's enough."
The gatekeeper standing in the center of the alley drew his sword from his waistband.
"Well, that's a face I've never seen before."
A bitter smile spread across the gatekeeper's lips.
"It's two taels of silver if you want to come in."
"I don't have it."
"S-sir!"
The employee who had been searching through his cloak turned pale.
"What?"
The gatekeeper's face twisted into a grim expression.
"How are you letting yourself get looked down on by these losers?"
"Kekekeke!"
The gatekeepers nearby cackled. Some of them even clapped their hands, relieved to have something entertaining since they had been bored.
The gatekeeper, who had been singled out as the target of ridicule by his colleagues, trembled, unable to bear the humiliation.
His face flushed bright red, as if it might burst, and his eyes were filled with a fierce bloodlust.
"Good, it seems you've forgotten how to fear!"
No one in the alley, especially not these grunts, could sense Zhou Xuchuan's cultivation level.
The gatekeeper just assumed Zhou Xuchuan was one of those lowlifes who sometimes appeared, people who liked to show off with no real skills.
"Little Ghost."
"Yes."
The gatekeeper who had stepped forward froze, his pupils trembling as if an earthquake had shaken his mind. His face paled, like he had seen a ghost.
He wasn't the only one, the other gatekeepers looked the same.
"Eek!"
The Blue House's employee let out a startled squeal and collapsed on the floor.
W-when did she?
In the blink of an eye, someone clad in black with their eyes covered by a cloth appeared in front of the Silent Messenger as if they had always been there.
Even though the person was said to be clad in black, the cloth was so thin and their skin so shrouded in shadows that their silhouette was difficult to make out.
"Prepare to counterattack, but prioritize the safety of this employee. Focus on defense, not offense."
Little Ghost stood beside the fallen employee.
"It's fine to let him go if there aren't any enemies left. Otherwise, kill them all quickly."
As ten figures seemed to rise from the ground, the gatekeepers realized something was terribly wrong.
"We've received your orders."
1. Sun Tzu's Art of War, chapter IV, Disposition of the Military. ☜
2. The word bastard, ??, literally translates to venomous one. Thus, he's also a little snake in terms of wordplay. ☜
3. Yes, I know it says Xia Wu Sect Master is stronger. This is his title, the Heaven's Number One. It just sounds so ridiculous considering Xia Wu Sect is ALREADY so weak, so we just went for Zhengzhou's Strongest. ☜