Chapter 35: Confrontation

Xingyu dragged Miao Hong by the collar of his shirt, moving slowly along the dilapidated street.

Her two shadows stretched long, intertwining with the winding trail of blood on the ground. The air was thick with the scent of decay and mold, occasionally punctuated by the sound of dogs barking in the distance.

She glanced down at Miao Hong, who was groaning in agony.

She had accidentally... snapped his leg bone.

It was truly an accident.

However, if she had waited for Miao Hong to limp along and lead the way himself, she had no idea how long it would take.

And so, Xingyu very mercifully chose a method better for both parties—

Following the direction he had indicated, she dragged him by his clothes all the way to their gang's headquarters.

She confirmed once again that her physical capabilities had indeed been further enhanced.

It was not just that her skin had become eerily resilient; her strength and stamina had also noticeably increased.

Over the past few days, she had developed a subtle understanding of the tactile differences when a short blade sliced through human tissue.

Yet, today felt even easier.

Dragging an adult for such a distance, she was surprised to find that she didn't feel much fatigue at all.

As they approached the stronghold of the Ashes Gang, the surrounding environment grew increasingly desolate and ruinous. Mountains of garbage were visible everywhere, and the air was filled with a foul stench.

In the distance, the outline of a massive warehouse gradually emerged under the light of the night sun.

The worn-out metal gate in front was covered in rust and unidentified stains, and the exterior walls of the warehouse were crudely spray-painted with various icons in bright red paint.

She could hear the commotion from inside—vulgar laughter, the clinking of bottles, and faint sounds of arguing. Dim, yellow light filtered through broken windows, casting swaying shadows on the ground.

She had a vague, uneasy premonition.

"This is it..."

Xingyu stared coldly at Miao Hong. "Take me inside."

He struggled to stand, the excruciating pain causing cold sweat to roll down his grime-covered cheeks.

"Right... right," he said, his voice trembling. "Follow me."

Pushing open the rickety door, they were met by a nauseating cocktail of odors—the stench of low-grade tobacco, cheap alcohol, sweat, and vomit intertwined.

Xingyu instinctively wanted to cover her nose, but in the end, her fingers did not leave the hilt of her blade.

The floor was littered with cigarette butts, shattered bottles, and used syringes. The walls were covered in vulgar graffiti, with various obscene slogans scrawled next to crooked symbols.

The interior of the warehouse was a vast, open space where dim torches cast flickering shadows on the walls. The air was heavy with the smell of mold, mixed with the stench of rotting food.

This didn't look good...

Although she had sensed it from the outside, she now realized there were far more people here than she had anticipated.

Drunken gang members were sprawled about; some were gambling, some were brawling, and others were vomiting in the corners.

Near the center, a crowd had gathered in a circle, shouting loudly.

Xingyu squinted to observe; two heavily tattooed brutes were engaged in some kind of brawl, while those around them cheered frantically, some holding up bottles to place bets.

In a corner, a few people were huddled around a crumbling table playing cards, with occasional shouts and curses ringing out. Elsewhere, two drunks were fighting over a bottle of booze, egged on by the rowdy crowd.

This gang... there were thirty or forty of them, a much larger scale than she had expected.

There were even guards at the entrance.

Was this really the standard for a gang in the F-Ring?

"Miao Hong? Why are you alone? And you brought a chick back with you?" one of the guards greeted him.

"...They're all dead," Miao Hong answered curtly, clearly unwilling to elaborate.

Passing through the chaotic crowd, Xingyu arrived at a partitioned space in the corner of the warehouse.

In stark contrast to the clamor outside, it was exceptionally quiet here.

"Boss... Boss..."

Miao Hong’s voice trembled as he pushed open the unsteady door. The hinges let out a piercing screech, like the agonized groan of some creature.

The scene inside the room was simple, yet far tidier than the outside.

A worn but sturdy desk occupied the center of the room, piled with stacks of high-denomination coins. Beside them sat a rifle, its barrel still stained with wet blood.

Rough maps and photographs were hung on the walls; on some, the faces in the photos had been slashed by a sharp object.

A string of fresh, severed fingers hung in the corner, blood still slowly dripping and forming a small, dark red pool on the floor.

However, the most striking sight was the man sitting behind the desk—Miao Yan.

Xingyu immediately understood why Miao Yan was the leader of this gang.

His physique was startlingly massive, his bulging arms covered in gruesome scars. A long, jagged scar ran down his face, extending from his left eye to the corner of his mouth.

Miao Yan’s right hand was idly toying with a sharp dagger, the blade glinting coldly in the dim light.

Several lieutenants were also in the room, looking tiny beneath his shadow.

It seemed they had arrived at a bad time, interrupting a conversation.

Miao Yan frowned.

This small gesture alone caused the atmosphere in the room to tense instantly. The others immediately lowered their heads, as if afraid to meet his gaze.

"What is the meaning of this, Miao Hong? What kind of thing did you bring back?" Miao Yan’s voice was low and dangerous, each word like a heavy hammer striking the floor, chilling everyone to the bone.

"Boss..." Miao Hong trembled in terror, his eyes darting toward Xingyu. "This... this lady wants to have a word with you."

Feeling the gaze of these men, Xingyu took a deep breath, trying to keep her voice sounding relaxed and at ease. "The Ashes Gang is not small; it hardly seems like an F-Ring gang. But I didn't expect that with so few people, you'd still have internal strife."

To their ears, these words carried a distinct note of provocation.

As soon as she finished speaking, the tension in the room reached a breaking point.

A burly man roared, "Looking for death, are you? I'll cut your tongue out and feed it to the dogs right now!"

Her heartbeat accelerated subtly, but she fought to maintain a facade of calm. She pulled the brim of her hat down slightly to hide the flicker of unease in her eyes.

"I’m here to propose a collaboration," Xingyu said, forcing her voice to remain steady. "As a gesture of sincerity, I’ll provide a piece of information for free."

The number of people in the small room was limited, but it gave her no sense of security.

These men were like unstable time bombs; there was no telling when they might lash out.

Although she could easily handle a few adults now, facing so many cutthroats... her odds were still slim.

She couldn't show weakness... she had to demonstrate her value quickly, or she might not even get the chance to speak.

She tried her best to relax her tense body, projecting a natural air.

Scanning the room, she pointed to the man who had just roared: "I heard you aren't on the best terms with the Bone-Carver Faction—Miao Wei, or should I call you Jallis? Aside from the Ashes, you seem to hold quite a bit of influence over at the Bone-Carver side. I’m curious, who exactly are you working for? Or are you just playing both sides, keeping your options open?"

The sentence was like a bomb detonating in the room. Miao Wei’s expression shifted violently; he stepped back instinctively, his face turning paper-white.

Seeing his reaction, Xingyu felt a surge of certainty—she was lucky; she had picked a key target.

"Bullshit! Boss, don't listen to this piece of trash!" Miao Wei’s voice shook as he struggled to hide his panic.

Miao Yan’s gaze flickered between Xingyu and Miao Wei, a dangerous interest flashing in his eyes.

His voice was low, like a whisper from the depths of hell: "Interesting... truly interesting."

He lunged toward Miao Wei. A heavy punch smashed into Miao Wei's face, accompanied by the sickening sound of shattering bone. Blood and broken teeth splattered instantly, tracing a crimson arc through the air.

"You treacherous dog!" Miao Yan roared, raining punches down on the traitor’s face. "So it was you who betrayed me!"

Miao Wei’s screams echoed in the room, but they soon dissolved into incoherent whimpers. Blood gushed from his mouth and nose, forming a glaring red pool on the floor.

The surrounding gang members held their breath. Some turned pale, while others displayed a morbid excitement.

By the time Miao Yan had finished venting his rage, the face beneath him was completely distorted—a bloody mess where no original features remained, just a mass of mangled flesh.

As the final blow landed, the traitor slumped to the floor like a broken sack, twitching and letting out faint groans. The floor was stained with blood, mixed with teeth and flesh, emitting a nauseating, fishy odor.

Miao Yan stood up, panting heavily, his arms and clothes splattered with blood and gore. He turned around, his eyes burning with a fanatical light as he scanned everyone in the room.

"Drag this dog out," Miao Yan said coldly, his voice filled with a chilling calm. "I’ll skin this traitor myself in a bit."

Several gang members stepped forward and roughly dragged away the dying Miao Wei. The blood left a stark red trail across the filthy floor.

Xingyu looked away. "It seems you have family business to attend to. Once you're finished, I’d be happy to help you catch more bugs."

Miao Yan turned to Xingyu, his eyes looking as if he wanted to devour her alive.

"Speak. Who are you, and what do you want? If you don't satisfy me, you won't be walking out that door alive tonight."