Chapter 100: When the Food Is Gone, the Birds Scatter to the Woods

The weather was growing increasingly cold. It was a dark, windswept night.

Li Xiangqun, the leader of the White Sand Gang, was staying at his mistress's home. As usual, after a night of passion, he prepared to drift off to sleep. Yet, today he felt an inexplicable sense of unease. Listening to the rhythmic breathing of the woman beside him, he found it impossible to fall asleep.

After tossing and turning, he decisively rose, dressed in one swift motion, and opened the door to leave. Having clawed his way up from a street thug through decades of brutal struggle, his survival relied not only on his ruthless nature but also on an acute sense of danger that had helped him navigate many crises. Only a few trusted lieutenants knew of this hideout, yet tonight, his heart remained unsettled, and he decided to return to the White Sand Gang headquarters immediately.

As he stepped into the courtyard, he called out into the darkness, "Wu Hao, Jin Peng, let's go—we need to leave here at once."

Two shadows emerged from the bushes: Wu Hao and Jin Peng. Both felt deeply aggrieved. As high-level experts of the White Sand Gang, they held the rank of elders, yet they possessed titles without real power, serving effectively as Li Xiangqun’s personal bodyguards. While they were considered confidants, they were tasked only with menial, thankless labor.

Take tonight, for instance: while the gang leader was busy with his mistress, the two of them were forced to wait in the bushes. If word of this got out, they would be the laughingstock of the gang. But as resentful as they were, their leader’s word was law, and they dared not show the slightest sign of complaint.

Just as the three were about to depart, several soft rustling sounds broke the air. Five dark figures leapt down from the walls, quickly encircling them. These were Hong Yunshan, Zhou Zhi, and three other newly appointed elders.

Li Xiangqun bellowed, "Who goes there? Do you have any idea who you’re dealing with? You dare to stir up trouble on my turf?"

Hong Yunshan chuckled, "Still talking tough when death is at your doorstep? After tonight, the White Sand Gang will be no more." He felt a flash of relief; had they arrived any later, they would have missed their chance. Fearing a change in circumstances, he stopped wasting words, waved his hand, and shouted, "Brothers, attack together! Make it quick!" He then lunged forward with his spear.

The five figures charged. Li Xiangqun and his two companions had no choice but to draw their weapons and scramble to defend themselves.

Wu Hao and Jin Peng cursed their luck. The elder leading the charge engaged Li Xiangqun in a fierce struggle, neither side gaining an immediate advantage. Meanwhile, the other two were each forced to fend off two attackers at once. Their opponents were all formidable, their strikes aimed directly at lethal points. The two elders were forced into a purely defensive position, utterly humiliated and unable to strike back.

Wu Hao groaned inwardly. Blocking a heavy staff strike, he seized a moment to shout, "Friends, what grievance do you have with the White Sand Gang? Surely there’s a misunderstanding? There is no need for a fight to the death!"

Li Xiangqun cursed, "You idiots! Can’t you see they aren't even hiding their faces? They have no intention of holding back; they are here to take our lives!"

One of the attackers replied, "Exactly. Today, only one side walks away alive."

With that, all pleasantries ceased. Both sides fought with desperate intensity. Within moments, dozens of blows had been exchanged, and Jin Peng had already sustained several wounds. Seeing their predicament, the three members of the White Sand Gang realized they were cornered and fought with the ferocity of trapped beasts—if they were to die, they would take others with them.

In the heat of the battle, a dozen more "swish" sounds echoed. Dozens of shadows vaulted over the walls, surrounding the yard in multiple layers and sealing off every exit.

Seeing this, the faces of Wu Hao and Jin Peng turned ashen. They realized that today, there was no chance of survival.

Li Xiangqun’s expression shifted, but he was a seasoned warlord. His eyes widened with rage, and he gritted his teeth, fighting with even greater ferocity. After clashing with Hong Yunshan for dozens of rounds, his fearless, brutal style forced Hong to retreat, suffering several wounds in the process.

Seeing their vice-leader struggling, several members of the Green Gang drew their weapons and rushed in to assist.

The more enemies there were, the more ruthless Li Xiangqun became. With a thunderous roar, he hacked down four or five Green Gang members, ignoring the wounds he took in return.

Hong Yunshan was shocked. Li Xiangqun was truly worthy of his reputation as one of the eight great gang leaders; his ferocity was enough to intimidate many. However, they had the numerical advantage tonight. If they failed to take down Li Xiangqun, they would face the White Sand Gang’s horrific retaliation.

The Green Gang, while numerous, could not compare to an old established power like the White Sand Gang, which had spent years warring with the Seven Great Gangs. If the battle dragged on, the Green Gang would collapse, and their dreams of wealth and status would vanish like smoke.

Gritting his teeth, Hong Yunshan thought, *It’s now or never!* He was about to commit to a final, desperate strike when a woman’s shrill scream pierced the air: "Master Li, help me!"

Li Xiangqun froze. He looked toward the bedroom door to see his mistress being held hostage by a burly, bearded man with a scarred face. The woman’s face was streaked with tears as she trembled, a gleaming blade pressed against her throat.

She had been with Li Xiangqun for years, and they shared a genuine bond. Li Xiangqun hesitated, his focus wavering.

Seeing the situation, the others assumed the outcome was decided and stopped their attacks. Only Wu Hao and Jin Peng remained, bloodied and gasping for breath.

Hong Yunshan looked at the scarred man with approval, thinking, *That bearded Wang is usually a coward, but he did well today.*

Sensing the attention, the bearded man grew arrogant and shouted, "Li you bastard, drop your weapon, or I’ll end this girl right now!"

The woman cried out, "Master Li, save me! I don't want to die!"

The two cries snapped Li Xiangqun back to reality. His mind raced: *If I fight my way out, I can still survive and plot a comeback. If I lose my head over a woman and die here, it’s not worth it.*

"I cannot save you today," he declared. "Do not blame me for my heartlessness." With that, he kicked a fallen sword from the ground; it whistled through the air toward the woman.

Before she could even scream, the blade pierced her chest. She died instantly, her eyes wide with disbelief. The bearded man, terrified by the flying sword, released her and scrambled backward, falling hard on his backside. Had he not fallen, he would have been skewered right along with her. He sat on the ground, dripping with cold sweat.

Everyone present was stunned by this sudden turn of events. Fortunately, Zhou Zhi was sharp-eyed. Seeing Li Xiangqun trying to seize the opening to escape, he shouted, "Surround him! Don't let him get away!" The crowd surged forward to intercept him.

Wu Hao and Jin Peng moved to assist, but Zhou Zhi called out, "Friends, our business today is only with Li Xiangqun. Please, do not throw your lives away."

Jin Peng retorted, "Hmph! If you want to kill our leader, you'll have to kill us too!"

Zhou Zhi replied, "You both saw it yourselves. Li Xiangqun killed his own lover without a second thought. He is utterly cold-blooded. Is he worth dying for?" He noticed Wu Hao’s hesitant expression and added, "I have been gathering intelligence for days. I know how deep his bond with that woman was. If he could discard her to save his own skin, I ask you: do you really believe you mean more to him than she did?"

Jin Peng prepared to charge again, but Wu Hao caught his arm. Seeing Wu Hao shake his head, the two hesitated before silently stepping aside.

Zhou Zhi, seeing they were no longer an obstacle, turned his attention back to the fray and joined the assault.