The Black Water Gang had clearly learned that he killed Chen Ergou. Over the past few days, they had sent men to hunt Su Chen down. Unfortunately for them, Su Chen had already left Pingshi Street by then, leaving them to return empty-handed.
At first, Su Chen worried that the gang might report the matter to the authorities, but it seemed he had overthought it. The Black Water Gang didn’t care whether Chen Ergou lived or died.
Based on his observations over this period, the Black Water Gang only had three true core members: the gang leader, Liu Heishui, and his two capable lieutenants. The rest were basically recruited lackeys—street thugs like Chen Ergou. Their lives were worthless to the gang. After all, if one Chen Ergou died, there was always a Zhang Ergou or a Liu Ergou to take his place. In less than two days, the gap left by Chen Ergou and his two cronies had already been filled.
Besides, even if the Black Water Gang did care about Chen Ergou’s trio, they likely had no time to avenge them. White Stone City had countless gangs, especially in the slums, where almost every few streets hosted a different faction. This meant that new gangs were established and wiped out every few days.
Su Chen had observed them for ten days. For seven of those, he watched the Black Water Gang clash with rival factions. Every day, they were either fighting over territory or on their way to do so. If Liu Heishui didn’t have some real skill, the Black Water Gang would have been annihilated by rival gangs before he even had a chance to seek revenge.
The sky gradually darkened. When the waiter came upstairs and caught a glimpse of Su Chen still seated at his table, he paused in surprise. Usually, Su Chen would have left the teahouse and gone home by this hour; today was a rare exception. Still, the waiter didn’t pry. He lingered for a moment before turning and heading back downstairs.
Su Chen gazed out the window, looking as though something outside was entirely captivating him. His brow furrowed slightly. Something was off about the Black Water Gang tonight. Almost the entire gang was gathered in their courtyard, and even their leader, Liu Heishui, had made an appearance.
"Looks like they have a big operation tonight," Su Chen guessed. Having familiarized himself with the Black Water Gang’s operations, he knew such a gathering usually meant a full-scale gang war. Recalling the recent conflicts between the Black Water Gang and the Fierce Tiger Gang, his gaze sharpened. A moment later, he closed his book, popped the last peanut from his plate into his mouth, and got up to leave.
Night fell.
The Black Water Gang’s courtyard was brightly lit.
Liu Heishui stood before the crowd. "Brothers, the Fierce Tiger Gang has encroached on our territory. Tonight, we’re going to wipe them out!"
"Wipe out the Fierce Tiger Gang!"
After a rousing round of chants, Liu Heishui led his swaggering mob of lackeys aggressively toward the Fierce Tiger Gang’s turf. There were no elaborate schemes—just grabbing their weapons and charging in.
The few pedestrians on the street quickly scattered at the sight of the Black Water Gang, leaving the streets dead quiet. It didn’t take long for Liu Heishui and his men to arrive at their destination. The Fierce Tiger Gang had clearly expected them and was already waiting at the end of the street.
"Liu Heishui, are you here to die?" the leader of the Fierce Tiger Gang scoffed.
The taunt made Liu Heishui’s naturally dark complexion darken even further. "You think you can kill me?" he growled. "Cut the crap! Brothers, kill them all!"
"Kill!"
With the brief exchange out of the way, the two factions fiercely clashed.
CLANG! CLASH!
The sound of metal striking metal echoed relentlessly down the alleyways. The roars of slaughter bled into the night, painting the darkness with an undeniable stench of blood.
"Liu Heishui... how did you get so strong?"
A quarter of an hour later, the exhausted leader of the Fierce Tiger Gang trembled as he was sent flying by a palm strike.
Liu Heishui sneered. "Because my palm techniques have improved, of course!"
With that, he lunged forward, closing the distance in the blink of an eye.
Seeing this, the Fierce Tiger Gang’s leader gritted his teeth, realizing he was likely doomed tonight. A ruthless look flashed across his face. "Liu Heishui, if you think you can kill me, keep dreaming!"
Before he even finished his sentence, he forced his battered body into a desperate kip-up. Abandoning his brothers without a second thought, he bolted toward the mouth of the alley.
"Trying to run?" Liu Heishui’s eyes narrowed, and he pushed himself to run faster. He could let the others go, but the leader of the Fierce Tiger Gang had to die today. "Heh, nowhere left to run, is there?"
Despite his exertion, Liu Heishui was noticeably faster than his injured rival. He caught up in mere moments. But just as he closed in, the Fierce Tiger Gang leader abruptly planted his feet, spun around, and unleashed a fully charged punch straight at him.
The counterattack was too sudden. Caught entirely off guard, Liu Heishui had no time to dodge and took the blow head-on.
BAM!
Liu Heishui staggered backward. His cheeks immediately swelled, and he clamped his mouth shut, forcefully swallowing a mouthful of blood. His expression turned extraordinarily ugly.
"You have a death wish!"
Enraged by the successful sneak attack, Liu Heishui let out a furious roar and charged, immediately closing the gap. The two men locked in a brutal, flesh-tearing exchange of punches and palm strikes.
"You..."
With a wet SPLATTER, the leader of the Fierce Tiger Gang spat out a mouthful of blood, his eyes bulging as he collapsed into a pool of his own gore.
With their leader dead, his subordinates lost all morale. They instantly abandoned any thought of resistance, tossing aside their weapons to surrender.
However, Liu Heishui’s dark, gravelly voice rang out, "Leave no survivors!"
The slaughter resumed.
It wasn’t until late into the night that the Black Water Gang finally ceased their bloodletting. Aside from mourning their fallen brothers, every surviving member wore a broad smile. Having eliminated the Fierce Tiger Gang, they naturally confiscated all of their rival’s wealth. However, since Liu Heishui was injured, he held off on taking over their territory, fearing that other gangs might try to take advantage of their vulnerability.
"You all worked hard today, brothers. Tomorrow, we will hand out rewards based on your merits. For tonight, return to your rooms and get some good rest," Liu Heishui announced briefly before turning and heading into his own quarters.
He was injured, and the wound was not light. During their final clash, the Fierce Tiger Gang leader had realized his situation was hopeless and resorted to a completely suicidal fighting style. If not for that initial sneak attack, Liu Heishui might have escaped unscathed. Now, he had no choice but to slowly recuperate.
The night deepened.
After bandaging his wounds, Liu Heishui lay in bed, allowing exhaustion to wash over him.
"Who’s there?"
Just as he closed his eyes, he felt a sudden, faint breeze, followed by an afterimage streaking past his vision. He jolted completely awake, alarm bells screaming in his mind.
He sprang up instantly. Before he could even make a move, a faint tremor rippled through the air, sending a chill down his spine. A massive fist flew straight at his face, the shadow of the punch rapidly expanding in his pupils. Reacting with lightning speed, Liu Heishui leaped back across the bed, barely dodging Su Chen’s incoming strike.
"Iron Wire Fist... Are you from the Hong Family Martial Arts Hall?" Liu Heishui exclaimed in shock.
His words made Su Chen’s pupils constrict slightly, and his attacks immediately grew even more ruthless. Su Chen remained completely silent, pressing his assault.
His injuries made Liu Heishui’s movements increasingly sluggish, and his breathing grew ragged. "Sir, I have no grudges against the Hong Family Martial Arts Hall, past or present! How have I offended you?"
Before he could finish speaking, Su Chen seized an opening. He threw a devastating heavy punch that landed squarely on Liu Heishui’s chest.
BAM! BAM! BAM!
Several punches rained down, beating Liu Heishui to the brink of death. Even then, Su Chen did not stop. He kept swinging until Liu Heishui’s face was beaten beyond recognition. Only then did his seething anger finally subside, and he ceased his barrage.
Paying no mind to the blood dripping from his knuckles, Su Chen drew a blunt knife and drove it straight into Liu Heishui’s heart, finishing him off once and for all.