CHAPTER 41: CHAPTER 38: AMBUSH ON THE STREET

Zhang San was the Gang Leader of Qingshan Gang.

Unlike the Li Family, the Zhang Family was sparse in numbers, with only Zhang Qingfeng and his son holding up the main house.

The collateral branches, due to years of internal strife, weren’t trusted. Moreover, nearly all members of the side branches had been killed during the chaos fifteen years ago, leaving hardly anyone.

Therefore, the upper echelons of Qingshan Gang, including the Gang Leader himself, were primarily outsiders.

Zhang San was sipping his drink, daydreaming about the young widow from the west side of town whom he finally charmed yesterday: "That lass is truly enticing, with such an arousing voice. I’ll go have fun again tonight."

Thinking this way, Zhang San felt his loins stirring once more.

Zhang Family’s young master had swallowed a loss at Chun Gui Pavilion and couldn’t retaliate; these days had been really frustrating.

Zhang San had been feeling just as pent up. His underlings didn’t care much, but he, a close associate of Zhang Mingyuan, couldn’t strut about in Chun Gui Pavilion freely. Otherwise, who knows if someone would badmouth him to Zhang Mingyuan’s face.

"Fortunately, I don’t need to hold back anymore," Zhang San thought, taking a sip of his drink with a chuckle.

"Gang Leader... Gang Leader, it’s terrible!" An urgent voice came through as a burly big man came running and shouting.

Zhang San lazily raised his eyelids and said with annoyance, "What’s the rush? Are you hurrying to get reincarnated or what?"

The man was Li Si, the Deputy Gang Leader of Qingshan Gang, both of whom had brownnosed their way into favor with Zhang Mingyuan. Zhang San and Li Si – these were the nicknames the young master of the Zhang Family affectionately used for the two flatterers, and both shamelessly adopted them as their real names.

Li Si ran up to Zhang San and gasped, "Not good, trouble... big trouble..."

"Yo, isn’t this Li Si, Master Li? What’s making you so inarticulate today? Don’t you look down on people who are slow-witted?" Zhang San teased, glancing at Li Si, who was supporting his knees and gasping for breath.

’This Li Si looks rough and simple-hearted but is always stirring up trouble for me in front of the young master. A pity, no matter how smooth his words are, it’s no match for the lack of prowess in his fists. The position of Gang Leader of Qingshan Gang isn’t something you can talk your way into,’ Zhang San thought, delighting in a full cup of wine.

"Gang Leader, big trouble..." Li Si finally caught his breath and managed to get the words out, "Iron Saber Association, they’ve come for us."

"Ptui!" The wine Zhang San had just sipped sprayed out as he coughed violently. Ignoring the choking sensation in his throat, he exclaimed, "What, what’s that... Why would Iron Saber Association come at us for no reason? Doesn’t the Li Family have a say?"

"They claim we poisoned and killed Iron Saber Association’s Deputy Gang Leader and two elders at the restaurant. Now, they’ve reached our gates. Most of our guys are out; we can’t hold them back," Li Si said urgently.

"Wasn’t it cleared up by Young Master Li that we had nothing to do with the deaths of Li Dian and the other two? Why would Iron Saber Association still come after us?"

Li Si gave Zhang San a look of irritation and said, "Li Qiusheng hasn’t made an appearance for seven or eight days. The one handling Li Family affairs now is Li Xin, that bastard child of the Li Family."

Zhang San slapped his forehead hard. It was indeed very odd for the Li Family to let a bastard take charge. His men had informed him about this before. But at the time, Zhang San was preoccupied with that enticing widow and had no desire to bother with it. It was just another big family power struggle, none of his business. Could Yang City really be turned upside down by such a matter? That’s what Zhang San had thought at the time.

However, Yang City, which had been peaceful for nearly three hundred years, was about to see a major upheaval. For people like Zhang San, it was indeed the prelude to an impending storm.

"Damn, then why aren’t you sending someone to ask the young master for help instead of running to me?" Zhang San, heedless of his alcohol-soaked clothes, ordered Li Si and hurried toward the main gate.

Li Si, who had just recovered from his run, realized suddenly, "Right, right, seek the young master’s assistance."

With the front gate blocked by Iron Saber Association’s men, Li Si had no choice but to run out through the back gate. ’The back gate should be clear of Iron Saber Association’s men. Zhang San, you must hold on.’

Meanwhile, the equally frantically running Zhang San was silently lamenting, "Li Xin should be there too, right? Li Si, you better hurry, I can’t stand against that guy, Li Xin."

Zhang San wasn’t a naturally gifted fighter like Li Xin, nor was he constantly nourished with Spiritual Medicine like Zhang Mingyuan.

He was painfully aware of his own limitations, becoming the Gang Leader of Qingshan Gang was a case of selecting the tallest among the dwarfs, having pushed aside those who, just like him, slithered through days buttering up and fawning over others.

However, he would absolutely refuse to run away.

Not because Zhang San was loyal to the bone, but rather without the support of Qingshan Gang and the Zhang Family, he was nothing at all.

Compared to having nothing, Zhang San would rather face death.

Zhang San worried that Li Si might be too slow to escape and fail to notify the Zhang Family in time, but he needn’t have thought so.

The members of the Iron Saber Association, numbering over two hundred, rushed past in a wave. The people in the street weren’t blind, and someone had already run to the Zhang Family to alert them.

Zhang Qingfeng, upon receiving the news, rode out with two attendants to the Qingshan Gang’s headquarters.

So long as it wasn’t Li Pingsheng himself stepping in, Zhang Qingfeng felt no fear of anyone.

Zhang Qingfeng didn’t believe that Li Pingsheng would turn against him; not only would he never betray him, but he also didn’t dare to.

Now, it seemed that Li Pingsheng had secluded himself for cultivation and Li Xin had seized the opportunity to grab power. Otherwise, Li Qiusheng, the rightful principal of the Li Family, wouldn’t have been absent for seven or eight days, allowing Li Xin, the illegitimate son who shouldn’t be seen in public, to take charge.

As for the possibility of Li Pingsheng also falling into Li Xin’s hands, Zhang Mingyuan absolutely didn’t believe it. His old friend had deep schemes; he wouldn’t capsize in a gutter, and Li Xin simply didn’t have the capability.

Although his heart was not in a hurry, he whipped his horse more vigorously with his hands.

This time, it was the Li Family who had provoked the incident, and they were in the wrong. Even though they were allies, Zhang Mingyuan wouldn’t mind snatching a bit more from the Li Family’s mouth. The chance to have his old friend Li Pingsheng suffer a loss was rare.

The horse he rode on dashed wildly, with people on the street barely able to get out of the way.

Thinking of the scene where Li Pingsheng would be humiliated, Zhang Qingfeng suddenly sensed something amiss. It was too late to evade, and he hastily raised his hand to block his face.

"Ah!"

Zhang Qingfeng cried out in pain and looked at his hand, only to see three bright and shining silver needles stuck in the back of his hand. If he hadn’t blocked in time, his eyes would likely have been forfeited right there.

"Watch out, it’s an ambush!" Zhang Qingfeng shouted.

It was too late. From among the crowd dodging horses, Qing Yu leapt up with his sword and swung it horizontally, taking advantage of the momentum of the charging horses. His Bishui Sword swept effortlessly through the space between one attendant’s head and body.

The head flew off, while the horse beneath continued its mad dash with the remainder of the body.

On the other side, a figure leapt down from the second floor of a building by the street.

It was Li Xin.

Li Xin lunged at the other attendant, who was caught off guard. With the fine steel boxing gloves on his hands, one hand brushed aside an arm raised in defense, while the other, clasping the neck, slammed the man directly off his horse.

"Bang"

Dust rose from the ground as Li Xin used the force of his descent to slam the man brutally against the earth.

A knee pressed against the chest, crashing the breastbone inward.

The man’s eyes bulged, and he died on the spot.