Chapter 287: Speak of Cao Cao, and He Arrives

On the street, a two‑story small building.

In the main hall, several broad‑shouldered, stout men sit around a table, playing cards.

This is the Iron Fist Gang's branch on Pingxi Street.

If anyone wants to set up a stall, they must first come here to pay the Stall Fee and receive a number ticket.

Money earned from Protection Fees collected in the alleys, as well as from places such as casinos and brothels, is also sent here.

A place so important naturally has experts stationed here.

As the Hall Master of the third hall of the Iron Fist Gang and a Second-level Force Warrior, Li Chao trains in a room on the second floor, so the few Iron Fist Gang members on the first floor, even while playing cards, dare not make much noise for fear of disturbing them.

Just then, a rapid series of footsteps sounded outside, and several burly men hurried in.

The men were panting heavily, looking like they had urgent business, but it didn't seem bad, as the corners of their mouths were upturned.

"Brother He!"

The card players all stood up, their eyes toward the leader filled with respect.

"Brother Li?"

He Liang asked casually.

"Li is in the second‑floor room," someone replied immediately.

"Alright, I'll go up; you stay here,"

He Liang finished speaking, headed for the stairs, and soon the steps echoed with a clacking sound.

Reaching a doorway, He Liang knocked twice and said, "Li, it's me—something terrible has happened!"

Inside, Li Chao heard this, opened his eyes, and said, "I'm coming."

He stood up and opened the door.

"Li, good news! Great news!"

He Liang's mouth seemed to grin to the heavens.

"Oh? What good news?"

Li Chao, hearing that, quickly asked.

After learning that something happened to the Longxing Fist Hall, he had people secretly watch the three Martial Arts Halls on the street; his intuition told him that a major incident was certain.

"Li, the murderer who killed several people from Longxing Fist Hall didn't leave after the killings; instead, he turned and went to the Flying Eagle Fist Hall."

"What!"

Li Chao was startled, his eyes showing disbelief.

Could it be that the killer was disguised as someone from the Flying Eagle Fist Hall? That possibility exists because both halls practice the Main Sect Fist Technique and have long been at odds.

But after killing, shouldn't the murderer first find a place to hide, change clothes, and then sneak back? Doing that in broad daylight seems insane. "Li, you're thinking that the person is from the Flying Eagle Fist Hall, right?" He Liang's face showed a smug smile.

"Or not?"

Seeing this, Li Chao grew even more puzzled.

"I thought the same at first, until something else happened later."

He Liang inhaled deeply and said, "The murderer who killed the Longxing Fist Hall members stormed straight into the third floor and killed a man surnamed Tang."

"!!!"

Li Chao, hearing this, was so shocked he could not speak.

Did the Gym Master of the Flying Eagle Fist Hall, a Fifth-level Force Warrior, die? Or was he ambushed and killed on his own turf?

"Li, it's absolutely certain!"

He Liang emphasized, "Many members of the Flying Eagle Fist Hall saw with their own eyes that the Tang Hall Master was beheaded in a single stroke; moreover, they say he was wearing armor."

"Armor?"

"Yes, that's what they said—blue armor."

"Sss…"

Li Chao inhaled a cold breath.

"That's not armor; it should be combat gear."

"Combat gear?" Li Chao shook his head, gave no further explanation, and said to himself, "I didn't expect that the Tang Hall Master was hiding a set of combat gear—don't know its level, but given his strength it wouldn't be low. Yet even so, he was beheaded in a single stroke? Who on earth is that guy?"

"Right, Li, during this time another interesting thing happened."

"Go on."

"I heard that shortly after the Tang Hall Master was killed, the Gym Master of Longxing Fist Hall led a group, marching proudly to the door. They saw the middle‑aged man enter the Flying Eagle Fist Hall, kept demanding to find the Tang Hall Master and demand justice, but after they reached the third floor, they each fled with their tails between their legs, not daring to make a sound."

"That's not the case."

Hearing that, Li Chao sneered, his face full of sarcasm.

"The Longxing Fist Hall guy isn't much stronger than the Flying Eagle one; the latter was beheaded—could he not be scared? I bet the halls now dare not stay, not knowing where they've fled for refuge."

"That serious?" He Liang was stunned.

"Can't you see? That person is targeting the martial arts halls on this street—first killing people from Longxing Fist Hall, then going to Flying Eagle Fist Hall and killing the one surnamed Tang. He'll probably go after the remaining hall next."

"Li, you mean the Sword Hall?"

"Otherwise?"

Li Chao gave him a sideways glance, the corner of his mouth lifting.

"Ah!"

He Liang was momentarily stunned, then clapped his hands joyfully.

"Li, this is heaven's help! Those three martial arts halls on the street—on any given day, the rich on this street become their members; we can't even hope to earn a cent from them."

"But now the Gym Master of the Flying Eagle Fist Hall is dead; likely the rest will scatter like monkeys from a fallen tree. If the masters of the remaining two halls also fall to that guy, won't this street be ours, the Iron Fist Gang's?"

"When that happens, the money we collect will exceed that of the past months; the gang leader will see it and surely reward us handsomely."

"Hmm."

Li Chao smiled and nodded.

That is exactly what he had in mind.

"Chao, that person is really nice, and we don't even know who she is? Otherwise we'd really have to thank him properly," He Liang said with a smile.

They had long been displeased with the three martial arts schools on the street.

Unfortunately, the two sides' strengths were vastly different.

Now that someone is acting on their behalf, they can reap the benefits without doing anything, how wonderful.

"Indeed, hahaha."

Li Chao burst into laughter.

To those three martial arts schools, that person truly is a harbinger of disaster.

But for themselves, he is indeed a great good person.

"Ah!"

Suddenly, a mournful scream rang up from downstairs.

Immediately after, like dominoes, one scream after another echoed, but they quickly subsided, as if the earlier sounds were an illusion.

The two in the room exchanged a glance, and a chill rose up their spines.

"Chao..."

Li Chao quickly made a shushing gesture.

Then, he quietly walked toward the doorway, intending to see what was going on.

But the next moment, with a bang.

The door was kicked open from outside, slamming hard against the wall, wood splinters flying and dust cascading down.

A middle‑aged man with a sword on his back and another sword in his hand appeared at the doorway.

Bright red blood dripped from the tip of the sword he held onto the floor.

Drip, drip.

The two in the room were completely stunned, their eyes simultaneously flashing disbelief and extreme terror.

The "great good person" they had spoken of had actually appeared before them.

(End of chapter)