Chapter 23: Xiang Qiang's Arrival

Morning mist hung thick as Xiang Qian stood alone in the courtyard of the hall, his long blade hanging low, blood dripping from its tip blooming into dark red flowers on the green flagstones. Dozens of groaning thugs lay scattered haphazardly around, the air heavy with the stench of blood.

Outside the courtyard, the sharp screech of brakes sounded as over a dozen black sedans surrounded the hall. Car doors slammed open, and dozens of burly men in suits and leather shoes quickly formed ranks.

Xiang Sheng stepped down from the lead Mercedes, his polished leather shoes stepping into the blood-stained water, splashing up fine red stains. He squinted at the black-clad youth in the courtyard, his ears filled with the painful groans of his men.

"Interesting," Xiang Sheng sneered, raising a hand to signal, "Clear the area."

The lackeys behind him immediately rushed into the courtyard with blades drawn.

Xiang Qian moved.

His figure was like a phantom, the long blade carving a cold arc in the morning light. The first burly man to charge didn't even see his motion before feeling a chill in his right hand; looking down, his arm was gone.

"Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!"

The sound of blades piercing flesh came in a relentless stream. With every step Xiang Qian took, a rain of blood rose; with every slash, he precisely harvested an arm or a leg. In just three minutes, a third of the thirty-plus men who had charged in lay fallen.

Xiang Sheng's pupils contracted sharply; he immediately pulled out his phone: "Big Brother, the Kowloon hall is in trouble. We need support... Yes, send three hundred men over."

"Stop!" Xiang Sheng suddenly shouted.

Both sides in the brawl paused simultaneously. Xiang Qian flicked the blood droplets from his blade, looking coldly at the speaker.

Xiang Sheng took a deep breath and walked alone into the courtyard. As the distance closed, his heartbeat quickened—the youth's features were exactly the same as Big Brother Xiang Yan's when he was young!

"This brother," Xiang Sheng suppressed his shock, speaking as calmly as possible, "I am Xiang Sheng. I wonder where Xiang Yi'an offended you?"

Xiang Qian did not answer, only staring at him with those scarlet eyes, his knuckles white from gripping the blade.

Feeling a chill run down his spine under that gaze, Xiang Sheng asked tentatively, "Do you... know Xiang Yan?"

Hearing that name, Xiang Qian said one thing: "I do not know him."

Just then, chaotic footsteps echoed from outside the courtyard. Zhang Guorong and Cheng Long rushed in with over twenty martial arts troupe brothers, each holding steel pipes and cleavers.

"Little Brother!" Cheng Long shouted, "We're here!"

However, when they saw the scene inside the courtyard, everyone froze in place—

Limbs and severed arms lay everywhere; blood flowed into the drains like small streams. Several troupe disciples bent over and vomited on the spot, while Zhang Guorong, pale-faced, leaned against the wall. Yet Zhang Guorong and Mei Yanfang, Cheng Long and the martial arts troupe behind him still stood in front of Xiang Qian, staring at Xiang Sheng and the others.

At the same time, the roar of engines came from the end of the street. Over thirty vans roared to a halt, and more than three hundred thugs armed with sharp weapons swarmed down, instantly surrounding the entire hall so tightly not even water could leak through.

Leading them was a dignified middle-aged man, none other than Xiang Qiang. He strode forward, and the lackeys automatically parted to make a path.

"Ah Sheng, what's going on?" Xiang Qiang asked in a deep voice.

Xiang Sheng hurriedly stepped forward to meet him: "Brother, look at that person..."

Xiang Qiang followed his brother's pointing finger, and the moment he saw Xiang Qian's face, he stumbled back two steps.

"Big Brother's son?" he muttered to himself.

Xiang Qiang took a deep breath, trying to steady himself, yet his eyes never left Xiang Qian. He slowly walked toward Xiang Qian while everyone around watched the scene tensely.

Just then, Xiang Yan's phone call came through. Xiang Qiang answered, spoke briefly, and his expression grew even more solemn. He hung up, looked at Xiang Qian, and said, "This matter, we will discuss after meeting Big Brother." Then he waved his hand, "Everyone, disperse." Though the crowd was puzzled, they all withdrew. The storm temporarily subsided, and Xiang Qian's true origins had only just begun to be revealed.