Chapter 68: Accept the First Faction

The Iron Claw Gang brought almost half of its members this time.

More than fifty gang members stalked for a day, wounded three brothers of the Iron Claw Gang, then killed the six guards of the small Merchant Caravan, seized six bags totaling over a thousand jin of Meat Jerky and a bag of salt; this haul was practically a loss.

When he previously decided to rob a large caravan, it made several capable subordinates in the gang think he was arrogant and lacked the composure of a leader.

The evidence is that, while following Ning Tie, he sometimes couldn't even get a mouthful to drink, yet had to remain thirsty.

Ning Tie, upon seeing that this little Merchant Caravan had so little, cursed them harshly.

Damn, with so little, even if each of their gang ate some, it wouldn't even fill a tooth gap.

Not far away.

Lin Manzhi opened her eyes in the darkness, the sky‑full stars reflected in her black pupils; after a few seconds of wondering where she was, she sat up abruptly.

A dark silhouette beside her turned, and Mo Lie's low, chilling voice rang above her: "Awake?"

Speaking, he walked toward Lin Manzhi; she lifted her head and widened her eyes in the dark, "Hey, where's Hua Zheng?"

"He went to meet up with the Iron Claw Gang," Mo Lie said casually. "We'll leave after he's done."

To seize the leader's position?

Lin Manzhi blinked lightly, "Two huge beasts fighting—this is something you could never see in reality."

She responded a beat late, "Oh…"

Mo Lie took in the curiosity in Lin Manzhi's eyes and said, "Do you want to watch? I'll take you there."

Lin Manzhi: "Really? Will it delay Hua Zheng's business?"

"I'll take you to a hidden spot so they won't notice." Mo Lie let out a low laugh, reached out to Lin Manzhi, grasped her, and with a slight press, pulled the Little Female into his arms.

Holding Lin Manzhi, he walked forward.

While Mo Lie and Lin Manzhi walked at a steady pace, the Iron Claw Gang here remained noisy and bustling.

Ning Tie's heart was filled with malice, so he simply wanted to slaughter this Merchant Caravan to soothe his rage.

A black‑and‑white patterned Giant Python slithered low, its beast eyes like a dark eagle fixed on the dozen male beasts of the caravan: "Leader, kill them?"

The bandits, having finished their games, grew restless and finally succeeded; this time they could share the Meat Jerky on the way back!

"Kill them." With Ning Tie's command, blood sprayed everywhere, and the screams in the night grew gruesome.

With the leader's order, the Iron Claw Gang's band of ferocious thugs showed no mercy, and began slaughtering the cluster of small captains gathered together.

The ten‑meter‑long Giant Python chased a Sand Rabbit, its massive body coiling around the three‑meter‑tall rabbit, tightening; bones cracked, and soon the Sand Rabbit was twisted into mush.

Everything happened quickly; by the time Hua Zheng arrived at the Iron Claw Gang, only two barely‑living Sand Rabbits remained standing in the desert.

The scent of blood made the Iron Claw Gang's eyes redden with excitement; they reverted to Human Form, each drenched in blood, laughing wildly, and the two barely‑alive Sand Rabbits, frightened, kicked their legs and collapsed, feigning death.

Ning Tie sneered, about to step in for a finishing blow, when he saw a figure appear on a hill beside him and halted.

"Hua Zheng!"

Ning Tie, seeing the newcomer, stayed where he was, took a clean cloth handed by a subordinate, wiped the blood from his body, and without hiding, glared at the only clean Hua Zheng on the scene:

"Where did you run off to! I tell you, you weren't there when the attack started, so you get no share of this batch of Meat Jerky!"

Hua Zheng had always been trained by the warriors of Ansen City, always appearing on battlefields; since his injury he has lived in a haze, indifferent to the outside world.

This time he found his master again, and also reclaimed the warrior spirit; the Iron Claw Gang's bullying of the weak, their killing and even slaughter, disgusted him to his core.

He stared at Ning Tie, pushed through the blood‑stained males, approached Ning Tie, and taunted, "After I defeat you, whether I get a share of the meat is up to me."

Ning Tie choked, his expression shifting sharply: "What!"

??

One, two… over fifty gazes.

All the male beasts present swished their heads in unison, staring at Hua Zheng and Ning Tie without blinking.

The male beasts revere strength above all.

They watched Hua Zheng with some excitement; after this kid arrived at the Iron Claw Gang, he seemed like his whole family had perished leaving only him to escape, silent as a mute, yet they all acknowledged his prowess.

The reason Hua Zheng could sit in the Deputy Leader position so quickly is that he's very strong!

Previously in Kuangsha City, Hua Zheng also drove away the gang that tried to seize their dwelling; even though he hadn't led them to any loot, they still respected him.

No one spoke; Ning Tie gulped down his water, forced himself to shout, "I promoted you to Deputy Leader of the Iron Claw Gang, and you kill me?!"

"Boss, the way you say that," Hua Zheng said with a forced smile, "didn't you snatch that spot from the previous leader?"

He moved closer, menacingly pressing the other, his eyes flashing ferociously: "What, are you scared of me?"

At that moment, the two Sand Rabbits that had feigned death in the darkness suddenly sprang up from the ground and fled.

The bandits, whose attention Hua Zheng had already drawn, had no time to chase; they roared with their eyes, hoping the two in front would fight.

Under their gaze, Ning Tie didn't want to fight yet was forced to stand—

He suddenly reverted to Beast Form, a colossal Fierce Cat appearing on the sand, four meters tall, mouth gaping with sharp fangs, lunging at the tiny Human Form of Hua Zheng.

The terrifyingly massive Fierce Cat, compared to a human, could easily bite off half of Hua Zheng's body with a single snap of its fangs.

A roar like mountains, rivers, and tsunamis of cheering rose among the onlookers.

The Iron Claw Gang hadn't seen a leader change in a long time.

When the onlooking bandits saw Hua Zheng's beastly mouth twitch with imminent death, Hua Zheng let out a threatening low snarl, and a muscular Flower Leopard materialized in the night sky.

The Flower Leopard was a full circle larger than the Fierce Cat, its sharp teeth gleaming with cold, snow‑white light, precisely biting the cat's fatal neck in the pitch‑black night.

In just a few minutes, the two naive hunters clashed fiercely in the desert.

The air mixed with the scent of blood, fur and hide rose with the dust, and the brutal fight rendered hundreds of meters around unapproachable.

"Hua Zheng! Remember, I saved your life a few days ago!"

The Fierce Cat, shivering all over, rolled on the sand, evading the Flower Leopard's claws, missing an ear, with one eye still bleeding.

Hearing that, the Flower Leopard halted, its golden‑brown eyes flashing coldly.

It's him, who caused me to find my master later than I should have!

The Flower Leopard, stepping with elegant strides, circles the Fierce Cat; compared with the Fierce Cat's disheveled state, it is only its smooth fur that has become a bit tangled.

Seeing Ning Tie collapse to the ground, he was genuinely frightened.

Damn it, this is literally as strong as a monster!

I just can't possibly defeat it!!