Chapter 73

Once this move is made, Ma Ning and Wei Tong will surely both suffer losses.

By then our Sha Men Gang will be able to dominate the jianghu again!

Sha Kui said nothing, merely taking another deep drag of his cigarette; amid the swirling smoke his face looked even more grim and terrifying.

Night fell, and Li Family Village was shrouded in silence.

Several black shadows slipped into the village soundlessly; they were agile and swift, quickly locating Ma Ning's wife and children's residence.

The shadows broke in, bound them, stuffed them into sacks, then swiftly vanished into the night.

The next morning, Ma Ning received an anonymous letter and a small box; the letter contained only one sentence:

"If you want your wife and child to live, kill Wei Tong!"

Opening the box revealed his wife's ear and his son's finger!

Instantly struck as if by lightning, his face turned deathly pale.

This was Sha Kui's revenge, yet he had no choice but to comply with the demand.

Although Ma Ning was ruthless, they were after all his wife of many years and his own flesh and blood.

For the safety of his wife and child, he had to make a choice.

Ma Ning began secretly plotting Wei Tong's assassination.

Meanwhile, Sha Kui and Sha Hu hid in the shadows, closely watching Ma Ning's every move.

"Uncle, this move of yours is brilliant!" Sha Hu said with an obsequious grin.

"Ma Ning surely now wishes he could tear Wei Tong apart limb from limb!"

Sha Kui gave a cold laugh and said:

"Using Ma Ning's hand to dispose of Wei Tong is perfect—it will also drain Ma Ning's power!"

A few days later, Ma Ning found an opportunity and heavily bribed Wei Tong's personal guard.

While he was eating, they poisoned his food; Wei Tong died from the poison, and the guards staged the scene as food poisoning.

The news spread, shaking the entire jianghu.

No one knew that all this was the result of Sha Kui's behind-the-scenes manipulation.

On the city wall, Jiang Xiaomu, clad in coarse hemp, directed his subordinates to reinforce the gate defenses,

at that moment Ye Ying approached, her voice clear yet grave.

"The ghost servant brings news: Wei Tong is dead."

Jiang Xiaomu raised an eyebrow and asked, "Oh? How did he die?"

"It's said he was poisoned by Ma Ning, and..."

Ye Ying paused, her tone laced with mockery.

"To prove his identity, Ma Ning even chopped off Wei Tong's ever-present jade thumb ring and sent it to the Sha Men Gang."

Jiang Xiaomu gave a cold chuckle and said:

"This Ma Ning is indeed a ruthless fellow, but does that old fox Sha Kui really have the means?"

Ye Ying's eyes flashed with a sharp light.

"Sha Kui kidnapped Ma Ning's wife and child, using them to coerce him into killing Wei Tong."

"Now I see!" Jiang Xiaomu's eyes glinted with cold light.

He thought to himself: Sha Kui is indeed vicious, resorting to such despicable tactics to eliminate rivals.

But this also revealed to him an opportunity, a chance he could exploit.

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend," Jiang Xiaomu said, curling his lips into a cold smile.

"Looks like it's time to make contact with Ma Ning."

The Ma residence was heavily guarded; inside the study, Ma Ning sat alone at his desk, dazed.

Suddenly an arrow flew in, striking the desk head-on, with a note attached to its tip.

"At midnight tonight, at the ruined temple behind the hills, I await your esteemed presence! —Your humble servant, Jiang Xiaomu!"

Ma Ning leapt up from his chair, instinctively gripping the saber at his waist.

Jiang Xiaomu, that fellow who could single-handedly suppress Li Zhen's great army.

"Does he want to kill me?"

That thought flashed through Ma Ning's mind.

He forced himself to calm down.

"Should I go, or not?"

Ma Ning found himself in a dilemma, pacing back and forth, his thoughts myriad.

"To hell with it! Since death is either way, I might as well give it a shot!"

He donned a black outfit, clenched his saber tightly, then slipped silently out of the manor.

The long-abandoned ruined temple was already dilapidated, winds whistling through its gaps, making it especially grim and terrifying.

Ma Ning entered cautiously,

finding inside only a dim oil lamp, swaying unsteadily in the draft.

"Master Ma of the stronghold, I have long admired your name."

Jiang Xiaomu appeared behind Ma Ning like a ghost.

Ma Ning whirled around, drew his waist saber, and fixed his gaze on the stranger before him.

Jiang Xiaomu, however, remained unfazed, instead letting out a light chuckle:

"Master Ma, there's no need to be tense; between us there is no grudge."

"In fact, we even share a common enemy."

He said, then walked straight to the only relatively intact table in the ruined temple, brushed off the dust on it, and sat down casually.

The funeral for your son and lady—was it handled fairly smoothly?

Jiang Xiaomu added, his tone calm and without ripple.

Ma Ning's hand gripping the knife trembled slightly; he certainly understood Jiang Xiaomu's meaning.

These past days, he has lived neither as a person nor as a ghost; the hatred for killing his wife and the grief for losing his son weigh on him like two great mountains, making it hard to breathe.

After hesitating a moment, he finally sheathed his knife, walked to sit opposite Jiang Xiaomu, and asked in a low voice:

"What do you want?"

Jiang Xiaomu did not answer immediately; instead, he took out a wine pot and two chipped coarse porcelain bowls from his bosom, filled them, and pushed one bowl toward Ma Ning:

"Chief Ma, how about borrowing wine to drown sorrows?"

Ma Ning looked at the wine before him, but did not reach out to take it.

Jiang Xiaomu didn't mind, took a sip himself, then slowly said:

"Sha Kui is an old fox, cunning and ruthless; if we don't join forces, we'll surely be killed by him sooner or later."

"Join forces?" Ma Ning snorted coldly.

"On what basis do you think I would join forces with you? Between us, there's hardly any friendship."

Jiang Xiaomu set down his wine bowl, his gaze sharp as he fixed it on Ma Ning:

"Just because I know you hate Sha Kui so much you wish to tear him apart!"

Ma Ning's heart jolted—this was exactly the inner demon that tormented him day and night.

Jiang Xiaomu continued:

"Do you think killing Wei Tong can buy back your wife and child's lives? You're too naive!"

"A man like Sha Kui will do anything for profit."

"Today he can use you to kill Wei Tong; tomorrow he could use someone else to kill you!"

Ma Ning's face grew even darker; Jiang Xiaomu's words, each sentence, struck at his pain.

"We can cooperate." Jiang Xiaomu's voice was low.

"Join forces to wipe out Sha Kui and Sha Hu."

Ma Ning suddenly lifted his head, a flash of hope in his eyes:

"How to cooperate?"

Jiang Xiaomu gave a slight smile, but did not answer right away; instead, he raised his wine bowl again:

"Chief Ma, will you drink this cup or not?"

Ma Ning hesitated not, lifted the bowl, and drained it in one gulp.

"Speak, what is your plan?"

Ma Ning set down the bowl, looked at Jiang Xiaomu, and said:

"My plan is simple," Jiang Xiaomu said, pouring another bowl of wine.

"You, pretend to surrender to the Sand Gate Gang."

Ma Ning jerked his head up, a flash of shock in his eyes, brows furrowed as if pondering something.

"What? Surrender?" Ma Ning's voice trembled.

"Will that old scoundrel Sha Kui believe me?"