Chapter 175: Mediation

The Green Bamboo Gang arrived with about a hundred people; these men had solemn expressions and aggressive auras, and each one appeared exceptionally spirited, as if prepared to face a life-or-death battle.

Cheng Feng hid in the shadows, his eyes fixed tightly upon them; he had long since prepared himself in his heart, and if the Green Bamboo Gang dared to make a move, he would no longer conceal his own strength.

As they drew closer to the battlefield, the Green Bamboo Gang disciples finally came to a halt. One of them shouted loudly: "Cease fire, cease fire! Hong Sect disciples and Wolf Head Gang disciples, all of you stop at once!"

Cheng Feng had never expected that the Green Bamboo Gang had come not to support the Wolf Head Gang; he could not help but develop a keen interest in the situation before him, and his gaze turned toward Li Yang.

Li Yang stood there expressionless, seemingly unchanged in his attitude by the arrival of the Green Bamboo Gang.

Seeing that the reinforcements brought by the other side were actually demanding a ceasefire, Li Yang felt somewhat surprised, but seeing that his own Offering had not indicated a stance, he did not dare to easily order a stop to the slaughter.

However, some Wolf Head Gang members saw the Green Bamboo Gang's formation and assumed they had come to help them, so they relaxed their vigilance. Yet, who would have thought this relaxation would give the Yang Hall disciples an opportunity; they seized the chance to slash at the Wolf Head Gang members, and instantly, several more fell into pools of blood.

Seeing this, Zhao Jin stamped his feet in anger and shouted furiously: "What the hell are you yelling for! Hurry up and join the fight! Do you want to just stand there and watch us get wiped out?" His voice was filled with rage, clearly feeling very disappointed by the Green Bamboo Gang's performance.

The Green Bamboo Gang arrivals were also helpless at this moment, secretly lamenting in their hearts. They knew very well that if they truly joined the battle, the outcome would be unpredictable, and who would live or die was truly an unknown!

Fortunately, they had a backup plan. A person suddenly darted out from the Green Bamboo Gang's ranks, quickly pulled something from his bosom, and then ran rapidly to a corner to hand it to the patrol guard who was watching the show.

The patrol guard took the item and looked at it, seeing that it actually bore the personal seal of his superior, and he could not help but feel very helpless. There was no choice; since his superior had spoken, he could only step out and shout: "Stop! Everyone from the Hong Sect and the Wolf Head Gang, stop! The County Lieutenant has issued an order!"

Seeing the government step in to mediate, Cheng Feng immediately signaled for Babai to send a message to Li Yang. Because the two had a soul bond, Babai instantly understood Cheng Feng's intent, so he raised his arms high and shouted loudly: "Hong Sect disciples, cease fighting for now, retreat while fighting, and assemble at Li Yang's location!"

Hearing this familiar tone and command, the heart that Li Yang had been keeping in his throat finally settled. He also followed Babai and shouted: "Hong Sect disciples, follow orders, fight and retreat, assemble here with me!"

Hearing Li Yang's shout, those Hong Sect disciples assigned under Li Yang's command also passed the message along. The sound grew louder and louder, gradually spreading across the entire battlefield.

The Yang Hall disciples who heard this also gradually stopped their fierce fighting, shifting to a defensive posture and slowly retreating. At the same time, the Wolf Head Gang disciples also began to consciously gather toward their leader, Zhao Jin.

Watching the Hong Sect disciples retreat in an orderly fashion, Cheng Feng felt very satisfied—clearly, their training had not been neglected.

Among the Green Bamboo Gang crowd, a sturdy man in his thirties was staring intently at the movements of the Hong Sect disciples. His rugged face furrowed in a deep frown: "Who exactly is this Cheng Feng? How are the Hong Sect disciples so well-trained? It seems there really are capable people within the Hong Sect!"

This sturdy man was Zhao Jin's uncle, named Zhao Tai. Worried for his nephew's safety, he had been the first to volunteer to come and provide support after learning the news.

What surprised Zhao Tai was that the order given by the gang leader was puzzling: "Go and mediate! It is not yet appropriate to go to war with the Hong Sect, and the Wolf Head Gang is your nephew's force, so you must pay close attention."

Zhao Tai understood Peng Yuyan's intent, but his heart sank: "Can those guys in the gang still not see the current situation clearly?"

If it were in the past, Peng Yuyan would never have said such a thing; he would have undoubtedly dispatched men to attack the Hong Sect directly.

But every family has its own troubles. Every gang has its own problems and difficulties.

The Green Bamboo Gang had occupied the position of leader in South City for decades, and everyone had their own desires and private interests. For a long time, they had grown accustomed to comfort and only dared to bully others internally.

Now, facing the newly rising Hong Sect, the opinions of the group were no longer unanimous. The older generation was used to comfort and advocated for harmony to make money, while the younger generation was impulsive and wanted to dampen the Hong Sect's spirit. The gang leader, Peng Yuyan, was already nearing fifty; was it truly because of his age that he had become soft-hearted?

Zhao Tai knew nothing of this, nor did he have the heart to care; he only wanted to handle his own affairs first.

This had always been a secret buried deep in Zhao Tai's heart. Years ago, his eldest brother had entrusted him on his deathbed to take good care of his sister-in-law, but who could have foreseen that after a bout of drunkenness, he would commit such an unbearable mistake.

To cover up this secret and avoid the accusations and criticism of others, he had no choice but to establish an image of being loyal and righteous, and he had hidden it from Zhao Jin to this day. Because of this reason, he had never been able to start a family.

At this moment, seeing the Hong Sect disciples stop in an orderly manner, Zhao Tai hurriedly asked anxiously: "Nephew, are you injured?"

Seeing his uncle appear as expected, Zhao Jin replied happily: "Uncle, please rest assured, your nephew is safe and sound; those Hong Sect small-fry cannot hurt me at all."

Hearing this, the Hong Sect disciples gripped their sword hilts tightly, veins bulging, as if ready to draw their blades at any moment. Li Yang was the same, resting his hand lightly on his sword hilt, his eyes as sharp as a falcon's; if the other side dared to say one more word, Li Yang would not mind erupting into violence.

Zhao Tai saw this clearly, felt the change in the atmosphere, and was startled, hurriedly shouting loudly: "Do not let a moment of verbal spite cause trouble, come behind me quickly!"

The Wolf Head Gang was powerful and numerous, with over a hundred men. The Hong Sect's Yang Hall also had over a hundred disciples, but the corpses and severed limbs left on the ground were mostly from the Wolf Head Gang's side.

After a fierce battle, the Wolf Head Gang had only about forty people left, while the Yang Hall still had over sixty, and not a single Ren Men Disciple had been injured or killed, with only two Training Camp Disciples unfortunately falling.

Cheng Feng secretly compared the combat strength of both sides and felt slightly relieved, thinking the results of this battle were acceptable. If these surviving disciples were sent into the Training Camp for further cultivation in the future, they would surely become the backbone of the sect.

As for the peripheral disciples, their composition was more complex; some had been absorbed from other gangs, some had voluntarily joined the sect, and others had quit after failing to persist in the Training Camp. However, those who could survive until now were undoubtedly the elite of the elite.

The government patrol guards were only responsible for stopping the fighting, and after the battle ended, they stood still on the spot, waiting for the crowd to disperse.