156 To Yield (1/2)

Gu Shenwei went to the Southwall Tavern three times in a row before holding Master Shifu's money firmly in his hands. He thus added a large source of income to the Kun Society.

This time, Gu Shenwei went alone. The new shopkeeper received the teen warmly and after some pleasantries, expressed that he wasn't familiar yet with the shop's operations. About the money of Tie Hanfeng, he had to consult the old shopkeeper and ask Gu Shenwei to come again another evening to resolve this matter when there weren't so many guests in the shop.

The second time, Gu Shenwei went alone again. However, Maid Lotus and four other killers followed him in the dark. Machetemen gathered in the streets outside the tavern, awaiting their orders while drinking.

The new shopkeeper was even more polite than before. However, after much toasting and pandering which went on for about half an hour, he admitted sheepishly that the old shopkeeper had left the tavern to tend to urgent matters. He had not seen him, and implored Master Yang to wait another day.

Gu Shenwei accepted this explanation. He left the tavern but did not retrieve his sword. That two watchmen was also not in sight. The streets were covered with a pall of darkness, and in the distance, there were sounds of a drunkard's wretching. When he turned around, the door of the tavern had already been locked firmly from the inside.

The next moment, one couldn't say for sure how many youths jumped out from different directions. They were all masked, carrying weapons of different varieties. They spoke not a word and rushed at the teen standing at the door. Their murderous postures towards a fellow killer showed that this was not a friendly battle at all.

A fist was also a weapon. Gu Shenwei did not stay put at the door. He rushed into the thickness of the action instead, using his fists to strike out at any person or thing he bumped into.

He liked to fight. After doing so many tasks for the money, and demanding, collecting and counting money, he's finally gotten to chance to vent his anger. But the price for venting his anger was high, and after he'd smashed the jaws of two machetemen, he was struck by a knife in the back.

As a killer, defence has always been his weakness. After honing his swordcraft skills using the Death Scriptures, attacking without defense had even become his prowess and signature trait.

Hence, if it weren't for the timely rescue of Maid Lotus and the others, Gu Shenwei might have died with his enemies.

That blow from the killer's knife altered the situation in their favor. And they certainly expected help to arrive on Gu Shenwei's side. More machetemen emerged from the darkness. Their footsteps melted the snow on the ground.

The five killers fought, retreating as they did at the same time. At the gap in the city's walls, they were wholly surrounded.

Gu Shenwei took out a cow's horn from his bosom. He blew a signal of distress. The cow's horn was one of the necessary items of Tuo Nengya and he had taught the teenage chief how to use it.

The 50 machetemen put down their wine cups. In the blink of an eye, they had lined up neatly on the city streets. In small running steps, they reached the gap in the city wall in no time, and shouting in unison, joined the battle group.

Tuo Nengya had once claimed that the formation of 50 machetemen was simply unparalleled in Golden Roc Fort. He wasn't bragging. Rows of sabers flashed, and fresh blood spewed everywhere. Limbs were flailing in the air and terrible screams punctuated the night sky continuously, spreading all the way to North City.

As long as someone gave the green light, machetemen could too, kill.

The killing spree was like a barrel of fine wine and all the people who gathered nearby were drunk in the scene. The injured machetemen did not retreat as a result, but become more fired up to kill. This was a battle wherein it was difficult to distinguish who was friend or foe. Participants only had a single thought- to cut down anything that was moving.

Before rushing to the opening in the city wall, the formation had been cut to half, and almost 200 people had been thrown into disorder.

The massacre aroused the fearlessness of the groups, which left as fast as it came. Many realized at the same time how senseless it was to fight so hard. They threw their knives and ran, cursing their enemies and master in their hearts at the same time.

Gu Shenwei was carried back to his residence. In the scuffle of the crowd, there was no place even for the most powerful macheteskills. Morning the next day, Gu Shenwei was however, already able to walk. Apart from a minor scar on his face, there was no visible injury on his body.

Maid Lotus and four other killers were also wounded, but not seriously. There were seven killers who were killed, and 30 others who were injured. Casualties on the enemy's side were even greater. About twenty were dead and countless others injured.

Tuo Nengya visited the young chief on his own. He solemnly made his request: ”If fights in the future are going to be like this, I'll need to increase manpower. A defence of knives isn't everything. To protect the merchants all over in the South City, this measure is wholly inadequate.”

Tuo Nengya was an old fox, he was keenly aware that this ambush could only be the beginning of a more cruel fight. Once you've entered into the thick of a zero-sum war, stakeholders armed with the financial resources would become the most crucial battlefield.