Chapter 38: Where to Go from Here

With a sweep of my palm, I sent a blast of force toward the armed soldiers. Wherever the force swept, grass and shrubs were flattened in its wake. The soldiers, clearly well-trained, raised their submachine guns in unison and opened fire on us. I quickly conjured a defensive shield; bullets struck the barrier, sparking as they ricocheted off. The soldiers stared, mouths agape in astonishment. I sneered, “If you value your life, get lost!”

They didn’t pursue us any further. We dashed through the tall grass, leaving the stunned soldiers behind. Once in the bustling part of the city, we found a restaurant, hoping for a meal. But as I reached into my pocket, I found not a single bill. What now? Of course—the Azure Dragon Gang. Since I was already a murderer, a few more deaths would make no difference, and I could even get my hands on some money. Wipe out the Azure Dragon Gang—that was my new plan.

Turning to Yujing, I said, “Brother Yu, join me tonight. Remember, be wary of their hidden weapons.” By “hidden weapons,” I meant guns.

Yujing nodded. “What are we doing?”

“Killing and robbing.”

“What? Brother Yunfei, isn’t that going too far?”

“Don’t worry. We’re only targeting the wicked.” I clapped him on the shoulder.

We lurked near the Azure Dragon Gang’s territory until deep into the night. Once all was quiet, we slipped inside—their guards were lax, and it was easy to infiltrate.

We eliminated two night watchmen, donned their uniforms, and I took one of their pistols. Under cover of darkness, I pushed open a door. Inside, seven or eight men slept. I darted to one and struck his chest with a single blow—his chest caved in deeply. He would never see another sunrise.

Yujing stood watch at the door while I dispatched the men inside. To me, ordinary people posed no threat; in moments, all lay dead. I stared blankly at the corpses on the beds. Was I right or wrong to do this? When had I become so brutal?

Perhaps Zhang Lei was right—this was a world where only strength mattered. If you didn’t want to be trampled, you had to learn to be ruthless. Yujing silently watched me kill, one after another. Suddenly, his words made me pause, my hand on the next door.

“They’re people too. They have families and children. Even if they’re bad men, we can’t slaughter the innocent. We should seek out their leader.”

I withdrew my hand and fell into deep thought. Maybe Yujing was right; we should find the gang boss—and that thug who lured me to my death.

“You’re right. I’ll kill one more, then we’ll go after their boss.”

I pushed open the door. “Who’s there?” A yawning thug stumbled out, likely desperate to relieve himself. I knocked him out with a single punch, but despite my speed, the noise alerted those inside.

Gunshots rang out and, all at once, the courtyard lights blazed on. Thugs spilled from their rooms, almost every hand gripping a gun. We were instantly surrounded. I conjured a defensive barrier, a black shield of energy enveloping us.

“What are you waiting for? Shoot!” one of the thugs shouted.

I recognized him immediately—he was the one who’d tricked me into going to the docks. More gunfire erupted, bullets bouncing off the energy shield and ricocheting away. The crowd gaped at us, too stunned to continue shooting.

“Why are you just standing there? Fire! Hurry!” the thug leader shouted.

I stepped out from within the shield, advancing toward the leader—the very man who had tricked me. He retreated step by step as I pressed forward, a cold smile on my lips.

“Stay back, or I’ll shoot!” the thug leader stammered, hands trembling.

“Go on, shoot,” I taunted.

He pulled the trigger. The bullet grew larger before my eyes, moving in slow motion like a scene from a film. What should have been lightning fast drifted toward me like a badminton shuttlecock. I tilted my head, dodging it easily. Another bullet flew my way; I reached out, caught it, and tossed it back. It embedded itself deeply in the leader’s forehead.

“If you want to live, get out!” I barked coldly, standing amid the crowd.

None of them had ever witnessed anything like this before. Terror-stricken, they turned and fled. “Wait!” I called after the escaping thugs.

“Boss—no, sir, have mercy! My family depends on me!” pleaded a man in his thirties, his stubbled face pressed to the ground.

“I never said I was going to kill you. I just need money. Understood?”

“I’ll give it, I’ll give it—all of it!” The bearded man fished a wad of red bills from his pocket. The others quickly followed, piling up their money on the ground. Staring at the growing mound of cash, I burst out laughing until tears came to my eyes.

Money! How much suffering have you caused me? Even the woman I loved betrayed me because of you. How many have you ruined? My laughter faded. I stepped up to the cash, reached out my left hand, and all the money vanished into my space ring.

The thugs stared, dumbstruck, eyes wide in terror. “What are you waiting for? Get lost!” I shouted. They finally snapped out of it, scrambling for the courtyard gate as if their lives depended on it.

“Wait,” I called again. They turned, legs trembling. “S-sir, what now?”

“Leave your guns. And from now on, don’t ever work for the Azure Dragon Gang again. If I see you, I’ll kill you.”

I collected all their pistols and stored them in my ring. They’d come in handy sooner or later. My marksmanship was top notch—I’d even won shooting championships before.

Having dealt with nearly two hundred thugs, I patted my stomach. I hadn’t eaten all day, but now I had plenty of money. Time for a feast. “Come on, Yujing, let’s get something to eat.” Throwing my arm around his shoulder, I strode out of the courtyard. Just like that, I’d dealt with one branch of the Azure Dragon Gang. Nine more remained. Suddenly, I changed my mind about killing the gang boss. I’d break the gang apart by force, cause its collapse, and leave the boss with nothing.

“Hahahaha!” The thought filled me with glee.

“What’s so funny, Brother Yunfei?”

“Oh, nothing. Let’s eat first—I’m starving!”

We hailed a taxi to the nearest hotel. It was nearly midnight, and most people had gone to bed. The place was nearly empty. I ordered a tableful of dishes, a case of beer, and two bottles of spirits.

The waiter eyed us skeptically, as if doubting we could finish such a meal. I poured Yujing a beer. After one sip, he spat it out. “What is this? It’s disgusting!”

I chuckled awkwardly as the food arrived. Calling the waiter away, we were left alone to eat and drink as the last customers filtered out. We chatted about everything under the sun. “Brother Yunfei, this booze is powerful!” Yujing said, raising his glass, but his hand was unsteady and spilled half the drink. He was clearly drunk, and I felt the dizziness myself.

“From now on, just call me Old Li. ‘Brother Yunfei’ is too formal,” I said, lighting a cigarette.

“I couldn’t. That’s disrespectful. I’ll stick to Brother Yunfei,” Yujing replied, coughing from the smoke.

I waved my hand. “It’s settled. That’s how we do it back home.”

Only when the waiter said they needed to close for the night did I stagger over to the counter to pay.

“Thank you, that will be 1,800 yuan,” the young cashier said. Damn, over a thousand for one meal—extravagant! That was nearly half a month’s pay for me once, but now, with plenty of cash, I didn’t care.

“I’ll just use the restroom,” I said, ducking away. In the bathroom, I pulled a wad of bills from my space ring and stuffed them in my pocket. Couldn’t let the cashier see that, or she’d be scared out of her wits.

After paying, we took another cab to a hotel. It took some persuasion and a bit of extra cash to get two rooms without IDs. Lying on the soft bed, I stared at the ceiling in a daze. I was rich now—hahaha!

Ding-dong—the doorbell rang. Wearing slippers, I opened the door.

“Sir, would you like any special services?” came the inquiry.

I turned away. “No, thank you,” I replied, slamming the door.

What now? I feared there was no longer a place for me in this city. If I guessed right, by tomorrow, my face would be plastered on every street corner.

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