Chapter 157: Conflict

One hour ago, deep inside the air-raid shelter, Boss Wu was still enjoying the company of beauties and fine cuisine when his subordinates suddenly brought word that Tiger from Ning City had arrived and requested an audience to deliver an urgent message.

Tiger, as Boss Wu recalled, had once sworn brotherhood with Liu Xian. Lounging on his sofa chair, Wu had always considered Liu Xian to be nothing more than an errand boy in his entourage, but that Tiger fellow was not quite so simple. He had previously harbored ambitions of taking over the territory controlled by the two brothers, though those thoughts had been set aside once the apocalypse arrived. Now that Tiger had shown up at his doorstep, it clearly meant trouble had found him.

Hurriedly, Wu ordered his men to bring Tiger in. Tiger appeared thoroughly battered and disheveled, clad in rags, and looking as though he hadn't washed in days. Upon entering, he immediately demanded a cup of water, drinking it down in one massive gulp before finally speaking: "Boss Wu, things have taken a dire turn. I don't know where he came from, but a fellow named Wujue has appeared, leading a band of cutthroats on a rampage. Right now, they've wiped out both your South China Gang and Boss Ren from Ning City. I risked my life to break through and run all the way here just to warn you. You must be on your guard!"

Lounging with the beauty in his arms, Boss Wu did not even bother to stand up. "Tiger," he said, "are you in a tight spot, or have you simply been frightened out of your wits? Such a massive event happened in Ning City, yet how is it that I heard no whisper of it? Don't panic just yet. Let my men take you to wash up, change into some fresh clothes, and enjoy yourself a bit before we talk further."

With that, he tapped the woman resting against his chest, signaling her to go and tend to Tiger.

Instead of accepting, Tiger stepped back, approached Boss Wu, and said, "Brother, I am truly not joking. Ning City is completely finished this time. What's more, it seems the opposition has received backing from an international organization. Do you even know how they are dealing with the zombies?"

Realizing Tiger was not joking after all, Boss Wu clapped his hands and announced, "All of you, get out. Leave Tiger and me to talk alone."

Once the women had left the room, Tiger sat down nearby, caught his breath, and continued, "These people possess high technology. They actually managed to eradicate the virus carried by the zombies—a breakthrough rumored to have been seized directly from the South China Gang. Old Wu, you can't possibly claim ignorance of this?"

Boss Wu furrowed his brow. He was vaguely aware that the organization had formed an alliance with a mysterious faction, but such matters were strictly confidential and rarely leaked, with very few within their own gang even knowing about it. How on earth had Tiger caught wind of it?

"Is that so?" Wu replied cautiously. "I shall wait for Liu Xian and Wu Yang to return and question them. However, I have troubles of my own right now. Zombies are multiplying in the city, the people of Sanwang Village are giving me endless grief, and my men's food supplies are dwindling day by day. Do you have any brilliant suggestions, Tiger?"

Clenching his fists, Tiger replied, "Nothing else matters. I have only one objective: to deal with Wujue. He killed my sworn brother and targeted me multiple times. Boss Wu, if you simply grant me this chance, I am willing to lead the vanguard. Besides, I understand their background inside and out, which will undoubtedly work to your absolute advantage."

Boss Wu stared at him for a long moment before suddenly shouting toward the entrance, "Someone come in! Take Brother Tiger down to change his clothes, let him rest, and have Yueyue keep him company."

Immediately, a guard pushed the door open and led Tiger away, leaving Boss Wu alone in the room to smoke a cigar and fall into deep contemplation.

Tiger was escorted to a room featuring two large water reservoirs, one of which was supposedly designated for bathing. Following Boss Wu's explicit instructions, the attendants dared not show the slightest negligence; a young woman stepped forward, offering to personally wait on Tiger and help him undress, but he politely declined.

Dismissing all idle personnel and attendants, Tiger remained completely alone in the quiet room to cleanse himself. As billows of hot steam rose from the water, Tiger's physical form underwent a transformation right there in the bathtub.

He morphed seamlessly into the appearance of an entirely different person. Closing his eyes, he murmured to himself, "I've finally managed to infiltrate successfully. I wonder if Wujue and the others will arrive here in time?"

Twenty minutes later, his cleansing complete, Tiger stepped out of the bathroom clad in a crisp, neat short-sleeved shirt to see Boss Wu once more.

By this time, Boss Wu had clearly thought everything through. He gestured for Tiger to sit beside him and said, "I have mulled over what you said earlier. Once Liu Xian returns, I will dispatch someone to notify Wu Yang. The southern district has not been peaceful lately, either. Our South China Gang has been besieged on all sides by several reckless small gangs, alongside a coalition of cops determined to oppose us. It has become quite a thorny situation."

Tiger smiled and replied, "No worries. When Liu Xian gets back, we can discuss it together. He is familiar with the terrain, so we can figure out a way to intercept the enemy later. I suspect Wujue will bring his people here very soon. He has a few unusual individuals in his circle, particularly a woman with terrifying, superhuman strength—she is practically a female warrior."

Just as they were speaking, a knock sounded at the door. It was Liu Xian returning with Wujue and Xiaohan in tow. The three of them stepped inside to make their report, but upon entering, they froze in utter shock.

The moment Liu Xian saw Tiger sitting there, he began shooting frantic, desperate glances, thinking to himself that Wujue must have crossed paths with Tiger before; if a brawl broke out right here on the spot, his own little life would certainly be finished.

Upon seeing Tiger present, Wujue and Xiaohan simply stood their ground with unruffled composure, uttering not a single extra word.

When Boss Wu finally spoke up, asking, "Liu Xian, Tiger has arrived, and since you two brothers haven't seen each other in ages, you can catch up properly. By the way, how did your errand to Sanwang Village turn out? And why have you brought back two complete strangers?"

Before Liu Xian could reply, Wujue stepped forward and answered, "It's a long story. This young brother Liu was being mobbed by a crowd, and we stepped in to rescue him, so he brought us here to seek a way out. Are you gentlemen the bosses of the South China Gang?"

Boss Wu and Tiger beside him looked the two newcomers up and down. Tiger, acting as though he had never laid eyes on them before, merely smiled and said, "You two look remarkably unfamiliar. You wouldn't happen to be coming from Ning City, would you? What is the situation over there these days?"

This was clearly a test of the two men. Instead of offering a polite or straightforward reply, Wujue chuckled and said, "What difference does it make what the situation is? With zombies everywhere, as long as one manages to survive, who cares what the world has become? But you bosses certainly know how to live in luxury and ease here—it's enough to make anyone envious."

"Hmph, what kind of people have you brought back, Liu Xian?" Boss Wu's expression darkened instantly. "So ill-mannered, forgetting who gives the orders in our South China Gang!"

Poor Liu Xian was put on the spot, unable to utter a single word in retort. He could only shake his head in helpless resignation.

Xiaohan spoke up on his behalf, saying, "Don't give Old Brother Liu a hard time; he couldn't help himself in this matter. To be honest, we're just here to stir up trouble."

As she spoke, she strode forward and, with the speed of lightning, flipped over the tea table resting right in front of Boss Wu and Tiger.

Realizing violence was about to erupt, Boss Wu immediately drew a pistol from behind his back, intending to open fire on Xiaohan. But with blinding speed, Xiaohan darted right in front of him, reaching out to press down on the barrel of the gun.

Before she could touch it, Tiger suddenly extended his hand and said, "There's no need for you to dirty your hands; let me handle this."

He stood up, placing himself squarely in front of Boss Wu while fixing his gaze on Xiaohan. Catching sight of Wujue locking the main entrance shut from behind, and hearing Boss Wu lower his firearm, Tiger abruptly whipped around and delivered a vicious backhand slap to Boss Wu's face. The blow sent Wu tumbling across the bed, knocking him out cold in an instant.

Utterly bewildered by Tiger's sudden betrayal and unable to shout a warning, Liu Xian stood paralyzed with fear, frantically gesturing with his hands in utter confusion, wondering what on earth was going on.

Stepping forward, Tiger grabbed Xiaohan's hand, turned back with a smile, and said, "Boss Wu, it is finally time for you to taste some suffering. Take a good look at who I really am."

He planted one foot firmly onto Boss Wu's unconscious body as Xiaohan stepped up to confiscate the firearm. Only then did the adversaries realize that the man who had called himself Tiger had transformed into an entirely different visage.

It was Huron of the Divine Martial Clan.