ctnovel Chapter 255: Qin Ming’s Death
Chapter 255: Qin Ming’s Death
“Wangchuan, tell me—can the branch helm lend a hand in this matter?”
Yang Feiyue spoke in a deep voice.
“Rong County must be stabilized! The debts incurred during the flood period have not yet been cleared by the hall. Now there are additional expenses for medicine and compensation. If we also lose the Rong County hall, the blow to the Yulong Gang will be severe.”
“So what? The Beggar Sect wants to interfere with the dock business?”
Su Wangchuan did not immediately give his stance.
Yang Feiyue replied,
“They cannot really handle river transport, but they have taken control of the escort agency in Rong County and are planning to support it in running escort missions… It is obvious they intend to suppress our Yulong Gang, disrupt the order of our docks, and at the same time drive business toward the overland routes.”
Hearing this, Su Wangchuan immediately understood and snorted coldly.
“I have no objection to the Beggar Sect setting up in Rong County. That is their business! But if they dare touch the Cao Gang’s water transport trade and smash the bowl that feeds us, then the Sanjiang Branch Helm must intervene!”
Yang Feiyue’s eyes lit up with excitement. He stood up abruptly.“Wangchuan, thank you!”
“Gang Leader Yang, rest assured.”
Su Wangchuan said firmly,
“The waters of the Sanhe River fall under the jurisdiction of my Sanjiang Branch Helm. Rong County lies within the waters I am responsible for. In this matter, I cannot shirk responsibility… I will immediately send a carrier pigeon to inform Seventh Master. As long as he does not object, my men can reach Rong County tomorrow morning.”
“With those words from you, Helmsman Wangchuan, I am relieved! I will return at once to make preparations and await your arrival!”
Yang Feiyue clasped his fists.
Su Wangchuan escorted Yang Feiyue out of the branch helm.
Both of them knew that Seventh Master would not oppose any decision made by the Sanjiang Branch Helm.
Because the Yulong Gang and the Rong County docks indeed fell under its jurisdiction.
Seventh Master would certainly not stop them from acting against the Beggar Sect.
Silence meant consent.
But this matter had to be handled beautifully.
If the Cao Gang lost face, accountability and punishment would follow without exception.
Returning to the courtyard of his residence, Su Wangchuan summoned Chen Ergou, Zhao Heiniu, Wang Yuehui, Bai Yuhui, and Hong Kaibao.
“Wang Yuehui, Hong Kaibao, and Bai Yuhui will remain to guard the branch helm.”
“Ergou and Captain Zhao will come with me to Rong County!”
Although the Beggar Sect’s sub-branch in Rong County currently had only one Second-Rank Martial Artist, no one knew whether other hidden forces might be lurking behind them.
Su Wangchuan intended to go all out—deploying three Second-Rank Martial Artists, eight First-Rank Martial Artists, and thirty-two Formal Martial Artists.
After night fell…
A large ship quietly entered the pitch-black waters of the Sanhe River and drifted downstream toward Rong County.
…
Rong County.
At the Yulong Gang’s hall, the gates were tightly shut after nightfall, while the courtyard and main hall were brightly lit.
More than twenty inner disciples and over thirty outer disciples gathered nervously in the front courtyard.
After days of fighting with local gangs and families in Rong County, they had suddenly clashed with the Beggar Sect four times in just the past few days. Everyone bore wounds.
Even Hall Master Qin Ming had his waist and abdomen wrapped in thick, blood-soaked bandages. His face was pale. After successive battles and more than a dozen cuts from blades, he was in poor condition.
“Hall Master!”
“The Gang Leader sent a pigeon message! He told us to hold the hall at all costs. Helmsman Wangchuan of the Sanjiang Branch Helm has already agreed to stand up for us! As long as we hold out until tomorrow morning, reinforcements will arrive!”
A man holding the freshly retrieved note reported with joy on his face.
Qin Ming forced out a faint smile.
“With the Gang Leader personally stepping in, he truly managed to persuade Wangchuan…”
“Brothers!”
“What is the Beggar Sect worth! Behind us stands the Cao Gang! The Rong County hall will not fall! Rong County will still belong to the Yulong Gang!”
“Right!”
The remaining inner and outer disciples raised their arms and cheered.
But the movement soon aggravated their wounds, and they quickly fell silent again, grimacing in pain.
Outside the high wall of the hall, a beggar who had been leaning nearby heard the commotion inside. He turned and slipped into the darkness of the city.
Before long, the news from the Yulong Gang hall reached Fu Jundao of the Beggar Sect sub-branch.
This sub-branch had been established by him.
Formerly the deputy branch leader of the Sanhe Prefecture branch, he had heard that the local forces in Rong County were tearing each other apart. He deliberately intervened when both sides were weakened, recruiting large numbers of beggars and establishing a sub-branch.
Not only did he seize all the gray industries that local forces had secretly fought over, he also crushed the local families and gangs until they could no longer resist.
“So the Sanjiang Branch Helm wants to intervene?”
“Hmph!”
“I was worried they might not come.”
“Zhang Ye lost all face in Hejiang Town because of them. Now that we are in Rong County, do they still think they can call the shots?”
“Eat!”
“Fill your stomachs and get to work!”
“Tomorrow we will send the Cao Gang a generous gift!”
Fu Jundao gnawed viciously on a dog-leg bone.
Around him, a group of beggars with martial cultivation revealed fierce looks in their eyes.
After eating and drinking their fill, more than twenty beggars covered their faces, changed into black clothing, grabbed blades and swords, and quietly crept toward the Yulong Gang hall.
One by one, they leapt across the high wall and dropped into the front courtyard.
Qin Ming heard the movement, and his expression changed drastically.
“Enemy attack!”
“Brothers, get up!”
“The Beggar Sect has broken in!”
BOOM!
The main gate was smashed open.
A wave of throwing knives greeted the intruders head-on, injuring several of them immediately.
“Damn it!”
“They will not even let us sleep?”
“Brothers! Fight them to the death!”
Qin Ming brandished his blade and led the hall’s disciples into battle against the men in black.
Blades clashed.
Blood sprayed everywhere.
Fu Jundao quickly located Qin Ming. With a single strike of his staff, he knocked Qin Ming’s refined steel saber from his hand. Then he swept him down with a Snake-Driving Staff strike and followed with a kick that cracked Qin Ming’s ribs, reopening the wounds across his body.
PFF!
Qin Ming spat a mouthful of blood onto the ground. His face turned deathly pale, and he could not stand up for a long while.
“Hall Master!”
Several inner disciples rushed forward to rescue him, but Fu Jundao easily deflected them with a flurry of staff shadows. One by one, they were cut down by the men in black.
Fu Jundao showed no mercy. Walking up to Qin Ming, he raised his iron staff. With a heavy whooshing sound, it smashed down onto Qin Ming’s temple.
BANG!
Qin Ming’s head twisted in a grotesque three-hundred-and-sixty-degree rotation before crashing heavily to the ground. His eyes remained wide open as blood flowed from his mouth and nose.
“Hall Master!”
“The Hall Master is dead!”
“Send the distress signal for reinforcements!”
“Call for help from the river fortress!”
Seeing this scene, the remaining disciples felt a chill run through their entire bodies.
But the rest were soon cut down one after another by the men in black.
Just as Fu Jundao, his eyes cold and murderous, prepared to finish off the last few survivors, a sharp whistling sound suddenly came from the rear courtyard.
WHOOSH!!!
A signal rocket shot into the sky and burst into a brilliant red flare.
BOOM!!!
The entire Rong County was illuminated by the crimson glow.
On the river outside the docks, a ship that had been waiting silently for a long time floated on the dark waters.
Yang Feiyue gazed at the flare exploding above the hall. His eyes showed a trace of heaviness before turning resolute and filled with cold killing intent.
“Move!”