Starforce Warriors
Chapter 658: A Woman Of The Dust Knows Gratitude Too

Chapter 658: A Woman Of The Dust Knows Gratitude Too

Li Xiaofei was startled.

“What happened to you?” He quickly asked, “Were you discovered by the gang?”

“No,” replied Huang Dinggou, his eyes darted evasively.

Sensing that something was off, Li Xiaofei pressed him for details. Helpless, Huang Dinggou finally spilled everything. It turned out that his trip to gather information and contact his old friends had gone smoothly. He hadn’t been discovered by the enemy.

However, on his way back, he had passed through the filthy and chaotic District Ding 8. There, he saw a woman being harassed and couldn’t resist stepping in to play the hero. Although he successfully saved her, he had been surrounded and beaten up by the attackers’ reinforcements.

“Sigh... If I hadn’t been afraid of exposing my identity, I would’ve unleashed my ultimate techniques and killed those bastards,” Huang Dinggou said bitterly.

Li Xiaofei was speechless.

This guy is truly a weirdo.

“What information did you get?” Li Xiaofei asked.

Huang Dinggou replied, “There’s good news. The Representatives' Assembly is over. The gang leader has returned.”

Li Xiaofei’s spirit rose. He had never met the Exploding Star Gang’s leader; however, he had heard plenty of rumors.

It was said that this gang leader was a ruthless figure. Sixty-six years ago, Wei Xiaotian, an illegitimate son, had seized the gang leader’s position through fierce competition. He had then led Exploding Star Gang to stand out among the many gangs in Chongque City.

He had carved out a place for the gang alongside the city’s four major gangs through sheer force, expanding that balance into what was now the Five Great Gangs.

“I’ve already spread some information through a few of my old contacts,” Huang Dinggou said proudly. “I told them the truth about what happened that night. Heh, as long as the news reaches the gang leader’s ears, with his wisdom and insight, he’ll definitely notice something’s wrong. When that happens, Ma Tuo and his apprentice will be finished without us having to make a move.”

Li Xiaofei asked, “You have that much faith in the gang leader?”

Huang Dinggou nodded, his expression more serious than ever. He said, “Trust me. The gang leader is a god.”

His tone was filled with admiration.

A god?

Li Xiaofei’s heart stirred.

However, things did not unfold as Huang Dinggou had predicted in the days that followed. It was said that after returning from the Representatives' Assembly, Exploding Star Gang’s leader, Wei Xiaotian, conducted an investigation, especially after watching a video of Li Xiaofei defeating Nie Yuntao.

After seeing the footage, Wei Xiaotian completely believed Ma Tuo and his apprentice’s version of events. Convinced that Li Qingchen was a traitor, he flew into a rage and doubled the bounty.

The price on the head of this notorious perverted oddball soared to five thousand kilograms of celestial jade. This stirred up not only the gangs but also rogue martial artists, powerful freelancers, and even several legitimate merchant guilds and associations.

All kinds of forces were suddenly distracted from their usual business, as they blanketed the city in a frenzied search for Li Xiaofei’s whereabouts.

It was around this time that the first snow of the year began to fall in Chongque City. Snowflakes drifted down as a chilly breeze filled the city. This snowfall, simulated by the Six Paths Heaven-Deceiving Reincarnation Formation, was indistinguishable from real snow on Earth. The city’s seasonal changes and weather patterns were all crafted by this grand formation.

As one of the places Li Qingchen and Huang Dinggou had often visited, Shenyin Pavilion came under increasingly frequent scrutiny, both overt and covert, from various factions.

The Bai sisters, known to be among the closest to Li Qingchen, were constantly harassed and interrogated. Their faces had grown visibly weary over the past few days. On a few occasions, Huang Dinggou noticed red, swollen bruises on their faces and arms. Clearly, they had been beaten.

Huang Dinggou pressed them for answers.

“It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it,” Bai Zhi forced a smile and said. “We’ve dealt with unreasonable guests plenty of times before. We’re used to it—we can handle it.”

Bai Xuan was changing her clothes on the side, wincing in pain as she moved. She gritted her teeth and said, “It’s not like this is the first time we’ve been bullied. If taking a few slaps can keep you two safe, then it’s more than worth it.”

Bai Zhi sat before a copper mirror, carefully applying powder and rouge to cover the bruises on her face. She smiled as she spoke, “Just stay hidden here. Once things settle down a little, we’ll figure out a way to get you out of the city. Go into hiding for a few decades, and this will all blow over.”

Huang Dinggou sighed.

Brother Chen has been in closed-door cultivation all this time. It’s clear that he has been deeply affected by everything. He felt the pressure and has become unusually dedicated, training with an almost crazed intensity.

Although Huang Dinggou had been shocked by the burst of power Brother Chen had displayed before, he still doubted that this kind of last-minute cramming would be of much use.

“Sigh, I’m always the guy sharpening my spear at the last minute... Always last minute...” Huang Dinggou muttered in frustration.

In truth, he was also trying to cultivate.

Days passed again and the wounds on the Bai sisters’ faces increased. One day, Bai Zhi returned with her mouth twisted to the side. Blood trickled from her nose and lips.

Bai Xuan panicked and called the resident medic to treat her. It cost over twenty-five kilograms of celestial jade to get the medicine. After all, everyone could see the injuries on their faces.

Huang Dinggou, in his usual mischievousness, once attempted to sneak a peek at the Bai sisters bathing but failed. However, during that fleeting glance, he caught a glimpse of their arms and backs.

What he saw stunned him. Their fair, jade-like skin was covered with streaks of bruises. Blue and red welts crisscrossed their bodies, so stark and jarring that it was painful to look at.

“These bastards...” said Huang Dinggou, gritting his teeth.

His heart ached. Two delicate young women, forced to lower themselves in Shenyin Pavilion, selling smiles to survive in the dust and chaos, were already pitiful enough. Now, they were being tormented by those money-grubbing scumbags.

“What are the higher-ups at Shenyin Pavilion even thinking? Why aren’t they protecting their own people?” muttered Huang Dinggou.

He couldn’t help but complain. He felt that maybe it was time for the two of them to leave. If they stayed any longer, the Bai sisters would really end up being dragged down and killed because of them.

But Brother Chen was still in closed-door cultivation. No matter how he called, there was no response. Huang Dinggou grew increasingly worried.

Three more days passed. The heavy snow finally stopped falling, but silvery snow blanketed everything. The thick layer of snow covered most of the buildings in Ding District of Chongque City. The endless white expanse made the city seem vast and desolate.

In the afternoon, the setting sun bled across the sky like fire. Nie Yuntao, Hall Master of Red Shield Hall under Exploding Star Gang, and the rising star of Chongque City’s underworld, arrived at Shenyin Pavilion with forty to fifty trusted subordinates.

They had just achieved a resounding victory in a retaliatory strike against Twin Shadow Tower. So they had come to this pleasure house to drink and revel to celebrate their triumph.

Recently, under the leadership of Ma Tuo, who had been promoted to Deputy Gang Leader, Exploding Star Gang had gained the upper hand in several skirmishes against Twin Shadow Tower, reaping huge profits at minimal cost.

They had seized several blocks of territory and killed multiple high-ranking martial experts from Twin Shadow Tower. These victories had swept away the gang’s previous decline.

Nie Yuntao, having achieved remarkable battle merits, had earned the favor of the gang leader, Wei Xiaotian. Rumor had it that he was already being considered for the position of Right Protector within the gang. It was a time of triumph for him, and he was riding high on success.

When they arrived at Shenyin Pavilion, they specifically demanded that the Bai sisters accompany them. Bai Zhi and Bai Xuan knew full well that these men had come with ill intentions, but they had no choice.

They applied makeup to cover their bruises, endured the pain, and forced smiles as they accompanied the group into Wanli Hall.

Huang Dinggou was uneasy. He disguised himself and loitered nearby, pretending to pass by several times while eavesdropping from outside.

At first, everything seemed normal. But soon, loud curses erupted from within the hall. Moments later, Bai Xuan’s anguished screams pierced the air, followed by Bai Zhi’s desperate cries and pleas.

Those screams were beyond what any human should be capable of. It was the harrowing wail of a dying beast, driven to the edge of agony.

“You bastards! Scum! Animals! Heartless trash! I’ll fight you all to the death!”

Blood rushed to Huang Dinggou’s head. He lost all sense of caution and kicked open the door to Wanli Hall. When he charged inside, the scene before him made his vision blur with rage. Bai Xuan lay in a pool of blood, while Bai Zhi’s hair was disheveled, her clothes in disarray.

Seated at the head of the table, Nie Yuntao stared coldly at Huang Dinggou.

“I knew you were hiding behind a woman’s skirt,” he said. “A little bait was all it took to draw you out... Where is Li Qingchen? Tell him to get out here.”

The gang’s experts had already sealed off every exit. Huang Dinggou’s heart sank. They had fallen into a trap.