Thirteen Tigers: A Recollection

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Wei Jiang dragged Wang Zhen along at a full run and quickly returned to the dormitory. Once all three of them had arrived, Wei Jiang swiftly locked the door, then turned to look at the boy before him.

“Why are you staring at me? It’s not as if you’ve never seen me before.” The boy sat down on the bed opposite Wang Zhen.

“Why did you leave back then?” Wei Jiang demanded angrily.

“Why shouldn’t I have left? Did you really think the two of us could stand against Wan Daming? There were only two of us. What could we possibly have used to fight them? So much time has passed, and you still haven’t grown a brain?” the boy retorted, glaring fiercely at Wei Jiang.

“But once you left, I was still stuck here! How could I possibly defeat them alone?” Wei Jiang roared furiously.

“Look at that. You’ve gained a reliable ally, haven’t you?” The boy slowly raised a hand and pointed at Wang Zhen.

“Wait. Stop arguing for a moment. Can someone first tell me who this is?” Wang Zhen stepped between them, preventing another quarrel.

The boy slowly rose and extended a hand toward Wang Zhen.

“Hello. It’s nice to meet you. No, I suppose this is our first meeting from your perspective, but not from mine. My name is Li Hong.” Li Hong shook Wang Zhen’s hand, then let go.

“This isn’t the first time you’ve seen me? What does that mean?” Wang Zhen was still completely bewildered.

“I saw you both in that abandoned unfinished building. Wei Jiang, you still weren’t decisive enough. You still weren’t ruthless enough.” Li Hong slowly turned to look at Wei Jiang.

“Ha. Do you think everyone is as cold-blooded as you?” Wei Jiang sneered at him.

“Can you tell me what happened before?” Wang Zhen sensed the sparks of hostility flashing between their eyes.

“Hm? He never told you?” Li Hong turned slightly to look at Wei Jiang behind Wang Zhen.

“What was there to tell? I thought you were dead.” Wei Jiang folded his arms across his chest.

“Fine. I’ll tell you. And at the same time, I’ll tell you why I left! When we first entered junior high, we were students at this very school. Wan Daming was there too, of course. He began recruiting people from the first year onward, determined to become the school’s leader. In his first year, he challenged the third-years—and unbelievably, he actually defeated them. After that, he gathered a huge following. The two of us began opposing Wan Daming in our second year, and we kept it up until the second semester of our third year, when he launched an all-out assault against us.” Li Hong sat down on the bed, sinking into deep memories.

――――――――――

On a street outside the school, Wei Jiang and Li Hong were discussing how they should deal with Wan Daming.

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“Wan Daming won’t be easy to deal with. If it were only him, the two of us could take him down without much trouble. But he’s always surrounded by people, and we can’t find an opportunity to strike.” Wei Jiang sighed.

“We’ll take things one step at a time.” Li Hong entered an alley at an unhurried pace.

Just as they were about to reach the end of the alley, four tall men in their twenties approached from the exit.

Sensing that something was wrong, Wei Jiang grabbed Li Hong and prepared to retreat. Li Hong turned around at once, only to find four equally imposing men entering through the alley’s entrance behind them.

“Well, well, old friends. Where are you off to? Why not come over to my place and have some fun? Hahahaha.” Tiger Down the Mountain stood atop the wall above the alley.

“Heh. Resorting to such despicable tricks? That really is your style, Tiger Down the Mountain.” Wei Jiang looked coldly at the man standing on the wall.

“These are sparring partners I found for you two through the Black Dragon Society. Be sure to enjoy yourselves. Hahahaha!” Wan Daming laughed loudly.

“The man outside is making sure we don’t get out of this easily.” Li Hong and Wei Jiang stood back-to-back.

“Did you bring anything?” Wei Jiang slipped a hand inside his clothes and slowly drew a dagger gleaming with cold light. Numerous dragon patterns were embroidered along its sheath.

“What a stupid question. As long as the blade remains, I remain; if the blade is destroyed, I die.” Li Hong reached to his waist and drew a fiercely gleaming cleaver, decorated with the same dragon patterns.

In the narrow alley, the two men faced eight ferocious opponents, and the air seemed to freeze.

Wei Jiang’s gaze sharpened as his dagger traced a chilly arc through the air, every swing slicing through the silence with a whistle. Li Hong gripped his cleaver tightly and planted his feet in a solid stance. The blade flashed like lightning, illuminating his resolute features.

The enemies pressed forward step by step. Heavy footsteps and hurried breathing echoed through the alley.

Suddenly, one of the brutes charged at Wei Jiang with a punch. Wei Jiang deftly blocked it with his dagger, then struck back with a swift slash. Cold light flashed, forcing the attacker to stagger backward.

On the other side, Li Hong let out a furious shout and swept his cleaver across, sending up a powerful gust that drove two men back at once. The blade carved a deep mark into the ground, scattering sparks in every direction.

The two men felt a tension unlike anything they had ever known. Sweat slid down their cheeks, mingling with the dust in the air to form a hazy tableau.

Wei Jiang’s pupils widened slightly, and every breath came with the violent rise and fall of his chest. Li Hong slammed his cleaver against the ground, sending gravel flying, the fire of defiance burning in his eyes.

All around them, the enemies’ panting sounded like the growls of beasts. The pressure was suffocating.

Suddenly, a streak of cold light cut through the darkness. Wei Jiang flashed to one side, and his dagger drove precisely into an enemy’s shoulder. Blood gushed forth, staining the narrow alley red.

The air filled with the mingled scents of rust and blood. The battle had reached its fiercest point.

After several rounds of brutal fighting, Wei Jiang and Li Hong’s breathing grew increasingly labored. Wei Jiang’s dagger was sharp, but against the enemies’ surging attacks, it was gradually becoming impossible to wield effectively.

A dark blur swept past. He barely dodged a heavy punch, then thrust backward with his dagger, but managed only to graze the attacker’s arm.

Li Hong was in even greater danger. His cleaver was powerful, but it could not withstand the assault of so many men. In a moment of carelessness, his shoulder was struck by a vicious blow, and blood instantly soaked through his clothes.

Their back-to-back defensive line began to waver. The enemies’ savage laughter and advancing footsteps sounded like a summons to death.

At last, as they crossed paths in a fleeting exchange, Wei Jiang’s dagger was knocked from his hand, while Li Hong’s cleaver was pinned down by the combined strength of several men. The two lost their ability to resist at the same time and collapsed to the ground in utter defeat, surrounded by the enemies’ triumphant laughter.

Wan Daming looked at the two men lying on the ground, battered and bloodied. He slowly climbed down from the wall and approached them. Then he crouched beside Wei Jiang and Li Hong, carefully studying Li Hong’s face.

“You two actually dared to oppose me? You knew perfectly well what would happen to you, so why insist on taking this path? Hahahahaha.” Wan Daming grabbed Li Hong by the hair and forcibly lifted his head.

“Heh. After taking us down through such underhanded means, a petty coward like you probably wouldn’t dare admit it to anyone.” Wei Jiang struggled to raise his head and glared bitterly at Wan Daming.

“Wei Jiang, the two of you were never capable of defeating me. I’ll give you a choice. First, submit to me and become my followers. Second, get out of Luocheng No. 1 High School!” Wan Daming walked over to Wei Jiang, planted a foot on his head, and fixed his eyes on Li Hong.

“You despicable coward! Let us go if you have the guts! Fight us one-on-one!” Li Hong struggled with all his strength, desperately trying to break free from the grips of the Black Dragon Society members.

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“And as for you, Li Hong, I’ll give you a third option.” Wan Daming removed his foot from Wei Jiang’s head and walked to one side. “Drag him over here.”

The four men restraining Li Hong awkwardly lifted him and carried him before Wan Daming.

“Li Hong, I’ll give you a third choice. Leave Luocheng No. 1 High School on your own, and I won’t trouble Wei Jiang again. I know you’re loyal and devoted to those you care about. You can’t stand by and watch your brother get hurt. All you have to do is leave Luocheng No. 1 High School, and everything can be settled.” Wan Daming knew very well how dangerous Li Hong was. He also knew that Li Hong was a level stronger than Wei Jiang, so he pulled him aside and spoke to him in a low voice.

“Do you really think I’ll leave?” Li Hong stared fixedly at Wan Daming.

“Heh. I have a way to make you surrender.” Wan Daming slowly walked toward Wei Jiang. “Do it!”

The four men holding Wei Jiang down began beating him at the same time. His body was already battered and broken, and this fresh assault made him cry out despite himself.

“Wan Daming! Stop! Do you swear you’ll keep your word?” Li Hong’s entire body trembled violently as he turned and shouted at Wan Daming.

“I swear.” Wan Daming turned his head to look at Li Hong.

“Fine! I’ll do it!” Li Hong clenched his fists tightly, as though he had made some irrevocable decision.

“Hahaha, then it’s settled. All right, let them go. We’re leaving!” Wan Daming finished speaking and led the others out of the alley.

After the men released him, Li Hong collapsed limply to the ground. Even so, he continued crawling toward Wei Jiang with all the strength he had left. The two of them helped one another to their feet.

“What did you just promise him?” Wei Jiang draped an arm over Li Hong’s shoulder and used every ounce of his strength to force out his final question.

“It’s nothing. Let’s get to the hospital first. In our condition, we probably won’t last much longer.” Supporting Wei Jiang, Li Hong staggered step by step out of the alley.

Not long afterward, Li Hong formally withdrew from school and left Luocheng No. 1 High School.

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