Chapter 89: Driven to Madness

At the Blood Axe Gang headquarters:

Crash!

Blood Lion, struck with tremendous force, flew several yards and coughed up a mouthful of blood.

After he struggled to his feet, he glared at Blood Falcon once before dropping his head again, obedient and submissive.

Hu Guang’s face was icy as he said in a cold voice, “Two useless fools who can’t even catch a single student, and you even lost one of our own to them. What use are you?”

Blood Falcon and Blood Lion said nothing.

What they really wanted to say was: if you’re so capable, why don’t you go catch them yourself?

Why are you hiding in headquarters and refusing to step outside?

Aren’t you just afraid of getting shot?

A commotion rose outside.

“What is it?” Hu Guang barked furiously.

A minor underling came in trembling and said in a low voice, “Three of our brothers have been killed.”

Instantly, Hu Guang and the others felt the danger of the situation.

Not because three men had died.

But because if the other side could kill three today, what about tomorrow?

If three could be killed now, then in half an hour, perhaps ten more would fall.

How many people were there in the Blood Axe Gang?

Long-range sniping.

For the first time, the three of them truly felt how troublesome a sniper could be.

They had faced snipers before, of course, but any sniper above average, once discovered, would be snatched away at a high price.

Even if they committed serious mistakes, many were still granted pardon.

If all else failed, a powerful expert would be sent to kill them.

This was the first time they had truly faced an elite sniper.

A single person was nearly bringing down their entire gang.

That was not an exaggeration at all.

Everyone present knew it perfectly well.

If they let this continue, the people killed by that young man would only be the beginning.

Others who bore grudges against the Blood Axe Gang, others hoping to take advantage of the chaos, would all move in.

With everyone swarming at once, even if the Blood Axe Gang’s strength were doubled, they would still not be able to hold out.

And within the gang itself, people would begin to leave.

Who would want to live every day in fear?

That went against everything they had once joined the Blood Axe Gang for.

What now?

The three exchanged looks.

Hu Guang no longer even thought about his son’s death. What worried him now was his own life.

“Next time!” Hu Guang said coldly. “The next time that little beast attacks, you must kill him. Do you understand?”

Blood Lion and Blood Falcon exchanged a look and silently chose not to respond.

Hu Guang’s eyes flashed with brutality. “What? My words no longer carry weight?”

Blood Falcon said grimly, “Last time, the three of us, including Blood Shark, joined forces and still couldn’t capture that brat. This time... Boss, you should come with us. With your strength, you’ll certainly be able to deal with him.”

Hu Guang stared coldly at Blood Falcon.

At some point, Blood Falcon and Blood Lion had already stood together, confronting him.

Blood Falcon’s stance was clear enough.

Either the three of them went out together, or if Hu Guang was too afraid, then he could forget about making them risk their lives.

Seeing this, Hu Guang fell silent as well.

Just then, another man rushed in in haste. “Boss, it’s bad. Two more brothers have been killed.”

The entire hall grew even quieter.

Hu Guang’s eyes were already bloodshot.

He could imagine it now: the brothers below had already begun to panic.

After a long silence, he ground out, “Negotiate.”

“Send someone to negotiate with that little beast.”

In his furious roar there was a thick thread of brutality and unwillingness.

Yet Blood Falcon and Blood Lion both let out a breath of relief.

If Hu Guang insisted on sending them to their deaths, then they would have no choice but to resist by force.

Thankfully.

Still, a deep sorrow rose in both their hearts.

Back then, when Hu Guang was not yet boss, he was known as Blood Axe.

Among the five of them, Blood Axe was always the one carrying the great axe and charging at the front.

And now he had become so timid.

He was wary of even his own men.

Truly, they could share hardship but not prosperity.

The negotiator was decided quickly.

Blood Falcon.

Ordinary men were not qualified; only the boss or the four generals could handle it.

Hu Guang naturally would not go himself, so one of the remaining four had to be chosen. Blood Lion was too rash.

In the end, the burden of negotiation fell to Blood Falcon.

At once, Blood Falcon raised a white flag and walked out of the Blood Axe Gang headquarters.

Embarrassing?

Heh. People who survived in Chaos City had long forgotten what embarrassment meant.

Fang Qingyun, lying in wait and aiming his scope at the Blood Axe Gang headquarters, was a little surprised when he saw the white flag.

Giving in this quickly?

He had thought they could hold out for a couple more days.

At this point, Fang Qingyun’s mission was already complete.

And not just complete—exceeded.

His task had been to intimidate the Blood Axe Gang, yet he had nearly wiped them out instead.

He felt no pride in it.

What kind of people were these in Chaos City?

To put it bluntly, they were all trash.

They were martial artists who had clawed their way up by every possible means, each one having committed serious crimes in their own races before fleeing to Chaos City. Their hard, miserable lives had long since worn away their edges. To expect backbone from them would be a dream.

Fang Qingyun sat down somewhere at random and waited quietly for Blood Falcon.

When the two finally met, Blood Falcon had already prepared himself psychologically, yet he was still startled.

So young.

Was he even an adult?

To think that such a young man possessed such terrifying sniping skill—utterly unbelievable.

At the same time, a trace of killing intent rose in his heart.

At such close range, could he kill him?

Snipers generally weren’t strong in close combat.

After killing him, he could even take everything he possessed.

Then Blood Falcon thought of their earlier pursuit.

What exactly had been going on with Fang Qingyun’s speed then?

His level clearly wasn’t high, yet he moved so fast. Was it a secret treasure?

Blood Falcon slowed his steps, indecisive.

By the time he stood before Fang Qingyun, Fang Qingyun said lightly, “Have you thought it through? Are you going to make a move?”

Blood Falcon’s heart jumped. He hurriedly said, “I’m here to negotiate, not fight.”

“Think carefully.” Fang Qingyun smiled faintly. “All you’ve seen is my sniping ability. My close-combat ability may be zero. If you kill me, there’s no need to negotiate at all. Besides, you’d have avenged that Young Master Hu. The future leader of the Blood Axe Gang would surely be you.”

“Oh, and I have plenty of good things on me.”

Blood Falcon’s heart was pounding madly.

He knew Fang Qingyun was right, every word of it.

As long as he could kill Fang Qingyun, he would get everything he wanted.

But Fang Qingyun was too calm, regarding him with tranquil composure.

His eyes were deep, bottomless.

Moreover, someone with such murderous sniping skill had to be extraordinarily composed. Would such a person allow him to approach without any preparation?

Blood Falcon forced a smile and repeated, “You jest. I’m here to negotiate, not to fight.”

“Fine.” Fang Qingyun said indifferently, “First, hand over the person you were dealing with.”

Blood Falcon’s heart gave a violent lurch. Forcing a smile, he said, “I don’t understand what you mean.”

“I want proof. Proof that that man was trading with you. If you don’t have it, you can go back. Once I’ve killed all of you, I’ll go to your territory and find it myself.”

Fang Qingyun’s voice remained utterly calm.

Sweat began to bead on Blood Falcon’s forehead.

Hand over the evidence against that man?

A joke. That would make them mortal enemies for sure.

The student council of the Northwest Military Academy held tremendous power. Offending them would bring a crushing blow upon any force like the Blood Axe Gang, which relied on that academy for support.

But if he did not hand it over, he would not get past this hurdle.

“Have you decided?” Fang Qingyun’s tone was still calm. “If I were you, I’d agree.”

“Why?” Blood Falcon’s voice was frosty.

“Because if you don’t hand it over, you die now. As for the future, who can say? Don’t you think so?”

Fang Qingyun looked at Blood Falcon with a meaningful gaze.

Blood Falcon’s body stiffened.

That was indeed what he had been thinking.

“You are a student of the Northwest Military Academy. You should know what the Blood Axe Gang represents!” Blood Falcon said stiffly. “If you move against us, the student council of the Northwest Military Academy will never let you go.”

“Believe me.” Fang Qingyun said seriously, “Whether they let me go or not, you will never know.”

The dead know too little.

Blood Falcon said quietly, “Then suppose we send word to the Northwest Military Academy right now that you’re trying to kill us. What do you think the student council will do?”

“They’ll send people to stop me,” Fang Qingyun said calmly. “A perfectly reasonable response. Of course, my phone is broken, so they can’t reach me. They’ll have to send someone in person. That takes at least six hours.”

“Tell me, in this wilderness, with Chaos City itself living on borrowed time, do you think they’ll arrive here smoothly?”

Blood Falcon tasted bitterness in his mouth.

How had they ever provoked this killing star?

Looking at Blood Falcon, whose body had begun to tremble, Fang Qingyun suddenly said, “That was the negotiation between me and the Blood Axe Gang. Now, should my negotiation with you begin?”

“You and I...”

Blood Falcon suddenly widened his eyes.

Thirty minutes later, Blood Falcon walked back into the Blood Axe Gang with a complicated expression.

“Well?” Hu Guang stared at him coldly.

Seeing his look, a surge of immense fury rose in Blood Falcon’s heart.

You don’t even dare step outside now, yet you bark orders at him and even went so far as to injure Blood Lion.

How foolish could you be?

At a time like this, when the enemy is at the gate, you cripple your own right-hand man. How badly do you want them dead?

At once, Blood Falcon said frostily, “Rest assured, it’s been settled. He won’t kill any more brothers in the gang.”

Hu Guang did not notice the flaw in his wording. Instead, he let out a long breath of relief.

The deaths of Blood Bird and Blood Shark had genuinely shaken him.

His strength was a little greater than theirs, but only a little.

If the other side could snipe those two down, then killing him was not out of the question.

Even if he were on guard and could avoid it, he did not want to live every day in fear.

So what if he had no son? With his strength, he could still live at least another hundred years.

“What terms did he put forward?”

Blood Falcon said nothing, only fixed his eyes on Hu Guang and said in a low voice, “Boss, do you still remember the promise you made to the brothers when the Blood Axe Gang was first founded?”

“What?” Hu Guang froze, then said angrily, “At a time like this, you’re still bringing up such things? I asked what conditions he set!”

Blood Lion looked at Blood Falcon strangely.

He had noticed something was off ever since Blood Falcon came in.

“No, big brother, this is important.”

Blood Falcon’s voice was calm. At that moment, he no longer called him Boss, but Big Brother.

Hu Guang and Blood Lion both froze.

Then, as if they had thought of something, the atmosphere instantly turned rigid.

Blood Lion stared at Blood Falcon, shock impossible to hide in his eyes.

Hu Guang stared into Blood Falcon’s eyes, filled with killing intent.

“Blood Falcon, what do you mean?”

His voice was cold, and enormous power began to swirl through his body.

“Back then, the five of us brothers founded the Blood Axe Gang. Only you had reached general rank, so you became the boss.” Blood Falcon enunciated each word. “Do you still remember the promise you made then?”

Hu Guang slowly rose to his feet. Power burst forth from him in full force, and he let out a savage grin. “So today you intend to force me from office?”

Blood Lion was also dumbstruck, staring at Blood Falcon.

Could it be because Blood Bird was dead?

Back then, Hu Guang had promised that among the five brothers, only he had reached general rank, so he would hold the position of boss.

But once the others also reached general rank, they would take turns serving as boss.

Naturally, that promise had never been fulfilled.

Though the other brothers had gradually become generals as well, Hu Guang’s power had only grown stronger. Blood Bird had remained utterly loyal to him, while Blood Shark and Blood Lion stayed neutral.

With only Blood Falcon alone opposing him, Hu Guang could still insist that he should remain boss.

Now Blood Bird was dead, Blood Shark was dead, and only Blood Falcon and Blood Lion remained.

He...

“Blood Falcon, you’re not qualified. Not even a little.”

Hu Guang suddenly grew calm. “If you want to try, then come. Let me see your strength.”

“No, your opponent isn’t me.”

Blood Falcon suddenly smiled slyly. “I’ve found the right opponent for you.”

“What?” Hu Guang frowned, then said coldly, “You dare collude with outsiders?”

“I’m not really an outsider either.”

Fang Qingyun’s voice rang out as he walked in from outside, looking at Hu Guang with calm eyes.

“The Blood Axe Gang is a force under the Northwest Military Academy. As someone from the Northwest Military Academy, I’m practically one of your own.”

“You...” Hu Guang stared at Fang Qingyun in a daze for a moment, then suddenly burst into laughter. “Good, very good. So it was you. It really was you. You’ve got guts, showing yourself here of all places. Let me see how I tear you to pieces today!”

Fang Qingyun wasted no words. He raised the sniper rifle in his hands and fired straight at Hu Guang.

Bang!

A blood-colored great axe blocked Hu Guang’s front.

Bullet and axe collided head-on with a sharp metallic clang.

Hu Guang was forced back repeatedly, not stopping until he slammed into the wall behind him.

“Second-tier spiritual energy round?”

Crack.

Fang Qingyun said nothing, calmly pushing another bullet into the chamber.

“Kill him!”

Taking advantage of this moment, Hu Guang had already recovered. With a furious roar, he hurled the great axe in his hand toward Fang Qingyun.

This move undoubtedly interrupted Fang Qingyun’s next shot.

Immediately afterward, Hu Guang charged up to Fang Qingyun and threw a heavy punch, like a lion’s roar.

Blood Lion had initially wanted to rush forward and help, but upon seeing this, his face turned pale and he allowed Blood Falcon to drag him back.

That was a battle technique, one that belonged to Blood Lion.

After Hu Guang became boss, he used every possible method to strengthen himself.

Not only did all resources go to him first, but even the battle techniques of the brothers were stripped away by him.

He only supported the weakest of them, Blood Bird, from the very start.

The result was that Hu Guang became the Blood Axe Gang’s strongest expert, while Blood Bird, originally the weakest of the five, rose to second place and could even suppress the most gifted, Blood Shark, from time to time.

Hu Guang dying would be better!

That thought suddenly surfaced in Blood Lion’s heart.