Chapter 93: Strike First, Strike Hard

"Sister Yue, I've heard that Dragon Soul of the Black Dragon Gang, Qiao Dong of the Jin Gang, and Zhang Dalin of the Northeastern Gang have all arrived in Jianghai City. They’re at the First Hospital of Jianghai City right now. Do you think we should strike first while the advantage is ours? After all, this is our territory and they haven’t brought many people with them."

Tiger relayed the latest news to Song Ziyue, seeking her decision.

"Hmm, they’re quite bold, daring to come to Jianghai City in person. Sister Yue, let me take some men and deal with them," said a tall, slightly chubby man beside her. His nickname was Big Bird, just like Tiger, a moniker by which everyone on the streets knew him. He was called Big Bird for two reasons: first, despite his size, he was incredibly fast—he'd learned some light-footed martial arts in his youth. He couldn’t quite scale rooftops, but he was several times faster than most. The second reason, well-known to everyone, was his disproportionately large endowment, which always left Tiger and the others feeling inadequate whenever they visited the bathhouse together, and transformed the women’s excitement into fear. In short, Big Bird truly lived up to his name.

Big Bird was also one of Song Ziyue’s most capable men, even more formidable than Tiger. He looked at Song Ziyue with full confidence, hoping she would approve his plan.

"They’ve come to Jianghai City so brazenly because they clearly don’t take us seriously and think we’re already in their pocket. But we can’t afford to be careless. Reputations are not made out of thin air—both the Jin Gang and the Northeastern Gang have deep roots, and that Dragon Soul is a supernaturally gifted individual," Song Ziyue analyzed calmly.

"Sister Yue, are you afraid of them?" Tiger asked bluntly, as always.

"Afraid? I, Song Ziyue, have never known fear. I’m simply reminding everyone to be cautious. Big Bird, take the brothers and surround the hospital. Also, get some people inside to monitor their movements—preferably disguised as doctors or nurses—to gather the most accurate information," Song Ziyue began to deploy her people.

"Tiger, you take several dozen men and make a show of it, challenge them openly, and see how they react. But remember, protect yourself and our brothers at all costs. If it really comes to blows, Big Bird’s team will join in. I’ll give the city police a heads-up in advance."

Song Ziyue was indeed planning to strike first. After Ling Tian crippled those men, there was no turning back; they were mortal enemies now, especially since one of them was the son of the King of the Northeast. It would be madness to think the other side would let this go.

"Heh, fine. Since they dare come to Jianghai City, let’s show them the Ziyue Gang isn’t so easily bullied." Tiger, a born fighter, was already eager for action.

"Sister Yue, just wait at home for good news!" Big Bird declared with conviction, utterly unafraid.

"I have other arrangements as well. Don’t get careless, especially with Dragon Soul. We don’t know what kind of powers he has—let’s hope he’s not as freakishly invincible as Long Qi," Song Ziyue cautioned them again.

At the mention of Long Qi, the room fell silent. He was simply too formidable—if Ling Tian hadn’t subdued him back then, no one would have been able to handle him.

"Sister Yue, maybe we should notify Brother Tian this time. It seems like only he can deal with those supernaturally gifted types," Tiger suggested.

"No need. I, Song Ziyue, am not the kind of woman who relies on a man, and the Ziyue Gang cannot depend on anyone else either. Our opponents are strong, but we can use some less-than-honorable methods. For example, that so-called invincible Long Qi—wasn’t he left at our mercy once he lost consciousness? We can use drugs or other means. Understand what I mean?"

As Song Ziyue spoke, a faint smile played at her lips. She felt she was becoming a bit ruthless now—perhaps someone had influenced her? The old Song Ziyue would have scorned such underhanded tactics.

"Haha, got it. Sister Yue, you’re finally starting to see things differently—you’re not so inflexible anymore," Big Bird laughed heartily. In this world, only winners are kings and losers are nothing; who cares how you get there? Song Ziyue had always insisted on playing fair, which made her quite an oddity in the underworld.

Tiger grinned and said, "It’s all thanks to Brother Tian—he’s transformed you. A woman truly changes once she finds a good man."

The others snickered quietly at his words, but none dared tease Song Ziyue so openly.

"Tiger, are you talking about me?" Song Ziyue’s smile faded as she fixed Tiger with a cold gaze, her voice full of authority. She thought to herself that Tiger was getting more and more out of line.

"Uh, I meant someone else. Other women change when they have a man. Sister Yue, you’re different—you’re still as heroic and wise as ever, always our most admired Sister Yue," Tiger hurriedly corrected himself as he caught her icy stare, laying on the flattery thick, and earning more quiet laughter from the others.

"Enough nonsense. Get to your tasks now. Remember, be careful and act according to the situation," Song Ziyue reminded them once more.

After Tiger and the others left, Song Ziyue remained alone in the room. She knew there would be no peace for her anytime soon. She never wanted to fight so many people—she merely wanted to quietly guard the underworld of Jianghai City, a place she loved deeply. Yet she never imagined the surrounding factions would refuse to let her be.

So be it. If Heaven won’t tolerate me, I’ll defy Heaven. If anyone dares challenge me, let them taste the edge of my Ziyue Tang Sword!

Her thoughts drifted to the previous night’s events. She hadn’t expected to become a true woman so soon. Ling Tian had been... quite something. She wondered where he would spend the night tonight—on which woman’s bed?

She still felt a faint ache between her legs. Last night had been sheer madness...

After leaving the police station, Ling Tian went straight back to Lin Youya’s villa, opened his laptop, and connected to a special network to search for the information he wanted.

He had thought he could leave the past behind and live quietly as a wealthy second-generation heir. But fate had drawn him back in. He couldn’t ignore Tingting’s death, nor suppress his curiosity about his brother Dongfang Ye’s fate.

His woman, Song Ziyue, had simultaneously provoked the Jin Gang, Northeastern Gang, and Black Dragon Gang, and had even indirectly offended the Yamaguchi-gumi. Was he destined to become entangled in his old life once more?

Since he couldn’t figure it out, he decided to let fate take its course. He couldn’t just stand by and watch his woman get into trouble, could he?

Ling Tian’s fingers flew across the keyboard, and he quickly found the information he was after.

Dongfang Ye had indeed gone missing, while the other brothers who had gone on that mission with him had all been found dead. Only he and Dongfang Ye were unaccounted for—no bodies, no sightings alive or dead. But given the massive explosion at the time, they had been presumed dead.

The records on the Jin Gang and Northeastern Gang hadn’t changed. The Jin Gang’s boss, Qiao Dong, was a new-generation elite of the Brotherhood, ruling the criminal underworld of Shanxi Province. The true power behind the Jin Gang was the Brotherhood itself.

The Brotherhood originated in Sichuan and Chongqing, and was a major secret society active along the Yangtze River in modern Chinese history. In Sichuan and Chongqing, it was called the Robe Brotherhood, and its influence on the Sichuan and Hunan armies was enormous, playing a significant role in the late Qing dynasty’s revolutionary movements.

After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the government used land reform to tighten grassroots control and outlawed all secret societies. The Robe Brotherhoods that resisted the Liberation Army were ruthlessly suppressed, including those who had previously helped the Communist Party. Their hundred-year glory ended almost overnight.

In Chongqing and Sichuan, the Brotherhood was called the Robe Brotherhood; its members called themselves “Han Survivors.” In the middle and lower Yangtze, it was known as the Red Gang. Alongside the Triads and the Green Gang, it was one of the three most famous secret societies in modern Chinese history.

As the saying goes, a centipede dies but never stiffens. Officially, the Brotherhood was disbanded, but it still exerted considerable influence in the underworld, though now in a much looser form. Even now, its members supported each other when trouble arose.

Ling Tian massaged his temples, feeling a headache coming on. Qiao Dong was indeed a formidable figure. If he’d known he’d be such trouble, he’d have taken him out in his previous life.

For the state, the criminal underworld is impossible to truly eradicate—it’s like weeds: cut down one batch and another springs up. Unless someone or something causes exceptionally severe harm, the government generally leaves them alone.

In his previous life, Ling Tian had dealt with many underworld matters, mostly as a mediator. Only those who committed truly heinous crimes were dealt with harshly. Qiao Dong had always been just within tolerable limits.

The Northeastern Gang didn’t have such deep roots, which made things a bit easier. Still, its members were fierce and ruthless—a tough opponent. The only comfort was that in the Northeast, new kingpins rose up constantly, and old and new factions replaced each other quickly. He could exploit their internal rivalries.

The Northeastern Gang’s boss, Zhang Dalin, bore a name with a story. It was rumored his ancestors were somehow connected to the legendary Zhang Zuolin, the true King of the Northeast. Zhang Dalin’s family named him in honor of Zhang Zuolin, hoping he too would make his mark in the world.

When it came time to name his own son, he simply called him Zhang Shuai, after the Young Marshal Zhang Xueliang. The whole family was ambitious—too bad they were born in the wrong era.

The Black Dragon Gang was a newer organization, rising in the last year or two, so little information was available. Ling Tian only discovered that its ten leaders were all supernaturally gifted, headed by Dragon Soul and Dragon Zhan. However, he couldn’t find details about their actual abilities. It seemed the authorities hadn’t truly taken the Black Dragon Gang seriously yet, or there would have been more information.