Chapter Thirty-Nine: Iron Wonder

In the Iron Hammer Gang’s council hall, Tie Qi sat at the head of the table. To his left and right, more than a dozen chairs had been arranged, each occupied by a master at the Qi Guiding stage. These were the core members of the Iron Hammer Gang—their remaining Qi Guiding experts, all gathered here at his order.

The reason for this full assembly was none other than a command from their leader, Tie Qi. Just yesterday, he had abruptly called everyone back to headquarters, leaving them all puzzled. Unrest in Xiangyun Street was reaching new heights, and no one knew what new turmoil tomorrow might bring, or whether it would strike them personally.

Tie Qi noticed the confusion among his subordinates, but he had little choice. Recent events had left him with a deep sense of foreboding. The gang’s armory had been set ablaze, and one of their mid-stage Qi Guiding elders, attempting to stop the arsonist, had barely escaped with his life.

The intruder had caused significant destruction before a large force finally managed to drive him away. Most vexing of all, they still had no idea who the culprit was. Only at the end did they manage to catch a disciple from the Venom Sect nearby, which made Tie Qi even more uneasy.

He was on the verge of a breakthrough, but the final step remained elusive. Just as he was feeling a glimmer of progress, all these troubles erupted. The Venom Sect was highly suspect in the attack; ever since word of Tie Qi’s impending breakthrough had spread, friction between their two factions had only intensified. Other forces in the area had also clashed with them.

It wasn’t that Tie Qi was unwilling to rein in his men, but their arrogance was deeply ingrained and hard to curb in a short time. He had a strong feeling that Du Sheng of the Venom Sect would never sit idly by as he advanced, and he instinctively believed they were behind the attack.

Before he could even begin to resolve these internal crises, a fierce battle broke out between the Black Tiger Hall and the Xiangyun Street Merchant Association. The authorities intervened, wiping out Black Tiger Hall, which left Tie Qi deeply shaken.

He finally realized how powerless he was before the true powers of Yuyang City. That was why he gathered everyone together—to seek a solution. He was protective of his own, yes, but he couldn’t let the Iron Hammer Gang be destroyed because of it.

After much deliberation, Tie Qi struggled to find the right words to begin, but someone among his lieutenants spoke first.

“Leader, Xiangyun Street has become increasingly chaotic. I believe we must act decisively. The Venom Sect dared to attack us—we must seek justice, or our reputation will suffer greatly!” It was Elder Song Hai, the one who had narrowly escaped injury during the armory incident.

“Elder Song is right. The Venom Sect is strong, but we’re not far behind. Besides, with the leader on the verge of a breakthrough, they’ve only grown bolder in their attacks. If we swallow this insult now, they’ll do far worse next time the leader goes into seclusion!” This time, it was Elder Lin Xiang, the other mid-stage Qi Guiding elder, lending his voice.

“That’s right! The Venom Sect will never give up trying to destroy us!”

With the two elders taking the lead, the rest of the hall erupted in shouts. These men were used to acting with impunity, but lately, they’d been suppressed by the Venom Sect. After this latest attack, their patience had reached its limit. Now, with the elders urging action, they were eager for a fight.

Tie Qi sat there, momentarily dumbfounded. He hadn’t even spoken a word, yet his men had already whipped themselves into a frenzy. What was happening here?

His original intent had been to avoid direct conflict, but now he realized that if he tried to hold them back, resentment would boil over within the Iron Hammer Gang. Even as leader, he might not be able to contain it.

“Leader, let us go seek justice—avenge our fallen brothers!” The first shout was quickly echoed by nearly everyone.

Tie Qi was on pins and needles. He’d overlooked the most crucial point: their brothers had died. If he still tried to restrain them, he would no longer be fit to lead.

“Brothers, grab your weapons! We’re paying the Venom Sect a visit—let’s see what Du Sheng has to say for himself!” Tie Qi slapped his chair, sprang to his feet, and hefted his massive hammer.

His roar drew a cheer from the crowd. In short order, over a hundred Iron Hammer men assembled, marching in force toward the Venom Sect.

...

Inside the Venom Sect, Du Sheng, the sect master, had been deeply troubled by the recent chaos on Xiangyun Street. Once hailed as the street’s top expert, his presence had ensured a tenuous order amid the competing factions.

But since Yang Ze’s arrival, incidents had multiplied. If not for Yang Ze’s powerful backing, Du Sheng would have eliminated him already to prevent future troubles.

Now, however, anxiety gnawed at him. With the destruction of Black Tiger Hall, he even considered meeting the leaders of the Merchant Association, the Woodcutter Gang, and the Iron Hammer Gang to form an alliance—standing together to stabilize the situation.

With that in mind, he began drafting letters to those leaders, hoping to arrange a summit. He had barely taken up his brush when a disciple burst into the room, panic-stricken and shouting, “Master! It’s terrible, something’s happened!”

By the time the disciple reached him, he could barely stand.

Du Sheng seized him and barked, “What’s with the shouting? I’m right here. What’s happened?”

Gasping for breath, the disciple managed to stammer, “Master, a large group from the Iron Hammer Gang is marching on us! They’re killing any of our disciples they see along the way, and now—they’re at our gates!”

Du Sheng’s expression darkened, and he cursed. “Useless! The lot of you are useless! What’s the point of keeping you around if you only report when the enemy’s already at our door?”

Furious, he shoved the man aside and strode out, thoughts of alliances forgotten.

Tie Qi, leading his men, had killed every Venom Sect disciple they encountered on the way—both to avenge their own dead and to prevent anyone from warning Du Sheng in advance. Now they stood before the Venom Sect’s main gate, where over twenty disciples had gathered to hold them back.

Tie Qi faced them and shouted, “I’m here only to seek answers. If you dare block my way, don’t blame me for what happens next!”

Sun Yu, hearing Tie Qi’s words, sneered. “You’ve got some nerve, Tie Qi—attacking the Venom Sect and demanding we let you pass? What do you take us for?”

“Sun Yu, you think you can stop me? Fine, I’ll deal with you first, then take this up with Du Sheng!” Tie Qi struck without hesitation, closing in and launching a powerful punch.

Sun Yu barely managed to intercept the blow, but while Tie Qi stood firm, Sun Yu staggered back four steps, startled by the disparity. One exchange was enough to reveal the gulf between them—Tie Qi, as rumored, was only a step away from the advanced Qi Guiding stage. Though Sun Yu himself was mid-stage, he was no match.

Tie Qi didn’t let up—his second punch whistled through the air. Sun Yu’s face paled as he blocked again, blood surging wildly within him. He was completely overwhelmed.

With brute strength, Tie Qi unleashed a third punch, this time aiming for Sun Yu’s face. If Sun Yu failed to parry, he might not survive.

At the last moment, Sun Yu dared not risk another close exchange. He retreated swiftly, trying to widen the gap.

Tie Qi pursued relentlessly—today, he intended to make an example of Sun Yu and send a message to Du Sheng.

With a roar, Tie Qi surged forward, closing the distance and launching another strike. Suddenly, another figure darted out, meeting Tie Qi’s fist with an open palm.

The shockwave from the clash sent Tie Qi back two steps before he steadied himself. Du Sheng’s sleeve fluttered in the aftermath, his face grim as he snapped, “Tie Qi, you’re bold indeed. Are you declaring war on the Venom Sect?”

With Du Sheng present, Tie Qi’s momentum finally slowed. This was Xiangyun Street’s top expert—he dared not underestimate him.

“Enough words, Du Sheng. Your people killed my men. Either you give me an explanation, or today the Venom Sect will run with blood!” Tie Qi declared without hesitation.

“Killed your men? If you want a fight, Tie Qi, just say so. Don’t look for excuses.”

“I knew you’d deny it, Du Sheng. That’s why I collected some interest on the way here.” With that, Tie Qi had his men bring out several corpses.

Du Sheng’s gaze turned icy. He laughed coldly. “Very well. Since that’s how you want it, none of you will leave here alive today.”

As the words fell, Du Sheng struck without warning.