As the turmoil surged in the slums, Liu Fei returned to the area from the hospital. The moment he entered the slums, a sense of extreme unease enveloped his entire body. What had happened? Every muscle in Liu Fei's body tensed as he moved slowly along Depravity Street. Countless pairs of eyes locked onto him, and he disliked this feeling of being watched, as if countless predators lurked in the shadows, waiting to pounce and tear him apart.
The temptation of two hundred thousand Zou'er coins was immense! Not everyone in the slums possessed the far-sightedness of One-eyed Long De Se. Especially those disorganized thugs, driven by the lure of the bounty, they were oblivious to the dangers lurking behind the two hundred thousand Zou'er coins.
Just as One-eyed Long De Se had said: lack of education is truly terrifying! Little Fish, Anderson, and Ma Liu, three illiterate individuals, carried weapons of primitive origin, dating back to the Mother Star era: bricks, watermelon knives, and wooden sticks.
"Splat!" Skinny Little Fish spat out a thick green phlegm onto the ground, his face filled with anger. "This guy hasn't shown up for two days. Could he have fled? More and more people know about it now. We probably won't get the two hundred thousand Zou'er coins."
"Little Fish, I can't shake off this feeling of unease," said Anderson, the strongest and most advanced of the three, holding a rusty watermelon knife.
"Yeah, Little Fish, I feel the same way. Why are they all staring at us?" Ma Liu swallowed nervously, his eyes flashing with fear as he looked around. The intense gazes surrounding him made him feel naked and exposed.
"What's wrong?" Little Fish was the brains of the trio.
"Why haven't we seen anyone else ambushing Liu Fei? Could it be that Ironhead isn't dead?" Anderson asked, his eyes flashing with a hint of fear.
"Ah... forget about Ironhead. I asked a few scavengers, and they said Ironhead has been dead for half a year. As for why no one's carrying weapons... maybe they're hiding them well, or they don't care about the two hundred thousand Zou'er coins," Little Fish replied, momentarily stunned. He hadn't considered this question before. Subconsciously, he looked around and indeed saw that there wasn't a single person carrying weapons on Depravity Street, not even a brick. This was different from the usual scramble for rewards.
"But..."
"Enough, wait another ten minutes. If he doesn't come, we'll leave," Little Fish said impatiently. Although he was the brains of the trio, he didn't like to overthink things.
"We don't need ten minutes."
"Why?" Little Fish asked, puzzled, looking at Ma Liu.
"He's here." Ma Liu nodded towards one end of Depravity Street.
"Ah... hahaha... the chance to strike it rich has arrived! Original plan! I'll use the brick to attract his attention. Ma Liu, you roll up close and get ready to attack. Once he's knocked out, it'll be easy. Anderson, aim your watermelon knife carefully, whether it's the left leg or the right leg doesn't matter, just aim for whichever is convenient..." Little Fish seemed to see the two hundred thousand Zou'er coins walking towards them, his face filled with excitement as he whispered his instructions.
"Oh..." Anderson glanced at the watermelon knife in his hand, feeling a bit uneasy. He doubted whether this knife could sever a leg, but Little Fish said there was no problem. The key was that this watermelon knife wouldn't attract attention.
Anderson trusted Little Fish. Among the three, Little Fish was the smartest.
...
Just less than ten meters away, three thugs crouched, their bodies exhibiting a tension ready to strike. At the same time, Liu Fei noticed a weathered brick in the hand of one thug. Judging from its level of weathering, the brick's density must be very solid.
According to numerous case studies, the human skull cannot withstand the impact of a solid brick. The denser the brick, the more lethal it is.
Liu Fei halted his steps. Since entering Depravity Street, he hadn't seen anyone carrying weapons. These three suspicious thugs seemed to confirm his suspicion.
Ironhead had told him not to underestimate anyone. Any potential threat must be nipped in the bud.
Ironhead was right. Liu Fei didn't know how many tragedies had occurred under a brick, but because of Ironhead's teachings, he wouldn't allow history to repeat itself.
The less conspicuous the weapon, the more deadly it is!
...
Why didn't they leave?
Why didn't they leave?
When Liu Fei stopped his body, Little Fish, Anderson, and Ma Liu looked at each other and were dumbfounded. Now, with Liu Fei about ten meters away from them, they simply couldn't launch a surprise attack.
"To hell with it, can't care about that now. Ma Liu, cover me, let's go!"
The arrow is on the string, it must be fired!
Little Fish gritted his teeth, suddenly shouted, and the three immediately rushed forward, with the stick in front, followed by the brick, and the watermelon knife at the rear...
Seeing the comical appearance of the three ruffians, the surrounding onlookers couldn't help but burst into laughter.
But Liu Fei didn't laugh.
Liu Fei's expression was so serious it sent chills down people's spines.
In the split second after Little Fish shouted and the three of them rushed forward, Liu Fei acted. Instead of backing away, he moved forward, his body like an arrow released from a bow, charging ahead. He reached out and caught the wooden stick hurtling towards him, then with a swift tug, he pulled Anderson off balance. Anderson's mouth met the ground, almost instinctively, in that brief moment between earth and sky, he used his hand to push up, and the stick slipped from his grasp...
With a sharp "whoosh," the dense and mottled brick whizzed past, brushing against the ear. In a swift and dramatic maneuver, Liu Fei leaped over Little Fish. Neither Little Fish nor Marla were Liu Fei's target. The rusty and spotted watermelon knife was Liu Fei's real target because it posed the greatest threat.
At that moment, Liu Fei already had an extra wooden stick in his hand.
When his body flashed in front of Anderson, Liu Fei didn't hesitate in the slightest. He leaned his upper body forward, and with the force of his bodyweight, he slammed the wooden stick down with a mighty blow.
A heart-stopping "crack" of a bone fracturing was heard, followed by a "clank" as the meat cleaver hit the ground.
The wooden stick struck Anderson's arm, shattering the bone.
The sequence of events unfolded with such swiftness that people were still caught up in the comical antics of the three thugs. Marlo had already tumbled to the ground, losing his grip on the stick, while Little Fish's ultimate weapon, the brick, had swung wildly and missed its mark, leaving him defenseless. Ultimately, the wooden stick struck with enough force to break Anderson's arm, and the watermelon knife clattered to the ground.
All the actions unfolded seamlessly, as if in the space between breaths, like a flowing stream without any obstruction. Yet, despite the rapid sequence of events, the spectators' breaths suddenly became tense, as if an invisible net had ensnared each person's heart. The tension hung thick in the air, signaling that the ordeal was far from over.
Liu Fei bent down and picked up the rusty meat cleaver from the ground, a cruel and frenzied look flashing across his face...
A piercing chill of murderous intent spread through the air, causing the crowd of onlookers to instinctively step back, creating distance from Liu Fei. At this moment, Liu Fei was like a fierce beast awakened from the depths.
With a "whoosh," the bloodstained meat cleaver came down.
"Aaaaaaah..." A shrill scream echoed through the silent, decadent street as the rusty blade struck Anderson's already broken arm.
As soon as the blade fell, Liu Fei turned and lunged at the still dazed Little Fish. The meat cleaver swung up again, slashing fiercely down towards Little Fish's head.
Blood spattered everywhere!
"Aaaaaaah..." Little Fish clutched her head and rolled on the ground, the cut starting from the top of her head and extending all the way down to her ear.
Only one remained: Ma Liu.
"My goodness..." Ma Liu let out a shout, clutching his head in frenzy as he sprinted toward the outskirts of Fallen Street. His legs moved like engines; if Ma Liu could maintain this speed, breaking the human sprint record would be no challenge.
"Clang!"
"Thud!"
The blood-stained machete and the wooden stick were discarded on the ground, their value as weapons unimportant.
Liu Fei made no attempt to chase after Ma Liu; as Lao Tietou had said, "Don't chase after a desperate enemy."
Under the gaze of dozens of onlookers, Liu Fei strode away from the scene. Fallen Street fell into silence, with only the cries of Little Fish and Anderson piercing the quiet.
As they watched his retreating figure, almost every spectator felt a shiver run down their spine.
Lao Tietou had returned!
Lao Tietou had been resurrected!
In this young man, the ruthless and vicious nature of Lao Tietou was vividly displayed. He was the second Lao Tietou.
Lao Tietou—a terrifying old man, a cruel Lao Tietou, a vengeful Lao Tietou...
...
Of course, not everyone in the slums feared Lao Tietou; many simply couldn't be bothered with an old scavenger. Dozens of meters away from the scene, there was a towering mech, even taller than Liu Fei's standard mech by three meters, standing at fifteen meters tall, resembling a majestic mountain in the slums.
The cockpit of the mech had been emptied of all equipment, and the original wooden interior appeared extremely exquisite. Thick camel velvet carpets covered the floor, a luxurious sight one wouldn't expect to find in the slums.
"No wonder he's Lao Tietou's adopted son." A middle-aged man in a white robe comfortably sat by the porthole, offering a clear view of where the three thugs had ambushed Liu Fei.
"Boss, why do so many people fear Lao Tietou?" A muscular man in a black shirt asked in confusion.
"Well... I'm not entirely sure, but what I do know is that Lao Tietou's enemies have all perished, while he still lives," the man in the white robe replied casually.
"He's just a scavenging old man; naturally, the boss wouldn't bother with him," the muscular man remarked.
"Hehe, Brother Jiu, you know, right?"
"Does Brother Jiu have a grudge against Lao Tietou?" The muscular man's expression changed abruptly. Brother Jiu was the emperor of the slums. In the slums, all residents were his subjects, including the boss in the white robe.
"It's not exactly a grudge. Many years ago, Lao Tietou knocked out all of Brother Jiu's son's teeth, not leaving a single one," the man in the white robe explained.
"Brother Jiu's son..." The muscular man felt a chilling breeze on his back, inexplicably recalling Brother Jiu's cold and fierce face.
"Yes, Brother Jiu's son. But strictly speaking, it was Lao Tietou's five-year-old son who did it, with a iron hammer," the man continued.
"...At five years old..."
"They've grown up now. The one who knocked out Brother Jiu's son's teeth is the young man from earlier. He used an iron hammer."
"Incredible, daring to knock out someone's teeth at five years old."
"Do you know why Lao Tietou went after Brother Jiu's son?"
"The boss knows."
"Because Brother Jiu's son punched out one of that young man's teeth."
"Ah..." The muscular man was dumbfounded, thinking it was some deep-seated enmity, only to realize it was just childish grievances. Lao Tietou seemed unreasonable.
"Hehe, the reason doesn't matter. What matters is that Lao Tietou is still alive and well, even after falling ill and dying half a year ago. Note that he died of illness."
"...," The muscular man fell silent for a moment. He felt the terror of Lao Tietou, though he had never paid much attention to the terrifying old man.
"Now that Lao Tietou is dead, no matter how powerful he was, he's dead. People die just like lamps go out!" The middle-aged man's face revealed a sinister smile.
"Does the boss have a plan?"
"I have no plans. Just watching from afar. If Brother Jiu can't hold back, then we might have a chance," the boss replied.
"The boss is indeed wise!" The muscular man showed admiration on his face.
In the slums, undercurrents surged, various forces watching from the sidelines. Everyone's gaze fell on Liu Fei, who became the focus without even realizing it.
Everything at home was as usual; no one had entered.
After taking a shower, it was already dusk. Liu Fei took out the unfinished wood carving. Chen Chen's wood carving shop was processing goods, and he had to deliver them soon.
"Fei Ge, Fei Ge..."
Just as Liu Fei was focused on carving, shouts came from outside—it was Li Meng's voice.
"Come in." Liu Fei opened the porthole and called out.
"Thank goodness you're still alive..." Li Meng was familiar with the place and quickly climbed into the cockpit, thoroughly checking Liu Fei from top to bottom. Only after confirming that Liu Fei was intact did he breathe a sigh of relief.
"I've been alive all along," Liu Fei replied casually, satisfied with the wood carving in his hand. It was nearly finished, and he could deliver it soon. He wondered if Chen's Wood Carving Shop was still open.
"Don't you know?!" Li Meng exclaimed in shock, seeing Liu Fei's indifferent expression.
"What's wrong?" Liu Fei's displeasure was evident in Li Meng's reactions.
"Somebody's offering 200,000 Zuo'er coins to cripple one of your legs!"
"Who?!" Liu Fei stood up abruptly, his deep gaze emitting a cold aura.