Chapter 51: Intensity

Zuo Zhicheng did not know that the woman in red’s methods were faster and more intense than he had imagined.

The vegetable market in the west of the city, an area controlled by a small gang called the Quanzhou Gang, had also recently joined in the encroachment on the Sea Dragon Gang.

But the headquarters of the Quanzhou Gang, which was usually brightly lit, had now become completely dark.

Several Sea Dragon Gang members pushed the door open as instructed, but as soon as they entered, they were overwhelmed by a wave of blood and had to retreat.

One member just glanced inside and immediately stepped back, leaning against the wall to vomit.

It was a scene like a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood.

The woman in red slowly walked out. Traces of blood still remained on her body, clothes, and hair, but she herself seemed to enjoy the process.

She casually tossed a dark object to one of the gang members.

“Hang this at the dock tomorrow.”

“Everyone will know who really controls Xinlu Port.”

When the gang member who caught the object thrown by the woman in red saw what it was, he let out a sharp cry.

It was the head of the Quanzhou Gang leader.

The entire underground world of Xinlu Port became extremely turbulent because of the woman in red’s arrival.

In just five days, the heads of several gang leaders were publicly displayed at the dock. No one had evidence to prove it was the Sea Dragon Gang’s doing, but everyone knew it was their show of force.

The territories they had taken over were returned one by one. The once aggressive gangs began to hesitate under this pure brutality and violence.

Everyone had killed before; in the underworld, it was all about who was more ruthless. But the woman in red, who immediately wiped out entire families, chopped off heads, and even dismembered people, along with her strength, truly frightened these gang bosses.

However, where there is oppression, there is resistance. While the woman in red’s brutal methods scared everyone, it also meant she had become a thorn in everyone’s side.

But she was like a ghost; no one knew where she was hiding. She even refused all the accommodations arranged by the Sea Dragon Gang, contacting only Long Feiyang unilaterally. She was like a fish hiding in the ocean, completely concealing herself.

To Zuo Zhicheng, these details meant professionalism.

A professional killer, a martial artist specializing in combat and slaughter. Whether in skill, strength, or mindset, she was far beyond what so-called gangsters or even the Four Heavenly Kings could compare to.

To put it simply, it was the difference between an amateur and a professor.

After many gangs in Xinlu City were attacked, a name was vaguely leaked from the Sea Dragon Gang.

Blood Rakshasa.

…

Starting this morning, during his martial arts training at the martial hall, Zuo Zhicheng noticed an increase in people coming and going.

Jiang Tianzheng, who usually trained with them every morning, was unusually absent today. Instead, he was constantly moving in and out, talking and exchanging with others.

‘Yanwu Hall, Xinlu Boxing Club, Long Martial Hall, Fist Soul Hall, Chaoyang Martial Hall…’ Zuo Zhicheng silently noted the identities of these martial artists coming and going. They were all masters from the major martial halls in Xinlu City.

He knew that Jiang Tianzheng, to withstand the pressure from the Sea Dragon Gang, had contacted these martial halls and had long wanted to unite all the martial halls in Xinlu Port to form a Martial Arts Association. This would encourage more people to practice martial arts, strengthen themselves, resist violence, and oppose the underground forces in Xinlu City. After all, there was no fundamental conflict of interest between martial halls and gangs; in fact, many had some connections.

This naturally led to disunity, and the plan had never succeeded.

Zuo Zhicheng wondered if it was the pressure from Blood Rakshasa that made these martial halls want to unite. Thinking of the so-called Blood Rakshasa, Zuo Zhicheng frowned.

Jiang Qing patted Zuo Zhicheng on the head and said, “What are you staring at? Focus on training.”

Zuo Zhicheng withdrew his gaze and began practicing Sumeru Long Fist with precision. These days, because Jiang Tianzheng was very busy, he had assigned the task of teaching Zuo Zhicheng to Jiang Qing.

Jiang Qing watched as Zuo Zhicheng finished the Sumeru Long Fist sequence and nodded with satisfaction. “Not bad, not bad. You’ve improved a lot. Although your talent is average, you have some perseverance and know how to work hard.” But then her face suddenly turned stern.

“But during sparring these days, what are you afraid of? You’re always dodging and your punches are weak. You’re embarrassing me.”

After all, he was considered half a member of the martial hall, and being at a disadvantage during sparring with other students did not sit well with Jiang Qing.

Zuo Zhicheng scratched his chin and said, “I’m worried about hitting too hard. During sparring, what if I accidentally hit a vital spot? Besides, A Fei and the others have been training longer than me. It’s normal that I can’t beat them.”

“What are you afraid of? If you’re so scared of fighting, why practice martial arts? And A Fei and the others don’t train as hard as you. Your Sumeru Long Fist is already more polished than theirs.”

Jiang Qing said with frustration, “I’m telling you, training is training, fighting is fighting. No matter how hard you train, if you don’t dare to strike, what’s the use? You’re all about the same age, weight, and height. What matters is courage and skill.

Let me tell you, all that talk about stopping at the right point and martial virtue is nonsense. From now on, during sparring, especially when competing with other martial halls, fight as if your life depends on it! Only after winning do you have the right to talk about stopping at the right point.”

Zuo Zhicheng smiled helplessly. “Got it.”

The morning passed quickly. As the afternoon arrived, the regular students gathered in the training ground, where Jiang Qing taught them martial arts.

Meanwhile, the masters who had come to contact Jiang Tianzheng all gathered in the dining hall.

At the entrance of the martial hall, an older and a younger martial artist walked in. The older man was slightly overweight with a humble expression, looking more like a merchant than a martial artist.

The young man behind him appeared dashing and charismatic, with the air of a talented scholar.

As soon as the two entered the dining hall, a group of martial artists, led by Jiang Tianzheng, went up to greet them and exchange pleasantries.

Zuo Zhicheng glanced at the two and thought to himself, “Chaoyang Martial Hall, Xiao Jingyang, and his son Xiao Changhe. The earliest martial hall in Xinlu. Seems to have some connection with the Hundred Families Association too.”

Under his Infrared Vision, their Innate Primordial Breath was concentrated in their backs. Xiao Jingyang’s was purple at 28%, and Xiao Changhe’s was purple at 9%.

“Zuo Zhicheng,” Jiang Qing called out, pointing to him as he leaned against the wall with a broom. “We’re short one person. You’ll be the sparring partner.”

Zuo Zhicheng curled his lip helplessly and stepped forward to participate in this “play.”

His sparring partner was A Fei, the young man who was often scolded by Jiang Qing. Now, looking at Zuo Zhicheng, he was eager to try. After all, he had sparred with Zuo Zhicheng several times recently and knew that although Zuo Zhicheng had good form and was skilled in Sumeru Long Fist, he tended to panic during a fight, unable to use even 30% of his ability.

In the dining hall, Jiang Tianzheng was chatting animatedly with Xiao Jingyang and the other masters. Behind them, Xiao Changhe, bored in this gathering of elders, perked up when he saw Jiang Qing instructing the students in sparring and slowly walked over.

Jiang Qing was also wearing a white training uniform today. With her delicate face and two bold, heroic eyebrows, she looked like a combination of a female knight and a wealthy young lady, which indeed attracted many people’s attention today. However, so far, only Xiao Changhe had actually taken action.

He walked up to Jiang Qing and, watching Zuo Zhicheng struggling under A Fei’s punches, said with a smile, “Junior Sister Qing, your students aren’t very good. They have the basics, but fighting like this, how are they any different from street thugs?”

Unfortunately, despite Xiao Changhe’s proactive approach, Jiang Qing didn’t even glance at him, treating him as if he were air.