Chapter 20: Damn cop, I’ll hack you to death!

On the surface, it looked like an ordinary teahouse, but the deeper you went, the more spacious it became. Along the way, every ten meters stood a burly man wearing a yellow headscarf, clutching a ghost-head blade, while thick torches blazed fiercely on both sides.

Brother, our Liu family village already has electricity… are you guys serious about this?

But when he entered the basement, the kid was even more shocked! Where had he ever seen such a spectacle? Spotting a steel rod by the wall, he leaned against it, quietly weighing it in his hand. He chuckled—it felt just right.

The basement was as spacious as an air raid shelter, brightly lit. Sitting in the center were two elderly men—one plump and the other fierce. To the left sat five others. The kid wasn’t sure if his eyes were deceiving him, but those four ahead shimmered like golden deities in a temple.

At that moment, in the middle of the incense hall, an old man dressed in fiery red with a red headscarf shouted hoarsely, “Open the altar!”

What was even more remarkable was that two other elderly men, similarly dressed and likely in their eighties, clashed their large swords together.

“Cen!”

The old man on the left sternly said, “Do you know this place is the forbidden ground of the Hong Army? Guards are strict. Trespassers will face military law without mercy!”

The other old man was more imposing: “I am the Ming Dynasty’s vanguard, first to build bridges and roads. Wherever there are mountains, I open roads; wherever cities stand, I conquer. Who doesn’t know Tianyou Hong?”

Opening the altar meant commencing the incense hall ceremony. Gang elders or respected hall leaders would lead the newcomers through the rites. Only then would the proceedings truly begin.

The last phrase, “Who doesn’t know Tianyou Hong,” referred to Su Hongguang, an outstanding leader of the Hongmen. Legend had it that he was skilled in both literature and martial arts, with unwavering loyalty and chivalry. In the 52nd year of the Kangxi reign, under his leadership, the Hongmen grew strong and mighty, commanding respect far and wide. In Hongmen history, he was honored as “Weizong,” revered and loved by descendants.

Then, the elder recited a poem—though it’s best not to mention it here for fear of “violations.” Its core message was “Overthrow the Qing, restore the Ming.” The opening words were “Earth shakes the high hill,” signaling to the new disciples that the Hongmen’s founding goal was to restore the Ming dynasty.

Next, the elder led the newcomers in worship at the incense hall, reciting the thirty-six oaths of the Hongmen. Afterwards, the old man tapped the backs of the young men with the blunt side of his blade, asking, “Do you love your brothers or gold?”

The crowd replied in unison, “Brothers!” This was a warning to the new disciples to abide by the rules. At last, the ceremony concluded.

Liu Haizhu watched from the side, chuckling to himself. What if someone suddenly blurted out the truth: “Gold!”? How would that be handled?

Coincidentally, today was the day the Dongsheng Society welcomed new members, and Liu Haizhu happened to be there.

Or rather, the fierce old man sitting in the main seat had already noticed Liu Haizhu. He waited until the arrival of Duanzhi Song and others before signaling the start.

Whether this was coincidence or design was hard to say.

Standing in the shadows, the kid had already smoked through half a pack of cigarettes, the floor littered with crushed butts. Liu Haizhu silently observed everything, harboring his own plans.

After the ceremony, many began packing away the elaborate items, and the venerable elders led the new disciples away. Only then did the basement feel much emptier.

At that moment, Liu Haizhu caught the eye of the old man in the center. Thinking it was his turn, he stepped forward.

Unexpectedly, a golden-haired youth sitting in the fifth seat on the left suddenly shouted, “Bring him up!”

Liu Haizhu smiled sheepishly, retreating. He spotted a stool nearby and prepared to sit down with the iron rod in hand.

Just as he grasped the rod, he reconsidered, setting it down and crossing his legs, smoking casually on the stool as if none of this concerned him.

In the main hall, two men soaked in blood knelt on the floor. The golden-haired youth rolled up his sleeves and began to ruthlessly beat them.

Moments later, he grabbed one who was nearly beaten to pieces and snarled fiercely, “You’re with me. I, Shamo, protected Miss for you, but Ying Si was nearly captured by Hong Le! This is your one and only chance to speak. Remember, just once—don’t force me to clean house!”

The other man crawled forward, clutching the youth’s pants, wailing, “Boss, it really wasn’t us. We guarded the entrance all the way to Tsim Sha Tsui. Didn’t see the young lady come out. It really wasn’t our fault!”

“Shut up!”

Shamo suddenly exploded, kicking the man into the dirt, blood gushing as he rolled. He grabbed a knife, pointing it at him with a curse: “I’ve long suspected you. Tell me, are you an undercover cop?”

At those words, Liu Haizhu suddenly froze. Damn it!

Could that guy on the ground be Yang Mi’s trusted man?

His face twisted with conflict. Damn it!

Should he save him or not?!

The man on the ground wasn’t a fool. Seeing his big brother approaching with a knife, he made a last desperate effort to get up and flee, shouting, “Boss, I’ve been with you for almost ten years. I’m not guilty!”

The golden-haired youth smiled cruelly. In a ghost-like flash, he appeared before him and swung his blade!

Too fast!

Liu Haizhu gritted his teeth in frustration, “Hey, wait!”

“Splash!”

Blood sprayed everywhere. The man was cleaved to pieces with one strike. A severed hand landed at Liu Haizhu’s feet, twitching twice.

Liu Haizhu jumped up with a “whoosh!” and cursed, “You son of a bitch!”

The dead man had already spoken: he had followed you for ten years, and you still had the heart to strike him down?!

Liu Haizhu looked at Shamo with growing irritation—he was almost driven mad!

Is it really so hard for me to carry out a simple task?!

Shamo wiped the blood off his blade, turning around with a dark expression and shouted, “What did you say? You want me to wait?”

“You son of a bitch!”

Liu Haizhu snapped, “He already said he’s been with you ten years. If you’re angry, just beat him up. But you kill like a butcher! It’s like killing a dog or a cow raised in the village. After so many years, you can’t even bear to kill! How can you be so cruel to your own brother?”

Shamo was momentarily stunned, squinting as he stepped forward. “So you’re involved too?!”

The kid glared fiercely. “Mind your own business!”

Shamo moved like a specter, drawing his blade and closing in on Liu Haizhu in an instant, his face alight with the thrill of slaughter. “You bastard, I’ll cut you down!”

The sound of wind slicing through the air—

Seeing the blade about to strike his head, Liu Haizhu knew that not fighting back now would be foolish. Instantly, he sprang into action!