Chapter 68: A Powerful Strike, The Five Gangs of Ash Fortress!

Bringing the tightly bound Zhong Li along, over a hundred members of the Ying-Le Gang, led by Mang Ying and Yu Le, marched imposingly toward the sole entrance and exit of the Cinder Stronghold!

Before they even got close, such a large crowd was quickly noticed by the factions entrenched within the Cinder Stronghold.

Before the Ying-Le Gang could even step inside, the western bank of the stone bridge—the only entrance to the Cinder Stronghold—was already packed three layers deep with the stronghold's forces.

"Stop right there, whoever you are! This is Cinder Stronghold territory, and we don't welcome outsiders!"

The leader stepped forward and barked.

Mang Ying had a large cigar clamped between his teeth and was decked out in ostentatious jewelry. Even in the sweltering heat, he was still wearing a mink fur coat.

Striding forward with his toes pointed outward, he said, "Cut the damn crap! I am Mang Ying, leader of the Ying-Le Gang, and my younger brother is Mang Xiong, president of the Black Bear Society in the Upper District. We've come to the Cinder Stronghold today because we want to carve out our own empire here."

"If you know what's good for you, surrender immediately. Otherwise, we'll have you crying for your mothers in a moment!"

This had been the secret to the Ying-Le Gang's rapid expansion over the past few days.

Intimidation before battle, borrowing another's tiger skin to make a banner. Once the name of the Black Bear Society was dropped, the enemy would lose three parts of their courage before the fight even began.

Then, they would use physical persuasion on those who lacked vision, a duty that mainly fell to the vice-leader, Yu Le.

Finally, Mang Ying would toss money around to recruit them.

Believe it or not, although the Ying-Le Gang had only been founded a few days ago, its current roster was genuinely formidable.

Over a hundred lackeys at the fourth and fifth stages of the Boulder Realm, more than thirty elite enforcers at the sixth and seventh stages, and a full seven powerhouses at the eighth stage of the Boulder Realm!

Added to that was Yu Le, who had "just broken through" to the ninth stage of the Boulder Realm.

More importantly, thanks to Mang Ying's reckless spending, the Ying-Le Gang was not quite armed to the teeth, but their various provisions were already formidable—featuring quite a few heavy weapons capable of threatening Iron-Bone Realm powerhouses!

Looking across all the gangs in the Lower District, aside from lacking an Iron-Bone Realm powerhouse at the helm, they were definitely a force to be reckoned with.

Compared to the malnourished rabble pouring out of the Cinder Stronghold before them, the Ying-Le Gang looked practically like a regular army!

As for the pie in the sky that Yu Le, the strategist, had painted for Mang Ying, it was to build the Ying-Le Gang into the premier gang of the Lower District and make Mang Ying the King of the Lower District!

Sure enough, upon hearing Mang Ying's words, the faces of the people from the Cinder Stronghold changed accordingly.

The Black Bear Society, which was making waves even in the Upper District, was not a force that ordinary people could afford to provoke.

However, the leader still wore a gloomy expression and said, "I don't care who's behind you. Even if the Black Bear Society wants to make trouble in our Cinder Stronghold, we will never allow it. Take another step forward, and don't blame us for being impolite."

"I was hoping you'd be impolite! Brothers, show 'em your gear!"

Various firearms were cocked, and the next moment, a barrage of bullets advanced!

In a flash, the ragtag mob pouring out of the Cinder Stronghold was blown into disarray, scrambling for their lives with their heads in their hands!

"Don't panic! Don't scatter!" their leader shouted at the top of his lungs, but he was completely unable to stop the surrounding lackeys from descending into chaos.

At that moment, Yu Le swung his Subduing Dragon Rod and declared, "Cease remote fire in ten seconds! Elite squad, with me!"

Behind Yu Le, the seven newly recruited eighth-stage Boulder Realm powerhouses of the Ying-Le Gang stepped forward.

Following Yu Le, they charged straight into the enemy's formation!

No matter how many people the enemy had, they were nothing more than a mob. Just as Yu Le led his men charging to the entrance, Mang Ying waved his hand, and the covering fire abruptly stopped.

Yu Le locked onto the leader first. Sensing the enemy's approach, the leader looked up, his pupils shrinking: "You're not..."

Yu Le was also taken aback. This was the same leader who had blocked him and two others that day to collect a toll—the very one he had planned to deal with before Han Yuemi stopped him.

"Go to hell!" Yu Le knew he couldn't let this man expose his identity. He whirled the Subduing Dragon Rod with fierce momentum, looking entirely intent on taking a life.

"Damn it!" The opponent scrambled to parry, attempting to block Yu Le's rod with his arms!

Yet Yu Le, harboring killing intent, would never give him that chance. The weight of the Subduing Dragon Rod suddenly multiplied, accompanied by the roars of dragons and elephants. A crushing force, capable of overwhelming even an ordinary Iron-Bone Realm powerhouse, crashed down upon the man.

A series of bones snapping echoed from the man's body. Before he could even let out a cry of pain, he was blasted away like a lump of soft flesh—dead as dead could be!

"Ah Le, nice work!"

Seeing Yu Le eliminate the enemy leader in a single move, Mang Ying was so excited he almost jumped up.

Yu Le cast a cold glance at the man whose bones were likely shattered to pieces, his eyes devoid of any pity.

He had experienced too many things like this over the past two days.

Aside from the lingering frustration of failing to find his daughter's whereabouts for so long, the main reason was the first battle he fought when establishing the Ying-Le Gang!

Back then, Yu Le had been soft-hearted and spared his opponents when defeating them, which led to a desperate counterattack that nearly got him stabbed. Had he not reacted quickly and dodged an inch to the side using the Lingbo Microsteps, that blade would have pierced straight through his heart.

It was precisely because of that lesson that every strike Yu Le delivered afterward either killed the opponent or crippled their combat capability entirely.

Moreover, the various Lower District factions he instigated Mang Ying to attack had all been thoroughly investigated beforehand.

Without exception, they were the sort of black-hearted gangs that murdered, set fires, and committed every conceivable evil, with blood on every single one of their hands!

Yet compared to the people here in the Cinder Stronghold, those gangs active in the Lower District paled in significance.

To put it bluntly, anyone who picked up a weapon in the Cinder Stronghold was a desperate gambler.

Most of them, however, came from impoverished backgrounds, having fled to the Cinder Stronghold only after being unable to bear the oppression. Yet those who joined either remained pathetic wretches barely clinging to life beneath the crushing weight of major factions, or turned into ruthless bastards wielding butcher knives against wretches just like their former selves.

In criminal psychology, this was known as the inversion of the victim—shifting from the once-oppressed to the present oppressor!

Crows are all black; there's no need for one to mock another's plumage.

To show pity to these people would be an act of gross irresponsibility toward those they had oppressed.

By comparison, someone like Mang Ying, who threw his weight around and acted tyrannically based on his status and position, actually seemed rather endearing.

At least based on his observations over the past few days, that was how Yu Le felt.

Mang Ying treated those loyal to him exceptionally well—he gave money when asked, women when desired, and genuinely possessed a certain charismatic leadership!

With the enemy leadership eliminated, the mob, already shaken by the barrage of gunfire, grew even more panic-stricken.

Yu Le did not stop. Carrying the Subduing Dragon Rod on his shoulder, he plunged into the chaotic crowd.

Combining the Lingbo Microsteps with the Seven-Probe Snake-Coil Spear, Yu Le truly resembled the legendary Zhao Zilong reincarnated. He carved a path back and forth through the crowd seven times, with no one able to approach within a meter of him, and hardly a soul among this rabble could withstand a single blow from him!

Until, amidst a chorus of wailing, the survivors realized the situation was hopeless and fled across the stone bridge deeper into the Cinder Stronghold.

Just as Yu Le was about to call for Mang Ying to bring the troops into the Cinder Stronghold, a murderous-looking group appeared from behind the fleeing, helmet-dropping mob.

Without a word of warning, not far ahead of Yu Le and his men, miserable screams echoed continuously. The group retreating toward the Cinder Stronghold was either shoved aside or hacked down, leaving behind a trail of severed limbs and broken arms. Led by a towering bald man, dozens of fierce thugs adorned with dragon and tiger tattoos emerged.

"I've heard these past few days that a group of mighty dragons had crossed into the Lower District, cleaning up all the local bullies. I was wondering where they came from, but I never expected it to be the Black Bear leader's older brother."

Wielding a massive cleaver with blood still dripping from the blade, the bald man cast a cold glance at Yu Le before shifting his gaze to Mang Ying, who was approaching from behind with his men.

Mang Ying frowned: "Do you know me?"

"I don't know you, but I know your brother."

He knew Mang Xiong, yet he was still hanging around the Cinder Stronghold?

The Cinder Stronghold was notoriously chaotic and heavily populated, making mobs like the one they had just crushed the most common kind of trouble, but not the trickiest!

It was said that within this stronghold of the lowest classes, there were certain figures who controlled the entire operation of the Cinder Stronghold and managed affairs both large and small.

They were known to outsiders as: The Five Major Gangs!

Sensing the opponent's restrained yet palpable aura across a distance of several meters, Yu Le found it all too familiar—it was the manifestation of Iron-Bone Realm inner energy.

Within the Cinder Stronghold, the only factions with Dark Realm powerhouses holding the fort were the Five Major Gangs.

Yu Le said in a deep voice, "Which of the Five Major Gangs does Your Excellency belong to?"

"Oh? Not bad, you've actually heard of the Five Major Gangs. Then have you heard of me—Blood-Blade Zhao Hanshan?"

Indeed!

Upon seeing the bald head of his opponent, Yu Le had already formed a strong suspicion.

Zhao Hanshan, leader of the Blood-Blade Gang!

A ruthless powerhouse at the second stage of the Iron-Bone Realm, known as the Blood-Blade both because of his natal martial weapon and his ruthless style. Nearly every member of the Blood-Blade Gang wielded a massive cleaver, and whenever they encountered enemies, they would hack away furiously without a second word.

Relying on this ferocious aura, the Blood-Blade Gang held a terrifying reputation within the Cinder Stronghold, one that no one dared to provoke!

"Yu Le, Vice-Leader of the Ying-Le Gang, acting on the orders of Leader Mang Ying, has come to the Cinder Stronghold today to carve out a meal for ourselves. What does the Blood-Blade Leader think of that?"

At these words, Zhao Hanshan's bloodthirsty mouth split into a grin: "Too bad. There's no room for another spoon in the Cinder Stronghold's rice bowl. Out of respect for the Black Bear, I won't hold it against you for coming here to make trouble. Piss off right now, or don't blame me for being impolite in a moment."

Mang Ying stepped up beside Yu Le and watched the murderous Zhao Hanshan with a trace of apprehension: "Ah Le, this Blood-Blade Gang doesn't look easy to deal with. What do we do?"

Yu Le planted the Subduing Dragon Rod into the ground, twisted his neck, and cracked his knuckles: "Since we've already come, are we seriously just going to tuck our tails and leave because the master of the house said so? If word of that gets out, wouldn't the Ying-Le Gang lose all its face?"

"Since there's no room for extra spoons in the Cinder Stronghold's rice bowl, it's simple enough—we just take someone else's spoon."

Damn it!

Mang Ying was somewhat startled, but before he could speak, Yu Le yanked the Subduing Dragon Rod out of the ground and shouted angrily, "Yu Le, Vice-Leader of the Ying-Le Gang, is here to test the high skills of the Blood-Blade Leader!"

Zhao Hanshan, resting his bloody blade on his shoulder, narrowed his eyes. Instead of anger, a grin broke across his face: "You've got guts!"