Clash

The location chosen for this duel was an area on the perimeter of their contested territories, near the mouth of a tunnel. The next morning, over twenty medium and small vehicles and more than a hundred motorized two-wheelers drove out from Lutong Logistics' camp, roaring toward the arranged site. Even though the route had sufficient light sources to make out the road ahead, they kept their bright headlights turned on anyway. The vast majority of the crew coming out this time hailed from Lutong Logistics' original security detail, so their combat strength was nothing to scoff at. In fact, relying on that contingent of security personnel, they had never been at a disadvantage in ordinary firefights; otherwise, they could not have held out until now. It was only when facing a third-limit fighter that they were completely helpless, allowing Poison Ant Express to squeeze and swallow them piece by piece. Had Old Bian been willing to put in even a modicum of effort, things would never have ended up like this. That was precisely what everyone resented most about him. Upon learning that Old Bian had been kicked out and a new fighter had been brought in, aside from a small handful harboring quiet worries and misgivings, the majority cheered and supported the decision. If nothing else, the newly hired expert had challenged Poison Ant Express to a duel right off the bat without backing down in the slightest. Setting aside the question of his strength, this bold move alone won over the vast majority of them. Lan Xinnan had made sure everyone was fully equipped with weapons and ammunition, and she positioned personnel at key intersections for coordination and lookout duty to prevent Poison Ant Express from attempting a flanking maneuver or sneak attack during the duel. The convoy arrived well ahead of time. Once at the arranged site, they saw that a contingent from Poison Ant Express had already arrived and had begun setting up barricades and barriers. Lan Xinnan paid them no mind, simply ordering her people to unload sandbags and obstacles to construct basic barricades and emplacements of their own. Neither side bothered the other, both quietly attending to their own tasks. Old Cao stepped down from a vehicle, looking silently toward the opposite side. Xiao Ding walked up beside him, following his gaze across the open ground, and asked curiously, "What is it, Old Cao? What are you looking at?" Old Cao said, "Some of the people over there used to be our brothers. There are a few faces I know very well." Xiao Ding scoffed dismissively, saying, "The brothers who stayed behind are the real brothers. The ones who bailed the moment trouble started—you treat them like brothers, Old Cao, but did they treat you like one?" Old Cao replied, "I'm not pitying them. I'm just thinking back to the past. When Boss Li was still around, look how prosperous Lutong Logistics was. And now..." He shook his head. Xiao Ding said, "Boss Li's business was decent back then, but the guys at the bottom didn't get much of a cut, did they? Why else would so many people clamor to split up the moment something went wrong? Boss Li himself vanished to who knows where. If you ask me, he's probably living in luxury up in the Upper District." Though Boss Li did not possess citizen status either, he had money. There was no shortage of Upper District citizens who had status but lacked wealth; hiring a few of them was more than enough for him to enjoy an easy life. Old Cao sighed, shaking his head. "It might not be that simple." The Iron Fist Society's influence in the Lower District had hardly been inferior to the Moss Gang's, yet it had disbanded with shocking suddenness. None of the subsequent troubles Lutong Logistics encountered were mere coincidences either. The underlying situation was far more complicated than it appeared. In an RV toward the rear, Chen Chuan sat in the front seat, slowly sipping a hot drink as he watched the people from Poison Ant Express opposite them, waiting for his opponent of the day. To ordinary people, the Lower District seemed chaotic and lawless, making it seem as if the experts forged through such cutthroat struggles were tougher. In reality, however, most people who ended up in the Lower District were losers in competition. Not only were the Lower District's resources far inferior to those of the Upper District, but the caliber of opponents one sparred against determined the ceiling of one's own skill. Spending every day in the Lower District fighting against weaker opponents, or simply never having to fight at all, would only make a person weaker over time. As a whole, Lower District fighters were inferior to those from the Upper District. However, when it came to peak-level combatants, one could not be so dismissive, because a fair number of people came here harboring special purposes—individuals who could not be judged by conventional standards. Just then, a man from the opposite side walked toward their position and exchanged a few words with the Lutong Logistics personnel. Lan Xinnan's voice sounded through Chen Chuan's boundary credential: "Brother Chen, Poison Ant Express says Gai Er is running a bit late." Chen Chuan replied calmly, "Then we'll wait a bit longer." This was nothing more than an intentional delay to wear down his patience and edge. Playing such petty mind games in a duel of this nature was utterly meaningless. Waiting here was no different from waiting in the camp. Moreover, controlling his emotions was something he had mastered long ago. He could even take advantage of this interval to adjust his condition using his breathing technique. Lan Xinnan remained vigilant, worried that Poison Ant Express might be pulling tricks, so she said, "Brother Chen, I'll go check around the perimeter." Chen Chuan gave an affirmative hum, then picked up a dossier on the Lower District that Lutong Logistics had prepared for him, slowly flipping through its pages while sipping another cup of his hot drink. After he had read for a while, a vehicle finally rolled slowly into view from the opposite side. It was a modified armored vehicle, its front bumper painted with a vicious tiger's face baring a mouthful of fangs. Trailing behind it was an open-top car carrying several passengers sporting garish, colorful hair dyes. One glance was enough to recognize them as members of the Moss Gang. Judging by their attire and demeanor, they were not ordinary gang members, but rather high-ranking leaders. The moment they arrived, people from Poison Ant Express immediately stepped forward to greet them. Lan Xinnan's voice sounded through the boundary credential once more. "Brother Chen, Gai Er is here." Chen Chuan closed the dossier and looked ahead. He saw the armored vehicle pull up to the very front and come to a stop. The door opened, and a vigorous, sturdy figure stepped out. His attire was much like what had been shown in the photograph—a dark red martial arts uniform, a thick black belt, and a folded three-section staff held in his hand. As the man walked forward, Chen Chuan could clearly make out several scars across his jaw. His gaze was sharp and fierce, and his expression carried an unmistakable streak of insolence. Seeing that his opponent had arrived, Chen Chuan set his hot drink aside, reached out to take up his Xuejun Saber, pushed open the car door, and walked out toward the center. Under the watchful eyes of both sides, the two men drew closer. In the open ground left between the two factions lay a tilted sun vine that had fallen sideways. The light it radiated, though bright, was uneven and scattered all across the clearing. As the wind blew in from the tunnel mouth, causing the vines to sway, glittering flecks of light shifted alongside the tangled shadows of the foliage. Now, their two figures stepped into that shifting light. The Moss Gang leader sat watching Chen Chuan, scanning him with his boundary credential and transmitting the feed elsewhere. After a moment, he received a reply and sat up a little straighter. "Yes, that's him... Call him back?" He glanced up quickly toward the front and said, "But Gai Er has already stepped up... Alright, alright... I'll keep an eye on it..." Besides him, Old Bian was also watching the duel at that moment, having ordered several informants he had planted inside Lutong Logistics' team to keep their eyes glued to the scene. Although their boundary credentials lacked the capability to capture combat at this level with complete clarity, it did not matter; he only needed timely confirmation of the final outcome. By now, the two men had reached their respective positions in the center of the clearing and halted. Gai Er rested the three-section staff across his shoulder, speaking in a tone that blended mockery with threat: "To think someone would actually step in to help a doomed outfit like Lutong. That's a real rarity. "Did you commit a crime up top to end up down here? I'd say you went through plenty of trouble just to run to the Lower District—why throw your life away? "Brother, take some advice from me. Backing out right now is still an option. Once we really start swinging, I can't guarantee I'll hold back. I'm giving you a chance to walk away on your own. Otherwise, you're going to die right here today." Listening to him speak, Chen Chuan realized this man seemed to know nothing about his background. Had they not bothered to verify his identity before the fight? Gai Er indeed did not know, because Poison Ant Express had never bothered with that investigation. The moment Lutong Logistics issued the challenge, they had accepted with unseemly haste. It was not that they placed immense trust in Gai Er, but rather that they did not believe Lutong Logistics could hire anyone formidable at a time like this. If Lutong had possessed that kind of capability, they would have brought someone in long ago—why would they have relied on Old Bian? Furthermore, would any truly skilled expert be willing to come to the Lower District just to stick their neck out for a small crew like theirs? It was simply impossible. At most, it had to be some greenhorn who had just fled down from above and had yet to grasp the situation. Wasting resources on investigating such a hothead was pointless, and with the Moss Gang backing them up, what did they have to fear? Chen Chuan actually welcomed this approach. Since the other side knew nothing about him, Gai Er was completely exposed to him while he remained an unknown, which worked entirely to his advantage in the coming fight. He extended his field slightly to sense his opponent. Gai Er's field was pulled tight around his body. While it remained concealed, one could tell at a glance that it lacked formal, systematic training. This was normal enough; knowledge and techniques regarding the field were relatively high-end yet often overlooked, and even graduates of Wuyi were not guaranteed to have mastered them. Gai Er had simply drawn it inward out of instinct honed through years of combat experience. Against ordinary opponents, that trick was effective, but before Chen Chuan, it proved utterly useless. With just a slight touch, Chen Chuan gleaned an abundance of useful information from the man's field. Gai Er's field was sharp and ferocious, swift and insidious. It carried an intense drive to attack, a preference for shortcuts, and a taste for taking risks. Yet at the same time, it was wary and sharp—like a lone wolf that would instantly pull back the moment a bite missed, looking for another opening or preparing to retreat depending on the circumstances. This was an entirely self-interested individual. Self-preservation and the fulfillment of his own desires came first; everyone else fell outside his consideration. Under Chen Chuan's deep, piercing gaze, Gai Er suddenly felt an abrupt wave of unease. He could not pinpoint where the problem lay, but on pure reflex, he stepped back, his eyes flashing with vicious vigilance. He lifted the three-section staff off his shoulder, leveled it forward, and loosened his fingers slightly. With a clatter, he let it drop to the ground. At that exact moment, hidden from Chen Chuan's line of sight, Gai Er's instep flicked upward in a subtle, concealed snap. With that single, simple exertion of force, the striking tip of the staff flew straight up from the ground, pulling the entire three-section staff into a taut, straight line that thrust directly toward Chen Chuan!