Chapter 031: The Death of Tianba

Chapter 31: The Death of Tianba

As Chen Hao arrived, Huang Tianba felt a surge of pride and joy in his heart. It seemed that when all hope was lost, fate still offered a path forward. Huang Tianba believed he had found a way out of his desperate situation and was certain he would achieve great wealth and power in the future. Now was the time for him to prove himself. With that thought, he grabbed his weapon and charged into the fray.

The roaring of the approaching car brought a smile to the masked leader’s face. “Heh, Huang Tianba, don’t get too happy just yet. You’ll be crying soon enough. Brothers, kill Huang Tianba! Avenge our fallen comrades!”

At his command, the men were filled with a sudden, frenzied energy. They grabbed their weapons and rushed forward. Buoyed by the knowledge that Chen Hao was about to arrive, Huang Tianba fought with renewed vigor, quickly knocking down another opponent.

Suddenly, the sound of screeching brakes pierced the chaos. Huang Tianba grinned. “Brothers, charge! Our reinforcements have arrived. Let’s finish this quickly—we’ve got business to attend to afterward.” Ignoring the pain of his wounds and the blood streaming from them, he pressed on.

But his hope was short-lived. Moments later, several figures leaped from the car, all masked. The leader was a thin figure who didn’t look like a man at all—certainly not Chen Hao. Heaven help him, Huang Tianba felt his hope shatter; he’d believed Chen Hao was coming to turn the tide, but now he realized there was no chance left.

“Brothers, let’s fight to the end!” Huang Tianba shouted, charging forward without hesitation. The masked leader laughed triumphantly. “Ha! Huang Tianba, how long can you keep up your arrogance? Brothers, wipe out every last member of the Justice Sect!”

“You—who are you? Why are you targeting the Justice Sect?” Huang Tianba tried to get answers, desperate to at least learn the identity of his enemies before he died. But they gave him no reply, only rushing at him with deadly intent.

Within minutes, the brothers of the Justice Sect fell one by one. Huang Tianba, struck by several blades and clubs, felt his head spinning. Faces of his daughter and his beloved flashed through his mind. “Mother of my child, I’m sorry,” he thought, tears welling at the corners of his eyes.

“Damn you, die!” Suddenly, a blow landed on his head like a thunderclap. All consciousness faded from him, his body growing weightless and drifting, before he collapsed with a heavy thud into a pool of blood. Thus ended the life of a notorious figure, Huang Tianba, fallen at the border of Yun Province.

The masked man smirked with satisfaction, waving his hand. “Let’s go!” If Huang Tianba had still been alive, he would have been shocked by the voice, but it was too late. The man walked away, leaving Huang Tianba’s corpse alone in the blood, surrounded not by his beloved, but by his fallen brothers.

The night wind howled, as if trying to dispel the thick stench of blood, but it lingered, heavy and oppressive. Mountain birds circled overhead, their cries echoing like a lament for the dead. Ten minutes later, another group arrived in haste.

“Big brother! Big brother!” The leader, Chen Hao, rushed to Huang Tianba’s side, heedless of anything else. He lifted his brother, desperately trying to wake him, but there was no response. “Big brother, you can’t die!” Tears streamed down Chen Hao’s face, despite his efforts to remain strong.

“Check the others—see if anyone is still alive,” Chen Hao ordered. He reached toward Huang Tianba’s nose and realized he was already gone, his body growing cold. “Big brother, you can’t die! No!”

His anguished howl echoed through the valley, but it could not bring Huang Tianba back—only his steadily cooling body remained. “Big brother, it’s all my fault. If I’d been with you, the enemy wouldn’t have had the chance. I swear I will avenge you!”

“Sir, none of our brothers survived!” a subordinate reported, his eyes glinting with murderous intent. If he learned who was responsible, he would fight them to the death—there was still true brotherhood among them.

“What?!” Chen Hao had hoped at least one or two might have survived, so he could learn what had happened. “Call Master Hua immediately and report what happened. We need to discuss our next steps.”

“Yes, sir!” The subordinate complied, quickly dialing the number. Chen Hao held his brother’s corpse tightly. His brother had made him who he was—without him, Chen Hao would have nothing. “Big brother, whoever did this to you, I swear I will make them pay in blood.”

“What? All right, I understand. I’ll be there soon. Damn it! If I find out who did this, I’ll kill them myself!” Hua Qiang’s furious voice came through the phone. “Tell your boss I’m on my way!”

The night wind blew on, cold and grim, carrying a hint of menace. When Hua Qiang arrived with his men, he and Chen Hao placed their leader’s body in the car, cleaned up the road, and drove away. Hua Qiang called to inform the other party that the transaction would be postponed due to unforeseen circumstances, and they graciously agreed.

Hua Qiang also dialed the number of Miss Huang Wei. At that moment, she was chatting happily with Huang Shan, completely unaware of the tragedy unfolding a thousand miles away. As they laughed together, her phone rang, displaying an unfamiliar number. “Hello?”

“Miss, it’s Hua Qiang,” came Hua Qiang’s anxious voice. Huang Wei’s heart skipped a beat. Could something have happened to her father? No, she quickly dismissed the thought—her father was a legend, a man who had dominated both worlds for decades. How could anything happen to him?

“Yes, Uncle, hello. What’s happened? Is there something wrong?” Huang Wei tried to sound calm, but a sense of foreboding gnawed at her. Huang Shan, sensing the tension, watched Huang Wei anxiously.

“Miss, please listen to me, and don’t panic,” Hua Qiang said hesitantly. Huang Wei nodded. “Go ahead, Uncle. Tell me what happened, please.”

“My—my big brother…” Hua Qiang’s voice broke, tears blurring his eyes. Chen Hao, sitting beside him, was in much the same state. Hearing this, Huang Wei’s heart lurched. “Uncle, say it!”

“The… the Master was ambushed. Miss, please accept my condolences.”

Huang Wei’s mind spun in disbelief. “No… that can’t be!”