Chapter 90: To Kill... Or Be Killed (Patreon)

In the backroom office of his gang's illegal casino, tucked away in a Chinatown alley, Sum Weilong crossed one leg over the other and leaned back on the sofa, his hands resting on the armrests. He stared blankly at the man sitting in the center of the room.

The man sat on a wooden chair with one leg crossed over the other, his hands resting on his knee. He wore a white sleeveless undershirt, boxer briefs with white and light blue stripes, and blue slippers. He was mostly bald, with sparse, disheveled hair at the back and sides of his head. Much of his remaining hair had turned white with age. The man looked uncomfortable.

Axe Gang members surrounded him, staring at him with awkward, disbelieving expressions.

Chan Mingfai, standing in front of Sum Weilong, glanced back at his boss, who yawned as he watched the bald man.

“The top killer certainly looks the part,” Chan Mingfai said as he turned back to the bald man, breaking the awkward silence. He tried to keep the sarcasm to a minimum.

“People like to exaggerate,” the bald man said with an embarrassed but pleased smile. 

“Okay, let’s cut the bullshit,” Chan Mingfai said suddenly. “We want you to kill one person. Name your price.”

“Name my what?” the bald man asked, leaning forward. He gave a self-deprecating laugh. “I’ve killed so many trying to find a worthy adversary that I’ve lost count.” His face turned serious. “So far, I’ve never found one.” He leaned back. “That’s why I stayed in the mental asylum. Had I met my match, I’d have been out long ago.” He leaned forward again, a small smile on his face and a twinkle in his eyes. “If you find me a worthy opponent, I’d do it for free. No charge!” He gave a self-satisfied laugh. Then his smile vanished, and his expression went blank. “Do you have someone?”

“Yes, a brilliant fighter who’s more than up to the challenge. She’s a master, in fact,” Chan Mingfai said with an oily smile. “But first, will you show us some moves?”

Chan Mingfai still couldn’t believe that the beggar-like man sitting in front of him was the man from the legends. Still, he wouldn't dismiss the rumors outright until he had seen what the man could actually do.

“Not that we don’t trust you,” Chan Mingfai said, putting on an innocent expression as he shook his head. “We just want to see you in action.”

The bald man looked around the room at the gang members surrounding him. His gaze paused briefly on the four elite members standing on either side of Sum Weilong. All four were second-class warriors, but none held his attention for long.

“You numbskulls aren’t worthy,” the bald man said matter-of-factly.

The gang members around him grew agitated.

The bald man looked around and burst into a contemptuous laugh. His laugh was cut short as a punch landed squarely on his left cheek.

One of the gang members, unable to hold himself back any longer, stepped forward from the old man’s left and stopped in front of him. He was one of the stronger ones, a third-rate warrior.

“So you say you can fight, huh?” the thug said, glaring at him.

The old man chuckled. “Harder.”

The thug punched him in the nose the moment the old man said it.

The old man remained unfazed. “Harder.”

The thug’s brow furrowed. He punched the old man in the face three times in rapid succession.

The old man merely looked bored. “Harder.”

A vein bulged on the thug’s forehead. He let out a heavy breath and swung two haymakers at the old man’s face.

Finally, blood ran from the old man’s nose, but his expression remained bored and nonchalant. “You hit like that and call yourself a gangster?” he asked before bursting into laughter. The contempt in his voice was unmistakable.

The thug stared at the bleeding old man in disbelief, then glanced back at his boss. Sum Weilong gave him a slight nod. The thug nodded back and faced the old man again. As he turned, he pulled a pistol from inside his coat and aimed it at the old man.

Still laughing, the old man suddenly grabbed the barrel and casually snatched the pistol from his hand. The thug froze for a few moments, staring blankly between his empty hand and the old man, who was casually examining the pistol from every angle.

The thug came to his senses and quickly stepped back. At the same time, the other gang members drew guns or raised their axes, all of them turning on the old man. The old man didn’t look bothered at all.

“Nice,” the old man said, examining the gun. “Weak people’s weapon.”

He smiled at the thugs surrounding him, all of whom watched him warily. He casually raised the pistol and pointed it at his own temple. There was roughly a foot of distance between the nozzle and his temple.

The gangsters took a step back. Chan Mingfai leaned forward with curiosity. Even Sum Weilong watched the old man with mild interest.

The old man pulled the trigger. The muzzle flashed, and the bullet shot toward his temple. Before the bullet could reach his temple, his other hand flashed up, catching it between two fingers.

However, the movement was too fast for anyone in the room to perceive. To them, one moment he fired the gun; the next, the bullet was already caught between two fingers of his other hand.

Everyone stared in stunned silence. Chan Mingfai’s jaw nearly hit the floor. Sum Weilong took a long drag from his cigar.

“In the world of martial arts, speed defines the winner,” the old man said, his expression turning serious as he dropped the bullet. The bullet's impact on the marble sounded especially loud in the silent room.

Sum Weilong put his cigar aside and stood up. “The Beast is the best of them all,” he said with a smile.

He walked toward Beast as the gang members parted for him. “The Axe Gang extends its respect,” he said while walking. He stopped in front of Beast. Following his lead, every single gang member bowed deeply from the waist.

Beast stood up and walked up to Sum Weilong. Sum Weilong slowly straightened up, and the others followed suit.

Beast gave him a blank look, then turned right. He walked towards a large rectangular table with eight chairs. Beyond the table was a wooden wall fitted with windows and blinds. The people inside could see the casino patrons through the one-way windows, while those outside couldn’t see into the office.

Beast raised one leg until his foot was above his head. Then he snapped his leg downward in an axe kick. The resulting gust of air split the table in half, and a straight crack tore through the marble floor in front of him. The wooden wall shattered, sending splinters and fragments flying toward the people outside. The customers and croupiers outside screamed and scattered.

Beast calmly took a few steps forward with a faint smile. Behind him, Sum Weilong and the others stared at the shattered wall in disbelief.

Beast leaped as if he had springs in his feet and landed about ten meters ahead, between the gambling tables. He slowly turned toward the only two people still sitting calmly at a poker table.

“Two masters came to welcome me,” Beast said, standing on the other side of the table, his smile still in place. “I feel flattered.”

“Only a bloodthirsty killer could have an aura like this,” Landlady said calmly, a cigarette between her lips. Beside her, the Landlord sat looking at Beast with a friendly smile.

“Likewise,” Beast said. “Could you two be the fated lovers?”

“Yang Guo.” The Landlord chuckled.

“Xiao Longnu.” The Landlady flicked ash from her cigarette into the ashtray.

“A pleasure indeed,” Beast said, pleasantly surprised.

By then, the Axe Gang members had also emerged from the office.

Beast glanced at Sum Weilong and gestured toward Xiao Longnu with his chin. “Is she the one you want me to kill? I must say I’m impressed with the target,” he said with a bright smile.

“No, it’s not her,” Sum Weilong said, though his gaze never left the couple at the table.

Sum Weilong had faced one surprise after another that day. But the surprise in front of him took the cake. He had never imagined that the rude landlady and the henpecked landlord were actually martial arts masters.

“It’s not her?” Beast’s smile faded into a frown. He had thought he would get to fight a worthy opponent, but learning that Xiao Longnu wasn’t the target left him disappointed.

“She’s a young woman,” Chan Mingfai said, unaware that Beast’s expression darkened even further at those words.

“Didn’t I say I wanted a worthy opponent?” Beast said in a low voice.

Chan Mingfai’s heart skipped a beat. He hurriedly clarified, “She’s a master too. A young genius. She’s not even thirty yet.”

“A young genius master, you say?” A smile appeared on Beast’s face. “Now that’s even better.”

The couple frowned as they realized whom Chan Mingfai was talking about.

“We’re here to deal with the Axe Gang,” the landlord said, his friendly smile still in place. “And only the Axe Gang.”

Sum Weilong laughed loudly. “You should’ve killed me before.” An arrogant smile spread across his face. “Now you’re just committing suicide.”

The couple turned back toward Sum Weilong.

The landlady gave him a look of contempt. “You’re living on borrowed time.” She jerked her thumb toward a corner. A large bell sat there, a red ribbon tied around it as if gift-wrapped. It was the same bell from the temple in Pigsty Alley. “You can’t escape your fate.”

Chan Mingfai’s eyes widened. “What’s this? A funeral bell?”

“With Beast here, let’s see whose funeral it is,” Sum Weilong growled. He turned to Beast. “Kill them too. I’ll pay you whatever you want.”

Sum Weilong felt no fear, even though he now knew the couple was masters. After seeing that Beast’s reputation was well deserved, Sum Weilong had complete confidence in him. Beast himself looked completely relaxed despite having two masters in front of him, which only strengthened Sum Weilong’s confidence.

The couple turned back to face Beast.

“So you’re on their side?” the landlady asked calmly.

“Don’t get me wrong,” Beast said with an innocent smile. He crouched down, rested his arms on the table, and propped his head on one palm. “I’m not interested in money. I just want to kill you… or be killed by you.”

The landlord laughed. “So the rumors were true. Beast went mad after failing to cross the grandmaster threshold and has been killing martial artists ever since, searching for inspiration.”

“How is it my fault?” Beast asked with a faint smile. “I stand but a single step outside the grandmaster’s door.” A trace of frustration crossed his face. “But that step feels as if it spans an infinite distance.”

The smile returned to his face. “What’s wrong with seeking inspiration? If I fail, I’ll be free of this obsession. If I succeed, then all the better.”

A manic gleam entered his eyes. “And after fighting two masters, followed by a third who’s a young genius, I’d say the chances of one or the other happening are very high.”

The couple realized that Beast had made up his mind.

“What do you think?” the landlord asked the landlady.

“Who can stop the inevitable?” the landlady replied calmly.

The landlord chuckled. The two of them copied Beast’s posture, each propping their head on one hand.

“So be it,” the landlord said. “Let’s do it.”

“Okay,” Beast said, his crazed expression fading into a faint smile. “Let’s do it.”

For a few fleeting moments, nothing happened. The Axe Gang members smelled the gunpowder lingering in the air and cautiously began backing away.

Still seated, the landlady suddenly drove her foot into the front panel of the table. The wooden frame exploded on contact, and as her leg snapped upward, the kick split the table cleanly in half. Mild surprise flickered across her face. Beast stood calmly before her, one hand raised beneath his chin, his palm stopping her foot cold. As cards and chips scattered through the air, the landlord seized his chair, sprang up, and launched himself horizontally across the table. Both his boots smashed directly into Beast’s face. Beast remained unmoving, as solid as a mountain. As the cards and chips rained to the floor, the couple somersaulted backward.

“Piece of cake,” Beast said. The combined attack hadn’t left so much as a scratch on him.

The surprise in the couple’s eyes deepened.

The landlady’s expression hardened as she closed in and snapped a backfist into his left cheek. The landlord spun and kicked Beast in the right temple.

Beast chuckled as he stood unfazed. “Good try, but a little off target.”

The couple withdrew and attacked again, both throwing punches at the same time. This time, Beast moved. Before their punches could reach him, Beast struck both of them in the chest in rapid succession. The couple groaned as they fell to the floor.

The Axe Gang members looked stunned by the display. Both Sum Weilong and Chan Mingfai laughed as if victory was already in sight.

The couple struck the floor with their palms and used the rebound to spring back up. They attacked with simultaneous kicks, but Beast struck first again, kicking both of them before their attacks could connect. Both were sent flying and skidded several meters after hitting the floor. They hurriedly rolled in opposite directions as Beast crashed down where they had been lying, cracking the marble beneath his feet.

Beast turned toward the landlady and kicked her in the stomach before she could fully recover, sending her flying. He spun back and found the landlord already on his feet. He leaped forward and landed in front of the landlord.

Beast unleashed a rapid barrage of punches, but the landlord redirected every strike with his forearms and hands. The exchange was so fast that the Axe Gang members could barely follow. Beast punched again, targeting the landlord’s heart. The landlord shifted barely an inch, sinking his weight onto his rear foot and tilting his upper body slightly to the side. The punch connected, but the angle caused it to glance off his chest instead of landing cleanly. Beast stopped his fist abruptly, then snapped it forward again from almost no distance. The second impact struck the side of the landlord’s chest and sent him flying. The landlord slammed into the wall and slid to the floor.

Beast laughed in delight.

The landlady leaped and landed behind him. She sucked in air so sharply that the cigarette between her lips burned to ash in a second. Then she screamed. The cigarette butt shot from her lips under the force of the scream. Beast turned around as the force pushed him back a step. The landlord had barely gotten back to his feet when the force hurled him into the wall again. The landlady intensified the scream. Tables and furniture cracked, splintered, and flew across the room. The walls cracked. The Axe Gang members outside the direct path of the attack clamped their hands over their ears against the deafening scream. Beast was forced back several more steps before finally planting his feet and stopping.

The screaming stopped. The landlady stared, mouth slightly open. The exchange reminded her of a brutal truth she had forgotten during her long absence from the martial arts world. Even among masters, not all masters were equal. Not to mention Beast already stood a single step from the grandmaster’s door, while the couple did not even know where that door was.

“The Lion’s Roar?” Beast said with a smile. He sprang forward and landed in front of her. Before she could react, Beast kicked her away.

The landlord launched a dropkick from behind, but Beast spun around and slapped his legs aside with one palm, redirecting the attack. The landlord followed with a punch, but Beast blocked it with his forearm. The landlord didn’t pull back his fist; instead, he grabbed Beast’s forearm and twisted it. The landlady used that moment to hit Beast in the face with a wooden pillar. The pillar snapped in half upon impact. Beast tore his arm free and punched the landlord away. The landlady thrust the broken pillar at him like a spear. Beast tilted his body and grabbed the other end of the pillar. He twisted his end sharply. The force traveled through the length of the pillar, splintering the wood as it went. The landlady quickly dropped the pillar before the force reached her hand.

The landlord rejoined the landlady, but before they could attack, Beast struck both of them with rapid kicks. They crashed onto a large gambling table, breaking it beneath them. They had barely gotten up when Beast kicked a blackjack table toward them. The table slammed into them and sent them flying backward. They landed near the bell they had brought as a gift.

Both of them groaned in pain but swiftly got back to their feet. Beast leaped into the air and kicked with both legs. The couple each deflected one of his legs as they retreated. Beast followed with two palm strikes. The landlord blocked the first with his forearm, but the second struck him in the chest. 

Beast blocked the landlady’s punch and countered with one of his own. She blocked the counter, but Beast immediately struck the shoulder of her blocking arm. She lost her balance, and he kicked her in the stomach. She fell, clutching her stomach in pain.

The landlord attacked from Beast’s other side, but Beast slipped past the punch. Beast kicked the landlord’s shin hard enough to sweep him off his feet. The landlord twisted in the air, but before he could recover, Beast punched him in the stomach and sent him flying toward the wall.

The couple got back to their feet and regrouped behind the bell. They looked battered, covered in multiple small cuts with blood running from the corners of their mouths.

Then something unexpected happened. The landlady didn’t attack. She didn’t even flee with her husband. Instead, she hit the top of the bell with her palms. Beast didn’t know what she was planning, but instincts honed by countless life-and-death battles screamed that he couldn’t let her continue.

Beast took a step forward to attack her, but the landlord used the bell as support, sprang up, and kicked Beast in the chest.

The landlady circled the bell and struck its top again from another angle. Beast lunged again, deflected the landlord’s punch, and struck the landlady in the back. The blow was strong enough to make her spit blood, but she didn’t stop. She blocked another punch before the landlord forced Beast to turn toward him. The landlady’s strength was fading, but she steadied herself against the bell and struck its top again.

Beast sent the landlord flying with a roundhouse kick, carried the momentum into another spin, and drove his foot into the landlady’s back. She gritted her teeth but hit the bell again. She deflected Beast’s palm strike but didn’t counterattack. Instead, she struck the bell again. Whatever she was trying to do, she felt it was worth taking a few hits. She turned aside to block a kick, then struck the bell again. She blocked another punch with her forearm, but Beast immediately drove a second fist into her chest.

The landlord drew Beast away with another kick while the landlady struck the bell again. Cracks spread across the bell’s thick metal surface. With one final palm strike, the upper section of the bell sheared off and flew away.

The landlord and Beast kicked each other in the chest at the same time. Beast staggered back only a few steps, while the landlord was sent flying. He landed near the bell. Beast laughed at the landlord’s battered state, but the laughter died abruptly when he saw what the couple was doing. The landlord helped the landlady lift the bell and braced it against his shoulder.

Every instinct Beast had as a fighter screamed danger. The couple finally unleashed their qi, enveloping their bodies in it. The landlady sucked in a deep breath and screamed again. Beast braced himself, wrapping his body in qi as well.

The floor in the roar’s path was ripped apart as wooden structures and furniture shattered into splinters. Beast still tried to hold his ground even as he was gradually forced backward. But he could hold out no longer when a powerful pulse erupted from the bell. The pulse swept everything before it like a storm. Beast’s resistance collapsed, and he was hurled backward like a leaf caught in a gale. The storm swept through the building, hitting everyone in its path.

Soon, the storm died down. Nothing intact remained in the building. Many gang members caught directly in the storm were torn apart. Others survived, though with injuries of varying severity.

Beast, who had taken the brunt of the attack alone, was covered in wounds from head to toe. His clothes were in tatters, and now he truly looked like a beggar. He could barely stand up. The strain proved too much, and he coughed up blood.

The couple approached with the bell, pointing its open mouth directly at Beast’s head.

The landlady had just begun drawing in another breath when Beast hurriedly shouted, “Wait!”

“I didn’t know the Lion’s Roar could be done with a speaker,” Beast said, blood dripping from his mouth.

“I accept my defeat.” Still on his hands and knees, Beast bowed his head low toward the floor.

The landlady gave him a suspicious look, then set the bell aside. Beast sprang forward the instant she did. He pulled two metal spikes from his boxers and thrust them toward the couple’s eyes.

Each of them stopped one stick with a hand. However, the pointed tips of both sticks opened, revealing hidden needles inside. The needles fired, but the couple jerked their heads aside and caught them between their teeth.

Beast hurriedly pulled back the sticks. The pointed tips snapped shut again as Beast tried to stab them with the sticks. His attack was interrupted when someone fired a bullet at him.

He caught the bullet with his bare teeth as well.

He spat it out.

For the first time that night, a gloomy look appeared on his face.

[Author’s Notes]

In Chinese, “giving a bell/clock” (送钟, sòng zhōng) sounds like 送终 (sòngzhōng), which refers to seeing someone through their final moments or funeral rites. So, in this context, it's essentially saying, 'I've come to see you die.'

That’s why gifting a large bell or clock is considered taboo in Chinese culture.