Chapter 4.29 Beat the Flower Drums (Extra)

The cold river breeze blew on everyone’s faces, and there was blood everywhere. This kind of fighting wasn’t unprecedented, but it had never lasted for such a long time. If the killing continued, no one would benefit.

No one answered Huang Kui’s boss, but the screams and slashing sounds slowly died down as everyone turned to look at him. In the ensuing silence, only the sound of those gasping for breath could be heard.

At this time, everyone was finally able to take a look around. Although it was difficult to tell whose brother or friend was dead, there were only a few people left standing. Bloody pools from all the severed limbs covered the ground, and the people with murder in their eyes finally felt their hands lose strength. Their knives fell to the ground and they couldn’t pick them back up again.

Huang Kui’s boss was right. At this time, they had to admit that there were various forces in the city, and everyone had been weakened in this fight. What was awaiting them wasn’t something exclusive, but a greater chaos.

Huang Kui’s boss looked at them silently, feeling like the boredom in his heart was beyond measure. “Whether you admit it or not, the outcome isn’t ours to decide.” As his voice echoed over the river, he looked at the hitmen’s leader and Chen Pi who was behind him. “There’s no need to kill. Instead, let’s keep our lives and make a bet. Let’s have whoever survives between the two of them determine who wins between the two of us.”

“Huang Kui, stop bullshitting. If you want to negotiate, tell me what you did to my girls first.” The madam said coldly.

Huang Kui’s boss looked at the people around the madam and knew that no one had the strength to help her now. He pretended not to hear and continued, “How about this? If Chen Pi finally kills the hitmen’s leader, then we’ll count it as Huang Kui’s loss and we won’t have to fight to the last person. I’ll leave here, and give this waterway to you. But if the leader finally kills Chen Pi, I won’t ask for too much. You’ll have to give me next year’s annuity as a mortgage. I won’t stay. I’ll still give this waterway to you. I’ll just go live on shore.”

As everyone glanced at each other, Huang Kui’s boss noticed that the hitmen’s leader was about to reach them. He sped up his speech, “This is the only way for us to live; otherwise, how many of those remaining right now will survive? I’m a Huang Kui water locust, after all. I’ve never been afraid of death. If you feel the same, we can start killing each other again.”

With that said, Huang Kui’s boss emitted a strange sound from his throat, and all the drum crawlers immediately arched their backs and got into position to fight again. The three gangs and five factions raised their knives, but one of the leader’s immediately stepped forward and raised his hands to stop both sides, “Huang Kui, will you keep your word?”

“We don’t have the means to cheat.” Huang Kui’s boss said tiredly. “I can give you one more concession, but this is it. As long as Chen Pi makes it onto the ship alive, it’ll be my loss and I’ll leave the ship.”

The three gangs and five factions all looked at each other, still unable to come to a decision. Huang Kui’s boss squatted down on the edge of the ship. He was bored, tired, and relieved. Although they couldn’t see his true expression, he didn’t want to hide it anymore. Once he saw that Chen Pi had caught up to the hitmen’s leader, he finally said, “At this rate, we’ll be standing here all day. You’ve got until the count of three. If we don’t come to an agreement, we’ll each have to face our own destiny.” When he spoke, he started to clap his hands once, twice, and on the third one, he deliberately slowed down. The gang leader raised his hand and shouted, “Ok, let’s bet!”

No one had any objections, and even the madam didn’t speak again. Huang Kui’s boss didn’t looked overjoyed, but merely gave a loud roar. All the drum crawlers retreated, and those in the water climbed up to the ship. The numerous shadows in the water were motionless, as if they had been frozen to death.

At this time, the three gangs and five factions also understood that Huang Kui could never cheat.

Huang Kui’s boss silently walked up to a pile of thatch on the inner part of the ship and shouted, “Hitmen’s leader! Look at what you’ve become now!”

“Let your drum crawlers help!” The distant hitmen’s leader tumbled away from Chen Pi, and rushed to the middle of the three gangs and five factions. They all retreated, leaving a huge space around him. The hitmen’s leader looked at the people around him, and suddenly felt that the atmosphere was off.

Chen Pi was panting as he went to catch up with him. He was covered in blood, and the smile on his face almost reached his ears. He had never been so comfortable. In fact, he had almost forgotten Chun Shen and what he was supposed to be doing.

The Huang Kui pirates scattered in all directions. Some had already escaped, but the rest finally reacted and began surrounding him. Chen Pi looked at their large numbers and slowly retreated towards the stack of corpses behind him.

No one dared attack him first.

They all formed a huge circle, turning the riverbank into a huge cockfighting pit. Chen Pi felt dazed as he looked between the hitmen’s leader hiding among the three gangs and five factions and the Huang Kui pirates. When it came down to it, Huang Kui still had a large advantage. It originally looked as if Huang Kui had miscalculated, but everyone’s eyes were staring at Chen Pi alone.

All the pirates had the same thought, this man will kill me.

Huang Kui’s boss moved the thatch aside, revealing several strangely shaped old drums.

The hitmen’s leader was panting and his face was dark as he realized that things had taken a wrong turn. He suddenly heard the sound of drums coming from the ship.

“Beating the flower drums?” He asked doubtfully. Huang Kui’s boss returned to the gangplank and pointed to Chen Pi, “Hitmen’s leader, since you’re panicking, let me tell you how to beat the flower drum for this beggar.”

“Advisor?” The leader’s eyes lit up, and he suddenly relaxed. He looked at Chen Pi and said to himself, great, this boy is out of luck.

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