Chapter 143: Fighting Side by Side

Upon arriving at the Tianci Club, Li Hu saw He Zhinian respectfully accompanying two middle-aged men. One of them, a man with a fierce and malevolent expression, was Zuo Lengdan, the very person who had fled in terror after being beaten by Mo Han on the highway near Qiancheng.

The other middle-aged man beside Zuo Lengdan appeared unremarkable, yet for some reason, when he looked at Li Hu, Li Hu felt an unprecedented pressure. This pressure was colorless and formless, lacking the sharp, exposed edge of Zuo Lengdan, yet it instilled in him a far greater fear. This invisible weight made even a boss who had spent over a decade in the underworld feel intimidated by the man’s gaze.

"Li Hu, this is the head of the Zuo family from Yuzhou, and this is Mr. Mu from the North," He Zhinian introduced.

"Greetings, Master Zuo. Greetings, Mr. Mu," Li Hu stepped forward to acknowledge them.

Zuo Lengdan studied Li Hu for a moment before producing a photograph. "This person is currently in Xiuwen. Find him for me. Also, his wife and mother-in-law are here in Xiuwen as well. If you can capture all of them, I will reward you with one hundred million."

Li Hu took the photo and his eyes lit up instantly. This was the same person his subordinates had shown him earlier—the young man rumored to be quite a formidable fighter.

"Understood. Within today—no, within an hour—I will bring them to you," Li Hu said confidently.

Zuo Lengdan’s eyes flickered; he assumed Li Hu must know Mo Han’s whereabouts, otherwise he wouldn’t be so self-assured. Of course, he did not truly believe Li Hu could actually bring in such a dangerous character; all he wanted was Mo Han’s precise location. Using Li Hu as a vanguard was merely a way to create a diversion and catch Mo Han off guard. If Li Hu managed to bring back the wife and mother-in-law, he would gladly pay the hundred million. To the Zuo family, such a sum was trivial; for the sake of revenge, he would willingly spend five hundred million. In fact, he had already spent five hundred million just to invite his senior martial brother, Mr. Mu, from the North. With a master whose cultivation was on par with his own teacher, dealing with Mo Han would be effortless.

"I’ll head out to take care of it then," Li Hu said excitedly. One hundred million was incredibly important to him. He had influence now, but lacked capital; with this money as a foundation, he believed he could soon surpass the richest man in Xiuwen.

"Go," Zuo Lengdan nodded.

***

After Li Hu left, He Zhinian asked cautiously, "Master Zuo, may I ask who the person in this photo is?" It was no wonder he was surprised; Zuo Lengdan had come all the way from Yuzhou, willing to spend a fortune just to track this man down.

"Someone you could never hope to provoke," Zuo Lengdan replied coldly.

He Zhinian was struck by this, glancing once more at the photo of Mo Han. Why did the young man look so familiar?

"Send men to follow Li Hu. As soon as he finds the target's location, notify me immediately," Zuo Lengdan said, walking outside with Mr. Mu. He certainly did not trust Li Hu to actually capture the man. He Zhinian followed, simultaneously making calls to track down the whereabouts of Li An’an and the others.

...

Mo Han remained at the Xu residence. As expected, a little over an hour later, Li Hu’s men arrived. Over a dozen vehicles pulled up outside the gates, and nearly a hundred thugs swarmed out, wielding steel pipes and machetes—the classic posture of an underworld turf war.

The members of the Xu family turned pale with fear at the sight. The guests present quickly retreated, terrified of being caught in the crossfire. Seeing Li Hu leading the charge in person, Xu Jie’s composure shattered, and he quietly tried to slip away. In such a situation, he needed to distance himself from the Xu family to avoid being implicated, especially since the conflict had started because he had ordered someone to beat up Li Hu’s men.

The Xu family watched with deep disappointment as Xu Jie snuck away at the critical moment. Compared to Mo Han, who stood resolutely in front of them, never wavering, Xu Jie’s retreating back looked like nothing more than a clown. Wu Wan felt a pang of sadness; her husband’s abandonment of her and her mother left her feeling profoundly let down. She realized that the saying "birds of a feather flock together, but fly apart when disaster strikes" was all too true. Wu Qiming looked at Xu Jie’s retreating figure and made up his mind: he would never again beg Mo Han for help or money on Xu Jie’s behalf. Even Xu Hong, who had always thought highly of Xu Jie, felt a sense of disillusionment.

Compared to Mo Han, Xu Jie was truly inferior in every way.

"Hand me a steel pipe," Mo Han said, observing their formation. He realized that a fight was inevitable. He checked the time, hoping that Xu Jing and the others would arrive soon. He had hoped to avoid getting his hands dirty, but if reinforcements didn't arrive, he would have to handle it himself.

"Mo Han, your second uncle will fight alongside you!" Xu Jin, who had just had five stitches in his forehead, brought over two steel pipes he had prepared.

Mo Han took one, tested its weight, and turned to the Xu family. "All of you, find somewhere to hide." With so many enemies, even if he were a master, he couldn't protect them all. Furthermore, the news of him single-handedly taking on a hundred thugs would certainly spread.

However, when Mo Han turned back, he saw that Xu Kai and Wu Qiming had also taken up steel pipes and were standing beside him. The expressions of Xu Kai, Xu Jin, and Wu Qiming were resolute. This was a matter concerning the Xu family; they could not let Mo Han face it alone. Wu Qiming, in particular, felt he had to step forward, especially after his son-in-law had fled.

Xu Hong and Wu Wan were speechless. Though they worried for Wu Qiming, seeing his firm gaze, they remained silent and retreated with the younger generation, including Xu Qiong. No matter how shameless they might have been, they no longer had the courage to suggest that Mo Han handle this alone.

"Uncle, Second Uncle, Uncle-in-law, please step back," Mo Han said, though he didn't really care about the hundred thugs. If they joined the fight, he would only have to worry about their safety.

"Mo Han, say no more. Even if we die, we must defend the dignity of the Xu family," Xu Jin declared firmly.

"Exactly. We won't let you fight for us alone!" Xu Kai added, gripping his pipe tightly.

"Mo Han, let’s fight side by side!" Wu Qiming echoed.

Watching their "death before dishonor" expressions, Mo Han was momentarily stunned. He opened his mouth to speak, but saw the mob was already within three meters.

"Get ready to fight," Mo Han smiled, no longer trying to dissuade them.