Nightfall Chapter 53

The vast majority of people in ChangAn all know that because of a reason that no one knew, Spring Wind Pavilion’s Old Chao always wasn’t too willing to bring up the name of his own gang: Fish Dragon Gang. He was more willing to call this number one gang the Spring Wind Pavilion. Very many people guessed that this had a connection with him living across Spring Wind Pavilion at 2nd Street since childhood. His enemies secretly sneered at this, believing that it was because he had killed too many people, taken too much evil money, and done too many bad things but was unwilling to have other people call him uncivilized, so they firmly wanted their own gang and the Spring Wind Pavilion connected together with a kind of pleasant name.

Spring Wind Pavilion was located in East City’s slum district, with dilapidated buildings that we were hard to look at. From daytime to nighttime, it was strung throughout with small peddlers and small vendors mixed with idlers, and wasn’t very quiet. Naturally nothing could be called elegant. But the Spring Wind Pavilion area today was particularly calm and quiet – quiet till the sound of rainfall sounded like thunder; quiet till the sound of the spring night breeze blowing past a worn down flat cake shop’s sign was like an unleashed wave. From across 4th Street to down to 1st Street, in each street and alley, not a pedestrian could be seen braving to walk through the rain. There wasn’t even the sound of a baby crying. It seemed that besides the wind and rain and the cold enshrouding the streets and alleys, everything else completely didn’t exist, quiet as death.

From 47th Street facing Spring Wind Pavilion, the distance wasn’t too far. The two of them were like tourists on a walk, leisurely going, and without walking for long they walked to these quiet streets and dark alleys.

The Spring Wind Pavilion in front was hidden in the night scene, hidden amidst the sound of wind and rain, and only vaguely could a worn-down little pavilion be seen. But they didn’t know how many enemies were hiding just the same in the night scene of wind and rain inside and outside of the Spring Wind Pavilion.

Wearing a black face mask, Ning Que with a whole stack of things on his back, supported an oil paper umbrella and openly stood behind Chao XiaoShu. He played the role of an assistant fabulously – without knowing when, he took over the umbrella from Chao XiaoShu’s hand.

Chao XiaoShu just as before, without his eyes minding his sides, held his hand as he walked. Even though rain water dripping from the oil paper umbrella soaked more than half of the blue shirt on his body, his face still hung a light smile, lighting up the windy, rainy night scene beyond the umbrella several measures.

In the four directions around the little worn down pavilion was deathly silence.

The ambushers in the vicinity completely hadn’t thought that it wasn’t the three thousand blue shirt brothers as they thought – only Spring Wind Pavilion’s Old Chao alone, and bringing a single silent youth with the winds and rain as company rushing in.

A long period of silence – confirming it was only two people, Spring Wind Pavilion’s Old Chao and Ning Que, the enemies hiding in the rain and wind of the night scene no longer hid their locations. Accompanied by the sounds of footsteps continuing without stopping, the tapping and clapping sounds of the clacking of the soles of boots as they hit shallow lakes, and the sound of sharp blades scrapping as they were slowly drawn from their scabbards, several hundred men from the JiangHu with respectful expressions walked out from behind the pavilion, from the middle of the alley, from the side of the residence.

Spring Wind Pavilion’s Old Chao and Ning Que stood in a place not far from the dilapidated pavilion, calmly watching the dark mass of a crowds of people flooding out in four fronts from eight directions. Chao XiaoShu smiled, and without asking the youth behind whether or not he feared this kind of uninteresting problem, lifted his arm to wipe rain water from his face, pointing at a tiny fat middle-aged man in the very center of the crowd he said.

“This person is called Lord Meng, master of South City. Beside him the bald big man is called Song TieTou. Lord Meng is Song TieTou’s big brother. Song TieTou is exactly that some so-and-so’s big brother who went to your shop to cause trouble.”

Following the middle-aged man in the blue shirt raising his arm, the crowd besieging them in the night rain suddenly broke into an uproar. The furthest in front with hands carrying sharp blades set up a row in front of their own boss displaying brave men with slightly stiff expressions, subconsciously simultaneously retreating back a step. Ning Que stood behind him calmly watching this scene, roughly understanding the status of the Fish Dragon Gang in ChangAn’s Night World, and understanding the hearts of these warriors from the JiangHu. Spring Wind Pavilion’s Old Chao’s five words had such threatening force.

Chao XiaoShu smiled. Without saying anything to mock the opposing side, he pointed at a thin and tall one of the crowd on the east side, and he said, “This man is called Jun Jie, the master of West City. Under his command are a good amount of men. Ordinarily I am quite close to not a few of those brothers.”

Closely following, he gazed at a small crowd of people standing behind the pavilion, and slightly frowning he said, “Those people are all Uncle Cat’s people. Uncle Cat is associated with ChangAn’s government. They do things with the utmost lack of morals, and are detestable. Naturally I won’t fear him, but since his aunt was a concubine of the clerk of the army, I give him a bit of face and that’s all.”

“The several of those men are more troublesome. They are all retired from the City Gate Army, and have real gongfu at their disposal. Even more troublesome is that, because I managed those several cargo lines and always didn’t need to give them tribute, so the City Gate Army very much have complaints with me. If they are killed, I don’t know if the City Gate Army’s side would stupidly continue to cause trouble.”

Amidst the windy rainy spring night, several hundred people from ChangAn City gathered all around Spring Wind Pavilion in order to surround and kill ChangAn’s number one gang’s leader, but facing this situation and these circumstances, he instead extremely mildly introduced those people that came tonight without leaving out anyone, and appeared especially patient, or perhaps confident.

Ning Que said in a low voice, “Playing with introductions is okay, but don’t introduce me. These are all big shots in ChangAn City. If they know my identity, how would I still be able to pass off in ChangAn’s walls?”

“After tonight, if these people aren’t all killed, they would very probably kill you horrifically spilling your guts.” Spring Wind Pavilion’s Old Chao held his hands towards the crowd in the night rain, and calmly said, “Since it is so, then why should you fear them?”

Ning Que propped the umbrella. Looking at Chao’s back, he very earnestly explained, “I’m not afraid of killing people, but I’m afraid of trouble.”

Just as the two people were quietly discussing this under the umbrella, the horde in the night rain finally was unable to bear the humiliation of these heroes of ChangAn being treated as nothing. Several behind the discussing two forcefully pushed out the representative of South City’s Lord Meng to speak.

At present, even though Spring Wind Pavilion’s Old Chao was looking at the place he would inevitably die, however in truth, unless they personally saw this person close his eyes, still no one would dare to be impudent in front of the opposing side. South City’s Lord Meng was also this way, but at the moment on this field, he had the most people and the most power, and ordinarily would be the most viciously oppressed by the Fish Dragon Gang. If they didn’t appear it couldn’t be justified.

“Dividing provisions, transporting supplies, having the military logistics division provide support, watching the surroundings of the Ministry of Revenue – our Great Tang’s most lucrative black trades, these years everything has been dominated by you Fish Dragon gangsters, without even splitting out a share of thin soup for the masses of brothers. With the Holy Emperor on the throne, does this world really have these kinds of principles?”

Lord Meng of South City coldly looked at Chao XiaoShu as he said, “You should be very clear about what is called angering the masses. In the past, the masses of brothers saw you Spring Wind Pavilion Old Chao after years of rising reputation, and gave you three shares of respect. But now since the Imperial Court wants to be clean of you, but you’re still stubborn, then don’t blame us for being discourteous.”

“People associated with the JiangHu aren’t always too educated, so again and again they will only say these kinds of words. Years ago I had to personally appear and negotiate with people. These kinds of words I have simply heard enough that I’m about to have calluses.”

Chao XiaoShu stood beneath the umbrella, watching South City’s Lord Meng speaking directly and calmly, with a slight smile and a light tone. These words were naturally not said for the opposing side to hear, but to Ning Que behind him to hear.

South City’s Lord Meng saw that he was so contemptible to him, and his expression became exceedingly unsightly. Heavily stamping the cane in his hand, he shouted, “The Fish Dragon Gang is known to have three thousand blue shirts, but you and I are both clear, those that dare to make you fight desperately are no more than two hundred. Now currently your brothers who can fight the best, have all been suppressed by nobles into the Yu Lin Army’s Brave Riders Army. Tonight I’d like to see how you can get out!”

Chao XiaoShu watched his slightly twitching fat face, and suddenly spread out a smile and replied, “First I’ll return you a problem. Whether it’s dividing provisions, transporting goods, or even transporting by water, that I could dominate these businesses like this for so many years is naturally because I have the qualifications to dominate it. No matter if it’s you or Jun Jie or Uncle Cat, not one among you have the ability to dominate these businesses. Even if these businesses were placed right before you, none of you would dare to bite.”

“You also don’t need to probe to see if I have a means of escape or not. I can tell you, not a single one of the brothers of Spring Wind Pavilion will come into the vicinity of Spring Wind Pavilion. Qi the Fourth is not here, don’t you think that’s strange? But it’s not strange. He and the brothers already went to your homes. I believe by this time, South City and East City and Uncle Cat, your other residences beyond there have already begun to not be peaceful.”

In the wake of these words echoing into the dilapidated little pavilion’s surroundings, the crowd in the rain instantly became even more agitated. They were here for Chao XiaoShu, always sending people following Chao XiaoShu’s whereabouts. How would they think Chao XiaoShu used himself as bait and lured them to this place? And then sent all of the Fish Dragon Gang’s forces to their lairs!

“Too late for disaster, the wife and children are at home!” The retirees from the City Gate Army harshly berated, “Chao XiaoShu, you go too far in your aggression!”

Chao XiaoShu’s facial expression became slightly cold, soon after slightly shaking his head he said, “You people surrounded my house door to kill me. If I didn’t get my family to scatter leaving ahead of schedule, would this be regarded as a family calamity? But you people rest assured, I Spring Wind Pavilion’s Old Chao always do things with rules, with principles. I don’t intend to you kill people on my own house door, and make your parents, wives, and children grieve heart-broken.”

Slightly pausing, he looked at everyone and calmly said, “However after tonight, don’t think you will still have family within ChangAn’s city walls.”

Don’t think you will still have family within ChangAn’s city walls.

A brief simple sentence and it immediately made very many scenes emerge in the minds of everyone in the area —— Spring Wind Pavilion’s Old Chao’s five words faithfully pledged; he said he wouldn’t move on everyone but their relatives certainly wouldn’t move —— However, in the slightly cold spring rain night, one’s family’s old elders, ill mothers, wives, and children being roughly driven away from their homes, and immediately their own homes and shops that they had operated for many years turning into destroyed gravel by that Fish Dragon Gang’s blue shirt men, who could accept this kind of thing taking place on them?

South City Lord Meng’s fat face twitched again, his hand supporting the umbrella didn’t cover all of the rain. This one twitch unexpectedly ejected several rain beads from his flesh, and he said in a cold voice, “Without a house you can rise again, but if people die there is no way to live again. As long as we kill you Old Chao of Spring Wind Pavilion, the JiangHu will be different from now on. ChangAn City is ours!”

“ChangAn City is forever His Majesty the Emperor’s.” Chao XiaoShu slightly smiled with ridicule. Bowing his head to look at the sword he was wearing at his waist, he raised his head to reveal his face with a convincing smile, saying, “You said that you want to kill me. Have you see me in action?”

The Ning Que behind his back collapsed the oil paper umbrella, randomly tossing it aside underfoot. His right hand lifted to stretch backwards towards the slanted handle of the Rain Cloud Blade on his back.

Chao XiaoShu slowly stretched his hand to grasp the sword handle on the side of his waist. Just at the instant his slender fingers were about to grasp the hilt moistened from rainwater, only the blue shirt on his body slightly flapping could be seen and countless raindrops shot out creating a tiny watercolor, as bewildering as a fog.

The gently smiling middle-aged man became stern with the intent to kill, as if he changed into a different person. All around him was the cold and desolate rain.

It seemed that he felt a little something at last – silently he swayed leaning to evade, and there wasn’t another drop that dared to fall on that blue shirt body.    ……    ……

Chapter end