Chapter 64: Ye Mo's Rage

Translator: Tim Editor: Tehrn

Ye Mo returned to Flowing Snake at a much faster pace than before. Despite a detour to gather herbs, he reached his temporary residence in only three days. However, the sight that greeted him ignited his fury. In just twenty days, his dwelling had been utterly ravaged. The walls were broken, but the most egregious damage was to his cultivated plot of Silver Heart Grass.

"Crack!" Ye Mo shattered a large rock with a single kick, his chi effortlessly pulverizing it into countless fragments. His most valuable possession, nineteen precious Silver Heart Grass seedlings, had been decimated. What had Fang Nan been doing?

Just as Ye Mo prepared to confront Fang Nan, a young man hurried over. Recognizing Ye Mo standing before the ruined pagoda, he respectfully addressed him. "Brother Ye, Brother Nan asked me to wait here for you. You're finally back!"

The young man, a twenty-something Ye Mo remembered as "Rock," had been standing behind Fang Nan during their first meeting. Ye Mo suppressed his rage. Half his Silver Heart Grass was gone—how could he not be furious? However, he wouldn't lash out before understanding the situation. Someone, however, would pay for the destruction of his plants.

Noticing Ye Mo's grim expression, Rock quickly explained, "Brother Ye, after you left, Brother Nan and the Yue Gang, another large gang in Flowing Snake, clashed over the spoils of the thirteen turbos. Brother Nan, normally unafraid of the Yue Gang, was ambushed when the Yue Gang, breaking the rules, allied with the Fei Gang.

"Brother Nan was severely wounded and brought here to recover. However, they were attacked again by the Yue and Fei Gangs. Only a few brothers and Brother Nang escaped. Brother Nang told me to wait for you and apologize."

Ye Mo listened, his face pale, remaining silent for a long time. He understood that if Fang Nan hadn't been there, his Silver Heart Grass might not have been destroyed. Fang Nan might have orchestrated this to force Ye Mo's assistance. If Fang Nan was trying to manipulate Ye Mo into destroying the Yue Gang, then Ye Mo wouldn't hesitate to annihilate the Pu Dao Clan as well.

Entering the yard, Ye Mo found the land trampled, but managed to salvage a few seeds. This offered a measure of calm, but he also realized that even without the attack, the Silver Heart Grass wouldn't have survived. The seeds were rotten and showed no signs of germination. It seemed the plant could only be cultivated in specific locations… a fact baffling him, considering its previous growth in his former residence.

"Take me to Fang Nan," Ye Mo said coldly, his composure restored.

…

Fang Nan, devastated and hiding in a remote cave with only five others including Rock, struggled to rise as Ye Mo entered. The guilt was evident on his face. He knew how important the garden was to Ye Mo and his failure to protect it weighed heavily on him. He vowed never to let his brothers take him there to hide again.

Seeing Fang Nan's remorse, Ye Mo simply waved his hand. "It's not your fault; let me see your wounds." Fang Nan had been shot twice during a gunfight, but Ye Mo swiftly healed him in under half an hour.

"I'm going to investigate who destroyed my property. You rest; you can return to Flowing Snake tonight." The chill in Ye Mo's voice sent a shiver down everyone's spines.

Fang Nan immediately protested, "Brother Ye, this is my fault. Even if I die, I can't let you go to Flowing Snake while I recover here."

Ye Mo smiled faintly. "Then come with me." These gangs of desperados held little meaning to him. Fang Nan's presence wouldn't be a problem.

…

Flowing Snake.

Inside Fang Nan's former semi-circular stone house, the Yue Gang and Fei Gang, both operating along China's border, were gathered.

The Yue Gang's boss, speaking fluent Chinese, declared, "I've long despised Fang Nan of the Pu Dao Clan. While we didn't kill him, driving him from Flowing Snake is satisfying. We're fortunate to have Boss Pu. To our success!"

"Agreed. But we'll be living in Flowing Snake now, so we hope Supreme Chancellor Wang will assist us," the Fei Gang boss, a black-skinned man, responded in slightly broken Chinese. He clearly understood fluent Mandarin was necessary to thrive there.

Supreme Chancellor Wang, the Yue Gang leader, Wang Xian, smiled. "No worries. We'll split Fang Nan's land and business as agreed." He preferred the title "Supreme Chancellor" to "Gang Leader."

The atmosphere was jovial until two distinct "thuds" broke the silence—two fallen guards.

A deadly hush fell, quickly replaced by the clatter of drawn weapons.

"Who are you? Why kill my men?" Supreme Chancellor Wang, hand on his pistol, demanded an accounting.

Ye Mo sneered, surveying the forty to fifty people, noting the more than ten dark-skinned individuals and two Caucasians. "Did you destroy the temple I lived in?"

"He… came for a ruined pagoda?" Wang's face darkened. "Brothers, fire! Kill him!"