Chapter 193: The Dangerous Old Street
March 15, Sunday.
Northern Myanmar, Old Street.
The once bustling Old Street, with a population of over one hundred thousand, has become rather desolate. Under the prolonged curfew imposed for nearly a month, most shops have closed, and many residents have temporarily left this place of livelihood, waiting to return after social order is restored.
They are the migratory birds in the midst of war, living a “rhythmic” life amidst gunfire and smoke; as long as there is a little bit of stability, they will return here and resume their old trades.
Compared to the occasional cold snaps experienced in Northern China, Northern Myanmar has entered the hottest dry season of the year. In this scorching season, the situation in Northern Myanmar has become increasingly volatile and bloody.
The historical ethnic grievances in Northern Myanmar are extremely complex, and the shadowy underground forces have torn apart the local social order.
From today onwards, there is no long-term authoritative and stable governance in Northern Myanmar. Various interest groups have become accustomed to, and even revel in, this loose status quo.
As a blood clan from the underground world, they refuse to be bound by the so-called orthodox blood order that threatens their interests.
When two worlds push toward the same direction simultaneously, Northern Myanmar inevitably becomes one of the most chaotic regions in the world. The alliance to resist and even drive the Luo family out of Northern Myanmar is the natural outcome.
In recent years, as the underground order dominated by the Luo family has completely collapsed, Northern Myanmar has truly become a paradise of chaos and crime, a stark representation of the entire Southeast Asian underground world.
Warlords of all sizes vie for power, not only putting the local government in disarray but also leaving the local population in dire straits, impoverished and destitute.
Year after year, battles rage—a small skirmish every three years, a major conflict every decade. In this land, governmental turmoil and changes are the main themes, while development is merely a hostage in the redistribution of interests amidst the flames of war.
The people of Northern Myanmar can lose their homes at any time amid gunfire, with various armed groups attempting to seize control of the region. This includes not only the local power players entrenched for hundreds of years but also the official government of Myanmar.
Whether it’s the main transportation routes leading into the heart of Myanmar or the border crossings to China, they are now all blocked. The local autonomous region centered around Old Street has become an isolated existence, barely hanging on as the sounds of artillery draw closer.
Now, the head of the local autonomous government ruling over Old Street, Chairman Yin, is anxiously devising various methods to resolve the current crisis.
Chairman Yin’s ancestors hailed from China and have been working in the Northern Myanmar region since his grandfather’s generation. The world war seventy years ago gave the Yin family the opportunity to rise, not only successfully occupying territories but also swiftly becoming the local elite.
In the chaotic era of the 1960s and 70s, operating through unseemly gray industries, Yin’s father rose to become a traditional warlord in Northern Myanmar, capable of challenging the Myanmar government.
Behind every local warlord in Northern Myanmar lies some attachment to mysterious blood forces; many could even be agents of these blood clans. This was the world truth that Yin learned as a child—his grandfather and father had once been local agents for the Luo family.
With the decline of the Luo family, the Yin family has changed its alliances over the years, swinging from wandering blood clans to black blood clans, as long as they could maintain their foothold in Northern Myanmar. The Yin family doesn’t care who becomes the ruler of the underground world in Northern Myanmar.
The Black Dragon Society was driven away, and the Luo family made a comeback. Chairman Yin, relying on the human, financial, and military resources built up over long years in Northern Myanmar, naturally became the recognized and supported ruler of the local autonomous region by the Luo family.
Yet now, barely two months later, the situation has undergone a dramatic change. The new order that the Luo family just established locally has once again been torn apart by unknown underground forces.
Another group, rumored to have connections with the Luo family, the Hidden Alliance, once brought Chairman Yin to the point where he had to personally bow and scrape, is now also cowering in the Hongtian Entertainment Center, teetering on the brink of collapse, uncertain when they might hastily flee back to China.
The long-standing adversary of family grievances, the Myanmar government has long enforced oppressive policies. The ambivalence of emerging local strongmen, whether in overt struggles for power or in covert bloody ruthlessness, has left Chairman Yin in a state of exhaustion.
The office door opened, interrupting Yin’s chaotic thoughts. Someone delivered a mysterious letter, and just a glance made this warlord, entrenched in Old Street, furrow his brows tightly.
In the evening, five fully armed, dusty individuals stealthily infiltrated the chaotic Old Street area.
The Hongtian Entertainment Center had closed its doors half a month ago. The lavishly decorated first-floor casino hall lay in disarray, with gambling tables turned into parts of defensive fortifications.
The once vibrant and boisterous nights filled with wild gamblers, young and sexy dealers, and swaggering henchmen are long gone.
On the sixth floor, in what was once Zhu Bibi’s private luxury apartment, Guo Hao lay in bed in disarray, with a sickly flush on his face, occasionally tearing at his clothes due to high fever and sometimes shivering from the cold.
By his side were two female knights from the Ba Fu, caring for him, while the remaining dozen knights stood alert with weapons at various strategic points in the entertainment center, ready for combat.
Shortly after his last phone call with Jiang Yan, local communication stations were deliberately cut off. Without a satellite phone, Guo Hao had lost contact with the outside world for many days.
A week ago, the black blood clan launched a massive offensive against Guo Hao, already injured, and he was infected by a blood bug from a Baron of the Ganges tribe under Nava. Although he managed to escape a catastrophe by breaking through the blood threshold, he was severely weakened.
In the following days, nearly every night, the Hongtian Entertainment Center faced brutal fights, with Guo Hao being pursued relentlessly, leaving him no time to catch his breath. His physical condition took a further downturn, culminating in blood boiling exhaustion, completely robbing him of his fighting capability.
If it weren’t for the advantage of the terrain and the tactical coordination of over a dozen Ba Fu elite knights, which had endured numerous assaults at the cost of several casualties, the Hongtian Entertainment Center would have fallen long ago.
Now the enemy remains in the dark while he evidently has no other suitable defensive stronghold here, and retreat has become a hope too distant. Guo Hao could only defend the Hongtian Entertainment Center, waiting for reinforcements or facing annihilation.
“Brother Hao! Brother Hao!”
A slightly worn-out young lower-tier knight rushed into Guo Hao’s room, a dirty face lit up with excitement: “Reinforcements are here! They are from the mainland! It’s Brother Hai and the others, five of them!”
As soon as the words left his mouth, the two female knights tending to Guo Hao by his bedside also showed expressions of joy.
“Just Brother Hai and them? Has Jiang Yan come?”
Guo Hao weakly lifted his head, a glimmer of hope crossing his eyes.
“Jiang Yan… uh, there is a woman, but I don’t recognize her.”
The lower-tier knight shook his head, a bit awkward.
…
Jiang Yan and her group wore standard Ba Fu combat gear, relatively neat but clearly marked by long-distance travel and various stains. However, compared to the Ba Fu knights still holding their ground in the Hongtian Entertainment Center, they looked much cleaner.
The people here, even if on rotating defense, had mostly gone twenty hours without sleep, their combat gear stained with dark blood and damaged.
“Yan Jie!”
“Hai Ge!”
A few armed men emerged from the corner of the first-floor hall, quickly surrounding them. Among them, a few had met Jiang Yan months ago.
Looking at the shattered glass of the first-floor hall, the spent bullet casings scattered across the ground, and the vacant streets beyond, Jiang Yan could imagine the many brutal fights that had taken place in and around the Hongtian Entertainment Center over the past period.
Without the support of the Luo family, Guo Hao, as a lower-tier Siberian baron, holding out until now is already quite remarkable.
“How’s Brother Hao’s condition?”
Jiang Yan moved behind an overturned large gambling table, feeling the dried blood and blackened bullet holes, asking a somewhat familiar lower-tier Ba Fu knight.
“Brother Hao was already badly injured before, and after several nights of fighting, he can’t hold on anymore… We’ve lost two men, and two are seriously injured.”
With all their transport destroyed by the enemy and ammunition running low, they could only be trapped here. Fortunately, they still had running water and electricity, and there was plenty of food in the basement.
The answer was harsh, and having mentally prepared for it on the way, she wasn’t overly pessimistic. Looking at the devastated first-floor hall, Jiang Yan sighed inwardly.
The Ba Fu has a longstanding tradition that emphasizes unity and is highly organized. Usually, Boss Xiang and Brother Hao treat everyone well; otherwise, they would have scattered like monkeys long ago…
Jiang Yan nodded slightly.
Breaking through her own control, Jiang Yan’s half-step baron presence instantly surged into a hurricane that swept through the hall.
The momentary high-intensity release of blood energy was swiftly contained again, turning into a gentle wave like a dripping spring.
Including Meng Huai, everyone present was taken by surprise, their faces paling. Even the weapons of two or three lower-tier Ba Fu knights fell to the ground in panic from the impact of the aura.
Those familiar with Jiang Yan’s explosive blood energy, like Xiao Hai and a few others, were stunned in awe.
Just the brief two to three seconds of explosive intensity they sensed far exceeded that of Guo Hao and even rivaled the previous Xiang Zuxing. Xiao Hai felt he had still underestimated Jiang Yan’s upper limits of power.
Is this the Yan Jie that Brother Hao spoke of? Isn’t she just a half-step baron? Why does her aura feel more terrifying than that of an upper-tier baron…
In the hall, several unfamiliar Ba Fu knights displayed shocked expressions, greatly inspired.
What Jiang Yan needs to do now is to act as the fresh force and mainstay, reuniting the waning morale and confidence.
To smoothly integrate into this group, she naturally had to show her strength to avoid misjudgements. After all, in the world of blood clans, strength is paramount, and even the complacent blood-signalers are no exception.
“Li Huai, reorganize the defenses here. Xiao Hai, coordinate; Brother Tao, please head up to check on Brother Hao.”
With a hint of barely detectable regret, Jiang Yan exchanged glances with Meng Huai before turning decisively toward the stairs.
Brother Tao is one of the elite Ba Fu warriors who joined the joint raid on the Hongtian Entertainment Center last time.
Due to Wan Yue’s influence, Jiang Yan gave the utmost respect to these veteran subordinates of Xiang Zuxing, addressing them more warmly.
“We have brought ammunition and medical supplies in our backpacks; everyone should resupply. Fire points need to be arranged at the windows facing the street on the fifth-floor corridor, and observation posts should be set up in the northeast and southwest corners of the rooftop…”
Every two hours, they should rotate shifts. Those without defensive tasks should take the time to rest!
Meng Huai wasted no time and quickly got into action, issuing several commands.
Even before they entered the Hongtian Entertainment Center, Meng Huai had already considered some issues. Years of practical experience allowed him to quickly determine the key defensive points of the center.
Though he may not be used to fighting in a blood war, he excels at tactics, and the Ba Fu elite knights’ combat prowess is far superior to that of typical black blood clan knights—certainly enough to form a substantial portion of an ambush assault team.
Although Meng Huai was a newcomer here and had the lowest status, luckily Xiao Hai was there to coordinate, so the other Ba Fu knights could only follow orders—at least the recent adjustments to the defensive setups indicated their competence.
…
Half an hour later, Jiang Yan and Brother Tao came downstairs, with Jiang Yan’s expression remaining as cool as ever.
Under the pretext of inspecting defenses, Jiang Yan and Meng Huai arrived at the rooftop.
The sky had darkened considerably, and standing on the empty rooftop, Jiang Yan could sense several unfamiliar auras stirring in certain corners of the Old Street, most of which belonged to the black blood clan.
The majority were blood servants and attendants, with few knights present; whether there were other powerful figures hidden among them was indeterminate.
… The Luo family has already confirmed their departure. Aside from the basic supplies of food and water, local officials and law enforcement have largely evaded engagement. Their current focus is on battling outside the city against other local warlords.
… It’s said that the government forces from Myanmar’s Bidou have taken the opportunity to enter Northern Myanmar, joining with several other regional warlords, trying to fish in troubled waters. I suspect the warlords participating in the siege of Old Street are backed by multiple blood clans working in concert. The most powerful of these factions is Nava, coming from the south.
Jiang Yan recounted the exchanges with Guo Hao briefly, while Meng Huai listened quietly without rushing to express his opinion.
Clearly, this time there were some hidden masterminds attacking both overtly and covertly; their motives are unclear, but indeed pose a severe threat to the territory conquered by Xiang Zuxing.
Such blatant acts of aggression have undoubtedly escalated beyond mere scheming. Perhaps Xiang Zuxing’s group in Northern Myanmar has become merely a tempting target for the hidden architects.
Xiang Zuxing is dead; those who once followed him have been marginalized in the Hidden Alliance and now find themselves isolated overseas, close to their breaking point.
Meng Huai, it could be a conspiracy…
Recalling the chaos in the Liang family down south and the heavy blows faced by the Wang family, Jiang Yan thought that this was another tactic to exhaust the forces related to China.
Or rather, still a smokescreen? After all, the interests at stake in Old Street are far greater than the minuscule economic scale of the normal world.
Considering the turmoil that her and Jiang Yao’s blood invasion has sparked, Jiang Yan felt a heavy weight in her heart.
Not only for Guo Hao and others guarding Old Street but also for the large number of displaced ordinary people in Northern Myanmar, whose lives have been torn apart. The truth surrounding her and Jiang Yao continues to draw more people into this world, leading to fatalities.
The fall of Xiang Zuxing and Wu Yuqing, the deaths of several viscounts and barons from her family, may just be what she can perceive; the extent of what she cannot feel is still unknown.
“Before the communications were cut off, Wan Jie personally asked Brother Hao to hold on for as many days as possible, but Brother Hao is gravely wounded and has lost combat ability. How long can these scattered Ba Fu troops remain united in Old Street, it’s really hard to say…”
At present, among the three seriously wounded, including Brother Hao, and not counting the two external aids, there are only fourteen Ba Fu knights capable of action. Only Hao is an upper-tier knight; Xiao Hai and Xiao Kuan are mid-tier knights, and the rest are all lower-tier knights.
Looking at the desolate Old Street, a hint of bitterness appeared on Jiang Yan’s face.
With no transport available and bearing heavy casualties, not addressing the siege means it’s impossible to retreat.
Meng Huai spoke up, gesturing around, a cold smile forming at his lips.
Though the streets before them were empty, both Jiang Yan and Meng Huai could sense the malice lurking in every unseen dark corner.
“Jiang Yan, Wan Jie must be thinking about who exactly is causing trouble in Northern Myanmar, and how many contingencies are left, which is why she suggested they continue to hold on until we arrive.”
Meng Huai focused on a direction where the black blood clan’s aura was strongest, raising binoculars to observe while softly speaking: “Wan Jie is very familiar with the Hidden Alliance; in her eyes, after Xiang Zuxing and Wu Yuqing’s fall, these people would have no foothold even if they returned.”
The black blood clan auras mingling in the Hidden Alliance would struggle to find new factions to ally with, liable instead to be treated as expendable pawns—better to fight here, and if they endure, they would have lives to lead on their own terms.
Meng Huai scoffed at this notion; despite having spent time together, the Ba Fu elite knights were indeed well-trained and experienced. Setting aside their blood clan identities, just their combat skills and discipline were on par with veterans of the Dark Arrow’s elite troops.
What surprised him was that this leader of the wind signal, Wan Yue, had once been a member of the Ba Fu and held a significant position, still possessing some influence over them. It was indeed hard for Jiang Yan and himself as outsiders to gain their trust right away.
Yes, Brother Hao mentioned this too. He’s a distant relative of Brother Xiang; otherwise, he wouldn’t have taken such risks alongside him in this unfamiliar land… but with the Luo family’s escape, the strength left by Brother Xiang is still rather thin.
These days, the Nava forces, along with other unknown blood clan factions, have repeatedly assaulted the Hongtian Entertainment Center, likely aiming to completely drag Brother Hao down; one wonders whether they will return tonight.
Jiang Yan nodded, raising the binoculars in front of her chest to survey the mountainous forests beyond the city. In her line of sight, there was the smoke of artillery, as if the inside and outside of Old Street were merging, no longer distinctly separate.
“Yan Jie, the local autonomous government’s Chairman Yin sent a letter. Brother Hao said to let you decide.”
Xiao Hai ran up to the rooftop, carefully passing the letter into Jiang Yan’s hands, watching with anxious eyes from the side.
Whether it was the heavy blow from Xiang Zuxing’s death or the confusion and despair brought by the current crisis, Guo Hao had effectively lost his fighting spirit and even given up thinking.
After glancing through the contents of the letter, Jiang Yan’s expression darkened.
What’s wrong?
Meng Huai glanced at the letter in Jiang Yan’s hand, lowering his voice.
The Chairman asks whether we can resolve the troubles with Nava. If not, he must accept the negotiation terms from the Nava government forces and other enemies, surrendering Old Street.
The tone implied he was being coerced by us… He invited us to negotiate with Nava tomorrow; if we are willing to pull back, he will guarantee our safe return to the mainland.
He must have been pressured by the Nava forces as well; all the local warlord leaders, even some in the Myanmar government forces, have blood and clan connections… But we didn’t expect that on our first day here, we would face this ultimatum.
Jiang Yan smiled bitterly, handing the letter to Meng Huai: “These local warlords must have sensed where the roots of this chaos lie; someone has marked this place as a target.”
Meng Huai wasn’t interested in reading it, directly crumpling the letter and tossing it off the rooftop with a cold smile: “Hmph, perhaps they planned this all along, just notifying us casually not to incur their full wrath.”
Jiang Yan, if we can’t secure a safe environment through combat, don’t expect anything from the negotiation table. There are people who know we have received reinforcements, and if everything goes as expected, they would come to test us tonight.
Meng Huai snorted coldly, gripping his weapon as he walked toward the rooftop exit without looking back: “Guo Hao cannot fight. You are the only high-tier combat force here. Rest well, I will check on our defenses.”
Um… if baron-level enemies appear tonight, I’ll handle them; you must not come to help!
Watching Meng Huai retreating, Jiang Yan seemed to think of something and quickly urged a warning.
Rest assured, I understand the disparity in strength in the world of blood clans; as long as I can win, I won’t hold onto too much pride, I’ll handle the rest.
With those words, Meng Huai walked down the rooftop stairs, his tall figure and steady stride embodying the excitement concealed beneath his icy facade.
Meng Huai truly is only normal and fearless on the battlefield; the more ruthless the enemy, the clearer he becomes, and the more passionate he feels.
But once he steps off the battlefield, he turns into a clumsy, stubborn, and annoyingly dull character… Gazing at the rooftop entrance, a smile crept onto Jiang Yan’s lips.
Yan Jie, will we win?
Brother Hao said that at Nava’s side, while there aren’t many knights, there are two barons from the Ganges… Brother Hao was infected by a blood bug, which is why he’s like this.
At this point, the cautious Xiao Hai approached Jiang Yan from behind, his face still showing hints of insecurity—he believed that facing a Ganges baron with a Siberian baron wouldn’t yield much of an advantage.
Moreover, the current Jiang Yan, however powerful her stats may be, isn’t a true Siberian baron.
No problem.
Jiang Yan took a deep breath, turning around with a sweet smile on her face.
Regarding being stubborn, Jiang Yan felt she and Meng Huai were pretty much equal, both eager to bear all the pressure alone.
…
The sounds of artillery and gunfire outside the city had ceased with the fall of night. Conflicts among ordinary people mainly occur during the day, while the blood clans’ slaughter takes place under the cover of darkness.
As the night deepened, the Ba Fu elite knights in the Hongtian Entertainment Center grew increasingly tense. However, according to Meng Huai’s arrangements, despite their heightened alertness, they still managed to get some well-deserved rest in shifts.
In the hours after nightfall, Meng Huai checked almost every corner of the Hongtian Entertainment Center, utilizing his eyes and binoculars to continuously adjust every detail of the defenses, meticulously calculating their positions down to the meter.
Though he might not yet be accustomed to fights against blood clans, Meng Huai excelled at tactics, and the combat prowess of the Ba Fu elite knights was far superior to that of typical black blood clan knights—certainly enough to make up a substantial portion of an ambush assault unit.
With Guo Hao sustaining multiple injuries and suffering from blood loss, Jiang Yan carefully input some of her own blood into his body after much deliberation.
As for her slightly uncomfortable state due to hormonal imbalances, Jiang Yan conveniently overlooked it.
Time gradually approached midnight. At Meng Huai’s command, the power to the Hongtian Entertainment Center was shut off, plunging the entire building into darkness, and everyone held their breath, gripping their weapons tightly.
At this moment, Old Street had entered a curfew state, leaving only a few dim lights.
In the shadowy streets, obscure corners filled with over twenty figures emerged one after another, rapidly converging toward the Hongtian Entertainment Center from all directions.
Behind these dark figures, two small-statured young men with long hair walked leisurely, their eyes gleaming with the ruthless thrill of slaughter, emanating a chaotic aura.
