As the crowd watching the scene began to disperse, two figures appeared on the street.
One was tall, the other short; one was muscular, the other thin. Both were dressed identically in gray robes with round hats and round sunglasses that obscured their faces. The most peculiar thing about them was the long object they carried on their backs, wrapped in cloth, whose purpose was unclear.
Their steps synchronized, the two men slowly approached the site of the lightning strike and then stopped.
"There are signs of a fight," the thin man suddenly remarked.
"That's right, and it was the work of a top-tier fighter," the more muscular man responded.
Both were skilled fighters themselves and could easily see that the area had been damaged by a fierce battle.
Although the thin man was blind, his other senses were even sharper.
"Hey, that person over there... I'll go take a look."
The muscular man walked over to the charred body of The Beast and examined it closely. He was instantly shocked.
"Ah!!"
He even screamed in fright.
"What's wrong, big brother?" The thin man's ears twitched as he quickly asked.
"Let's get out of here! We need to leave now and as far away as possible!" the muscular man urged.
"What happened, big brother?"
"That's the Ultimate Killing King, The Beast. He was almost killed by someone…"
"…."
These two, known as the Crippled Duo, had just arrived in SH City, and they were instantly terrified, fleeing in a panic.
…
Meanwhile, Chen Ye had already arrived at a casino.
This casino was the largest and most luxurious in all of SH City, a true den of iniquity.
In addition to the casino, it housed a dance hall, restaurants, and other facilities. It was also the headquarters of the Axe Gang.
Chen Ye walked into the casino, which was bustling with activity.
Countless well-dressed men and women moved through the space, and the air was filled with the excited shouts of gamblers and the angry curses of those who had lost.
On the left side of the casino, there was a large door guarded by four members of the Axe Gang.
Without a word, Chen Ye walked toward the door.
However, as soon as he got close, the four gang members stopped him.
"Hey, kid, the gambling tables are over there. This area's off-limits!" one of them barked.
With just a flick of his finger, Chen Ye sent all four flying.
Then, he strode through the door.
After walking down a long corridor, Chen Ye entered a spacious hall.
Inside, many Axe Gang members, all dressed in suits, were burning incense in front of a massive statue of Guan Yu.
Chen Ye's entrance immediately drew everyone's attention.
"Who are you?"
A small lackey stepped forward and shouted, "This is the Axe Gang's turf. If you don't want to die, get lost... Ah!!"
Before he could finish, the lackey screamed as he was sent flying.
All Chen Ye had to do was wave his hand.
Such an act, happening in the headquarters of the Axe Gang, was like poking a hornet's nest!
Suddenly, the sound of guns being drawn filled the air as every gang member aimed their weapons at Chen Ye.
"Causing trouble in the Axe Gang? You must have a death wish. Kill him!" ordered a fierce-looking, heavyset man.
This man was the second-in-command of the Axe Gang.
In the original storyline, he tried to take over Pigsty Alley but ended up getting his spine broken and died in a barrel.
As soon as the order was given, the gang members opened fire.
Bang!!
But to everyone's astonishment, the troublemaker was still standing there unharmed, while the person who had fired lay dead in a pool of blood.
The gang members were stunned; everything had happened so fast that no one knew what had occurred.
At the back of the hall, a few individuals with a different aura exchanged glances and quietly took a step back.
These were reincarnators who had recently joined the Axe Gang. With sharper instincts than ordinary people, they quickly realized that this newcomer was someone not to be trifled with…
"Everyone, attack!!"
The second-in-command continued to give orders.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
This time, almost everyone surrounding Chen Ye opened fire.
Yet, it was still to no avail.
A bizarre scene unfolded before their eyes.
The bullets that had been fired were all suspended in mid-air in front of Chen Ye, as if held by an invisible force. Despite there being no apparent support, they floated there, leaving everyone in shock.
The gang members were left wide-eyed and speechless, many instinctively taking a step back as if they had seen a ghost, their faces filled with fear.
Even the second-in-command was too scared to say another word.
"Clink, clank…"
With a wave of Chen Ye's hand, the suspended bullets lost their momentum and fell to the ground with a crisp sound.
Then, with another wave of his hand, the lackeys blocking his way were sent flying, clearing a path for him.
"Clap, clap!"
The sound of applause echoed through the hall.
From the shadows beside the Guan Yu statue, a young man with slicked-back hair and a roguish expression stepped forward, clapping as he approached Chen Ye.
"Impressive skills, sir!"
When the young man spoke, his mouth revealed a set of pitch-black teeth…
This was Brother Sum, the leader of the Axe Gang.
"I apologize if the Axe Gang has offended you in any way. On behalf of the gang, I offer you my sincerest apologies!"
After saying this, Brother Sum bowed deeply to Chen Ye.
Almost instantly, as he bent over, sweat began to pour from his forehead, and he nervously swallowed.
Chen Ye's earlier display of power had terrified everyone, including Brother Sum.
He was a shrewd man and knew that any monster who could render guns useless was not someone he could afford to offend. So, he quickly adopted a submissive attitude, apologizing and admitting fault.
"You're the leader of the Axe Gang?" Chen Ye asked calmly.
"That's right!"
Brother Sum kept his head down, readily admitting to it.
His reputation was well-known throughout SH City, so what was the point of denying it?
"Good. My name is Shura, and I'm here to join the Axe Gang. What do you think?" Chen Ye asked.
Brother Sum finally looked up, staring at Chen Ye in disbelief.
It was clear he couldn't believe that someone like Chen Ye would want to join the Axe Gang.
Chen Ye continued, "Don't worry. I'm not interested in your position. After joining the Axe Gang, you will still be the leader. I'll be the second-in-command. Any objections?"
"No objections!"
Brother Sum immediately declared loudly, "The entire Axe Gang welcomes Mr. Shura as our new second-in-command!"
As long as his position wasn't being threatened...
As for the former second-in-command, he didn't dare say a word.
The reincarnators who had joined the Axe Gang exchanged looks, hearing the name "Shura." They quickly adopted an indifferent attitude, pretending they had nothing to do with the situation.