Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 672 For the Blood Bottle Gang
Amidst the chorus of condemnation, Ferguson took a deep drag on his cigarette, while Nekra, as a guest, laughed even more heartily.

"Alright, Emerald City controls lethal weapons," Good Guy Tommy coughed, pouring cold water on everyone's enthusiasm. "Forget about military crossbows, you can't even get ten large machetes in the city. How are you supposed to fight? Swing a wooden stick or a kitchen knife?"

“Let’s raid the guardhouse, that’s the fastest way to get weapons,” Jaga said sarcastically. “Or the Emerald Legion would do—they have the best weapons.”

The entire warehouse fell silent.

“Calm down, everyone,” Franco tried to calm things down. “We’re talking about something serious.”

“Um, folks, I’m not trying to be pessimistic, but have you ever thought about this,” Zeka, the newspaper vendor, wiped his glasses and stuffed the cloth back into his expensive coat pocket, “if it really was Black Silk who did it, why didn’t they just come after you guys in charge? Hmm? Like, slit his throat and hang him upside down?”

The bosses around the round table frowned.

“That makes sense,” Tommy said slowly and deliberately. “Hearing Roger say that, it seems like all the people who died were thugs, street sweepers, bodyguards, boxers…”

“The best boxer,” Gutierrez said coldly.

"They're the brothers who follow me around for a living!" Roger was also quite dissatisfied.

Sangalei roared, "And my dog ​​too!"

Taremi frowned and protested, "Hey, it was my brother-in-law who died! My wife's own brother!"

Jia Jia chuckled beside him, "Right, which wife is this again? The seventh or the eighth?"

Zeka raised his hands to muffle the noise and continued:

"I know, I know... In short, you haven't suffered any major losses, nor have you been seriously injured or had your business affected. It's just too much of a coincidence that you're allowed to come to Boss Fogg in full force and with a clear case to denounce him and force him to seek revenge on the Brotherhood?"

These words immediately changed the atmosphere of the scene.

“Hey newspaper vendor, what do you mean?” Gutierrez said coldly.

“It doesn’t mean anything.” Zeka shook his head.

"He means that this was all staged by a few of us street thugs," Roger said angrily. "Anyway, those of them sitting behind the table counting their money didn't lose anything, right?"

The leaders on either side of the round table disagreed, and the atmosphere in the warehouse became tense again. Ferguson and Nekra, who were sitting at the intersection of the two groups, remained silent, the former as calm as ever, and the latter deep in thought.

“No, even dumber than piranhas,” Fogg muttered. “At least piranhas don’t eat each other.”

“I understand, this wave of attacks has divided them into two factions.”

In a corner of the warehouse, Golov turned around and whispered to Rolf, "The bosses who suffered the most losses and made the most noise inside are the ones who have to go out on the streets and make a living on their own turf. They're not doing very well in Emerald City. On the contrary, another group of bosses are living comfortably and don't want to take any risks."

“Of course, maybe the Brotherhood attack was just a pretext,” the zombie whispered. “These people have been dissatisfied with the distribution of spoils for a long time—dumb, are you listening?”

Rolf nodded.

He tried his best to force himself not to look at the man in the dark red coat anymore.

“Ah, that’s what I find strange too,” the bad shoemaker Jaga snorted. “Dung Egg, Gutierrez, Gamandia, you all come here and start playing the victim, making it sound like your whole family is about to be wiped out by the Black Silk, but how come the rest of us are fine? We’re still eating and drinking as usual?”

"Maybe it's because you're so fat and bloated that you've been going to brothels all the time? You don't even want the black silk girls anymore?" Gutierrez said through gritted teeth.

“Perhaps it’s because they made arrangements with the Black Silk Gang not to touch their people,” Gamandia sneered. “There have never been any clever people in the Blood Bottle Gang, have there?”

"Oh, so your people must have been kidnapped by Black Silk and taken to brothels?" Jia Jia retorted coldly.

“Speaking of brothels,” Zeca turned his head, “Frango, your theater is close to their territory, how about it, have the girls seen any suspicious strangers?”

"No, business is good, and the girls are all fine, except for one or two who didn't use protection and accidentally got pregnant," Franco crossed his fingers. "Business is as usual."

"And what about you, Balta? Any news of any disturbances in the city?"

The barber, Balta, smiled shyly: "Like every year at the celebration, people got drunk, excited, and impulsive, and lost a few customers, but it doesn't matter, there will be new customers."

Zeka turned to the other half of the leaders and spread his hands:
"See? Nothing's wrong."

Gutierrez and Roger were furious and about to retaliate when Nekra's voice rang out again:

"Ah, I see!"

Everyone turned to look, and saw that the red viper looked as if he had suddenly realized something.

“Thugs, street sweepers, bodyguards, boxers, hunters... have you noticed those who have gone missing, been kidnapped, or been attacked? These are all the gang members who can roll up their sleeves and go out into the streets to fight with knives.”

Nekra narrowed his eyes: "Maybe this is the Brotherhood's plan? To weaken your fighting power from the bottom up, to clip your wings... By the time you realize that 'business as usual', you'll be unarmed and at their mercy?"

Foggmo listened quietly, stroking his pipe, his gaze turning cold.

“Boss Nekra, the rules in Emerald City are different from those in the capital,” Franco coughed, “We don’t use knives to fight here…”

“It’s fashionable now!” Gutierrez gritted his teeth. “Even princes can kill people at banquets, so why can’t we gangsters do the same?”

Roger's eyes blazed with fury: "Screw them! Those Black Silks have taken down so many of our men, we can't just sit here and wait to die, we have to teach them a lesson!"

Their trusted subordinates behind them echoed loudly.

"Don't forget, everyone!"

Stage manager Franco took a deep breath, overpowering everyone else:
"We, the Blood Bottle Gang, have a truce agreement with the Black Street Brotherhood. If we attack North Gate Bridge, we will be starting a war without authorization..."

“And don’t forget, this is Emerald City. If we act recklessly,” Good Man Tommy tilted his head, “the Guard Hall and the Emerald Legion won’t let us off easy.”

The gang members in the warehouse were breathing heavily, and occasional hisses could be heard.

“Yes, the ceasefire agreement, the ceasefire agreement,” Nekra joined the argument at the right moment, shaking his head slowly and deliberately, “signed by the great ‘Phantom Blade’ Catherine, we, the Blood Bottle Gang, will be obedient and well-behaved from now on, and will not dare to touch a hair on the heads of the Black Silks.”

Ferguson glanced at him.

"A ceasefire agreement?" Roger roared. "Damn it! They've been openly attacking our kidnappers in the streets! And they call it a ceasefire—if the sun has any power!"

“But this agreement has allowed us to maintain a tacit understanding and live in peace,” Jaga cautioned. “Breaking it would be unwise, let alone for us to break it in Emerald City.”

Gutierrez clenched his fists, his face turning ashen.
"But boss, we're the Blood Vial Gang!"

Jia Jia snorted coldly:
"Hey, this is the only time you guys remember you're still in the Blood Bottle Gang."

Taremi frowned and said:

"But they, the Black Silk Clan, were the first to violate the agreement."

“Yes,” Sangarai gritted his teeth, “they killed my dog! My dog!”

Chaos reigned in the warehouse, and amidst the surging emotions, the Red Viper's sinister voice echoed once more:

"So we just let them shit on our faces?"

boom!
There was a loud bang.

Fogg slammed his fist on the round table, silencing everyone.

He didn't speak, but simply looked at each of his men.

The warehouse became eerily quiet.

“Roger, Gutierrez, Gamandia, Taremi, Sangare,” Fogg finally spoke slowly, “I know your loss, I understand how you feel—like me finding the fish in my tank dead.”

Gutierrez snorted angrily.

“As for you, Franco, Tommy, Zeca, Jaga, and maybe you, Balta,” Fogg said softly, “I know you’re doing well, but don’t think that’s all… Only fish forget about the next meal after finishing the current one.”

Franco smiled and nodded.

The bosses around the round table all looked at Fogg, their expressions varied.

“You just can’t forget your damn fish, can you?” Nekra sneered from the other side.

“Yes, I’ve been thinking about it all day,” Ferguson sighed.

Ferguson looked at the clearly defined round table.

“I’ve heard everything you’ve said, and I know about it,” he said in a deep, authoritative voice. “My men are investigating the truth, and I believe we’ll have an answer soon, if there is evidence that the Brotherhood did it…”

"Does that matter?" the red viper suddenly asked.

Ferguson frowned and turned his head: "Sorry?"

Nekra said in a low voice, "I said, does it matter whether the Brotherhood did it or not?"

“Little Red,” Ferguson squinted, “what do you mean by this?”

The red viper gave a cold laugh and got up from his seat.

"Now, you are all dead or wounded, missing or kidnapped. The members of Emerald City are in a state of panic, and they have even brought out the legend of the water ghost that eats people."

Nekra walked past one boss after another, and Rolf subconsciously lowered his head to cover himself: "Investigate, track down, wait for evidence, hmm, this process is quite the style of a vigilante, but the brothers are not getting any relief."

Ferguson clenched his fist.

Nekra looked at the gang members in the warehouse:

"So the important thing is, at this juncture, Fogg, you have to do something, you must do something, whatever it is, to let the brothers see that you are still in control of the situation and that you are not completely overwhelmed."

The Red Viper stared at the silent Ferguson, then raised its index finger and lightly tapped it in the air:

"You need to show the guts of the Emerald City boss, you can't back down, right? And going to the Brotherhood, hmm, that's the simplest, fastest, and most effective solution, isn't it?"

Everyone nodded in agreement upon hearing this.

“Red Viper, what grudge do I hold against you?” Fogg narrowed his eyes; he hadn’t touched his pipe in a long time. “Are you in such a hurry to incite my men to their deaths?”

"Going to their deaths?" Nekra looked surprised. "Excuse my bluntness, old Ferguson, but..."

The red viper's voice sharpened:
"When you do nothing, aren't people already dying?"

Upon hearing this, the gang members present began to whisper among themselves.

Even the leaders' perspectives have changed.

Ferguson's expression turned cold:

"Red Viper, you beast with a mouthful of venomous fangs."

Nekra smiled and nodded: "It's better than a piranha living in a fish tank, isn't it?"

“Boss Fogg, even though Boss Nekra isn’t a local,” Gamandia suddenly said, “I think he has a point.”

Everyone turned their attention away, but Ferguson remained unmoved.

“Boss Fogg, you’re in charge of Emerald City, we all listen to you, and we support you no matter what you do,” Gamandia said, crossing his arms. “But the brothers are bleeding, and you have to do something, whether it’s for lives, for business, or for the reputation of the Blood Bottle Gang.”

Ferguson snorted softly:
"Now you remember I'm in charge."

Zeka, the newspaper vendor, coughed:
"But guys, if we really do as you say and gather people to go to the North Gate Bridge to find the Brotherhood... do you understand what that means?"

"We don't want war, we just want to stop the bleeding, we want to get an explanation from Black Silk, we want to regain our dignity and face, and we want our lost brothers," Gusares said through gritted teeth.

"Or lose even more brothers?" Jaga said sarcastically.

"Then all our men died for nothing, all our blood was shed for nothing!" Roger protested.

“And my dog!” Sangarei chimed in.

"enough!"

Ferguson shouted, delivering the final blow:
"I have already contacted my connections in the upper city, especially in the Kongming Palace. They will definitely get to the bottom of this. Just wait a couple more days. I will definitely give an explanation for the losses and casualties these days. When the time comes, debts will be repaid and lives will be paid for."

He looked around, leaving no room for doubt:

"But before that, no one is allowed to make any rash moves. That's my decision, and that's it."

Faced with this statement, the leaders around the round table reacted with varying expressions and attitudes.

Fogg gave a soft snort and extinguished his pipe:

"Now, I have to go back to feed my fish. You may adjourn the meeting—"

"The connections within Kongming Palace?"

Unexpectedly, Ferguson was interrupted.

Everyone looked at the person who had spoken—Gamandia, who was gritting his teeth.

"You mean, Boss Fogg, you gained those connections with officials by being a lackey and sycophant to important figures?"

Upon hearing this, the warehouse fell silent.

Nekra raised an eyebrow and sat down again: "Well, looks like this is going to be interesting."

Ferguson paused for a moment, then slowly turned around: "Gamandia, you..."

Gamandia sneered:
"Looking for connections? So that's why, Boss Fogg, you've been busy serving those big shots these past few days, preferring to divert people to clean up their messes rather than bother with the trivial matters of us underlings?"

Ferguson frowned deeply: "Gamandia, how dare you talk to me like that?"

“I know it all, boss,” Gamandia seemed to have gone all out, his breathing rapid. “For weeks, you’ve been looking for connections, looking for connections, looking for connections—the reason that shocking wool merchant murder case was solved so quickly the other day was because you found scapegoats for those big shots and cleaned up their messes, right?”

Many people were taken aback by what they heard.

Only Golov was surprised.

The murder of the wool merchant in the Gold Rush District, isn't that...?

Ferguson remained expressionless.

"But what about us? What about our Blood Bottle Gang brothers?" Gamandia said coldly. "Aren't their lives lives too? Aren't they worth less than a wool merchant who died in his mistress's bed, less than the whims and desires of the big shots in the Sky Palace?"

The warehouse fell silent, and many people wore serious expressions.

Nekra looked at everyone and chuckled:
"I see, old Ferguson. If Lord Gu doesn't care about his brothers, then that's not very kind of you..."

Many of the gazes in the warehouse have changed.

After a long silence, Ferguson finally spoke.

“Gamandia,” Fogg said, “you invited Red Viper, didn’t you? He’s stirring things up and backing you up, isn’t he?”

Gamandia's face turned pale, while Nekra chuckled softly.

“Gamandia! You shouldn’t have allied with outsiders,” Jaga said, quite displeased. “The affairs of Emerald City can only be handled by ourselves…”

“Shut up, shoemaker, before I shove your shoe into your mouth,” Gutierrez interrupted him coldly.

Jiajia was stunned.

“Regarding this, boss,” Roger the Dung, said in a low voice, “I think you’ve underestimated our losses and our resolve.”

“You…” Fogg looked at Gutierrez and Roger in disbelief, then at the almost unrestrained Gamandia, and suddenly understood something.

“I respect you, Boss Fogg, but sometimes we need to be tougher,” Taremi swallowed, “and this is for the Blood Bottle Gang.” “We can’t sit idly by; the Black Silk must pay the price,” Gutierrez said firmly.

“You guys,” Franco stared incredulously at the other half of the leaders, “have you ever thought about what you’re doing—”

“It’s obvious they know what they’re doing,” Nekra’s voice trailed off as he rose from the table. “But you, Fogg, have you thought about that?”

As Nekra finished speaking, Roger, Gutierrez, Gamandia, Taremi, Sangare... half of the leaders stood up, and their confidants stepped forward at the same time.

Franco, Zeca, Jaga, Tommy... the remaining leaders changed their expressions slightly.

On the contrary, Boss Ferguson calmed down.

"I understand."

Fogg slowly raised his head, his gaze sweeping over Gamandia, Roger, Gutierrez, Taremi, Sangare, and the others. They all looked away, not daring to meet his eyes.

“Not just Gamandia, but all of you, right? You all conspired together, along with this red viper, and you even chose this day when the guards were too busy to pay attention to anything else, ha,” Fogg said with a cold laugh, revealing the truth, “This is a mutiny.”

At this moment, the veil of pretense was finally torn off, and many of the unsuspecting gang members in the warehouse began to panic.

“What’s going on?” Golov frowned, watching the situation unfold. “I just came to ask around… I didn’t expect this before I came.”

"Oh no, oh no, oh no! There's a reason why the other bosses didn't host this event... Can any of you go ask Boss Duro? What should we do now?" Zimicas's face turned pale with fright.

But Rolf remained silent. He didn't even bother to listen to the leaders' conversation; he just stared intently at the person in the center of the room.

The only one.

“Ferguson, old Ferguson, there’s a reason why the brothers follow you and give you money.”

The red viper's laughter echoed through the warehouse:

"It's like a vassal following a king, but once the king weakens, he can no longer protect them..."

Nekra stretched out his hand, his palm sweeping over the menacing half of the leaders around the round table, and grinned:
"Then they will have to find their own way out."

“A way out,” Fogg said, turning away from his (former) subordinates and towards Nekra, with a cold sneer, “Red Viper, is this what you came for?”

"Wow, don't worry, Fogg, I'm not here to steal your business or territory..."

"Just here to seize power?"

“Isn’t that narrow-minded?” Nekra laughed. “We’re all from the Blood Vial Gang, brothers from the same family.”

Ferguson snorted:
"So, does Catherine know you came to Emerald City to seize power?"

“Hahahaha,” Nekra laughed, “the way you asked that is like asking, ‘Does Mom know?’”

But only Nekra was laughing throughout the entire warehouse.

“Get out, Red Viper,” Ferguson said coldly. “You are no longer welcome here—Emerald City.”

Nekra waved his hand:
"Alright, Fogg, stop being childish. I know you hate that bitch too and don't want to be subservient to her. You know we can cooperate, ever since that night of war—"

"roll!"

Ferguson roared and interrupted him:
"Neklava, take your men and get out of Emerald City right now—before I chop off your hand!"

Nekra's expression turned cold.

“I think you’re out of your depth, Fogg,” Red Viper clicked his tongue. “You still think Emerald City is yours?”

As soon as he finished speaking, his men behind him drew their weapons in unison, their imposing presence intimidating.

Gutierrez, Roger, Gamandia... the local leaders of the Emerald City rebellion also echoed this sentiment.

“Admit it, Fogg, after Catherine went to the capital, these people went their own way. Apart from paying their dues on time, they probably don’t listen to you much,” Nekra laughed. “Just as you said, they only now remember that you are in charge.”

The remaining leaders at the round table looked at each other, some sneering, some confused, some fearful, and some uneasy.

“Now, the Emerald City gang is in trouble, and they need a leader,” Nekra said, opening his arms wide, “a strong and capable leader who can lead them out of this predicament.”

Ferguson sneered, stuffed his pipe back in, and exhaled heavily.

“I am the Blood Bottle Gang’s boss in Emerald City,” the Wanderer said in a deep voice, “as long as I am here.”

“That’s not up to you, Fogg,” Red Viper said dismissively. “Look at them, all of them are in a mess, desperate—how many people do you think still support you here?”

Those who support me.

Fogg frowned and looked around: Zeka, Franco, Tommy... They all looked fearful and cowered, probably plotting how to escape safely.

As for their subordinates... needless to say, these pampered guys don't have many capable fighters under their command.

Damn.

The gang members in the warehouse had different expressions; some stepped forward, some stepped back, and some gripped their weapons.

“I guess the idol has been shattered,” Golov said sarcastically to the stunned Zimicas.

He lowered his head and whispered to Rolf.
"The situation is not good. We'll find a chance to escape later."

But Rolf did not answer him; the mute man was only focused on the red viper in the arena.

"Wait, we're considered Duro's men, we shouldn't be affected..." Zimicas was sweating profusely.

Just then, a figure unexpectedly stood up next to Ferguson.

"Get lost, Nekra," the figure said without any politeness.

Everyone was stunned, including Ferguson.

At the round table, Duro calmly looked at Nekra across from him:

“Neklava, oh no, Little Red, Boss Fogg said you have to get out of here.”

Golov patted Tsimikas, who was stunned again, and gave him a thumbs up:
You've got guts, boss.

The red viper was startled.

But he quickly recognized the person opposite him, and his expression changed drastically:

"Oh my, isn't this our beloved Captain Duro?"

Duro gritted his teeth.

Nekra, beaming with delight, announced to everyone:

"Listen up, everyone! This is Cusack Duro! My comrade-in-arms who fought alongside me through thick and thin when I was still a 'freak' in the Western Wilderness! Believe me, you don't want to arm wrestle with him! Hahahaha!"

But he was the only one who laughed; Duro just stared at him coldly.

“Very well, we’re all acquaintances,” Ferguson said coldly. “When the fight breaks out, there’ll be no need for introductions.”

“Yes, an acquaintance, an intimate acquaintance,” Nekra’s smile gradually turned sinister. “Many years ago, he was the one who betrayed me and kicked me out of the Baki camp.”

“You should be glad I spared you, Little Red,” Duro said defiantly, his left arm tensing. “If the Baron knew what kind of money you were after, you wouldn’t have had it so easy, it wouldn’t have been as simple as being whipped out of the camp.”

“I know, I remember,” Nekra said with a cold laugh as he took off his coat. “I’ll remember your whip forever.”

But then he changed the subject:
"But Duro, how did you end up in this state? Did you also get greedy and get kicked out by the Baron? Hahahaha!"

Duro's expression changed.

“But it’s alright. You’re not the first soldier from the Western Wilderness to join the Blood Bottle Gang, nor will you be the last,” Nekra said, squinting. “Keep striving, and maybe you can make a name for yourself?”

As they moved, the people in the warehouse also reacted:
Centered around the round table, the people from Nekra and Fogg gradually gathered, facing each other—it was clear that the Red Viper's side had more people and was more elite.

The rest either watched nervously or prepared to flee.

Amidst the chaos of the gang, Golov grabbed Rolf: "Don't hesitate when the fight starts, find your chance, and run!"

But before he could finish speaking, an angry Zimicas squeezed through the crowd: "You're so ungrateful—"

His expression changed, and he said ingratiatingly:
"Can I come along?"

In the center of the warehouse, the gang leaders left their seats one after another, some forming lines, others fleeing, and many drew their weapons, making the atmosphere increasingly tense.

"Nothing to discuss, is that it?" Ferguson said in a deep voice.

Nekra took a knife from his subordinate and tested it in his hand:
"If you just back out obediently, there's no need for further discussion—tsk tsk, this knife isn't very handy."

Ferguson scoffed, "Sorry, Emerald City controls weapons."

Nekra returned his smile with a malicious grin.

"But if I step down, what will you lead them with? Attack the Brotherhood?"

Ferguson said coldly, "If I remember correctly, we lost a battle to the Black Silk in the capital a few years ago."

"Yes, and it was a huge battle."

Nekra makes no attempt to hide it:
"But war isn't decided by a single battle. Yes, the Black Silks have temporarily gained the upper hand in the capital, and that bitch Catherine is complacent... But we are the Blood Bottle Gang. We don't just have the capital; our people are still in Emerald City, in the Ruins, in Radiant Harbor, and in Blade Tomb..."

“I understand,” Ferguson sneered. “Someone’s goods aren’t selling well in the capital, and they can’t compete with Catherine, so they’re looking for alternative sales channels?”

Red Viper clicked his tongue and said, "There are many people in the Blood Bottle Gang who need this kind of 'goods', and I happen to be able to provide them."

"How dare you boast that you can take down Black Sword?" Ferguson took a short sword from his confidant.

Nekra shook his head with a smile:

"Don't be so brutal. This is Emerald City, and we're civilized people. Besides, we don't need to eliminate Black Sword. Instead, we should target various places and industries, just like they did to us back then, making them overwhelmed and stressed out—"

Just then, a woman's voice suddenly rang out:
"And then, like back then, suffer a defeat, be completely wiped out, and bring about their own destruction?"

For a moment, everyone was stunned.

Nekra was visibly shaken!
No, it can't be?
impossible……

He turned around, his body trembling slightly.

Footsteps sounded, and surrounded by a group of capable gang members, a smartly dressed woman emerged from the shadows. To everyone's surprise, she strode confidently into the venue.

To Gorlov’s surprise, at this moment, Rolf, who had been dragging him around like a walking corpse, regained color in his eyes.

At that moment, Nekra stared at the woman before him, his eyes wide with disbelief:

"Kay, Catherine?"

The moment the name was uttered, the members—regardless of which side—were in an uproar!
"Sister Catherine!"

"The newspaper vendor," Zeka called out the boss's name, both surprised and delighted.

"Big sister!"

"Miss!"

"Great!"

"Boss Catherine!"

The gang members in the warehouse called out Catherine's name one after another, with mixed feelings of surprise and delight:

Franco, Jaga, and the others were greatly encouraged, their initial tension and timidity turning into righteous indignation. Gutierrez, Roger, Gamandia, and the other mutinous leaders looked at each other in dismay and fear.

As for Nekra, he stared blankly at the triumphant Catherine, while his trusted subordinates behind him were even more at a loss.

Amidst the deafening shouts, Catherine, the most powerful leader of the Blood Bottle Gang, calmly raised her hand to reassure the gang members in the warehouse, inadvertently revealing the metal claws hidden under her sleeve.

Golov frowned, feeling that the mechanical shape under the sleeve claw looked somewhat familiar.

The next second, Catherine turned to Nekra.

"Tell me, Xiao Hong, if you succeed in seizing power, what do you plan to do?"

"Are you going to gather a bunch of people with deep-seated grudges, go to the North Gate Bridge to kill Razanchi, break the ceasefire agreement, and then wait for Cincha or Roda, or even Black Sword, to come to Emerald City with their men and cut you into mincemeat?"

But Nekra, who had just faced Ferguson with ease, was now just staring at Catherine in shock, speechless.

Catherine scoffed dismissively:

"No, with such a commotion, you would have been crushed to dust by the Guard Hall or the Emerald Legion before then—yes, including you, the brainwashed idiots."

The men behind Red Viper looked at each other, at a loss for what to do.

“As I said, a tank full of stupid fish,” Fogg spat, then patted Duro, who was equally surprised and bewildered. “Thanks, friend, Fogg remembers your loyalty.”

“See, I knew it,” Zimicas, who had regained his imposing air in the corner, said triumphantly to Golov, “Fatty Wyman, we’ve chosen the right boss! No need to run away anymore!”

Golov raised an eyebrow dismissively.

After a long while, Nekra took a deep breath and finally spoke:
“Catherine? No, when did you—”

"When did you arrive in Emerald City? Oh, a long time ago," Catherine sneered. "When I was just a street thief, I joined the Blood Bottle Gang in Emerald City and followed Boss Bot."

“You need to know that this is where I started, Little Red,” Catherine’s eyes blazed with fury, “especially when you try to attack my stronghold and cause me trouble, you should know that.”

She said coldly:

"Emerald City is mine."

In that instant, Golov had a feeling that the situation in the warehouse had turned around again.

“Not entirely,” Ferguson said, dissatisfied.

“You’re right, Ferguson,” the woman smiled and turned to Ferguson, bumping fists with him. “Not entirely—Emerald City is ours.”

Only then did Ferguson smile.

No.

Nekra was breathing in a daze, but he understood something.

"Ferguson!"

The Red Viper stared incredulously at the other side: "Damn it, it was you, you went to see her beforehand?"

Nekra looked around, gritting his teeth: "This is you, it's you and her, you two teamed up to set this trap for me?"

“Don’t look at me, you know I don’t like her either,” Fogg laughed, flicking the short sword in his hand. “But, to declare war on Black Silk? Heh, Little Red, that’s going a bit too far.”

Catherine gave a cold laugh.

Standing next to Catherine, "The Wanderer" Fogg shrugged:

"You know, this is for the Blood Vial Gang."

(End of this chapter)