Chapter 21 : Chapter 21
Chapter 21. Gang Leader of the Wild Wolf Gang
After finishing his meal, Xu Yuan bid farewell to his elder brother and sister-in-law before stepping out of the alley.
Night had deepened. Unlike the inner city, which was brightly illuminated, the outer city lay in dimness, with many places faintly lit only by the hazy glow of moonlight.
Following the route he had taken during the day, Xu Yuan moved swiftly through the shadows like a ghost. Before long, he arrived once more near that small courtyard.
The courtyard was silent. Aside from a single maidservant, there was no sign of anyone else moving about.
“That fellow still hasn’t returned?”
Xu Yuan frowned. He did not vault over the wall immediately but instead lay in wait in the darkness, like a lone wolf stalking its prey, silently biding his time.
About half an hour later, Li Daqiang stumbled back, reeking of alcohol. He stepped forward, knocked on the door, and shouted, “Xiao Ping! Hurry up and come out to receive your master!”
Very soon, the young maid hurried out and carefully supported Li Daqiang as she led him inside.
Seeing that the man had entered the main room, Xu Yuan tapped the ground lightly with his foot and leapt upward. His body landed softly within the courtyard without making the slightest sound.
Like a civet cat, Xu Yuan quietly crept up to the window of the main room. From inside came Li Daqiang’s drunken muttering and the maid’s soft replies.
“Master… please slow down. I will fetch water for you to wash your feet.”
“What nonsense? I’m… I’m not drunk at all! Come here, let me… check your body,” Li Daqiang said roughly, his tone carrying the excitement of intoxication.
Xiao Ping dared not disobey.
Soon, low, muffled groans of a man and a woman echoed from inside the room.
A moment later, Li Daqiang’s snoring gradually began to sound.
“That was fast enough.”
The corner of Xu Yuan’s lips twitched. He moved to the gap in the door, gathered strength at his fingertips, and gave a light flick.
With a soft snap, the small door latch broke. Xu Yuan pushed the door open and slipped inside like a gust of wind, arriving beside the bed in an instant.
But the moment he raised his head, he met the maid Xiao Ping’s eyes, which were filled with panic.
“Make a sound, and I will kill you!” Xu Yuan gestured sharply, his expression fierce.
“Mmm!” Terrified, Xiao Ping nodded repeatedly and quickly covered her mouth.
Xu Yuan moved to the other side and looked at the sleeping Li Daqiang. Without hesitation, he delivered a loud slap across his face.
The shock made Li Daqiang jerk up like a drowning cat, flailing his limbs as he struggled upright. “Who… who the hell dared to hit me?!”
“Master Li, I have come to collect your debt,” Xu Yuan said softly, looking down at him from above.
Hearing the unfamiliar voice, Li Daqiang sobered up halfway. When he looked up and saw Xu Yuan, his face first showed astonishment, then twisted into something ferocious. “Xu… Xu Er?”
“You little bastard, you’ve got some nerve, barging into my place?!”
“Well then…”
SLAP!
Before he could finish speaking, another heavy slap landed on his face.
“You—”
SLAP!
“I’ll f—”
SLAP!
After a short while, Li Daqiang clutched his swollen face, now puffed up like a pig’s head, and said bitterly, “You’re the master, you’re the master! Stop hitting me—I admit defeat!”
Then, as realization dawned, he stared at Xu Yuan in disbelief and spoke with difficulty, “You’ve broken through to a Formal Martial Artist?”
The speed of Xu Yuan’s strikes had been so fast that he could not react at all, and the disparity in strength was overwhelming. In truth, he had already confirmed the other party’s identity as a martial artist.
But…
“That’s impossible! Just over forty days ago, he still hadn’t even sensed the opportunity of Qi and blood. How could he suddenly become a martial artist? It makes no sense!”
A chill spread through Li Daqiang’s heart. He knew that this time, he was utterly finished.
Yet he still could not accept it. He had made thorough preparations!
He had investigated, he had planned carefully—but who could have imagined that the other party would become a martial artist and even come knocking at his door?
“Li Daqiang, do you know why I came here?” Xu Yuan looked at him calmly, a hint of amusement in his tone.
Seeing the faint smile at the corner of Xu Yuan’s lips but the coldness in his eyes, Li Daqiang trembled. “I understand… what will it take for you to spare my life?”
“What is the background of your Wild Wolf Gang’s Gang Leader?”
Xu Yuan stared at him, asking the question he had pondered for a long time.
“If I tell you, will you let me go?” Li Daqiang did not answer immediately. Instead, he tried to negotiate.
“You see, you’re getting impatient again.” Xu Yuan shook his head and waved his hand. “Did I ever say I was going to kill you?”
Not kill me?
Li Daqiang glanced at him suspiciously. Seeing that Xu Yuan’s expression remained unchanged, he finally felt slightly relieved.
“Our Gang Leader is called Quan Xiong. He used to be a bandit. Three years ago, when the authorities launched a large-scale suppression of bandits, he had no way to survive, so he asked acquaintances to help him enter this Prefecture City. After that, he set up all kinds of businesses—brothels, gambling houses…”
“That’s not what I want to hear!” Xu Yuan cut him off directly, shooting him a cold look. “Li Daqiang, you’re not being honest. You’re talking about irrelevant things. Tell me—what is Quan Xiong’s current cultivation level?”
“His cultivation… is at the Two-Meridian Realm,” Li Daqiang replied honestly after being startled.
Xu Yuan’s heart sank. He continued, “Does he have any backing in this Prefecture City?”
“Backing? Not exactly. He just has some profit ties with the authorities. Every month, the Gang Leader spends silver to smooth things over, and the authorities also need him to gather and control some of the scattered forces.”
As he spoke, Li Daqiang kept sneaking glances at Xu Yuan’s expression.
“Does he have any powerful friends or acquaintances?”
“Well…” Li Daqiang hesitated, but when he saw Xu Yuan’s cold gaze, he gritted his teeth and said, “I’m not too sure about the specifics, but it seems he has some connections with the Bai family and the Shangyang Residence.”
He certainly had a wide network.
Xu Yuan found it quite surprising upon hearing this. Even the Shangyang Residence was within his reach.
This Quan Xiong truly embodied the saying—more friends mean more paths.
…