Chapter 540 - 540 Snatching the Knife
Ye Qing understood that Da Fei and Li Lianshan's capture was most likely arranged by Zhao Chengshuang. Moreover, it conveyed a message: Zhao Chengshuang's situation must still be stable; otherwise, he wouldn't be able to command his people from afar.
Of course, if the Ding family decided to go all out against Ye Qing, this was probably the best that Zhao Chengshuang could do. By having Da Fei and Li Lianshan detained at the police station, it seemed as if they were under investigation, but in reality, it was a way to protect them. This also relieved Ye Qing from worrying about the two of them.
As for the orphanage, with the Zhao Family and Lin family stepping in to guard the children and the staff at the hospital, the Ding family and Xingyi School, who were currently only interested in capturing Ye Qing, would definitely not be insane enough to harm the children. Neither would the Tianqing Gang nor Fu Bang dare to lay a hand on the children under the watchful eyes of the Lin and Zhao families; hence, the hospital was safe for the moment.
With the situation in Shenchuan City handled, aside from worrying about his captured brothers, Ye Qing had no other concerns. After giving instructions to Chen Junhou San and the others, he went into the house to discuss the trip to Dongzhou with Cui Yu.
Now, the teahouse was surrounded, and Ye Qing was seriously injured. Leaving the teahouse would surely draw the pursuit of those outside. Considering Ye Qing's condition, escaping their pursuit would not be easy; hence, he needed to devise a foolproof escape plan.
Upon hearing Ye Qing's concerns, Cui Yulong immediately grabbed the wooden box on the table and said in a deep voice, "I'll escort you!"
Cui Yulong was incredibly powerful. If he were to escort Ye Qing, there would certainly be no issues. However, what Ye Qing was more worried about was whether Ghost King Li Ruoyuan and Demon Queen He Qinghua would target Lin Mengjie at the teahouse while Cui Yulong was helping him escape.
Cui Yulong saw Ye Qing's worry and lifted the wooden box, pointing at Ghost King Li Ruoyuan, he said coldly, "You're coming with me!"
"Why should I?" The Ghost King finally couldn't bear it any longer and became angry. Since Cui Yulong entered the room, the wooden box had been pointing at him, which was infuriating enough. Now, Cui Yulong was speaking to him with a commanding tone. The Ghost King wasn't a character to be trifled with; how could he not get angry?
Cui Yulong's expression was like still water as he looked at Li Ruoyuan disdainfully and said, "Do you want to fight me?"
"He doesn't want to fight you; he just thinks you're not qualified to order him around," said Demon Queen He Qinghua languidly from the side, provoking Cui Yulong. Unfortunately, it seemed as if Cui Yulong hadn't heard her at all.
Li Ruoyuan's face turned red, his hands clenched tightly, and he said coldly, "Cui Yulong, don't think that just because you have the Ink Pattern Black Gold Blade, you are Invincible Under the Heavens. I, the Ghost King, am also a figure on the Black List. You, a junior, dare to lecture me? This is too much!"
Cui Yulong's expression remained unchanged as he coldly asked again, "So are you saying you want to fight me?"
Li Ruoyuan's face alternated between shades of pale and flushed, his teeth gritted, and suddenly he bellowed, "Yes, I want to fight you! I want to see just how strong you are with that Ink Pattern Black Gold Blade!"
As he spoke, Li Ruoyuan sprang to his feet, his toes touching the ground, and he shot toward Cui Yulong like an apparition. His fingers were abnormally long, and he reached for Cui Yulong's neck. This motion, combined with his strange appearance and the incessant, eerie laughter, 'heh heh heh,' coming from his mouth, made him seem more like a ghoul, causing the onlookers to feel an involuntary chill.
Putting aside Li Ruoyuan's actual strength, his terrifying demeanor alone could mentally defeat his opponents. If such a person suddenly appeared late at night, it would be easy to believe one had encountered a ghost, leading to the loss of any resistance and leaving one at the mercy of the enemy.
What's more, Li Ruoyuan was considerably stronger than Ye Qing. His attack was ferocious, and his nails seemed about to pierce Cui Yulong's neck, but a wooden box suddenly came in horizontally, perfectly blocking Li Ruoyuan's hands.
Li Ruoyuan had failed to grab Cui Yulong's neck, so he seized the wooden box and yanked it back forcefully. The wooden box contained the Ink Pattern Black Gold Blade, and for a moment, a glimmer of surprise flashed in his eyes—never had he expected to grab this sharp weapon so easily!
Cui Yulong appeared oblivious to Li Ruoyuan's thoughts and allowed him to take the wooden box. After snatching the box, Li Ruoyuan retreated several meters, not only escaping Cui Yulong's presence but also dodging Cui Yu and Demon Queen He Qinghua. He stood in a corner of the room, holding the wooden box and laughing maniacally to the sky, "Heh heh heh, heh heh heh..."
"Cui Yulong, it's been ten years. I thought with the Ink Pattern Black Gold Blade, your strength would have greatly improved. But you're still the same useless person as before, with no progress even with the Ink Pattern Black Gold Blade. Truly disappointing. Heh heh heh. Now that the Ink Pattern Black Gold Blade has been taken by me, what right do you have to speak before me? Heh heh heh. Cui Yu, He Qinghua, it looks like your rankings on the Black List need to be pushed back a notch, heh heh heh..."
Li Ruoyuan stood in the corner holding the wooden box, shouting with unrestrained joy, laughing ecstatically.
Cui Yu and He Qinghua both had unpleasant expressions on their faces, especially Cui Yu. He hadn't expected that Ghost King Li Ruoyuan could have snatched the Ink Pattern Black Gold Blade away so effortlessly. To him, Cui Yulong seemed to have hardly put up a fight at all. Considering how Cui Yulong had killed the Shen Family's daredevil bodyguard, his strength should not have been this weak!
"Old Ghost Li, return the Ink Pattern Black Gold Blade to Yu Long!" Cui Yu commanded sternly.
"Hmph, can something once taken be so easily returned?" Demon Queen He Qinghua sneered and said, "Cui Laoqi, I think this time you and your brother have hit rock bottom. In your own territory, you got the Ink Pattern Black Gold Blade stolen. Hmph, if you don't snatch back the blade, I'm afraid your teahouse will become the second Ghost King Cave!"
"He Qinghua, you need not provoke Cui Laoqi. Now that the Ink Pattern Black Gold Blade is in my hands, who can do anything to me!" Ghost King Li Ruoyuan held the wooden box and laughed loudly, "Cui Laoqi, the shrew, Cui Yulong, all three of you come at me together. I want to see what you can do!"
As he spoke, Ghost King Li Ruoyuan reached out and touched one end of the wooden box, looking like he was about to open it. Cui Yu and He Qinghua's complexions instantly changed, each grabbing their weapons at hand and staring down Li Ruoyuan, afraid that he might actually draw the Ink Pattern Black Gold Blade.
"Old Ghost Li, I advise you not to draw the sword!" Cui Yulong's face remained calm, not showing the slightest fear or worry, and simply said in a cold voice, "The scabbard for the Ink Pattern Black Gold Blade was lost in the battle ten years ago. Now, once the blade leaves this wooden box, blood must be drawn!"
"So what? There are so many people here, anyone could bleed a little, right?" Li Ruoyuan laughed loudly and said, "But rest assured, after all, we are all from Sha Men; I won't take your lives. Look, here's a ready-made target. I'll let you witness the true power of the Ink Pattern Black Gold Blade!"
Li Ruoyuan turned his head and sneered at Ye Qing beside him, "Hehehe, Li Changqing could never have imagined that his last disciple would die by my, Li Ruoyuan's, blade. Hmph, so much for the Northern Fist King. That's all he amounts to!"
While speaking, Li Ruoyuan slapped the end of the wooden box, which popped open, revealing a sword hilt.
Cui Yu and He Qinghua's expressions changed at once, both launching an attack towards Li Ruoyuan, afraid he might draw the Ink Pattern Black Gold Blade. But they were still a bit too slow. Li Ruoyuan's eerie laugh continued as he grabbed the hilt, ready to draw the blade. However, at that moment, Li Ruoyuan suddenly let out a ghastly scream as if he had been suddenly attacked. His hands sprung open, and the wooden box flew out of his grasp.
He Qinghua saw everything clearly. With a flick of her right hand, a black long whip snapped out, coiling around the wooden box and pulling it into her hand.
"Give it back to me!" Cui Yu shouted, his silver threads also lashing out. But He Qinghua was quick too, retreating several steps to avoid Cui Yu's strike. A trace of ecstasy crossed her face as she reached out for the Ink Pattern Black Gold Blade.
But just as her hand touched the hilt, like Li Ruoyuan, she let out a cry of surprise, and the wooden box fell to the ground. With a clang, a long blade sprung from the box, flying two meters into the air.
Ye Qing was in the room, and although he had seen the Ink Pattern Black Gold Blade before, he was too far away at the time to feel anything. Now standing here, the moment the Ink Pattern Black Gold Blade burst free, Ye Qing felt an intense oppression that made his breathing uneasy, and his back suddenly felt an involuntary chill.
Having spent so many years in the military and having walked through life and death countless times, Ye Qing had experienced similar sensations. But those feelings of dread only came when someone pointed a gun at his back. So why did he suddenly feel this way now?
Just as the Ink Pattern Black Gold Blade was about to hit the ground, Cui Yulong, who had remained motionless until then, suddenly leaped forward and caught the blade. His entire figure, like a fleeting shadow, rushed straight at Li Ruoyuan, and he swung down at him.
Li Ruoyuan hadn't expected Cui Yulong to move so quickly and was too late to dodge. In a panic, he raised an arm to block. But could his arm really withstand the sharpness of the Ink Pattern Black Gold Blade?
"Yu Long, don't kill him!" Cui Yu suddenly cried out.
It was a timely shout. Just as the long blade was about to fall on Li Ruoyuan's head, Cui Yulong suddenly twisted his wrist, and the blade slashed down, barely missing Li Ruoyuan's body. If he hadn't turned away, that strike would have surely sliced Li Ruoyuan clean in two!
Having narrowly escaped death, Li Ruoyuan stood on the spot with a deathly pale face, drenched in sweat, gasping for air. He looked at the Ink Pattern Black Gold Blade in Cui Yulong's hand, his face a mixture of shock and disbelief. The hand with which he had gripped the blade's hilt was now dripping blood onto the ground, and it was unclear when it had been injured!