The street vagrant took the money, laughed, and hurried off. He ran all the way to the building below Hu Youli, shouting at the top of his lungs, “Old Seven, Old Nine, Old Seven, Old Nine…”
Nan Zhu and Mu Aotie were immediately drawn out by his noise. After landing and asking about the situation, they confirmed that Old Fifteen was looking for them, so they followed him straight away.
This time, they had no doubts, as there was nothing left to lose.
Before long, the two met Yu Qing at a street corner.
Yu Qing gave the vagrant the remaining half of the promised silver. Without waiting for his two senior brothers to speak, he waved his hand and signalled for them to leave with him.
“I am often in this area. If you need anything next time, come here to find me.”
Watching the three leave, the vagrant waved and shouted. He looked down at the five hundred tael bank draft in his hand. He had run less than two miles back and forth, and earned five hundred taels. His face was full of delight.
Yet before his excitement faded, a hand reached out from the side, hooked his neck, squeezed his throat, and dragged him straight into a nearby alley.
Three large men surrounded him and pressed his head against the wall.
One man pried open his hand, pulled out the bank draft to inspect it, and then asked, “Speak. What did those people just say to you?”
…
Inside the underground drainage channel, the three junior brothers moved quickly. Old Seven and Old Nine followed closely behind Yu Qing.
After running around inexplicably for a while, they found a suitable place to stop. Nan Zhu finally could not hold back and grabbed Yu Qing, asking in a low voice, “What is going on?”
Yu Qing certainly had to explain what they needed to do. He had ignored it earlier just to shake off possible followers first. Now he took the opportunity to explain the situation.
Upon learning that Liu Piaopiao had not put them in prison, but instead wanted them to smash the shop of the Sea Pacification Envoy, Zhu Xuan, Nan Zhu and Mu Aotie felt their hearts pound with fear.
Yu Qing carefully explained the pros and cons to them. He naturally passed on Liu Piaopiao’s instructions as well, insisting that people from Zhu Xuan’s shop had kidnapped Little Black.
Having no other choice, the two finally steeled themselves and pressed on.
Nan Zhu could not help but mutter, “I knew every time we went out there would be danger…”
In the past, he had been hunted everywhere by those who controlled the prisons, so frightened that he hid back at Linglong Temple. He never expected things to be like this now. He could only shake his head and sigh. It felt as if just yesterday he was leisurely watching the clouds in the mountains, and in the blink of an eye, he was suddenly living a life tossed by wind and waves.
The Treasure Pavilion was a five storey shop covering an area of one mu. It sat on the busiest main street of Haishi, and its value was easy to imagine. True to its name, the shop traded precious goods and occasionally held auctions.
Most people who lived long term in Haishi knew whose property it was.
In fact, in this most prosperous area, a shop like the Treasure Pavilion was not top tier. It could only be considered third rate.
This area, crowded with properties of powerful families, was also heavily patrolled by the Sea Pacification Bureau. Even people dressed untidily would be closely questioned by patrol officers. No one dared to cause trouble here.
Therefore, the streets and shops in this area appeared quite neat. It was clearly an upscale district of Haishi.
However, at this moment, Yu Qing and his two brothers had their eyes on the Treasure Pavilion.
The three stood across the street, examining the shop opposite. Afraid of making a mistake, they had asked for directions on the way and confirmed it was indeed the shop belonging to Zhu Xuan that Liu Piaopiao had mentioned.
The facade was luxurious. High end customers in fine clothes and silk sashes walked in and out. Two shop assistants at the door constantly bowed and nodded. There were many more assistants inside. Standing opposite, one could feel the glittering wealth within.
Several men wearing Sea Pacification Bureau uniforms happened to walk past the three brothers. As they passed, they looked the trio up and down.
Nan Zhu swallowed hard and whispered, “How do we smash it? If we rush in and smash things, will we get beaten to death?”
Yu Qing thought for a moment and said, “We are not pushovers. Let us just smash it from the outside.”
Mu Aotie suddenly asked, “Are you sure we will not have to pay for it later?”
Yu Qing replied, “The person who started this will naturally pay. We are victims too. Let us go!” He took the lead.
Nan Zhu and Mu Aotie looked at each other. What else could they do? They steeled themselves and followed.
Seeing the three approach, the two shop assistants at the door immediately put on broad smiles, thinking they were customers. The brothers’ next actions were beyond their wildest dreams.
Yu Qing threw the first punch.
Bang! A large hole burst through the wall.
Following closely behind were the loud crashes from Nan Zhu and Mu Aotie, who struck next.
The commotion startled the pedestrians passing by outside and left the two shop assistants stunned.
The debris flying into the shop caused a loud crashing sound inside. The customers quickly ducked for cover, and the staff inside were baffled, unable to react immediately to what was happening.
Immediately after, the two shop assistants at the door panicked and hid inside. It was clear they were not highly skilled cultivators, but merely cowards avoiding trouble.
Yu Qing immediately drew his sword and charged forward. He slashed, kicked, and punched. In just a few moves, he reduced the luxurious facade to a wreck.
In the blink of an eye, the Treasure Pavilion’s front was completely ruined, with dust and smoke rising everywhere.
The staff inside finally realised someone was causing a scene. A group quickly rushed out. The lead shopkeeper shouted, “Who dares to run wild here? State your names!”
One hand was held behind his back, already making subtle hand signals.
Someone behind him understood and quickly slipped away to call for reinforcements.
The reason he shouted instead of attacking immediately was caution. It was hard to know what kind of person would dare to smash the property of the Sea Pacification Envoy right at the doorstep. He had to be careful.
Seeing this reaction, the three brothers instantly understood. These were just bullies who feared the strong. Their own courage grew.
Yu Qing immediately pointed his sword at the shopkeeper and roared, “Release the person right now, or I will tear down your damn Treasure Pavilion!”
“Yes, release him!” Nan Zhu shouted in turn, kicking a fallen stone block back into the shop. It smashed the shelves inside with a loud clatter.
Mu Aotie drove his elbow into the wall, blasting out another large hole.
On the street, timid pedestrians ran away to avoid getting caught in the crossfire, while the brave ones stood across the street to watch the spectacle.
The shopkeeper was completely baffled. “Release who?”
Yu Qing barked, “You used a trick to lure us away and kidnapped our person. We know everything, so do not play dumb here. Release him immediately, or do not blame me for being ruthless!”
The question made no sense to the shopkeeper, who had no idea what was going on. He retorted, “Do you know whose shop this is?”
Yu Qing replied, “I do not care whose shop it is. I do not believe your shop is above the rules of Qianliu Mountain!”
At that exact moment, a group rushed over. Over a dozen men in Sea Pacification Bureau uniforms arrived. Guided by the shop assistant, they drew their swords and quickly surrounded the three brothers.
Anyone daring to smash the Sea Pacification Envoy’s shop would naturally be met with swift reinforcements.
The leader shouted, “Who dares to cause trouble here? Do you have a death wish?”
Yu Qing sheathed his sword instead. “You arrived at the right time. You save us the trouble. Arrest everyone inside this shop immediately. Do not let anyone escape. Search the premises thoroughly.”
This commanding tone left the Sea Pacification Bureau officers completely stunned. They had to weigh the situation. Who would dare smash the Sea Pacification Envoy Zhu Xuan’s shop in broad daylight, and even order the Bureau officers around in public? What kind of background could they have?
The staff of the Treasure Pavilion also grew cautious, not daring to act too boldly.
The lead officer softened his sharp expression and cautiously asked, “May I ask for your name, sir?”
Yu Qing said, “Who I am does not matter. What matters is that their shop kidnapped my person. If they do not hand him over today, we will absolutely not let this go.”
The shopkeeper immediately defended himself. “This is completely false. We conduct our business properly. Why would we kidnap anyone?” As he spoke, he kept winking at the lead officer.
The officer understood. He glanced at the reinforcements who had just arrived and said sternly, “One side claims a kidnapping, the other denies it. Everyone has their own story. The Sea Pacification Bureau will investigate the truth. We will seal and search the Treasure Pavilion. You three will also need to come to our headquarters for questioning regarding the street damage.” He paused, then had to warn the brothers, “A public street is no place for this. We are handling this by the book. Please do not make things difficult for us.”
Yu Qing immediately accepted the out. “We will go. We are reasonable people and will not cause you trouble. But if this matter is not resolved properly, I will not let it end here.”
The officer sighed in relief. He would handle the immediate situation first. How they were dealt with at the headquarters was not his concern. He immediately waved his hand, gesturing for them to proceed.
The three brothers walked off confidently, escorted by a group of Sea Pacification Bureau officers.
The onlookers on the street whispered among themselves, afraid to speak loudly.
Nan Zhu looked around and finally realised that reckless arrogance could sometimes earn respect.
Customers inside the Treasure Pavilion tried to leave but were stopped by the officers. Since Yu Qing had said that, the officers had to seal and search the shop, even if just for show. After all, so many people were watching.
The headquarters would naturally send someone later to give further instructions. Any responsibility at that point would not fall on them.
The shopkeeper looked back at the Treasure Pavilion and saw that in such a short time, the facade was completely wrecked. It had truly been smashed by someone.
Many outsiders watching the scene whispered in wonder. They could not believe anyone dared to smash the Sea Pacification Envoy Zhu Xuan’s shop, and they all guessed who the attackers might be.
The news spread like wildfire across the entire city of Haishi.
In a cellar, the subdued Little Black lay unconscious on a wooden board.
Qing Ya sat nearby, shelling peanuts and watching him.
He had planned to question the boy, but the little creature was extremely stubborn. As soon as he woke up, he struggled wildly and tried to bite. Threats were useless. He acted like a wild beast, baring his teeth and roaring constantly. Qing Ya did not intend to harm him, so he simply kept him sedated.
Just then, someone hurried in from outside and reported urgently, “Master Qing, there is trouble. The three men who brought this cub ran to the Treasure Pavilion and smashed it. They claimed the Treasure Pavilion kidnapped the boy.”
“The Treasure Pavilion?” Qing Ya looked utterly shocked. “The Treasure Pavilion belonging to the Sea Pacification Envoy Zhu Xuan?”