Urban Martial Saint

Back at the teahouse, Ye Qing directly sketched out the layout of the Qingfeng Club, marking some key positions. These were likely the most heavily guarded spots within the club.

”Ye Zi, are you really planning on launching a sneak attack on the Qingfeng Club?” Staring at the map Ye Qing had drawn, Zhao Chengshuang couldn’t help but widen his eyes and said, ”How can you be so stubborn? I don’t know about other things, but this decision to attack the Qingfeng Club, it’s really not suitable.”

”Captain Zhao is right!” Cui Yu nodded from the side and said, ”I’ve been inside the Qingfeng Club. It’s big and spacious, which is great for ambushing. Your men aren’t familiar with the place at all. Going in rashly, you might just walk into an ambush. And even if you don’t get ambushed, with your current situation, it’s going to be difficult to take on the Tianqing Gang head-on.”

”What’s so difficult about it?” Li Lianshan chimed in from the side, ”Right now, I have half of the Fierce Tiger Gang’s manpower. Add to that my own men and those from Ye Zi’s side, we’re still capable of putting up a fight!”

”The Fierce Tiger Gang’s men have indeed sided with you now, but they’ve only been with you for a day—there’s no loyalty to speak of. Expecting them to fight to the death for you is going to be difficult!” Cui Yu shook his head and continued, ”Right now, the only men you can truly count on are your own. As for the former Fierce Tiger Gang members, they can add to the numbers, but don’t get your hopes too high!”

Zhao Chengshuang nodded. Having seen many gang rises and falls in Shenchuan City, he knew too well how accurate Cui Yu’s words were.

Li Lianshan furrowed his brows, glanced at Ye Qing, and said, ”Ye Zi, how about we wait a while longer and not rush into this? You just got back, and both the Tianqing and Fu Bang gangs have been watching you. They’ll be on high alert for every move you make. Moreover, since you brazenly scouted out the Qingfeng Club today, they’ll certainly be prepared. This won’t be a sneak attack; you’ll be blatantly engaging them in battle. If the Tianqing and Fu Bang gangs have laid a trap at the Qingfeng Club with many men, we’ll likely be the ones at a disadvantage!”

”This time, it might not be about whether we incur losses or not!” Zhao Chengshuang said solemnly, ”Ye Zi now has Director Liu and Commander Zhou’s support. Rising in Shenchuan City is only a matter of time. Shangguan Tian and Li Wenyuan have become sworn enemies, and they definitely don’t want to see you stand up again. They’ll surely take advantage of your current weakness to completely crush you. Hence, if you really fall into an ambush, I fear that everyone you send this time will be completely wiped out!”

Those words made Li Lianshan’s expression grow even more nervous as he looked at Ye Qing and said, ”Ye Zi, let’s... let’s think through this thoroughly before acting!”

Ye Qing had remained silent the whole time, only focusing on completing the map. He handed it over to Zhao Chengshuang: ”Help me make one thousand copies, ensure every brother has one in hand!”

”Damn it, why won’t you listen?” Zhao Chengshuang exclaimed with wide eyes, ”You really want to fight them to the death? I won’t copy it, I can’t just watch you throw your life away!”

Cui Yu’s brow also furrowed, Ye Qing’s stubbornness frustrating him.

”I know you’re hung up on Senior Tie’s affair and want to seek revenge for him. But this is not a matter to be rushed; it’s better to plan in the long term!” Cui Yu said gravely, ”If you truly want to get revenge for Senior Tie, I can help you capture both Shangguan Tian and Li Wenyuan. What do you think?”

”No need!” Ye Qing shook his head and declared, ”I must seek revenge for Senior Tie personally. Chengshuang, trust me, I won’t do anything I’m unsure of.”

Zhao Chengshuang stared at Ye Qing for a while, then gritted his teeth and snatched the map from Ye Qing’s hand. He chose to trust Ye Qing since, for a long time, Ye Qing had never done anything reckless.

It took Zhao Chengshuang over an hour to copy the map one thousand times and bring them over. Ye Qing collected these maps and went outside to distribute them to his men, instructing them to memorize the layout completely—especially the areas he had marked specifically.

As Cui Yu sat in the room, watching the busy crowd outside, he couldn’t help but glance at Old Wang Ba, who was smoking his pipe, and said, ”Why don’t you try to persuade him? He’s literally marching to his death!”

”Persuade what!” Old Wang Ba shrugged and replied, ”I almost lost an arm and granted him three years of great fortune. Plus, with his own Fate Feng Shui, everything he does in these three years will go smoothly. Unless he encounters someone with a similar Life Grid and luck, nobody can stop him!”

Cui Yu stared at Old Wang Ba for a moment, sighed, and said, ”Three years are enough for him to achieve a lot. He might even become the next Huangfu Ziyu and control the entire Eastern Province. That way, you would have properly repaid Third Master for his life-saving grace from the past!”

Old Wang Ba smiled without saying a word, just staring at Ye Qing outside. For him, three years of great fortune weren’t enough—he aimed to secure a lifetime of it for Ye Qing!

After a moment of silence, Cui Yu couldn’t help but ask, ”Do you think he will show up?”

Old Wang Ba glanced at Cui Yu and said, ”Didn’t you go to look for him and even found traces he left behind? What now, you’re not sure about it yourself?”

Cui Yu said grimly, ”I always suspect those traces weren’t left by him.”

”Whether they were left by him or not, what does it matter? You’ve already summoned the Killing Gate Seven Hidden, and this great battle with the Xihang Shen Family is inevitable.” Old Wang Ba tapped his pipe and stated, ”You know this better than I do, don’t you?”

Cui Yu sighed. The scene from ten years ago, when the Xihang Shen Family bloodbathed three thousand miles, was still vivid in his memory. Just as Old Wang Ba had said, the battle between the Killing Gate and the Xihang Shen Family was inescapable. By summoning the Killing Gate Seven Hidden back, he too was preparing for this battle!

”Did you get in touch with Red Xuanyuan when you were in Xishan City?” Cui Yu suddenly asked, ”His two disciples even went to help you out.”

”You know already, so why bother asking me?” Old Wang Ba looked at Cui Yu and replied with a faint smile, ”What? You’re too embarrassed to reach out to him yourself and want me to call him back to help?”

”If the Left and Right Protectors had been there ten years ago, then how could the Xihang Shen Family have bloodbathed three thousand miles!” Cui Yu furrowed his brows and said in a deep voice, ”After his absence, the Killing Gate has changed. Even the Killing Gate Seven Hidden harbor their own schemes. If it weren’t for my brother taking the Ink Pattern Black Gold Blade, I’m afraid I wouldn’t be able to control the Seven Hidden. As for the Left and Right Protectors, no one except him could control them, and I certainly can’t!”

”People suffer because they chase after the wrong things,” said Old Wang Ba, ”Back then, even though you took the Bloody Monk’s Blood Assassination Order, you weren’t the Sect Leader of the Killing Gate after all. Who would follow you if you wanted to control the Killing Gate?”

Cui Yu said solemnly, ”I never thought about controlling the Killing Gate. I just wanted to maintain its integrity. They all want to be the Sect Leader of the Killing Gate, but what do they have to back it up?”

Old Wang Ba shrugged his shoulders and said, ”This is the main reason why your Killing Gate has fallen to this state, a bunch of loose sand. How can you compete with the people of the Xihang Shen Family?”

Cui Yu was taken aback, looking at Old Wang Ba, silent for a long time before he sighed resignedly.

”As of today, the Killing Gate, the grudges, none of it matters to me anymore!” Cui Yu turned his head and looked at Hu Momo, who was busy boiling water for everyone in the courtyard, a flash of boundless tenderness in his eyes as he spoke softly, ”I just want her to be well, to live a peaceful life, and to marry a good person. Everything else, I can give up!”

”Come on!” Old Wang Ba glared at Cui Yu and said, ”If you like her so much, why don’t you marry her yourself?”

A trace of sorrow flashed in Cui Yu’s eyes, and he shook his head, remaining silent.

”Then live under that mask for the rest of your life!” Old Wang Ba said coldly, ”You, my friend, think too much and do too little. Take that mask off, and she might accept you. But if you don’t, you will just secretly love her forever. Is that how you want to live your life?”

Cui Yu said nothing, stood up, hands clasped behind his back, and slowly walked into the inner room.

”Where’s Big Brother Cui?” At that moment, Hu Momo, drenched in sweat, walked in with a pot of tea and said, ”I just brewed some new tea, let Big Brother Cui have a taste!”

”No need, it’s the same if your Eighth Master tries it!” Old Wang Ba said unceremoniously as he reached for the teapot, but Hu Momo blocked him straight away.

Hu Momo said, ”This pot is a fresh batch of Maojian, Big Brother Cui’s favorite tea, I brewed it especially for him. If you want some, I’ll brew another pot for you in a bit!”

”Is there a difference?” Old Wang Ba glared and said, ”Ah, why is the gap between people so huge? Even a fine man like myself has to drink second-hand tea?”

Having just walked through the door, Lin Mengjie, upon hearing this, laughed softly and said, ”Eighth Master, if you really want some, I’ll brew a fresh pot for you later!”

”That’s more like it. You know how to take care of someone. Come here and give Eighth Master a hug,” said Old Wang Ba with lecherous arms held wide, moving towards Lin Mengjie. But seeing that Lin Mengjie continued to laugh without evading, Old Wang Ba instinctively sensed danger and quickly retracted his arms, stretching and saying, ”Ah, I’m too tired. I should take a beauty nap instead!”

Lin Mengjie took a pot of hot tea from behind her back and laughed, ”You old fella are lucky to run fast. Otherwise, today I would have scalded you hairless!”

”...” Old Wang Ba wore an expression of lingering fear; although Lin Mengjie seemed to have a calm demeanor, her methods were much stronger than Hu Momo’s.

”Women, ah, women!” Old Wang Ba sighed and said, ”There’s truth to the saying that petty men and women are the hardest to raise. Well, I can’t provoke you, can’t I hide from you? Hmph, I’ll go have my beauty sleep, and you two can dream sweet, traceless dreams!”

”Pervert!” Both girls stomped their feet in anger at Old Wang Ba’s words. Lin Mengjie picked up the teapot, intending to throw it at him, but Old Wang Ba had already scampered off like a mouse, out of sight.