Urban Martial Saint

”Who’s in danger?” Zhao Chengshuang was momentarily confused, he hadn’t considered anything beyond what was immediately apparent.

”Obviously, what do you think?” Ye Qing replied.

”Is it... Su Kaicheng?” Zhao Chengshuang’s eyes widened as he said, ”That’s unlikely, Su Kaicheng is the son of Vice Premier Su, a man of high status. Plus, he holds an important position himself. Who would dare harm him?”

”You never know.” Ye Qing said in a deep voice, ”The orphanage’s signal has been jammed, and the phone lines have been cut. It seems someone has been watching this place for a while. Now, with Su Kaicheng coming here, whose business do you think is at risk? Better safe than sorry, be prepared. If nothing happens, that’s great. But if it does, we need to be ready!”

”Damn!” cursed Zhao Chengshuang impatiently, ”Is this for real?”

”What do you think?” Ye Qing replied sharply, ”It’s better to believe it than not. In any case, be ready. If Su Kaicheng really ends up in trouble at the orphanage, it’ll be a big mess.”

”I’ll go round up people!” Zhao Chengshuang suddenly sped up, for the first time running ahead of Ye Qing.

”Where are you going to call for help?” Ye Qing asked, ”Quickly think of a way to warn him—it would be best if Su Kaicheng doesn’t come over at all. If that’s impossible, gather everyone you can, whatever happens, protect Su Kaicheng at all costs.”

”Alright, I’ll handle the outside.” Zhao Chengshuang paused, looking at Ye Qing, ”Ye Zi, the key is you. If someone really wants to deal with Su Kaicheng, I reckon my police won’t be much help, you have to protect Su Kaicheng!”

”Like you need to say that!” Ye Qing waved his hand dismissively, ”Stop the nonsense, hurry and block them, don’t let them come over.”

Indeed, Zhao Chengshuang said nothing further, he turned and ran out swiftly, running faster than ever in his life.

Ye Qing didn’t follow him out of the campus; instead, he ran to the center of the playground and carefully observed the surroundings of the campus to begin calculating the enemy’s ambush locations in his mind. Ye Qing used to be from the Special Forces, highly skilled in both defensive and offensive strategies. Small-scale skirmishes were his forte, able to pinpoint the best places for ambush and attack just by assessing the terrain.

In fact, Ye Qing had always been familiar with the orphanage’s layout. Moreover, King of Explosives had set up a comprehensive bomb defense system here—ninety-eight percent of bombs couldn’t bypass it, so Ye Qing didn’t need to worry about bomb placements on campus, which saved him a lot of trouble.

After closely monitoring the positions within the orphanage where he could oversee the whole scene, Ye Qing did find some traces on the rooftop of one building. A section of a black tube protruded from the rooftop; if not carefully observed, hardly anyone would notice it. Ye Qing hadn’t noticed it before, but sensing something off now, he scrutinized it more closely. With years of military experience, he quickly identified this section of the black tube as part of a long telescope, enabling clear observation throughout the orphanage.

This discovery reinforced Ye Qing’s suspicion that someone intended to harm Su Kaicheng. Without causing alarm, he discreetly looked away, pretending not to notice, while his vigilance increased inwardly.

In three minutes, Ye Qing examined all the key positions and discovered more people lying in ambush at two other spots. This discovery heightened his caution, confirming that these were surely trained military personnel based on the placement and the military-style attack and defense tactics.

Where could these soldiers be from? Why would they ambush Su Kaicheng here? What exactly happened?

While Ye Qing felt a surge of doubt, he dared not hesitate. Having surveyed the surroundings clearly, Ye Qing proceeded to the third-floor office in the orphanage, a residence for the martial arts teachers. These teachers were members of various dwindling sects from Shenchuan City and its vicinity.

Ye Qing had had a conflict with these individuals previously, orchestrated altogether by Xu Cunxiao. Once Ye Qing clarified all misunderstandings, these people treated him with great respect. Many from these sects were idling around, and Ye Qing later hired most to work with Li Lianshan and kept a few adept ones to teach martial arts at the orphanage, providing them with work, which made them grateful to Ye Qing.

In fact, Ye Qing’s main intent for bringing these people to teach martial arts at the orphanage was to have them oversee the orphanage’s safety. After the bomb attack incident at the orphanage, Ye Qing had been concerned, so he brought them in to guard the place under the guise of martial arts instructors. If anyone did attack, they could hold fort for a while at least. Training the kids in martial arts wasn’t as big a priority.

However, upon their arrival at the orphanage, these people performed their duties diligently. Most were sect leaders formerly, their sect’s martial arts talent waning due to the lost techniques. With Ye Qing offering them handsome pay and numerous students to teach, they were thrilled. They had been longing for learners, and suddenly having so many students meant they could revive their sects, achieving their desires. Hence, they devoted nearly all their time to teaching at the orphanage; some would willingly teach even if Ye Qing didn’t pay them, seeking to propagate their sect.

Upon entering the office, the sect leaders were engaged in casual chatting and martial arts exchange. Though none were as strong as Ye Qing, they were not weak either, having reached the stage of Inner Strength release, far exceeding average people.

Seeing Ye Qing’s arrival, they stood up promptly, laughing warmly, ”Mr. Ye!”

Highly admiring and grateful to Ye Qing, they treated him with excellent courtesy, offering seats with enthusiasm as he arrived.

Ye Qing had no time to sit, clasping his hands in gratitude, ”Masters, there’s a matter today, I fear it’ll trouble you all!”

They exchanged glances as one spoke up, ”Mr. Ye’s affairs are ours as well. Just let us know what you need!”

Lowering his voice, Ye Qing said, ”This matter is quite dangerous...”

Another laughed, ”We old timers are unfazed by danger. Just tell us what to do, Mr. Ye, no need for anything else!”

”Exactly, without danger it’d be dull for us!”

”Mr. Ye, just say the word, who should we take out?”

”...” Ye Qing was at a loss for words; they indeed treated him like a gang leader.

Ye Qing didn’t hesitate, explaining the situation at the orphanage thoroughly. Afterward, he glanced at them, added in a low voice, ”If my assumption is correct, the enemies might have guns, including snipers. I suspect they are trained military personnel, so this threat level is high!”

Upon hearing this, they exchanged looks, a burly man with a scruffy beard slammed the table, ”Damn, brandishing guns to scare my disciples, I’ll make them regret!”

”Right, make them regret!” they rallied, unabashed by the opponent’s firearms.

Ye Qing initially expected some retreat among them due to the opponent’s firearms; seeing this scene he was relieved.

”Calm down, everyone.” An elder waved his hand, ”Let’s hear Mr. Ye’s instructions first. Mr. Ye, what would you have us do?”

Taking a deep breath, Ye Qing detailed his plan and allocated roles accordingly.

Having finished, Ye Qing glanced at them, saying deeply, ”The positions I’ve indicated have confirmed presences, while some might not have anyone. Regardless, seize those spots, don’t let the enemy claim them. Act precisely on the time I’ve stated. Deviating even slightly might alert them, hastening their attack. The orphanage houses so many kids, any chaos could be dangerous!”

”No problem!” they replied in unison, rallying out the door eagerly.

”Hold on.” Ye Qing stopped them, thoughtfully looking at them, sighed, ”Everyone, stay safe!”

They nodded simultaneously and without delay, exited to undertake their tasks.

Ye Qing followed them out of the office not to the predetermined spots but downstairs to retrieve his bugging device from his car. The device, doubling as a radio receiver, could scan various frequencies.

Ye Qing knew well that if the attackers were trained military personnel, they would have a communication method. The orphanage’s signal had been jammed, leaving walkie talkies as their sole means, a common tool among soldiers. Thus, Ye Qing retrieved this device intending to capture their channel, unveiling their true intentions.

With the bugging device in hand, Ye Qing began tuning to find their channel while simultaneously checking his phone to locate their jamming device. If possible, he hoped to restore the orphanage’s communication before Su Kaicheng arrived, enabling contact with Zhao Chengshuang and warning Su Kaicheng not to come.