Underworld on the Train

"Yan Tao, gather those children onto one seat." Still gripping One-Ear by his ear, Lian Youming called out to Yan Tao, who was standing frozen in shock. Hearing his voice, Yan Tao finally snapped back to her senses. Glancing at the infants in the arms of the peasant women, she immediately understood what had happened. A flash of anger surged in her eyes, and she darted forward to scoop up the swaddled babies, setting them down beside herself one after another. "Why aren't they crying?" Yan Tao checked them one by one, a note of panic in her voice. Lian Youming replied in an undertone, "They've most likely been drugged as well. Just keep a close eye on them." Once the children were safely retrieved, Lian Youming looked down at One-Ear, who was grimacing in pain under his grip. "Who is Eighth Master?" One-Ear's expression turned frantic, and he cupped his hands in desperate supplication. "Sir, the underworld runs deep, and its rules are strict. It's not that I don't want to talk—if I do, I'm a dead man! Please, have mercy and spare me!" Lian Youming glanced toward the figures lingering at both ends of the carriage. Though many had scattered, their posture made it clear they harbored other designs. It seemed they still hoped to salvage their pride and turn the tables. He asked again, "What's the story behind these women holding the babies?" Tears squeezed from One-Ear's eyes from the sheer agony. "They're just illiterate farm folk who joined up to make a quick buck. They're mainly here to provide cover! And the ones who pulled knives on you are muscle raised along the railway lines south of Beijing and Tianjin—they belong to the Thieves' Sect! There are also runners, spotters, fences, and strategists... just like the Eight Vajras under Mountain Eagle!" "Oho, you even know about Mountain Eagle's Eight Vajras... The Thieves' Sect? Sounds like quite the operation. Just how big is it?" Lian Youming plopped down onto a seat, and One-Ear dropped to his knees with a thud. At the question, the thug hurriedly replied, "How can I put it... It stretches roughly all the way down to Guangdong and Guangxi. But each line has its own faction carving out territory. Outright robbery, stealthy picking, train jumping, paihuazi, daxuba, pocketing gold and silver, prying cargo crates—every outfit has its own rules, and each hauls in different spoils." Lian Youming nodded in realization. "I get it now. All the dregs of society, the mountain bandits, and greenwood outlaws of the old days simply relocated onto these trains?" One-Ear nodded profusely. "Spot on! Think about it—back in the day, bandit gangs had to block mountain passes to rob travelers. But the times have changed! With better transport and trains running north and south, the rails have become the main arteries of wealth. It's like a slab of prime fatty meat everyone wants a bite of. A real mixed bag of dragons and snakes!" Lian Youming clicked his tongue in wonder. "A mixed bag of dragons and snakes? Heh, running this rampant—aren't you afraid of the railway police on board?" At the mention of this, One-Ear suddenly perked up. "You must be joking. Since ancient times, what mouse doesn't tremble at the sight of a cat? But on these trains, people come and go constantly. Our people are masters of disguise, and with brothers covering for one another, one or two cats can't catch a whole swarm of mice! Heck, sometimes the mice can even turn around and eat the cat!" The more Lian Youming listened, the more startled he felt. Who knew how many crisscrossing rail lines stretched between north and south, linking the realm in every direction. If things were truly as One-Ear described, this so-called Thieves' Sect was an unimaginably massive syndicate spanning the country, divided into territories and crawling with underworld figures. Right then, seizing on Lian Youming's momentary distraction, One-Ear wrenched free of his hold. He spun around and bolted toward the far end of the carriage, not forgetting to spit a parting threat: "Brat, tonight not only you, but that woman and those brats are all going to die!" The moment he ran, the others regained their mobility one after another, scrambling and crawling out of the carriage. Yan Tao, who had been trying to comfort the infants, cried out in distress at the sight. "Oh no! How could you let them get away? They're child traffickers!" Lian Youming chuckled. "Get away? Hardly." Though a smile rested on his face, the murderous intent in his eyes remained undiminished. Killing someone with neutralizing force was nothing like slitting throats to spill blood; it was imperceptible to the naked eye, relying entirely on internal force to inflict injury without any ferocious or bombastic display. When he had struck those people on the waist and abdomen earlier, his blows had targeted their kidney meridians and digestive tracts. Never mind that the bunch could still run and jump right now—within three to five days, every single one of them was guaranteed to die passing blood in their urine and stool. When dealing with such utterly depraved scoundrels, especially after making enemies of them, Lian Youming was not soft-hearted enough to leave survivors. People like Gong Wu'er might still observe rules and principles, but he harbored no expectations whatsoever for scum like this. Some things were better left undone, but if done, they had to be done thoroughly, cutting the weeds down to the very roots. Were it not for being on a passenger train, given Lian Youming's current temperament, every single one of them would have dropped dead on the spot. Letting them live another three to five days was already getting off cheap. "Don't get off at Tianjin," he told Yan Tao. "Come with me to Xijing, and you can call Sun Duhe from there. From what I see, this gang definitely has reinforcements waiting to receive them at the station, and they have plenty of numbers. Now that bad blood has been spilled, they won't let you off. Once you step off the train, both of you might end up in deep trouble." Her fair face turned pale, and Yan Tao gave a small nod before looking down at the children beside her. "Then what about them? Should I go fetch the police?" "Keep an eye on them for now. They won't wake up anytime soon." Lian Youming checked the infants' breathing. Finding nothing seriously amiss, he let out a sigh of relief. As for that Eighth Master? He already had his suspicions. Across Beijing and Tianjin, countless stories circulated about petty thief kings and master heisters. He had read plenty of penny dreadfuls, but he had yet to meet a living one in the flesh. Still, since the man dared to run such an inhumane enterprise, his life was forfeit. If he dared show his face, Lian Youming would eradicate the evil without hesitation and put an end to him with a single punch. Then there were these children. Lian Youming did not trust anyone on the train. Having learned from experience, he knew these thieves were masters of disguise; if they threw on a uniform, who could tell whether they were genuine or fake? Besides, since the spotters hadn't left, it meant the contest was far from over. Their every move remained under watchful eyes, virtually sealing off any retreat. If Lian Youming wanted to leave, he could not simply abandon these five infants. Yet he couldn't carry them either—the moment he gathered them in his arms, his hands would effectively be tied. Restricted in his movements, he would leave himself wide open for the crowd to swarm in with blades and turn him into a pincushion. Therefore, they had to wait. He couldn't trust the passengers or crew aboard; he had to wait until the train reached the station. Feeling the night wind turn colder, he draped his heavy coat over the infants. As time ticked by and Lian Youming pondered his next move, a young woman wearing a knitted sweater and sporting twin braids squeezed past the thieves keeping watch. She looked as though she were searching for the restroom, muttering under her breath, "Where did it go?" It was actually Zhao Xiaozhi. The moment she spotted Lian Youming sitting in the carriage, her eyes lit up with a flash of delight. But she quickly sensed that something was amiss. Her face tightened, and she darted briskly into the restroom. This carriage was simply too bizarre. While all the other cars were packed to a suffocating degree, this one sat nearly empty with only two passengers, yet quite a few people were standing clustered at either end, none of them taking a seat. After a few minutes, Zhao Xiaozhi emerged from the restroom. She cast a subtle glance toward Lian Youming before squeezing past the crowd and slipping away. Not everyone was as perceptive. Three other passengers failed to notice anything unusual; seeing empty seats, they were overjoyed and sat down with their luggage. But no sooner had they settled in than two burly men closed in around them. In no time at all, the trio were slumped fast asleep over the fold-down tables, after which they were dragged toward the vestibule between carriages. "Attention passengers, we will soon be arriving at Tianjin Station. This train departed from our great capital, bound for Taiyuan, Shanxi, via..." Listening to the announcement, Lian Youming narrowed his eyes slightly. He looked out the window at the lights rushing closer and gazed at the diverse travelers milling on the platform, almost sensing an unseen wave of chilling tension in the air. Spotting the railway police patrolling the platform outside, he suddenly shouted in alarm, "Oh no! Whose children are these? Who left their babies behind?" With that, just as the railway police hurried into the car, Lian Youming grabbed their luggage and led Yan Tao straight toward the adjoining carriage behind them, neatly avoiding questioning. The moment he moved, the thieves blocking the way felt a surge of dread and scrambled back out of his path. "Whose children?" The railway officers possessed sharp eyes. Scanning the surroundings, they questioned the nearby passengers, but turned up no answers. Seeing all the infants unconscious and unresponsive, their expressions changed drastically. Realizing what had taken place, they gathered the babies into their arms and hurried off the train. Only after watching the officers briskly disappear down the platform did Lian Youming and Yan Tao return to their seats. Looking rather uneasy, Yan Tao asked, "What do we do now?" Now that the children were out of harm's way, Lian Youming felt a tremendous weight lift from his shoulders. Watching the stream of passengers boarding the train, he squinted with a grin. "Just sit back and enjoy the show."