Protection

At ten in the evening, over a dozen modified open-top cars belonging to the Blood Mark Gang drove onto Xiuyi Street. At this hour, the broad roadway was completely devoid of pedestrians, with only the streetlamps on either side still lit. As the convoy rolled in, they made no attempt to conceal themselves, yelling and shouting, with some firing into the air—thoroughly arrogant and brazen. "Boss, it's this place." A chieftain pointed toward a training hall in the distance whose lights were still on. It was a riverside building covering a fairly large area, enclosed by a concrete perimeter wall and an iron-grille gate. Zhuo Bao glanced at it and gestured. His vehicle pulled to a halt immediately, and the long string of cars behind it followed suit one after another. Inside, gang members leaped out, itching for action as they grabbed their weapons. Roughly forty to fifty gangsters began slowly converging toward the training hall. The training hall did have night watchmen, but there were only five of them in total. Seeing such a large crowd of Blood Mark gangsters heading their way, they grew intensely nervous. Retreating behind the wall flanking the entrance, they raised their crossbows and aimed outside. After stepping out of his car, Zhuo Bao walked right at the front. He felt a blazing fire roaring in his chest, burning hotter by the second, and he could hardly wait to vent it. He held out a hand, and the chieftain hurriedly slapped a gun into his palm. Zhuo Bao gripped the pistol and strode a few paces forward, planting himself alone at the lead. Raising the gun, he fired three consecutive shots into the air and shouted toward the training hall ahead, "Chen Chuan, come—" Yet before he could finish his words, a bang echoed from a building diagonally across the street. The dull crack exploded across the empty roadway like thunder. Zhuo Bao froze. A gaping hole had opened in his forehead. His body swayed once, then toppled straight backward onto the ground. When the chieftain heard the gunshot, he was just about to wonder what bastard dared to shoot at a time like this and steal the boss's thunder—did they have a death wish? But then he saw Zhuo Bao collapse ahead of him, and he froze on the spot. Not just him; all the surrounding gang members were dumbfounded. Right at that moment, a shrill whistle blew. From the shadows on both sides of the street, constabulary patrol officers stepped forward one after another, leveled their Datuo-pattern rifles at the Blood Mark gangsters, and pulled the triggers. Bang! Bang! Bang! In an instant, gunshots erupted across the street. In the darkness of the night, muzzle flashes blazed with piercing brilliance, visible even from a street away. The gunfire lasted for over two full minutes. By the time it ceased, the street reeked of acrid gunpowder smoke, and not one of the dozens of Blood Mark gangsters remained standing. Xiao Wu stepped out from under the eaves of a building on one side, pistol in hand. Passing by a gangster who was still twitching, he fired a bullet into the man's head, instantly stilling him. He circled the area, administering a coup de grâce to every Blood Mark member who wasn't yet dead. Once he had confirmed there were no survivors, he walked back to Zhuo Bao, aimed his gun at the man's head, and pulled the trigger repeatedly, emptying every last round remaining in the magazine in a single breath. He looked up and instructed an officer, "Make a call. Tell the Blood Mark Gang to come collect the bodies, and tell them to behave themselves—don't mess with people they can't afford to cross." "Yes, sir." Once the officer finished making the call from a telephone booth, Xiao Wu ordered, "Fall in and withdraw!" With another sharp whistle, the officers assembled into an orderly formation and trotted toward the other end of the street, their combat boots scuffing rhythmically against the pavement as the sound gradually faded into the distance. Inside the training hall, Chen Chuan was calmly wiping down his long saber. He hadn't paid any mind to the commotion outside just now. When he had returned from the lakeside park today, he had noticed that the constabulary had stepped up nighttime patrols in the area, which he guessed was his uncle's doing. His uncle had likely sent men to protect him after learning of the ambush, while simultaneously serving a warning to whoever was pulling the strings behind the scenes. What happened here soon reached the ears of those keeping an eye on the situation. "What? Wiped out?" Upon hearing the news from his butler, Shao Xiaobie seemed somewhat shocked and anxious. "The constabulary did it? They intervened?" The butler reassured him, "Rest easy, Young Master. It was the Blood Mark Gang that made the move; it has nothing to do with us. That student comes from a constabulary family, so the constabulary probably stepped up patrols around that area after the last ambush. Zhuo Bao was just unlucky enough to run straight into them." "Good, as long as it has nothing to do with us." Shao Xiaobie relaxed, yet a headache promptly set in. Now that this had happened, even an idiot would know to tighten their guard. How was he supposed to handle this now? He felt completely at his wit's end. But he had one redeeming quality: if he knew he couldn't pull something off, he never took the blame or the burden onto himself. Picking up the desk phone, he dialed a number. "Hello, Brother Wei? Yeah, it's me, Xiaobie. Sigh, brother, I'm sorry. The men I sent couldn't take him out. The security there is airtight now, and I'm clean out of ideas..." On the other end, Wei Jun thought Shao Xiaobie was utter deadweight—incapable of handling even such a minor matter without kicking up a massive storm. Still, people like him had their uses, so Wei Jun didn't voice any reproach. He simply said, "Xiaobie, I appreciate the effort. I'll arrange this myself; you don't need to worry about it anymore." "Alright, sure thing, Brother Wei. Just say the word if you need anything." After hanging up, Wei Jun sat there with a dark expression, lost in thought for a long time. Eventually, he picked up the receiver again and dialed a Center City number. After a moment, the call connected. "Hello, Teacher Tan? This student of yours hopes you can step in and take care of someone for me. I can cover the expenses for your upcoming implant surgery, Teacher. If you have any conditions, please name them... Alright, let's talk in person." He waited in his villa. When Wei Jun saw him arrive, he waited in the upstairs study. Once Tan Wang entered, he dismissed the butler and invited Tan Wang to take a seat. Tan Wang sat down on the sofa and said with an amused drawl, "I told you, as long as you're willing to join the Secret Snake Cult, you will be one of our cultists. As your guide, according to cult rules, I can grant you one reasonable request without requiring extra compensation." Wei Jun knew very well that joining the Secret Snake Cult was tantamount to committing to a faction in advance. If he went to the Main Academy, such a background would be an obstacle rather than an asset. Rather than taking the bait, he said, "Teacher, the person I want to deal with this time is the very student you tried to recruit last time." A smile remained on Tan Wang's face, but a shadow darkened his eyes. Clearly, he too was reminded of that incident—failing to recruit the student, getting beaten up, and ultimately being too disgraced to remain at the academy. Wei Jun understood him well, so he continued, "Teacher, if I join the Secret Snake Cult, it's just adding one more cultist. It helps the esoteric cult, but hardly by much. But once I go to the Center City Main Academy and take over my family's business after graduating, beyond providing greater financial support to the Secret Snake Cult, I can promise to cover your future cultivation resources. You might want to consider my offer, Teacher." Tan Wang hummed thoughtfully. This offer was rather enticing. Still, this was about as far as he could push it, because if the price went any higher, Wei Jun could easily find someone else. He mulled it over, chuckled softly, and looked up. "I accept. Where is he?" The butler immediately handed over a pre-prepared dossier. Tan Wang gestured for Jing Lin to take it, then stood up. "I'll find a time to strike. Once it's settled, I'll return to Center City and wait for you to fulfill your promise." With that, he walked out. Wei Jun came to the window and watched Tan Wang leave the villa as the car drove off, feeling a great deal of relief. Tan Wang was... In truth, he knew that the Secret Snake Cult had always done this sort of business, and Tan Wang would likely have accepted even if the terms were lower. But he had no desire to waste time haggling. It was already late August, and he had to resolve this matter before heading off to the unlimited defense license assessment, without leaving any room for complications. Inside his car after leaving, Tan Wang looked through Chen Chuan's file. Being brutally beaten by He Xiaoxing was a humiliation he could never forget, so ever since returning, he had been trying to figure out a way to deal with that man. Unfortunately, his money and tribute to the cult were still insufficient, preventing him from obtaining the cult's full set of implants and esoteric techniques. Still, dealing with a little insect required none of that. This happened to cover the remaining money he needed, so he could undergo his next implant surgery once he returned. Once he finished reading through the recent information on Chen Chuan, he gave an amused smile. Looking out the window, he told Jing Lin, "Let's go take a look at that lakeside park." Not long after they changed course, the Wei family butler received word and immediately reported to Wei Jun: "Young Master, the servants tailing them reported that Mr. Tan's car took a turn." "He didn't head back to his residence?" "No. Judging by the direction, he seems to be heading toward Lake Lu." "Oh? He's going to settle things right away?" Wei Jun instantly perked up. He instructed, "Have them keep watch and stay on him. Let me know the moment there's an outcome!" "Yes, Young Master." In front of the private training hall, Chen Chuan walked out holding his saber. Once outside, he looked up and saw the overcast sky and felt the stifling heat. The guard at the gate said, "Young Chen, look at the sky—looks like it might rain." Chen Chuan replied, "I know." With that, he walked out. The weather had been muggy for many days now; at a time like this, many people were likely longing for a hearty downpour. Over twenty minutes later, he arrived once more at the lakeside park. The corpses from three days ago had already been cleared away, but traces still remained. The wind began to pick up, setting the reeds along the lakeshore swaying in waves and stirring ripples across the water's surface. He had only been there for a short while, before he could even begin practicing, when the sound of cars drifted over from the distance. Turning his head, he saw two sedans driving toward him. The one behind stopped far off, while the lead car only came to a halt about a dozen meters away from him. The car door opened, and Jing Lin stepped out, dressed in imported formal wear. Chen Chuan noticed neat, fine inlay lines across his face and neck, as though something had been implanted. Jing Lin rolled his wrists and slowly walked toward him. "Chen Chuan, didn't expect it to be me, did you?" He pulled off his gloves and tossed them to the ground, revealing hands covered in fine, dense scales. "Last time, I lost to you. I admit I was careless that time, but not this time." He clenched his fists. "I will show you my power. The humiliation you dealt me, I will repay twofold!" The moment the words left his mouth, mud churned and blades of grass flew underfoot as he charged forward like an arrow loosed from a bow.