Flipping the Table

In the restroom, Zhao Dalong wore an irritated look. "Brother Long~" his female companion cooed in a breathy voice, wrapping her arms around his neck. "What's wrong? Why the sudden sour face?" "Damn it. That Ding kid looked at Ah Wen and me like we were beneath him. Throughout the whole meal, he kept smirking with that hollow grin, his eyes glued to Li Nanshu!" "Once you become a Red Pole, Brother Long, he won't look at you like that anymore." "Cut the chatter. Drop your pants. I've got a lot of fire in me right now!" Zhao Dalong pressed her head down, staring at himself in the mirror. "Sooner or later, that bastard Ding will be paying tribute to me!" *** Inside a luxury black car, Ding Sheng held a cigar between his fingers, gazing out the window. "Brother Sheng, are you really planning to join this Shengxing Association?" his confidant and bodyguard asked. "Just playing along. Zhao Dalong does have some ability. I heard he's about to be promoted to Straw Sandal, making him a core member in his gang. We already have a good relationship, so there's no reason to cut ties." "True enough." "My main reason for attending this gathering was to rope in Li Nanshu... Nantian Martial Arts Hall is a major power." "Nanshu might be only above average in looks, but her figure is genuinely stunning. And she's a martial artist too. If you can land her, Brother Sheng—tsk tsk tsk." "That woman has ambition. Right now, I can't handle her... After all, I don't practice martial arts, so she most likely looks down on me." The bodyguard chuckled. "She is Ye Tiannan's disciple, after all. Rumor has it that under Ye Tiannan are seven true disciples, every one of them a prominent figure in Xianghai's martial arts world, known as the Seven Heroes of Nantian. Li Nanshu only joined three years ago, so her foundation is still shallow. With your status, young master, you still have a good shot at winning her over. Once the old man passes away and the succession battle begins, she'll be of tremendous use." Ding Sheng looked ahead at the oppressive, grim skyline where dark clouds shrouded the Walled City, and a knowing smile touched his lips. "Who could have imagined that in just three short years, the fortunes of the four of us would change so drastically?" Everyone had their own fate, ordained by Heaven. Some were born to soar like dragons, while others were reduced to outlaws. So what if he lacked innate physique? Money could make the devil turn the millstone. He believed that the power of wealth could solve the vast majority of problems. *** Night fell, neon lights illuminating half the sky. Standing over a thousand meters above sea level, Mount Tianping loomed over the western portion of the bustling island city. Luxurious private estates dotted the mountainside. Every single one of them cost more than what ninety-nine point nine percent of the city's working people could earn in ten lifetimes. Inside an elegant estate designed like a Daoist hall, Li Nanshu stood before an incense burner, looking down across Xianghai. "I heard you went to meet some people from your hometown?" A tall woman with hair pinned up, sharp brows, and a loose Daoist robe appeared silently behind her. "Greetings, Senior Sister. They are friends who crossed the sea with me back then," Li Nanshu said. "Dragons do not consort with snakes. Do not forget your current station. Go less to filthy, chaotic places, lest you bring back the worldly grime of the mortal realm and disturb our quiet cultivation." Having spoken, the woman with the pinned-up hair turned and left. Li Nanshu kept a smile on her face, paying little heed to her senior sister's words. With her aptitude, the day might well come when she surpassed those so-called Seven Heroes and inherited Ye Tiannan's mantle! Looking toward the Walled City, she murmured softly to herself, "Ah Wen is quite intriguing. He's clearly a trained fighter, yet he claims to be an ordinary laborer, as timid and low-profile as ever..." *** That night, Li Xiuwen returned to the Walled City carrying bags of food. Zhao Dalong had ordered far too much, and many dishes had been left untouched. Accustomed to hardship in the Walled City, Li Xiuwen could not bear to see such waste and had packed up every plate that chopsticks had not grazed. Seeing so much fine food, his aunt was not above it in the slightest. She immediately set everything out on the table and called her husband over. "I'll open some good wine." His uncle brought out a bottle of red wine he had treasured and could never bear to drink. It was a foreign brand given by a client, worth a hundred dollars a bottle. Lacking wine glasses, his aunt brought out three porcelain bowls and smiled. "We're all family. No need to stand on ceremony." At the table, Li Xiuwen shared the current situations of his three fellow refugees with his aunt and uncle, leaving both of them thrilled. "A triad Straw Sandal, a disciple of a major martial arts hall, and an heir to a newspaper tycoon... With connections like these, those Thirteen Taibao shouldn't dare cause trouble for us anymore, right?" His aunt's face was filled with anticipation. "Hard to say. They've made so much of themselves now, and the gap between them and Ah Wen is huge. There's a thick wall between their worlds... It wouldn't do for us to go throwing their names around carelessly either," his uncle sighed. "How can other people have such good fortune? Why doesn't our family have relatives like that?" his aunt could not help lamenting. After a few rounds of drinks, his aunt and uncle grew slightly tipsy. Li Xiuwen had also drunk quite a bit, but he remained completely sober. Having twice the blood-and-breath energy of an ordinary person was no joke. "You three seem to be eating quite well," a raspy voice called from the doorway. A tall, thin bald man squeezed through the entrance, a lifelike green snake tattooed on his neck, flanked by two street toughs. Spreading his arms and leaning back, he grinned with a strange, sarcastic tone. "Brother Yi, struck it rich somewhere lately?" Uncle Chen's expression tightened before he forced a smile. "Brother Snake, come have a drink! Where would I find the luck to strike it rich? I just keep this noodle factory running to scrape together a pitiful living." "Eating so well... Even I can't afford a spread like this," Viper chuckled. "Ah Wen packed it up from a banquet with a triad friend," his uncle said. Triads were packed with masters. He wanted Viper to know Ah Wen had backing on that side, hoping it would deter him from acting recklessly. Viper's heart skipped a beat. Squinting, he looked at Li Xiuwen, who was still eating, and smiled. "Ah Wen is really moving up in the world. I'm gratified to see it." His aunt chimed in with a smile, "Yes, he's made something of himself. Ah Wen has another friend who's a disciple of Ye Tiannan!" Regardless of whether it would work, she was determined to brandish that name. Viper's smile froze. Ye Tiannan was indeed a figure he could never afford to offend. Yet this was the Walled City. An expert like Ye Tiannan would not easily enter here; such a high-profile target would too easily arouse Mr. Ming's suspicions. Besides, these days countless people threw around the names of big shots like Mr. Ming, Tianyi Hao, or Ye Tiannan. Who could tell what was true and what was fake? "I came here today on proper business. Ah Wen, have you seen Ah Ji lately?" Viper asked with a smile, closely observing every shift in Li Xiuwen's expression. With acting worthy of an Oscar, Li Xiuwen looked up with total innocence. "Haven't seen him... What happened to Brother Ji?" Viper sighed. "Nothing much... Sent the punk to collect money, and who knows where he ran off to. Now I have to come collect in person." Li Xiuwen smiled. "I haven't seen Brother Ji in quite a while. I was actually hoping to ask you about him whenever I had the chance." Viper waved a hand. "Forget it, pay him no mind. I just came to check on Ah Ji. Since you don't know either, let's leave it at that." Originally, he had intended to make a small move to test Li Xiuwen's depths, to see whether the boy was a Green Membrane expert capable of killing Lanming Ji. Now, hearing that Li Xiuwen had ties to a disciple of Ye Tiannan, he did not dare take the risk, regardless of whether the claim was true. If Li Xiuwen genuinely had a close relationship with someone tied to a titan like Ye Tiannan, a single probing move on his part could cost him his life. Viper turned to leave, deciding to report back to Third Master first before making any decisions. Third Master was a Purple Membrane expert; it was better to let Third Master handle it. Li Xiuwen kept smiling politely the entire time, showing not the slightest hint of a trained fighter's aura. He appeared no different from the timid Ah Wen of the past. The instant Brother Snake turned his back, Li Xiuwen's eyes turned freezing cold, and he moved without warning. With a single stride, he closed the distance on one of the punks behind Brother Snake. A large hand shot out from his sleeve like a ferocious dragon, wrapped in a surge of wind, and clamped onto the punk's neck. A twist, a wrench, and a sharp snap! The punk's neck broke. Losing consciousness instantly, he collapsed to the floor. His pupils were blown wide open, his face frozen in utter bewilderment.