Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Plot

Xiao Ye spoke softly, and at once, Hu Ming and Zhao Min’s bodies trembled. He was not bluffing—he truly meant it! Glancing at the bodyguards beside them, already knocked unconscious by a single palm strike, the two of them turned ashen in an instant. A wave of fear slowly crept over their hearts, and even their bodies began to shiver involuntarily.

Seeing that neither of them moved, Xiao Ye suddenly took a step forward. At the sight of him, Hu Ming and Zhao Min immediately fell to their knees, panic-stricken, and pleaded in Xiao Ye’s direction.

“Brother Ye, it was my fault, please spare us!”

“I shouldn’t have tried to unveil Qin Xue’er’s mask, it was wrong of me!”

“Please have mercy on us!”

Their desperate cries rang out, drawing even more attention from the restaurant’s patrons, who had already been watching the commotion. Yet Xiao Ye’s gaze upon the pair remained cold and indifferent.

Xiao Ye turned away, looking toward Qin Xue’er, as if silently asking whether she was satisfied.

“Let them go,” Qin Xue’er murmured, her voice barely above a whisper, tears still glistening at the corners of her eyes. No matter how hard she tried to compose herself, the scar on her face was a lifelong wound that would never heal.

Seeing Qin Xue’er turn away from him, Xiao Ye frowned, his eyes hardening as he glared at Hu Ming and Zhao Min.

“Get out!”

At his command, the two scrambled to their feet and staggered out of the restaurant in a panic.

Inside, the mood was subdued after the chaos Hu Ming and Zhao Min had caused; Qin Xue’er’s spirits had sunk once more. Xiao Ye betrayed nothing on his face, but inwardly, a dull ache gnawed at his heart.

He needed to find the medicine that could heal the scar on Qin Xue’er’s face, and he needed to do it as soon as possible.

The incident had spoiled their mood, and after escorting Qin Xue’er back to her company, Xiao Ye had intended to stay with her until she finished work. But midway, he received a call from Chi Long.

“King Xiao, we’ve located Huangfu Tian. We can move in on him at any time!”

“Where is he?” Xiao Ye’s eyes flashed with a sharp light. Now that only the Huangfu family remained among the four great clans, he was eager to deal with them at once.

“He’s at a teahouse, meeting with members of the Jianghai Chamber of Commerce!”

“Good. Prepare to set out.”

...

Meanwhile, at the teahouse in Jiangcheng.

In the largest private room, a middle-aged man in a dark gray suit was laughing and chatting with Huangfu Tian.

“Hahaha, I never expected Secretary Wang to look after me so well, even introducing me to this ten-billion-yuan project!” Huangfu Tian fawned, his face full of obsequious smiles. “With Secretary Wang’s help, our Huangfu family will surely rise ever higher!”

But the man opposite simply waved his hand dismissively.

“We’re all just making money together, that’s all,” Wang Yang replied, a smile in his eyes as he looked at Huangfu Tian with a calculating gleam.

“With the head of the Huangfu family treating me so well, how could I not hand such a project over to you?”

His name was Wang Yang, secretary general of the Jianghai Chamber of Commerce, ranking just below the president and vice president. Huangfu Tian’s dealings with the chamber were no secret. Jiang Zhongtao, another major stakeholder, simply turned a blind eye.

In fact, Wang Yang served as the go-between for Huangfu Tian and the Jianghai Chamber of Commerce.

As Wang Yang finished speaking, his face wore a faint smile, but his hand gently patted his pocket.

Huangfu Tian understood at once and drew a thick checkbook from his own pocket, smiling as he spoke.

“It’s just mutual benefit, Secretary Wang. You’re much too polite!”

With swift strokes, he wrote several zeros on the check, tore it out, and handed it to Wang Yang.

“Secretary Wang, I hope you’ll continue to lend me your support in the future.”

Wang Yang’s eyes gleamed as he accepted the check, nodding in satisfaction.

“Head of the Huangfu family, you’re too kind. If you need anything, just say the word.”

“Actually, there is something I’d like the Jianghai Chamber’s help with,” Huangfu Tian admitted.

“Speak freely,” Wang Yang replied, tucking the check away and letting his smile fade.

“Secretary Wang, as you know, the ‘Foreign King’ suddenly arrived in Jianghai City and has already wiped out the other three great families. I fear our Huangfu family is next.”

“I’ve paid all the dues the others did, every cent to the Chamber!” he added. “So...”

The arrival of Xiao Ye, known as the ‘Foreign King,’ in Jianghai City was already common knowledge among those with any influence. Even the likes of Zhao Pinghai had been killed without consequence for Xiao Ye, which showed just how powerful he was.

With the other three families destroyed, the Huangfu family stood alone and could do little. The moment he’d heard of the fall of the Situ and Dongfang clans, Huangfu Tian had come straight to Wang Yang, hoping he could help.

But before he could finish his request, Wang Yang’s face abruptly changed, his earlier levity vanishing.

“Head of the Huangfu family, I’m afraid this is beyond my power. The matter of the Foreign King is simply too great!”

It wasn’t that Wang Yang was powerless; he simply had no desire to get involved. After so many years at Jiang Zhongtao’s side, he knew well that meddling in such affairs would bode ill for him.

As if he had expected this all along, Huangfu Tian’s smile disappeared in an instant.

“Secretary Wang, we had an agreement before. Now that our family is in trouble, you can’t simply stand by!”

Though his face was filled with anxiety, Wang Yang was unmoved, no matter how Huangfu Tian argued.

Anger flared within Huangfu Tian. He had just given Wang Yang a generous benefit, and now Wang Yang was reneging on their deal, which infuriated him. Worst of all, he couldn’t even get his money back—it had gone to waste.

“Still, Head of the Huangfu family, you need not worry. I can introduce you to someone who might be able to erase the Foreign King from Jianghai City altogether,” Wang Yang said, chuckling at Huangfu Tian’s crestfallen expression.

“What? You know someone who can handle the Foreign King? Who is it?” Huangfu Tian asked calmly.

“Black Eagle. I wonder if you’ve heard of him?”

“Black Eagle? The top-tier assassin?” Huangfu Tian was shaken to his core, swallowing hard as his breathing quickened.

This was a killer several levels above even Chen Mike of the League of Assassins. That the Jianghai Chamber of Commerce had connections to such a man was astonishing.

“Please, Secretary Wang, your guidance would be invaluable!” Huangfu Tian pleaded, and Wang Yang patted his pocket again. Huangfu Tian quickly scribbled another string of numbers on a check.

“Head of the Huangfu family, I’ll get in touch with Black Eagle at once. It will take a little time, so please wait for my news.”

“A mere Foreign King is nothing to worry about!” Wang Yang boasted, his laughter brimming with arrogance and audacity.

At that moment, the door to the private room was suddenly kicked open, and a figure strode in from outside.