Chapter 69: Towards 68, Part 2

Lin Hong sighed softly.

“Qixiao… Sea Dragon… your father will help you vent your anger! But in this matter, there must be a limit. You are already so grown up, you should understand that some things cannot be done recklessly just because of your stubbornness…”

“I’m stubborn!?” Lin Qixiao couldn’t believe such words came from her father’s mouth.

“My hand is broken, my leg is broken, and others don’t have a single damn issue! Is this called being stubborn!?” She recalled the night her mother died.

At that time, father was like this too. He casually found someone else to take the blame to vent his anger.

Let her endure it, let her understand.

And now, she’s endured all these years.

No one’s temper is naturally like this, no one naturally likes to cause trouble everywhere.

But no matter how she vented or tested, over these many years, the repression and fear in her heart only grew more intense.

Now…

Now finally…

“Father… are you going to abandon me like you abandoned mother?”

Lin Hong sighed softly again.

“Qixiao, do you know what the result would be if father sought revenge with all his might?

In the end, even if Sea Dragon changed people, it would still exist, but the Lin family might completely become history.

Moreover, even if father wants to take action, do you think the other branches of the Lin family would sit by and watch me act? Watch me bring great enemies upon everyone?”

Lin Qixiao lay on the wooden bed, the thing she had worried and feared about finally happened.

“Father…” Her voice trembled slightly. Her emotions surged like tides in her heart. Two lines of tears streamed down from the corners of her eyes.

Seeing this scene, Lin Hong finally softened.

“Rest assured, Sea Dragon will have to give us an explanation for acting like this. Also, aside from taking action against Sea Dragon, you can vent your anger on others as you wish.

Don’t worry, as long as it’s not those few families, father will help you handle it.”

Lin Qixiao closed her eyes.

It’s this sentence again… this sentence again!!

Silence for a moment.

Lin Qixiao gritted her teeth and spat out a few names.

“The first one won’t work, the others… are fine.” Lin Hong paused and replied.

*

*

*

Outside Tan Yang City, in an underground manor.

Like a tomb, the underground space had rooms built spaciously, similar to cellars for storing goods.

But these cellars store not food or goods, but people.

At the entrance of the underground space.

Two burly men dressed in brocade clothing, resembling wealthy landowners, slowly walked down the stone steps of the entrance.

“What happened with the Lin family in Tan Yang?”

One had a square face, with bold and unruly features, skin slightly yellow, appearing to be a man who had recently been released from the dungeon of the Ministry of Punishment.

“We just had a confrontation, and they want us to compensate? Hey, I think they’ve been acting like local bullies for too long and don’t realize the immensity of heaven!”

The other burly man had pitch-black skin and was Ah Song.

He was also a member of Sea Dragon who had ridden away together that night.

He shook his head and said, “News from the provincial yamen indicates that the Lin family’s Lin Qixiao, the young lady we fought with that night, had her limbs crippled, and her path in martial arts is completely cut off.”

“Crippled? What does that have to do with us? Is the Lin family trying to pin the blame on us?” The long-haired man frowned.

“It’s possible. According to Lin Qixiao, the person who crippled her wore a mask with a ’sea’ character on it, so it must be someone from our side based on our earlier confrontation with her.” Ah Song replied calmly.

“Hey… interesting, have we been used as a gun? This is a black pot. It’s really interesting that there are still people daring to frame us, Sea Dragon, like this these days.”

“The current situation is that the Lin family’s matter has stirred quite a dissatisfaction among the local forces outside, which might affect our tribute here.” Ah Song said indifferently.

“Yeah, that’s right, after all, we did promise before not to touch the ones on the list. The Lin family was one of them.

But now the problem is, we’ve been framed! The Lin family probably stirred this up on their own, and they’re blaming it on us looking for compensation! Do they really think we’re clay figures?” The long-haired man flared up.

“So should we respond truthfully?” Ah Song asked.

Both were responsible for the tribute affairs in Tan Yang, so they could decide on this matter.

“Responding truthfully requires these local bumpkins to believe us.” The long-haired man walked down the stone steps, passing by the doors of the cells, inspecting them carefully.

“The key is to find the guy who dared to frame us.”

“How to find?”

“The official side’s waste obviously won’t do; we need to go to the gray side.” Ah Song replied calmly.

“The gray side? Are you talking about the Black Ten Sect?”

“Yes, the Black Ten Sect is the leader of the underworld in Tan Yang, controlling over forty percent of the gambling dens, brothels, and music halls. It’s said they also have ties to the Sensing Sect.” Ah Song explained.

“Those golden-haired, red-haired, white folks who believe in weird gods?” The long-haired man was somewhat skeptical.

“Exactly them. To find people in Tan Yang, no one is more professional than them. Even many times when the official side can’t find people, they seek them.”

“Alright, so how to proceed?”

“I’ll handle it. The Black Ten Sect has always wanted to connect with our side and the top. This time, give them an opportunity, and they’ll naturally cozy up to them.” Ah Song said.

“Also, I’ve heard there’s a guy in Tan Yang who specializes in selling information. What’s he called? Dog King?”

“Red Dog King.”

“Then investigate both sides.”

“Okay.”

*

*

*

Outside Tan Yang City, in Huaiming Town.

Zhang Rongfang led a group of more than ten team nine members through the deserted streets, carefully bypassing several piles of cow dung on the ground, arriving at a courtyard with three small buildings.

A faded festive spring couplet was hung over the courtyard door. The door was defaced with various graffiti scribbled in charcoal.

Zhang Rongfang signaled to Chen Hansheng to step forward and knock on the door.

Knock knock knock.

Faint echoes reverberated inside the door.

No one answered.

Hiss.

Zhang Rongfang’s ears suddenly twitched, and he was the first to draw his sword.

The others followed suit, slowly drawing their swords.

Zhang Rongfang signaled with a hand gesture, and his team members immediately dispersed, encircling the area.

BAM!!

In an instant, he lunged forward, slamming his shoulder against the door with a thud through his leather armor.

The door was forcefully pushed open, and two men stormed out with angry shouts, wielding knives.

Their blades glinted with a silvery sheen, coming down heavily towards Zhang Rongfang’s head and shoulders.

Clang, clang.

Zhang Rongfang raised his hand, sweeping across horizontally, now able to utilize the strength and speed of a third-grade warrior.

Dealing with these ordinary brawny men, who didn’t even have a rank, was a piece of cake.

The clash of blades left the two men with painful wrists, and their blades fell to the ground.

“Take them down!”

Two team members stepped forward, decisively pinning the men to the ground, rendering them immobile.

The rest rushed into the courtyard.

Unexpectedly, a group of men also charged out from the courtyard, all dressed in black shorts, brandishing clubs, swords, and spears.

Instantly, both sides clashed, resulting in a mixed battle.

A burly man with a golden beard and curly hair rushed out, holding a knife in one hand and a shield in the other, clad in a full set of gray leather armor.

Zhang Rongfang moved to confront him first.

Their blades collided with a clang, and to Zhang Rongfang’s surprise, his waist sword’s edge chipped.

Alarmed, he dodged the man’s shield bash and fully executed the Mist Smoke Step body technique.

The burly man’s speed and power were about third-grade.

After exchanging over a dozen moves with Zhang Rongfang, he noticed his own men being swiftly cleared away.

Panicking, he began an all-out, reckless attack with his sword and shield.

Under this frenzied assault, Zhang Rongfang skillfully dodged each strike at just the right moment.

Gradually, the many techniques from the Spiritual Snake Body Skill he learned in recent days flooded his mind.

Amidst this intense battle, his accumulation quickly transformed into inspiration and understanding.

Unknowingly, a new skill line slowly appeared in Zhang Rongfang’s attribute panel: Spiritual Snake Body Skill (Beginner).

He sensed a change, and all his body and footwork techniques merged into a cohesive, vague field in his mind.

At this moment, a flash of inspiration flickered in his mind.

Zhang Rongfang took three quick steps, rapidly changing direction three times, slicing with his blade.

Swish!

The blade cut across the burly man’s neck.

A spurt of blood flew.

The burly man staggered and fell forward, clutching his throat, dying with his eyes open wide.

Clang.

Zhang Rongfang sheathed his sword calmly.

Once, he had to look up to the third-grade.

But now, it was nothing more than withered wood under his blade.

By this time, the other team members had almost cleared the area, and aside from this leader, there was no one capable of fighting.

The group began to loot the three small buildings without restraint.

Before long, several booklets, a secret manual, and some silver coins and banknotes lay in front of Zhang Rongfang.

He paid no attention to the other booklets, but picked up the secret manual.

“Tala Khan Blade and Shield Skill”.

The text inside was somewhat obscure and mixed with some foreign language, which Zhang Rongfang couldn’t understand.

However…this Blade and Shield Skill seemed to be a third-grade martial art that could break through three limits.

Third-grade was already quite rare.

He carefully stowed the manual away, took half of the silver coins, and then indicated for the rest to be divided among the team.

Currently, the conflict between the Lin family and Sea Dragon was sure to be revealed sooner or later.

Even if the Lin family believed it was Sea Dragon’s doing, Sea Dragon would never tolerate being framed.

They would certainly take action.

Therefore, he must always be prepared for danger.

Even though Zhang Rongfang didn’t believe anyone could find him.

“Captain, this person… doesn’t seem to be from Sea Dragon…” Liu Han approached and whispered a reminder.

Zhang Rongfang’s expression remained unchanged.

“Whether he is or not, the higher-ups say he is, so he is.” He picked up a small booklet full of records on the trafficking of virtuous women.

Regardless of whether these people were from Sea Dragon, they deserved to die.

“Let’s move!”

After finishing everything, Zhang Rongfang raised his hand, signaling to withdraw.

A group of nine team members, carrying large bags of loot, was about to leave.

Suddenly, a large group of people came clattering from outside the door.

This group consisted entirely of fair-skinned foreigners.

Some had large beards, others wore white turbans, and a few wielded two curved swords in their hands.

The crowd was a dense pack of at least fifty or sixty people, all wearing short black garments.

These clothes, originally worn for the dead, were now used by them as regular wear.

“You have killed Allah, who worshiped the Ten Industries in this, our Black Ten territory, and killed our beloved brothers and sisters!”

An old man with white hair, clad in black robes and leaning on a dragon-headed staff, slowly walked through the crowd to the front, glaring fiercely at Zhang Rongfang.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep