Wild Wolf Gang Leader

After finishing dinner, Xu Yuan bade farewell to his elder brother and sister-in-law and walked out of the alley.

Night had deepened. The outer city was not as brightly lit as the inner city, and many places were faintly illuminated by the hazy moonlight.

Following the route he had taken during the day, Xu Yuan moved swiftly through the shadows like a ghost. Before long, he arrived near that small courtyard again.

Seeing that the courtyard was silent, with no one moving about besides a maidservant.

That fellow still hasn't returned?

Xu Yuan frowned. He did not climb over the wall. Instead, he patiently lay in wait in the darkness, like a lone wolf poised to strike, silently awaiting its prey.

After about half an hour, Li Daqiang staggered back reeking of alcohol. He stepped forward, knocked on the door, and shouted, "Xiao Ping, hurry out and receive your master!"

Very soon, the little maidservant hurried out and carefully supported Li Daqiang as she helped him inside.

Seeing him enter the main room, Xu Yuan pushed off with his feet and leapt upward, landing lightly in the courtyard without making a sound.

Like a civet cat, Xu Yuan quietly crept up to the window of the main room. From within came Li Daqiang's grunts and the maidservant's soft replies.

"Master... slow down. This servant will fetch water to wash your feet."

"What are you saying? I'm not... not drunk! Come here and let your master... inspect your body." Li Daqiang spoke in a rough voice, his tone carrying the excitement of drunkenness.

Xiao Ping naturally did not dare defy him.

Soon, muffled groans from a man and woman came from within the room.

A moment later, Li Daqiang's snores slowly drifted out.

Xu Yuan's mouth twitched as he came to the crack in the door and gathered force at his fingertips, giving it a light shake.

The tiny door bolt snapped at once. Xu Yuan pushed the door open and slipped inside, arriving at the bedside like a gust of wind.

But the moment he raised his head, he met Xiao Ping's terrified eyes.

"Make a sound, and I'll kill you!" Xu Yuan gestured fiercely, his expression savage.

"Mhm, mhm." Xiao Ping nodded frantically in fright and hurriedly covered her mouth.

Xu Yuan went around to the other side, looked at the sleeping Li Daqiang, and directly slapped him across the face.

Li Daqiang was startled awake like a drowning cat, scrambling up with all four limbs as he shouted, "Who... who the hell dared hit me?"

"Master Li, I've come to collect the debt you owe." Xu Yuan looked down at him and spoke softly.

Hearing the unfamiliar voice, Li Daqiang sobered up by more than half. When he looked up and saw Xu Yuan, shock first appeared on his face, followed by a vicious expression. "Xu... Xu Er?"

"You little bastard have some nerve, breaking into my place?!"

"Fine..."

Before he could finish, another deep handprint appeared on his face.

"You..."

"I'll fuck your—"

A moment later, Li Daqiang clutched his face, swollen like a pig's head, and said bitterly, "Sir, you're the master here. Stop hitting me. I admit defeat!"

Then he came to his senses and stared at Xu Yuan in disbelief, struggling to speak. "You broke through and became an official martial artist?"

His opponent had struck so quickly that he could barely react. Combined with the vast difference in strength, he had already confirmed Xu Yuan's identity as a martial artist.

But...

That's impossible. He still hadn't found the Essence of Qi and Blood even after more than forty days. How did he suddenly become a martial artist? This makes no sense at all!

Li Daqiang's heart turned cold. He knew that this time, he had truly fallen flat on his face.

Yet he still could not believe it. He had clearly covered every base!

He had investigated, and he had made careful preparations, but who could have expected his opponent to become a martial artist and come knocking at his door?!

"Li Daqiang, do you know why I came here?"

Xu Yuan looked at him calmly, his tone rather teasing.

Seeing the smile at the corner of Xu Yuan's mouth but the coldness in his eyes, Li Daqiang shuddered. "I understand. What must I do for you to spare my life?"

"What is the background of your Wild Wolf Gang leader?"

Xu Yuan stared at him and asked the question he had pondered for a long time.

"If I tell you, will you spare me?" Li Daqiang did not answer at once. Instead, he began bargaining.

"Look at you, getting impatient again." Xu Yuan shook his head and waved a hand. "Did I ever say I was going to kill you?"

He won't kill me?

Li Daqiang gave him a suspicious glance. Seeing that Xu Yuan's expression remained unchanged, he finally relaxed somewhat. "Our gang leader is called Quan Xiong. He used to be a mounted bandit. Three years ago, when the government troops launched a major bandit suppression campaign, he had no way left to survive, so he had an acquaintance help him enter this prefectural city. After that, he started up a whole host of businesses—brothels, gambling houses, and the like..."

"That isn't what I want to hear!" Xu Yuan cut him off directly, giving him a cold glance. "Li Daqiang, you're not being honest. You keep talking about irrelevant things. Tell me, what is Quan Xiong's current cultivation realm?"

"His cultivation... is at the Second Meridian Realm." Frightened by him, Li Daqiang answered honestly.

Xu Yuan's heart sank, and he continued, "Does he have any patrons in this prefectural city?"

"Patrons would be going too far. He merely has some mutual interests with the government. The gang leader spends silver every month to grease the wheels, while the government also needs him to gather up and keep some scattered forces in check."

As Li Daqiang spoke, he kept sneaking glances at Xu Yuan's expression.

"Does he have any formidable friends or acquaintances?"

"This..." Li Daqiang hesitated, but when he saw Xu Yuan look at him coldly, he gritted his teeth and said,

"I don't know the specifics, but it seems he has some friends in both the Bai Family and the Shangyang Family."

This man truly had connections everywhere.

Xu Yuan found it quite unexpected upon hearing that. Quan Xiong had even managed to establish ties within the Shangyang Family.

Quan Xiong had truly put into practice the saying: the more friends one has, the more roads one can travel.