Jade-Faced Grenade King

Chen Manqing set down her teacup, rose with a smile, and shook hands with the Su family's young lady and Sun Shuhua, exuding the air of a well-educated woman who had studied abroad.

"Of course you're welcome, Miss Sun, as long as you don't mind the Chen family's current state."

The three women were all refined and polite, exchanging greetings. Chen Manqing noticed Su Yu's red-rimmed eyes and curiously shifted the topic.

"The Jiang family's Shuo Gang—why are they clearing out the vendors on Guanglin Street for no reason... Su Yu, you weren't hurt, were you?"

Su Yu tugged at her sleeve, aggrieved. "The Jiang family has grown reckless without your Chen family keeping them in check lately. Word is that in a few days, Commissioner Cao's son will be staying in Shunzhi District. They say the vendors along the ten-li street have encroached too far onto the road, ruining Ping City's image... A few stallholders refused to pack up—after all, their whole families depend on those stalls to survive. So the Shuo Gang sent men, armed with grenades, and just 'cleared' the place."

Su Yu's voice choked up. Under Sun Shuhua's helpless gaze and Chen Manqing's rising fury, she continued, "Several of those stallholders were blown to death..."

Sun Shuhua looked at Chen Manqing and nodded, confirming it was true.

"What?! Those thugs and scoundrels could commit such a heinous act?!"

Chen Manqing, seething with anger, grabbed Sun Shuhua and Su Yu and hurried downstairs.

"It's alright, Miss Su. With all three of our families here today, no matter how arrogant the Jiang family's underlings are, they wouldn't dare provoke public outrage."

As Chen Manqing descended the stairs, her thoughts were a tangled mess.

The sudden upheaval in the Su family reminded her of the series of events that had recently befallen the Chen family. Two days ago, her father had secretly sent word that her younger brother Chen Jing had been kidnapped. The investigation pointed to Jia Yao, a former retainer of the Pei family—a Taoist priest who always wore a robe, mastered the strange art of [Spirit Binding and General Commanding], and had even secretly stolen one of her own souls.

What was hardest to believe was that Wu Gou—the man she had entrusted with heavy responsibility and pinned almost all her hopes on—was not only dishonest but also a mole for the Pei family. He had stolen her personal belongings and given them to Jia Yao as a medium for [Spirit Binding and General Commanding].

She had paid such a heavy price to escape her engagement to Luo Bin back then...

For days afterward, she had no source of income, living off her savings and funding Wu Gou's martial training. And this was the cruel result she got—the man she trusted stabbed her in the back. Her plan to rely on him to obtain the miraculous skill "Yellow Court Inner Landscape" and revive the Chen family, thereby proving herself, had also come to nothing.

In that moment, regret crashed against her heart like relentless waves.

The truth behind all this had been uncovered by Luo Bin, the mud-footed commoner she had once looked down on. Even the recent crises facing the Chen family had been resolved by this very man.

Why? Was it really because her judgment was so poor, that she couldn't recognize true talent?

The suffocating doubt in Chen Manqing's heart nearly stole her breath. Last night, her personal maid at the Chen Residence had brought word that Luo Bin had grown quite close to the second young lady recently, which only made her feel like a stone was lodged in her chest...

Wasn't I the one engaged to him? What does Mansheng mean by this?

After wrestling with her thoughts, a scene surfaced in Chen Manqing's mind: Luo Bin at Qunyu Garden, dressed in a suit, handsome and spirited, greeting her with a smile. The words "Hidden Dragon Emerges from the Abyss" churned relentlessly in her heart.

Though her mind wandered, her short-heeled shoes still clicked rhythmically on the stairs as she descended with the two women, like close sisters.

In the middle of Guanglin Street, "Jade-Faced Grenade King" Zhao Changhe stood firm. Inside his jacket, a vest was lined with grenades—about twenty of them—an utterly chilling sight.

The corpses nearby and a woman's heart-wrenching wails darkened the faces of the Zhenyuan Escort Agency martial masters watching from a distance. Some glared with murderous intent, as if they might pounce at any moment and tear apart Zhao Changhe, who treated human life like dirt.

Wei Ang had grown up poor. At seven, he followed his father from Luo County to Ping City, setting up a stall to sell steamed buns. As life in Ping City gradually improved, he brought his mother and sister over. An old escort from Zhenyuan Escort Agency said he had good bone structure and could train in martial arts. So he learned from the old escort. After the old escort died, Wei Ang finally became a qualified escort. The bun stall and the escort work became the pillars of the Wei family.

And now.

His parents were still at the end of Guanglin Street, selling buns with booming business...

These beasts before him were using the most violent, bloodiest methods to drive away common folks struggling to make a living.

Wei Ang's face flushed red, veins bulging on his forehead. At a certain moment, he couldn't hold back anymore—he was about to strike.

But Duan Qing beside him grabbed his arm. "Wei Ang! This isn't something our escort agency should meddle in. We can't afford to offend either side. If you act, none of the martial masters in the agency will come out of this well."

"Are we just supposed to watch these damn Shuo Gang and Jiang family bully ordinary people so blatantly?!"

The surrounding escorts, stirred by Wei Ang's words, erupted in fury. Many of their families also ran stalls on the street. Though Zhao Changhe's position here didn't threaten their loved ones for now, what about later? Who could guarantee this man wouldn't do something extreme next?

Duan Qing was silent for a moment, then snapped, "What can you do? Help these people? Do you know who the Shuo Gang answers to? The city government, the Jiang family, and even that Master Cao about to take up residence in Shunzhi District! You haven't even reached the level of penetrating the mysteries of martial arts. How can you fight against these warlords' rifles and cannons? Even if you dare to act, the agency's boss will throw you under the bus to appease these factions. You know full well which is the heavier burden."

Duan Qing had a happy family. His parents had died early, but his wife and children relied on him, a Jade Bone Pass martial artist, to live comfortably. Faced with these uncertain threats, the safest course was to keep silent.

Luo Bin noticed the furious Wei Ang, quietly moved the crowd in front of him, and fell into brief contemplation.

At that moment, Zhao Changhe ordered his underlings to start dismantling the stalls and tools set up by the vendors, shouting loudly:

"From today on, no vendors are allowed to set up stalls on Guanglin Street. This behavior is forbidden from now on. Either come back with me to the Shuo Gang, or stain the streets with blood. And if you want... I can send you to the Ping City Inspectorate too!"

The entire venue fell silent.

But only for a moment.

A delicate shout rang out, not loud in volume, yet piercingly clear.

"What Shuo Gang? Fuck your mother's dogshit!!"

"This Miss wants to see today what tricks a lowly Shuo Gang errand dog like you can pull... Don't forget, your current gang leader Ran Shaohua used to eat out of my Chen Family's hand!"

Luo Bin pricked up his ears, finding the voice familiar, and followed the sound to look.

It was Chen Manqing!

And that Sun Family Eldest Miss Sun Shuhua who had called him "husband" that day?!