Wang Cheng

Inside the side hall, the corpses strewn about in disarray emitted a thick, pungent stench of blood, with the headless body of Wang Chi lying silently on the floor.

Chen Jing stood beside the remains, his clothes unruffled and his breathing steady, as if he had merely stepped on an insect blocking his path.

He did not even spare Wang Chi another glance; after all, for a man like that, death was simply death.

He then swept his gaze toward the corner, spotting a servant curled up and trembling in terror, and spoke immediately: "Come here."

To Chen Jing, disposing of Wang Chi was only the first step.

The real prize was Wang Cheng, who would follow.

Since blood had been shed today, there was no such thing as stopping halfway.

Either don't start at all.

But once you start, you must finish it completely.

The servant shuddered, not daring to defy him, and crawled out on his hands and knees. He slammed his forehead against the floor with a thud and stammered, "M-Master Chen... what, what are your orders?"

"Where is Wang Cheng?"

Chen Jing asked directly.

"S-Second Master Wang... no! Wang Cheng!"

The servant quickly corrected himself, terrified that a single wrong word would cost him his life. "He, he said he had to discuss matters with the Canal Gang today and arranged to meet at the Drunken Flower Pavilion in the west of the city. He... he should still be at the Drunken Flower Pavilion right now!"

The servant spoke at breakneck speed, spilling everything he knew, and even volunteered, "They arranged to meet in a private room on the third floor of the Drunken Flower Pavilion. I heard they were going to talk peace..."

Chen Jing nodded, asked no more, and turned to walk straight out of the side hall.

Only after that figure had completely vanished did the servant finally snap back to his senses.

He turned to look at the headless corpse on the floor, his throat bobbing as his stomach churned violently.

The next instant, as if pursued by something, he scrambled to his feet and bolted out of the side hall, stumbling in his haste.

As for the money and valuables on Wang Chi and the others, he didn't even dare to look at them.

After all, the murderous aura Chen Jing had left behind had already shattered his courage.

At this moment, he had only one thought in his mind: to get out of here alive.

As soon as Chen Jing stepped out of the carriage firm's main gate, he saw Old Man Lin and a dozen carriage drivers still standing there, pacing back and forth with anxious expressions and glancing toward the interior from time to time, clearly terrified by the sounds of the fight from within.

"M-Master Chen!"

Old Man Lin was the first to spot Chen Jing and hurried over. When his eyes landed on the bloodstains on Chen Jing's lapels, his face turned pale, and he asked nervously, "Are you alright? This blood..."

The other drivers gathered around as well, their eyes filled with curiosity and awe, though none dared to get too close.

They could all guess what had happened inside, but they dared not confirm the outcome.

"I'm fine."

Chen Jing pointed to the blood on his clothes. "This belongs to Wang Chi."

"He is dead!"

As those words fell, the scene seemed to hit a pause button.

The group of drivers stood frozen in place, their breathing hitching.

In truth, the moment they saw Chen Jing walk out, they had already harbored a vague suspicion.

But when the words "Wang Chi is dead" were actually spoken, it still made their scalps tingle.

Gasps of cold air rose one after another.

After all, Wang Chi had a brother, Wang Cheng, who was the leader of the Blue Scarf Gang, and for Chen Jing to kill him just like that clearly meant he did not hold Wang Cheng in any regard!

Chen Jing ignored their reactions and turned to Old Man Lin. "Uncle Lin, help me keep watch here and look after the firm. If there is any disturbance, come find me at the Drunken Flower Pavilion in the west of the city immediately."

Old Man Lin nodded quickly, patting his chest in assurance. "Yes, yes! Don't you worry, Master Chen! I will definitely keep this place secure!"

Being entrusted with a task by Chen Jing made Old Man Lin feel both excited and honored.

Chen Jing said no more and turned to walk toward the Drunken Flower Pavilion in the west of the city.

Watching Chen Jing's upright figure gradually recede into the distance, Old Man Lin remained rooted to the spot, filled with deep emotion. Who could have imagined that the poor lad who used to pull carriages with them would now be a martial artist beyond their reach?

The other drivers also snapped out of their stupor and began to chatter.

"Wang Chi is actually dead! Master Chen is too incredible!"

"This is great! From now on, no one will dare to withhold our wages!"

"Looking at the direction Master Chen took, he clearly intends to finish off Wang Cheng as well!"

Several drivers stomped their feet in frustration, thinking to themselves with deep regret, Why didn't I dare to step forward and ask earlier? If I had shown concern for Master Chen just now, perhaps he would have remembered me, and life in this firm would be much easier!

In their eyes, since Chen Jing had killed Wang Chi and possessed the status of a martial artist, this carriage firm would henceforth be Chen Jing's property.

If they could curry favor with Chen Jing, it would be a godsend for low-level drivers like them.

Meanwhile, in a private room on the third floor of the Drunken Flower Pavilion in the west of the city, the atmosphere was as oppressive as the sky before a storm.

A massive round table sat in the center of the private room, where Blue Scarf Gang leader Wang Cheng and Canal Gang leader Ji Wen sat facing each other.

Behind each man stood five or six tall, fierce-looking brutes, their eyes scanning one another with vigilance, hands resting on the weapons at their waists, ready to strike at a moment's notice.

Wang Cheng's physique was far more burly than that of his brother, Wang Chi.

His solid, corded muscles stretched his black martial arts attire to the limit, and thick veins bulged on his exposed arms. The blood energy surrounding him was so abundant it seemed ready to overflow; he was clearly at the peak of First Blood, only a single step away from the Second Blood realm.

In contrast, Ji Wen, sitting across from him, appeared slightly lean but sat as straight as a spear.

His eyes were sharp as blades, and a single sweep of his gaze was enough to make one's heart tighten.

A faint pressure of blood energy also permeated his surroundings, yet it appeared restrained and controlled.

Compared to the full, violent, and overflowing blood energy of Wang Cheng, it actually seemed a notch weaker.

This scene, however, only served to arouse suspicion.

Given Ji Wen's status as a Second Blood Martial Artist, such a level of blood energy intensity was completely contrary to common sense.

Wang Cheng held his teacup, a hypocritical smile on his face as he looked at Ji Wen and said, "Leader Ji, look at the west side of the city; a full forty thousand people rely on the trade there to make a living. My Blue Scarf Gang and your esteemed gang have always kept to our own affairs. The previous conflicts were merely minor misunderstandings; there is no need to make things so rigid."

Wang Cheng paused, his tone softening slightly, "Besides, our two gangs have been fighting for so many days now, both sides suffering losses without a clear victor. If we continue to fight, it will only result in mutual destruction, allowing others to reap the benefits."

"How about this? We shake hands and make peace, and in the future, we each manage our own territories. How does that sound?"

Having said this, Wang Cheng raised his teacup and cupped his hands toward Ji Wen. His posture appeared respectful, yet his eyes held a trace of disdain.

Others might be intimidated by Ji Wen's status as a Second Blood Martial Artist, but Wang Cheng was not afraid in the slightest.

He had long since uncovered Ji Wen's background through his informants.

This fellow had suffered a severe injury during a gang war years ago, which had damaged his cultivation foundation. Although he had luckily broken through to the Second Blood realm, his strength had been greatly diminished; he was at most only slightly stronger than an ordinary peak First Blood martial artist and could not unleash the true power of a Second Blood Martial Artist.

The so-called status of a Second Blood Martial Artist was merely a facade to bluff others.

It was precisely because he had seen through Ji Wen that Wang Cheng dared to attend this banquet and negotiate with such confidence.

Otherwise, even if Wang Cheng were given a hundred guts, he would never dare to face a true Second Blood Martial Artist alone.

Facing Wang Cheng's overture, Ji Wen remained unmoved. He set down his teacup, his tone filled with mockery, "Shake hands and make peace? Leader Wang makes it sound so easy."

"It was your Blue Scarf Gang that broke the rules first, reaching into my Canal Gang's shipping business and killing my brothers."

"Now that you can't win, you want to shake hands and make peace? There is no such cheap deal in this world!"

Ji Wen's voice grew colder, and the blood energy around him began to fluctuate slightly, "If you want reconciliation, fine."

Wang Cheng's eyes narrowed as he asked, "Leader Ji, feel free to speak your mind."

Ji Wen's tone was unquestionable as he said, word by word, "Hand over your Blue Scarf Gang's Wealth Source Workshop, and this matter will be settled."

"Leader Ji, are you joking?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Cheng was stunned for a moment before speaking with a smile.

The Wealth Source Workshop was the most profitable property under the Blue Scarf Gang. It was essentially a large-scale gambling den that brought in a fortune every day and was one of the Blue Scarf Gang's primary sources of income.

"Joking?"

Ji Wen said bluntly, "What makes you think I'm joking with you!"

Hearing this, Wang Cheng's expression darkened instantly. His eyes turned cold, and his voice carried an irrepressible chill, "That is impossible!"

Ji Wen's expression remained unchanged, but his tone carried an unquestionable finality, "Since you are unwilling, then this matter ends here."

Having said this, Ji Wen lifted his eyes slightly, staring directly at Wang Cheng without backing down, "We continue to fight."

"Even if it leads to mutual destruction, this battle must be fought to the end."

Listening to Ji Wen's unyielding words, Wang Cheng's face turned so dark it seemed as if ink were dripping from it, his eyes churning with intense malice and murderous intent.

If he hadn't known that he couldn't gain any advantage from the other man, he would have thrown a punch long ago; why would he have the patience to negotiate here!

"Leader Ji, don't go too far!"

Wang Cheng gritted his teeth, the veins on his forehead throbbing, "If you really force a situation where the fish dies and the net splits, it won't be good for anyone! Even if my Blue Scarf Gang exhausts its entire fortune, we can still drag your Canal Gang down with us!"

Ji Wen let out a cold snort, completely unimpressed by his threats, the mockery in his eyes deepening, "The fish dies and the net splits? Is my Canal Gang afraid of you? If we really fight, I'd like to see whether your Blue Scarf Gang collapses first, or my Canal Gang falls!"

The momentum of both sides climbed once more, their blood energy clashing wildly within the cramped private room, the heavy scent of gunpowder nearly solidifying.

Just as the situation reached a breaking point.

BANG!

The heavy pear-wood door was kicked open from the outside.

This sudden turn of events instantly shattered the standoff within the room.

Wang Cheng was already filled with irritation from being pressured by Ji Wen, and now, being rudely interrupted by this loud crash, his rage instantly broke through the defenses of his reason. He whipped his head toward the door and roared, "Damn it! Who the hell is tired of living? Daring to run wild on my turf!"

The burly men of the Blue Scarf Gang behind Wang Cheng were also incensed by this sudden provocation.

They drew the steel blades and short clubs from their waists, staring fiercely at the doorway, waiting only for Wang Cheng's order to rush in and tear the intruder to pieces.

The members of the Canal Gang also temporarily set aside their hostility toward the Blue Scarf Gang, looking toward the door with vigilance and furrowed brows, unsure if the person who had suddenly burst in was friend or foe.

Just as everyone's gaze focused on the doorway, Chen Jing walked in. His eyes swept over the people in the room before finally settling on Wang Cheng.

Wang Cheng and Wang Chi were biological brothers; although their builds differed vastly, the contours of their brows and eyes bore a striking resemblance, especially that innate arrogance and ruthlessness, which were cut from the same cloth.

Chen Jing only needed one glance to confirm the other's identity.

"You are Wang Cheng?"

Chen Jing stopped in his tracks, maintaining a distance of three zhang from Wang Cheng.

"Where did this wild brat come from, daring to call my name directly!"

Wang Cheng was already burning with rage, and seeing that the intruder was a mere stranger, young yet so insolent, he was incensed to the point of smoke pouring from his seven orifices.

Without bothering to waste words on Chen Jing or caring to probe his background, Wang Cheng raised his hand and hurled the teacup in his grip straight at Chen Jing's face with brutal force.