The sun sets in the west.
It’s getting late.
The group packed their things, disguised themselves slightly, and quickly left under the strange gaze of the landlord couple.
"Ahead is the territory of the Changhe Gang, close to the Yuanfeng Pier, where hundreds to thousands make a living daily. The place is mixed with all kinds of people."
Little Table said excitedly, "Once we get there, we shouldn’t have to worry about the Seven-Colored Hall. The Changhe Gang is strong and doesn’t get along well with the Seven-Colored Hall. Moreover, Yuanfeng Sub-Branch Squad Leader Tan Sihai is well-connected and fair in dealing with people from all walks of life..."
Little Stool also agreed wholeheartedly, "That’s right, even when we were studying, we heard of Squad Leader Tan’s reputation. When we get there, my brother and I might first find work teaching children to read and settle down temporarily."
"I can work at the pier," Zuo Duanshou said in a deep voice, looking sowhat gloomy as he glanced back over his shoulder.
Even Hua Lian’er chid in, "Then I, I can do laundry and ironing for others, keep myself busy. And Seventh Brother, with your skills, opening a small martial arts hall should be more than enough. You could collect apprentice fees to get by."
They joked for a bit, avoiding any ntion of singing for money or begging.
Their experiences on Qilin Street taught them that when one’s status is humble, attempting to enter high-profit industries will eventually lead to envy.
All they wanted was to live, to live peacefully and steadily.
Their demands weren’t so high.
"Stop."
Chen Ping listened with a smile as they planned for the future. Suddenly, he stopped smiling, paused, and looked to the side.
There were two pedestrians there, rushing with vegetable baskets, who upon seeing the group stop, dropped their baskets and turned to run in a panic.
Zuo Duanshou didn’t need a signal; he hunched low and quickly chased after them with a few strides.
He caught them in an alley, just as they were about to escape...
Without saying a word, with a quick flick of his hand, he stabbed the fleeing pair in the thighs with his black iron short spike.
"What are you running from?"
Zuo Duanshou’s gaze was icy, blood dripping from his short spike as he advanced slowly, "Who sent you?"
He wasn’t worried in the least about chasing the wrong people.
If Seventh Brother suspected sothing, there had to be sothing wrong.
"They’re from the Cyan Hall, look at their collars."
Chen Ping shook his head, "Too unprofessional, just casually threw on gray clothes without even covering the Incense Hall disciple’s markings. Are they looking down on us?"
"So, is it under Chang Sansi’s orders, or Incense Master Dong’s?"
He looked north towards the city, seeing they were close to the Changhe Gang’s turf, but clearly they couldn’t go any further.
With people watching the roads, there were obvious informants planted all over.
Not every group would be as careless as these two.
Their whereabouts exposed, with the enemy in the dark, themselves in the open.
No matter where they hid, it wouldn’t be safe.
"It’s Vice Incense Master Chang’s orders. We were searching everywhere and guarding the roads, but didn’t intend to harm you..."
"Spare , I’ll talk, I’ll tell you everything."
"..."
These two clearly weren’t hardened.
It would be unrealistic to expect lower-level gang mbers to have much loyalty.
After a round of intimidation, even without Zuo Duanshou acting, they confessed everything like spilled beans.
"You an Gao Yue from Changkong Martial Arts Hall, together with Xingqing Prefecture constables, attacked Cyan Hall... Incense Masters Dong and Zhuang weren’t able to resist, and Chang Sansi had to escape alone?" Zuo Duanshou expressed disbelief.
In his understanding, the Seven-Colored Hall was formidable, practically in bed with the Governnt.
They’d done nurous outrageous things over ti.
Never did Xingqing Prefecture intervene.
Why now, out of the blue, attack Cyan Hall?
Impossible.
Turning and catching sight of the smile on Chen Ping’s face, he was montarily stunned, then understood.
He thought, Seventh Brother prepared to escape from the start this morning.
With such a major upheaval in the Seven-Colored Hall.
Could it be his doing?
Indeed, when I rashly killed in Haitang Courtyard, Seventh Brother just arrived, clearly not just to save but with other motives.
’Perhaps I even ruined so of his plans, yet he never ntioned it.’
Zuo Duanshou wasn’t a fool; evidently, he comprehended so things and now looked at Chen Ping with a complex mix of emotions in his eyes.
Gratitude, guilt, and sorrow intermingled.
"Chased by constables and Changkong Martial Arts Hall, yet not thinking of escaping Xingqing Prefecture, instead arranging subordinates to track everywhere in the city... How much do they hate ? Is it necessary?"
Chen Ping found it both amusing and infuriating.
All along, he only sought self-preservation.
Since killing Boss Yat, then Big-Beard Zhang, and later Tang Sanliang and Lv Xi...
Even through all these indirect clashes with Chang Sansi, he never deliberately targeted Vice Incense Master Chang, only wanting to escape control.
Unexpectedly, the opponent, willing to risk so much, couldn’t let him go.
Unrelenting?
Fine then.
"As you wish!"
Chen Ping casually knocked the pair unconscious, picked up a nicked machete from the ground, and declared resolutely, "This hiding isn’t sustainable; only by striking them hard and scaring them can we secure peace."
"Fight back?"
Zuo Duanshou’s eyes reddened, gripping his black iron short spike tightly.
Hua Lian’er looked worried but said nothing, only followed closely.
The Kuihua Brothers trembled slightly, and Little Table hesitated, "We know where Chang Sansi is, why not plan and strike at night?"
"Why sneak? There’s no ti to delay. This ti, I’ll make my mark and establish my na. Otherwise, these incessant pursuits are infuriating."
Chen Ping had understood the situation.
This world, they say laws exist, and indeed they do.
But also, they don’t.
True powers regard laws as nothing.
The rules are rely tools for them, to manipulate at will.
The current situation, at least compared to before, was much better.
Although Chang Sansi hadn’t officially defected from the Seven-Colored Hall, sneaking away wasn’t comndable.
Before word spread, he might still rally most Cyan Hall disciples and external forces with his past reputation.
Once Incense Master Dong of the Cyan Hall responded and issued commands.
He might not beco isolated, but his power would diminish.
The worry was, having been in the business so long, with many confidants, he temporarily had a group that only obeyed his orders.
Unless he’s stopped, always stalking him, it would be a constant nuisance.
...
Just ahead.
Arriving at Zhanghe Street, the streets lined with trees, the air refreshingly clear.
There were many people, but most were poor.
In the middle of the street stood a courtyard, walls painted red, the heavy wooden gate...
Within the courtyard, trees extended their branches, while two n in blue, ard with knives and staffs, stood at the gate.
Chen Ping knew this was where Chang Sansi’s external house was, where he kept his third mistress.
Here, he wasn’t Chang, but Wang, an official title of status.
All the information had been gathered from the two n they previously questioned.
The slow-moving crowd on the street passed by, with various street vendors heard around.
Mostly, it was countryside folk looking to exit the city...
Of course, there were also poets, brimming with enthusiasm, heading towards places of allure.
Reciting poetry, speaking of the ladies.
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