That day, another banquet invitation was delivered to the headquarters of the ruffians.
“Youtiao, didn’t I say it already? Too much feasting lately—turn down all invitations for wine and meals these days!” Qiao San, now the chief of the ruffians, still hadn’t changed his appearance—his hair tied loosely in a half-bun, dressed in short, tight-fitting clothes, and a waistband adorned more for show than practicality, with a small dagger hanging from it.
“Boss, I turned down all the other invitations, but this one… you really need to decide for yourself. It’s from Lord Wang!”
“Oh! The Wang family? Good!” San’s slouched shoulders suddenly straightened, his body instinctively springing upright. Behind his messy hair, his hazy eyes gleamed with a hard-to-understand excitement.
The Wang family—finally, you’ve come!
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“Haha, welcome, welcome! Master San!” As soon as Qiao San stepped through the gates of the Wang estate, Lord Wang warmly greeted him.
“Lord Wang, just call me Xiao San like before, or even Danda* if you prefer. We’re certainly not strangers! Hehe…” Qiao San wore the ruffian’s signature grin, but walked with a straightened back and lifted head, making sure everyone noticed—his new status!
The meeting between wolf and jackal always went smoothly. With mutual intentions, the two hit it off within just a few exchanges, laughing heartily together.
“Danda, you truly are no ordinary fish! I told you before, once the time came, I would seek your help. And now, this is the perfect opportunity.”
“Please, Lord Wang, speak freely. Danda has long wished to make a difference, but in this small town of Liumang, there’s hardly anything big left to do! Sigh…” As the top ruffian in the holy land of rogues, Qiao San’s words fit him perfectly, his expression of frustration portrayed with great depth.
“Haha, how could shallow waters trap a dragon?” Lord Wang was clearly satisfied with Qiao San’s predictable reaction. After dropping a subtle hint, he suddenly changed the topic. “Danda, you previously entered the Ghost Forest, and this time subdued a monster. Would you mind telling me exactly what happened?”
“Hehe…” Qiao San blushed slightly, instinctively lowering his voice. “Lord Wang, just like last time, I was just lucky! Truthfully, defeating the monster was all thanks to the Beigong father and son. I just took advantage of Beigong Zheng’s injury and reaped the reward. But, I really have studied martial arts for several years, otherwise I wouldn’t have survived until today.”
The half-truth, well-prepared answer convinced Lord Wang about eighty to ninety percent. The old fox finally returned to the main topic. “Danda, the most important place in our town is the dock. If you can ensure peace there, you’ll rise rapidly. Do you understand?!”
“This… I’m not quite sure. Isn’t it just a dock? Just say the word, Lord Wang, and Danda guarantees none of my men will cause any trouble!”
Lord Wang wasn’t particularly surprised by Qiao San’s “confusion.” If a ruffian understood everything, that would be strange indeed.
“Danda, I want absolute peace—not just no trouble.”
Confusion still lingered on Qiao San’s face. Slightly bowing his head, his tone subtly changed. His voice, infused with mystical power, was like a spell drilling into Lord Wang’s mind.
“Lord Wang, Danda is foolish. Could you explain it in more detail?”
“Thump!” The magical force made Lord Wang’s heart skip a beat, and he blurted out involuntarily. “Alright, let’s talk as we walk!”
The sun gradually set, time slowly passed, and when Qiao San left the Wang residence, it was already dusk.
“Pfft! So that’s how it is! No wonder I couldn’t find any clues no matter how hard I searched before!”
Under the influence of mystical arts, Qiao San finally learned half the truth—originally, the hidden hand behind the downfall of the Qiao family was none other than Lord Wang himself!
It turned out that a high-ranking official in the imperial court had long been using the chaos in Liuxiang Town as cover, secretly trading with the Tang Empire of the Southern Continent, buying large quantities of weapons and grain.
Rebellion—someone was plotting rebellion. To escape the court’s attention, only a grand deception could work. Thus, the holy land of ruffians was created, and the Donghai Dock became a place that had to be controlled.
The Qiao family—the ancestors of Qiao San—had always been the masters of Donghai Dock. The upright and loyal Qiao family refused to give up their ancestral estate, thus inviting disaster upon themselves!
Wang, the henchman and accomplice, not only ruined the Qiao family, but even attacked the wedding convoy of the second Qiao daughter. As soon as it set sail, the convoy was sunk by traitors.
“Sigh, no wonder my second sister has been unheard of for years. She must have perished at sea!”
Muttering to himself, Qiao San’s tears of hatred fell into the void. Unfortunately, just as Qiao San tried to discover who the ultimate mastermind was, the deep-rooted fear Lord Wang had cultivated in his heart triggered the talisman he wore—a charm blessed by a monk—forcing Qiao San to abandon his inquiry midway.
“Damn it, that cursed old man!” At the thought, the bold and daring Qiao San, standing in the night wind, couldnorted out a few curses. No matter what, he would uncover the identity of the shadowy figure behind it all!
His eyes flashing with sharp, sword-like brilliance, Qiao San slowly disappeared into the darkness.
The following days were clear and bright, with not a cloud in the sky. Life for Qiao San continued as usual—leisurely, carefree, and domineering.
In the Qiao estate, a figure named Shier slipped through the walls after a few days’ absence, entering Qiao San’s bedroom without hesitation.
With Qiao Da gone to the capital and Qing Niang missing, the once-bustling mansion had grown colder and lonelier. Yet, a strange, heart-pounding tension began to swirl in the air.
“Master San, it’s time to wake up!”
Shier shouted cheerfully right into Qiao San’s ear. The lively fox spirit had been busy running around, yet Qiao San continued to sleep soundly, which she found quite irritating.
“Hmm!” Startled awake but still unwilling to open his eyes, Qiao San simply pulled the blanket over his head with both hands.
Shier gracefully raised her hand, summoning a sudden chill. Not for the first time pulling such a prank, she skillfully and without hesitation slipped her icy hand beneath Qiao San’s shirt.
“Ah!” Startled, the blanket stirred, but Qiao San didn’t sit up. Instead, with a strange twist, the blanket wrapped around him—and unexpectedly pulled the unsuspecting Shier right in.
“Naughty girl, daring to chill me! Master warned you last time—if you don’t behave, you’ll face punishment. Take this!”
“Ahaha… that tickles… stop it! Master San… have mercy on Shier!” A pair of strong hands began tickling Shier’s waist. As the blanket moved violently, suddenly, the game, the laughter, the movements—all came to a complete halt!
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