Chen Guiyuan frowned immediately and warned: "I'm warning you, don't you dare go look for him! This man has immense power and is extremely sinister! He can play with you until you're dead! In some ways, he's even more terrifying than Lei Liehu!"
Chen Xiaoran also chimed in: "Ye Lingtian, you had better not stir up any more trouble. There's no one here to clean up your messes!"
He Wenqian asked immediately: "What are you looking for him for? Could it be you want to find out your mother's whereabouts?"
"Yes!"
He Wenqian said: "Listen to your godmother. If you really want to go, Xiaoran will go with you after work tomorrow night! He'll show the Chen Family at least a little bit of face!"
Determined not to let down his godmother's kind intentions, Ye Lingtian waited bitterly through the day until Chen Xiaoran finally finished work.
"Get in the car!"
Chen Xiaoran brought Ye Lingtian along with a bad grace.
Third Master's territory was located in Jiangcheng's most bustling and most chaotic bar street.
Bars, bathhouses, and KTVs were scattered everywhere.
The reason Third Master was so resourceful and omnipotent was precisely because his informants were numerous and spread across the entire city of Jiangcheng.
The news that the bandit chief had been wiped out by the four God of War figures was first leaked by him.
As they arrived at the bar street, Chen Xiaoran's phone suddenly rang.
After finishing the call, she said to Ye Lingtian: "Go on your own. Third Master is at the West City International Club! I have something to do and I'm heading back!"
After dumping Ye Lingtian by the roadside, Chen Xiaoran drove back.
In truth, this had all been plotted beforehand by Chen Xiaoran and Zhou Xinyi.
Chen Xiaoran wanted nothing more than to kick Ye Lingtian out, so Zhou Xinyi had devised a plan:
Chen Xiaoran would bring Ye Lingtian to find Third Master and then make an excuse to leave halfway. That way, he would have to face Third Master alone and stir up a huge disaster.
This would give them the justification to kick Ye Lingtian out of the house.
Ye Lingtian didn't suspect a thing and headed straight for the West City International Club.
As soon as he reached the entrance, a security guard stepped forward and asked enthusiastically: "Sir, do you have a reservation?"
Ye Lingtian stated bluntly: "I'm looking for Li San! I want to ask him about some information!"
Hearing this, the security guard's eyes lit up: "Asking Third Master for information is very expensive!"
"I know the rules. Lead the way, quickly!"
With that, the two security guards immediately led Ye Lingtian up to Third Master's private office on the fifth floor of the club.
In the hallway, bodyguards stood guard at every door—there had to be at least a hundred of them.
Inside the office, Third Master was brewing tea.
Third Master was dressed in a white long gown and wore gold-rimmed glasses, exuding an air of utter craftiness.
Four robust men stood beside him, each radiating an aura like dragons and tigers—all of them top-tier martial artists.
Ordinary people would have had their legs turn to jelly at the sight of this setup.
"Third Master, this gentleman is here to buy information from you!"
After bringing Ye Lingtian in, the guard stated the purpose of the visit.
Third Master, however, remained silent for a long time, continuing to fiddle with his tea set.
As seconds ticked away, a trace of displeasure surfaced on Ye Lingtian's face.
Chapter 29: The Qi Family comes in full force to apologize to the big shot!
Chapter 29: The Qi Family comes in full force to apologize to the big shot!
After a full few minutes passed, Third Master slowly raised his head, looked him up and down, and asked: "So you're the punk who wants to buy information?"
"Yes!"
"What kind of information are you looking for? Let's hear it."
Third Master leaned back lazily in his chair.
"I'm looking for information from twenty years ago!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the four burly men beside Third Master instantly grew angry: "What do you mean by that, kid? Looking for trouble on purpose, are you?"
Third Master made his living by selling all kinds of intelligence, but this was the first time he had ever heard of anyone asking about things from twenty years ago.
"Hold on! Let him continue."
Third Master waved his hand.
"Twenty years ago, there was a woman from Longdu named Zhou Xueqing! I want to find out her whereabouts!"
Hearing this, Third Master's expression shifted slightly, and he asked curiously: "Was she the one who fled to Jiangcheng after carrying the illegitimate child of a prominent Longdu family?"
This brought a flash of joy to Ye Lingtian—sure enough, the man really did know his stuff.
"Yes, yes, yes! She came back to Jiangcheng once after that, and I want to know where she is now!"
To provide more specific details, Ye Lingtian took out the ring.
"This is a ring she used to wear. People might not remember her face clearly, but this ring might provide a clue!"
Upon seeing the gemstone-inlaid ring, the eyes of Third Master and his subordinates flared with greed, and their gazes became permanently glued to it.
This ring had to be worth a fortune, right?
Just by looking at it, it was easily worth tens or hundreds of millions.
"Ahem..."
Realizing his lack of composure, Third Master hurriedly coughed a few times.
He casually reached out and took the ring.
Then he examined it closely.
Just from the dazzling array of collectibles in this office, one could tell that Third Master was an expert in this field.
He even pulled out a magnifying glass and other tools to inspect the gemstone on the ring closely.
Gradually, a look of excitement and delight appeared on his face.
This was a super rare gemstone!
It was definitely rarer and more valuable than any gemstone he had ever collected!
To put it without exaggeration!
This ring could now fetch at least five hundred million or more!
A flash of greed crossed his eyes, and the idea of pocketing it for himself immediately took root.
He couldn't help saying: "I actually seem to have seen this ring before..."
"Then do you know her whereabouts?"
Hearing that there was hope, Ye Lingtian asked excitedly.
"I still need to look into the specifics. After all, it's been twenty years—it's far too long ago! Go back and wait for news."
Ye Lingtian nodded: "Alright, fine. As long as you find any news, I will reward you handsomely! Now, please return my ring?"
"Huh? What ring?"
Third Master asked abruptly.
Ye Lingtian's expression shifted: "Return the ring that's in your hand!"
Third Master slipped the ring onto his finger and smiled sinisterly: "This is my ring! What does it have to do with you?"
His subordinates also chimed in: "This is clearly Third Master's ring. I've seen him wear it for over a decade. Is this punk trying to pull a scam right here?"
What a masterclass in forcible seizure!
Ye Lingtian laughed.
No wonder his godfather had said Third Master was sinister and cunning—he might even be more terrifying than the bandit chief.
Well, he had seen it for himself now; it was just a pity he was Ye Lingtian.
You picked the wrong person to mess with!
"I'll give you one last chance. Give me the ring back, or bear the consequences!"
Ye Lingtian said coldly.
"Hahaha..."
As a result, Third Master and his men all burst out laughing.
Who cares about the threat of some punk kid!
He was definitely keeping this ring!
"Besides, who in Jiangcheng doesn't know my rules?"
Third Master sneered.
A man beside him explained: "Listen up, kid! Consulting Third Master costs money, too! Consider this ring your consultation fee!"
A piercing cold light shot from Ye Lingtian's eyes: "I gave you a chance, but you threw it away!"
"Impudent brat! Break his legs and throw him out!"
Third Master gave the order.
In the hallway, all the subordinates at the entrance rushed forward at once.
Over a hundred men, everyone wielding sharp weapons and looking malevolent.
"Qi Shanhai, along with all three hundred and sixty-eight members of the Qi Family, has come to offer our apologies to the big shot!!!"
At that very moment, however, a voice resounded through the West City International Club.
Chapter 30: The big shot is right inside!
Chapter 30: The big shot is right inside!
This shout was thunderous enough to startle Third Master and his men into a collective freeze.
"Qi Shanhai? Huh? The King of Buildings, Qi Shanhai?"
Third Master quickly recovered his wits.
He rushed over to the window, only to be met with a shockingly breathtaking scene—
Parked in the parking lot in front of the West City International Club were dozens of uniform Rolls-Royces and other luxury cars.
And down in the plaza by the entrance, hundreds of people were half-kneeling toward the club.
Third Master recognized the man leading them—it was none other than the King of Buildings, Qi Shanhai!
Let alone him, even if the bandit chief were still alive, he'd have to give Qi Shanhai a three-point courtesy!
Though Third Master was resourceful and well-connected in the intelligence world, if he crossed Qi Shanhai, he would be crushed to death without a trace.
He could practically be considered an insignificant, bottom-tier nobody by comparison.
Furthermore, the Qi Family possessed numerous formidable martial artists, not to mention hiring countless international bodyguards.
They even had a crown-tier bodyguard who was far more powerful than Zhao Feiying!
"Huh? What did the King of Buildings just say? Apologize to a big shot? And he brought the entire Qi Family? The crucial part is they're half-kneeling to apologize? This sincerity is off the charts!"
At this thought, Third Master and his subordinates felt as though their brains were about to explode.
Just what kind of terrifying figure could possibly drive the King of Buildings of Jiangcheng to this extent?
They couldn't even fathom it!!!
Jiangcheng didn't seem to have any such existence, did it?
Wait!
The King of Buildings and his people were apologizing facing the West City International Club... could it be... that supreme figure was right inside his establishment?
The mere thought made Third Master's legs tremble so violently he nearly collapsed to his knees.
Such a colossal deity was right inside his club, and he had been completely oblivious to it?
"Hurry! Everyone, follow me downstairs right now!"
Panicking, Third Master was the first to bolt out the door.
The others hurriedly scrambled to follow.
"Give me my ring back first!"
Ye Lingtian demanded.
"I'll deal with you in a minute, kid! I don't have time for you right now!"
Ye Lingtian was left speechless.
Before long, Third Master led a crowd outside the club.
And they were struck dumbfounded all over again.
Looking closer, Qi Shanhai had indeed brought every single member of the Qi Family, young and old.
From elders in their seventies and eighties down to infants still in swaddling clothes—everyone was here.
"What an honor for the King of Buildings to grace us with your presence! Forgive me for not welcoming you sooner!"
Third Master immediately cupped his fists in salute.
However, Qi Shanhai merely glared at him: "Li San, get the hell out of my way! I'm here to apologize to the big shot!"
"No... wait, King of Buildings, is this big shot inside my club?"
Third Master's voice was trembling.
"Duh! Why else would I be kneeling here?"
Shaking like a leaf, Third Master was on the verge of tears: "But... but I've been here all day, and I had no idea any big shot came in?"
His subordinates, who had just searched the club from top to bottom, rushed out to report: "Third Master, there aren't any big shots inside! Everyone in there is a regular customer, people we all know!"
"There isn't even a single stranger, let alone a big shot!"
"King of Buildings, look, there really is no big shot here. I'm going out of my mind..."
Third Master pleaded.
The King of Buildings remained half-kneeling, saying coldly: "The big shot is inside! I'm certain of it!"
Third Master felt like he was losing his mind.
There clearly wasn't anyone.
At that moment, the King of Buildings shouted again: "Qi Shanhai, along with the entire Qi Family, has come to apologize to the big shot!"
"The Qi Family comes in full force to apologize to the big shot!"
...
The members of the Qi Family shouted in unison as well.
"Crack!"
Right at that moment, the windows on the fifth floor of the club suddenly shattered into pieces.
A figure leaped out from within.
With hands clasped behind his back, descending slowly like a grandmaster of his generation.
Everyone was stunned dumb.
Especially Third Master!
"Bang!"
With a muffled thud, Ye Lingtian landed steadily, tiny spiderweb cracks spreading across the floor tiles beneath his feet.
Chapter 31: Thank you, Big Shot, for sparing my life!
Chapter 31: Thank you, Big Shot, for sparing my life!
Everyone present was awestruck!
He jumped down from such a height and wasn't hurt at all?
Even Third Master's eyes flashed with a strange light—he hadn't expected the kid to actually be a practitioner of martial arts.
So what if he was?
He had plenty of martial artists right by his side.
Third Master was just about to tell Ye Lingtian to get lost when suddenly two men carried a stretcher out from the crowd.
A man lay on the stretcher, wrapped completely in gauze like a zongzi, with only his face exposed.
When Third Master took a look, his heart nearly leapt right out of his chest.
This, this, this...
Wasn't this the crown-tier bodyguard, Li Dazhong?
The invincible grandmaster whom Qi Shanhai had hired for eighty million!
How did he end up looking like this?
Trembling, Third Master asked: "Grandmaster Li Dazhong, what on earth happened to you?"
"I beat him."
Ye Lingtian said calmly.
Third Master's eyeballs nearly popped out of his head.
"You... you beat him?"
He stammered in disbelief.
Everyone's gaze locked onto Ye Lingtian.
This was a grandmaster-level powerhouse, a crown-tier bodyguard!
Someone was just about to accuse Ye Lingtian of boasting when Li Dazhong struggled to crawl down from the stretcher.
He directly apologized to Ye Lingtian: "Big Shot, I was blind and offended you! Thank you for sparing my life!"
How could Li Dazhong not know the extent of Ye Lingtian's strength?
If the man had truly wanted him dead, he would have been a corpse a hundred times over.
Third Master and his entire crew were on the verge of going insane.
Immediately afterward, Qi Shanhai and the rest of the Qi Family bowed and apologized to Ye Lingtian in unison: "Big Shot, we were in the wrong yesterday, and we have specifically come to apologize to you!"
"This... this... rumble..."
Third Master's vision went black, and he nearly passed out on the spot.
So the big shot was actually this punk kid?
No wonder they had searched every single person in the club and failed to find any trace of a big shot.
It turned out the only person they had ignored was the big shot himself!
Realizing that Ye Lingtian was the big shot the King of Buildings was looking for, Third Master and his subordinates began to shake uncontrollably.
What had they just done?
They had forcibly stolen his ring?
And threatened to break his legs?
They had offended an entity capable of beating Li Dazhong into a cripple!
This...
It was over!
With the King of Buildings' sharp insight, he could tell at a single glance that Third Master was in trouble.
He immediately interrogated him: "Li San, you bastard! Did you offend the big shot?"
"I, I, I..."
Third Master stammered, unable to squeeze out a single complete word.
His gang of subordinates were all struck into a terrified, pin-drop silence.
"It's nothing, really. It's just that he forcibly seized my mother's ring and then threatened to break my legs, that's all."
Hearing what Ye Lingtian said, Qi Shanhai felt like he was losing his mind.
How on earth did they dare?
"Slap!"
"Slap!"
...
He lunged forward fiercely, landing several heavy, brutal slaps across Li San's face.
Not only did he shatter Li San's glasses, but he also beat his face until it was a bloody, mangled mess.
Qi Shanhai roared: "You have some nerve! You dared to provoke the Big Shot? I'll make sure you have nowhere left to survive in Jiangcheng!"
Third Master and his followers all dropped to their knees with loud thuds.
"Big Shot, we were wrong! We were wrong! Spare our lives, please!"
Still kneeling before Ye Lingtian, Third Master hurriedly ripped the ring off his finger, held it up in both hands, and sobbed: "Big Shot, I'm returning your ring! I'll compensate you with whatever you want!"
He was terrified!
Since Ye Lingtian could beat Li Dazhong into that state, killing him would be as easy as pinching an ant.
If he didn't beg for mercy, he was dead!
Ye Lingtian took the ring back and suddenly sighed: "What a pity—someone else wore it. It's tainted!"
"Huh?"
Third Master blinked, not catching the meaning.
Qi Shanhai, however, caught on instantly.
He immediately barked: "Quick! Li San, what are you waiting for? Do you want me to do it, or will you do it yourself?"
Chapter 32: I should be calling you the Medicine King!
Chapter 32: I should be calling you the Medicine King!
"Huh?"
Third Master was even more baffled, his brain completely scrambled at this point, failing to process the situation.
"Which finger was it on?"
Qi Shanhai asked.
"Boom!"
Third Master finally understood what Ye Lingtian meant.
Since the ring he had worn was considered tainted, the finger he had worn it on had to go!
However, to save his life, what was a single finger?
Third Master was a ruthless man himself!
Without hesitation, he pulled out a knife, aimed it at the middle finger that had worn the ring, and chopped it off with a vicious stroke.
"Aaargh!!!"
A heart-wrenching, blood-curdling scream tore from his throat.
Only then did Ye Lingtian look satisfied.
Qi Shanhai immediately asked: "Big Shot, what did you come to see him for in the first place?"
"I wanted him to look into my mother's whereabouts!"
"Li San, did you hear that? Hurry up and help the Big Shot investigate!"
Qi Shanhai bellowed.
Kneeling on the ground, Li San endured the excruciating pain and immediately replied: "Big Shot, I do know a little bit about your mother, but it was too long ago; I need time to dig deeper! The moment I have any news, I'll report directly to you!"
Though slightly reluctant, Ye Lingtian knew there was no other choice and nodded. "Fine then."
"Big Shot, shall we leave this place now?"
Qi Shanhai invited respectfully.
"Alright."
Ye Lingtian then got into Qi Shanhai's car and left the scene.
Third Master swept his gaze across his subordinates and warned: "Listen up, absolutely no one is allowed to leak a word about what happened today! And burn the face of this big shot into your memories—whoever offends him dies!"
Wincing in agony as sweat poured from his brow, Third Master quickly grabbed his severed finger and rushed straight to the hospital.
This was a private hospital backed by overseas capital—Weilong Hospital.
It catered specifically to the elite and powerful.
Third Master and his men lived lives of violence and bloodshed, so broken arms and legs were routinely treated here.
Seeing Third Master arrive with a severed finger this time, everyone was utterly shocked.
In this underground world, with the bandit chief dead, Third Master was practically the reigning overlord.
Who on earth could possibly injure him to this extent?
"Huh? Isn't that Third Master? What happened to you?"
A voice rang out—it was none other than Shang Hongwei.
He had specifically brought the Black Ginseng Jade Bone Ointment to Weilong Hospital for clinical trials.
"Oh? Mr. Shang? It's nothing! Just lost a finger, that's all!"
Third Master replied indifferently.
Shang Hongwei wore a look of surprise: "Ah? Third Master, isn't this a coincidence? I recently acquired an exclusive ancient formula from the Divine Doctor of Longevity, Li Changsheng—the Black Ginseng Jade Bone Ointment! It's specifically targeted at broken bones and the like! It can make your bones and flesh grow back completely!"
"It's already approved for mass production, and I brought some of the medicine here for clinical trials before putting it on the market!"
Hearing this, Third Master's eyes lit up fiercely.
Not only was Shang Hongwei a pharmaceutical giant, but this was also an ancient formula from the Divine Doctor of Longevity!
Moreover, Shang Hongwei was accompanied by top-tier expert physicians like Xiang Haiwen.
He trusted it completely!
"Well, hurry up and give me some to try then! Here's a ready-made patient right in front of you!"
Third Master urged eagerly.
"Did you bring your severed finger, Third Master?"
Shang Hongwei asked promptly.
"I brought it! It just got cut off! It's still bleeding!"
Third Master hurriedly produced the severed digit.
"That's wonderful! If you apply our ointment to an injury like yours and then stitch it up, you're guaranteed to see results in two or three days! You won't even need any surgery!"
Shang Hongwei and his team immediately applied the ointment to Third Master's wound and performed the stitching.
"The pain is gone! Whoa? It's itching! I can actually feel it regenerating! Growing new flesh is one thing, but even the bones are healing? Isn't this a bit too miraculous?"
Third Master cried out in astonishment.
Shang Hongwei explained: "Mm-hmm, that's the power of the Black Ginseng Jade Bone Ointment! If we had used top-grade medicinal ingredients, your finger probably would have healed in half a day. We're using substitute herbs, but it's guaranteed to show results within two or three days!"
"Then let me offer Mr. Shang my congratulations in advance—no, I should be calling you the Medicine King!"