Chapter Twenty-Six: The Mysterious Pei Family
Bang!
With a fierce kick, Wang Jiaolong was knocked to the ground! Turning over, he pinned Lan Ruoxue beneath him; her breath caught, and she fainted on the spot.
“Get out!”
Ye Wushang barked hoarsely, dragging Wang Jiaolong aside with a single motion. He quickly checked Lan Ruoxue’s breathing—thankfully, she was only unconscious.
“Who the hell are you?” Wang Jiaolong roared in fury, clutching his aching lower back as he struggled to stand, his eyes burning with malice. “How dare you kick me? Are you courting death?”
“You should be grateful you hadn’t yet laid a finger on Ruoxue. Otherwise, you’d already be dead,” Ye Wushang replied, his expression dark and cold.
He scooped Lan Ruoxue into his arms and turned to leave. He had no intention of causing more trouble right now. In the afternoon, he was expected at Panlong Mansion as An Lan’s bodyguard. His sister had just awakened; she needed his care. Lan Ruoxue had suffered both a blow and a fright—she needed rest and recuperation.
Once everyone was settled, he’d return to deal with Wang Jiaolong, properly.
“What happened?”
“Brother Long, are you alright?”
Just then, sensing the commotion, a group of bodyguards rushed in. Compared to those posted at the front gate, these men were clearly more formidable—true professionals. Some were former boxing champions, others retired special forces. Their strength was prodigious, their movements sharp. Experienced in real combat, they were all hired at high wages by Wang Jiaolong.
“Surround him!” Wang Jiaolong ordered furiously.
He’d never been beaten—or even spoken to harshly—in his life. Yet this bastard had barged in, kicked him, and dared to carry away the woman he fancied! Outrageous!
Soon, six or seven muscular bodyguards rushed over, encircling Ye Wushang. Even unarmed, their intimidating presence was chilling. Any ordinary person would have been terrified, but Ye Wushang, holding Lan Ruoxue, remained cold and unyielding.
“Bad news, President! That bastard you put a bounty on—Ye Wushang—he’s come upstairs…”
At that moment, the fat security guard who’d been beaten downstairs barged in, hoping to warn them, only to freeze at the sight of Ye Wushang carrying Lan Ruoxue.
“You’re Ye Wushang?” Wang Jiaolong, realizing, sized him up and sneered, “So you’re the bastard who discovered the poison in the food and drink?”
“Not only that, you rescued everyone, and last night my men tried to bring you in—you cut off Scarface’s six fingers?”
The fat security guard gasped, “So Scarface lost his fingers because of this bastard…”
Bang!
Ye Wushang flung a wine glass, striking the fat guard squarely on the forehead. Blood gushed forth, and he collapsed, unconscious.
Ye Wushang drew a deep breath, raised his gaze to Wang Jiaolong, and said coldly, “I’m An Lan’s bodyguard. Her safety is my responsibility.”
“As for Scarface, I spared him so he could deliver a message: stop targeting An Lan.”
“Bullshit!” Wang Jiaolong howled, “An Lan is my woman. If she won’t obey, I’ll kill her! As for the An family, not only do I have a blood feud with them, but—”
He paused, realizing he’d said too much, and changed tack, barking, “You come to my company, assault my men, steal my woman!”
“I gave you face, and you dare threaten me?”
“I’m ordering you now: put Lan Ruoxue down.”
“Come here, kneel, and apologize—bow your head and admit your mistake.”
“If you don’t show proper respect, you’ll leave here in a coffin—”
Bang!
Before he could finish, Ye Wushang dashed forward in several quick strides and delivered a vicious kick right to Wang Jiaolong’s crotch.
“Aaah!” Wang Jiaolong screamed, clutching his groin and leaping about, his face instantly pale.
Two bodyguards rushed to support him, but he shoved them aside. “Why are you holding me? Get him! Kill him!”
“Tear him apart! Chop him up and feed him to the dogs! If anything happens, I’ll take the blame!”
“Yes, President!”
The bodyguards obeyed, charging furiously. Ye Wushang’s expression sharpened—he gently laid Lan Ruoxue on the sofa and sat beside her.
His legs moved like scissors, alternating swiftly, locking the heads of the first two bodyguards, and with a twist, kicked them aside.
Immediately after, he pressed his hands to the sofa, spun himself, and his feet whirled like a cyclone, unstoppable and fierce.
Feet flashed and crossed, striking in every direction.
“Aaah!”
“Ugh!”
Though the bodyguards were strong and tough, they were powerless against Ye Wushang, whose inner strength bolstered every strike. With each contact, injuries blossomed from within, breaking their resolve and bodies alike.
Blood sprayed, screams echoed. In moments, all these so-called experts lay defeated on the floor, whimpering before their eyes rolled shut and they slipped into unconsciousness.
“What…the hell?”
Wang Jiaolong stared, utterly dumbfounded. All his highly paid, rigorously trained bodyguards had been flattened? Not a one could last a single round; none even managed a counterattack.
This unremarkable-looking young man moved with the agility of a swallow, the strength of an ox—what sort of monster was he? No wonder Scarface and his crew had been battered; he’d thought it was their carelessness, but now he saw the truth: Ye Wushang was genuinely formidable.
“I gave you a chance. You refused to cherish it.”
“Now you leave me no choice.”
Since Lan Ruoxue was only unconscious and unharmed, and things had escalated to this point, Ye Wushang decided it was time to uncover the true nature of the feud between Jiaolong Group and the An family.
Especially the Pei family, which Wang Jiaolong had nearly mentioned…
“You—what do you want? Stay back! Don’t come any closer…”
As Ye Wushang approached step by step, Wang Jiaolong retreated in terror until he stumbled and collapsed against the wall, cornered.
Thud.
Ye Wushang placed his foot directly on Wang Jiaolong’s chest, crouching low with a cold sneer. “What do I want? Isn’t it obvious?”
He picked up the fruit knife that had fallen nearby, spinning it in his hand like the angel of death, creating a terror that chilled to the bone.
“Don’t do anything rash. I warn you, I’m the president of Jiaolong Group. My father, Wang Dahai, is vice chairman of the Jinghan Chamber of Commerce. If you lay a finger on me, he’ll never forgive you! He’ll destroy Lan Ruoxue and the entire Lan family!”
Shnk!
Before he could finish his threats, Ye Wushang plunged the knife straight into his thigh.
“Aaah!”
Wang Jiaolong screamed in agony, staring at his bleeding leg. He lost control of his bladder and bowels, urine streaming down.
“Shut up!”
Ye Wushang snapped. Having already witnessed Ye Wushang’s terrifying power, Wang Jiaolong fell silent at once. Now, he was utterly helpless, a fish on the chopping block, awaiting slaughter. Though hatred burned in his heart, he could only bow his head and submit, hoping to survive.
“Threats are useless.”
“I’ve already divorced Lan Ruoxue; the Lan family has nothing to do with me.”
“But…”
He withdrew the fruit knife and slowly traced it across Wang Jiaolong’s cheek, speaking mildly, “I’m An Lan’s bodyguard now.”
“Anything that threatens her falls under my duty.”
“You want to live? Fine. Tell me about your feud with the An family.”
“Oh, and the Pei family too—if you dare hide anything, or if I sense anything off…”
The blade slid across, coming to rest at his Adam’s apple; with the slightest pressure, Wang Jiaolong trembled violently. A touch more force, and his throat would be slit in an instant.
“I’ll tell you everything. I swear!”
Wang Jiaolong had been utterly cowed. Not only was Ye Wushang skilled, he was ruthless, striking without hesitation. He knew that any wrong move would mean instant death.
“In truth, the feud between our families is a matter of business.”
“Old Master An cheated my father years ago, and my father has held a grudge ever since. I tried to pursue An Lan and failed, so I wanted to teach her a lesson.”
“The An family has considerable power in Jinghan; previously, we didn’t dare act. But now the Pei family is involved.”
“They provided us with the time, place, and everything we needed.”
“We had Xu Lang poison Old Master An, then tried to assassinate An Lan in the main hall—those were their arrangements.”
“As for last night’s attempt on you, that was solely because I couldn’t satisfy the Pei family and acted on my own.”
“I’m sorry, brother! I know I was wrong. Please, be magnanimous and forgive me this once. I swear, I’ll never dare again.”
Fearful that Ye Wushang might lose patience, Wang Jiaolong ignored his leg’s pain and prostrated himself, banging his head on the floor in apology.
Ye Wushang’s face remained calm, but his heart churned like a storm.
The Pei family.
In three years with the Lan family, he’d never heard of this clan. With their support, Wang Dahai and his son dared strike at the An family.
It seemed the Pei family’s influence was considerable.
And their urgency to poison Old Master An and An Lan likely stemmed from some commercial secret.
“I have a question.”
Ye Wushang grabbed Wang Jiaolong’s collar, his voice icy. “Who are the Pei family? What’s their connection to the An family? Tell me everything you know.”
Wang Jiaolong sighed and shook his head. “Brother, I truly don’t know. My father handled all those matters.”
“After the first two failed poisonings, the Pei family is furious. They’re planning with my father to act this afternoon.”
“This afternoon?”
Ye Wushang’s eyes widened. He was supposed to protect An Lan at Panlong Mansion this afternoon.
Could it be…
“Yes.”
“We received word that this afternoon, An Lan will host a bidding qualification meeting for business agency rights at Villa 101 in Panlong Mansion.”
“They plan to strike at the meeting, abduct An Lan, and use her to threaten the An family.”
“They’ve planted an informant, hidden among the candidates. I don’t know exactly who, but supposedly, this person is formidable—masters all sorts of skills, not only a martial arts expert but a poison specialist as well. They secretly assisted in the previous poison attempts!”
…