“Stop!”
A cold shout rang out.
With his peripheral vision, Ye Qiu caught sight of a white-haired old man in a Mao suit, slightly plump, walking toward them.
He carried an impressive presence.
Though Ye Qiu only glanced briefly, he could tell this old man was a skilled fighter.
Still, Ye Qiu didn’t stop.
Slap!
His hand landed hard on Sun Wu’s face.
The force was immense, two of Sun Wu’s front teeth flew out, and he spat a mouthful of blood.
The white-haired old man erupted in fury, “Kid, you’ve got some nerve! I told you to stop, and you still dare to strike? Do you think I’m invisible?”
Ye Qiu shifted his gaze to the old man, feigning ignorance, “Did you say something? I didn’t hear.”
“Hmph, treating my words like wind past your ears, I think you’re begging for death.”
The old man strode toward Ye Qiu, exuding a chilling killing intent.
Ye Qiu acted as if he didn’t notice, smiling, “Old man, at your age, you should be resting at home. Leave the fighting and killing of the underworld to others. If you’re not careful and end up dead, it’d be a real loss.”
“Youngster, let me give you some advice: there are people you can’t afford to provoke. Cross them, and you’ll pay with your life,” the old man’s tone dripped with menace.
Ye Qiu smiled faintly, “In this world, there’s no one I can’t afford to provoke.”
“Let’s see what you’ve got, spouting such arrogance in front of me.”
With that, the old man rolled up his sleeves, ready to fight.
“Hold on, Old Huang.”
Sun Wu quickly called out to stop him, then turned to Ye Qiu, “You hit hard, huh? Knocked out two of my teeth. But I won’t hold it against you.”
“Join the Green Wolf Gang, and we’ll wipe the slate clean.”
“Cao Chunmei and Qian Rong’s debts? Forgiven.”
“Serve me loyally, and I’ll ensure you live in wealth and glory for the rest of your days. How about it?”
Ye Qiu found it almost laughable. Sun Wu, beaten to this state, still wanted to recruit him. You had to admit, the guy had patience.
Too bad Ye Qiu had no intention of joining the Green Wolf Gang.
“Your temple’s too small to house a big Buddha like me,” Ye Qiu said with a grin.
Sun Wu’s face darkened, “So, you’re refusing to join us?”
“Are you deaf or just bad at understanding?” Ye Qiu replied, “If I wanted, I could make your Green Wolf Gang vanish from Suzhou-Hangzhou anytime.”
“Hahaha…”
Sun Wu burst into wild laughter.
“Old Huang, did I hear that right? This kid says he can wipe out the Green Wolf Gang whenever he wants! Hahaha, I’m dying laughing.”
His laughter cut off abruptly, replaced by a cold sneer, “Kid, looks like you don’t know what we’re capable of.”
“Fine, I’ll show you now.”
“Old Huang, do it!”
The white-haired old man had been itching to take Ye Qiu down. Hearing Sun Wu’s order, he grinned menacingly, “Kid, when you reach the underworld and the Black and White Impermanence ask who killed you, tell them it was Old Devil Huang.”
Old Devil Huang!
At that name, Qian Weidong’s face paled, “We’re done!”
“What’s wrong?” Old Master Qian asked urgently.
Qian Weidong explained, “Old Devil Huang is the Green Wolf Gang’s top fighter, incredibly skilled. Over a decade ago, when the gang clashed with the Axe Gang over territory, the Axe Gang injured dozens of their men.”
“That same night, Old Devil Huang went for revenge.”
“Alone, he took out over three hundred Axe Gang members. Their leader and two lieutenants had their limbs chopped off.”
“Just like that, he wiped out a gang of hundreds.”
“It’s because of Old Devil Huang that the Green Wolf Gang could dominate other factions and become Suzhou-Hangzhou’s top gang.”
“He’s rarely shown himself in recent years, rumor has it he’s been in seclusion, training.”
“For Sun Wu to bring out Old Devil Huang, he must mean to kill Ye Qiu.”
Panicking, Qian Weidong told Qian Duoduo, “Call the police now! If they get here in time, we might save Ye Qiu’s life.”
“Wait,” Old Master Qian interrupted.
Qian Weidong looked confused, “Father, what’s this?”
Old Master Qian said, “Didn’t you notice? When Old Devil Huang appeared, Ye Qiu’s expression didn’t change. That means he’s not afraid of him.”
“Besides, even if Ye Qiu can’t beat him, there’s no need to worry.”
“He’s with Dragon Gate, Sun Wu wouldn’t dare touch him.”
Qian Weidong realized he was right. The Green Wolf Gang might be strong, but compared to Dragon Gate, they were insignificant.
Ye Qiu was one of Dragon Gate’s four envoys. If Sun Wu harmed him, Dragon Gate wouldn’t let it slide.
Relieved, Qian Weidong exhaled.
Then Qian Duoduo chimed in, “Dad, no need to worry. Even if Cousin wasn’t with Dragon Gate, Sun Wu wouldn’t dare touch him.”
“Why not?” Qian Weidong asked, puzzled.
Qian Duoduo grinned, “Because Cousin’s with the military.”
Huh?
Old Master Qian and Qian Weidong’s eyes snapped to Qian Duoduo.
“Ye Qiu’s with the military? How do you know that?” Old Master Qian demanded.
“I heard it from Young Master Zhang. He said Ye Qiu’s in the military, in some weird unit called the Hades Hall or something,” Qian Duoduo laughed. “If you didn’t know better, you’d think it was an assassin group.”
Old Master Qian’s face shifted instantly.
Oblivious to the change, Qian Duoduo went on, “Young Master Zhang also said Ye Qiu’s rank in Hades Hall is pretty high, something like a senior colonel.”
Old Master Qian’s heart thundered.
Ye Qiu was in Hades Hall?
A senior colonel?
How could that be?
Hades Hall was China’s most secretive special ops team, filled with battle-hardened elites, kings among soldiers.
Ye Qiu, so young, in Hades Hall with a senior colonel rank?
Combined with his medical skills and Dragon Gate role, Old Master Qian suddenly realized his grandson was a prodigy beyond measure.
In that moment, worry flooded his heart.
Throughout history, prodigies often met early ends, Gan Luo, Huo Qubing, Cao Chong, Wang Bo…
Could his grandson live a long life?
“Jinglan, has Ye Qiu taken a courtesy name?” Old Master Qian asked abruptly.
A courtesy name, or alternate name, was a tradition from ancient times. After coming of age, men received a meaningful alias from parents or mentors to avoid direct use of their given names, think Kong Qiu, styled Zhongni, or Li Bai, styled Taibai.
Modern society had largely abandoned the practice, but with China’s billion-plus population and rampant name overlap, some in cultural circles were pushing to revive it.
Qian Jinglan shook her head, “No.”
“Then I’ll give Ye Qiu a courtesy name,” Old Master Qian mused for a moment, then said, “How about Changsheng, Longevity?”
