Chapter 129: Why Must It Be Him?

Zhang Xiaofan was well aware of the status of the elders mentioned by Du Yuefeng. Every elder in the Dragon Soul Hall was a top-tier powerhouse. As for why the Feng family, a second or third-rate clan in Beichen, was entrusted with the half-piece of the Yin-Yang Fish stone, Zhang Xiaofan could easily deduce the logic behind Dragon Soul’s decision.

Although rumors were flying, having a minor family handle such a matter would lead many obscure factions to doubt the authenticity of the claims. After all, there were countless legends of hidden treasures; it was impossible to verify every single one. If Dragon Soul or the Qin family were to spearhead the operation, it would immediately attract the attention of numerous powerful groups.

In the past, there had been no shortage of relic explorations. Dragon Soul typically used these as training grounds for its members, especially those from the Dragon Soul Hall, who would inevitably participate. In the end, they would be rewarded according to their contributions with pills, martial arts manuals, and the like. This approach not only boosted their strength but also provided Dragon Soul with significant resources.

It was clearly impossible for him to venture to the ruins alone. Offering up his half of the Yin-Yang Fish stone was a rational move for Zhang Xiaofan, as he knew that even if Du Yuefeng hadn't said anything, Dragon Soul would eventually trace it back to him. Of course, without securing a spot for himself, it would have been impossible for them to get the stone from him anyway.

He started his car and headed back toward the North District, trying to clear his head along the way.

In a top-floor room of a casino in the North District, a dozen men, including Yue Xiaohua, stood in a row with their heads bowed. Every one of them bore the red imprint of a slap on their faces.

"A bunch of good-for-nothings! A dozen of you got beaten like this, and you have the nerve to come back and whine?" a bare-chested middle-aged man in front of them barked viciously.

"Brother Xiong, that guy is truly formidable..." Yue Xiaohua felt deeply aggrieved. Thinking back to the previous night, he hadn't even had the chance to fight back; the man was indeed powerful.

"You dare talk back? How formidable could he be? To put it plainly, it’s just your own incompetence!" The man called Brother Xiong glared at him, looking menacing.

"Enough. They must have encountered someone exceptional. I happen to be free tonight, so I’ll go with them and see for myself. Everyone knows this street is under my, Poison Scorpion’s, protection. Hitting them is a slap in my face. I suspect someone is intentionally looking for trouble." The one who spoke was none other than Poison Scorpion.

"Boss, surely you don't need to handle such a minor matter yourself?" Brother Xiong asked in a low voice.

"I’ll go take a look. I haven't been out much lately, and if this guy is as good as you say, you lot won't be able to handle him," Poison Scorpion said coolly.

"But will he even show up? If he hears the name of Scorpion-ye, won't he be too scared to reveal himself?" Brother Xiong flattered.

"Stop with the flattery. Who can claim to be invincible? Even Young Master Feng was defeated yesterday..." Poison Scorpion muttered, still shaken by the memory.

...

At noon, Zhang Xiaofan had some authentic roast duck at Quanjude. In the afternoon, he called Lin Siyu and Chen Yuanyuan and chatted with the two girls for several hours.

He could sense a faint note of resentment from them, but Zhang Xiaofan had no choice; he couldn't spend his entire life in a bed of roses. By five o'clock, he prepared to head back to Xia Shihan’s villa, but he got stuck in the thick of the evening rush hour traffic for quite a while.

On the street from the previous night, the barbecue stall owner was setting up his stand as usual. Today, the owner felt deeply uneasy—or rather, he hadn't slept well at all, constantly worrying whether those people would return for revenge. Business was sparse, which left the owner feeling helpless; after offending the minor bully Yue Xiaohua the night before, customers naturally avoided his stall to avoid getting caught in the crossfire.

Past six o'clock, three figures appeared on the street. When the owner saw Yue Xiaohua, still bandaged, his expression grew tense.

"Xiao Lan, go hide in the room," the owner said. Running a small business meant he lived in the back of the shop to save money. Glancing at the kitchen knife under the table, his eyes hardened with resolve.

Xiao Lan ran into the back room and quickly dialed a number, whispering into the phone.

Zhang Xiaofan hung up the phone, his eyes turning cold and sharp. He slammed the gear shift, braked hard, and began weaving through the congested traffic, even driving onto the roadside greenery to bypass the gridlock.

Inside the restaurant, Yue Xiaohua walked up and slammed a short blade into the owner’s table. "I’m not here to make things difficult for you today. Just make a phone call and get that little bastard over here."

"If you have a problem, take it up with me. It has nothing to do with that young man," the owner said, though he was terrified, he straightened his back.

"Oh, feeling brave now, are we? Do you believe I’ll disable you with one strike?" Yue Xiaohua threatened. With Brother Xiong and the formidable Poison Scorpion backing him, he felt full of confidence.

"Heh, your daughter is quite pretty..." Yue Xiaohua caught sight of Xiao Lan peeking from the doorway of the back room and his eyes gleamed with lechery.

"You social scum! You trash!" the owner roared. He grabbed the kitchen knife, his hand trembling, but his gaze remained firm. "I’m going all out today!"

"You're courting death!" Yue Xiaohua snarled, yanking his blade out of the table. He hadn't expected the owner to dare brandish a knife at him—was it the courage that brat gave him yesterday?

"Yue Xiaohua, you're really losing your touch, aren't you? Looks like someone else will be taking over this street soon," Brother Xiong remarked, looking displeased. If everyone started acting like this shop owner, how would they collect protection money? If this escalated, it would be nothing but trouble.

Hearing this, Yue Xiaohua’s malice intensified. If he lost this lucrative territory, he’d have no way to get by.

"You old fool! I'll cripple you!" Yue Xiaohua lunged, stabbing at the owner. The owner instinctively tried to block, but flesh and blood were no match for steel. The blade pierced his arm, and blood began to flow.

Poison Scorpion watched it all without a word. In this line of work, such things were normal; as long as no one died, everything was manageable.

"Daddy!" Seeing her father injured, Xiao Lan ran out, tears streaming down her face. She glared at Yue Xiaohua. "You scum! The young brother won't let you get away with this!"

"Haha, the little girl is quite fierce, isn't she? Fine, go ahead and call him!" Yue Xiaohua stared at Xiao Lan, sneering. "As long as he dares to come, I promise to show you exactly how he’ll be crawling out of here today."

Just then, a voice, not particularly loud but filled with overbearing authority, echoed through the room.

"Is that so? I’d like to see how you intend to make me crawl out of here today."

Before the voice had even finished, Zhang Xiaofan had already arrived. The traffic had made driving impossible, so he had abandoned his car and sprinted the rest of the way—his speed far exceeding that of a vehicle in the gridlock.

At the sound of his voice, Yue Xiaohua turned sharply. He knew that voice all too well; it had been the stuff of his nightmares the night before. He knew the brat from yesterday had arrived.

A wave of fear washed over him, but remembering that Poison Scorpion was there, he regained his composure. In his eyes, no matter how skilled this guy was, he was no match for Poison Scorpion—the top warrior under Young Master Feng!

Poison Scorpion and Brother Xiong also looked toward the source of the voice. In that instant, Poison Scorpion’s expression shifted. How could it be him?

Brother Xiong, meanwhile, wore a look of pure menace.

"Kid, what are you acting so arrogant for? Do you know who this is?" Yue Xiaohua looked at Poison Scorpion for support and shouted at Zhang Xiaofan, "This is Boss Poison Scorpion! Everyone in the North District knows his name. I suggest you kneel and kowtow three times to apologize; maybe Boss Scorpion will go easy on you."

Zhang Xiaofan saw Poison Scorpion and couldn't help but chuckle. "He's truly impressive. Go ahead, have him attack me. I'm so scared..."

Seeing that the shop owner had only been stabbed in the arm and was in no critical danger, Zhang Xiaofan felt relieved. The world was truly small; he hadn't expected this thug to be one of Poison Scorpion’s men, though it made sense—the Feng family of the North District was a major hegemon, and Poison Scorpion was their capable enforcer.

Hearing Zhang Xiaofan's words, Poison Scorpion’s face changed once again. He had experienced the man's strength firsthand yesterday, and even Young Master Feng hadn't been able to defeat him...

Damn it, why did it have to be him?