Chapter 137: A Earth-Shattering Secret!

"Scum, didn't expect to see me again so soon, did you?"

Wang Xiaolong stood with his hands in his pockets, looking down at Ye Wushang with a condescending air.

At the same time, the group of thugs surrounding Ye Wushang stood in formation, weapons in hand, radiating a fierce, murderous intent. It was clear they were trained fighters with significant combat ability.

Ye Wushang’s expression turned stern, yet he showed no fear. Since he hadn't obtained answers from Huang Yuanxiang earlier, perhaps he could uncover the truth from these men. Thinking back to what Bi Haichao had mentioned—that the War Dragon Gate held a grudge and intended to strike at the Black Dragon Society—he realized he needed to provide some secret assistance. While his friendship with Jiang Hongwei wasn't deep, he had a favorable impression of Zhang Heifa and Bi Haichao. Moreover, he would need the help of the old craftsman for his future cultivation breakthroughs; logically and sentimentally, he had to intervene.

"I certainly didn't expect it," Ye Wushang said with a shrug, his tone indifferent. "You went to the trouble of waiting here for me. Tell me, what do you want?"

"I want to finish you!" Wang Xiaolong barked. "You dog! First, you messed up the Pei family's plans at the medicinal cuisine competition. Then, you cured Luo Rongyao, allowing the Black Dragon Society to seize the opportunity and get the upper hand over my War Dragon Gate. With both these things added together, do you think I'm going to let you live?"

Ye Wushang frowned. He took responsibility for the matter regarding Luo Rongyao, but the medicinal cuisine competition had been aimed at the Pei family. When did the Pei family start colluding with the War Dragon Gate?

"So, is this ambush your idea, or is it Peng Haidong's?"

"Damn it," Wang Xiaolong snarled. "Is the name of our Sect Master something a piece of trash like you is allowed to say? Dealing with a small-time garbage like you doesn't require his orders; I can handle you myself. I don't want to waste any more words. If you're smart, get on your knees and kowtow to apologize right now, and I might consider sparing your life. Otherwise, I’ll hack you to pieces and feed you to the dogs!"

As he spoke, he signaled with his eyes, and the thugs tightened their grip on their weapons, ready to swarm him at any moment.

Ye Wushang remained unfazed, calmly saying, "Well, you've made a good point. If you answer my questions truthfully, I'll consider sparing your life. Otherwise, this time next year will be your death anniversary."

"Damn it!" Wang Xiaolong cursed again, his eyes widening. "Are you out of your mind? I'm surrounded by my men, and you dare to threaten me back? Brothers, get him! Beat him to a pulp. I want to see if his mouth is tougher or if our fists are!"

With a wave of his hand, the thugs, who had been coiled like springs, surged forward instantly.

"Bang."

Ye Wushang lifted his elbow, striking with a force like a heavy hammer directly into the face of the first thug. A sickening crunch echoed as the man spat out blood and a few teeth. He fell into two other thugs, blinding them momentarily. Ye Wushang lunged forward, grabbed the two men by their backs, and slammed their heads together. They saw stars and dropped to the ground on the spot.

Immediately after, Ye Wushang kicked off the chests of the two fallen men and leapt into the air. His legs whipped out like shears, striking the heads and backs of the other three thugs in rapid succession.

*Thud, thud, thud!*

Three sprays of blood erupted as the men collapsed to the ground. In the blink of an eye, the eight so-called "elites" were completely taken down by Ye Wushang. They lay scattered on the ground, struggling to rise but unable to do so.

"What the... hell?" Wang Xiaolong was terrified to the point of wetting himself. He had only thought this guy was good at medicine; he hadn't expected his martial arts to be this formidable! He had hoped to beat the guy up to earn favor with his Sect Master, but he had ended up making a fool of himself. These were elite enforcers of the War Dragon Gate; he had thought victory was certain, yet they had been dealt with in seconds! He didn't hesitate; he turned and bolted.

*Clang!*

Ye Wushang bent down, picked up a brick from the ground, and hurled it with force. It struck the back of Wang Xiaolong’s head, sending him howling to the ground. Before he could crawl away, Ye Wushang was already standing over him, stepping on his chest.

"Running away and leaving your men behind? That’s hardly the style of a leader," Ye Wushang said coldly.

"You!" Wang Xiaolong stared up in fear, gritting his teeth. "What... what do you want?"

"What do you think I want?" Ye Wushang’s lips curled into a smile. He slowly bent down, raising the brick in his hand. If he brought it down on his skull, it would turn into a bloody mess in seconds.

"You piece of trash, don't you dare!" Wang Xiaolong stammered in terror, attempting to threaten him. "I'm a close associate of Sect Master Peng, his sworn brother! Even if the Luo family isn't backing us anymore, the War Dragon Gate is still one of the top underground forces in Jinghan City. If you kill me, our Sect Master won't let you go, nor will your entire family..."

*Bang!*

Ye Wushang didn't hesitate to slam the brick directly into his face. Skin split and blood sprayed. As he raised the brick for a second strike, Wang Xiaolong finally broke.

"Don't, don't hit me anymore, brother!" he begged. "I was wrong, I really know I was wrong! Please, spare me. I'm just a hired hand, just trying to make a living. If you spare my life, I'll be your dog. I'll bite whoever you tell me to." He covered his face with his hands, shaking uncontrollably.

"If I had to get a rabies shot, I'd lose money. You aren't even qualified to be a dog," Ye Wushang sneered. He didn't strike again but weighed the brick in his hand. "You just need to answer a few questions. If you answer well, I might spare you. But if you spout nonsense or hide anything from me... I don't need evidence. If I even sense that you're lying, I will smash your head in. Understand?"

Wang Xiaolong nodded frantically, not daring to argue. "I understand, I understand. Ask away. As long as I know it, I will tell you everything."

"First," Ye Wushang held up a finger, "what is the relationship between Xu Wei and Huang Yuanxiang? Why did she suddenly come to the Huang family?"

"It's not the Huang family; it's me," Wang Xiaolong coughed, feeling awkward. "Actually, she's my mistress. I came today to give Huang Yuanxiang an ultimatum. I hadn't seen her for a few days, so I called her to meet me at a hotel, but she got called back to her company for work..."

"What?!" Ye Wushang was shocked, his eyes widening. "She's your mistress? Have you used her to do anything?"

"Yes," Wang Xiaolong admitted, fearing for his life. "Ever since the War Dragon Gate was cut off by the Luo family, our Sect Master has been trying to seek revenge and find a new backer. But the threshold of the major financial families is too high, so we had to resort to forming alliances instead. We're cooperating with the Pei family to suppress the businesses of the An and Lan families. Xu Wei, as Lan Ruoxue's assistant, was meant to act as an inside agent. But only the Sect Master and the eldest Pei brother, Pei Huaide, know the specific details; they haven't told me."

Ye Wushang felt a chill run down his spine. He had thought Xu Wei was just sharp-tongued, but he hadn't realized her character was this despicable. Lan Ruoxue treated her like a sister, yet she chose to betray her for a man like this.

"And what about this ultimatum for Huang Yuanxiang? Is the Huang family involved in this too? What are Peng Haidong and Pei Huaide really planning behind the scenes?"

As he spoke, he tightened his grip on Wang Xiaolong’s throat, making him choke. Seeing the murderous look in Ye Wushang’s eyes, Wang Xiaolong gasped, "It seems... it seems they are working on two fronts. One is to destroy the cooperation between the An and Lan families; they handle the external pressure, and Xu Wei leads the internal sabotage. I provided the contact, but they arranged the plans, so I don't know the exact details. As for the other, it's about taking down the Black Dragon Society. They want to use Bi Haichao as a mole to pull away the internal forces at the critical moment, capture Jiang Hongwei, force him to abdicate, and then merge the two factions."

He hadn't realized the plot went this deep. It seemed his previous assessment in the craftsman's box had been incomplete.

After a moment of thought, he pulled a pill from his pocket, forced Wang Xiaolong’s mouth open, and shoved it down his throat.

"You... what did you feed me?" Wang Xiaolong asked, horrified.

Ye Wushang’s expression remained blank. "Rotting Gut Powder. It’s a poison. Within three days, your skin will start to ulcerate; within seven days, your internal organs will be burned away. You'll be dead within half a month."

"Ah?" Wang Xiaolong was disbelieving. "Brother, please, I've told you everything! I'm just a low-level worker, you don't have to torture me..."

"Telling me is one thing, doing as I say is another," Ye Wushang interrupted. "I'll give you a chance. Do two things for me. First, find out exactly what Pei Huaide has ordered Xu Wei to do. Second, cooperate with Bi Haichao to uncover Peng Haidong’s true intentions. If you do this within two days, I'll give you the antidote and a sum of money so you can leave Jinghan City and live your own life. If you fail, or if you try to pull any tricks behind my back, you can wait for death."