When we were in Dragon Pearl Land, Huang Jiu didn't directly mention Hu Wenhui's background, but from his reaction at the time, it was clear that Hu Wenhui's family was quite influential.
Could I handle someone from his family?
But since Little Foot Girl was caught up in the Blood Sting, I couldn't avoid it, no matter what.
Hu Wenhui could sense my worry and reassured me, saying, "As long as you make sure Miaolian doesn't get separated from the group, he won't take action. Li Yang, I'm asking you as a favor…"
I was startled and quickly interrupted, "Uncle Hu, don't say that. Little Foot Girl is also my friend, and I'll keep an eye on her."
Hu Wenhui replied, "Li Yang, thank you!"
Hu Wenhui exuded righteousness, looking like a scholar, but I could tell he had a strong sense of pride. The fact that he said something like this showed how important Miaolian was to him. I wondered what had happened to his wife, but since he didn't bring it up, I didn't want to ask.
After hanging up, I quickened my pace and grabbed Xiao Cui's hand.
Xiao Cui jogged to keep up with me and curiously asked, "Hubby, is that person a bad guy?"
Hearing "Hubby" from her made me forget everything and I happily led her back home.
Once we got home, I started moving the furniture around to set up a "Four Symbols Trapping Heaven Formation." This was a technique from the lower chapters, said to be guarded by sacred beasts, forming a trap that could bind the heavens—hence the name. Unfortunately, I was using furniture instead of proper energy, so it didn't have much power, only serving as a form of warning.
After setting it up, I didn't feel like teasing Xiao Cui. My nerves were on edge, and I had trouble falling asleep. Once Xiao Cui fell asleep, I leaned back against the headboard and pulled out the notebook of Zuo Daoran to read.
In the middle of the night, there was a sudden knocking sound outside the window.
I jumped up like a startled bird, grabbed the Blood Sting hidden under my pillow, and jumped out of bed. I cautiously moved closer and yanked open the curtains.
Outside the window was Huang Jiu, his face distorted and pressed against the glass.
Remembering that we were on the ninth floor, I hurriedly opened the window and pulled him inside.
"What's wrong with you? Why climb the window instead of using the door?"
It was just a false alarm, but I still scolded him a bit.
Huang Jiu shrugged and said, "You didn't give me a key."
I had actually forgotten about that.
Seeing Huang Jiu eyeing Xiao Cui, who was sleeping, I grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and dragged him to the living room.
Throwing him to the ground, I asked, "Didn't you say you weren't coming back?"
Huang Jiu said, "Big Black's little brother found out some news. Lai Youwei and the others are forming an Avengers Alliance, specifically to deal with us!"
I was speechless. "They really think highly of me. Who's involved?"
Huang Jiu replied, "Lai Youwei is the leader, with He Xiaolong and another guy from Laoshan, his name's Liu something… I forget."
Lai Youwei was still in the hospital, but now he couldn't hold himself back. And He Xiaolong, who barely survived last time, was back to being reckless.
But I knew they weren't the problem—the problem was the faction behind them.
I said, "A cripple, a useless man—they won't act for now. Tell Big Black to keep watching them and let us know immediately if there's any movement."
Huang Jiu agreed.
I didn't spend much time on this and instead told him about the person from Hu Wenhui's family looking for Miaolian.
When Huang Jiu heard that Hu Wenhui's family was after Little Foot Girl, his eyes narrowed. "Hu Wenhui knows the Dragon Catching Hand, so he's probably from Canglong Mountain. I also heard he had a fallout with his family over his wife and is now being hunted by people from Canglong Mountain."
Canglong Mountain isn't well-known, but its history is significant. They say the dragon's bones fell and became the mountain, making it a rare and powerful place. A family capable of occupying such a place must be incredibly influential.
I analyzed, "If they're really hunting him, then Hu Wenhui probably didn't even have a chance to come to our shop. It's likely that Hu Wenhui's family is trying to stop him from doing something, and Little Foot Girl has also become a target."
Huang Jiu said, "No matter what, we should avoid getting involved."
I replied, "I've already promised Hu Wenhui. Besides, can you bear to see Little Foot Girl being mistreated?"
Huang Jiu shook his head. "I can't."
"Then that's settled," I said. "Starting tomorrow, we won't be doing any business, and you'll stay in and focus on your training."
A storm is coming, and the wind is already starting to rise.
I went to the balcony and looked up at the night sky.
The Ziwei star shone brightly, while the Tanlang star was obscured.
It should remain calm for the next few days. There won't be any immediate danger.
Our network of information seems to be working well. As long as we know their movements, it'll be much easier to respond.
I remembered seeing the "Dog-beating Team" on the street earlier today. If Mr. Zhang has connections with them, I plan to ask him to have a word with them and ensure that the team keeps an eye on Black Emperor's enemies.
Eliminating obstacles will help Black Emperor and his team work more effectively.
I had a sleepless night.
The next morning, I took Xiao Cui and Huang Jiu to the shop. I called Mr. Zhang three times before he picked up, making me feel a bit embarrassed. But after I explained the situation, he quickly agreed and said he would have the Dog-beating Team contact me soon.
Less than half an hour later, I received a call from an unfamiliar number.
It was the leader of the Dog-beating Team, speaking very politely. He asked about the general area and assured me that in two days, there wouldn't be a stray dog or cat in the specified region.
After hanging up, I felt a bit guilty.
But if it helps Black Emperor take control of the city, there's no choice.
I asked Huang Jiu to visit Black Emperor and tell his men to keep a low profile and avoid confrontation for now.
As for the rest, it's up to them.
At noon, the man with the umbrella appeared again.
This time, he stood right in front of my shop, motionless like a statue.
I felt both helpless and concerned.
Had he tracked Little Foot Girl's presence and followed her here?
I followed Hu Wenhui's instructions not to engage with him, but Xiao Cui wasn't having it. When I went to the back room, I came out to find her angrily chasing him off.
I was shocked and hurried to the door to protect her.
Surprisingly, Xiao Cui told him to "get lost," and the man left without a word, holding his black umbrella as he walked away.
After seeing off this nuisance, I felt much more at ease.
I closed the inquiry shop for the day and went to Old Song's yard to practice with the wooden figures.
In the evening, Xu Dafa and the village head arrived.
I invited them to a restaurant to have a meal.
We talked about Mr. Tang. Xu Dafa said they had received the money and had shared it with the brothers who had passed away. As for how Mr. Tang was eventually dealt with, they hadn't asked.
As Xu Dafa put it, asking would only make things more troublesome.
Though this sounded carefree, it was actually the greatest helplessness.
After all, who doesn't long for justice?
I sighed quietly, not saying anything more. I wanted to keep them for the night, but the village head insisted on returning, so I packed up the urn and refunded the two thousand yuan.
Xu Dafa felt a little awkward, saying it wasn't according to the rules, but since the money was gathered by the villagers, it wasn't right to keep it, so he had to return it.
I smiled and reassured him that it was fine.
Xu Dafa nudged the village head, seemingly indicating there was something else.
The village head hurriedly grabbed his bag and took out a red cloth bundle, placing it on the table.