Chapter 131: Post-Meal Stroll

"Done!"

After a brief exchange with Ye Yan to settle some details, Wang Ye felt a sudden sense of clarity; a solution to the problem had begun to take shape. It was certainly the right decision to consult Ye Yan on such a thorny issue. After all, this was a man who had clawed his way up from the bottom without relying on anyone—the hardships and bitterness he had endured were far beyond what an ordinary person could imagine.

"By the way, how long can you stay in Beijing this time?"

Even with a plan in place, Wang Ye, a young Taoist who had yet to fully engage with the world, still lacked confidence. He hoped to have someone like Ye Yan by his side to hold the line and offer strategic counsel.

"Three to five days at most, and it might even be shorter than that." Ye Yan hesitated before telling the truth. "I have to head to the Shu region in a few days; there are some matters there that need resolving."

"I see."

Disappointed though he was, Wang Ye nodded with understanding. After all, having reached the level of a Ten佬, how could he possibly be idle?

"Don't worry. Even though I can't stay in Beijing the whole time, Zhang Chulan and Feng Baobao are quite reliable. One has a sharp mind, and the other is a formidable fighter with plenty of tricks up her sleeve—they are particularly well-suited for this kind of mission." Ye Yan offered this reassurance to put Wang Ye at ease.

"Alright." Wang Ye lowered the brim of his hat and sighed softly. "If you recommend them, then I can trust them. Besides, I saw both of them during the Luo Tian Dajiao; they are indeed very interesting."

"How should we contact them? Should we issue the mission through the headquarters, or invite them privately?"

"Go through headquarters."

"Got it."

In just a few words, the executors of the task were chosen. Wang Ye and Lao Du stepped aside to contact the company. Left with nothing to do in the private room, Ye Yan began scrolling through news on his phone. Perhaps he had consumed too much gossip about the "Celestial Master descending the mountain," but the recent feeds left him feeling indifferent. Nothing was particularly explosive.

As he scrolled, one headline caught his eye, and he swiped back. The title was simple, yet it stirred the imagination:

[The Counterattack of the Quansheng...]

Ye Yan, previously uninterested, clicked on it. "Hmm, is Quansheng out causing trouble again?"

With that thought, he scanned the article, only to find himself both amused and annoyed. So-called "Quansheng's counterattack"—it sounded sensational and intimidating, but in reality, it was just Gao Ning, the fat monk known as the "Thunder Smoke Cannon," leading a group of Quansheng members to retaliate against the factions that had previously besieged them. The scene of the retaliation wasn't grand; a few minor sects that had participated in the siege were targeted, and a few minor Outsiders were killed. It was all thunder and no rain.

"The clickbait these days is getting more and more creative." Ye Yan closed his phone and rubbed the bridge of his nose with a wry smile.

Just then, Wang Ye pushed the door open and entered from outside the room, his expression much more relaxed. It seemed he had reached an agreement or set a time with the company.

"Ye-zi, it’s rare for you to come to Beijing. Don't leave tonight. I’ve already asked Brother Wang to book a table at Donglaishun. Let's go have roast duck tonight."

"Let's not. I'm on official business right now, so it wouldn't be very appropriate." Ye Yan refused righteously.

Hearing this, Wang Ye smacked his lips and raised his middle finger at him. "That’s a real shame. I even booked a spot at Haidi—the full 'bath and massage' treatment. Since you're not going, I guess I'll have to go alone..."

"...Hmm? Where did you say?"

"Haidi. The largest foot massage parlor in Beijing."

"Hiss~" Ye Yan sucked in a sharp breath and quickly looked at Wang Ye. "Wait, repeat what you just said."

Wang Ye was taken aback by Ye Yan’s sudden seriousness, fearing he had made a mistake, so he quickly repeated himself as requested.

"A full service of bathing and massage..."

"No, the line before that."

"Before that?" Wang Ye looked confused. "Booked a spot at Haidi..."

"Right."

Ye Yan slapped his palm with his fist, looking excited. "Since you’re so kind as to invite me, Brother Wang, how could I refuse? I'm going... I’m definitely going."

Wang Ye: "..."

"Good grief, you shameless man! Aren't you on official business? Don't you have important matters to attend to? You get so excited the moment you hear about foot massages..."

Ye Yan didn't take Wang Ye's contempt to heart. "I have to wait for orders in Beijing anyway before heading to the Shu region. Staying for a few days, having a few meals with local friends, and catching up—is there a problem with that?"

"You really are a master of time management. I admire you, I truly do."

"I accept your praise."

Wang Ye picked up his thermos, confirmed he hadn't left anything behind, and nodded at Ye Yan. "Fine, all set. Let's head out, or we'll hit the evening rush hour and it won't be easy to get around..."

"Mm."

The two left the room one after the other, walked through the lobby, and under the respectful send-off of the hostess, boarded the limousine already waiting at the door.

In the car, Lao Du, having already fastened his seatbelt, glanced at the two men sitting on either side of the back seat through the rearview mirror before asking softly, "Boss Wang, shall we head out?"

"Yes, let's go."

...

Beijing, Inner Ring. Inside a certain courtyard.

Chen Jinkui lay on a rocking chair, fanning himself with a cattail fan while reading to his young granddaughter in his lap. Suddenly, the gate of the inner courtyard was gently knocked. A simple, honest voice came from outside.

"Sect Master~"

Hearing this, Chen Jinkui first looked down at his granddaughter, who was curled up in his arms with her hair in pigtails, sleeping soundly with drool staining his clothes. After confirming the sound hadn't woken her, he beckoned toward the door.

"Come in."

As Chen Jinkui's voice fell, a chubby young man in a blue and white striped tracksuit, with a string of Five Emperors coins on his wrist, walked in tiptoeing. He bowed respectfully to Chen Jinkui on the rocking chair.

Ruffling his granddaughter Chen Beibei's pigtails, Chen Jinkui asked in a low voice, "A-Yue, how is the task I entrusted to you going?"

"It's all done. The people responsible for monitoring the Wang family villa are in place. We've placed plenty of wiretapping devices inside the villa, and we've planted informants around all of Wang Ye's direct relatives."

"Good, very good."

Hearing the words of the chubby Chen Yue, a hint of approval appeared in Chen Jinkui's eyes. He continued in the same low voice, "And about the thing we are looking for, any leads?"

"Not yet..."

The chubby young man suddenly raised his hand and scratched his head in a clumsy way, causing the Five Emperors coins on his wrist to jingle.

At the sound, Chen Jinkui's expression changed drastically. He quickly looked down at his sleeping granddaughter, and only after confirming she hadn't been startled did he breathe a sigh of relief.

Looking at Chen Yue, Chen Jinkui scolded in a low voice, "How old are you? You’re still so careless. How can I feel safe handing the Shu Zi Gate to you in the future if you act like this?"

"I'm sorry, Master." Chen Yue bowed his head in admission.

"Mm..." Seeing the young man's demeanor, Chen Jinkui couldn't be bothered to scold him further. He steered the conversation back to what he cared about more: "Tell the brothers monitoring Wang Ye to stay alert. Wang Ye has been expelled from Wudang; if we want to get our hands on that legendary strange technique, this is our only chance..."

"Yes."

Though Chen Yue was simple-minded, he wouldn't be trusted by Chen Jinkui or sent on such important missions if he didn't have his own merits.

"Mm. If there's nothing else, go back to monitoring. If there's any news you're unsure about, report it immediately."

Chen Jinkui was determined to obtain the Feng Hou Qi Men. Had his status not made it inconvenient for him to show his face, he would have handled it himself to confront Wang Ye. Therefore, he was exceptionally serious about his instructions to Chen Yue.

Seeing the opportunity, Chen Yue raised a question that had been puzzling him: "Master, there is one thing the brothers are currently unsure about."

"Speak..."

"It's just that the information the brothers sent back just now mentioned that Wang Ye..."

"What about Wang Ye?" Chen Jinkui's voice rose a notch, a sense of foreboding rising in his heart for no reason.

"Wang Ye appeared together with the 'Bell Ringer'."

"The Bell Ringer? You mean Ye Yan?"

"Yes!"

"Hiss~" Chen Jinkui sucked in a sharp breath, his face showing bewilderment. "How could the two of them be mixed up together? When did this happen? Why haven't I heard anything about it... Could they have met at the Luo Tian Dajiao?"

Chen Jinkui pondered over it, feeling that the possibility of Ye Yan and Wang Ye meeting at the Luo Tian Dajiao was the most likely. Otherwise, given Ye Yan's status, how could he possibly have contact with a nobody? It was worth noting that before the Feng Hou Qi Men was exposed, Wang Ye of Wudang was truly an obscure junior, someone he hadn't even heard of.

However, if Wang Ye really had a connection with Ye Yan, and a good one at that, things would become much more complicated. In the current circle, anyone with a bit of reputation feared that man.

Seeing Chen Jinkui fall silent, Chen Yue couldn't help but ask, "Master, what should we do now in this situation?"

"How is their relationship?"

"It looks quite good. They were talking and laughing while walking, looking like they've known each other for a long time. Wang Ye even specifically booked a private room at Donglaishun..."

"Mm..." Talking, laughing, known each other for a long time, eating roast duck at Donglaishun. Putting these words together made Chen Jinkui's heart sink even more.

His eyes were gloomy, as if a heavy stone were pressing on his chest. "That damn Ye Yan, why is he everywhere? He already stuck his nose into the Old Celestial Master's business, and now he's made things difficult for us."

"After waiting for so many years, we finally have an outcast from Wudang who knows the Feng Hou Qi Men, and now he's linked up with Ye Yan."

"This bastard must be my nemesis."

Chen Jinkui's changing expression was not lost on Chen Yue. After a moment's hesitation, the young man advised, "Master, why don't we just give up? You are one of the Ten佬, and our Shu Zi Gate has become the largest sect in the circle... actually, that's already quite good."

"And to take a step back, even if we could get the Eight Supreme Techniques, if we really offend Ye Yan, this would be a losing trade."

Though Chen Yue's status was low and he didn't get much secret information, as Chen Jinkui's final disciple, he knew more than others. For example, he knew a little about the recent leveling of the Wang family, the Celestial Master's descent, and the high-level meetings. Therefore, the name "Bell Ringer" clearly held significant weight for him.

Chen Jinkui was hesitating as well. His eyes flickered, his mind seemingly locked in a battle between heaven and man. On one side was the threat of Ye Yan; on the other was the Feng Hou Qi Men. The existence of the Eight Supreme Techniques was a fatal temptation for any practitioner, and Chen Jinkui, the leader of the practitioners, was no exception.

"Xiao Yue, you are still too young. You have not yet witnessed the cruelty and the law of the jungle in the Outsider circle. Not moving forward means moving backward. Therefore, our Shu Zi Gate must obtain the strange technique in Wang Ye's hands. This concerns whether our emerging force can take another step forward..."

...

Beijing, Donglaishun.

The crowd was surging.

Coming out of the restaurant, his stomach full, Ye Yan and Lao Du leaned against the fire hydrant near the smoking area, each lighting a cigarette and burping.

Beside them, Wang Ye clutched his thermos and sighed. "I have to say, Donglaishun really lives up to its reputation. The roast duck, the sauce—it’s truly amazing. I’d been craving this back on the mountain, and today, my wish was finally fulfilled."

Hearing Wang Ye's sigh, Ye Yan turned his head to look at him. "Come to think of it, Wudang doesn't seem to forbid disciples from going down the mountain. Commuting is so convenient now; a round trip takes only a few hours... it shouldn't be that hard."

"What else could it be? Just laziness." Wang Ye tucked his thermos into his pocket, looked into the distance with a melancholy gaze, and lowered his voice.

"Speaking of which, these guys trailing us are really annoying. Why are they all like clingy shadows, following us wherever we go?"

"The ones further away are fine, but those three over there—they've been following us since we left the parlor, and they're still following us now. It's annoying as hell."

Wang Ye looked irritated by those tailing them. Though he didn't look up, Ye Yan could easily lock onto the group behind them through the night, and he knew Wang Ye was referring to the three masked guys closest to them.

"You can't handle this?" Ye Yan flicked his cigarette and joked, "Kid, your mental fortitude and patience aren't quite there yet... you still need to train..."

"However, being watched like this is indeed quite unpleasant. How about this? Let's find an empty spot and spar with them, just to help digest dinner."

"I'll hold the line for you."