Volume One, Chapter 19: A Night Visit to Qi Wei

The heavy, overcast clouds pressed down, making the air feel stagnant. A dense drizzle tapped against the rooftops, trickling down the eaves and hitting the ground with a rhythmic patter.

In Pingxiang Ward, a modest courtyard sat tucked away in a neglected corner. A faint, flickering candlelight could be seen through the darkness, casting a silhouette against the window. All around was a deathly silence, broken only by the whistling of the wind. Every inch of space felt thick with a suffocating, oppressive weight.

"Boss... are we really going in?" Liu Lecheng stared at the courtyard gate, which bore a plaque reading "Qi Residence." His heart trembled. Ever since he joined the Hehai Gang, he had never seen a boss as unhinged as Su Ming. After killing a man's sworn brother and painting the Purple Forest Slope red with blood, he was now marching straight to the man’s doorstep. If Liu hadn't known that Su Ming always had a plan, he would have suspected his boss of having lost his mind. Qi Wei was one of the thirteen great leaders of the Hehai Gang, with a cultivation level of at least a Third-Rank martial artist. If he flew into a rage, neither of them would be leaving this place alive.

"Going? Of course we're going," Su Ming replied, his tone light and cheerful compared to Liu’s terror. "If we don't go to him, do you think he won't eventually come for us?"

Liu Lecheng was stunned. "Well, that’s true... but I still have a bad feeling about this... Hey, Boss, what are you doing?!"

Before he could finish, Su Ming slammed his long sword into the ground and strode forward to knock on the door.

*Bang!*
*Bang, bang, bang!*

The wooden gate emitted a dull, heavy echo. In the empty, dim street, the sound was jarring, like a drop of water hitting a pot of boiling oil. Su Ming poured all his strength into the knocking, tilted his head back, and roared, "Su Ming of Zhanhua Street, here to pay his respects to Master Qi!"

The shout carried for miles. Standing to the side, Liu Lecheng felt his eardrums vibrate. Seeing that no one answered, Su Ming simply pushed the door open.

*Creeeak.*

A tooth-achingly shrill sound erupted. The heavy wooden gate swung open slowly to reveal a courtyard overgrown with weeds, filled with signs of decay and desolation. If they hadn’t confirmed this was the Qi residence, they would have thought they were in the wrong place. Who would have guessed that a formidable leader of the Hehai Gang—one of the seven great factions of the world—the man who controlled the entire Pingxiang Ward, lived in a home more dilapidated than that of a commoner?

Inside the courtyard, only the main hall in the center emitted a faint glow of candlelight. Two figures were standing very close together, as if whispering something.

"Are you sure this is where Qi Wei lives?" Su Ming asked, puzzled. He had never heard from Liu Lecheng that Qi Wei had a wife.

"Boss, it has to be. I’ve been in the Hehai Gang for years. I’ve memorized the location of every leader’s residence just in case I ever hit the big time," Liu Lecheng insisted.

"Then have you ever heard of him having a family?" Su Ming asked.

In truth, they had prepared for this. Their intelligence only stated that Qi Wei had started as a common gang member, stumbled upon a stroke of luck, reached a high rank, and soared to prominence. He had distinguished himself in the wars against the Ge Lao Society and was promoted to a great leader. Since then, there had been little news, save for reports of his occasional, ruthless, and decisive actions.

Liu Lecheng stared at the shadows on the window, lost in thought. "When I first joined the gang, I did hear that Master Qi had a childhood sweetheart, but she died years ago in a fire. I was told he never remarried."

A flicker of doubt crossed Su Ming’s eyes, but since they were already there, there was no turning back.

"May I ask if Master Qi Wei is within?" Su Ming stood before the hall and asked softly.

A woman’s startled shriek erupted from inside, followed by a fleeting shadow that darted away and vanished.

"Who is it?" A deep, dissatisfied voice growled from within.

"Su Ming of Zhanhua Street, here to pay a visit," Su Ming replied respectfully.

"What do you want with me? If I recall correctly, it was you who killed my good brother, Chen Dao," Qi Wei’s raspy voice drifted out, sounding like the wheezing of an old bellows.

"That I did," Su Ming replied, neither humble nor pushy.

Silence descended upon the scene. After a long while, footsteps approached. The door creaked open, revealing a man standing over two meters tall. He stood in the shadows of the eaves, his eyes—deep and clear as a thousand-year-old lake—the only thing that stood out.

Only then did Su Ming see him clearly: a man in his thirties with a scar running from his brow to his chin. He wore simple, rough linen clothes, entirely devoid of any jewelry. If not for his towering stature, no one would have guessed his identity even if they passed him on the street. It was hard to believe that this man, who lived in such squalor, was one of the thirteen great leaders of the Hehai Gang who controlled three streets. Compared to someone like Master Hu, another of the leaders, the difference was like heaven and earth.

Qi Wei looked them over deeply before stepping aside. "Come in."

The two entered. The hall was spacious but lacked any ornaments. The only thing of value appeared to be a small jade Pixiu on the table; the rest consisted of worn-out chairs and a table that had seen better decades.

Qi Wei glanced toward the inner room, then turned and sat down. He picked up a cup of cold tea and said indifferently, "Speak. What is it? If you’ve come to beg for peace, you might as well save your breath. You killed my sworn brother—that debt isn't so easily settled."

Su Ming pulled up a chair and sat down as if he were at home. "Not at all, Master Qi. A sworn brother's life is only the beginning. Half an hour ago, your subordinate, Pang Sandao, also died. I killed him with my own hands."

Liu Lecheng, lacking Su Ming’s status and courage, dared not sit. He stood to the side, carefully observing Qi Wei’s expression. Upon hearing Su Ming’s words, cold sweat soaked his back, and he wanted to scream. *Boss, you really are my boss! We didn't agree to this! We were supposed to be here for peace, not to provoke him! There's no turning back now!*

The room fell into a terrifying silence.

Qi Wei sneered. Even in the dim light, Su Ming could feel the aura radiating from him—it was disdain, and more importantly, ice-cold, though not yet filled with killing intent.

"I wondered what kind of person this 'ruthless' Su Ming was. Turns out you’re just a hot-headed brat. Coming here in the dead of night to provoke me? You must have a death wish!" Qi Wei said in a low voice. His aura exploded, and for a moment, the very air seemed to stop moving.

*Whiz.*

With a flick of Qi Wei's finger, the teacup shot out like a bolt. In the blink of an eye, it was before Su Ming, aimed straight at his brow.

Su Ming threw his hands up in a desperate attempt to block it. The cup shattered instantly, and a sharp, stabbing pain shot through his arm. He stumbled back several steps, the chair beneath him splintering into pieces!

*What terrifying cultivation!* He was at least at the peak of the Third Realm. If that had been a dagger or a sword instead of a teacup, his arm would have been pinned to the floor!

Looking up, Su Ming realized that Qi Wei, who had shown no killing intent moments ago, now looked like a wild beast, radiating a lethal aura.

*This is bad!*

Had his gamble failed? Su Ming had always believed that everything in this world had a price, whether high or low. But in this instant, he felt completely lost.

One thought leads to salvation, another to destruction. That was the essence of Qi Wei.