Chapter 92 – Setting the Trap

With a cold snort, Zhao Guangfa threw down the phone in his hand. He truly hadn’t expected to receive such news. Recently, the situation in the province had been tense, and most of his operations had been put on hold. Sending people down to the countryside was purely to lay low and engage in some “side businesses” while they were at it. Who would have thought they’d run into those two reckless fools?

Just a few days ago, one of his men working in the outer mountains had been thrown into jail. Normally, such tasks involving transporting goods by train shouldn’t have caused any major issues. Even if they were caught, it would only mean losing one line of business. The lower-level workers didn’t have access to much, and the police rarely put in the effort to pursue them seriously. But this time, it was an exception. Someone had “acted heroically” on the train, and the incident had been spread online, causing an uproar. Countless people had shared and commented on it, and the higher-ups in the province couldn’t sit still. The police were now like mad dogs, refusing to let go, and it had dealt a heavy blow to his operations.

Running the Scum Trade these days wasn’t like it used to be. Building such a business was difficult, let alone establishing a foothold in this densely populated province. Many people were waiting to see Zhao Guangfa make a fool of himself. To have such a setback in such a trivial matter was truly hard to swallow. Now that the opportunity had presented itself, how could he let those two escape?

With this in mind, Zhao Guangfa didn’t hesitate any longer. He quickly walked upstairs. This small two-story building was one of his rural strongholds, safe and reliable, and often used to entertain important guests. These past few days, there had been a “distinguished guest” staying here to recuperate. If he wanted to handle this matter today, he would have to pay his respects to this great figure.

Standing in front of the best guest room on the second floor, Zhao Guangfa composed himself and knocked respectfully on the door. A voice came from inside, “Enter!”

Although the man was just a guest, his tone carried an arrogance that made it seem as if he owned the place. Despite this, Zhao Guangfa, who controlled the province’s human trafficking trade, didn’t dare show any sign of displeasure. He forced a smile and pushed the door open.

Inside the suite, sitting at the desk in the outer room, was a middle-aged man in his forties. He was so thin he looked like a skeleton, dressed in an ill-fitting layman’s robe, but his demeanor was haughty. He didn’t even look up when someone entered, continuing to draw something on a piece of paper with a brush. Zhao Guangfa didn’t dare look too closely and said respectfully, “Master Xu, we’ve found those two troublemakers from the train. I was wondering if you could help us vent some anger…”

The man’s brush paused, and he raised his head. His appearance was unremarkable, but his narrow eyes seemed to contain hooks—sharp and venomous, exuding a dangerous aura. His thin lips curled slightly as he asked, “The two who used the Soul Shaking Technique?”

“Exactly, it’s them. My men accidentally discovered their whereabouts and are tailing them. What do you think…” Zhao Guangfa’s voice carried a hint of inquiry. This was the main reason he hadn’t acted rashly. The incident on the train might not have been as simple as it seemed.

The man before him was Xu Song, a master of unorthodox methods Zhao Guangfa had befriended years ago. He didn’t know where Xu had learned his skills, but he was truly capable. It was only after meeting him that Zhao Guangfa realized there were things in this world that defied common sense. For example, the widely circulated cases of people revealing their bank card passwords after being tapped on the shoulder weren’t the result of drugs or ether but a type of Taoist technique—a single talisman could achieve it. There were also methods to hasten death, techniques to raise ghosts, and other incredible, terrifying skills. It was thanks to having such a powerful ally that Zhao Guangfa had become one of the leaders in the Scum Trade within two decades.

Just a few days ago, Xu had come to the province on business and, upon hearing about Zhao’s situation, immediately said it wasn’t the work of ordinary people. This warning had kept Zhao from seeking revenge recklessly. But now, with the opportunity at hand and Master Xu here, it would be a shame not to bury those two alive and make up for the lost business.

However, the man didn’t immediately agree. Instead, he changed the subject, “Have you found the person I’m looking for?”

Sweat immediately broke out on Zhao Guangfa’s forehead. “We have some leads, but that person is incredibly good at hiding. It’s not easy to find him, and with the current chaos in the underworld, it’s hard to spare the manpower. It’ll probably take another two or three days before we can confirm anything…”

Xu Song tapped the table with his finger. “Are you saying it’s all because of those two brats on the train?”

“No, no, Master Xu. You know how hard it is to find someone like you. If they’re determined to hide, it’s really… challenging for us…” Zhao Guangfa didn’t dare shift all the blame onto the incident and quickly added a few words to make amends.

Seemingly satisfied with his response, Xu Song finally nodded. “Indeed, those from Sanliao Village are like rats. You’ll need to put in more effort. As for those two brats… Hmph, I’ll make a trip.”

The hundreds of millions spent over the years hadn’t been in vain. With Xu’s approval, the tension in Zhao Guangfa’s heart eased. A sinister glint appeared in his triangular eyes. “Thank you, Master Xu. Shall we head out now? We can be there in two hours!”

Without wasting words, Xu picked up a small porcelain doll from the table, put it in his pocket, and nodded at Zhao. “Lead the way.”

&&&

Being a rural eatery, the food wasn’t anything fancy, but it filled their stomachs. After sitting in the restaurant for a while, the two of them headed towards the station.

Wei Yang wasn’t carrying a travel bag this time but a long piece of straw rope. Although the small station wasn’t strictly managed, there was still a basic security scanner. They couldn’t just put the turtle through it, so the previously prepared “soup-making” excuse came in handy. To make it convincing, Wei Yang had asked the restaurant owner for a piece of rope and carefully tied up the old turtle in a secure but not too tight manner, padding it with something to avoid angering the creature. However, the turtle’s weight and the swaying motion made Wei Yang’s hand go numb, leaving marks from the rope.

“Lao Ye, I beg you, stop swinging around, alright?” Wei Yang was exasperated and quickly switched the rope to his other hand, stretching his numb fingers. “Once we’re on the bus, we’ll switch to the travel bag. Just behave for now…”

At that moment, a couple of buses arrived at the station, and a group of migrant workers carrying large bags walked past. The street in front of the food alley wasn’t very wide, so Wei Yang and Zhang Xiuqi stepped aside to let them pass. Just as they brushed past, someone suddenly cried out, “Ow!”

The sound wasn’t soft, and the group of workers turned around. A skinny guy who had been walking behind them had his wrist grabbed, and he was kneeling on the ground in pain. To make matters worse, a large turtle was hanging from his waist, its mouth firmly clamped onto his flesh. Whether it was the bite or the twist that hurt more, the man’s face was twisted in agony.

“Buddy, your hand’s a bit too long!” Wei Yang chuckled, twisting the guy’s arm behind his back and taking a dusty wallet from his hand, handing it to one of the workers in front.

The worker was stunned for a moment before patting his body. “Oh! That’s my wallet! Damn it, this bastard!”

Without taking the wallet, he rushed forward to beat the thief. Wei Yang stepped aside with a smile. He had no sympathy for thieves who stole hard-earned money. Another, slimmer worker quickly stopped his companion. “Don’t, don’t cause trouble, Brother Mao. Let’s just take this thief to the police station, alright?”

Surprised by their sense of justice, Wei Yang raised an eyebrow. The man walked over with a friendly smile. “Thank you, brother. It’s not easy for us migrant workers, and we hate thieves like this! Could you come with us to the police station and give a statement to help get this guy locked up?”

The request wasn’t unreasonable, but Wei Yang still gave the group a once-over, then subtly glanced around the narrow street. Finally, he smiled. “Is the police station far from here?”

The man immediately perked up. “Not far at all! I’m from this county. The police station is just two streets away. It’ll just be a quick testimony!”

His smile was sincere, but Wei Yang didn’t respond immediately. He tugged on the rope as if to pull the turtle back. However, instead of letting go, the turtle bit down even harder, causing the thief to scream in pain. The sound was so unsettling that the people around them frowned, but Wei Yang just grinned. “Oh, it’s not letting go. Turtles only release their bite when there’s thunder. Looks like we’ll have to go with you after all.”

Hearing this, the thief’s face turned pale, and he was on the verge of begging for mercy. The workers didn’t speak up for him, though. With the turtle biting him, he wasn’t going anywhere. In the end, they didn’t even bother tying him up, letting him carry the turtle in front while they followed closely behind.

Casually holding the rope, Wei Yang followed the group as they wound through the streets. The area around the train station hadn’t been developed much, and after a few twists and turns through the alleys, they ended up in an unfamiliar place. Zhang Xiuqi turned to Wei Yang with a puzzled expression. Sensing the young Celestial Master’s gaze, Wei Yang smiled and pressed a finger into his palm, signaling him to stay calm.

Just as they were about to turn another corner, Wei Yang suddenly stopped and looked at the group of workers with a smile. “Friends, we’ve never met before, right? You’ve gone through so much trouble. Why don’t you just tell us straight up what this is about?”

Wei Yang stopped, and the group also halted. The slim man from earlier smiled. “Brother, it’s just that you’re too nosy. Sometimes, playing the hero doesn’t pay off…”

As he spoke, the group dropped their bags to the ground with a thud. Reaching into their packs, they pulled out machetes and wooden spikes, spreading out in a semicircle to surround the two. The thief, meanwhile, trembled and tried to slip away.

Seeing this, Wei Yang smiled and let go of the rope. The turtle immediately released its bite and slid to the ground. This action seemed to ignite a fuse, and the group charged forward!