Chapter 27: The True Young Master Qi

Humiliation!
Utter humiliation.
Naked, unadulterated humiliation.
To be trampled upon in your own territory, stripped of your dignity.
Did you really think these prisoners would obey your commands just because of your status?
Who would have guessed that they would immediately turn against you!
Furthermore, every inmate in the cells showed Guan Sheng the highest form of respect—a treatment that even Wang Sih, a high-ranking official of the City Guard Bureau, had never received.

"This... how is this possible!" Wang Sih’s face looked as ghastly as if he had swallowed rat droppings.
One had to understand that those imprisoned here were all terrifying figures who once dominated the Jiangcheng underworld. He had used countless ruthless methods in the past just to keep them in line.
Yet now, Guan Sheng simply stood there, and these former kings of the night were kneeling and calling him "Master Guan"?
Instinct told Wang Sih that Guan Sheng’s identity was something he absolutely could not afford to provoke.
But Wang Sih was unwilling to give up. He had finally seized this opportunity to throw Guan Sheng into this place; if he were to release him now out of fear of that vague, terrifying identity, what would the people outside think of him? How would he ever hold his head up again?

Guan Sheng shrugged. "Anything else?"
Wang Sih clenched his fists, drew the whip from his waist, and pointed it at the kneeling prisoners.
He roared, "All of you, stand up!"
No one moved. They completely ignored Wang Sih’s existence.
"Snap!" Wang Sih lashed his whip against the cage bars with all his might.
"Stand up! Do you want to die?"
The sound faded, but in the scene before them, the kneeling prisoners remained in their original positions, like loyal knights.

Whoosh!
In an instant, Wang Sih’s face twisted into a snarl. His hands trembling, he pulled out his keys, intending to open a cell and execute a prisoner to serve as a warning to the rest.
But before he could even reach the lock, Guan Sheng simply raised his hand and said calmly, "You may all rise."
"Clatter, clatter, clatter!"
Without a moment’s hesitation, every prisoner stood up, their postures erect, their eyes burning with intensity as they stared down Wang Sih and his men.
Wang Sih was startled; his hand, still clutching the keys, hung in the air—he was caught between opening a cell and staying his hand.
He saw it—the look in those prisoners' eyes, as if they wanted to tear him to pieces.
Just then, a command from Guan Sheng reached his ears.
"From this moment on, if any of these uniformed men dare to use extrajudicial violence against you, kill them on the spot!"
"Show no mercy."
"Understood!"
"Understood!"
"Understood!"

***

"..."
Wang Sih was furious, staring at Guan Sheng. "Guan, you are arrogant."
Guan Sheng crossed his legs, as if sitting on his own throne, and said, "Then why don't you try stepping into one of these cells?"
"You..." Wang Sih looked like a pheasant whose throat had been constricted; he was filled with rage but felt utterly powerless.
How could he dare? He didn't even need to step inside to imagine himself being beaten to a pulp by these prisoners.
This humiliation was so stifling that he almost forgot this was his own territory. Such disgrace was beyond words.
Seeing Guan Sheng protected by the throng of prisoners, Wang Sih had no choice but to give up. He snorted coldly, "I’d like to see how long you can remain so arrogant."
"I have already reported this matter. You killed the young master of the Xu family. Given his status, you will never be able to handle the people coming to deal with you."
"Prepare to die!"
"By tomorrow, I will watch with my own eyes as a bullet pierces your skull."
"I will throw your corpse into the pigsty to be fed to the swine!"
With that, Wang Sih turned and strode away.

After he left, one of the prisoners bowed to Guan Sheng and said, "Master Guan, the Black Eagle King says that if you wish to leave, he can send men to break you out."
Guan Sheng waved his hand. "No need."
The prisoner was puzzled. "You... you intend to stay here?"
"We have all heard that you beheaded Xu Tao, the son of the Xu family. The Xu family is the premier prestigious clan in Jiangcheng. Beyond the tens of billions in assets of the Xu Group, they possess a terrifying background."
"Xu Tao’s father is the second-in-command of the Dragon Kingdom’s second-largest military industrial complex in Jiangnan Province, and he has the authority to mobilize ten thousand Qilin troops."
"You killed his son; he will surely bring men here tomorrow to kill you and avenge the young master."
Hearing this, Guan Sheng remained calm, without a trace of fear.
"If I leave, those old fellows won't be able to find me."
"Old fellows?" The prisoner was even more confused.
Guan Sheng murmured to himself, "It just so happens that there are some things I need them to investigate."
Thinking of the vague memories that had suddenly surged into his mind, Guan Sheng seemed to realize that his origins were not so simple.
After performing missions abroad for so many years, he had gradually forgotten his childhood. The absence of those memories had made his heart grow cold and indifferent. Yet, the re-emergence of those memories had opened a crack in his iron-hard heart.
He wanted to know: did he... still have family?
No!
He did.
Wasn't Li Yuyan his family now?
Thinking of her, Guan Sheng said to the prisoner, "Pass a message to the Black Eagle King."
"Investigate everything about Li Yuyan’s past, from her childhood to the present."
"I want to know how she has lived her entire life!"
"Understood."

***

Night fell. Having left the old Li residence, Li Yuyan spent the night running about, exhausting all her connections to inquire about Guan Sheng’s situation at the City Guard Bureau.
But the results were desperate.
The news that Guan Sheng had beheaded Xu Tao had spread throughout Jiangcheng in just a few hours.
Already suppressed on multiple fronts after being expelled from the Jiangnan Chamber of Commerce, the Li family found their situation worsening, facing heavy pressure from all sides.
The Xu family had issued a decree: the Li family must be wiped out!
The Xu family was a top-tier clan in Jiangcheng; in such circumstances, who would dare help Li Yuyan inquire about Guan Sheng? Unless it was another top-tier clan, no one had the power or the courage.
But—which top-tier clan would help her, Li Yuyan?

Suddenly, Li Yuyan thought of one family.
The Qi family!
As soon as this thought crossed her mind, she drove to the Qi residence, almost as if possessed.
She didn't know why she had come here. Was she looking for the legendary Young Master Qi, Qi Xiaolong?
Ha!
That Qi family heir probably hadn't even returned to Jiangcheng yet; could she even find him? Even if she did, in what capacity could she ask him to help her?
Li Yuyan didn't know. She only knew that she felt helpless. Standing before the gates of the Qi estate, the rain tapped rhythmically against her black umbrella.
The gate was desolate, dark, heavy, and arrogant!
She mustered her courage several times to knock, but each time, her resentment toward the Qi family caused her to retreat.
But the thought of Guan Sheng—an orphan with no parents, standing alone—made her feel that if she didn't help him, no one else would.
Although the guy was a bit of a rogue, a bit boorish, and a bit unreasonable, he wasn't a bad person at heart. He had stood up for Old Zhang, he had drawn his blade for her, and most importantly, his skills were extraordinary.
For an orphan to possess such strength, he must have endured unimaginable hardships.
If such a powerhouse were to die just like that, it would be a tragedy, and it would leave Li Yuyan filled with guilt.
After all—he was her savior.

Forget it!
Li Yuyan clenched her fists once more and took a resolute step toward the dark gate.
But—just as she was about to knock, a voice suddenly came from behind her.
"Are you looking for me, Li Yuyan?"
Li Yuyan’s expression changed. She turned around quickly to see a young man in a white suit, handsome and imposing, standing before her.
"You... who are you?"
The young man’s smile seemed gentle, yet it revealed a profound sense of cunning.
He said coldly, "I am the one who is going to marry you—Qi Xiaolong!"