Chapter 510: Injured
Chapter 510: Chapter 510: Injured
"Master, about He Awei... he’s... gone."
Hearing the man in the Tang suit’s question, Master Zhang pursed his lips and answered with some hesitation.
"What!" Upon hearing this, the man in the Tang suit’s voice rose sharply. "What do you mean, ’gone’?"
"He Awei has vanished without a trace. There’s no record of him leaving Xiangcheng, either," Master Zhang said hurriedly. "He was supposed to come make his tribute at the end of last year, but I never saw him. I sent people to Xiangcheng to look for him, but they couldn’t find him. His home didn’t look like he’d moved out, but the man himself was gone. You were in seclusion at the time, Master, so I didn’t dare disturb you. I’ve had people searching for him in secret ever since."
"And you haven’t found out why?"
"No. We don’t even know if He Awei is dead or alive," Master Zhang said quickly. "I suspect he may already be dead."
"A bunch of useless trash!" The Tang suit man’s voice was laced with simmering anger. "I go into seclusion for a few months, and you can’t even get one thing right. Aside from that Su Qing girl, what about the others?"
"I..."
The Tang suit man’s voice grew even colder. "Don’t tell me I suffered such a great loss, and not a single one of the culprits has been punished."
"Master," Master Zhang said hastily, "aside from Su Qing, the others involved all hold positions of some sort. I was afraid that if anything happened to them, the authorities in Hua Country would be even more relentless. My attempt to deal with that woman Su Qing in Beijing already failed, and the Hua Country police launched a massive operation in response."
"Your trail was exposed?" the man in the Tang suit asked.
"I suspect the person I found in Beijing may have sold me out. Now, my portrait is all over Hua Country and Xiangcheng. The Hua Country police have issued a warrant for my arrest. So... so I’m afraid I can’t go to Hua Country for the time being." Kneeling behind the man in the Tang suit, Master Zhang lowered his head even further, his voice growing more anxious. He knew all too well how capricious his master was. It was only because his skills were decent and his master valued him that he was still in one piece. If it were someone less favored, he might not even be alive right now.
But even so, Master Zhang was so nervous that cold sweat beaded on his forehead.
"Hmph. Useless," the man in the Tang suit snorted. After a moment of thought, he said, "If you can’t go yourself, can’t you send someone else?"
"I... I was worried about the mysterious person backing Su Qing, so I haven’t dared to make any reckless moves. I was waiting for you to emerge from seclusion today, Master, to ask for your guidance." Master Zhang’s tone became even more humble. "Your powers are vast and your wisdom is unmatched, Master. I am a fool compared to you."
As the saying goes, flattery will get you everywhere.
Master Zhang’s words clearly pleased the man in the Tang suit. His voice softened considerably. "You certainly know how to kiss ass."
"Not at all. I am only speaking the truth." Hearing the softer tone in the man’s voice, Master Zhang breathed a small sigh of relief in his heart and quickly added his reply.
"Alright, I know you’re loyal." The man’s voice softened even more. After a moment, he continued, "Since your portrait has already been circulated in Hua Country and Xiangcheng, you should stay in A Tai for now. With the Hua Country police making such a huge fuss, Beijing must be on high alert. First, send some people to take care of one or two of them. We’ve suffered a huge loss this time, and we can’t just let it go. Weren’t some of them squad captains or something like that? Just have your men disguise it as a robbery, and no one will connect it back to you."
"Yes, Master." Hearing he wouldn’t have to go to Hua Country himself, Master Zhang let out a breath of relief. He had been worried his master would insist he make another trip. If that had happened, he was certain he would have died.
The man in the Tang suit added, "As for the people you send, make it clear to them: if the job goes south, they are to leave no one alive to talk. We will take good care of the families they leave behind. But if they dare to betray us, then their families can forget about living."
"Yes, Master," Master Zhang said quickly. "I’ll have someone see to it immediately."
"And about that Su Qing. Since she has a mysterious person helping her, we can’t use a frontal assault. Find someone to get close to her. If you can get them to become her friend, dealing with her will be as easy as pie, won’t it?" the man said. "You have to use your brain. You should know that people always let their guard down around those they’re close to. That way, no matter how powerful her mysterious backer is, he won’t be able to save her."
"Master is truly brilliant. I am in awe." Master Zhang’s eyes lit up as he offered the smiling flattery.
"Enough. Go get it done. I’m going back into seclusion. Don’t disturb me unless it’s important. I hope you have good news for me the next time I emerge. Otherwise, don’t blame me for being merciless."
"Yes." Master Zhang nodded eagerly. "I will be sure to handle things properly. The next time you emerge from seclusion, Master, I will definitely have good news for you."
"Mm. Go."
Master Zhang bowed respectfully to the man in the Tang suit, then backed out of the cave, hunched over. Once outside the cave, the previous anxiety on his face was gone. A corner of his mouth twitched up, and he hurried down the mountain toward the villa.
For the past few days, Su Qing had been attending her classes at school quietly. Her dorm mates stuck to her side every day, never leaving her alone. Even though they knew Su Qing had a high Combat Power, they were still worried. They stayed with her constantly, afraid that if something happened, they could at least help fend off an attacker or run to notify the school administration and campus security.
Meanwhile, Su Qing had also spent the last few days wondering just why that Master Zhang was after her.
That evening after class, Chen Meijuan went to call her family. Su Qing and the others went ahead to the cafeteria and got food for her. Not long after they had their trays, Chen Meijuan rushed over, looking upset.
"Mei Juan, what’s wrong? Did something happen at home?" Ye Qingqing asked quickly when she saw the worried look on Chen Meijuan’s face.
"My third cousin was injured. My mom said he’s in the hospital now. They were able to save him, but he’s still in a coma. The doctors said his condition might not be good and his life is in danger at any moment." As Chen Meijuan spoke, tears began to fall.
Chen Meijuan was closest to her third cousin. Hearing that his life was hanging by a thread made her frantic, but she couldn’t go back to see him, which made her feel even more helpless.
"What!" Li Huan exclaimed in surprise. "It’s that serious? If it’s possible, see if he can be transferred to a hospital here in Beijing. No matter what, the medical care in Beijing is much better than in other places."