Chapter 598 - 379: Chenghua Avenue? I Know That Place Like the Back of My Hand

Chapter 598: Chapter 379: Chenghua Avenue? I Know That Place Like the Back of My Hand

The deeper he walked into the splendid mansion, the fewer servants he saw bustling through the corridors.

TAP, TAP, TAP...

Only Wu Xiong’s footsteps broke the silence of the corridor. He soon reached an area where only guards stood watch, devoid of the usual maids and manservants.

Walking through this heavily guarded section, one couldn’t help but feel tense from the powerful Spiritual Energy Waves that occasionally pulsed from the guards on duty.

Emerging from the corridor, Wu Xiong stepped into a small courtyard. Its simplicity was a stark contrast to the rest of the opulent residence, making it seem rather out of place.

Just as Wu Xiong was about to continue on his way, a white-haired elder emerged from one of the rooms in the courtyard. He casually closed the door behind him and walked toward Wu Xiong.

"Wu Xiong, you’re back."

"Yes, Steward Wu," Wu Xiong replied respectfully to the white-haired elder.

"You have something to report to the Master, I take it," the elder asked.

"Yes." Wu Xiong nodded.

"Then go on in." The elder didn’t ask what Wu Xiong was reporting. With that brief exchange, he turned and left to attend to other matters.

Wu Xiong respectfully watched the elder depart. Only after the man had vanished down the corridor did he continue toward the study ahead.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK...

Reaching the study, he raised his hand and knocked. A calm voice from within answered almost immediately.

"Come in."

Permission granted, Wu Xiong pushed open the door and entered.

The study was spacious. Bookshelves lined the walls, filled with various tomes and artifacts that were priceless at a single glance.

"Sir." Wu Xiong approached a refined, scholarly-looking middle-aged man who was reading a book. His expression was grave and his posture formal as he offered his greeting.

The middle-aged man, lounging in an ornate armchair with a book in his hands, looked up at Wu Xiong. "The task I gave you," he asked, "how did it go?"

"Sir, as you instructed, I went to see Fang Jingtang. His condition is not critical. After treatment from a physician, he should recover with a few days of rest," Wu Xiong reported, faithfully recounting the details of his visit.

"And what happened last night? Did it unfold as the reports described?" the refined man asked.

"Yes, Sir. It was just as you said. Fang Jingtang and his men were indeed attacked by an assailant last night. They lost many people, and their core strength was severely crippled. From now on, the Red Blood Gang will be nothing more than a second-rate faction," said Wu Xiong.

"Hah..." The refined man chuckled and shook his head. "Not long ago, that Fang Jingtang came seeking an audience, and I granted him the opportunity to see me."

"He swore to my face that he would do a better job than the deceased Hong Jiu, begging me not to abandon the Red Blood Gang and to continue as their patron."

"And how long has it been since then? For this to happen... It’s making me a laughingstock."

Wu Xiong remained silent. He knew his master wasn’t finished and that it wasn’t his place to interrupt.

"I thought Fang Jingtang had potential, so I decided to give him a chance. I bestowed a golden token upon him, which saved the Red Blood Gang from being swallowed by other factions."

"Every power in the city knows I back the Red Blood Gang. Now that this has happened, my rivals must be roaring with laughter," the refined man sighed.

"Sir, if anyone dares to laugh at you over this, I swear I’ll make them regret it," Wu Xiong said with a grave expression, his fierce loyalty impossible to miss.

Wu Xinggao, Patriarch of the Wu Family, looked at the man who had been his personal attendant in childhood and was now his personal guard. He smiled and said,

"Wu Xiong, you’ve served at my side for at least thirty years. I have never doubted your loyalty, so there’s no need for you to say such things."

Upon hearing Wu Xinggao’s words, Wu Xiong immediately replied, "Sir, I don’t speak in empty platitudes. My word is my bond."

Wu Xinggao smiled at his trusted confidant. He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and then changed the subject. "Since you went to see Fang Jingtang yourself, did you learn anything new?"

Wu Xiong nodded, then relayed to his master what he had learned from Fang Jingtang—details that were not yet public knowledge.

"Fang Jingtang told me that before the assailant who attacked their headquarters escaped, he left a threat: as long as the Red Blood Gang exists, he will be back to cause them trouble."

Hearing this, Wu Xinggao’s brow furrowed. He set the teacup he was holding back down on the table.

"What an arrogant fiend. But it’s no surprise he’d dare make such a threat. To fight a fierce battle against that Liu Yuancheng and still get away... That kind of strength is the source of his audacity."

At that, Wu Xiong asked in a suspicious tone, "Sir, that assailant is only at the Peak of Tier Two, yet he managed to escape from Liu Yuancheng."

"I can’t help but wonder... do you think Liu Yuancheng knew you were the Red Blood Gang’s patron, and so deliberately let the assailant go?"