Chapter 934 — Kicking a Man When He's Down

"An Liwen? What are you doing here?" Gu Pengzhan frowned and asked.

As far as he knew, he and An Liwen had never had any real quarrel — his daughter had merely turned down An Liwen's courtship, nothing more.

"Uncle Chu, I've come to help you!" An Liwen said, his tone utterly humble and deferential, maintaining in Gu Pengzhan's presence the proper attitude of a junior.

He had taken a different road from the others. He had not come to pressure Gu Pengzhan — he had come to profit from his misfortune.

"Help me? Help me with what?" Gu Pengzhan was taken aback and asked in return.

"Uncle Chu, you must be in a terrible fix right now, aren't you? So many people coming to make trouble for you — the Xiao family, the Yu family, and Zhao Qibing too. You must be frantic with worry by now?" An Liwen said with a smile.

"Did you come here to gloat?" Gu Pengzhan was in no mood for chatter and had no patience for An Liwen: "What exactly do you want?"

"Uncle Chu, don't keep people at arm's length like that! You know what sort of person I am, don't you? Yaoyao and I have been childhood sweethearts since we were small, and my feelings for her are as clear as heaven and earth. So the moment I learned you were in trouble, I hurried over to lend a hand!" An Liwen said.

"And how do you propose to help me?" Gu Pengzhan asked, forcing himself to be patient.

"Uncle Chu, the truth is, things have come to this pass only because that brat Wei Zhao is useless. He's lost his strength, and that's why your enemies all came knocking at your door one after another!" An Liwen said. "It's what they call 'when the wall falls, everyone pushes' — 'beat the drowning dog,' that's the principle exactly! If Wei Zhao hadn't lost his strength, I ask you, would any of these people have come to trouble you?"

"Isn't that stating the obvious? If Xiao Yi were still as he was before, why would anyone come making trouble?" Gu Pengzhan was rather displeased. Beat the drowning dog? Are you calling me a dog? But his temper had been worn down to nothing today, and he could not be bothered to take issue with An Liwen.

"Exactly! So if you had a powerful backer, your troubles would just melt away, wouldn't they?" An Liwen said with a smile.

"A powerful backer? Where is this powerful backer?" Gu Pengzhan snorted impatiently. "If I had a backer, would I need you to tell me?"

"Right here!" An Liwen patted his own chest, somewhat put out. "Uncle Chu, your powerful backer is me!"

"You?" Gu Pengzhan frowned.

"That's right, you still don't know my true background, do you?" An Liwen introduced himself with a touch of smugness. "Our An family works for the Fire Wolf Gang now! You must have heard of the Fire Wolf Gang?"

Of course Gu Pengzhan had heard of the Fire Wolf Gang — the greatest gang in the north. Only, they operated rather covertly; though they secretly controlled many trades, they never acted in their own name. They were the sort of gang that was not easily known to outsiders.

But Gu Pengzhan had also heard that the Fire Wolf Gang's power was immense, and that many great families did them deference...

"The Fire Wolf Gang? You can get the Fire Wolf Gang to help me?" Gu Pengzhan asked in return.

"That... naturally I can't..." An Liwen shook his head, somewhat embarrassed.

"Then what's the use of telling me this?" Gu Pengzhan had a feeling that An Liwen had come at this moment with no good intentions, and so he showed him no friendly face.

An Liwen gave a dry laugh and said, "But we can borrow their power! If Yaoyao were to marry me, she'd be a daughter-in-law of the Fire Wolf Gang. Then, when I stepped forward, I believe that whether it was the Xiao family or the Yu family — even Zhao Qibing — they'd all have to show me some face and give up their designs on you!"

"Marry you?" Gu Pengzhan could not help but laugh. He finally understood what An Liwen was after — so this was his scheme, to come kicking a man when he was down!

"That's right!" At this point An Liwen said with some pride, "I don't mind telling you, Uncle Chu, the Fire Wolf Gang has already assigned an expert to my side — a top-tier external martial artist at the peak of the mid Mystic Stage! That Pi Bo of the Xiao family is merely an external expert of the mid Mystic Stage, and Yu Bide of the Yu family is merely an internal expert of the early Mystic Stage. The Medicine King at Zhao Qibing's side is only an internal expert of the early Mystic Stage as well — and he spends his days buried in medicine, so when it comes to real combat, he's not even worth mentioning!"

Gu Pengzhan was stunned. He had not expected such an expert to appear at An Liwen's side! No wonder the man dared to come and negotiate terms with him!

"I never imagined you were no ordinary man — to have such a formidable expert at your side!" Gu Pengzhan nodded and said flatly.

"Exactly, Uncle Chu, what do you say? Just let Yaoyao marry me, and I'll announce to the world that I, An Liwen, am your son-in-law. Then I'll bring out my external-school expert of peak mid-stage Profound rank to overawe them, and I reckon no one will dare deny me that respect!" An Liwen laughed heartily.

"And yet, I'm afraid that even if I agreed, Yaoyao would not." Gu Pengzhan politely declined An Liwen's proposal. "So, An Liwen, you had best go back."

"Huh?" An Liwen was taken aback; he had never expected Gu Pengzhan to reject his offer! When he had come earlier, he had been full of confidence! From what he knew, Gu Pengzhan had already reached the end of his rope — unless he accepted An Liwen's proposal, he had only one way left: death!

But Gu Pengzhan had truly refused! An Liwen grew anxious at once. "Uncle Chu, what is the meaning of this? Surely you don't mean to let the Gu Group fall?"

"To me, Yaoyao's happiness matters more than the Gu Group." Gu Pengzhan shook his head. To cooperate with An Liwen was surely to seek the skin of a tiger; and after learning of An Liwen's underworld background, Gu Pengzhan was all the more unwilling to have dealings with him!

Besides, to marry Yaoyao to An Liwen was something she would never consent to — what difference would it make from marrying her into the Yu family? Given Yaoyao's temperament, she would sooner die!

"But if Yaoyao doesn't marry me, she'll still have to marry into the Yu family!" An Liwen said, somewhat unwilling to let it go. "Unless Uncle Chu already has a countermeasure?"

"None!" Gu Pengzhan shook his head, brisk and clean. "But neither will Yaoyao marry into the Yu family!"

Hearing this, An Liwen's heart was set at ease at once — so Gu Pengzhan had no other countermeasure after all! Then Gu Pengzhan's present refusal must mean he still clung to a shred of hope: the Yu family had not pressed him too hard, and so Gu Pengzhan must still believe he could reopen negotiations over the Yu family's terms?

At that thought, An Liwen was in no hurry. "Is that so? Then think it over, Uncle Chu. If there's no other way, you might as well consider my proposal!"