Chapter 2548 — Chen Xiaoba's Resentment

Unless, of course, he had some other special motive. But what special motive could Zhao Qibing possibly have? Would having his legs broken benefit him somehow? Wei Zhao could not think of one...

Besides, Wei Zhao did not feel like thinking about it anymore. Even if he did not break Zhao Qibing's legs, Zhao Qibing would find a way to get them broken sooner or later. Breaking them for him was hardly any trouble at all.

"Excellent! I'll make the call right now!" Zhao Qibing was instantly overjoyed. He picked up his phone, dialed Li Cihua's number, and excitedly ordered the person on the other end, "Cihua, go tell that little bastard to get the hell out of here!"

"Yes, Young Master Bing!" Li Cihua had no idea why Zhao Qibing was so excited, but he still nodded and replied, "All right. I'll go right away."

Zhao Qibing hung up and smugly waved his phone at Wei Zhao. "It's taken care of. Don't you think you ought to reward me now?"

"Oh." Wei Zhao kicked Zhao Qibing twice in the legs. Two crisp cracks rang out, and both of Zhao Qibing's legs broke.

"Hahahahaha! Excellent!" Zhao Qibing was in pain and delighted at the same time. His legs were finally broken, and the breaks were so clean!

Zhao Qiwu hurriedly helped Zhao Qibing into his wheelchair, but Zhao Qibing still could not stop laughing. "Leader Wei, you're incredible! Your skill at breaking legs is truly unparalleled. Fast, clean, and thorough—you've practically turned it into an art!"

"..." Wei Zhao was utterly speechless at Zhao Qibing's praise.

"Leader Wei, I'll definitely have to come to you to break my legs again in the future. That was incredible—so satisfying!" Zhao Qibing said.

"I've got nothing else to do here, so I'm leaving." Faced with Zhao Qibing's spectacularly idiotic behavior, Wei Zhao no longer felt there was anything worth saying.

"All right, all right. Thank you!" Zhao Qibing said gratefully.

Wei Zhao shrugged and turned to walk back into the classroom.

Zhao Qibing, meanwhile, left Donghai University of Engineering in high spirits. Zhao Qiwu knew nothing of the truth and did not dare ask, but he could not help wondering: Was Young Master Bing sick in the head? Someone had broken his legs, yet he was this happy. What kind of logic was that?

After receiving Zhao Qibing's order, Li Cihua immediately went to speak with Chen Xiaoba. Chen Xiaoba had never expected to be summoned on his very first day in Songshan City by the notorious Li Cihua. He was displeased, naturally, but on another man's turf, he had no choice but to bow his head.

"Boss Li, may I ask why you wanted to see me?" Chen Xiaoba had been pursuing Ying Ziyu quite successfully at school when Li Cihua's men summoned him to a Mercedes SUV parked by the school gate.

"Chen Xiaoba, how is your father, Chen Bawang?" Li Cihua asked.

"He's doing quite well. Thank you for asking, Boss Li..." Chen Xiaoba replied politely, unsure what Li Cihua was getting at.

"Chen Xiaoba, this is Songshan City, not Lin City. Go home. Take that as a friendly warning: do not cause trouble here," Li Cihua said.

"What exactly do you mean by that, Boss Li?" Chen Xiaoba's expression changed at once. "Am I not even allowed to come here to study?"

"That is not what I mean. Ying Ziyu has an older brother, and he is a ruthless man. He asked me to pass along a message to you on his behalf, that's all." Li Cihua distanced himself from the matter, lest it affect his business dealings with Chen Bawang.

"Oh? Her brother? Is he in the underworld too?" Chen Xiaoba frowned.

"Not exactly. But this message came directly from the boss behind me, so I hope Young Master Chen will do me the favor of showing some consideration. Otherwise, you will put me in a very difficult position." Li Cihua offered a mild threat. "You know how it is. I'm only the spokesman. Everything is decided by my boss..."

"I understand, Boss Li. I'll leave right away." Chen Xiaoba was unwilling, but he did not dare defy Li Cihua openly. This was Li Cihua's territory, after all. Even if Chen Xiaoba's father was Chen Bawang, provoking Li Cihua here would do him no good.

Of course, he had no intention of giving up. If the open route was blocked, he would take the covert one. Li Cihua was merely passing along someone else's warning; there was no way he could keep watch over Ying Ziyu at all times. Once the storm had passed, Chen Xiaoba could simply make his move in secret.

Chen Xiaoba did not believe Ying Ziyu had any particularly powerful background. Most likely, her brother happened to know the person behind Li Cihua and had begged everyone he could to pass along a word. After all, Ying Ziyu did not look like a girl from a wealthy family. Her food and clothing were ordinary, and she had even attended the notoriously poor Fushan Middle School.

"Heh. Very good, then." Li Cihua nodded.

After leaving Li Cihua's vehicle, Chen Xiaoba departed Songshan City that very day. Though he was seething with resentment, he did not let it show. He refused to believe that because Li Cihua had interfered this time, he would interfere again the next.

Chen Xiaoba was not truly afraid of Li Cihua, either. He knew that Li Cihua's backer was the Hidden Zhao Family, but behind his own father, Chen Bawang, stood the Hidden Zhuang Family. In this day and age, who among those making their way in the underworld had no backing? A high-level crime lord like Chen Bawang, capable of controlling an entire city's underworld, would have been swallowed up by rival gangs long ago without a powerful force behind him.

But with the enormous Hidden Zhuang Family standing behind him, and all of them cultivators, what gang would be bold enough to oppose them? That would be nothing less than suicide.

Chen Xiaoba's retreat was merely a gesture of respect toward Li Cihua—or, more accurately, toward the Hidden Zhao Family. He would not cause trouble on their turf. Whether he made a move against Ying Ziyu afterward, however, would depend entirely on the Hidden Zhuang Family's attitude.

Shortly after Chen Xiaoba left Songshan City, Wei Zhao received a jubilant text from Zhao Qibing: "Leader Wei, Li Cihua has already spoken with Chen Xiaoba and told him to get the hell out of here. Please rest assured! It was my pleasure to serve you. I hope you won't refuse me the next time I come to you to have both legs broken. Thank you!"

"..." Wei Zhao read Zhao Qibing's text with a helpless look. He truly could not understand why Zhao Qibing was so obsessed with having his legs broken. Had the man found some unorthodox cultivation method as well, much like Zhang Naipao?

Shaking his head, Wei Zhao continued cultivating as he breathed in the fragrance of Wang Xinyan's body. He was now racing against time, pushing his strength higher with every passing moment. It was no longer merely for Xiaoxiao. It was for himself as well.

His enemies were growing stronger and stronger. Although the ancient clans had, for the most part, fallen in behind Wei Zhao, the majority of the Hidden Families still had poor relations with him—or were outright hostile.