Chapter 4353 — Returning in Disgrace

"Qi Wenmo, I'd advise you to think this over carefully. I've heard about this Ling Yi business too—lost an escort job and then defected to the pirates, fleeing who knows where. Why waste your effort protecting scum like that? You'd be better off handing him over to me. I'll help you clean house, save you the trouble. What do you say?" Cheng Qitian suddenly adopted a conciliatory tone.

He had in fact heard rumors of Ling Yi's defection to the pirates long ago, and that was precisely why he'd dared come kick a man when he was down. It was only that he'd been too arrogant moments before, and in a fit of foolishness had let Qi Wenmo back him into a corner. Now that one of his men had jogged his memory, this excuse came along at just the right moment to give him a face-saving way out.

"Hah, who told you Ling Yi defected to the pirates?" Qi Wenmo couldn't help but laugh again.

"Weihu City is only so big. If anything stirs, even a little, it can't escape the ears of the Poison Eye Mercenary Corps. You needn't hide it or cover it up—that's just wasted effort!" Cheng Qitian said smugly.

"Is that so? Then I'm sorry to tell you—Ling Yi not only didn't defect to the pirates, he single-handedly took the goods back from them. Has Young Master Cheng not heard? Seems the Poison Eye Mercenary Corps' ears aren't all they're cracked up to be!" Qi Wenmo curled his lip and sneered.

"Wh-what?" Cheng Qitian was dumbstruck. After being scared off by Wei Zhao at the docks, he'd hurried straight back to fetch reinforcements, so naturally he had no idea what had happened at the Qingtian Escort Agency. How had a scrawny pheasant turned into a phoenix overnight? This Ling Yi was not only not the wretch the agency was going to deal with—he'd become a hero?

"I'll say this to you one last time: Ling Yi is one of ours at the Qingtian Escort Agency, and one of the people we value most. If you dare touch a single hair on his head, that's a declaration of war on the Qingtian Escort Agency. Can you bear that consequence? Weigh it yourself!" Before all those watching, Qi Wenmo declared in a voice of stern righteousness.

Wei Zhao watched this unfold and gave a slight nod. True, the man's motive was to win him over. But this gesture genuinely put another layer of protection over him, and he must remember the kindness.

"Think carefully—do you really want to go to war with the Poison Eye Mercenary Corps again over such a trivial nobody?" Cheng Qitian stamped his feet in a fit of furious frustration.

"Get lost!" Qi Wenmo couldn't even be bothered to spare him another glance. Never mind that he now valued Wei Zhao enormously; he was still counting on Wei Zhao's help at the escort agency's grand gathering. Cheng Qitian's threats were nothing but bird droppings in his eyes!

In front of the assembled crowd, Cheng Qitian's face shifted from overcast to clear, flushing green then white. He cast a venomous look at Wei Zhao, then at Qi Wenmo, but in the end he dared not start a fight here. He could only leave a vicious "You just wait," then slink off with his men in tow.

Watching the bedraggled backs of Cheng Qitian and his crew, Qi Wenmo and Wei Zhao exchanged a smile. This fellow was exactly what he'd seemed—a petty clown not fit for any stage.

"Brother Qi, much obliged," Wei Zhao said, expression grave, in thanks to Qi Wenmo. He truly hadn't expected that, faced with Cheng Qitian's aggression, the man would defend him so unstintingly. That was no small favor.

"What kind of talk is that? Ling Yi, you're one of us at the Qingtian Escort Agency no matter how you slice it, and a man who's done us a great service. I won't boast about much else at our agency, but when it comes to our own, we do right by them, no question." Qi Wenmo clapped a hand to his chest and steered Wei Zhao back toward the banquet hall. "Come, let's get back to our drinks. Don't let that turtle's bastard son ruin the mood."

"Haha, gladly." Wei Zhao laughed heartily. The more he dealt with this young master, the more he found the man shared his own temperament. A true friend was the rarest thing in the world, and friends who passed Wei Zhao's discerning eye were few indeed.

While Wei Zhao and Qi Wenmo drank and chatted, on the other side Cheng Qitian, having returned from the Qingtian Escort Agency with his tail between his legs, had swallowed a bellyful of rage and wanted nothing more than to kill someone.

"Tiaozi, come here." Cheng Qitian pointed at one of the Golden Core consummation experts following behind him. Now that Old Kong was beaten into a coma, he had no choice but to replace him with a temporary lackey.

"Yes, young master, what are your instructions?" The man's real name was Chen Zitiao, but the Poison Eye Mercenary Corps generally called him Tiaozi.

"About that Ling Yi, and what happened at the Qingtian Escort Agency today—go find out everything. Remember, not one detail is to be missed, or I'll break your mangy legs!" Cheng Qitian said, stroking his chin.

The reason he'd gotten his nose bloodied today was that he hadn't gathered good intelligence. Had he known beforehand that Ling Yi was a man of merit rather than a traitor, he'd never have brought his people to the Qingtian Escort Agency—that was pure self-invited humiliation.

"Yes, young master, wait here. I'll be off." Chen Zitiao nodded at once and departed.

Half an hour later, Chen Zitiao returned and reported to Cheng Qitian, point by point, everything that had happened at the Qingtian Escort Agency that day. Word of it was already flying about, so it wasn't hard to find out—and besides, with the Poison Eye Mercenary Corps' eyes and ears, learning a thing or two in Weihu City was as easy as turning one's palm.

"What? That false information was all lies cooked up by those two cowards Li Yanji and Guan Zhiyuan to shirk responsibility? So sly and shameless—that rather suits my taste!" Cheng Qitian said, taken aback. Then he asked: "So where are those two now? Has Qi Wenmo killed them yet?"

"No. The two of them took three sword slashes and six holes, and were thrown out by the Qingtian Escort Agency. They should still be lying in the trash heap by now, though whether they're dead or alive, I couldn't say," Chen Zitiao replied.

"Mm. If they're dead, forget it. If they're still alive, send someone to scoop those two things up and keep them at our Poison Eye Mercenary Corps for now. They might come in handy later," Cheng Qitian said after a roll of his eyes.

"Yes." Chen Zitiao nodded in obedience, then added: "There's one more piece of news, about the entanglement between the Qingtian Escort Agency and the Hong Chamber of Commerce. The street rumors aren't entirely accurate, but the matter has already caused a great stir, and I reckon it's basically true. Young master, you might be interested."

"Oh? Let's hear it." Cheng Qitian's interest was immediately piqued.

"The rumor goes that the Qingtian Escort Agency's escort was robbed purely because that man Wei Zhaotong of the Hong Chamber of Commerce set a trap, landing Qi Wenmo and the whole Qingtian Escort Agency in it. Not long ago, Qi Wenmo brought his men to make trouble for Wei Zhaotong in a fury, but Wei Zhaotong sent him packing with a few words, and he came away with his nose bloodied," Chen Zitiao reported.

"There's such a thing?" Cheng Qitian bared his teeth in a grin. This sounded exactly like what had just happened to him! (To be continued) R655