Chapter 304: Hidden Circumstances

Chapter 304: Chapter 304: Hidden Circumstances

All eyes were on the man who had suddenly appeared.

He wore a gray trench coat, had a slender build, and carried an air of mystery.

Song Hongjun’s eyes widened. "Who the hell are you? Where are the men from the Commerce Association?"

Qin Tianxuan said nothing. He simply took a glass of wine from a nearby waiter’s tray.

He tilted the glass, pouring the wine onto the floor—a gesture to honor the dead.

Song Hongjun’s eyes narrowed. He knew an enemy had come for him.

"State your name! I, Song Hongjun, don’t waste my breath on nameless nobodies!"

The patriarch of the Song Family was still trying to maintain his dignity.

Qin Tianxuan flicked the empty glass away and brandished a war banner. "Chen Shaohua was my brother!"

’So it’s still about that damn mess!’

Song Hongjun stamped his foot and roared, "Where is that useless White Wolf?"

The sound of frantic footsteps came from outside. A few of the Song Family’s men carried White Wolf in, their faces grim. "Brother Lang has been crippled! There were at least a hundred of them. All our Cyan Mountain Commerce Association brothers outside are down."

A hundred men?!

A shiver went down Song Hongjun’s spine.

He barely managed to steady himself and looked grimly at Qin Tianxuan. "I know nothing about Chen Shaohua’s affairs. If you want revenge, you’ve come to the wrong person. Today is my birthday banquet, and you have already crossed a line with me..."

BANG!

Qin Tianxuan raised his hand and slammed it down on the birthday Treasure Chest, cutting Song Hongjun off mid-sentence!

His tone was flat. "I only came to give you a message. Within ten days, your entire Song Family will dress in sackcloth and mourning, travel to the Chen Family cemetery in Jianghua, and kneel for seven days and seven nights. Not one second less."

Song Hongjun’s face contorted, and he threw his head back to laugh. "Absurd! Utterly absurd! So you’re just some lunatic..."

CRACK!

Qin Tianxuan slammed his hand on the chest again, cutting off Song Hongjun’s tirade once more.

The gold, silver, and jeweled decorations on the festive Treasure Chest—a symbol of wealth and fortune—scattered and fell away!

BANG!

Another palm strike landed!

The gold foil on the Treasure Chest began to flake and peel away.

Only the dark, bare wood of the chest remained!

"This is my gift to you," Qin Tianxuan said coolly. "I wonder, Song Hongjun, what is your height? Your weight? Will you fit inside this chest for your burial?"

The chest now resembled a coffin, and his words sent a chill through everyone present.

But Qin Tianxuan had already turned his back, ignoring the livid Song Hongjun as he departed at a leisurely pace.

"Investigate! Find out where this bastard came from! I don’t care what it costs, I want him eliminated!" Song Hongjun was so furious he could have spat blood, forcing the command through gritted teeth.

By the time Qin Tianxuan had left the street, he had his phone out. "Investigate a woman named Song Mingzhu. She was formerly Song Hongjun’s adopted daughter, but her current whereabouts are unknown. The sooner, the better."

It was an urgent command, and the Intelligence Hall dared not delay. Before he had even walked to the end of the street, they had sent him the most detailed information available.

"Sir, Song Mingzhu is still in the capital. Her current location is the Mingzhu Milk Tea Shop, across from University City on West Garden Street."

The West District of the capital—half a city away.

Without a moment’s delay, Qin Tianxuan hailed a cab. A long while later, he arrived at the bustling University City.

The area was a flurry of activity, with all sorts of people hurrying about their lives, whether for work or for study.

The Mingzhu Milk Tea Shop was located at the mouth of an alley on the north side of the street, surrounded by rental apartments.

Despite being a storefront property, it didn’t seem to have many customers.

Qin Tianxuan stood across from the milk tea shop, observing in silence.

The door was open. Inside, a little girl of about six or seven sat under a lamp doing her homework, perched on a wobbly stool.

Upstairs in the small two-story building, a slender woman in an apron was preparing a milk tea order.

After a good while, a delivery driver came by. He took the tea and sighed, "Sister Mingzhu, you get so few orders. You really should advertise. Everyone who tries your milk tea says it’s amazing, but you just don’t get any customers."

The woman looked up with a smile and handed him a cup of hot milk tea. "Go on, get busy now. And be careful on the road."

Not long after, a few female students came over, looking like regular customers.

One of the students made a point to thank her. "Sister Mingzhu, thanks so much for helping me find my phone! I’ll definitely help promote your shop."

Once the small crowd had dispersed, Qin Tianxuan, having seen enough, strode across the street.

The little girl had finished her homework and had presumably gone to bed.

"Sir, what kind of milk tea can I get for you?" The woman asked, coming out while wiping her hands. Her clothes were simple, but she was neat and clean.

Qin Tianxuan looked at her intently for a moment. "I’m a comrade-in-arms of Chen Shaohua. I was passing through and wanted to stop by."

"Ah!"

The woman looked as if she’d been struck by lightning. She covered her mouth with both hands, taking a long moment to regain her composure.

"Quick, please, come in!" she said, frantically wiping sweat from her brow as she brought out the best chair from inside the small building.

Qin Tianxuan slowly sat down, saying nothing.

Song Mingzhu stood there in a daze, her eyes suddenly turning red. "I’m sorry, look at me... When Shaohua passed, I wasn’t by his side. I don’t know how many comrades he had, but I know he was with the Night Emperor Battle Department. Are you as well, sir?"

Qin Tianxuan took out the war banner. "Shaohua and I fought together in the Western Domain. He used to mention you all the time. In his downtime, he was always talking about writing a letter home to his ’Xiaocao’..."

Xiaocao. It was Chen Shaohua’s pet name for Song Mingzhu.

No one else knew that name.

At this, Song Mingzhu had no more doubts. Her hand trembled as she reached out to touch the war banner, and tears began to stream down her face.

"Mommy, are you crying?" The timid little girl appeared, hugging a small blanket, her face full of confusion.

"Sisi..." Song Mingzhu wiped furiously at her tears. "Go back to sleep. Mommy’s fine. You have school tomorrow."

Qin Tianxuan looked at the little girl, then back at Song Mingzhu. A tremor ran through him. "Could this child be...?"

Song Mingzhu’s voice was filled with both sorrow and pride. "She is Shaohua’s daughter. And she is my most precious treasure."