Chapter 409: Despicable

Wang Yu's biological mother was a Ghost Mother. If Lu Jin wanted to use Wang Yu to subject me to the Heart-Slaying Dao Inquiry, he was doomed to fail.

We weren't blood relatives, sharing no bloodline. No matter how they tortured Wang Yu, I wouldn't suffer the slightest harm.

I could easily do exactly as Blind Liu suggested—play it safe and lay low until the heat blew over. But Wang Yu would be the one to suffer. At his young age, if they force-fed him venomous insect brews, he probably wouldn't survive three days.

To save him or not? That was the most agonizing question in my mind right now.

If I didn't save him, Wang Yu might be tortured to death, but it would buy me time. After the next live stream, I would have plenty of time to prepare and exchange for enough talisman items.

If I did try to save him, I only had a thirty percent chance of bringing him back safely. The risk was immense.

Furthermore, I had learned from the two thugs who bullied Xia Qingzhi that the people from the Three Yin Sect would also make a move against me soon. Even if I managed to snatch Wang Yu back from Lu Jin by some stroke of luck, my body definitely wouldn't remain in peak condition, and my previously accumulated life-saving methods would likely be completely depleted. If I ran into the Three Yin Sect at that time, I would have absolutely no power to fight back.

Blind Liu wasn't going to step in this time, and Lu Jin and Lu Chen represented the Miaozhen temple, giving them formidable backing. The Jiangcheng police would never offend them over such a trivial matter. Even if I persuaded the Municipal Sub-bureau Criminal Investigation Detachment to accompany me, Lu Jin would probably only need to make a single phone call for the armed police to intervene. After all, both Chen Jianguo and the Jiang family hated me to the bone, wishing they could flay my skin and drink my blood.

'I can't rely on the police for tonight's matter, nor can I rely on Blind Liu. I can only depend on myself.' Things that happened in the city's shadows naturally had to be resolved using the methods of the shadows. This was a world ordinary people couldn't reach, and it had its own rules.

'I'll save him!'

Splashing my face with cold water, I hurried out the door and headed for the Jingying Sanatorium.

I took a short nap in the taxi. When I arrived, Mr. Gu and two security guards immediately came over to meet me.

"I've messed up every task you entrusted to me, and I've got no face left to show. Once that little doll comes back, I'm returning to Miaojiang and never coming out again until the day I die. A Miao man refining gu is a taboo to begin with. I'm done fighting it; I accept my fate." Mr. Gu hung his head in dejection. Beneath his black robe, he looked much older than when we had first met.

"There's no need for that. I'm the one who dragged you into this." I gently patted Mr. Gu's shoulder. "Once this matter is settled, I will put all my effort into finding Xiaofeng and help you control the cold Yin energy inside your body. You don't need to feel guilty; I owe you this much anyway."

I didn't blame Mr. Gu. Our friendship grew out of blows, and by now, I had developed a deep understanding of this Miaojiang Gu master.

He was obsessed with researching gu poisons and didn't care about anything else. Compared to the dazzling outside world, the remote Miaojiang actually suited him better. At least there was no scheming and backstabbing there; no matter how venomous a toxic insect was, it could never be as toxic as the human heart.

Entering the room where Wang Yu had been staying, I found Bai Qi squatting by the door. Upon seeing me, he ran over with something in his mouth.

I hadn't seen him for a few days, and Bai Qi had become much quieter. His pitch-black eyes looked like two unfading black pearls.

I scratched him under the chin and retrieved the object from his mouth—a torn scrap of cloth.

"Was this torn from Wang Yu's clothes? Can you find Wang Yu by following this scent?" I stroked Bai Qi's head. Bai Qi didn't trust anyone but me, which was evident from the fact that he had held onto the scrap of cloth tightly and only let go when I arrived.

Barking twice with his head raised, Bai Qi rubbed against my leg and then darted outside.

"Contact Huang Boyuan. Get a car ready to head out."

I followed closely behind Bai Qi while pulling out my phone to call Chen Er Gou. "Er Gouzi, find some brothers you can trust and grab your weapons. We might see blood today."

"You got it! I've been cooped up for days, and I've been itching to stretch my limbs! Jian Ge, where should I meet you?"

"Don't rush. I'll let you know once I get there."

Hanging up the phone, I noticed a delicate, beautiful silhouette peeking from behind the railing in the adjacent room. I smiled and waved at her.

"Gao Jian, what are you going to do? It's not even dawn yet. Did something happen to Wang Yu?" The speaker was Huang Xue. This kind and gentle woman had inherited all of her mother's best qualities.

"Don't worry. I'm just going to have a chat with some old friends."

The Jingying Sanatorium's security guards quickly received Huang Boyuan's orders and drove over. Since Wang Yu had been taken during their patrol, they strictly bore an undeniable responsibility for the incident. As a result, these men were exceedingly cooperative now; they hadn't slept a wink all night, yet they remained eager to help.

At first, the security guards drove behind Bai Qi, but realizing the pace was too slow, I simply carried Bai Qi into the car. I only set him down at intersections to let him point the way.

We circled around more than half of Jiangcheng, only to unexpectedly return to Ting Tang Road. When the car stopped, I finally noticed a tattered child's jacket hanging on the door of the Adult Shop. As I took it down, a piece of yellow paper fell out.

"Gao Jian, the humiliation of the past shall be repaid today. Meet me at Xinhu High School after the midnight hour."

"If you fail to show up, I will pay you a visit in three days and present you with a small gift—a half-dead, half-alive venomous gu child."

Veins bulged on the back of my hand. Suppressing my anger, I folded the yellow paper and slipped it into my pocket.

"What's written on that paper?" Mr. Gu asked, stepping out of the car.

"Someone will definitely die tonight. It's a funeral invitation." I then called Er Gouzi and Director Huang, informing them that the plan had been changed to the evening.

"For a complete Heart-Slaying Dao Inquiry, both gu worms and Yin energy are indispensable. It makes sense that they chose to wait for me at Xinhu High School at midnight tonight, but I can't shake the feeling that it's a trap." I had revealed the Yin-Yang Ghost Art that day at Century New Garden. Knowing full well that a place heavy with Yin energy would be advantageous to me, they still chose to wait for me at a hazard node. Had Lu Chen's strength truly reached a level where he could ignore ghosts and suppress an entire haunted school in the dead of night?

"When the orthodox righteous sects use talismans, they need to mobilize the Yang of Heaven and the essence of Earth. The dead of night only poses a disadvantage to them. Besides, there are plenty of hazard nodes in Jiangcheng. Why did they have to choose that wasteland at Xinhu High School?"

I really couldn't figure it out. I asked Mr. Gu to stay behind and had the security guards from the Jingying Sanatorium drive back first.

Around nine in the morning, two battered Wuling vans pulled up in front of my shop. Chen Er Gou had arrived with his brothers.

"Jian Ge, the brothers have all brought their choppers and daggers. When do we move out?" The van door opened. Including the drivers, Er Gou had only brought six people with him.

"We make our move tonight." I swept my gaze over the brothers Er Gou had brought, each of their eyes reflecting a ruthless glint. "Er Gou, this operation is extremely dangerous. Even I can't guarantee I'll make it back alive. Did you explain this to them?"

Knowing that every step ahead was fraught with deadly peril, I absolutely wouldn't force anyone to accompany me. There were some things Er Gou wasn't willing to say, but I needed to make them completely clear.

These six weren't the strongest men under Er Gou's command, but they were the most loyal. Some of them had even witnessed Mr. Gu's methods and knew this world wasn't as simple as it appeared.

"Jian Ge, I've taught them all the Eight-Step Crushing Fist you taught me. Theoretically speaking, we all belong to the same syndicate, or perhaps a martial arts sect. So your business is our business. If the acting hall master's illegitimate son is kidnapped, how could his disciples just cower in hiding? If we don't vent this anger, how are we supposed to hold our heads up in the underworld?"

After Chen Er Gou finished spouting this twisted logic, his lackeys nodded in agreement, looking as though it was a matter of course.

I had initially been frowning in worry, but his words instantly left me dumbfounded. "Who told you my illegitimate son was kidnapped? Wang Yu was entrusted to me by his mother so I could look after him temporarily."

"Jian Ge, we're all adults here; we understand how it is. Don't worry. Even if you won't admit it, we'll still go all out and treat him like our own flesh-and-blood nephew!" Er Gou turned his head and asked, "Isn't that right, boys?"

"Gou Ge is righteous!"

"Jian Ge, you're Gou Ge's big brother, so we take our orders from you!"

With their boisterous chatter ringing in my ears, I gave a gentle nod. "Thank you, everyone. However, tonight's matter still requires careful planning."