Chapter 83: Yuwen Fei

After receiving the message from Zhang Qi and the others, Qin Yang more or less understood their plan and had already prepared himself mentally. He actually approved of the plan, since when the police shifted their attention to the gangsters, that window would become a golden opportunity for Ji Lietiger to expand his influence. It would also greatly help Qin Yang solidify his own power, given his enemy was Paradise—a mysterious spokesperson whose strength was unfathomable and whose years alive were unknown. What Qin Yang did know was that Paradise’s spokesperson was far stronger than himself. Fortunately, Paradise's influence had not deeply penetrated Asia and China, giving him plenty of stage to grow.

He hung up the phone.

Qin Yang walked out of the hotel where he was temporarily staying. According to Zhang Qi and the others, people were already starting to gather in Fengyang County. Under duress, Zhao Ru was forced to release information: Liu Molan’s personal bodyguard, Qin Yang, had appeared in Fengyang. Now, Zhao Ru was completely under their control, and once the bounty was withdrawn, he would be hunted endlessly.

He took a taxi to the antique street in Fengyang County. This place was an ancient city, and the antique trade was quite prosperous—on par with, or even surpassing, some large cities. Many people came searching for treasures; others, with the New Year approaching, sought lucky charms or divine statues. Qin Yang activated his Yin-Yang Eye and whenever he sensed spiritual energy in an item, he would approach and touch it, though he never bought anything. Most of these relics lacked the ability to regenerate spiritual energy.

“To think that after this round, I’ve absorbed over three hundred soul points, and with the five hundred spiritual energy contained in the ring I snatched from Cody, my soul points now reach a thousand.” Qin Yang felt a surge of joy. If used well, these thousand soul points would be invaluable in the coming relentless battles, ensuring his survival. The Taiji Yin-Yang Jade had accumulated two hundred points over the past few days, enough to sustain this fight. The number of undead in his body had also increased from fifteen hundred to twenty-four hundred.

“Absorbing only one hundred fifty undead per day—still too few.” Qin Yang sighed and asked, “Butler, is there any way to quickly increase my absorption limit?”

“Of course. You can exchange soul points for it,” the Butler replied unexpectedly.

Standing by the roadside, Qin Yang’s face darkened. “Didn’t you say you’ve told me everything you could?”

“You never broke five hundred soul points before. Even if I told you, it was useless,” the Butler explained matter-of-factly. “Five hundred soul points can be exchanged for fifty more on your absorption limit. It’s up to you.”

“Five hundred...” Qin Yang pondered silently. “The gangsters coming this time are probably quite skilled, but as long as they don’t swarm me, I can handle it. Keeping five hundred soul points, plus what’s in the Taiji Yin-Yang Jade, should be enough for this battle. Increasing my absorption limit isn’t urgent; I can do it after things settle down. As long as I reach ten thousand undead quickly, I can activate the Hell’s mission system, and my growth will speed up. But at the current rate, it’ll take over two years—too slow. No, this won’t do. I need to solve my current problems fast.”

With that thought, Qin Yang gritted his teeth.

As he was reflecting, a hesitant voice sounded beside him, “Big brother, you...?”

“Hm?” Qin Yang turned, puzzled. He saw a girl with faded clothes and delicate features. At first glance, he froze—she resembled Liu Molan, though not exactly. Except for her eyes and hairstyle, her facial features were somewhat similar, though her figure was less striking. In the winter cold, only someone like Qin Yang, with his Yin-Yang Eye, could judge.

“Do you need something?” Qin Yang asked, noticing her hesitation.

“Could you... could you lend me some money?” After a few awkward minutes, the girl finally spoke her purpose. Qin Yang almost laughed—strangers everywhere, why target him? Was his reputation as the top villain in Jianghai City so easy to fool? He replied dryly, “Little girl, lying is wrong.”

“I’m not lying,” the girl protested, but her actions were indeed suspicious. She lowered her head, her voice growing softer. “I really am not lying.”

“Alright, how much do you need?” Qin Yang decided to do a good deed; after all, his money was ill-gotten.

“One... one million.”

“Damn, get lost.” Qin Yang glared, not bothering to be polite. “You think I’m rich?”

“I... I...” The girl stammered, unable to say anything, and left crestfallen. Qin Yang felt curious, stepped forward, and said, “Tell me what’s going on. I do have money, but I won’t lend it for free to someone I don’t know, especially if I can’t be sure it’ll be returned.”

“I want to save my brother,” the girl said, eyes darting nervously around as if wary of something. “The other side demands a million in ransom.”

“Why not call the police?” Qin Yang asked, annoyed.

The girl shook her head frantically. “We... I can't call the police. If you don’t lend me the money, it’s fine, but thank you anyway.”

She turned to leave, but Qin Yang stopped her, “I can lend you the money, but you must help me with something. It might put your life at risk, but I can promise that as long as I live, you won’t die. Deal?”

“I agree.” The girl responded without hesitation, unfazed by the danger.

Qin Yang chuckled, “Don’t you want to know what it is?”

“I’ll agree to anything,” she replied more firmly. “But I want the money first.”

“Alright,” Qin Yang said. “No harm in giving you the money upfront. Come with me; let’s get it.”

He took her to a nearby bank. With his gold card, they were quickly ushered to the second floor. Soon, a million yuan was packed into a box and brought downstairs by staff. The girl looked nervous, but relaxed upon seeing the bright cash.

“Let’s go.”

Carrying the box, Qin Yang led her to a quieter area. “Can I go with you?”

“No,” she replied quickly.

“Hm?” Qin Yang frowned. “If my money disappears, that’s not an unreasonable request for either of us.”

The girl realized she couldn’t refuse and nodded. She led Qin Yang by taxi to a deserted area, winding through alleys to an abandoned factory. But Qin Yang heard loud noises; listening carefully, he realized it was an underground casino. The girl’s face paled, hands weak as she carried the box, making Qin Yang even more suspicious. He hurried after her, lifted her hand, and pulled back her sleeve—two centipede-like scars wrapped around her wrist. The girl tried to pull back, startled, but was powerless.

“Torn tendons. Ruthless.” Qin Yang squinted, voice cold. “Judging by the color of the scars, they healed recently. What happened?”

“Please don’t ask so much,” the girl pleaded, trying to withdraw her hand.

Qin Yang glanced at the underground casino nearby. “Tell me. Maybe I can help you. From the moment you asked for money, you singled me out. Did you see me teaching Wang Zhitao a lesson in Fengyang County and follow me? Or are you from Jianghai City? If you don’t give me a reason, I’ll take you to the police.”

“I’ll tell you,” the girl said, startled by the word "police." “I’ll tell you.”

Qin Yang sneered and led her to a secluded spot. After talking, he pieced together her story. Her name was Yu Wenfei. She and her younger brother, Yu Wenxiang, had depended on each other since childhood. To support themselves and her brother’s future, Yu Wenfei became a street pickpocket. When business was good, she could afford his education and living expenses; when bad, she’d sell junk or do manual labor. Despite her efforts, Yu Wenxiang didn’t take the academic path she hoped for; instead, he grew worse, picking up gambling. In a recent game, he was caught cheating and the casino demanded a million yuan ransom, threatening harm if it wasn’t paid quickly. Yu Wenfei couldn’t raise the money fast enough and agreed to gamble for it. Knowing little about gambling, she tried cheating and was caught. The casino cruelly severed the tendons in her hand as punishment and still demanded a million to ransom Yu Wenxiang.

Desperate, Yu Wenfei tried to borrow from Wang Zhitao or ask him to intercede, but found him in a miserable state thanks to Qin Yang. So, she sought Qin Yang, hoping for luck.

“You were foolish. Cheating in a casino can cripple your hands—or worse, lose them altogether,” Qin Yang said. “You and your brother cheating in the same place—isn’t that suicidal?”

“What else could I do?” Yu Wenfei replied bitterly. “Where was I supposed to get a million?”

“Where’s your family?” Qin Yang asked.

“They died in a car accident when I was six,” Yu Wenfei answered, her eyes reddening.

“Why bother with your brother when he’s so wayward?” Qin Yang wondered.

“He’s still my brother,” Yu Wenfei said, biting her lip. “I can’t abandon him.”

“How old is he?”

“Fifteen.”

“And you?”

“Seventeen.”

“Tired?”

“I’d die to save him,” Yu Wenfei declared.

Qin Yang sighed, fell silent, then patted her shoulder. “You’ve suffered enough. I’ll help you.”