Chapter 125: Chapter 123: Leng Ping’s Rage

In truth, Zhao Xinghai’s words were a mix of truth and lies. When Qin Li had fabricated this identity, the wealthy merchant had told him that the true, direct line of the Qin Family had long since died out. The remaining branch families were all scattered and fragmented, which was precisely why this identity was so easy to fabricate.

In that case, the Second Prince’s intentions weren’t hard to discern—he truly wanted to win Qin Li over.

In reality, how could Qin Li possibly care about such worldly matters?

’Earth Level, seventh stage? That’s a joke! I already broke through to the Celestial Level long ago!’

Even though Chen Yihan possessed the strength of a ninth-stage Celestial Level master, if they were to fight to the death, it was truly uncertain who would emerge victorious.

Still, today’s gains had indeed exceeded Qin Li’s expectations. He was more than happy to accept the goodwill the Second Prince had offered.

Of everyone present today, the most displeased was undoubtedly the Crown Prince, Zhao Xinghe. Not only had he failed to deal with Qin Li, the thorn in his side, but his own image in the eyes of his imperial father had plummeted. The loss truly outweighed the gain.

At noon, Emperor Zhao Yuanli held another grand banquet for his ministers, specially permitting Qin Li to sit beside him. Even the Little Princess, Zhao Qianqian, watched with a hint of jealousy. Thankfully, Qin Li wasn’t a woman, or her jealousy would have been real.

At the banquet, the emperor once again rewarded Qin Li with a thousand taels of gold. Truly, with a single word from the emperor’s golden mouth, riches came pouring in!

Emperor Zhao Yuanli did not stay for long before rising to leave. As soon as he was gone, the remaining ministers flocked to Qin Li’s side to curry favor, asking about things like when he planned to move into the Marquis Mansion and whether he was married.

Qin Li maintained a patient smile, answering their questions without a hint of annoyance. Just then, the Crown Prince, Zhao Xinghe, suddenly walked over, a cup of wine in hand. The smile on his face was forced, looking stiff and unnatural. His eyes were filled with a conflicted expression.

’To be honest, I never intended to bow my head to Qin Li. I am the Crown Prince, the future ruler of this nation! Why should I lower myself before this arrogant bastard?’

’I understood the situation today, but I never expected Father to favor him so much. Not only was he ennobled as a Marquis and granted a mansion, but he was even given Yellow Sand City as his fief!’

’Yellow Sand City!’

The very thought of that place made Zhao Xinghe feel as if his heart were bleeding.

That mocking face, that cold smile, and those words: "Because you’re afraid to die, you don’t dare!" The phrase was like a knife, still twisting painfully in his heart even now.

The image of his master, Murong Tian, tortured to death and hung from a flagpole, and the bloody warning scrawled on the white cloth—it was all like a Heavy Sword hanging over his head, ready to fall and decapitate him at any moment.

’And most importantly, that damn little bastard has vanished!’

’I don’t believe he’s dead. He must be hiding somewhere, watching me from the shadows, ready to assassinate me at any moment!’

This nightmare constantly haunted Zhao Xinghe.

After the incident with the Daqing Gang, the moment Zhao Xinghe heard the name "Qin Li," his subconscious urged him to kill the man. The reason was simple. ’Even if this isn’t *that* Qin Li, killing him will ease my nightmares!’

But the moment he saw this Qin Li, heard his exaggerated Great Qi accent and his equally sharp tongue, Zhao Xinghe became almost certain. ’This person *is* Qin Li!’

’Unfortunately... I can’t prove it, and no one believes me!’

Just a moment ago, even the court ministers who had always supported him had come forward to advise him. They suggested he ease tensions with Marquis Qin. Even if he couldn’t win him over for the time being, he shouldn’t make an enemy of him. If he truly had to kill him, he should do it with a smile on his face and a knife in his hand.

Zhao Xinghe had to admit the logic. Although he was convinced this Qin Li was his enemy, he decided to follow his supporters’ advice. After all, he couldn’t afford to alienate them.

Seeing this, the members of the Second Prince’s faction and the Civil and Military Ministers from the Neutral Faction all turned to look.

"Marquis Qin, I admit we’ve had some misunderstandings. I apologize. I hope you won’t hold it against me. We’ll be working together from now on, and I hope I can count on your support." With that, Zhao Xinghe tilted his head back and drained his cup.

For a Crown Prince, a royal of his stature, to bow his head to a Marquis—and what’s more, to do so with such earnest words and by draining his cup—was an incredible show of respect. As far as a Crown Prince was concerned, he had done more than enough.

Many eyes turned to Qin Li, who wore a playful expression. He remained seated, not even bothering to stand up.

He just sat there, toying with his wine cup, a smirk playing on his lips. "Your Highness and I have no enmity," he said lightly. "It has always been Your Highness who has been so aggressive. Now you wish to let bygones be bygones with a smile? Very well. I have just one question for you. The Daqing Gang... does it have any connection to you?"

Zhao Xinghe’s expression changed drastically. He was about to erupt in anger but caught sight of the court’s chancellor, Niu Jianfeng—his most powerful backer—frantically signaling him. A chill ran down Zhao Xinghe’s spine as he came to his senses. ’This Qin Li is treacherous! If I say a single word wrong, he’ll have me by the throat!’

He shook his head firmly. "What are you talking about? I have heard of that gang, but they’re just a bunch of street thugs. How could they possibly be connected to me? Marquis Qin, you jest."

"Oh? Is that so." Qin Li nodded. "Well, I have a feud with them," he said coolly. "I heard the Daqing Gang is out for my blood. I had assumed they knew Your Highness, and I was willing to give you face by not pursuing the matter. But since they have nothing to do with you... heh, I’m rather curious to see just how much nerve a bunch of street thugs has to issue a kill order on me."

As he spoke, Qin Li stood up, clasped his fist in his palm in a salute to Zhao Xinghe, and said, "I take my leave!"

Zhao Xinghe stood there, dumbfounded. He didn’t react for a long moment, then turned to the man beside him, his face ashen. "What did he mean by that?"

Niu Jianfeng walked over, gazing in the direction of Qin Li’s departure. "From what Marquis Qin said," he mused, "it sounds like he’s going to make trouble for the Daqing Gang."

With a sudden stir, at least seven or eight people in the Royal Banquet Hall with ugly expressions on their faces abruptly left without a word.

These were all people who had family members serving as Tributors in the Daqing Gang, taking a cut of the profits. Hearing that Qin Li was gunning for the gang, how could they possibly remain seated?

Anyone could see that this Marquis was the emperor’s new favorite. Anyone who dared to touch him must have a death wish. The mere Daqing Gang could be wiped out in the blink of an eye.

...

Leng Ping sat in the center of the hall, where the coffin of his best friend, Sun Liu, was displayed. Behind it stood forty-five other coffins. That morning, he had received news that Qin Li had been summoned to the palace, and the message for him was to remain calm and not act rashly.

So Leng Ping decided to capture Qin Li’s woman. He no longer cared whether the methods were despicable or not; avenging his brother was all that mattered!

But to his surprise, the entrance to Qin’s Elixir Shop was being guarded by the Imperial Guard!

In that instant, Leng Ping’s heart turned as cold as his name implied.

And just a moment ago, the Tributors of the Daqing Gang—men who typically did nothing but collect their silver—had received messages by falcon. One by one, they had all left without so much as a word.

Finally, one Tributor who was on good terms with him quietly pulled him aside. "Gang Leader Leng, you have to run! That Qin Li has been made a Marquis, and he’s coming for you. And you... you’ve been abandoned by the Crown Prince!"

The greatest sorrow is a dead heart, as the saying goes, and at this moment, Leng Ping felt his heart die. He couldn’t believe the Crown Prince would abandon him so easily. The Daqing Gang was a superpower, with twenty thousand elite fighters and a hundred thousand members!

The Daqing Gang’s business operations spanned many cities throughout the Cyan Dragon Kingdom, and its annual revenue was a staggering sum.

In Qin Li’s eyes, one million taels of silver was a massive sum. Even for many prominent families, one million taels was no small amount. But to the Daqing Gang, one million taels... was merely the annual dividend for a single High Level Tributor.

The Daqing Gang’s annual revenue was measured in the billions!

This colossal income was Zhao Xinghe’s true reason for controlling the Daqing Gang. As for its Combat Power, while the gang’s strength was considerable, it still paled in comparison to a professional army.

Zhao Xinghe was content to let people focus on the Daqing Gang’s Combat Power because he didn’t want the truth of its massive revenue to be exposed.

That was why Leng Ping simply couldn’t believe the Crown Prince would relinquish control of the Daqing Gang.

But he was mistaken. The person who delivered the message had intentionally misled him. Zhao Xinghe never intended to abandon the Daqing Gang. He was only abandoning one person: Leng Ping.

However, even Zhao Xinghe had underestimated Qin Li’s ambition. Did he think all Qin Li wanted was to kill a few people to vent his anger?

On this night of mourning, a mournful wind blew. The Daqing Gang’s main hall was packed. Tonight, no fewer than two hundred gang leaders, big and small, from all over Cyan Dragon City had gathered. With the guards they brought along, the total number of people was at least two thousand.

In addition, the Daqing Gang itself had over a thousand of its own elite fighters present. From the afternoon until now, Leng Ping had received no word from the Crown Prince.

If he still hadn’t realized by now that the Crown Prince had abandoned him, he wouldn’t have deserved to be a Gang Leader for all these years.

Leng Ping’s eyes were bloodshot. A violent aura radiated from him, so intense that even his own gang members didn’t dare approach.

’Excellent! The Crown Prince, and all those Tributors who preach about sharing weal and woe... you’ve all been utterly ruthless. Are you hoping that after Qin Li kills me, you can just install a new Gang Leader and the Daqing Gang will remain your plaything?’

As Leng Ping thought this, his eyes glowing red, a cold sneer formed on his lips. ’In your dreams!’

Suddenly, Leng Ping narrowed his eyes. He looked down the long street that faced the hall’s entrance. In the distance, a lone, thin figure was approaching. A shocking killing intent erupted from his body.

’Qin Li, you’ve finally come!’