Urban Martial Saint

At this moment, Old Fifth Yang no longer looked like the commanding figure he once was; he had completely turned into the appearance of a father.

Seeing Old Fifth Yang’s bitter smile, Ye Qing felt a pang of discomfort in his heart. He nodded slowly, patted Old Fifth Yang’s shoulder, and said in a deep voice, ”Take care!”

”It’s not that easy to die. Next time I come back, let’s have a few more drinks together!” Old Fifth Yang laughed, watching Ye Qing get in the car with an inexplicable sadness on his face.

Even though he kept saying he wasn’t afraid of dying or of cancer, knowing that he didn’t have much time left, how many people could truly claim they weren’t afraid?

After rushing to the city, there was still about an hour before the plane took off. Ye Qing had a little downtime, so he called Li Qiang.

Li Qiang was visibly surprised to receive Ye Qing’s call. After hearing Ye Qing’s objective, Li Qiang agreed without hesitation to help Ye Qing in the search for Huangfu Ziyu. However, he was still in the Northwest and would need some time to get to the Northern Desert, but he had already started using his connections there to investigate the authenticity of the prior rumors.

Ye Qing did not expect Li Qiang to agree so readily, especially since he had also mentioned his grievances with the Wanyan King during their conversation. Li Qiang had long been mingling in the Northern Desert and Northwest, and he naturally knew the Wanyan King’s capabilities very well. Despite this, his willingness to help Ye Qing touched Ye Qing greatly.

Taking the plane was relatively faster, and by noon, Ye Qing had arrived in Tianzhao City in the Northern Desert, which was exactly where the Wanyan King had his base.

Ye Qing had been in contact with the Xihang Shen Family all along. After leaving the Shen Family Manor, many people had also left, including Helian Tiehua, Prince Nalan, Huang Yidao, and others. However, the Wanyan King had not left the Shen Family Manor but instead had his son Wanyan Ming remain there to learn Wing Chun Fist from the Southern Fist King Shen Tianjun.

Shen Tianjun had previously said that those who failed the match could also learn a set of martial arts from him. For people like Helian Tiehua and Prince Nalan, whose abilities were similar to Shen Tianjun’s, this martial arts set was optional. But for the Wanyan King of Northern Martial Zen, being personally taught by Shen Tianjun was a rare opportunity indeed, and they were certainly willing to stay and learn. However, Huang Yidao and Northern Martial Zen both left, which was indeed quite strange; it was estimated that the two of them had some important matters to attend to.

Ye Qing knew that the Wanyan King actually had important matters as well. But he did not leave because he still needed to stay in the South to search for Ye Qing and the Handsome Fatty Wang to retrieve the Gold Silk Armor, which is why he had not left. However, this was just as well; the Wanyan King’s absence made things easier for Ye Qing, as he was able to search for Huangfu Ziyu without interference. If he waited until the Wanyan King returned, it would be dangerous for Ye Qing to be there, as there was still a vast gap between him and the Wanyan King.

Tianzhao City was considered the top city in the Northern Desert. Although it wasn’t as prosperous as Shenchuan City, modern buildings were still abundant on its streets. However, in the Northern Desert, there was a higher density of ethnic minorities. Coupled with the frigid and harsh environment, few Han people came here, which made their presence in the streets comparatively rare, while people in minority ethnic attire were a common sight.

Before arriving, Ye Qing had read some information about Tianzhao City on the plane, so he had a basic understanding of the area.

Like other cities in the Northern Desert, Tianzhao City was also a place where ethnic minorities gathered. According to statistics, minority ethnic members in Tianzhao City accounted for over thirty percent of the total population, which was rare in other cities. Despite the ethnic complexity, the various groups coexisted peacefully, much like in other places where minority groups gathered. Generally, Han people did not encounter many difficulties when they visited here.

Ye Qing took a taxi to the city center, found a small hotel to settle down in, had a bite to eat, and then rested for over an hour in the hotel. In the afternoon, he left the hotel alone to observe the layout of the Wan Yan family’s residence.

The Wanyan King had a significant reputation throughout the Northern Desert and was even more renowned in Tianzhao City. When people here mentioned the Wanyan King, everyone knew who he was. Finding out where the Wan Yan family lived wasn’t difficult, and Ye Qing had just made a purchase when he managed to ascertain the Wan Yan family’s residence.

The Wan Yan family was undoubtedly the most prestigious family in Tianzhao City. The family had many members, nearly spread across the entire Northern Desert. In Tianzhao City, there were many places where Wan Yan family members lived, with almost every member having their own residence. However, the most famous place was the manor where the Wanyan King resided, also the main residence for the key members of the Wan Yan family.

Wanyan Manor was just thirty miles north of Tianzhao City, in Jin Village, which was entirely occupied by people with the Wanyan surname. The Wanyan King’s manor was located in this village, covering an area of over five hundred acres, vast in its expanse; a stroll around the manor’s periphery took time.

Having found out the location of Wanyan Manor, Ye Qing took a taxi to the village preceding Jin Village. He didn’t want to alert anyone and thus avoided heading straight to Jin Village, planning instead to sneak into it from this preceding village. However, upon walking from that village to Jin Village, he realized he might have been overly cautious. The situation in Jin Village was completely different from what he had imagined; it was bustling with activity.

Before reaching here, Ye Qing assumed it was merely a small village. Upon arriving, he discovered Jin Village was not a small village but rather a fairly prosperous small town, even more thriving than some parts of Tianzhao City. Its construction was strikingly beautiful, and the population was substantial. Walking here, Ye Qing was not conspicuous at all; the streets were crowded, and no one would pay attention to him.

Ye Qing couldn’t help but be a little puzzled. Within the heartland of the Wanyan King, there were still so many people, which was quite rare. Even Shen Tianjun’s Shen Family Manor and Li Changqing’s Li Family were built in more remote and sparsely populated areas. This arrangement was meant to separate them from ordinary people to prevent their martial arts from being secretly learned. Secondly, it was a safeguard against oversights due to a large number of people, as such slips could lead to trouble if someone sneaked into the family.

However, the Wan Yan family was completely different. The bustling streets were astonishing. The small village even had entertainment venues like bars and KTVs, comparable to the main streets of Tianzhao City, which was extraordinarily modern. Moreover, wasn’t the Wanyan King afraid of someone sneaking into Wanyan Manor?

Thinking of this, Ye Qing frowned. Based on his understanding of the Wanyan King from the Shen Family Manor, this man was cunning and meticulous, not one to make such basic mistakes. If he dared to let his home be so lively, he must have had confidence, either because he wasn’t afraid of intrusions into Wanyan Manor, or he was certain no one could break in. This implied there must be something about Wanyan Manor that didn’t worry him about security issues.

This thought made Ye Qing much more cautious. Initially, he planned to sneak into Wanyan Manor to take a look. However, the current situation made him abandon this idea. Who knew if there were traps set within Wanyan Manor? If he fell into a trap, he would be walking right into it.

Avoiding a direct entrance into Wanyan Manor, Ye Qing opted to circle around the streets of Jin Village a few times, first locating Wanyan Manor.

Wanyan Manor was beside Jin Village, with its antique-style main gate facing the street. A plaque hung above the gate, with four large characters written in calligraphy—Wanyan Manor.

Seeing Wanyan Manor, Ye Qing grew more cautious. The visibility of the Wanyan Manor’s signboard suggested that the Wan Yan family was very high-profile, further indicating underlying issues that Ye Qing couldn’t ignore.

After spending a good half hour, Ye Qing circled Wanyan Manor and almost mapped out the surrounding conditions. The entire Wanyan Manor was enclosed by a three-meter-high wall. This wall was built so high that it was hard to see inside from the outside. However, this was not an obstacle for Ye Qing; after making a round, he found an ideal observation point from a five-story tall building in Jin Village.

Other high buildings in Jin Village were either blocked by other buildings or too far from Wanyan Manor to see inside clearly. This five-story building had a perfect location and height, allowing a clear view inside Wanyan Manor from its roof, making it the best observation point.

After selecting this position, Ye Qing left Jin Village without lingering. Despite the abundant foot traffic on the streets, visiting that building during the day would be too conspicuous. He planned to climb up at night to observe the situation inside Wanyan Manor.

In the North, nightfall came earlier. After waiting for less than three hours in a neighboring village, the sky gradually darkened. Ye Qing ate something casually to fill his stomach and returned to Jin Village, where the streets were noticeably less crowded.

Ye Qing did not directly enter the tall building. He knew very well that if he could recognize the vantage point of this building, the Wan Yan family surely could too. They wouldn’t leave it unguarded. Therefore, he suspected potential issues within that tall building. To be safe, he first circled around to the back of a building two doors away.

The front streets had few pedestrians left, and the back of the building was even more deserted. Coupled with the darkness, it was pitch black here. With Ye Qing wearing dark-colored clothes, he was practically invisible to onlookers.