Chapter 1031: Soul Hunter Jin Hanzhuang
Translator: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales
The enormous Little Goldie was currently a docile lamb, allowing Avril to sit on its back and stroke it, occasionally chirping at her in happiness.
Avril had tamed the violent Little Goldie the moment she appeared, leaving everyone feeling confused. It was as if she had some special ability. Not even vicious monsters like Little Goldie and Furball could resist her charm.
“What do you think she said to Little Goldie that made it so obedient?”
“I don’t know. It’s probably because she’s the closest person to Xia Fei, and Little Goldie is dearly devoted to him.”
They conversed, trying to a.n.a.lyze why Little Goldie had listened to Avril. Although Little Goldie had stopped ramming at the seal, he had not gone back. he continued to stare at the energy web as if it was thinking about something.
Little Goldie was not as smart as Furball, and after thinking for a long while, it let out a plaintive howl. He appeared to have understood something and finally began to go back with Avril.
Avril went home after persuading Little Goldie. Although Xia Fei was no longer there, this was not the first time Xia Fei had gotten lost. As his girlfriend, Avril was used to this habit of Xia Fei’s by now.
After a few days, the Law Realm soon heard that Little Goldie had gone on a tear in dark s.p.a.ce. While the Dark Lifeforms had been wiped out, countless dark beasts had been left behind. There was no place in ordinary s.p.a.ce for these dark beasts to leave, so these creatures hid in the dark s.p.a.ce, where they thrived and multiplied.
Little Goldie seemed to bear a grudge against these former enemies of Xia Fei’s, and it hunted them down endlessly within the dark s.p.a.ce. It looked as if the demon chrysalis would not rest until it had annihilated all of them.
The warriors of the Law Realm felt that Little Goldie was venting its rage and sorrow on the dark beasts after being unable to follow its master, so they did not pay it too much attention. In any case, the more dark beasts Little Goldie killed, the better things were for the Law Realm.
As the slaughter continued, Little Goldie grew stronger and stronger, and no creature in the dark s.p.a.ce could stand against it!
Alas, for some reason, Little Goldie did not advance; instead, its body only grew thinner and thinner.
…
In a luxurious guest room, the time had arrived. Xiang Beiyang had personally come to pick up Xia Fei and take him to the gathering at the Tai Ning estate.
Xia Fei opened the door and saw that Boss Xiang had changed into a very impressive robe, his finger sporting a very domineering jade ring. Together with that large belly of his, he completely fit the image of a nouveau riche.
Xia Fei frowned and mentally commented, ‘It’s a gathering, not an occasion to flaunt your wealth. Besides, any member of the first-cla.s.s circle of Red Dwarf Star will be much richer than you are.’
He naturally kept this train of thought to himself. After all, Xiang Beiyang’s clothes were his own business. Xia Fei was already upholding his end of the deal by accompanying him.
Lighting a cigarette, Xia Fei casually walked out of the room and locked the door.
Xiang Beiyang was startled, looking Xia Fei over as he asked, “You’re going dressed like that to the Tai home?”
Xia Fei was still wearing his exercise clothes from this morning. When he returned, he had been so busy dealing with the herbs that he did not have time to change. Besides, Xia Fei did not really care about what he was wearing, for he had never cared much about such gatherings in the first place.
Xia Fei countered. “What? Is there something wrong?”
“Not at all! I was just asking. The car is ready, so let’s go,” said Xiang Beiyang hastily. No matter what, bringing Xia Fei to the Tai home was most important of all. What Xiang Beiyang truly feared was annoying Xia Fei, such that the latter would refuse to go. After all, Xia Fei was impervious to his charm and wiles, even willing to humiliate Tang Wannian sans a second thought.
A brand-new golden hovercar was parked outside. Xiang Beiyang had purchased it at a high price for the sake of his own dignity. The technology of the Alpha Universe had not surpa.s.sed the Law Realm too much, and Xia Fei needed only a few glances to get a good idea of how the car was constructed.
*Whoosh~*
As the car sped off, Xia Fei opened the window and looked outside. His sharp senses told him that somebody was staring at him, but when he activated Ocular Cognition, that sensation of being watched immediately disappeared.
“Brother Xia, what are you looking at?” asked Xiang Beiyang curiously.
“It’s nothing. I just thought that tonight’s weather is pretty good,” replied Xia Fei. however, his wariness had started to rise.
…
Xia Fei and Xiang Beiyang were soon out of the city, and two heads appeared in the night. One of them was the short-bearded man that Xiang Beiyang had hired to catch exotic beasts. His name was Fu Yong, and he was known among Hunters for being a man willing to take big jobs. Xiang Beiyang had offered a huge sum for that expedition to the Inverse territory, but only a few Hunters who did not fear death had applied, and Fu Yong being one of them.
The other was a yellow-faced man who seemed to be devoid of energy; he appeared to have not gotten any sleep. This man was way more famous than Fu Yong, as he was one of the few Soul Hunters of Red Dwarf Star, Jin Hanzhuang.
Fu Yong was known for his boldness and his willingness to take any job, whereas Jin Hanzhuang was famous for his addiction toward gambling and habit of taking hallucinogens. His reputation was positively awful.
When Fu Yong saw Furball with Xia Fei back then, he immediately thought of stealing it, but as he did not know Xia Fei’s background, he was unable to work up the courage. All he had been able to do was watch Xia Fei from the shadows to see how the latter acted.
This afternoon, Xia Fei casually sold off a small dagger for two million pearls. Fu Yong immediately got antsy the moment he heard the news. He speculated that Xia Fei was a young master of some major clan, or else there would be no way for him to be carrying something so valuable. If he robbed Xia Fei, he would be set for life!
Fu Yong was bold, but he was not dumb. He decided that it was best to have someone famous take the fall for him, while he got off scot free to live the rest of his life enjoying the spoils.
Thus, Fu Yong had gone and sought the infamous gambling addict, Jin Hanzhuang. Jin Hanzhuang had been unlucky his whole life, especially when it came to gambling, losing every bet he made. If he was not a Soul Hunter, the loan sharks in the casinos would have killed him a hundred times over long ago.
Alas, it was impossible to live off reputation alone. As his debts piled up, those loan sharks became reluctant to loan him money. He wanted to get a job, but his reputation was simply too awful. Others were more willing to hire a Soul Hunter of better reputation even at a higher price rather than seek Jin Hanzhuang’s service. Jin Hanzhuang had truly made a first in this region, falling to such a low level as a Soul Hunter.
When Fu Yong came to find him, saying that he had a big job, Jin Hanzhuang immediately agreed. He had no idea that Fu Yong was just borrowing his name. Once they split the money, everyone would go search for Jin Hanzhuang, not him. After all, this infamous gambler was a Soul Hunter, and as they said, a large tree was buffeted in the wind.
“Are you talking about that young man?” Jin Hanzhuang yawned and asked.
“Yes, that’s him. This afternoon, he took out a dagger from his spatial ring and sold it for two million pearls. If we rob him for all he’s got, we’ll be rich,” Fu Yong nodded and replied.
Jin Hanzhuang frowned. “I was watching moments ago. Xia Fei truly doesn’t give off any energy pulses, meaning that he’s just an ordinary civilian, but his clan must be something else. Killing him is easy, but we’ll end up offending some people.”
Fu Yong smiled. “Sir, the people you’re most afraid of offending is Old Master Mai Tong, yes? I heard that if you don’t repay your debt in seven days, he’ll have your cultivation crippled.”
Jin Hanzhuang turned white and said no more.
Mai Tong was one of the big businessmen of Red Dwarf Star, on the same level as Tang Wannian. He ran many casinos and was involved in many businesses, some which were legitimate and some not.
Jin Hanzhuang owed Mai Tong money, which everyone knew, and as a businessman, Mai Tong was unwilling to break off things with Jin Hanzhuang. After all, no matter how terrible Jin Hanzhuang was, he was still a Soul Hunter, and no one wanted to make an enemy of a Soul Hunter.
However, a few days ago, Jin Hanzhuang had gotten drunk and announced that Mai Tong was afraid of him and did not dare to ask him to pay his debts.
The news quickly spread to reach Mai Tong’s ears. The old man was naturally furious, almost fainting from his rage. He had chosen, out of the goodness of his heart, not to quibble with Jin Hanzhuang, but as a result he had been labeled as incompetent! Master Mai could not accept this.
They were all well-known people of Red Dwarf Star. If Old Man Mai did not act now, he would be made the laughingstock of the entire planet. Thus, Master Mai gave Jin Hanzhuang an ultimatum. In seven days, he had to return the money or be crippled.
Only then did Jin Hanzhuang realize the gravity of the situation. He could have done anything except offend Mai Tong. He had truly bitten off more than he could chew now; Old Man Mai was intent on dealing with him once and for all.
Though Jin Hanzhuang was a Soul Hunter, he was still one that was out of luck. Mai Tong was like the noontime sun; he could just hire a Soul Hunter. Mai Tong had already contracted three Soul Hunters to find Jin Hanzhuang and inquire about the debt in seven days.
Jin Hanzhuang knew that he could not beat Mai Tong, so he agreed to Fu Yong’s plan to kill Xia Fei in order to resolve the imminent crisis.
Fu Yong bringing up that matter related to Mai Tong made Jin Hanzhuang immediately abandon all doubts. Clenching his teeth, he said, “Forget it. Since I’m doing it anyway, I might as well do a good job!”
Fu Yong smiled. “Master Jin is truly an understanding person. Xia Fei is all alone and has no friends to rely on, so if we make a clean job of it, who will know that it’s us? As for Xiang Beiyang, there’s no need to worry about him. Having only started rising a few years ago, his foundation still isn’t stable. His wife and three concubines fight with each other every day.
“Once Xiang Beiyang dies, the Xiang Clan will be in chaos as everyone fights over his a.s.sets. Who would be in the mood to think about avenging Xiang Beiyang? Their visit to the Tai’s residence is the perfect chance. The Tai estate is located outside the city in the countryside. Their journey back will be the time of their demise! All the conditions are in our favor.”
Fu Yong and Jin Hanzhuang immediately set their plan to strike when Xia Fei and Xiang Beiyang were on their way back. The two of them hid in a small forest next to the road, as Fu Yong tasked several trustworthy Hunters with following Xia Fei.
At the same time, the gathering at Boss Tai’s estate started to get lively.