The cargo ship was a behemoth on the Yangtze River waters. Though it couldn't compare to the Titanic, that was only because the Yangtze's waters were no match for the open ocean.
Zhang Kun, forty years old, was an old hand in the business. At this moment, he knew something was amiss. However, he wondered who would dare to make a move against the Yang Group.
A glint flashed in Zhang Kun's eyes, but he remained as steady as a mountain, toying with two iron balls in his hand.
The remaining six Shaolin lay disciples were on high alert.
Zhang Kun called out, "Which friend from the underworld has come to visit? Why not show yourself?" As he spoke, he listened intently, alert to any movement around him.
But all around was silence, with no sign of anything unusual.
Just then, a sense of danger washed over him.
Zhang Kun's hair stood on end as he was startled. He whirled around.
He saw two Shaolin lay disciples lying in pools of blood behind him.
The killer was Ye Buyi.
Ye Buyi held a gleaming dagger in his hand. Dressed in black fitted clothing, he was like a ghost in the night.
Zhang Kun turned pale with fright. This young man had somehow gotten behind him without him noticing. It was too bizarre.
At that moment, Ye Buyi suddenly lunged at Zhang Kun.
His speed was like lightning, yet completely silent.
The cold steel flashed.
Zhang Kun leapt backward, but as he retreated, Ye Buyi advanced even faster.
Ye Buyi had approached like a slithering snake, his specialty being concealing his presence, heartbeat, and breathing to blend perfectly with the surroundings. That's why Zhang Kun only noticed him after he had killed two men.
What kind of existence was Ye Buyi? He was someone even Chen Yang feared!
Ye Buyi excelled at hiding his presence, and was even better at killing and escaping. Whether killing or fleeing, speed was paramount.
Ye Buyi had grown up racing the Silver Wolf King. So now, as Zhang Kun retreated, he immediately gave chase. His speed was ten times faster than Zhang Kun's, partly because Zhang Kun's backward momentum was naturally slower than forward movement, and partly because Ye Buyi's speed was simply otherworldly.
Before Zhang Kun could react, the dagger's cold edge had already pierced his skin and plunged into his chest.
In an instant, Zhang Kun had suffered a fatal wound. He looked at Ye Buyi in disbelief. Ye Buyi showed no mercy, slicing Zhang Kun's throat in one swift motion, killing him instantly.
As for the other Shaolin lay disciples, they hadn't even processed what was happening.
Having killed Zhang Kun, the leader, Ye Buyi then turned his attention to them, unleashing a massacre.
None survived.
In truth, it wasn't that Zhang Kun was useless, nor were the Shaolin lay disciples. The main issue was that Zhang Kun lost his composure. If he had stood his ground when Ye Buyi attacked, calmly defending himself, Ye Buyi wouldn't have been able to kill him.
Moreover, the surrounding Shaolin lay disciples could have intervened to kill Ye Buyi.
Unfortunately, as soon as Ye Buyi made his move, Zhang Kun's courage faltered.
Once his courage failed, his fate was sealed.
At five in the morning, Yang Ling was roused from his sleep by hurried footsteps, followed by the voice of his butler, Mo Wuyi.
Butler Mo Wuyi was a sixty-year-old man who had watched Yang Ling grow up. Yang Ling held great respect for Mo Wuyi.
"Young Master, a grave matter has occurred," Mo Wuyi's voice was heavy with concern.
Yang Ling typically had a bad temper when woken up. At this hour, if anyone else had disturbed him, he would have unleashed his fury. Only Mo Wuyi could make him suppress his anger. He sat up and said, "Uncle Mo, come in."
Mo Wuyi pushed open the door and entered.
Yang Ling looked at Mo Wuyi, who wore a long black robe that made him look like a figure from ancient times. But on him, the outfit seemed entirely fitting.
Mo Wuyi's hair had turned white, but his eyes were still sharp and alert.
Yang Ling asked in a grave tone, "What's happened?"
Mo Wuyi took a deep breath and said, "It's our Mingchun ship on the Yangtze. The Mingchun has been destroyed, all cargo sunk to the bottom of the river. What's more, there were no survivors on board. Zhang Kun, six lay disciples, thirty-two sailors and staff—all dead. Most of their bodies have been recovered."
"What?" Yang Ling was thunderstruck, his face turning pale. "What exactly happened?"
Mo Wuyi replied, "Young Master, we don't yet know the specifics of what occurred."
A fierce light blazed in Yang Ling's eyes, barely concealing his rage. "Who dares to challenge me like this? Investigate immediately, spare no effort..."
Yang Ling had always had smooth sailing, and this incident was a direct challenge to his dignity. Moreover, the economic loss from the Mingchun was immeasurable. Then there was the matter of reputation and authority—if the Yang Group couldn't handle this situation, other pirates and bandits would become emboldened.
Yang Ling took the destruction of the Mingchun extremely seriously.
The day passed quickly.
The people Yang Ling sent out couldn't find a single clue, but several groups from the city police came to question him about the situation. Yang Ling didn't dare tell the whole truth, as he was still using the Mingchun for smuggling.
Yang Ling was furious to the extreme.
What infuriated Yang Ling even more was the arrival of more bad news.
South of the Yangtze, the Jianghuai dock belonging to Yang Ling had been burned down. The goods inside were worth tens of millions. Additionally, several more Shaolin lay disciples had been killed. All twenty-eight dock workers had also been murdered.
It was practically a case of genocide.
The methods were so brutal and vicious that even Yang Ling felt a chill.
At this point, Yang Ling was certain that someone was specifically targeting him. But he couldn't think of who this enemy might be. As far as he knew, he didn't have any deep grudges with anyone!
Mo Wuyi came to see Yang Ling again and reminded him, "Young Master, you've forgotten someone."
"Who?" Yang Ling asked immediately.
Mo Wuyi said, "Chen Yang!"
Yang Ling was suddenly startled as he finally remembered this opponent. Forgive the arrogant Young Master Yang, but he had subconsciously not considered Chen Yang as an equal adversary.
"Are you saying these two recent incidents are related to Chen Yang?" A complex light flashed in Yang Ling's eyes.
Mo Wuyi said, "Besides him, who has a grudge against us? This old servant really can't think of anyone else who would do this."
Yang Ling said, "But how is that possible? Chen Yang is still locked up in detention. Besides, the perpetrator is ruthless and incredibly skilled. I don't believe Chen Yang has such abilities."
Mo Wuyi said, "Chen Yang's background is a mystery. It's possible he found someone to help him." He paused, then added, "But whether it's related to Chen Yang or not, this old servant can't be certain."
Yang Ling pondered for a moment, then said, "The most important thing now is to find this killer."
Mo Wuyi said, "This killer moves like a ghost. It won't be easy to find him in a short time. We have too many branch offices to defend them all. Moreover, Young Master, we've lost quite a few Shaolin lay disciples already. If this continues, the senior masters of the Yong generation will come down on us, and we won't be able to bear that responsibility."
Yang Ling furrowed his brow and asked, "Then what do you suggest we do?"
He felt both angry and frustrated about this killer. But what good was anger? The killer was too cunning to be found!
As the head of the Yang Group, Yang Ling had to consider the big picture. If he allowed these bloody incidents to continue, it was very possible that the empire he had worked so hard to build would crumble.
This was something Yang Ling could not tolerate.
Mo Wuyi said gravely, "This old servant still feels this matter is related to Chen Yang. Young Master, you should go see Chen Yang."
Yang Ling fell silent, then said, "Alright, I understand, Uncle Mo. You can go now. I need to think this over carefully."
Seeing this, Mo Wuyi knew better than to say more. He acknowledged with a "Yes" and withdrew.
Yang Ling pondered deeply. He felt that if this matter was truly related to Chen Yang, then he had made a massive mistake. Not in underestimating Chen Yang's abilities, but in underestimating his resolve and ruthlessness.
This Chen Yang, capable of such consecutive killings, was a true ambitious schemer!
Getting involved with such a person was extremely unwise.
Yang Ling still wasn't certain if this matter was related to Chen Yang when the latest intelligence arrived.
The Yang Group had a special intelligence unit called Shadow, led by a man known as Eagle.
Eagle never appeared in public and was the most mysterious figure in the organization.
Eagle called Yang Ling.
"Young Master, according to the latest intelligence, two days ago, Chen Yang met with a mysterious young man in the detention center. We have surveillance footage from the police station. I'm sending it to your phone now. You can take a look."
Yang Ling's heart tightened. He nodded and said, "Good!"
Soon the surveillance video was transferred. As soon as Yang Ling saw Ye Buyi in the video, he immediately sensed the coldness and killing intent emanating from him.
He instinctively became certain that these two bloody incidents were Ye Buyi's doing.
Yang Ling fell into deep thought. Even if he knew it was Ye Buyi, how could he find him in the vast sea of humanity?
He couldn't afford to delay any longer.
Originally, for Yang Ling, the face of the Shaolin lay disciples and the reputation of the Yang Group were extremely important.
But now, compared to the survival of the Yang Group, nothing else mattered. His primary goal was to prevent any more bloodshed.
After some consideration, Yang Ling quickly made a decision. He called Huo Tianzhong and said, "Master Huo, please relay a message to Chen Yang. If he's willing to cease his attacks on the Yang Group, I'll consider our grudge settled. The Han family will soon come forward to admit they framed him. He can be released, and from now on, we'll stay out of each other's way."
Huo Tianzhong was still confused, as the bloody incidents involving the Yang Group were kept secret to avoid public panic.
However, regardless of the details, Huo Tianzhong was happy. He immediately agreed.
He then rushed to see Chen Yang. Upon meeting him, Huo Tianzhong relayed Yang Ling's message.
Chen Yang sneered and said, "That little bastard Yang Ling truly has a servile nature. Only after teaching him a lesson does he realize that the God of War has three eyes."