Chapter 63

Qixiang carefully read the content of the text message, and his heart immediately sank, realizing that Xiaoding was in trouble. However, in the next second, he began to ponder whether this was a trap or a distress signal.

Or perhaps both. It was a plea for help and a trap at the same time...

Qixiang thought carefully, hesitating and indecisive.

This situation seemed to confirm Xiaoding's guess from yesterday, that he was indeed cornered by someone.

But Qixiang was also worried that Xiaoding might have betrayed him to protect himself. Now, sending a text message for help was to lure him, the "mastermind," out.

"It's difficult..."

After hesitating for a while, Qixiang finally decided to go out for a trip. After all, as an adult, he had to take responsibility for the trouble he caused. He was not lacking in this sense of duty.

The address provided by Xiaoding was a relatively quiet street in the city.

On this street, there was a teahouse with few customers.

Qixiang arrived at the street and observed the teahouse from a distance. He saw that no one was guarding the shop entrance, which seemed somewhat unusual.

On the second floor of the teahouse, a window facing the street was slightly open. Behind the thin curtain, there seemed to be a figure peering out.

There really is an ambush.

Qixiang smiled and walked towards the teahouse calmly. He entered the shop and climbed the stairs step by step to the second floor. He was fully prepared, with a tortoise shell hidden in his palm.

But when he went up, the scene before him surprised him.

In the spacious area on the second floor, five or six people were lying on the ground in pain, groaning.

Three others were sitting quietly to one side. One of them was Xiaoding. The other two seemed to be acquaintances. Qixiang was momentarily stunned, unsure of the situation.

"Mr. Qixiang..."

At the same time, Xiaoding called out softly, with a grateful expression. He really didn't expect that Qixiang would dare to come alone after receiving his distress signal.

Qixiang's mind settled, his gaze swept over the injured on the ground, and he looked at Xiaoding, then smiled: "Brother Ding, it seems the matter here has already been resolved?"

"Resolved, resolved..." Xiaoding's expression was uneasy, and he forced a smile: "Thanks to Young Master Hai and Mr. Tian, they saved me."

Beside Xiaoding, Young Master Hai and Mr. Tian were calmly drinking tea.

"It's nothing, we just happened to be there at the right time," Young Master Hai smiled faintly, not taking credit: "We saw Xiaoding being held hostage here and couldn't just stand by."

"I will remember your kindness," Xiaoding was deeply moved: "If you need anything from me in the future, just say the word, and I will do anything for you."

Mr. Tian sipped his tea, seemingly indifferent. He probably thought that if they really encountered any difficulties, Xiaoding wouldn't be much help.

But Young Master Hai was very polite and smiled: "If we really need anything, we won't hesitate to ask you."

"Right..."

As he spoke, Young Master Hai turned his head and looked at Qixiang: "Brother, do you still have those black pearls from last time?"

"Uh?" Qixiang was taken aback and answered truthfully: "No, I only had one."

"Oh..." Young Master Hai was a bit disappointed and then stood up: "Then there's nothing else. We'll be going now."

"So soon?" Xiaoding tried to retain them: "Let me treat you to a meal."

"We have other things to do. We'll catch up next time," Young Master Hai waved and left with Mr. Tian.

Xiaoding hurried to see them off, or rather, he didn't dare to stay on the second floor alone. He pulled Qixiang down the stairs quickly, watched Young Master Hai and Mr. Tian leave, and then urged Qixiang to leave this place of trouble.

They walked quickly, passing through two main streets before Xiaoding stopped, panting and feeling very relieved: "There's always a way out. Fortunately, I was saved by a noble person, or I would have been finished today."

"Those people just now..." Qixiang frowned: "Who are they?"

"Who else? They are the gang I mentioned yesterday, who specialize in making purple clay teapots," Xiaoding said indignantly: "They were beaten by Zhu Shen and didn't dare to provoke him, so they came after me."

"The worst part is, I got a tip-off and planned to hide in the countryside. Who knew someone would betray me..."

Xiaoding gritted his teeth: "True character is revealed over time. I treated that scoundrel like a brother, but he saw the money and betrayed me for a small profit, completely disregarding the code of the underworld."

"Hmm?"

Qixiang understood. No wonder someone as cunning as Xiaoding was caught so easily; it was because he was betrayed by a brother. The decline of morals and the loss of human nature were evident.

Qixiang sighed and asked: "What happened next? How did those two save you?"

"After being caught, they forced me to send you a text message..."

Xiaoding spoke hesitantly, glossing over this part, then exclaimed and said excitedly: "I was tied up on the second floor of the teahouse, feeling very anxious."

"Suddenly, Mr. Tian jumped in through the window and quickly took care of those people, one punch at a time..."

Xiaoding's face was full of admiration: "Mr. Tian is definitely a legendary martial arts expert. Even when facing several people at once, he didn't break a sweat. Before I could react, those people were either injured or incapacitated, lying on the ground."

"Really that powerful?" Qixiang was somewhat surprised.

"Really!" Xiaoding swore: "I saw it with my own eyes..."

"Uh-huh." Qixiang was thoughtful.

At this moment, Xiaoding's expression changed, and he said in a low voice: "Mr. Qixiang, I have to go, to hide elsewhere. I'll only consider coming back after things calm down."

"You should go back to Jinling as soon as possible. If we have the chance, we'll meet again in the underworld!"

Xiaoding said a few words of farewell and turned to leave.

"Wait..."

Qixiang reached out to stop him and said softly: "Brother Ding, can you give me Young Master Hai's contact information?"

Xiaoding's eyes flickered, seemingly weighing the options. After all, for a broker, each client's information was a source of income, and he wouldn't easily reveal it to competitors.

But after some thought, Xiaoding finally gave Qixiang Young Master Hai's phone number.

Qixiang reciprocated, taking out a stack of cash from his waist pouch and forcing it into Xiaoding's hand: "This is a small token of appreciation, for your travel expenses. I wish you a safe journey..."

"Mr. Qixiang!" Xiaoding was speechless: "...Take care!"

With a farewell, Xiaoding wiped away his tears and disappeared.

After Xiaoding left, Qixiang didn't return home. Instead, he pondered for a moment and chose another street, walking hurriedly as if looking for something.

After a while, Qixiang stopped and saw two familiar figures at the end of a small alley.

"Sure enough, they didn't go far..." Qixiang's eyes showed a hint of surprise. Seeing Young Master Hai and Mr. Tian still lingering in the nearby streets, he was somewhat curious.

He wasn't unfamiliar with this area and knew it was relatively remote, far from the city center, and there wasn't much to see. Unless there was something specific, people wouldn't come here just to wander.

But Young Master Hai and Mr. Tian had come here, walked around for a couple of rounds, and showed no signs of leaving. There must be a reason or a purpose.

Qixiang thought for a moment and decided to follow them. He trailed them for two alleys and became even more certain of his judgment.

These two were looking around, seemingly searching for something. However, they didn't seem to have a clear target, so they wandered for a while without any results.

Seeing this, Qixiang decided to offer his help, walking up quickly and said warmly: "Gentlemen, are you looking for something?"

As Qixiang approached, Young Master Hai and Mr. Tian noticed him, their eyes showing a bit of caution.

"You..." Young Master Hai blinked, surprised: "You didn't leave?"

"I live here..." Qixiang smiled, waving his keys and then walked to the side, easily unlocking a shop door.

While unlocking the door, he greeted his neighbors, who responded warmly.

This was why Qixiang, despite suspecting a trap, still dared to come. He was familiar with the area and knew some people.

With the advantage of location and people, he was confident he could escape safely if anything unexpected happened.

With support and confidence, why be afraid and not come?

Unexpectedly, when he arrived, he didn't even need to act, and the matter was resolved. This was a classic example of human plans being outdone by fate.

Seeing Qixiang unlock the door and enter, Young Master Hai and Mr. Tian looked at each other and suddenly showed a look of surprise. Qixiang living here was clearly a local, which would be a great help to them.

"Gentlemen, would you like to come in for a cup of tea?" Qixiang waved and smiled. Young Master Hai and Mr. Tian immediately took the opportunity to come in.

Inside, Qixiang quickly boiled water and made tea, warmly welcoming them.

"Mr. Qixiang..."

Young Master Hai sipped his tea and smiled: "I didn't expect you to live nearby."

"I don't live here often, it's more of a temporary residence," Qixiang explained: "I lived in Huzhou for a few years, but in the last two or three years, I've been developing in Jinling. This place has been vacant, and I only come here when I have free time."

"I see..."

Young Master Hai glanced at Mr. Tian, who nodded slightly, and then smiled warmly: "I was wondering why Xiaoding said you were from Jinling, but you had a place here..."

"In our line of work, we often travel, and having a temporary residence in different places is quite common," Qixiang said casually: "A clever rabbit has three dens!"