Chapter 154: Boss Liu the Smuggler

With Jin Sanpang, the original master of the courtyard, present, opening the secret chamber was indeed a very easy task. However, relying solely on Jin Sanpang's strength alone was completely insufficient to pull open the thick stone slab that was over half a foot thick. As Jin Sanpang had described, the entire secret chamber was extremely spacious, occupying almost half of the underground area of the entire courtyard. Apart from the unusually heavy door, however, there were no other traps or mechanisms.

Furthermore, inside the entire secret chamber, aside from Liu Fu whom Ding Li had come to find, there was no one else. At this moment, everyone finally understood the reason Jin Sanpang had given for why escape from the secret chamber was impossible. A stone slab over half a foot thick, topped with a layer of tightly tamped earth, and even a heavy stone table resting on the ground—not a single person present, including Ding Li, dared to claim they could easily escape if locked down here. In fact, they all unanimously agreed with Jin Sanpang's assessment: escape was utterly out of the question.

When they met Liu Fu, both sides were astonished. Ding Li and his men had not expected Liu Fu's treatment here to be quite so decent. Although the food was slightly subpar and the air quality and environment were poor, Liu Fu himself looked fairly energetic; at the very least, it was certain he had not been subjected to abuse.

On the other hand, Liu Fu was surprised as to why someone would descend into the secret chamber in the middle of the night, especially since they didn't look like they were bringing him food and drink, nor did they seem to have been sent to clean the place. However, Liu Fu quickly collected himself. He might not have recognized the others, but he remembered Jin Sanpang very well. After all, both were sea-faring vessel owners who made their living around the Guangzhou port. Although they were not particularly close, they were still peers of a sort, and both had worked to some extent in the smuggling trade for the Cao Clan Merchant Guild, so they were naturally no strangers to each other.

"Brother Liu! It has been many days, trust you have been well?" Jin Sanpang was quite quick-witted. Seeing that Liu Fu was frozen in place and seemingly hadn't reacted yet, he hurriedly stepped forward, smiled, cupped his fists in greeting, and spoke in an extremely amiable tone: "Pardon this abrupt visit today, I hope Brother Liu will not take offense! But please rest assured, Brother Liu, we harbor no ill intentions!"

With that, Jin Sanpang stood in place, waiting for Liu Fu to slightly cup his hands and return the salute. Only then did he stretch out a finger to point at Ding Li, introducing him to Liu Fu: "Brother Liu has been residing in this sunless place, so I wonder if you are aware of the changes that have taken place in Guangzhou Prefecture recently! The person beside me is the current leader of the Nanhai Gang in Guangzhou Prefecture, Ding Li, widely known as Brother Li!"

"So it is Brother Li! I have heard your esteemed name for a long time!" Hearing this, Liu Fu's eyes lit up, and he hurriedly cupped his hands in salute. This time, he bowed deeply at a ninety-degree angle. After straightening up, Liu Fu did not even dare to stand at full height, instead explaining with a respectful expression: "Although I am confined within this secret chamber, the people here still reveal a bit of news to me about the outside world! I have long since heard of Brother Li's formidable reputation. However, forgive my dullness, but I do not know why Brother Li has suddenly..."

As he spoke, Liu Fu's gaze flickered uncertainly, occasionally stealing glances at Ding Li. In his heart, he was already formulating his own guesses and analyses regarding Ding Li's sudden appearance, while simultaneously beginning to calculate his own options.

"I imagine Manager Liu is a clever man. You should know very well why I have come here, shouldn't you, Manager Liu?" Liu Fu's shifting reactions were completely taken in by Ding Li. He frowned slightly, but suppressed his internal aversion, smiled, slowly shook his head, and added: "I thoroughly enjoy dealing with clever people. Of course, it would be even better if Manager Liu turns out to be a straightforward man!"

"This—of course, of course..." Liu Fu had not expected Ding Li to be so direct, and for a moment he had no choice but to bite the bullet and respond repeatedly. At the same time, Liu Fu cast a glance toward Jin Sanpang, but could glean no useful information from the other man's expression. In the end, Liu Fu had to back down in the initial battle of momentum. After all, he was currently just an imprisoned smuggling criminal, and the Ding Li standing before him was very likely the only person capable of rescuing him.

"Manager Liu, your family asked me to bring you their regards!" Seeing this, Ding Li understood Liu Fu's decision. He did not hold the other's previous demeanor against him, offered a slight smile, raised his hands in a casual salute, and continued with a smile: "Manager Liu is truly blessed, and your household management is exemplary! Your wives and concubines actually live together in harmony, and your son and three daughters are all clever, sensible, and well-behaved."

Hearing this, Liu Fu trembled all over. The people who imprisoned him were members of the Cao Clan Merchant Guild, and although they occasionally brought him news of his family, Liu Fu could always sense a lack of authenticity in their words. Yet now, hearing these words that he had imagined countless times spoken from Ding Li's mouth, Liu Fu unhesitatingly believed that his family was indeed in Ding Li's hands—or rather, that Ding Li had the means to reunite him with his family.

"Brother Li! As long as I can see my family again, whatever Brother Li needs Liu Fu to do, just say the word!" Days of confinement had pushed Liu Fu's mental state to the verge of collapse. Everything he did just now had merely been a subconscious reaction, but at this moment, he could no longer maintain his facade. His knees suddenly went weak, and he dropped to the ground, repeatedly kowtowing and cupping his fists toward Ding Li: "Through mountains of blades and seas of fire, I await Brother Li's commands, and Liu Fu will not shrink from death! I only ask that Brother Li arrange for the future livelihood of my wife, children, and elderly dependents!"

"There is no need for mountains of blades or seas of fire!" Looking at Liu Fu, whose attitude had undergone such a drastic transformation, Ding Li merely curled his lips in disdain, then turned and walked toward the stone steps leading back to the surface: "Manager Liu, I will personally arrange for you to meet your family, and I guarantee your safety. However, should the need arise for Manager Liu to step forward, I hope Manager Liu will not forget what you just said!"

"Certainly, certainly! Many thanks, Brother Li! Many thanks, Brother Li!" Hearing this, Liu Fu shuddered once more. He didn't even bother to hurry after Ding Li immediately, instead pressing himself to the ground to knock his head three resounding times before rising and chasing after Ding Li and the others who had already left the secret chamber.

"Saiji, first thing tomorrow morning, make a trip yourself and see if you can arrange a meeting with Elder Brother Yang for me. I have some matters to discuss with him. If he asks, tell him it is extremely urgent!" Standing back on ground level, Ding Li took a deep breath of fresh air and gave his instructions to Saiji Gade in a low voice without looking back. After a brief pause, he suddenly added: "Saiji, Lai Wu is not dead, and he has returned!"

"What?! Lai Wu?!" Ding Li's supplementary remark struck Saiji Gade like a bolt of lightning out of a blue sky, making him shiver violently. Saiji Gade was no longer the ordinary foreign youth he once was. Tempered by the trials of this period, he understood all too well that an enemy lurking in the shadows was far more troublesome than an opponent standing right out in the open—much like a venomous snake hidden beside him forever, ready to strike out at any moment and deal a fatal blow.

"Be careful lately, keep your wits about you. I reckon that if Lai Wu has returned to Guangzhou Prefecture, both you and I will be his primary targets! Little Lizi, Gouzi and the others should be fine; after all, they've moved in together now and stick close in groups, plus with the docks currently closed, it won't be easy for Lai Wu to find them." Ding Li analyzed his thoughts to Saiji Gade with a calm expression, then smiled faintly, turned his head with a somewhat helpless look, and added: "Besides, towering trees catch the wind! You understand, Saiji—if Lai Wu wants revenge, we two will naturally be the very first people he comes after!"

"I understand, Brother Li, don't worry! I'd already thought of all this long ago!" Saiji Gade shrugged offhandedly, shook his head with a smile, and then looked fixedly at Ding Li, adding: "You once told us, Brother Li, that the greater the enterprise you wish to undertake, the greater the danger you must prepare yourself to endure beforehand! Since I chose this path, I never intended to back out easily. Besides, I've already endured quite a bit; I have no reason to persuade myself to quit at a time like this."

Beneath the night sky, Saiji Gade's face took on an extra measure of firmness. Though his words sounded rather arrogant, they brought Ding Li no small amount of comfort, for from those jet-black eyes filled with determination, Ding Li could tell that Saiji Gade was not merely boasting, but had truly prepared himself for everything.

"It's nothing, I was merely reminding you!" Ding Li raised a hand to pat Saiji Gade's shoulder, then smiled with full confidence: "If I could deal with that Lai Wu once, I can deal with him a second and a third time! Since a fire couldn't burn him to death last time, perhaps next time I'll hold him down in the Nanhai Sea and drown him!"

With that, Ding Li straightened his posture confidently, waved a large hand toward his men, and took the lead walking toward the courtyard gate: "Let's go! Back we go! It's been a long time since I had a good night's sleep, time to head back and rest!"

However, just as Ding Li reached the courtyard gate, he was suddenly enveloped by a sense of crisis. Immediately afterward, he felt as though human figures were darting before his eyes, flashing past the gap between the two courtyard doors. In a split second, Ding Li spun around, spread his arms to shield the people behind him, and shouted sharply: "Ambush! Scatter! Heizi, protect Manager Liu and fall back first!"

Before his voice had even faded, the two courtyard gates emitted a deafening crash as the towering solid-wood doors slowly toppled inward. Taking advantage of the moment, Ding Li and the others dove to either side. But when the faces of those who appeared before them behind the fallen wooden doors came into view, everyone was struck with utter terror.

"Lai Wu?!" Ding and Saiji Gade were profoundly shocked, and shouting in unison right along with them was Liu Fu, who was being tightly shielded behind Heizi.

"Ha! So you're all here!" Lai Wu's chilling gaze swept instantly over Ding Li and the others inside the courtyard. With a cold laugh, he raised a hand and twitched his fingers slightly. Immediately, several figures leaped out from behind him wielding short crossbows, closely followed by several more men who had fully drawn their horn bows and notched feather-fletched arrows onto the bowstems.

Under the cover of night, the bluish sheen of the crossbow bolts and the silvery glint of the feathered arrows sent a deep chill through Ding and his men, causing even the surrounding temperature to drop noticeably. Amidst all this, the suddenly appeared Lai Wu slowly began to smile, though that pockmarked face of his looked more ferocious than ever.

For months, Lai Wu had endured solely for revenge—or rather, to wait for this very day. And right now was the absolute best opportunity for vengeance: there was Liu Fu, the smuggling ship owner, along with his mortal enemies Ding Li and Saiji Gade.

Looking at the familiar faces before him, Lai Wu slowly turned his head to look at the men accompanying him. His past trusted subordinates were entirely gone, and even the few he currently considered confidants were merely desperate scoundrels he had dug up from his hometown in Xunzhou. Between them, only mutual interests connected them; as for genuine loyalty, not even Lai Wu himself could vouch for how much of it existed.

"Southern fists, northern kicks... as your elder brother, I am going to avenge you all today!" Suddenly, Lai Wu tilted his face upward, gazed into the star-studded night sky, and murmured softly to himself.