Book 1 - Chapter 10: Laugh at me
The Nine Cauldrons
Teng Qing Shan, albeit aware that two of the Big Three of the Kingdom of God were coming to kill him, was able to remain phlegmatic. In fact, he appeared to be excited at the prospect of battling two SS-rank killers. Because he practiced “Tiger Shaped Magical Arts” and had transcended to the higher realm, Teng Qing Shan now possessed ten times more strength than before.
Were Magosawa and Dole Goth Grove to battle him in his current state, Teng Qing Shan could instantly make them perish.
Indeed, Masters lived a life of solitude, for it was incredibly difficult for them to encounter well-matched opponents.
At the thought of his opponent, Teng Qing Shan chuckled: “Big Three, the invincible? I will destroy this legend.”
Shortly after the sun was up, Teng Qing Shan left his temporary abode and called a taxi.
After entering the vehicle, he told the driver, “To the Willow Tea House in the old town. You recognize the address, right?”
The driver smiled: “Of course I know. I go there quite frequently; how can I possibly forget where the Willow Tea House is? Trust me, we will reach there in ten minutes!”
Indubitably, ten minutes later Teng Qing Shan’s cab pulled over in front of the Willow Tea House.
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In another part of the old town, there was an Audi sports car speeding through the street; right beside the driver seat was Lin Qing.
The driver, Xiao Min, inquired, “Sister Lin, have you met Teng Qing Shan since your last encounter a few weeks back?”
Lin shook her head and scoffed: “I have neither heard from nor acquired any information pertaining to him in a month now. Well, I do not want to give him any trouble. This is all just a dream now.” Lin Qing smiled mockingly, “I just have dreams.” Suddenly, her cell phone began buzzing, and she took the phone out of her pocket.
“Hello,” Lin Qing said; her face distorted after she heard the caller’s voice.
“Tonight? Well, see you at the old place, then.”
The call ended.
Due to the darkness that had crept over her face, Lin’s reaction could not be discerned.
Xiao Min cast a furtive glance at Lin Qing and whispered, “Was it Li Shan?”
“Who else but him?” Lin’s eyes manifested a hint of hatred.
Realizing Lin’s fraught situation, Xiao Min replied with barely suppressed bellicose zeal: “It would be good if he were to just die.”
“Well, I wish he would die, but people like him have a long life. Okay, Xiao Min–stop in front of the Willow Tea House.” Lin Qing said.
The sports car stopped not far from the tea house. After Lin Qing exited the vehicle, Xiao Min drove the car away.
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After Lin walked into the Willow Tea House, she was surrounded by the balmy ambience created by the illustrations hanging on the walls.
However, Lin did not appreciate the tenderness of her surrounding since she did not come here solely to calm down.
Habitually, she went to the second floor and swept over the faces of the habitués. Her will, which had been down for a few weeks now, lit up out of the blue; Lin had difficulty breathing because she could not believe her eyes. She immediately exclaimed, “Teng Qing Shan!”
Teng Qing Shan, who was leisurely sipping tea, smiled when he saw Lin Qing and called, “Lin Qing?”
Having sat down opposite to the person she had frantically wanted to meet, Lin delightfully inquired, “Were you doing something important the past few days? I have not seen you coming here.” This sentence revealed the fact that the speaker had come here every day, with an axiomatic purpose.
Casually, Teng Qing Shan replied, “I was busy with something. How come you are so carefree, Lin?”
Lin shallowly smiled, “I have a really simple job in the company. By letting others manage the normal trivialities, I attend only when something paramount comes up. Teng Qing Shan, you have lived in An Yi country before, and are now in the city of Yang Zhou. Don’t you want to go back home? Do you not worry about your wife? Do she not urge you to come back?”
“Home?”
The depths of his heart were touched. Teng Qing Shan pondered: Do I have a home?
As a child, his home was an orphanage where he lived with Dean Grandmother and his brother, Qing Jiang. Then, he became a killer, and lived with the other killers; but, other than Cat, he did not really care about the others.
Now what?
Does he still have a home?
Teng Qing Shan touched a small tripod cauldron which he wore on his chest; this was a memento from his late wife, Cat.
Seeing him stunned, Lin raised her voice, “Teng Qing Shan?”
He looked at her and vocalized, “My wife- she’s dead.”
“Dead?” Lin was goggle-eyed.
Because Teng Qing appeared young, the fact that he is married could surprise anyone. But the notion that his wife had departed the world, leaving behind such a youth, was simply incredulous.
Teng Qing Shan frowned, “Do not ask anything.”
Lin had more than a rudimentary understanding of human behavior. Thus, she was able to construe that because Teng Qing Shan had lost his love at such a young age, and because Teng Qing Shan possessed inconceivable strength, he had secrets.
Though Teng Qing Shan talked to Lin Qing customarily, he paid most of his attention to the house of his brother, Qing Jian.
He noticed everything with but a single glance. Thus, he was also able to notice the inconspicuous man passing by his brother’s house periodically.
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At 10:00 a.m, a black Audi A6 suddenly stopped in front of Qing Jian’s house. A man got off with a big and tall appearance; his height was about 1 meter and 90 centimeters. On the other side of that car, a woman wearing a maternity dress came out with a big belly.
Teng Qing Shan couldn’t help but yell, “Qing Jiang! It’s Qing Jiang!”
Teng Qing Shan knew a bit about his brother; this information included his present appearance as well.
Moreover, Qing Jiang’s face was quite reminiscent of Teng Qing Shan’s face.
Truth be told, the reason why Teng Qing Shan noticed his brother so quickly was because, as a sibling, he shared a very close and special relationship with Qing Jiang.
Perhaps the woman is Qing Jiang’s wife, ‘Li Ran.’
Teng Qing Shan couldn’t help but smile.
Seeing his brother and his wife, Teng Qing Shan was exuberant.
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“Li Ran, let me carry the luggage. You have to take caution. Don’t touch anything.” At the moment, Qin Hong opened the trunk and removed two big suitcases.
“I’m fine.” Li Ran touched her belly, her face full of smiles. As Qin Hong habitually looked around, he noticed that on the window on the second floor of ‘Willow Tea House” there was a man staring at him.
Because he instantly recognized the appearance of that man, Qin Hong felt as if a bucket of iced water had poured over him.
“Wolf!” Qin Hong startlingly shouted.
Although Qin Hong received the news a month ago, no one had been able to find Wolf or the two leaders of God Kingdom. This made Qin Hong lose some confidence because he thought that Wolf had left Yang Zhou.
He’s still here. Qin Hong suddenly calmed himself.
To his surprise, he noticed that Wolf, who had been looking in his direction, nodded and smiled at him.
Qin Hong acted naturally, smiling back at Teng Qing Shan.
“Lin, let’s go in.” Qin Hong unhesitatingly took his wife into the house very quickly.
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On the second floor of the Teahouse, Teng Qing Shan was elated He could not prevent the two corners of his mouth from reaching his ears in glee.
“Qing Jiang! Finally I have seen my brother! Ha ha! I can not believe that my sister-in-law was pregnant. Good.” His brother was his only relative, and he had seen him for the first time in twenty years.
Therefore, Teng Qing Shan was ecstatic!
“My brother is leading a happy life. I am no longer be worried about him.” Teng Qing Shan, who was in high spirit, felt comfortable because a great hope, which had ladened his shoulders, had been realized. His twenty-year hope had finally achieved fruition.
He did not intend to communicate with, and reveal his identity to, Qing Jiang.
The reason,
He did not want Qing Jiang to know that he had a brother like Teng Qing Shan. After all, Teng Shad had enemies like Redmayne family that were to be reckoned with! Being a killer for many years, it was not surprising that he had made a substantial number of enemies. Even though Qing Jiang was a member of a special state department, if he were to involve himself in Teng Qing Shan’s circle then he would be dragged into the Dark World as well.
Teng Qing Shan had numerous master-level enemies. Once his enemies discovered that Qing Jiang was his brother, Qing Jiang would indubitably die.
“Qing Jiang.” Teng Qing Shan looked at his brother’s house and wished him happiness.
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After Qin Hong and Li Ran went into their bedroom, Li Ran was about to open the window. However, Qin Hong suddenly made her cease her actions by stating, “Do not open the curtains.”
Qin Hong let out a sigh of relief.
Li Ran had found Qin Hong’s behavior uncanny, so she asked, “Why?”
Qin Hong whispered, “I saw Wolf on the second floor of Willow Tea house!”
Li Ran was flabbergasted. She was Qin Hong’s wife, but she was also a member of Special Operations Group. So, of course, she knew many secrets.
“Wolf? You said he was near us?”
Li Ran had not seen Teng Qing Shan. However, Qin Hong nodded and said, ”Li Ran, everything‘s okay. A dangerous man like Wolf is not what we can cope with.” Immediately, Qin Hong took out his phone dialed a number, “Hello, Yang brother, I have spotted Wolf. That’s right- he is sitting in a tea house not far from my house.”
“I know. I won’t do anything stupid.”
“Okay, I trust you. Okay, I understand!”
Qin Hong immediately hung up the phone.
Curiously, Li Rang inquired, “What did Yang brother say?”
Qin Hong helplessly smiled, “How could he say anything other than remind us not to do anything? He will come and set up everything on his own… Even unprepared, Wolf is inordinately strong and dangerous. Why can such people calmly drink tea even though they know they are being investigated?”
“Because they don’t fear anything.”
Qin Hong suddenly knitted his eyebrow, “Little Ran, I have just remembered that Wolf looked at me and smiled.”