The cell door clanged shut, the sound echoing the finality of the judge’s gavel. “Chen Ping, sentenced to three years,” the guard muttered, shoving him inside. “Plus a $50,000 fine, due immediately.”
Inside, the stench of sweat and despair hung heavy. A hulking man, the clear boss of the cellblock, cornered him. “Well, well. Chen Ping,” the man sneered. “Mr. Chen. I’ve… heard about you.”
Chen Ping’s head snapped up. “You know me?”
“Master Xiao. He sends his regards,” the boss growled. “He said you framed his son, Xiao Lei, for assaulting your own girlfriend. Then you got yourself thrown in here, and now… he wants your life.”
Rage, cold and sharp, pierced through Chen Ping’s shock. “Xiao Lei violated my girlfriend! He framed me! He wants my life now, too?”
“In Horgcheng,” the boss said, cracking his knuckles, “Master Xiao is the law. Boys… it’s all set. Break his arms, and we get fifty grand.”
The men closed in. Chen Ping fought, but he was one against five. The beating was brutal, methodical. “We’ll continue tomorrow,” the boss panted, wiping blood from his lip.
Left broken in a corner, Chen Ping coughed, tasting iron. My parents… they’re old. I never even got to defend myself. I can’t die in here.
A dry, ancient voice rasped from the shadows of the cell, where an old man lay unnoticed on a dark cot. “A good heart, boy. You will be blessed. I, the Old Dragon Head, will take you as my disciple.”
Chen Ping stared, his vision blurry. The old man’s eyes seemed to glow in the dim light.
“A dragon, hidden in the abyss,” the old man whispered, his hand suddenly on Chen Ping’s forehead. A surge of warmth, electric and powerful, flooded his body. “Breathe to your Dantian. Breathe as the dragon soars…”
For years, the old man, a being of impossible power, taught him. He transmitted a lifetime of divine skills, mending Chen Ping’s body and forging it into something new.
Then, one day, the old man was gone.
“Hey, wake up!” A guard kicked his cot. “Your healing factor is something else, kid. But we’ve got things to do.”
Chen Ping sat up, his body aching but whole. The guards who had beaten him before were back. “You won’t touch me,” Chen Ping said, his voice flat. “Or the old man.”
“What old man?” The guard looked around the empty cell. “The one on the cot?” He laughed. “Kid, I think we knocked you stupid. There’s no one else in here. You’re hallucinating.”
“Impossible,” Chen Ping whispered. But the cot was empty.
A voice echoed in his mind, the Dragon Master’s final lesson. “Disciple Chen Ping, I have passed all my skills to you. Study. Train. Persevere. My divine power is yours.”
“He’s crazy,” one guard said. “Just kill him and get the reward.”
As they lunged, Chen Ping stood. “July 15th,” the master’s voice echoed. “Use the Dragon King Ring. A great fortune awaits you on Dragon Island. Your master bids you farewell.”
“Master!” Chen Ping cried out, but only to the empty air. He felt a heavy ring on his finger, one that hadn’t been there before.
“What the hell are you doing?” a guard shouted, lunging with a shiv.
Chen Ping moved. It wasn’t a thought; it was an instinct. His hand shot out, catching the guard’s wrist. A simple twist, a crack of bone, and a scream. The other men stared in terror as Chen Ping moved through them like a phantom, a blur of precise, disabling strikes.
“Soon,” Chen Ping said, standing over the groaning men, “you will repent.”
They dragged themselves away. “Sir… please, have mercy…”
Three years later, the heavy gates opened. “Chen Ping, you’re free to go.”
The guards, the same ones who had once tormented him, now bowed. “We bid you farewell, sir.”
“Do good,” Chen Ping said, not looking back. “Don’t bully the people.”
He walked, faster and faster, until he was running toward the dilapidated apartment building he called home. He found them on the street, his father on his knees, his mother weeping silently beside him, her eyes covered by a strip of cloth. A group of thuggish men were kicking over their meager belongings.
“Pay up, old man!” one of them shouted.
“Please, just a few more days! We sold everything… we have nothing left!” his father pleaded.
“That’s crap!”
“I’ll pay their debt.”
The thugs turned. Chen Ping stood there, his eyes cold. “Let go of my parents.”
“Chen Ping?” His mother’s head snapped toward his voice. “Chen Ping! You’re alive?”
“Well, look at this. The ex-con returns,” the lead thug sneered. “Good. You pay. $5,000 for injuring young Master Xiao.”
“We… we already paid that, son,” his father stammered, pulling himself up. “But… the interest…”
“How much is the interest?” Chen Ping asked, his voice dangerously calm.
“You’re late,” the thug grinned. “With interest… $1.8 million.”
“That’s extortion!” his father yelled.
Chen Ping looked at his mother. “Mom… your eyes? What happened?”
“She… she went blind, son. From crying for you,” his father whispered.
Chen Ping knelt, gently touching his mother’s face. “Mom, Dad. I’m so sorry I made you suffer. Let me handle this.”
“You’re back, that’s all that matters,” his mother sobbed, clutching his hand.
“A real proud moment for the Chen family, huh?” the thug mocked. “Your mom’s blind. Your dad will be next.”
Chen Ping stood up. He was a blur. Before the thug could even blink, Chen Ping had him by the throat, his feet dangling off the ground.
“Ah… Aghk!”
The other thugs froze, terrified. Chen Ping’s grip was like a steel vise. “Now,” Chen Ping said, his voice a low growl. “Tell me. Where is Xiao Lei?”
“He… hotel… Regal Hotel!” the man choked out. “He’s… getting married… to Geng Shan! Today!”
Chen Ping dropped him. He turned to his parents, his expression softening. “I’ll be back.”
The Regal Hotel was downtown, but the streets were blocked by a gaudy, high-end motorcade. Black sedans, all bearing the Xiao family crest, had formed a blockade, horns blaring. An ambulance was trapped behind them, its lights flashing uselessly.
A young woman in a sharp business suit was pounding on the window of the lead car. “Please! You have to let us pass! My father is critical! We have to get to the hospital!”
A bodyguard rolled down the window. “This is the Xiao family escort. We’re on a schedule. Delaying their good fortune is something you can’t afford, lady.”
“The Xiao wedding is at my family’s hotel!” she shouted, desperate. “I’m Su Yushi! I’ll explain it to them, just move!”
“Don’t care. Now get out of the way,” the guard shoved her. She stumbled back, tears of frustration in her eyes.
“What’s going on?” a man on the sidewalk whispered. “That’s Su Yushi, and her father, Su Wenong. The richest man in Horgcheng! And they’re messing with the Xiao family?”
“Dad, hang on!” Yushi cried, looking back at the ambulance.
“Brother Long,” the guard in the car said, “Just run them over. Show them what happens when you mess with us.”
The car’s engine revved. It lurched forward. Yushi screamed.
A hand, firm and steady, landed on the car’s hood.
The car stopped dead, its tires screeching, smoke pouring from the rubber. The engine whined, but the vehicle didn’t budge.
Everyone stared. Chen Ping stood in front of the car, holding it in place with one hand.
“Holy… what just happened?”
“Did he… did he just stop that car?”
“That guy isn’t human.”
Chen Ping walked to the ambulance. “It’s too late for the hospital,” he said calmly to the frantic woman. “Let me.”
“What? Can you…?”
He opened the door. Inside, an older man was convulsing, his face pale. Chen Ping placed his hand on the man’s chest. A gentle, warm light, visible only to him, flowed from his palm. The convulsions stopped. The man’s breathing steadied. Color returned to his face.
A moment later, Su Wenong’s eyes fluttered open. “Dad! Dad, how do you feel?”
“I… I feel good, Yushi. Better than I have in years.”
“Young man,” Su Wenong said, sitting up. “May I know your name?”
“Chen Ping.”
“I am Su Wenong. I am deeply in your debt.”
“It was nothing.”
The bodyguards from the Xiao family car were staring, their faces pale. “President Su… it was a misunderstanding… we didn’t know…”
“Get out of here, you traitors,” Su Wenong snapped, his voice booming with renewed strength. He turned back to Chen Ping, holding out a key card. “Mr. Chen, you saved my life. This is a small token. A villa in Panlong Bay. Please, accept it.”
“That’s too much. I can’t.”
“Mr. Chen, don’t refuse,” Su Yushi insisted. “Is my father’s life not worth a house?”
“Alright,” Chen Ping said, taking the key. “But I’m in a hurry. I have to get to the Regal Hotel.”
“He’s going to the Regal?” Yushi whispered to her father.
“We own it,” Su Wenong said, smiling. “If you don’t mind, Mr. Chen, I’ll take you there personally.”
“Stop. Today is Young Master Xiao’s wedding. Do you have an invitation?” the hotel security guard said, barring Chen Ping’s way.
“No. But I need to speak to the bride.”
“Then get lost.”
Chen Ping walked past him as if he wasn’t there.
“Shan!” he called out, his voice cutting through the lobby.
Upstairs, in the bridal suite, Geng Shan was adjusting her veil. She heard her name. “Shan! It’s me, Chen Ping!”
She froze. She ran to the window and looked down. “Chen Ping? You’re… you’re out of prison?”
“They tried to kill me,” he called up. “I’m not the same man I was. Come with me. I’ll give you a good life.”
Geng Shan laughed, a cold, ugly sound. “Did prison make you stupid, Chen Ping? You think I’d leave the wealth of the Xiao family to run off with an ex-convict? I was with you for eight years. You gave me nothing.”
“I went to prison for you! To save you!”
“Save me? Who asked you to? I’m marrying a rich man, Chen Ping. You have no money, no house. How can you compare?”
“He just gave me a wedding house in Panlong Bay,” Chen Ping said, thinking of the key in his pocket.
“Panlong Bay? That’s the most expensive villa district in Horgcheng! You’ll never set foot in a place like that in your life. Get lost before you embarrass me!”
“Geng Shan!” A woman, Geng Shan’s mother, appeared at the door. “Don’t make the young master misunderstand! Get out of here, you trash!”
“Well, well. If it isn’t our guest of honor.” Xiao Lei appeared at the top of the stairs, a smug grin on his face. Geng Shan was on his arm. “What’s wrong, Chen Ping? Prison food not good enough? Came here for a free meal?”
“Lei, darling, don’t lower yourself to his level,” Geng Shan cooed.
“You’ve had enough, Chen Ping. Get out,” Xiao Lei sneered.
“One day,” Chen Ping said, his voice low, “I will charge you a price you cannot afford.”
“Ooh, scary. Don’t go! Since you’re here, stay for the wedding. Watch me and Shan get married. Guards! Get our ‘guest’ a VIP seat. Front row.”
The wedding hall was filled with Horgcheng’s elite. Chen Ping was forced into a chair at the front. Old classmates recognized him.
“Chen Ping? Old buddy! Tell us, what’s prison life like?”
“Aren’t you going to say hi? You were top of our class. How’d you end up in the slammer?”
“Just got out, huh? Need a job? I can let you clean my toilets. It’s dirty, but at least you can feed your old parents.”
Chen Ping said nothing, his eyes fixed on the stage.
“Welcome!” the MC boomed. “To the wedding of Horgcheng’s most important family! Please welcome the happy couple, Xiao Lei and Geng Shan!”
Xiao Lei took the microphone. “Thank you all for coming. But today, I want to introduce a special guest. Without him, this day wouldn’t be possible. He was with Shan for eight years. But for my happiness, he personally delivered her to my bed. And to make sure he didn’t interrupt us, he sent himself to prison for three years! He just got out and came straight here to bless us. How selfless!”
The crowd murmured, confused.
“He’s the most ‘noble’ son in Horgcheng!” Xiao Lei’s voice dripped with sarcasm. “He forced his parents into massive debt. His father sweeps streets to survive. His mother cried until she went blind! Such a catastrophe! Chen Ping, why don’t you stand up so everyone can see you?”
A spotlight hit Chen Ping. The crowd gasped.
“That’s him? He’s worse than an animal!”
“Scum like that deserves to be struck by lightning!”
“Get out of here, you useless trash! Don’t embarrass yourself!”
“Chen Ping,” Xiao Lei’s father, Master Xiao, strode onto the stage. “Are you tired of living?”
“I think,” Chen Ping said, standing up, “the one tired of living is you.”
“You dare! You’ve insulted my family! Guards!”
“Stop!” A new voice cut through the hall. Su Wenong and Su Yushi entered, flanked by their own security. “With me here, I’d like to see who dares touch Mr. Chen!”
“Mr. Chen, are you alright?” Yushi asked, rushing to his side.
“I’m fine, Miss Su. Sorry for the trouble.”
“Mr. Xiao,” Su Wenong said, his voice cold. “Mr. Chen is an honored guest of the Su family. This is a misunderstanding.”
“A misunderstanding?” Master Xiao scoffed. “He’s an ex-convict! Don’t tell me you’re being fooled by this trash, President Su.”
“Whether he’s trash or not is for me to decide,” Yushi snapped.
“I was with him for eight years!” Geng Shan shrieked. “He can’t even cure a common cold! He’s nobody!”
“That’s because you didn’t deserve him, you stupid woman!” Yushi shot back.
“The Su family will not let you go!” Master Xiao roared.
“We’ll be waiting,” Chen Ping said.
“President Su,” Master Xiao growled, “This brat must die today. Stay out of it.”
“From now on, the Su family will protect Mr. Chen with everything we have,” Su Wenong declared.
The two most powerful families in Horgcheng were on the brink of war, all over an ex-convict.
“Fine,” Master Xiao sneered. “You think your money can protect him? Guards! Go to Juji Hall. Bring me Tiger Lin.”
The crowd gasped. “Tiger Lin? Lin Tianhu? The underworld emperor of Horgcheng?”
“They say it’s better to offend the king of hell than Tiger Lin.”
“The Su family is in deep trouble.”
A few minutes later, the doors of the ballroom burst open. A large man with an imposing presence and a tiger tattoo on his neck strode in, flanked by dozens of men in black suits. This was Lin Tianhu.
“Tiger Lin,” Master Xiao said, “This brat hurt my son and insulted my family. Kill him.”
Lin Tianhu’s cold eyes scanned the room. “President Su, you’d best not get involved.”
“Tiger Lin,” Su Wenong stood his ground. “Mr. Chen saved my life. I must protect him.”
“Enough,” Lin Tianhu boomed. “I understand. He doesn’t deserve death. Cut off one arm and have him admit his guilt.” He looked at Chen Ping. “Or do you want me to do it?”
“You?” Chen Ping said, his voice quiet. “You’re going to make me?”
“You’re challenging Tiger Lin? You’re dead!” someone whispered.
Chen Ping simply looked at the underworld boss. “You kill without distinguishing right from wrong. A true piece of trash.”
“You want to die?!” Lin Tianhu roared, raising his hand to strike.
And then he froze.
His eyes were locked on Chen Ping’s hand. On the simple, ancient ring on his finger.
“The… the Dragon King Ring,” Lin Tianhu stammered, his face draining of all color. He dropped to his knees, his forehead hitting the floor.
“Mr. Chen,” he trembled, “can we… speak alone?”
“What is it? Say it here.”
“The great Tiger Lin… afraid someone will hear?” Chen Ping mocked.
Lin Tianhu slammed his head against the marble floor. “Lin Tianhu of Juji Hall pays his respects to the Dragon King! Lord of the Palace, forgive me! I didn’t recognize you!”
His eight lieutenants, the “Eight Vajras,” instantly dropped to their knees behind him. “We greet the Dragon King!”
The entire ballroom was silent, a hundred jaws on the floor. Master Xiao looked like he’d seen a ghost.
“I recognize the ring, not the person,” Lin Tianhu whispered, still on the floor. “As long as you wear it, you are our King.”
“Get up,” Chen Ping said. “Don’t call me that. This ring was a gift.”
“We understand, Palace Lord.” Lin Tianhu stood, brushing himself off, his demeanor completely subservient. He turned to the Xiao family. “From this day, if anyone in Horgcheng disrespects Mr. Chen, they are an enemy of Juji Hall. Am I clear?”
Master Xiao and Xiao Lei were white as sheets.
“Mr. Chen, are you alright?” Su Yushi asked as they walked out of the stunned ballroom.
“I’m fine. Thank you, Miss Su.”
“My father’s savior is my friend. Let’s get out of here.”
“What an imposing place,” Chen Ping’s mother said, her hands tracing the carved wooden door of the Panlong Bay villa. “I may not be able to see it, but I can feel how wonderful it is.”
“Mom, Dad,” Chen Ping said, “our best days are still to come. And Mom… I swear I’ll cure your eyes.”
“If you’re well, I don’t care about anything else,” she smiled.
The door burst open. “You old blind woman! And you, a street sweeper! Who said you could be in here?” Geng Shan stormed in, flanked by her old classmates. “This villa was a wedding gift from Young Master Xiao to me!”
“Shan? What… what’s happening?” Chen Ping’s father asked, confused.
“Dad, this house was given to me by the Su family.”
“By the Su family? To an ex-con?” Geng Shan laughed. “Butler Zhang, tell them!”
The property manager, Butler Zhang, stepped forward. “Miss Xiao is correct. This villa was purchased by Young Master Xiao for his wife.”
“Chen Ping,” Geng Shan sneered, “Get on your knees, you and your trash parents, and apologize. Then maybe I’ll let you go.”
“The ones who should leave,” a new voice said, “are you.”
Su Yushi entered, her face like ice.
“Su Yushi! What are you doing here?” Geng Shan stammered.
“This villa was purchased by my father for me,” Yushi said. “I was busy, so I hired a butler to manage it. Who knew he’d turn out to be a scammer?”
Butler Zhang turned pale. “Miss… Miss Su, let me explain…”
“Save it,” Yushi said. “I know everything. Three months ago, Xiao Lei gave you $5,000 to rent this house for one week, just to show off. He couldn’t afford to buy it. He gave you another $5,000 to keep me from finding out.”
“Impossible!” Geng Shan shrieked. “Lei is rich!”
“Here’s the rental contract,” Yushi said, throwing a paper on the table. “With Xiao Lei’s signature. And here,” she held up a deed, “is the actual title, which I have transferred to its new owner: Mr. Chen Ping.”
Geng Shan and her friends’ faces were priceless.
“Get out,” Chen Ping said.
“Wait,” Yushi held up a hand. “This house is now Mr. Chen’s. He decides your punishment. And… you’ve been squatting here.”
“We… we’ll go!”
“Not so fast,” Chen Ping said. “You’ll apologize to my parents. And then you’ll pay rent. This is Panlong Bay. The cheapest villa here is $30,000 a month. You’ve been here three months, plus damages… Let’s call it $150,000. Pay up, or I’ll sue for trespassing.”
They had no money. They were forced to write and sign a humiliating IOU before Chen Ping threw them out.
“Yushi,” Chen Ping said after they left, “I need your help. I need to find something. Millennia-old snake gall.”
Yushi’s eyes widened. “I’ve… I’ve only heard of such things. But you might find it at the Ghost Market. It’s dangerous, though. Here.” She handed him a black credit card. “This has $10 million. Just in case.”
The Ghost Market was a sprawling, shadowy bazaar. “Hey, young man,” a vendor hissed. “Looking for something special? Look at this. An ancient mineral. $1,000.”
It was a rusted, lumpy piece of iron. But Chen Ping’s senses, honed by the Dragon Master, felt a pure energy pulsing within it. “I’ll take it,” he said.
He paid the man and, with a simple crack of his hand, split the iron block open. A brilliant, emerald light spilled out. Inside was a flawless piece of Imperial Jade, worth millions.
“He found a treasure!” someone yelled.
“Hey! Give that back!” The vendor lunged. “I sold you the iron, not what was inside!”
Chen Ping easily sidestepped him. “A deal’s a deal.”
“You’re trying to rob me? In my market? I’m calling Sister Yao!”
A woman in a red silk dress, Sister Yao of Juji Hall, arrived with her men. “What’s going on?”
“Sister Yao! He stole my jade!”
Sister Yao’s eyes fell on Chen Ping. She froze, then bowed deeply. “Mr. Chen. Forgive my subordinate’s ignorance.” She turned to the vendor. “You’ve been scamming people for years. Now you try to rob Mr. Chen? Get him out of my sight. And break his legs.”
“Mr. Chen,” she said, “Tiger Lin told us to assist you in any way. What are you looking for?”
“Millennia-old snake gall.”
“I don’t have that,” she said. “But Tiger Lin knows a man who might. The great collector, Gu Wentian.”
Lin Tianhu personally escorted Chen Ping to a sprawling, ancient-style mansion. “Mr. Gu,” Lin Tianhu said, “This is Mr. Chen, a… a very honored guest.”
“A pleasure,” said Gu Wentian, an elegant old man.
“Mr. Gu,” Chen Ping said, “forgive my frankness, but you should burn that throne.”
He was pointing at an ornate dragon throne in the center of the hall.
“What?! You young fool! Are you cursing me to die?” Gu roared. “That throne belonged to an emperor! I spent half my fortune on it!”
“It did,” Chen Ping said. “And an emperor died on it, full of resentment. The nine dragons carved into it are now corrupted. The only reason you’re not dead is the good feng shui of your mansion, but it’s failing. Look at the eyes of the main dragon. They’re almost black.”
Gu Wentian stared. “Guards!”
“Master Gu,” Chen Ping said, “Have you been having nightmares? Waking up, feeling like you’re suffocating?”
Gu Wentian stopped. “Wait. How… how did you know?”
“Mr. Chen, you must save me!” Gu pleaded.
“Burn it,” Chen Ping said. “But not with normal fire.”
Chen Ping wrote a talisman, lit it, and threw it on the throne. The chair didn’t burn; it dissolved, releasing a shadowy shriek that echoed through the house. The negative energy vanished.
“Mr. Chen,” Gu Wentian bowed, “you saved my life. Ask anything.”
“I need millennia-old snake gall. To save my mother.”
“Consider it found,” Gu said. “And tomorrow, I’m throwing a banquet at the Regal Hotel in your honor, to introduce you to all of Horgcheng.”
“Dad, my hand still hurts,” Xiao Lei whined at the hospital.
“Quiet, you fool!” Master Xiao snapped. “Chen Ping is the hidden emperor of Horgcheng. Even Tiger Lin bows to him! We can’t touch him.”
“But Dad! We can’t just let him… I know! I’ll find someone stronger than Tiger Lin!”
“Stronger?”
“Feng Yihai. Leader of the Red Dragon Gang.”
The banquet at the Regal Hotel was a collection of Horgcheng’s most powerful people. Chen Ping, in a new suit from Yushi, stood quietly by her side.
“Look, isn’t that the ex-con?” one of the old classmates, Cui Zhiyuan, sneered. “Rented a new suit, Chen Ping? Careful you don’t spill anything.”
“Mr. Gu invited me,” Chen Ping said.
“You?” Cui Zhiyuan laughed. “Everyone! This ex-con says Mr. Gu invited him!”
Just then, Master Xiao and Xiao Lei entered. “Mr. Gu!” Master Xiao said, bowing.
Gu Wentian looked at him in disgust. “Master Xiao. You are not welcome here. Get out.”
“What? But Mr. Gu…”
“Get. Out.” Gu’s guards dragged the stunned father and son from the ballroom.
Gu Wentian took the stage. “Honored guests! I’ve gathered you to introduce a new, dear friend. Someone who saved my life. I hope you will all respect him as you respect me. Please welcome… Mr. Chen Ping!”
The room was silent as Chen Ping walked to the stage. Cui Zhiyuan looked like he was going to be sick.
“Lin Tianhu!” A voice boomed from the entrance. A bald man with a fiery red dragon tattoo, Feng Yihai, kicked the door open. “Fancy meeting you here.”
“Feng Yihai! You dare crash Mr. Gu’s banquet?” Tiger Lin stepped forward.
“I’m here for you, Lin. I, Feng Yihai, challenge you to a deathmatch. Right here, right now.”
“You’re on,” Tiger Lin snarled.
They fought. But Feng Yihai was too strong. He had mastered the Steel Body Technique, and Lin Tianhu’s punches bounced off him like paper. With a final, crushing blow, Feng Yihai sent Tiger Lin flying.
“Is that all?” Feng Yihai mocked. “Who’s next?”
“Let me try,” Chen Ping said, stepping forward.
“Chen Ping, no!” Yushi cried. “He’s too strong!”
“Don’t worry,” Chen Ping said. “Close your eyes and count to ten. I’ll be standing, he’ll be on the ground.”
“You?” Feng Yihai laughed. “You know, I mastered my Steel Body Technique under the great Jue Fengchun!”
“Steel Body?” Chen Ping said. “That technique is for children.” He picked up a toothpick from a nearby table.
“You’re dead!” Feng Yihai charged.
Chen Ping didn’t move. He flicked his wrist. The toothpick shot out, an invisible blur. It struck Feng Yihai in the shoulder.
The charging man froze, then collapsed, screaming in agony. The toothpick had pierced his “steel” body as if it were butter, shattering the nexus of his power.
“I… I admit defeat,” Feng Yihai gasped, clutching his shoulder. “Tell me your name.”
“My name is Chen Ping,” he said, turning away. “You can find me at Panlong Bay. And next time… bring your master.”
Chen Ping returned to the villa, but it was empty. “Mom? Dad?” Their phones were off.
His aunt, his father’s sister, ran up to the house, weeping. “Chen Ping! You have to save Hanhan! My daughter!”
“Auntie, what’s wrong?”
“My kidneys… I needed treatment. She… she borrowed money. From loan sharks. Now… they’re forcing her into prostitution! At the Fengye Bar!”
Chen Ping’s eyes turned to ice.
He found his cousin, Hanhan, in a private room at the bar, cowering as a fat “Boss Zhao” tried to force a drink on her. “Come on, baby. Just be nice to me, and $100,000 is yours. Your mother will be saved.”
“No… please…”
Chen Ping kicked the door off its hinges. “Get your hands off her.”
“Who the hell are you?” Boss Zhao yelled. “Guards! This bar is backed by Tiger Lin! You’re dead!”
Chen Ping pulled out his phone. “Lin Tianhu. Your men are forcing women into prostitution at the Fengye Bar.”
“What?! Palace Lord, I would never… I’ll handle it personally! Right now!”
Moments later, Lin Tianhu’s top enforcer, Boss He, burst in. Not recognizing Chen Ping, he ordered his men, including “Wild Wolf,” to attack. The fight was short. Chen Ping disabled them all.
Lin Tianhu himself arrived moments later, panting. “Palace Lord! Forgive me!” He saw Boss Zhao. “You dare use my name for this filth? Throw him in the river. And burn this bar to the ground.”
Back at the villa, Hanhan explained she owed $100,000. The next day, the loan sharks—led by “Brother Qiang”—showed up. “Interest has gone up. It’s $500,000. Pay or she comes with us.”
“Fine,” Chen Ping said. “To the bank.”
At the bank, he ran into his old classmate, Ma Dongmei. “Chen Ping? Wow. Still look like a loser. I, on the other hand, am engaged to a CEO. I’m here to manage his millions.”
“I need to withdraw $500,000,” Chen Ping told the teller.
“Do you have an appointment?” the teller sniffed.
Chen Ping placed Yushi’s black card on the counter. “I need it now. There’s $10 million on this.”
The teller’s face went white. “Sir! One moment!” The bank manager sprinted out. “A Black Dragon card! Sir, of course! Right this way to the VIP lounge!”
“What?” Ma Dongmei shrieked. “He’s an ex-con! I’m the real VIP!”
“Security,” the manager said, “remove this woman. She’s disturbing our honored guest.”
Outside, Ma Dongmei saw Brother Qiang. “That guy,” she hissed, “he has $10 million in that account!”
When Chen Ping came out with the cash, Brother Qiang blocked his path. “Plans changed. We work for Feng Yihai of the Red Dragon Gang. The price is now $1 million.”
Chen Ping looked at him. “You work for Feng Yihai?” He set the bag down. “I was going to spare you. But since you mentioned him… you can forget the money. And your legs.”
His parents, worried, had forced him to get a “real” job. His father pulled strings and got him a position at the Shenghai Group… which, unbeknownst to him, was Su Yushi’s company.
His new manager was Cui Zhiyuan, the same classmate from the wedding. “Chen Ping? You work for me? Well, your first task is to collect on these 100 dead accounts.”
That night, Cui forced the team to a KTV bar. “It’s tradition! The new guy pays!” Hanhan, worried, had brought Chen Ping dinner and went with him.
At the bar, Cui Zhiyuan boasted, “You guys are lucky to work for me. I’m basically brothers with Tiger Lin.”
Just then, Wild Wolf—the enforcer from the Fengye Bar—entered with his crew. “Well, well. Look who it is.”
“Wild Wolf!” Cui Zhiyuan puffed out his chest, “I… I’m friends with your boss, Tiger Lin!”
“You know the boss?” Wild Wolf laughed. “He’s coming here tonight. Let’s see what he says.”
Lin Tianhu arrived. He saw Chen Ping and immediately bowed. “Palace Lord! I didn’t know you were here! My apologies!”
Cui Zhiyuan and the others stared, dumbfounded.
“He’s… he’s bowing to Chen Ping?”
“My… my Lord,” Lin Tianhu stammered, “This man, Cui… he was using your name…”
“It’s fine,” Chen Ping said. “Just give my colleagues a bottle of your best wine. On the house.”
“Of course! Louis XIII! Immediately!”
As they left, Cui Zhiyuan whispered, “See? I told you Tiger Lin would show me respect! He even gave me free wine!”
Outside, they ran into Xiao Lei and Geng Shan. “Look, Lei. Yushi dumped him, so now he’s with his cousin,” Geng Shan mocked.
“Chen Ping,” Xiao Lei sneered, “Yushi and I are getting married. For real this time.”
Chen Ping ignored them and walked away with Hanhan.
Geng Shan watched him go, her face twisted with hate. She pulled out her phone. “Is it Feng Yihai? I have a new plan… Yes, Su Yushi.”
“Mr. Chen! Mr. Chen!” The Su family’s butler ran to him. “It’s Miss Su! She’s disappeared!”
Chen Ping’s phone rang. A distorted voice. “Chen Ping. We have Su Yushi. Come to the abandoned factory on the outskirts. Come alone, or she dies.”
“Don’t come, Chen Ping!” He heard Yushi scream before the line went dead.
He called Lin Tianhu. “Find the location of Geng Shan, Xiao Lei, and Feng Yihai. Now.”
At the factory, Geng Shan and Xiao Lei cackled as Feng Yihai—his arm in a sling—held a gun to Yushi’s head.
“Chen Ping!” Xiao Lei yelled as he entered. “You really came! Kill him!”
The men Xiao Lei hired rushed forward. They were not Juji Hall thugs; they were normal street fighters. To Chen Ping, they were statues. He moved through them in seconds, leaving a pile of groaning bodies.
“You…” Xiao Lei stammered.
“Impressive,” Feng Yihai said, pressing the gun to Yushi’s temple. “But you can’t beat a bullet.”
“You use a woman as a shield,” Chen Ping said. “You’ve forgotten the lessons of your master.”
“Shut up!” Feng Yihai yelled.
“You’re a disgrace to Jue Fengchun.”
“I said SHUT UP!” Feng Yihai raged, momentarily distracted.
It was all Chen Ping needed. He wasn’t fast. He was instant. He crossed the 30-foot gap, his hand clamping down on Feng Yihai’s wrist, crushing the bones. The gun clattered to the floor.
“No… please… spare me…” Feng Yihai wept.
“You’ve done too much evil,” Chen Ping said. “Even if I forgive you, the world won’t.” He delivered a single, precise chop to Feng’s neck.
“Yushi,” he said, untying her. “Are you okay?”
She threw her arms around him. “You came.”
“Always.”
“I… I can see!” Chen Ping’s mother cried, her hands flying to her face. “I can see you, son! Oh, my boy!”
Gu Wentian, who had arrived with the snake gall just after the rescue, smiled. “It’s a miracle.”
“And this,” his mother said, turning to Su Yushi, “must be Yushi. You are even more beautiful than I imagined.”
“You… you should call her ‘daughter-in-law’,” Chen Ping’s father chuckled.
“Dad!” Yushi blushed.
It was a perfect evening. The families were together, his mother was healed, and his enemies were defeated.
But that night, Chen Ping stood on the balcony of the villa, looking at the moon. July 15th was tomorrow.
“Mr. Chen. Are you truly leaving?” Lin Tianhu stood in the shadows of the garden below.
“The Dragon Master said it was a matter of life and death for the whole world. I have to go to Dragon Island.”
“Then I will accompany you.”
“No,” Chen Ping said. “My skills are at their peak. No mortal can harm me. Stay here. Protect my family. And… give this to Yushi.”
He handed Lin Tianhu a letter.
“Palace Lord… Why not give it to her yourself?”
“It’s time,” Chen Ping said. He leaped from the balcony, a silent shadow vanishing into the night.
“We bid the Palace Lord farewell!” Lin Tianhu bowed to the empty darkness.
Yushi awoke the next morning to find the bed beside her empty. She found the letter on her nightstand.
Yushi,
By the time you read this, I will be gone.
I am on a mission I cannot yet explain, one given to me by my Master. But I promise you this: you are my woman, and you will always be my woman.
Wait for me.
I must find you.
Yushi clutched the letter to her chest, looking out at the horizon. “Chen Ping… I’ll be here.”
