Chapter 547: The Tragic Death of Yao Qingteng
With a calm expression, Tang Xiu watched Cheng Yannan’s disbelieving expression before replying indifferently, “My identity is very special, and explaining it in one or two sentences won’t be sufficient. Since we’ve already met, there will be a lot of time for us to get along, and I’ll tell you some things that are very difficult for ordinary people to know. But until then, you still have to answer my question!”
Cheng Yannan’s agitated mood finally calmed down. She took a few steps toward the island before stopping by a big tree, and then said with a bitter expression, “Tang Xiu, I’m sure you already figured out that I’m a member of the Cheng House of Beijing. My big sis and I have been literally pushed aside by our own family. After returning to the capital, I should have continued enjoying life and had a fulfilling and relaxing time during my university years.
“Just half a month ago, however, my big sis went missing when handling a criminal case, and I haven’t heard news about her until now. She’s the only backer I have, and with her went missing, those clansmen who dislike us sisters began to shift their eyes and forced me to marry the notoriously ill-reputed Chu Xiang of Beijing’s Chu Family. You know? This Chu Xiang is notoriously well-known as one of the four scourges of Beijing, and he had done countless idiotic things and wrecked more than a dozen girls. Marrying me to him so that I can climb up to a high branch of the Chu Family, how could I agree with that?”
Seeing that Cheng Yannan stopped narrating, Tang Xiu lightly asked, “Don’t you still have your uncle? The Cheng Family is closely related with the Yao Family, how can the elders of the Cheng Family dare to force you?”
“That’s right, Yao Qingteng is indeed my uncle, but he doesn’t have any affection towards us whatsoever. If not for the relationship with my aunt, there’s no way he would even put me in his eyes,” Cheng Yannan self-deprecatingly replied. “Fortunately, though… Yao Qingteng’s wife is my aunt, and she likes me very much. If it wasn’t for her, how could he bring me here? How could there be a place for me, to serve as a maid to pour water?”
Tang Xiu fell into silence.
With a bitter face, Cheng Yannan continued, “I cannot stay any longer in Beijing. If not for chancing upon a coincidence in inadvertently learning that Uncle Qingteng would bring people to the South China Sea, I’m afraid I’d have escaped from Beijing and ran elsewhere. Although I don’t know what are they gonna do on this island, I have already made up my mind that, even if there’s only a minute of opportunity of staying here, then I’ll stay here or seize the chance to live alone in Jingmen Island.”
“What about Yao Qingteng?” Tang Xiu sighed inwardly and asked.
Cheng Yannan pointed to the depths of the island and said, “He took a few people and has already gone inside. He should be back in the evening.”
Tang Xiu nodded, “The Yao Family won’t be able to acquire this island. Since you don’t want to go back, you can stay here later!”
Cheng Yannan’s eyes lit up, “What do you mean?”
“This island will be mine later.” Tang Xiu confidently said. “Even if the Yao Family spends all of their strength, they will never be able to snatch it from me. I’m going to set up a medicinal herb plantation here. Since we’re acquaintances, you can stay and help me. I’ll also give you a satisfactory salary, too.”
“I really hope you can succeed.” Cheng Yannan pondered for a moment before nodding. “However, you just killed so many people of the Yao Family. They won’t let this go! Tang Xiu, you probably don’t know how powerful the Yao Family is. Let me tell you, the Yao Family…”
Tang Xiu raised his hand to interrupt her and replied with a tranquil expression, “I’ve already seen and experienced what they are capable of. Maybe you don’t know, my surname is Tang, and I’m a member of the Tang Family from Beijing.”
“That Tang Family?” Cheng Yannan’s eyes focused as she called out in alarm.
“Yes, that Tang Family.” Tang Xiu nodded.
With disbelief all over her face, Cheng Yannan said, “I didn’t expect you to be a member of the Tang Family from Beijing, Tang Xiu! The Tang Family and the Yao Family… I understand. No wonder you’re so merciless toward the Yao Family’s people. I know some of the animosity and hatred between your two families.”
Tang Xiu smiled indifferently and said, “Let’s go! You’ll stay aboard our liner for now and wait for us to finish dealing with Yao Qingteng and his men until there’s no one of their people left on this island. You’ll stay on this island later, and I’ll also provide you with food, clothing, and shelter; as well as some people to protect you.”
Staring blankly and looking vacant, Cheng Yannan hesitated for a moment before asking, “Tang Xiu, are you going to kill Un- Yao Qingteng?”
“Do you think he can still leave?” Asked Tang Xiu.
Cheng Yannan gritted her teeth and said, “Can you accept a request of mine, Tang Xiu?”
“If you want to plead for his life, then forget it!” Answered Tang Xiu.
“I’m not asking you to have mercy on him.” Cheng Yannan shook her head. “He doesn’t have any affection for me whatsoever. What I want to ask you is that, if the Tang and Yao Families were to lose all decorum in the future, and both parties have life and death battles, can you spare my aunt?”
“I promise.” Tang Xiu was silent for a short while before nodding.
Cheng Yannan shot Tang Xiu a grateful look. Just as she was about to walk alongside him toward the passenger liner, she suddenly recalled something and quickly asked, “You haven’t told me something. How are you able to fly?”
“Don’t ask if you want to stay on this Clam Island.” Tang Xiu faintly smiled. “There are some things that I won’t tell you for now. But if you work for me in the future and your performance makes me satisfied, you’ll know loads of things later.”
Cheng Yannan was silent for a while, as she then suddenly smiled and asked, “Then I won’t ask. But, can you answer another question? It’s the last one!”
“Ask!” Said Tang Xiu with a smile.
“Do you have a girlfriend at Shanghai University, by any chance?” Asked Cheng Yannan.
Tang Xiu laughed, “We’ll talk about sentimental things later, alright? One must study hard and learn many things for more than four years at university. Besides, I still have tons of things to do, how could I have so much spare time to be concerned with things about love and romance?”
A brilliant splendor flashed in Cheng Yannan’s eyes as she smilingly said, “I really like what you just said! Young people must focus on their careers. Let’s go!”
Leading Cheng Yannan back to the coast, Tang Xiu saw that the small liner was sinking on the sea in the distance. Whereas the liner he used to arrive here was returning to the coast. After the ship approached the shore, Tang Xiu took Cheng Yannan on board and said, “She’s my high school classmate. Let her stay on the liner! Also, if there still are Yao Family men on this island, kill them directly once you see them. Xiaoxue, come with me to have a look at the island.”
“All right!”
Gu Xiaoxue smilingly replied. Nodding toward Cheng Yannan, she then floated and followed Tang Xiu to disembark, as their figures gradually disappeared into the woods on the island.
The woods was still in its primeval state and full of lush trees and vegetation.
The two seem to stroll in a leisurely manner. But in actuality, their pace was extremely fast as each and every step they took traversed seven plus meters of distance. As the two of them continued trekking deeper, they could see a lot of medicinal herbs. Many of them were common, though rare and precious ones could also be occasionally seen. The island also boasted a lot of wild animals.
Ten minutes later, when Tang Xiu and Gu Xiaoxue set their feet on the center of the highest point of the island, a scream passed to their ears, followed by stormy and dense gunfire as well as panicked shouts:
“QUICKLY RUN AND SPREAD OUT! GO BACK TO THE SHORE WHERE WE ANCHORED THE SHIP AND ASSEMBLE THERE!”
“CURSE YOU MONSTERS! GET THE FUCKING AWAY…”
Bang, bang, bang…
Tang Xiu and Gu Xiaoxue exchanged looks. With tacit understanding, the duo quickly rushed toward the source of the sounds. On the way there, they stepped on tens of meters’ tall branches and continued flying over the trees.
More than ten seconds later, the duo halted their pace and stood on the branches of a big tree and watched two rhino-like fierce beasts below. Their eyes stared wide upon seeing the vengeful large beasts that hunted down six men who were fleeing in desperation. Behind them were two broken, dead bodies that had been bitten.
“The beasts’ skins are very tough, bullets can’t penetrate it. Also, their speed is very fast, those people won’t be able to outrun them at all. Grand Master, they are all as good as dead already.” There was no pity or mercy at all in Gu Xiaoxue’s eyes as she watched the six people being hunted down.
“Though bullets can create some obstructions to these two fierce beasts and slow down their speed, they are as good as dead already like you said. If my guess is correct, the middle-aged man who is being protected by that two men should be Yao Qingteng. Also, there’s something I suddenly figured out, Xiaoxue.”
“What is it?” Asked Gu Xiaoxue curiously.
“The Yao Family sending Yao Xinhua to Jingmen Island should only be a smoke screen; a diversion,” said Tang Xiu. “The one who was really in touch with the government and signing the lease of the island’s MoU should be Yao Qingteng. If my inference is correct, there should be a contract prepared to be signed on that ship we just sank.”
“You really have great wisdom, Grand Master,” said Gu Xiaoxue with a smile. “I think so, too. After all, Yao Xinhua is too young and only has shallow knowledge in dealing with the government’s officials. Whereas Yao Qingteng is a very important figure in the Yao Family. For him to personally come here, perhaps it is in order to inspect Clam Island and make the decision whether to carry on the leasing negotiation with the government.”
“Bring some of our men here. We’ll wait for all these Yao Family’s men to die and then dispose of their corpses,” said Tang Xiu. “Also, remember to send some people to that sunken ship, to see if they can find the contract.”
“Grand Master, are you by chance using that as an excuse to make me leave, while you act to kill these two beasts by yourself?” Asked Gu Xiaoxue smilingly. “Anyhow, we’ve taken everything that can be taken from that ship before we sank it. I think it’s better for me to say and help you.”
Tang Xiu couldn’t help laughing, “Seems like I can’t hide from you, eh? Do you think I don’t have the ability to kill these two savage beasts? Fine. If you want to stay, then stay and watch!”
In less than a minute, the rhino-like fierce beasts had already slain all the six people, including Yao Qingteng. They even devoured all their carcasses completely, not even sparing their bones.
“Well, this saves us the trouble of disposing the corpses, eh?”
Tang Xiu, who was standing atop a tree branch, had a smile arched on the corner of his mouth as he spoke in a low voice. He then floated down and appeared in front of the two rhino-like fierce beasts.
ROAR…