Chapter 136: Guan Mingtang Cries for Help!

As soon as Zhong Shaokun fled, Zhao Qinglong was left utterly soul-struck. The Zhao family’s ability to operate the Green Dragon Club relied entirely on their kinship with Zhong Shaokun’s family. Even their success in securing Zhu Jingshan as protection for the club was due to those same connections. Now that Zhu Jingshan had fallen and Zhong Shaokun had run away, Zhao Qinglong felt his very foundation crumble.

Yao Wu waved his hand dismissively. "Seal the Green Dragon Club! Take Zhao Qinglong to the Heaven Inspection Pavilion for questioning!"

"No, no, no!" Zhao Qinglong panicked, his composure shattering. "Deputy Pavilion Master Yao, please, I beg you, do not seal my club!"

"What use is your begging to me?" Yao Wu sneered coldly.

Zhao Qinglong suddenly realized the situation and scrambled toward Ye Tianci, bowing deeply and pleading desperately, "Mr. Ye, please, put in a good word for me! My club cannot be sealed!"

Ye Tianci glanced at the stunned Zhao Xiujie standing nearby.

Zhao Qinglong’s eyes darted, and suddenly understanding, he swung his hand viciously. "Beat this blind dog! How dare he offend Mr. Ye!"

Several henchmen rushed forward, pinned Zhao Xiujie to the ground, and unleashed a brutal beating. These men were terrified; if the Green Dragon Club were sealed, they would lose their livelihoods and potentially face interrogation at the Heaven Inspection Pavilion. They harbored their own resentment toward Zhao Xiujie—why did this blind fool have to provoke someone, and then arrogantly summon them to join in his bullying? Now, they were all facing ruin.

The security guards vented their frustration with heavy blows, making Zhao Xiujie howl in agony. "Stop! It hurts, it hurts!" He curled into a ball on the ground, wailing inconsolably. Only when he was beaten black and blue did they stop. He lay on the floor, weeping with snot and tears, a truly pathetic sight.

"Mr. Ye, I have severely punished Zhao Xiujie," Zhao Qinglong pleaded, squeezing out a few crocodile tears. "Please, don't let Deputy Pavilion Master Yao seal the club. Our family lives off this business; we cannot afford to be shut down."

Ye Tianci curled his lip in a mocking smirk. "Begging me is useless. Deputy Pavilion Master Yao’s decision to seal your club has nothing to do with me." He looked at Yao Wu, hinting, "Deputy Pavilion Master Yao, you will surely enforce the law impartially, won't you?"

Catching Ye Tianci’s gaze, Yao Wu nodded. "Of course. Men! Seal the Green Dragon Club! Take Zhao Qinglong away!"

Two officers stepped forward to handcuff Zhao Qinglong while the others began sealing the premises. "You bastard! You’re burning bridges! You son of a bitch!" Zhao Qinglong screamed.

"Slap!" Yao Wu struck him across the face. "You still dare to insult Mr. Ye? Men! Take everyone from the Green Dragon Club into custody! Investigate them thoroughly; no one leaves until we’ve turned the place upside down!"

Zhao Qinglong wilted instantly, his lips trembling; he dared not offend Ye Tianci again. The officers dragged him and his men away, and the Green Dragon Club was shuttered on the spot.

When Ye Tianci returned to his villa, he found Lei Hong waiting at the gate with a middle-aged man. The man looked disheveled, his clothes torn, and his expression was one of lingering terror.

Ye Tianci smirked and walked forward. "Director Guan, your connections are truly extensive to have tracked me down here."

The man was Guan Mingtang, the head of the Shu City Medical Bureau, who had left the Tiger Roar Villa in a rage earlier. Guan Mingtang took a step forward, looking at Ye Tianci with a mix of awe and fear. "Brother Ye, I believe you now."

Lei Hong leaned in and whispered to Ye Tianci, "Master Ye, this is Director Guan Mingtang of the Shu City Medical Bureau."

"I know the Director," Ye Tianci said with a smile, turning to Guan Mingtang. "Ran into trouble, did you? You should be grateful you survived. The baleful energy upon you hasn't been purged, nor has the impending disaster passed. If there is a next time, I won't be able to help you."

Still trembling, Guan Mingtang grabbed Ye Tianci’s arm. "Brother Ye, you must save me! I don't trust anyone else in Shu City! I only trust you!"

After leaving the Tiger Roar Villa, Guan Mingtang had gone to the Qingshan Temple to consult Master Yong'an. The master had told him that his fortune was smooth and that anyone claiming he faced a "bloody disaster" was a charlatan. Feeling relieved, Guan Mingtang had even considered throwing away the blood-talisman Ye Tianci had given him while driving back.

But just as he reached for it, his phone rang. Immediately after the call, a massive truck in the opposite lane lost control, plowed through the median, crossed two lanes, and smashed directly into his car—as if it had been targeting him specifically. His car was crushed into scrap metal. Everyone at the scene assumed he was dead, and he had thought so too. Yet, aside from a few scratches and torn clothes, he was completely unharmed.

Upon being rescued, he touched his pocket and found that the talisman Ye Tianci had forced upon him had turned to fine powder. Only then did he realize that Ye Tianci was no fraud, but a man of true capability.

"Is there really baleful energy on me?" Guan Mingtang asked, panic-stricken. Ye Tianci nodded. "Brother Ye, please, I beg you to purge it! I will reward you handsomely!"

Ye Tianci held out his hand. "Take out what you have in your chest pocket."

Guan Mingtang froze, then pulled out a rabbit-shaped jade pendant.

"This pendant is what’s binding the baleful energy to you," Ye Tianci said. "There are three types: Yin-baleful, Earth-baleful, and Miasma-baleful. This is an Earth-baleful object. It has been buried in a grave for over a century, absorbing death energy that transformed into Earth-baleful qi. This is the Year of the Rabbit—a 'Black Rabbit' year with a double leap month—and wearing such an object only makes the misfortune worse."

Ye Tianci spoke calmly, though he was calculating in his head. He had already acquired a piece of Yin-baleful jade; if he could find a Miasma-baleful object, he could synthesize the "Anti-Bale Pill," which would make him immune to all poisons.

He plucked two leaves from the roadside and pressed them onto the jade pendant. "Hold this tightly, and don't let go until your palm starts to sweat."

Guan Mingtang obeyed. A few minutes later, as his palm began to sweat, he slowly released his grip. When he looked at the leaves in his hand, his eyes widened in sheer terror.