Chapter 288: News 2.0

Lu Qi, original name Qi Lu, male, forty-nine years old this year, one of the famous human traffickers in Sijiucheng twenty years ago. Fearing he would be held to account, he led a group of underlings and fled Sijiucheng.

Qi Lu had four great lieutenants under his command, known as the Southern Fist, Northern Leg, Eastern Palm, and Western Claw. All four were over forty years old and disappeared after committing several major human trafficking cases in Yun Province and Gui Sheng.

That same year, they committed highway robbery in the Liangguang region, killing and wounding dozens of people, then fled into the mountains. Over the next two years, they committed multiple robberies across the country until they vanished without a trace after the founding of the nation.

Unexpectedly, they have now appeared in Sijiucheng. These guys have likely had eyes and ears in Sijiucheng all these years.

Zhang Ping'an estimates that Li Baoguo does not know much about them, or rather, is completely unaware of their background; otherwise, he should have used thunderous means to arrest them the moment he found out.

Zhang Ping'an rubbed his brow. These guys were desperate criminals even before the founding of the nation, and everyone's hands are stained with blood. They won't talk to you about benevolence, righteousness, or morality.

Likewise, Zhang Ping'an has no psychological burden about killing them. What Zhang Ping'an is hesitating about now is whether to tell Li Baoguo and the others. Forget it, I'll go scout their lair tomorrow night first.

"Big Brother, it's not safe here anymore. Several groups of people have approached intentionally or unintentionally. Old Four has already killed five of them."

The man speaking was one meter seventy tall. Although not tall, his body was exceptionally sturdy, his muscles knotted all over, especially his arms, which were almost as thick as an ordinary person's thighs. His fists were truly the size of sand pots. He was the Southern Fist.

The "Old Four" he mentioned was the Western Claw. The Western Claw was a thin, small man, and countless souls had perished beneath his withered, iron claws.

"Heh, I didn't expect that after not returning to Sijiucheng for twenty years, any stray cat or dog would dare to spy on us."

"Forget it, let's change locations first. We'll leave after I avenge my brother. After all, this isn't the same place it was twenty years ago."

As soon as Qi Lu returned to Sijiucheng, he felt it was more solemn than other places. Every day there were well-trained Public Security officers patrolling, even at night.

This made him, someone who had lived in the shadows for years, very uncomfortable. Fortunately, with the help of an expert, they had several safe houses.

"Big Brother, should we leave a few people behind to give them a surprise?"

"Hmm, let Old Er stay. Even if the other side has many people, he can still escape."

Old Er was the Northern Leg. According to the intelligence, he was a disgraced Shaolin disciple who excelled in leg techniques. He was expelled from Shaolin for repeatedly violating the rules by stealing martial arts secrets.

"Alright, Big Brother."

At this moment, Zhang Ping'an did not know they were going to flee and were also going to send him a gift.

At one o'clock the next morning, Zhang Ping'an, dressed in black and masked, crept toward the location they had provided. Before he even reached the entrance, he discovered a large number of footprints on the ground from people leaving.

"Ran away?"

Zhang Ping'an's ears twitched. There were still five people inside. Once he activated his spatial scan, Zhang Ping'an was stunned. A long-legged man was sitting in the courtyard in a domineering posture, looking like he was waiting for him.

The information provided last night also included his portrait. It was an eighty-percent match; he was indeed the one known as the Northern Leg, Old Er.

Behind him were four others, all with weapons tucked into their waistbands, looking at the gate with vigilance.

"Creak." Zhang Ping'an didn't hesitate and pushed open the gate.

"Heh, there really is someone who doesn't fear death. You skulking rat, is it just you?"

Without waiting for Zhang Ping'an to answer, Old Er rushed in front of Zhang Ping'an like a gust of wind and kicked out.

Zhang Ping'an didn't dare to be careless. Although it is said that fists fear the young and strong, this guy's strikes were sharp and swift, not at all like a middle-aged man.

After twenty moves, Zhang Ping'an realized he had overestimated him. He kicked him flying, and he lay there for a long time without moving. The other four saw this and were about to reach for their guns, but they grabbed nothing.

"Looking for these?"

Four "Turtle Box" pistols had already appeared in Zhang Ping'an's hands. The four men were horrified; they didn't know when their guns had been swiped, so they sensibly held their heads in their hands.

"Very good."

With four hand-chops, Zhang Ping'an knocked them all unconscious. As for Old Er, the Northern Leg, three of his ribs were broken, and the leg he was so proud of had also been broken by Zhang Ping'an.

He tied them up, gagged them, blindfolded them, and threw them directly into the spatial cave. Then Zhang Ping'an released two Wolves, had them sniff the scent on them, and followed the trail all the way to their lair.

"Damn."

This residence had over thirty people holding long guns and short cannons. Even at this hour, half of them were on guard, and there were even tripwires and bells at the gate to warn of intruders.

"A bit tricky."

Zhang Ping'an thought it over repeatedly and retreated. He couldn't manage to escape unscathed while dealing with so many people.

"Forget it, the enemy is in the light and I am in the dark. I don't believe they will stay together and never separate."

It was almost four o'clock when he returned home. Zhang Ping'an couldn't wait to interrogate the five men. As it turned out, the four extras knew nothing, so Zhang Ping'an simply let them sleep peacefully forever.

"Northern Leg? Heh, can you tell me why you wanted to target me?"

"Are you Zhang Ping'an?"

"That's right."

"Fine, fine, fine. I, your father, have fallen. I didn't expect that you, a hunter by trade, would have such high-level martial arts. My defeat is not unjust."

"So, can you tell me why you wanted to target me?"

"You sent our boss's underlings to the Great Northwest to dig sand. What's wrong with us targeting you?"

"Oh? I am neither Public Security nor a soldier, so how could I send people to the Great Northwest to dig sand?"

"This..." Old Er, the Northern Leg, was also stunned by the question.

"Besides, I haven't offended anyone all these years. The only time someone tried to rob me, I killed four of them in self-defense. I haven't made enemies with anyone else."

"Since you don't know anything, there's no need for me to keep you. Take a look and see if these things were done by you."

What Zhang Ping'an handed over were the evil deeds committed by the Four Great Lieutenants. It can be said that every one of them deserved to die.

"Hahaha, anyway, it's worth it for me to die in this life."

"By the way, do you have any descendants?"

Zhang Ping'an's words made the laughing Old Er stop, as if someone had choked his throat.

"Kid, we're all people who walk the underworld. Misfortune shouldn't reach one's wife and children."

"Heh, when you were trafficking women and children, why didn't you think about misfortune not reaching their wives and children?"

"Are your wife and children in Gui Sheng? Yun Province? Oh, so they're in Yun Province."

Zhang Ping'an stared into his eyes while questioning him. When Zhang Ping'an mentioned Yun Province, his pupils shrank slightly.

"You say, if I can find your address in Sijiucheng in just a few days, can I find your family in Yun Province in a month?"

"You... what exactly do you want?" Old Er, the Northern Leg, was now wide-eyed with rage, looking as if he wanted to devour someone.

"Write down the evil deeds you have committed over these years, and I can spare your wife and children, provided they haven't committed any offenses themselves; don't think about hiding anything from me."

"You used to hang around Sijiucheng too, so you should know how terrifying their intelligence network is."

"Your time is running out; they already set off to investigate before the New Year, and I believe news will arrive very soon. I've left paper and pen for you; I hope you'll have finished writing by the time I come back."

Zhang Ping'an tossed down two Steamed Buns and a bottle of water before exiting the space. Anyway, both of Lao Er's legs had been broken by him, and there was a giant Wolf guarding outside the cave; Zhang Ping'an was not the least bit worried about him running away.

As for the matter of investigating his family, that was just nonsense he had just spouted, though Zhang Ping'an did truly have the thought of cutting weeds and eliminating the roots now.