Chapter 149: Ten-Fold Ambush

On September 10th, at 9: 7 AM, the motorcade carrying Zhang Mingze departed from the Inspectorate.

At 9: 6 AM, the "Green-Faced Ghost" appeared on North City Main Street and charged toward the direction of the motorcade!

Under Zhang Mingze's instructions, the motorcade moved at a very slow pace, with many members of the Tiger Blade Gang running alongside it, forming a protective perimeter.

A man ran up to the side of the "Qilin" bulletproof car that Zhang Mingze was riding in.

Although he knew this was a person sent to deliver intelligence and was absolutely trustworthy, Zhang Mingze still did not roll the window down completely, opening it only a crack so the voice could be heard clearly.

"Private Secretary, the Green-Faced Ghost has appeared on North City Main Street; they killed three of our martial artists in a single encounter and severely wounded Lord Qi Xiang!"

The person outside the car spoke.

Yang Xuan, sitting in the passenger seat, turned around abruptly upon hearing this, a look of astonishment on his face.

Qi Xiang was a Qi Transformation stage martial master of the same reputation as him within the Tiger Blade Gang, with strength second only to his own—how could he have been severely wounded in a single encounter?!

Wasn't it said that this Green-Faced Ghost had at most the strength of an early Qi Transformation stage?

Zhang Mingze's expression remained unchanged upon hearing this, though he narrowed his eyes:

"So it really is you?"

He turned his head and said to the person outside the car:

"Proceed with the third contingency plan."

"Yes!"

The man ran off.

"Private Secretary?"

Yang Xuan looked at Zhang Mingze with an inquiring gaze.

Zhang Mingze said quite casually: "The Green-Faced Ghost might be from the Green Origin Fist Stronghold; the one attacking now is likely that Great Leader."

"Green Origin Fist Stronghold? The Great Leader?"

Yang Xuan was startled, "Wasn't it said that person is a Dao Foundation stage powerhouse?"

"What are you panicking about?"

Zhang Mingze smiled, "Since I guessed beforehand that the other party might be from the Green Origin Fist Stronghold, how could I not be prepared for this Great Leader to make a move?"

Yang Xuan was stunned, and then a name surfaced in his mind:

"Did Head Venerable Yan also come today?"

Zhang Mingze smiled without answering.

Yang Xuan turned around slowly, only then realizing that the trap set for today was even larger than he had imagined!

On North City Main Street, Shangguan Xiao, disguised as the Green-Faced Ghost, easily dodged the dozen or so crossbow bolts fired at her.

She continued to charge forward when five members of the Tiger Blade Gang suddenly rushed out from a street corner ahead, all five raising their arms in unison and firing at her with pistols!

Under normal circumstances, the infighting in the pugilistic world would not involve firearms, because once guns were used, it would become a major case that would alert the Inspectorate.

But today, the Tiger Blade Gang had equipped many of their subordinates with guns; it was both a display of force and a display of resolve!

Shangguan Xiao's figure was like a ghost; she leaped violently to the left side of the street before the five could fire, and after the gunshots rang out, she leaped to the right.

Repeating these jumps, she crossed a distance of over thirty meters in the blink of an eye and slammed into the five men who had fired.

The next second, these five Tiger Blade Gang members were sent flying as if they had been struck by a speeding car.

Just as Shangguan Xiao finished off these five gunmen, a large saber burning with dark green flames slashed toward her with great speed!

The flames on the blade carried a chilling aura that instantly lowered the temperature within a dozen meters, causing some ordinary civilians hiding in nearby shops to lose their wits and stare blankly when they saw the ball of fire.

Shangguan Xiao's eyes turned serious; she struck out with a palm toward the blade, a rapidly rotating translucent vortex of air appearing in her palm.

The next second, the air vortex and the saber burning with green flames collided violently.

Bang!!!

A thunderous sound echoed through the street, and a gale erupted from the point where the two clashed, knocking over a small cart filled with fruit nearby and scattering the fruit all over the ground.

There was a long-established qipao clothing store at the street corner; the glass display window at the entrance was shattered by the force of the wind, glass shards covered the ground, and the customers hiding inside the shop screamed.

The flying glass shards tore a hole in the black martial robe Shangguan Xiao was wearing. She looked at the man who had swung the saber at her; his face was deathly pale, looking like a malnourished addict.

"Hong Jing?"

Shangguan Xiao recognized the newcomer; he was a formal martial master of the Pacification Institute, a powerhouse at the mid-stage of Qi Transformation who had already cultivated internal force.

Five years ago, Hong Jing had been sent by the Tiger Blade Gang through the Martial Arts Hall to the Pacification Department of the university. Four years later, he became a Qi Transformation stage martial master, graduated from the university, and was directly assigned by the Tiger Blade Gang to the Pacification Institute in Xingcheng.

Afterward, it took him only one year to break through to the mid-stage of Qi Transformation, pass the Pacification Institute's assessment, and be appointed as a formal martial master.

Although he was not officially a member of the Tiger Blade Gang, everyone knew who he took orders from.

"You aren't the Green-Faced Ghost, are you? Are you that Great Leader?"

Hong Jing's voice was somewhat sinister.

He stared at Shangguan Xiao with excited eyes, as if wanting to see the face beneath the mask.

Shangguan Xiao did not answer him; she stepped forward and struck at him with both hands simultaneously.

This time, her left palm flickered with electric light, and an air vortex condensed in her right palm.

Hong Jing's expression turned grave, and he immediately switched from offense to defense.

Three streets away from North City Main Street stood a teahouse. This teahouse had been booked out since early this morning, with tough-looking martial artists guarding the entrance to keep others from entering.

After the battle broke out on North City Main Street, it wasn't long before a Tiger Blade Gang martial artist ran quickly to the teahouse and was brought upstairs.

The third floor of the teahouse was empty, save for a middle-aged man in a blue silk robe sitting by the window drinking tea, with a young man carrying a sword standing beside him.

The Great Lan Dynasty revered the color blue, so anyone who could wear clothes made of high-quality fabric like blue silk must have an extraordinary status; ordinary people would not dare to dress this way.

"Greetings, Head Venerable!"

Upon reaching the top floor, the Tiger Blade Gang martial artist bowed immediately upon seeing the man's back.

The middle-aged man in the blue robe turned around.

His appearance looked somewhat refined, giving one a sense of being very carefree, yet the aura he carried was very heavy, creating a contradictory feeling.

This person was none other than Yan Yichen, the Head Venerable of the Pacification Institute; he was both an imperial official and a Dao Foundation stage powerhouse!

In terms of status in Xingcheng, he should have been the number two figure second only to Gu Zhenhui, but he had ignored worldly affairs for many years and spent most of his time in seclusion, making his presence increasingly faint, which was why Yu Hu had been pushed to the forefront.

In fact, even those in the Tiger Blade Gang faction were confused, not knowing who was actually in charge between Yu Hu and Yan Yichen.

Previously, Wu Yihua had specifically gone to test Zhang Mingze just to figure this out.

And now that Yan Yichen had come for the sake of Zhang Mingze's affairs, it seemed he truly was taking orders from Yu Hu.

"How is it?"

Yan Yichen asked.

"Reporting to Head Venerable, Lords Hong Jing and Dai Huaxing are not that person's match even when joining forces; we are struggling to hold them back over there."

The Tiger Blade Gang martial artist said.

"So it really is that Great Leader."

Yan Yichen said.

Hong Jing and Dai Huaxing were both formal martial masters, and with the addition of other martial masters, coordinated martial artists, and personnel on the perimeter armed with heavy crossbows and firearms, if even such a lineup couldn't stop them, it could only be that a Dao Foundation stage powerhouse had made a move.

Yan Yichen stood up and turned to look out the window in the direction where the gunshots were ringing out incessantly.

"Nie Yang, proceed with the pre-arranged plan and prepare to surround and kill!"

Yan Yichen said, his eyes filled with killing intent.

"Yes."

The young man carrying a sword who had been standing beside him bowed in response.

"After today, no one in this Xingcheng will be a match for this old man!"

Yan Yichen picked up the teacup on the table, drained it in one gulp, and then leaped up abruptly, jumping directly out of the third-floor window.

One could see this Dao Foundation stage powerhouse leaping continuously across the tops of the buildings, rushing toward the scene of the battle at an extremely fast speed!

Snap!

By the time this Head Venerable of the Pacification Institute disappeared from view, the teacup he had just finished drinking from finally hit the ground.

It shattered into pieces.

"Private Secretary, Head Venerable Yan has made his move."

Soon, the motorcade received news that Yan Yichen had entered the fray.

"Order all parties not to act in haste; wait for orders."

Zhang Mingze commanded.

After the messenger left, he looked out the window and muttered to himself:

"You've played your biggest trump card so quickly? How are you going to play the rest of the game?"

On New South Street, atop the clock tower.

Li Fei watched the chaos in the distance caused by Shangguan Xiao, watched her attract more and more people to rush toward her, and watched her advance forward with unstoppable force.

Until he saw a figure, much like the Spider-Man he had seen in his previous life, leaping continuously across rooftops, scaling walls, and rushing toward Shangguan Xiao's location at an extremely fast speed.

"Yan Yichen?"

Li Fei's expression turned grave, "He really came."

"Are you referring to that Head Venerable of the Pacification Institute?"

Xu Si, standing to the side, heard Li Fei's words and asked curiously.

Li Fei looked at him: "You know that name too?"

Xu Si smiled: "The Head Venerable of the Pacification Institute, a Dao Foundation stage powerhouse—whoever hangs around the Xingcheng pugilistic world wouldn't know him?"

Then he looked at Shangguan Xiao's battlefield in the distance, lost in thought:

"To be able to make Head Venerable Yan take action personally, could that person be the Great Leader of the Qingyuan Fist Stronghold? Then you..."

"Heh, you are quite clever."

Li Fei laughed, "The trap set today, that Private Secretary Zhang of yours, while it seems he is trying to fish for me, is actually plotting something much larger. He is truly worthy of being the Private Secretary of the Tiger Blade Gang."

Although he could not see Li Fei's expression through the mask, Xu Si felt that Li Fei was clearly calm and composed at this moment, not in the least bit flustered by Yan Yichen's intervention.

"Alright, it is time for you to do your job."

Li Fei patted Xu Si on the shoulder.

Xu Si's body trembled, and he said cautiously:

"Please give your orders, Ghost Master."

Li Fei pointed toward the northwest: "Send a signal, saying that a powerful enemy is attacking from the northwest, with a force of over fifty people."

Xu Si was startled and looked toward the northwest.

That was the direction where the Qingyuan Fist Stronghold was located.

He dared not waste words, picked up two flags, leaned his body out of the railing again, and according to Li Fei's instructions, transmitted the message.

After finishing, he returned to Li Fei's side, thought for a moment, and spoke:

"Ghost Master, since Private Secretary Zhang invited Head Venerable Yan here in advance, he surely must have sent people to guard against the Qingyuan Fist Stronghold. If you send such a message out, I am afraid it will not be able to mislead Private Secretary Zhang."

Li Fei looked at him: "Why are you reminding me of this?"

Xu Si looked at him: "This lowly one is afraid that if you do not see the result you want later, you will think I did not pass on the information as you said, and kill me in a fit of rage."

Li Fei smiled: "You are indeed very clever."

"However, of course I know that Private Secretary Zhang would guard against the Qingyuan Fist Stronghold."

Before Li Fei had Xu Si send the message, a large group of people had already suddenly rushed out of the Qingyuan Fist Stronghold.

Among these people were the Fist Stronghold's own martial masters, martial artists, and subordinates, as well as over a dozen Heaven-grade fist fighters and several dozen Earth-grade fist fighters, and everyone was holding weapons in their hands!

Just as this group of people had rushed out of the Fist Stronghold not far, squads of inspectors holding rifles rushed out and intercepted them on the street.

"The Inspection Academy is handling a case, this street cannot be passed right now, retreat!"

The Third Battalion Commander, Qian Hengjun, who was in charge of leading the team, shouted sternly.

Ever since Wu Yihua took office, this Battalion Commander Qian had become a favorite in the Inspection Academy; Wu Yihua entrusted many important tasks to him.

Anyone with a discerning eye could see that Wu Yihua intended to promote Qian Hengjun to a higher position to eventually replace Li Lei.

Looking at the dark gun barrels in front, the people from the Qingyuan Fist Stronghold all stopped.

On the street, the two sides stood in a standoff.

"Private Secretary, news has come from the clock tower that a group of people from the Qingyuan District has broken out and is charging toward us, about fifty people."

Soon, Zhang Mingze received the news.

"Qingyuan District? The Qingyuan Fist Stronghold? The Inspection Academy people didn't stop them? The Qingyuan Fist Stronghold dares to openly attack the Inspection Academy?"

Zhang Mingze was somewhat surprised.

"Has the news been confirmed?"

"There is no report back from the Qingyuan Fist Stronghold side yet, but there are indeed gunshots ringing out in the direction of the Qingyuan District."

"Send a reserve team over to check the situation. Also, notify Wu Yihua: as soon as it is confirmed that the people from the Qingyuan Fist Stronghold have made a move, immediately begin the extermination of the Qingyuan Fist Stronghold according to the predetermined plan!"

"Yes!"

The messenger received the order and left.

Zhang Mingze was lost in thought.

In today's trap, in order to lure the Green-Faced Ghost or others to attack him, he deliberately arranged most of his combat power on the periphery, and even intentionally left gaps in some places without assigning personnel, just to let others see a chance for a successful assassination.

In this way, although the trap was set, once someone could slip in through those gaps, it would truly be possible for them to charge directly in front of him.

Therefore, the key to this trap lay in his ability to timely mobilize the peripheral combat power to fill those gaps, block all those who entered the trap, and wipe them out!

For this reason, Zhang Mingze did not just invite Yan Yichen and a group of experts from the Stop-Conflict Academy; he also sent people in advance to keep the Qingyuan Fist Stronghold under surveillance, confirmed that the experts of the Fist Stronghold had never left, and then sent the Inspection Academy to guard outside the Qingyuan Fist Stronghold.

Once people from the Fist Stronghold wanted to go out, the Inspection Academy would immediately go up to intercept them.

If the people from the Fist Stronghold dared to make a move, the Inspection Academy would have a reason to open fire and take the opportunity to wipe out the Qingyuan Fist Stronghold!

Besides this, Zhang Mingze had not forgotten about Hao Yi, who was still in the Martial Arts Lecture Hall, and the Chen family, who were also suspicious.

He had also arranged for people in advance to watch all the experts of the Martial Arts Lecture Hall and the Chen family.

So no matter which side had any unusual movement, he could know it immediately and arrange for a reserve team to step in.

It could be called foolproof!

(End of chapter)