Starting as pearl divers, they have endless jobs.

Chapter 112 Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river; never underestimate the poverty of a concubine's son.
Inside an inconspicuous inn in Zhenhaiwei.

Yan Xun crumpled the newspaper in his hand into a ball and threw it angrily on the ground.

"Waste, what a waste!"

He growled through gritted teeth, his handsome face contorted with rage.

He thought that bringing Yu Fengxian would be enough to crush Chen Ye into dust and make him kneel before him, begging for mercy.

But who would have thought that the top female impersonator in the capital would lose, and lose so thoroughly that she even had her calligraphy removed?

After the anger came a trace of fear, because the report clearly stated at the end that Wu Xuan had publicly declared that if he dared to return to Pingjing, he would definitely make him pay.

Although Wu Xuan is just an actor, he himself comes from a wealthy family.

Only family members know their own affairs.

Although his surname was Yan, he was merely born out of wedlock.

In that large family that emphasized the hierarchy of legitimate and illegitimate children, he was like a dispensable, invisible person, and was not well received on a daily basis. Otherwise, he would not have secretly cultivated someone like Li Kang to help him amass wealth.

Wu Xuan, however, is different.

A mere opera singer is nothing to fear, but Wu Xuan happens to be a favorite of Prince Yu!
Prince Yu was a figure of immense stature, one whose mere stomp in Pingjing City could shake the very ground.

Wu Xuan had followed him for so many years, and the connections he had built in the circles of power and wealth far surpassed anything he could have made.

If he really wanted to deal with me in Pingjing, no one in the family would stand up for me, a discarded pawn.

By then, I probably won't even know how I died.

"Damn it!" Yan Xun slammed his fist on the table, then gasped in pain.

"If they won't keep me here, there are plenty of other places that will! A wise man doesn't fight a losing battle! A gentleman takes his revenge even after ten years. You just wait, one day I'll make you all beg for mercy on your knees." Yan Xun comforted himself while planning how to escape.

He can't go back to Pingjing for the time being. He needs to find a place to lay low for a while and then make plans later when things calm down.

Meanwhile, in the backstage private room of Guang Le Lou, the aroma of tea wafted through the air.

Chen Ye pushed two freshly brewed cups of tea in front of Lu Dahu and Qi Shihao respectively.

"Mr. Chen, is there anything you need from us?" Qi Shihao picked up his teacup, his attitude more respectful than ever before.

He had been watching Chen Ye and Yu Fengxian's performance over the past few days.

Unexpectedly, even a famous actor from Beijing was defeated, and Chen Ye's performance in the competition was even more astonishing.

Therefore, he became even more attentive.

"It's not really an order," Chen Ye said with a calm smile. "I just want to ask you two for a small favor: help me find someone."

"Yan Xun?" The wealthy Lu immediately realized.

Chen Ye nodded. "I hope you two can send people to keep a close eye on places like the train station and the docks. Also, please ask the brothers in the city to keep an eye out and see where this person is hiding."

Upon hearing this, Qi Shihao pondered for a moment, then asked with some doubt, "Boss Chen, could it be that Yan Xun has already fled back to Pingjing?"

“He wouldn’t dare.” Chen Ye picked up his teacup and gently blew away the foam. “Wu Xuan said before he left that if he went back to Pingjing now, he would be walking into a trap. So he should still be hiding in Zhenhaiwei, or he is trying to find another way to leave.”

"Don't worry, Mr. Chen!" Qi Shihao immediately patted his chest and assured him, "I'll make it clear right away that even if we have to turn the entire Zhenhaiwei upside down, we'll definitely find this bastard for you!"

Qi Shihao is no ordinary person; he is the second-in-command of the Six Doors in Zhenhai Bay, a figure of real power.

Many gangs depended on him for survival, so when he spoke, the entire underground world of Zhenhaiwei was in turmoil.

Countless eyes searched for the man named Yan Xun in every corner of the city, with spies everywhere, especially at the train station and the dock.

But a day passed, and Yan Xun seemed to have vanished into thin air, leaving no trace.

Chen Ye wasn't in a hurry. He sat in the courtyard, leisurely feeding the koi in the pond.

This matter is merely icing on the cake; if we can find it, we can conveniently eliminate this potential problem; if we can't find it, it won't cause any major harm.

Anyway, Chen Ye had plenty of patience at this point.

He was patient, but Yan Xun was already a frightened bird.

He went out for a while, but came back before he even reached the train station because he could sense the tense atmosphere outside.

It's obvious that someone is looking for you.

The person who made the move was undoubtedly Chen Ye.

This shocked and angered him.

Being threatened by a famous actor like Wu Xuan was one thing, but he accepted his fate.

But now even Chen Ye, an actor from Zhenhaiwei, dares to lay a hand on me. This is an utter disgrace!
"Chen Ye...you just wait!" Yan Xun gritted his teeth, his eyes filled with resentment. "Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river, never underestimate a son of a concubine. The humiliation of today, I will repay a hundredfold in the future!"

Although he made some tough statements, the current situation was beyond his control, so he had no choice but to accept it reluctantly.

He knew he couldn't go to the train station or the official road; his only way out was to go to sea.

So he sewed all his gold and silver valuables into the lining of his clothes, got a set of tattered clothes, disguised himself as a down-on-his-luck merchant, and went to the dock to buy a second-class ticket to a southern port.

He believed the entire process was flawless.

But he forgot that some things are ingrained in one's bones.

Although he was dressed in coarse linen clothes, his disgusted avoidance of the sewage on the ground, his subconsciously straightened back, and the imperious air he inadvertently exuded all seemed out of place with his attire.

But to the seasoned veterans at the docks who relied on their keen eyesight, his disguise was riddled with flaws, making it impossible for him to go unnoticed.

But no one took action. Instead, they kept an eye on Yan Xun and then quickly reported the news to Qi Shihao.

Qi Shihao didn't dare to delay and immediately went to Chen Ye's house to tell him everything he had learned.

After listening, Chen Ye nodded and then took out a stack of silver notes and placed them on the table.

"This is a two-thousand-dollar bank note from Benfeng Bank. Boss Qi, please take it and distribute it to the brothers below."

"This..." Qi Shihao was taken aback and quickly declined, "Boss Chen, this is not allowed. It is only right for me to do things for you."

Chen Ye smiled and said, "My brothers have been running around the city for my sake, which has been quite a lot of work. Consider this money as my treat for tea."

Since Chen Ye had said so, Qi Shihao had no choice but to accept the silver note, and couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

This young Mr. Chen is not only incredibly skilled, but also has impeccable interpersonal skills.

Such a person's future achievements will likely go far beyond that of an actor.

Thinking of this, his determination to make friends with them grew even stronger.

"Boss Chen, should I send a few of my more capable brothers..." Qi Shihao made a throat-slitting gesture, "I guarantee they'll do a clean job."

Chen Ye shook his head.

"There's no need to trouble everyone. Yan Xun is, after all, a scion of a powerful family in Pingjing. Although he's not highly regarded, it would still be a problem if he died in Zhenhaiwei."

He stood up, went to the window, looked at the distant sky, and said softly.

"Tell me the ship's name and departure time, then arrange a fast boat to follow the passenger ship. Leave the rest to me."

Qi Shihao's heart tightened suddenly.

He suddenly remembered Li Kang, who had died under mysterious circumstances, and a chill ran down his spine.

But he didn't dare ask any more questions, so he could only nod emphatically: "Okay, I understand."

The next evening.

The dock was bustling with noise and the ship's horn was blaring.

Yan Xun, carrying a worn-out leather suitcase, mingled in the queue among passengers from all walks of life.

He kept looking up, glancing around nervously, as if he were a thief, afraid of being recognized. Fortunately, everything went smoothly.

He boarded the passenger ship named Hai'an.

The environment in second class was even worse than he had imagined. As soon as he entered, a strange smell, a mixture of fishy, ​​sweaty, and musty odors, hit him, making him frown.

But at this point, there was no time to worry about that.

He found the most inconspicuous corner to sit down and hugged the box tightly to his chest.

With a long, drawn-out whistle, the ship shuddered slightly and slowly sailed away from the harbor.

Looking out the window at Zhenhaiwei getting further and further away, Yan Xun finally breathed a long sigh of relief.

Safe.

You'll have to wait for me to come back!
Yan Xun made a silent vow of revenge, and then the exhaustion of the past few days washed over him like a tide. He leaned against the cold cabin wall and fell into a deep sleep without realizing it.

But he didn't notice that at the very last moment before the ship left port, a figure also silently slipped into the cabin.

……

In his dream, Yan Xun seemed to have returned to the Yan Mansion in Pingjing.

He was still that unpopular illegitimate son who was bullied everywhere.

He tried desperately to escape, but he couldn't get out no matter what he did.

Just then, a gong rang out in his ears without warning.

clang--!
The sound wasn't loud, but it was frighteningly clear. It didn't seem to come from outside; it was as if it exploded directly in his head!

"what!"

Yan Xun suddenly woke up, his face ashen, his heart pounding wildly, and cold sweat instantly soaking his back.

He gasped for breath, looking around. The cabin was still dark and noisy. Some of the passengers around him were playing cards, some were talking in hushed tones, and some were dozing off like him.

Oh, I had a nightmare!

Yan Xun let out a long sigh, moved his stiff body in the cramped seat, and stretched.

But before he could finish yawning, he froze.

Because he noticed someone had appeared in the seat opposite him.

The man sat there quietly, giving him a strange smile in the flickering cabin lights.

He was very familiar with that face.

It was Li Kang!

In an instant, Yan Xun felt his scalp tingle and all the muscles in his body tense up.

He knew better than anyone that Li Kang was already dead.

Who is this person in front of me?

Moreover, Yan Xun also found that this "Li Kang's" smile was very strange.

A normal person's smile is dynamic; it involves the eyebrows and eyes and changes the curve of the smile.

But Li Kang's smile was like a mask carved into his face with a knife, never changing from beginning to end, even the curve of his lips was so precise it was chilling.

Just as Yan Xun's scalp was tingling with fear, Li Kang on the opposite side finally made his move.

He chuckled and then whispered in a chilling voice.

"Young Master Yan, why did you leave me all alone... Do you know how cold it is down there?"

Yan Xun was terrified and desperately tried to shrink back, but there was only the cold cabin wall behind him, and there was nowhere to retreat.

He wanted to scream, to cry for help, but no sound came out.

Meanwhile, the passengers chatting and playing cards around them seemed completely oblivious to the unusual situation, continuing to do their own thing as if nothing had happened.

Just then, the world before my eyes began to distort.

The wooden deck beneath my feet had become thick and black, like melted wax.

The surrounding noise disappeared, replaced by a deathly silence.

Even the dim yellow light transformed into clusters of eerie green will-o'-the-wisps, flickering and casting a sinister and terrifying glow over the surroundings.

In the blink of an eye, the cabin was transformed into a solemn and gloomy courtroom.

Seated high in the courtroom was a judge whose face was obscured, his figure shrouded in shadow, with only a pair of emotionless eyes visible, coldly watching him.

Beside the judge, a thick tome moved without wind, its pages rustling, and on it were densely written in vermilion ink, listing numerous crimes.

"Yan Xun, a native of Pingjing, is the illegitimate son of a wealthy family. He is wicked and preys on the local people, forcing women into prostitution and causing the destruction and death of 17 households, totaling 53 people!"

The judge's voice was devoid of any emotion, yet it struck Yan Xun's heart like a heavy hammer.

Yan Xun was terrified. Although he knelt on the ground, he still stubbornly argued, "I...I didn't. It was all their own choice. What does it have to do with me?"

The judge simply gave a cold laugh.

"Even when facing death, he still dares to argue."

Snapped!
The judge slammed his gavel down, and in an instant, many blurry ghostly figures appeared below the court, each with a pitiful appearance and a fierce resentment.

There were merchants who were driven to commit suicide by jumping into the river, shop assistants who were beaten to death by his evil servants, and innocent women who were tricked into a living hell and eventually died of illness on the street...

They were all people who had been directly or indirectly killed by Yan Xun over the years.

At this moment, they all surrounded him, letting out mournful cries, stretching out their pale hands, and accusing Yan Xun of his heinous crimes.

"Give me back my husband's life!"

"My home...you've destroyed my home!"

"Yan Xun, you beast! I'll haunt you even as a ghost!"

Yan Xun was dumbfounded, nearly losing his mind from the horrific scene before him.

He wanted to explain, to scream, but an invisible force enveloped his entire body, making him feel as if he had fallen into an ice cave.

Immediately afterwards, fragments of memories that did not belong to him flooded into his mind like a tide.

He became the cloth shop owner driven to bankruptcy, standing in the empty shop, feeling the utter despair, and finally picked up a rope and put it around his neck.

He became the woman he had drowned in the pond, the icy river water filling his nostrils, the tearing pain shooting through his lungs, his life slowly slipping away in the endless darkness and suffocation.

Every experience felt like a form of mental torture.

He felt the pain, resentment, hatred, and despair of those victims before they died.

Again and again, in an endless cycle.

"No...no, I was wrong...I was really wrong..."

Under this endless torment, Yan Xun's mental defenses finally collapsed completely.

He was in tears, frantically kowtowing and begging for mercy, revealing his ugly side.

However, the judge sitting high in the hall and the countless ghostly figures around him simply looked at him indifferently.

Finally, after experiencing the death of another victim, Yan Xun felt his liver and gallbladder shatter, and then everything went black as all the images shattered.

(End of this chapter)