You promised steampunk martial arts, but you've got an internal combustion engine in your chest

Chapter 71 Underhanded Tactics

Shanghai, Ding Residence.

At this moment, the front yard of the Ding residence was a stark, ghastly white.

White lanterns hung in the long corridors and under the eaves, and white banners fluttered in the wind. The main hall had been set up as a mourning hall, with a large, carved coffin placed in the center.

In front of the coffin, a group of servants and maids, dressed in mourning clothes, knelt on the ground, wailing loudly.

Snapped!Snapped!

The old steward, holding a leather whip, wiped away tears as he lashed the servants and maids: "Cry! Cry louder! If you don't cry loud enough, the young master won't be able to hear you on his way to the underworld, and he won't be able to leave in peace!"

The servants and maids were beaten terribly, and they cried hysterically, their voices hoarse.

It was precisely because of this deafening cry that the piercing screams from the deepest part of the Ding residence were completely drowned out.

"Aaaaaah!!"

Inside a room deep within the mansion, Ye Xunwei was screaming madly.

He lay naked on the bed, his limbs chained. His eyes were closed, and he was clearly not fully conscious, but his body was still convulsing and spasming under the stimulation of excruciating pain.

Large tears kept sliding down his cheeks.

The son was in unbearable pain, and his mother, Ding Xue, was also constantly wiping away tears.

Of course, despite the tears falling, her movements remained steady and quick.

Ding Xue held a large calligraphy brush in her hand and drew talismans on her son's chest and abdomen.

As she painted, tears streamed down her face: "My child, you're just a useless person anyway, might as well be dead? Don't blame your mother for being heartless, I'm just giving you a quick death—"

"Even after you die, you'll still bring benefits to the Ding family, and we'll help you tear that damned Baili Jing to pieces!"

"Be a good boy/girl. When you close your eyes tomorrow, your father and I will have another child. Remember to walk slowly at the Bridge of Helplessness, so that in your next life—you can be reborn as your mother's precious child again—"

As she spoke, she brought over a bowl filled with gunpowder and shoved it all into Ye Xunwei's mouth. Ye Xunwei choked half to death, but for some reason, he still unconsciously swallowed all the gunpowder.

"Sister, why say such discouraging things on such a wonderful day? We should send our nephew off with a smile."

On the other side, Ding Yan had a kind smile on his face and was also holding a pen in his hand.

He was working with Ding Xue to draw runes on Ye Xunwei's thighs and feet.

Ding Xue abruptly turned her head, her eyes filled with resentment and venom, and angrily shouted, "So you don't care that he wasn't born of you! If it weren't for you, would Xunwei have ended up like this?! He's become like this because of you!!"

"Sister, I know I was wrong. Wasn't this just avenging Xunwei?"

Ding Yan chuckled, "But what kind of relationship do we have, siblings? We're blood relatives, if you don't help me, who else can you help?"

"If you lose your son, you and your brother-in-law can have another one, but if I, your own brother, am gone, you will truly have no brother left."

Ding Xue snorted heavily, gritting her teeth, and said, "In short, you have to get this done! If the Xuandu Immortal Temple discovers anything amiss, we're all finished!"

"Don't worry, sis."

Ding Yan laughed even harder: "By then, everyone will be blown to pieces. What clues will be left then?"

"Afterwards, I deliberately left some loopholes to make my eldest sister and second brother suspect me, and then I poured this dirty water on Baili Jing."

"Once the Enforcement Elder of Xuandu Immortal Temple arrives—the entire Shanghai Canal Gang will be buried with us, Xunwei!"

Ding Xue paused slightly in her hand, her brows furrowing: "All these years of hard work, you're just going to throw it all away—you really don't want it anymore?"

"You don't want it anymore? Hahahaha!!"

Ding Yan laughed loudly, "My son is dead, and they've taken half of the fortune I've built up over the years!"

"Why should I bother with this 'making money through harmony' nonsense?! Damn it, they can all just die, they can all die!!"

"If this explosion happens, and the Xuandu Immortal Temple arrives, and Wugen Ferry intervenes, both the Canal Gang and the Chaosheng Society will be finished! Wipe out these boatmen! If it weren't for them, how could my son have died?! How could I have ended up like this?!"

"Once the Chao Sheng Society is destroyed, the Grand Canal Gang will be mine! Then, whoever offers me benefits, I'll serve them! With these skills, I can live a good life anywhere!"

Ding Yan laughed more and more heartily, his words became increasingly harsh, and his pen strokes became heavier and heavier.

Ye Xunwei's screams grew louder and louder, so loud that even a bird flying in the sky outside tilted its wings.

Meanwhile, outside the Ding residence, in a dark alley.

Baili Jing moved the receiver away from his ear, rubbed his ear, and cursed, "The screams were worse than a pig being slaughtered. I couldn't hear a word of what they were muttering afterward."

What he was holding was a receiver shaped like a teacup, with a mechanical flower covered in runes that was slowly rotating at the end.

This receiver, through special runic fluctuations, is connected to a steam-powered mechanical bird in the distance. The bird is perched on the eaves of a house in the inner courtyard of the Ding residence, and all the sounds it receives are transmitted into the receiver.

Beside him, Hua Xiangrong smiled slightly, her eyes bright: "It doesn't matter if you can't hear the details, but we can already confirm that Ding Yan is desperate and will do something rash. Moreover, he not only wants to kill you, but he also has Second Master and the Big Boss in his plans."

Baili Jing nodded solemnly: "If he really succeeds in his plan, the consequences will be unimaginable—"

He remained silent for a long time, then suddenly raised his head and looked earnestly at Hua Xiangrong, asking, "Sister Hua, I have another question. Do you think that if we directly report this to Second Brother and the Chief, they—would they kill Ding Yan?"

Hua Xiangrong thought for a moment, then shook her head, her voice low and somber: “It’s difficult. I know them very well. They are bound by rules and reputation. Ding Yan hasn’t really made a move yet. No matter what he does to Ye Xunwei, there’s no solid evidence until it happens. Even if they decide to take action against Ding Yan, at most they can cripple him and expel him from Shencheng.”

Hearing this, Baili Jing raised her eyebrows high: "Sister Hua, then tell me—what if we just barge in?"

This time, Hua Xiangrong did not respond immediately.

She took the receiver from Baili Jing and gently turned a few gears on the mechanical flower.

A moment later, a steam-powered mechanical bird, about the size of a palm, fluttered back and landed on the mechanical flower.

Hua Xiangrong put the mechanical bird into her bosom and sighed softly: "This matter is not easy to handle. As you can see, my sister was injured yesterday and has not yet recovered. She has very little fighting power left. Although you have the strength to fight Qi Xinjing, the Ding family is heavily guarded and there is also Miao Xingxing by your side. You will not be able to get away with this so easily."

"Once he escapes, he can turn around and bite you, and then you'll be in an even more passive position."

Baili Jing listened to her analysis and nodded.

"I understand—Sister Hua, I have one last question."

"According to them, Xuandu Immortal Temple will send someone to investigate Ye Xunwei's crippling. Sister Hua, based on your understanding of Xuandu Immortal Temple, when do you think this person will arrive?"

Hua Xiangrong shook her head, her voice somewhat unsteady: "I don't know. How could I be qualified to know about matters concerning the Xuandu Immortal Temple?"

Hearing this, Baili Jing's brows relaxed, and he chuckled softly, "That means—they could come at any time, maybe tomorrow, maybe—an hour from now!"

"Sister Hua, it seems we can't wait any longer. We can't afford to gamble. If we wait any longer, we won't even know how we died."

After saying that, he turned around and headed towards the Ding residence.

"Young master! What are you doing?!"

Hua Xiangrong was startled and quickly reached out to grab him: "If you barge in like this, you're just going to your death!!"

Baili Jing stopped and turned to smile at her.

"What nonsense are you talking about, Sister Hua? Ding Yan is my third brother now. His son died, and they've set up a mourning hall at home. Can't I even go and offer incense to pay my respects?"