Chapter 143: The Fierce Dragon Society

On the flight from Hong Kong to Tianhai, He Tian’s expression was grim.

According to the original plan, Chou was supposed to head to Guizhou to investigate the situation there. He had insisted on going himself to see what was happening. Meanwhile, worried about his home, He Tian had arranged for Lazy Cat to return to Tianhai ahead of schedule, while he and Shen Feng were to fly directly from Hong Kong to Tokyo, Japan, and then transfer to Hakodate, Hokkaido, to further track down leads.

However, the moment he stepped off the plane in Hong Kong and turned on his phone, He Tian received a call from home. This forced him to scrap all his plans and immediately board a flight back to Tianhai with Chou, Lazy Cat, and Shen Feng.

The reason was simple: the Tianhai Menglong Society had recently launched a series of aggressive actions against the Wang sisters. They had even deployed an internal energy expert of the fourth rank who had injured Lan Ji. If not for Qing Wu, Wang Xinrou would have been kidnapped, and it seemed that Qing Wu herself had been injured in the process. The situation had become so dire that Wang Xinmeng was too terrified to go to work.

Learning of this, how could He Tian not be furious?

The Menglong Society—He Tian had looked into this gang before. It was one of the most notorious organizations in all of Tianhai, boasting the strongest combat capability among the city's four major gangs. Yet, He Tian had never paid much attention to these so-called underworld figures. In China’s social climate, these gangs could never reach the level of insanity seen in movies or foreign criminal syndicates. They usually operated under a veneer of legitimacy, often maintaining ties and colluding with the government. It was an inescapable social phenomenon that had existed since ancient times. Repeated crackdowns and campaigns by the authorities merely replaced one batch of personnel with another; the core issues remained unchanged. One could only hope to control the damage within certain bounds. Of course, for every policy from above, there was a countermeasure from below. Without diving deep into the underworld, it was impossible to truly understand the inner workings.

But now, the Menglong Society’s actions against Wang Xinrou had fully exposed their crazed side. He Tian was livid, yet beneath his rage, he remained extremely cool-headed. The appearance of a fourth-rank internal energy expert was highly unusual, hinting at something much deeper. Of course, the specifics would only become clear once he returned to Tianhai.

Chou was in a foul mood—extremely foul. He had intended to go to Guizhou to resolve his suspicions, but this sudden turn of events forced him to put his plans on hold. He refused to be away at a time like this; he had to be involved. As the strongest fighter among them, he bore the greatest responsibility. He was currently itching to tear the Menglong Society to pieces.

The plane landed at Tianhai International Airport. The four men hurried off, hailed a taxi, and rushed back to Longhai Garden.

Construction was still in full swing at Longhai Garden. Thanks to a four-shift rotation, progress was rapid. The small forest, occupying a full fifteen mu of land, was essentially complete. Interior features like rockeries, water features, and gazebos had already been finished. However, the newly transplanted trees lacked a natural feel. He believed that by next spring, the area would truly bloom into a natural habitat, allowing Wukong to finally feel at home.

As soon as He Tian appeared, Wukong pounced on him.

"Wukong!" He Tian held the monkey, stroking its head and fur with a smile. "Did you miss me?"

Wukong chattered, nodding in a remarkably human-like way. With such spirited intelligence and the inherently funny antics of a monkey, how could anyone not be fond of it?

"Hahaha! Let's go!" He Tian laughed, letting Wukong hop onto his shoulder.

"Wukong, did you miss me? Come on, how about playing with Brother Shen Feng?" Shen Feng clapped his hands, wearing what he considered a very charming smile.

Wukong simply turned its head, completely ignoring him.

"Hahaha!" Chou and Lazy Cat burst into laughter.

"Tsk, don't laugh at me, you're the same!" Shen Feng felt a bit awkward. Damn it, Wukong, why do you always cling to the boss? Brother Shen Feng likes you too!

"We know! You're just like yourself, lacking any self-awareness," Lazy Cat chuckled.

"Fine!" Shen Feng shook his head dejectedly.

"Cat, you're back!" Rose rushed out, attempting to leap onto Lazy Cat.

Lazy Cat dodged quickly, looking horrified and angry. "Rose, I’m warning you, you’d better act like a lady!"

"A lady? Cat, do you like ladies?" Rose immediately quieted down, clutching the hem of her clothes, swaying slightly, and looking down in a shy, coy manner as she spoke to him.

Lazy Cat shivered. "Oh, mother of God!" He took off running.

"Cat! Wait for me! Don't you like this? I can change!" Rose chased after him.

"Heh heh, karma is a bitch! You were just laughing at me!" Shen Feng said smugly, finding great pleasure in Lazy Cat’s plight.

He Tian and Chou ignored the antics of Lazy Cat and the gloating Shen Feng, walking into the villa’s living room. Wang Xinmeng, Wang Xinrou, Qing Wu, Lan Ji, and Yao Rao were all there.

"Are you okay, kiddo?" He Tian looked at Wang Xinrou with concern. Seeing that she looked fine and had no injuries, he finally let out a sigh of relief.

"Brother He Tian, I’m fine..." Seeing He Tian, Wang Xinrou’s eyes reddened. She didn't know why, but seeing him suddenly made her feel a wave of grievances.

"As long as you're okay!" He Tian turned to Lan Ji, seeing her arm and back bandaged, with a plaster on her head. His rage surged uncontrollably. "Did you fight back?"

"In the city center... I..." Lan Ji said softly.

"Listen to me. In the future, if you encounter a situation like this, even if it's inside the city government building, do whatever you have to do. I will take responsibility for all the consequences! Protecting yourself is the most important thing!" He Tian said with uncharacteristic severity, his aura radiating a violent intensity.

Wang Xinmeng and Wang Xinrou looked on, stunned. They felt that the current He Tian was vastly different from his usual self—aggressive, like a volcano about to erupt, indifferent to anything around it, determined only to unleash its fury.

"Understood!" Lan Ji looked up, her voice much firmer.

"Rest well," He Tian patted her, his tone softening. He then turned his gaze to Qing Wu.

"I’m fine. Just some internal injuries; a few days of rest will suffice. The opponent was powerful, possessing fourth-rank internal energy. I couldn't tell if it was early or late fourth rank," Qing Wu said. "But I didn't let him harm a single hair on Xinrou’s head!"

"I know," He Tian took a deep breath, nodding gratefully at her. He understood Qing Wu’s mindset. Raised in the deep mountains, she was a true celestial being, untouched by the dust of the world. The only person she truly cared about was He Tian. As for Wang Xinrou and the others, frankly, she didn't care about them at all. She had only fought to protect them because He Tian didn't want anything to happen to Wang Xinrou.

"The Menglong Society? How are you sure it was them?" He Tian sat down and asked.

"The Menglong Society people appeared first. After Qing Wu and I drove them back, that fourth-rank expert appeared," Lan Ji explained.

"I see... all of you, get some rest. Xinmeng, if you have work to do, have Yao Rao and Rose accompany you. Xinrou, the same goes for you—though it's better to stay home for now. I’ll handle the rest," He Tian said in a deep voice.

Everyone nodded. Yao Rao looked at Chou and stopped worrying. Chou was a fifth-rank internal energy expert; a mere fourth-rank cultivator would be no match for him.

***

He Tian didn't need to investigate much. Regardless of why the Menglong Society had taken such actions, it wouldn't stop his retaliation. Anything he needed to know, he would find out during the process. Naturally, to catch the bandits, one must first catch the leader. The president of the Menglong Society was He Tian’s target. The first step was to track down the whereabouts of the man nicknamed "Menglong." As for the underlings, they weren't even worth mentioning.

He Tian bypassed Shen Feng and directly utilized the resources of the Dragon Soul. Shen Feng could only track leads if he had them, but finding Menglong was clearly beyond his scope. The resources of the Dragon Soul were truly powerful—or perhaps the State Security Bureau had been watching Menglong all along. Either way, less than an hour after He Tian requested the information, he received precise details.

Northeast of Tianhai, in Qidong City, Jiangsu Province, there was a place called Qingxiu Town. It was an ancient town with a long history and many old buildings. East of Qingxiu Town, in a small fishing village called Tangkou, there was a picturesque spot—a small complex of buildings left over from the Qing Dynasty. Because it held little archaeological value, and thanks to Menglong’s maneuvering, it had become his private stronghold.

He Tian, along with Chou, Lazy Cat, Shen Feng, and the inseparable Wukong, drove to the fishing village of Tangkou and headed straight for Menglong's residence.

"Boss, I have a bad feeling about this! Look around—many people have already spotted us, but they don't seem to react at all, just letting us pass," Shen Feng said from the car, his voice low.

"Is it wrong? I’d like to see what kind of tricks he has up his sleeve!" A cold sneer played on He Tian’s lips. With Chou by his side, even if it were a den of tigers or a trap of dragons, He Tian was determined to charge in and see for himself.