“It was just a brief encounter, but I’m impressed Mr. Wang still remembers me,” Li Yongxia said with a smile. Her expression was relaxed, almost friendly, a stark contrast to the sly look on Zhang Ming’s face.

　　“I never would’ve guessed that I’d met you before!” I replied, genuinely surprised.

　　Li Yongxia wasn’t a stranger after all—she was the woman in the trench coat who had bumped into me on the street that night. I’d been too distracted, and the dim lighting didn’t help, so I barely paid attention when she brushed past me.

　　She settled onto the sofa, crossing her legs, and said, “When you encounter a worthy adversary, it’s only right to pay them a visit. But...”

　　“But what?” I asked, my tone edged with suspicion.

　　She rested her chin in her hand, studying me with a hint of amusement. “But you’ve been a bit of a disappointment.”

　　Anger surged inside me, and I slammed my hand on the table—not because of her condescension, but because of the twisted things she and Zhang Ming had done together, conspiring in their cruel schemes.

　　“Li Yongxia, do you have any idea what you’re doing? As a feng shui master, you’re supposed to be upholding virtue, but instead, you’ve completely thrown morality out the window!” I yelled.

　　She gave a careless shrug. “You’re not wrong. I know exactly what I’m doing.”

　　“Then why?” I shouted, my voice rising. “You know it’s evil, yet you choose to walk that path!”

　　“Enough!” Zhang Ming interrupted sharply, stepping forward to stand by Li Yongxia’s side. “Nobody chooses to do evil. We were pushed into it!”

　　“‘Pushed,’ you say?” I scoffed, glaring at Li Yongxia. “If you’re willing to commit atrocities that’ll harm future generations, then what’s left to justify?”

　　“This stops now,” Li Yongxia snapped, her voice suddenly icy and laced with menace, as if she had become a different person in an instant. “I suggest you drop this, or I can’t promise I won’t come after you!”I stared her down and said, "I want an answer to one question."

　　She shrugged, unfazed. "What question?"

　　"How did you know Liu Dazhuang was going to buy a fish tank?"

　　"Good question!" Li Yongxia replied, glancing over at Zhang Ming.

　　Zhang Ming leaned back in his chair, a smug grin spreading across his face. "We have Liu Dazhuang’s wife, Wang Mengyun, to thank for that."

　　"Mengyun?" I looked at him, bewildered. "What are you getting at?"

　　"You should ask her close friend, Su Yan."

　　"Su Yan?"

　　"That's right," he said, his tone casual. "And by the way, you've met Su Yan before."

　　"I have?" I was genuinely puzzled, trying to recall any memory of a Su Yan.

　　Zhang Ming chuckled softly. "Oh, you have. But don’t worry, she’s not someone you need to be concerned with."

　　"What do you mean by that?"

　　"It means exactly what it sounds like. Now, why don’t you leave? Like Yongxia said, this is where it ends. Unless…" His voice trailed off, leaving an unspoken threat hanging in the air.

　　"Unless what? You plan on killing me too?" I shot back, my voice rising.

　　Zhang Ming’s grin widened, a hint of malice in his eyes. "What do you think?"

　　"So, you are threatening me?" I snapped.

　　"You've got it all wrong," Li Yongxia interjected, her voice smooth and calm. "Mr. Zhang actually sees potential in you. He doesn’t want things to get ugly, so it’d be smart for you to know when to back off." The two of them played off each other effortlessly, a perfect little double act, their words meshing together with practiced ease.“What exactly is the deal between you two?” I asked.

　　“Don’t get the wrong idea. Mr. Zhang and I aren’t involved in the way you’re thinking—we’re just business partners, that’s all,” she replied.

　　“Is that so?” I shot them a skeptical look. “This so-called ‘partnership’ of yours… doing whatever it takes to reach your goals, even if it means taking innocent lives. Aren’t you afraid of divine punishment?”

　　Zhang Ming erupted in laughter. “Divine punishment? You’ve got to be kidding me! I don’t believe in that crap.”

　　I ignored him and turned my attention to Li Yongxia. “And you? Don’t tell me you don’t believe in it either,” I said, my voice sharp.

　　I knew why I was asking—she and I were both feng shui masters. I couldn’t speak for others, but I knew feng shui practitioners inside and out. The things she had done already violated the taboos of our profession.

　　Li Yongxia’s gaze locked onto mine, her face darkening. There it was—deep down, she knew I was right.

　　“Get him out of here. I don’t want to see him anymore,” Li Yongxia said abruptly, turning away as she addressed Zhang Ming.

　　“Please, see yourself out,” Zhang Ming added, rising to his feet.

　　I shot him one last hard look before heading for the door. As I was about to step out, I stopped and said to Li Yongxia without turning around, “Just remember one thing—you’re no match for me.”

　　With that, I left Zhang Ming’s office without looking back.

　　I wasn’t bluffing. I meant every word. Li Yongxia might be skilled, but if she really tried to take me on, she’d be in for a rude awakening.

　　Outside Tongming Group, I wandered down the street, not in any hurry. For some reason, I just couldn’t shake the feeling that this wasn’t over. On the surface, it seemed like Zhang Ming had taken care of anyone who could threaten him, but still…

　　When I finally made it back to the inn, I collapsed onto the bed, still unable to pinpoint what was bothering me. My mind was a complete jumble, and I had no idea what might happen next. Would Zhang Ming really just walk away?

　　I’d kept my promise to Zhou Sheng and Zhou Quan, so I could easily leave Mountain City right now and wash my hands of all this. But something wouldn’t let me rest easy—there was still a nagging sense of unease I just couldn’t ignore.Before I knew it, I had drifted off on the bed. I wasn’t sure how long I’d been out when a sudden, frantic knocking snapped me awake.

　　“Brother Feng! Brother Feng, are you there?”

　　I stumbled to the door and swung it open to find Zhou Sheng, Zhou Hu, and Zhou Desheng standing there, looking panicked.

　　“Brother Feng, something’s wrong! Quan’s missing!” Zhou Sheng exclaimed, his voice trembling.

　　A jolt shot through me. “Missing? How long has he been gone?”

　　“Just now! He said he was going out to grab some food, and then he just vanished!” Zhou Sheng’s words came out in a rush, panic creeping in.

　　“Don’t panic,” I said, trying to calm them, even though a heavy feeling was already sinking in my gut. “I’m sure Quan will be fine.”

　　But I had a pretty good idea where he’d gone. He was heading straight for Zhang Ming, no doubt about it—seeking revenge for his brother. That stubborn fool, he actually went for it!

　　“Brother Feng, do you think Quan might—”

　　“Zhou Sheng!” I cut him off sharply. “Don’t start jumping to conclusions. Zhou Desheng, you stay here in case Quan comes back. Zhou Sheng, Zhou Hu, split up and search for him. He can’t have gotten far.”

　　“Understood!”

　　The three of them nodded, then scattered in different directions.

　　As soon as they were gone, I stepped out into the dusky evening. The sky was dimming, and a sense of foreboding loomed over me.

　　“Quan, you better not do anything stupid!” I muttered to myself, quickening my pace toward Tongming Group. Where else could he have gone?

　　Sure enough, when I got closer, I could see a commotion brewing at the entrance. A crowd had gathered, buzzing with agitation.

　　“Take this little punk to the police!” Zhang Ming’s voice rang out.

　　“Let go of me, Zhang Ming! You killed my brother, and I swear I’ll kill you!”

　　Quan was pinned down by two burly security guards, thrashing against their grip but unable to break free.

　　“What are you waiting for? Get him out of here!” Zhang Ming barked.

　　“Let him go!” I shouted, shoving my way through the crowd. I pushed the two guards aside and hauled Quan back up onto his feet.

　　"Brother Feng..."

　　"You good?" I asked.

　　"Yeah... I'm fine."

　　I gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder and then turned my attention to Zhang Ming. "Well, well, Mr. Zhang, flexing your muscles, are we? Planning to ship him off to the police?"

　　"This kid came at me with a knife! Trying to kill me! Tell me, should I just let that slide?" Zhang Ming shot back.

　　"Oh really? And what if I decide to take him with me today?" I challenged, not backing down.

　　Without waiting for his answer, I started to lead Zhou Quan away.

　　"Stop them!" Zhang Ming barked.

　　At his command, a group of men moved to block my path—some in work uniforms, others in security gear, all of them clenching their fists and glaring like they meant business.

　　I let out a derisive laugh, glancing back at Zhang Ming. "You honestly think these clowns are gonna stop me?"