Chapter 21 Intrusion

Chapter 21: Busting In

That speech left everyone in the room stunned, their faces going white with fear, never thinking a few words would get them slapped with such a serious charge.

"Master Cheng, don't say stuff like that! Our loyalty to the Emperor is plain as day—we'd never do something so low."

When you blow something ordinary way out of proportion, it's not about right or wrong anymore—it's about where you stand.

As long as you seize that, you can get on your high horse and spit on your enemies below.

Cheng Ge felt a little smug; he shot the crowd a sneer, flicked his sleeves, and snorted coldly, strolling out of the Ministry of Personnel like a big shot, taking big, cocky steps.

The guys behind him watched him leave, wiping sweat off their foreheads. The Emperor had spies in every ministry, and if word of this got upstairs, they'd be under suspicion.

They'd planned to put Cheng Ge in his place, but instead he shut them down with just a few words, and they felt like total idiots.

But right as Cheng Ge walked out the ministry's gate, he saw some dude sneaking a look from an alley.

Cheng Ge kinda recognized this guy—it was Zhang Qinghang's lackey from yesterday.

Zhang Qinghang obviously didn't want to talk about what happened yesterday, since getting stripped naked in public by another guy isn't exactly a good look.

This wasn't some fairy tale where the emperor's new clothes were a thing.

Even though Cheng Ge beat him so bad his own mom wouldn't know him, he had to suck it up and swallow his pride.

But knowing how petty and vengeful Zhang Qinghang was, he probably wasn't gonna let it slide.

This guy was probably here to follow him. Cheng Ge acted like he was just walking by, then when the guy wasn't looking, he spun around and grabbed him.

"Spill it—did that asshole Zhang Qinghang send you?" Cheng Ge plopped down on the lackey and smacked him upside the head.

The lackey yelped and shook his head like a bobblehead: "M-Master Cheng, I... I messed up, just let me go this once."

"Did Zhang Qinghang set up those guys in the ministry?" Easy guess—the original owner was just a broke scholar, no way he'd pissed off any big shots in the capital.

The only beef he had was with Zhang Qinghang, and that guy was a real snake.

The more he thought, the madder he got. This guy was like a damn ghost, everywhere he turned.

He gave the lackey a few more knocks on the head—couldn't hit Zhang Qinghang, so he'd take it out on his dog.

When he'd had his fun, Cheng Ge clapped his hands, got up slow, and got ready to bounce.

But when he turned, a bunch of huge dudes with clubs were blocking his way, looking mean as hell.

Cheng Ge's heart dropped—these guys weren't here to buy him a drink; they wanted to beat him to a pulp.

He felt the little bottle on his chest and eyed the big guys.

He wondered if downing all his emergency pills would turn him into Popeye, able to take on ten of these punks and make 'em scream.

He puffed out his chest, stood tall as the wind messed up his hair, and gave them a cold, sharp stare.

Then Cheng Ge took two steps back. Yep, confirmed—he couldn't take 'em.

Even if he chewed up the bottle and ate it, his odds of winning were basically zero.

He wasn't about to take a stupid bet like that—winners play smart, and he wasn't gonna be a dumbass.

He spun around, yanked the lackey up, and even brushed the dirt off his shirt like a nice guy.

"Hey buddy, I was just kidding around—you didn't take that seriously, right? Haha..."

The lackey: "..."

"Hmph, our boss said we gotta teach you a lesson today." The big guys advanced on Cheng Ge with fierce looks.

Cheng Ge figured he was toast—if each of these dudes got a hit in, he'd be mashed into a pancake.

But he knew he couldn't back down now, or he was dead.

He put on a cold look, hands behind his back, and walked toward them like he owned the place.

When Cheng Ge got serious, he gave off a scary vibe that could freak people out. The big guys were actually thrown off by his attitude and stopped without thinking.

Inside, Cheng Ge was freaking out, but he kept his cool.

He looked right through the guys and yelled, "Zhang Qinghang, what the hell are you doing here!"

Everyone spun around, but all they saw was their own shadows.

By the time they figured it out, a dark shape had darted past them like a stray dog.

The guys froze, then realized Cheng Ge had played them, and took off after him with their clubs.

It was dark—not quite curfew, but the streets were dead to stop thieves.

Cheng Ge ran like his life depended on it, wheezing like a dying dog.

The big guys chased him, yelling, "Stop right there!"

You think I'm stupid? Stop? Yeah, right...

Back in his past life, Cheng Ge was a beast at sports, with moves on the court that'd make a pro jealous.

Now, even with guys on his tail, he was slick as an eel, weaving through alleys and streets.

He pissed them off, making them steam: "Some of you go that way, some this way—we'll box him in."

Cheng Ge popped out of a little alley and looked back.

No one was behind him, so he slowed down, let out a little sigh, and thought he'd made it.

But when he turned, a dark shape was already waiting at the opening.

"Oh, so you were waiting for me here!" Cheng Ge's heart dropped. He didn't think twice—spun around and bolted back.

But to his horror, even more guys were blocking his way back.

Cheng Ge had to press his back against the brick wall.

He dropped his head, hands to his chest, trying to choke down the bitter taste in his throat.

In the moonlight, alone, his shadow stretched out, making him look like a cornered animal.

Even the big guys felt a little sorry for him.

"Our boss said if you come with us nice and easy, we won't rough you up," one of them said, his voice cutting through the quiet night.

When Cheng Ge heard that, he laughed like it was the funniest joke ever, bursting out laughing out of nowhere.

The laughter echoed through the silent night, giving everyone the creeps.

After the laughter subsided, Cheng Ge slowly raised his head, his eyes locked on the guy who said it.

Yet, there was little emotion in his eyes, just cold indifference and calmness.

The big guys thought it was weird, but they didn't dwell on it and stepped up to grab Cheng Ge.

However, just as their hands were about to touch him, shit hit the fan!

Cheng Ge was lightning fast, reaching out and grabbing one of the guys' wrists.

With a crisp "crack," the guy's wrist snapped clean off!

The guy screamed in pain, he hit the ground like a ragdoll.

This caught the others off guard, leaving them frozen in place.

By the time they snapped out of it, Cheng Ge had already grabbed a wooden stick off the ground.

Like a pissed-off lion, he swung it hard at them.

The stick cut through the air with a whistle, the wind howling past their ears, freaking them out.

Cheng Ge's eyes were blazing with fury, he didn't hold back as he swung the stick at the guy in front's head.

The guy dropped like a sack of potatoes, and the guys behind him rushed in. The others, seeing the blood pool around the guy, got spooked and backed off.

Cheng Ge stood there, the stick in his hand dripping blood, each drop hitting the ground and forming a dark red stain.

He looked weak, but fought like a rabid dog, which was kinda creepy.

But they quickly pulled themselves together—how could a bunch of them be scared of some pale-faced pretty boy? Without thinking twice, they charged at Cheng Ge.

Cheng Ge was pissed. Damn, he hadn't been cornered like this since elementary school when some punks jumped him.

A dragon in shallow water gets messed with by shrimp, a tiger on the plains gets bullied by dogs.

They all thought they could mess with him. Today, he'd show these punks who the real boss was.

Furious, Cheng Ge sidestepped and kicked the gut of a guy charging from behind.

The kick was brutal, sending the guy screaming to the ground, writhing and unable to get up.

Before he could catch his breath, another stick came flying at his face.

Cheng Ge quickly ducked and dodged, then swept his leg to trip the guy.

A dull thud followed as the guy hit the ground, struggling to get up.

Cheng Ge pressed his advantage, raising his stick and slamming it into the neck of another guy next to him.

Soon, the alley was full of groaning bodies.

Cheng Ge looked at the guys on the ground, his hand shaking as he gripped the stick.

Just as he looked up, a few more guys charged from the other side.

Cheng Ge clenched his lips tightly...

Damn it! Whoever wants to be the boss can be it—Dad's out of here!

In that instant, as if making a decision, he turned and bolted, not even looking back.

The others: "..."

"After him!!! Don't let him escape!!!"

On the east side of Vermilion Bird Avenue, where nobles gathered, a carriage was parked by the street, not too conspicuous. The curtain was suddenly thrown open, and something scrambled inside.

Cui Ji was sitting with his eyes closed, resting, when a dark figure stumbled in, the air tinged with a faint scent of blood.

"Don't move, or I'll kill you," a weak voice whispered in his ear, a peach wood hairpin pressed firmly against his neck, while a hand covered his eyes.