Chapter 4352 — Riding a Tiger
The Blossom Guardian · Page 2 of 2
"You—don't get too cocky!" Cheng Qitian choked on his words, and under Qi Wenmo's aggressive glare he was actually forced back a step in front of everyone. Cursing inwardly, he thought: damn it, I'm the one who came here for revenge and to settle scores—how does this bastard seem even angrier than me?
Little did he know that Qi Wenmo had been stewing with pent-up fury ever since his dealings with Wei Zhao, and had found no outlet for it. Now this fool had come knocking to make trouble—whose fault was that?
"Cocky? You, Young Master Cheng, bring this many men to block the gate of my Qingtian Escort Agency, and you think I'm the cocky one?" Qi Wenmo sneered.
"Hmph. At the docks earlier, this Ling Yi of your agency injured Old Kong. I've brought men to arrest the culprit—what's improper about that? When you do wrong, you own up to it. Your Qingtian Escort Agency has always prided itself on righteousness—surely you wouldn't shield your own? I'll say this plainly, though it may not be pleasant to hear: your agency's good name was hard-won. You wouldn't destroy your own foundation over some nobody who doesn't matter, would you?" Cheng Qitian said in that sly, needling tone.
Every previous clash had ended with Qi Wenmo and his men pressing him down and pounding him, and Cheng Qitian still had lingering fears. Now, face to face with Qi Wenmo, he dared not force the issue and could only prod at him with such words.
"Your own strength is weak, your skills inferior, and you took a loss—who else can you blame? And you come to me talking about a culprit? Heh, the sun must have risen in the west today. Your illustrious Poison Eye Mercenary Corps—since when did it start reasoning with people?" Qi Wenmo was instantly amused, and the crowd burst into laughter with him. The Poison Eye Mercenary Corps had brought misery to the whole region; nearly everyone in Weihu City had been threatened or oppressed by them at some point. And now they had the nerve to talk about reason?
"I—" Cheng Qitian's face flushed crimson. He rounded on the crowd and snarled, "What's so funny? Laugh again and I'll cut out every one of your tongues! Daring to laugh at my Poison Eye Mercenary Corps—do you all think you've lived too comfortably?"
Under the sweep of Cheng Qitian's vicious, threatening glare, the crowd hastily stifled their laughter, each one burning with rage but not daring to speak, afraid of drawing his eye.
"Qi Wenmo, I advise you to think carefully before you speak. For the sake of such an insignificant nobody, to make an enemy of our entire Poison Eye Mercenary Corps—do you think that's worth it?" Cheng Qitian switched to threats.
"Hahahaha!" Qi Wenmo threw back his head and laughed at the sky, then fixed Cheng Qitian with the look one gives a utter fool. "Young Master Cheng, did you skip your medicine today, or did you take too much of it? Why are you spouting nothing but brainless nonsense? Our two houses have fought more battles, big and small, than I can count—eight or ten at least. Or do you think that isn't being enemies, but one big happy family?"
"You—!" Cheng Qitian nearly choked on his own blood. Qi Wenmo was simply his born nemesis. He couldn't beat him in a fight, and he couldn't beat him in a war of words either. Every time he ran into this bastard, nothing good ever came of it—before, and now, and always.
Can't win by fighting, can't win by talking—what was he supposed to do?
For a moment Cheng Qitian found himself riding a tiger, unable to get off. He could only glare venomously at Wei Zhao, yet, wary of Qi Wenmo, he never dared give the order to move. Inwardly he cursed his own poor judgment—had he known, he would have picked a different place.
True, he had brought no small number of experts today, but this was, after all, the Qingtian Escort Agency's home ground. If blows truly broke out, they would certainly be the losing side. (To be continued)