31. On the Matter of How I Often Mash the Keyboard to Come Up with Names

Seeing the moment was ripe, Chen Shang began to speak calmly:

“You look at me, young and new to this place, and think I’m easy to deceive. So you’re preparing your next move.”

He traced a thin line of blood across the thief’s neck with his small knife, smiling as he spoke. “You tried to coax and trick me into joining your gang. As for what would happen once I entered, who can say…”

“Perhaps you’d force me to pay a hefty ‘tribute’; or maybe you’d strip me of all my belongings and silence me for good. Of course, the worst fate would be to lock me up, and then…”

“Don’t slander us!” The burly fighter shoved his skinny companion aside, furious. “We’ve never trafficked in people…”

At his words, silence fell across the crowd.

“Hahaha—well said!” Chen Shang’s laughter broke the quiet. “Did I ever accuse you of trafficking people?”

Realizing his companion had slipped, the skinny fighter tugged at the other’s sleeve and whispered, “Let’s go.”

“Hey, don’t be in such a hurry to leave—aren’t you going to reclaim your friend?” Chen Shang pointed his knife at the thief whose throat he had nearly slit.

The skinny fighter stepped forward, face ashen, and reached out his hand.

“Leave the bag,” Chen Shang commanded in a low voice.

“Hmph!” The burly fighter had no choice but to throw the baggage to the ground.

Only then did Chen Shang let the bleeding thief go, allowing the two fighters to slink away with their companion.

Soon, the crowd dispersed in all directions. Having witnessed a spectacle, their faces were bright with amusement.

As for the Azure Dragon Sect trafficking in people? Such things had long become commonplace in the city of Night Pivot; no one wasted time reporting them to the police.

As the mastermind, Chen Shang fully understood how deep the darkness ran beneath the polished surface of this so-called “underworld.”

Incidents like these were only the tip of the iceberg in the shadowy side of the Kunlun District.

He picked up the baggage from the ground, checked that nothing was missing, and headed toward his reserved inn.

Just then, someone called out to him from behind:

“Young man, aren’t you afraid the Azure Dragon Sect will seek revenge after you’ve offended them?”

He turned to see a young man dressed in a white Daoist robe, his hair tied back, appearing to be in his twenties. His features were ordinary but pleasant enough.

If he were cast in a fantasy drama, he’d be the archetypal background cultivator.

“You’re… from the Daoist sect?” Chen Shang eyed the Eight Trigrams emblem on his clothing and guessed.

“Indeed.” The Daoist man smiled, eyes squinting. “You’re a truly ruthless fellow, but allow me to give you some friendly advice—these people will never let it go.”

Chen Shang snorted coldly, his expression unfriendly. “If you were really so kind, why didn’t you speak up for me earlier?”

“Well… I wanted to help…” The Daoist man looked embarrassed and lowered his head.

“But I’m only a menial disciple of the Daoist sect. Even if I wanted to help, I couldn’t take them on.”

He raised the basket of vegetables in his hand, indicating he was merely passing by.

Of course, Chen Shang did not believe this story.

The turbulence in the Kunlun District owed much to the chains of protection and business among the gangs. If this man had intervened, it would have made the Daoist sect a target for all.

“Fine, say what you like.” Chen Shang had no interest in further conversation and waved his hand.

“Thanks for the warning. I’ll be careful.”

With that, he strode off, clearly unmoved by the advice.

Following his phone’s navigation for a while, Chen Shang soon came upon a narrow alley.

“The phone says I’ll reach the inn if I go through this alley,” he muttered, stepping into the dim passage.

The moment he entered, a shirtless strongman who had been smashing stones on his chest in the street cast a sinister glance and followed into the alley.

At the same time, a fortune-teller at a stall nearby rose and slowly walked after him.

As expected, Chen Shang soon found himself surrounded by five men at the alley’s center.

They wore various outfits, but their sharp eyes and steady steps betrayed their martial training.

The shirtless strongman spread his arms to block Chen Shang’s path, sneering, “You’re the one who hurt our brother?”

“Your brother? Who’s that?” Chen Shang feigned ignorance.

A middle-aged man in loose black pants gritted his teeth. “This brat severed our sect brother’s tendons!”

“Oh! You mean that thief…” Chen Shang’s face lit up with sudden realization.

“If you’re really here for revenge, at least pick a quieter time.”

The fortune-teller pushed his sunglasses up and shrilled, “Enough talk! Break his legs and drag him back to the Azure Dragon Sect!”

At his command, the five men leapt forward to seize Chen Shang.

Yet, facing their attack, Chen Shang remained unhurried and called out,

“Thou…”

Before he could finish, a smoke bomb suddenly rolled into the alley.

Milky white smoke, tinged with a faint stench, billowed from the shell and filled the passage.

Chen Shang bent low and rolled, dodging their assault.

Soon, a delicate, bone-structured hand emerged from the haze, beckoning him.

“Quick, over here!” someone whispered from the smoke.

Chen Shang followed without hesitation, and with the guide’s help, slipped out of the alley.

Once clear of the smoke, he finally saw his rescuer and was startled.

“It’s you?”

It was the same Daoist man who had kindly warned him earlier.

“I was worried, so I followed you,” the Daoist replied, his face anxious. “Luckily I arrived in time, or you’d have been in real trouble!”

“Yes, thank you for this,” Chen Shang replied with a smile. “My surname is Chen—just call me Chen. What’s your name?”

The Daoist answered, “Aegni.”

“Aegni? That’s a peculiar name…” Chen Shang paused, lost in thought.

“You’re a refugee from outside, aren’t you?”

“How did you know?” Aegni raised his brows in surprise.

“My sister is also a refugee from outside,” Chen Shang recalled. “Her name is as strange as yours.”

Night Pivot City had welcomed many refugees from beyond its borders, and one common trait among them was their odd names.

“Strange… Haha, true enough,” Aegni laughed.

He then lowered his voice. “You’d better run. I can’t fight them, so this is as far as I can help.”

“I misunderstood you earlier. You’re more of a hero than any of them,” Chen Shang nodded sincerely. “If I get the chance, I’ll repay your kindness!”

“Take care, Mr. Chen.” Aegni waved farewell as Chen Shang departed.