Qin Wanlin stood in the center of the hall with his hands behind his back, his moon-white brocade robe still spotless. The sharpness with which he had just driven off the gang had been fully reined in, leaving only a quiet composure as gentle as jade.

“Worthy son-in-law...”

Fang Tongli struggled to his feet, his face ashen as paper, his voice carrying the hollow tremor of a narrow survivor. “Had it not been for you today... our Fang family... would have been in grave peril! That Qian Biao...”

Qin Wanlin turned, extending a supportive hand:

“Uncle overstates the matter. They are but a few petty clowns, not worth mentioning. Please set your heart at ease; I, Wanlin, will deal with this matter thoroughly.”

“But...”

Fang Tongli wrung his hands, his worry deepening until it nearly seeped out as cold sweat. “The vicious words Qian Biao flung as he left were clearly a threat to strike at our family’s ships on the river! That... that would sever the very foundation of the Fang family! What is to be done?”

Qin Wanlin’s expression did not change, but his gaze naturally shifted toward the screen. There, Fang Qingxue had already stepped out silently, her fine brows tightly knit, concern clearly written on her face.

“Father, are you alright?”

She hurried forward to support him. Only after carefully checking that he was unharmed did she turn to Qin Wanlin. Her gaze rested on his face for a moment, and a barely perceptible tremor entered her voice:

“Wanlin, just now... thank you.”

She paused, then looked toward the empty hall doorway, worry in her eyes:

“What Father said is right. That man’s parting words... are truly frightening. The Fang family’s shipping trade is our lifeblood. If it truly suffers harm...”

Qin Wanlin met her gaze, his voice steady and resolute:

“Qingxue, you need not worry. The wild barking of a mad dog is nothing but bluster. I already have a plan for this. You and Uncle just wait peacefully in the residence; I will shoulder these outside storms.”

Looking at his calm and unflustered demeanor, the taut strings of Fang Qingxue’s heart loosened slightly. She said softly:

“With those words from you... I can set my mind at ease.”

* * *

Clop, clop, clop—

Horses’ hooves struck the bluestone road, their crisp echo reverberating through the lanes as dusk deepened.

Inside the carriage, Qin Wanlin closed his eyes to rest. The fierce face of Qian Biao and the threats he had flung as he left kept circling in his mind.

‘Be careful... we’ll see how it goes…’

He suddenly opened his eyes, a cold light flashing briefly in their depths.

He rapped on the carriage wall.

“Young Master.”

The escort commander riding alongside quickly drew near the window.

“Send word to the Fang Residence: effective immediately, all Fang family cargo vessels are to suspend sailings. All goods already loaded on ships are to be unloaded and stored. The timing of resuming voyages will be determined upon notification from my residence.”

“Yes!”

The commander acknowledged and immediately dispatched a messenger back to the Fang Residence to convey the order.

The carriage rumbled onward toward the Qin Residence. Qin Wanlin’s fingers unconsciously traced the smooth jade pendant at his waist, but his brow slowly furrowed.

Something was wrong.

The Black Tiger Gang had been far too brazen. Qian Biao was merely a deputy chief, and while it was well known he threw his weight around on the docks with brute strength, today’s complete fearlessness in the face of the Qin family was absolutely not the reaction an ordinary gang leader should have.

Qin Lu! His father! He had fought two fiends alone at Windy Peak Ridge, staining the barren hill with blood, and had stormed Lion’s Ridge by night with a single blade, slaughtering dozens of fierce bandits who had entrenched there for years...

These blood-soaked legends had long become a fearsome reputation that no one in Qingyang City and even the surrounding prefectures dared not fear! Even though his father now lived in deep seclusion, that accumulated dread was enough to awe petty criminals for two decades! How dared a mere Black Tiger Gang, scraping a living from the docks, be so fearless?

Unless...

“Unless... someone is backing them!” Qin Wanlin murmured to himself, a shrewd glint as sharp as lightning flashing in his eyes.

‘And this someone has given them the nerve to tweak the tiger’s whiskers of the Qin family!’

Upon returning to the Qin Residence, Qin Wanlin did not go to the inner courtyard, but went straight to the outer courtyard’s manager’s office.

“Uncle Fu,” he called.

A wiry, capable-looking old man in a simple gray cotton robe rose in response. His face was gaunt but sharp, his gaze keen. He bowed:

“Young Master.”

This was precisely Qin Fu, the head steward of the Qin Residence. In his early years, he had been a bladesman of some repute in the jianghu (martial world). Gravely wounded and near death, he had been saved by Qin Lu, who also gave him pointers in martial arts. From then on, he had wholeheartedly pledged himself to obscurity within the Qin Residence. Over twenty years, with occasional guidance from Qin Lu, his martial prowess had grown unfathomable. Next to Qin Lu, he was the household’s most solid pillar.

Qin Wanlin sat and came straight to the point:

“There is a matter I need Uncle Fu to handle immediately. Investigate all abnormal movements of the Black Tiger Gang over the past month, whom they have been in contact with, and especially—whether they have latched onto a new backer or recruited any dangerous figures. Every detail, the faster the better.”

Qin Fu’s eyes sharpened. Without asking a single further question, he responded crisply and efficiently:

“This old servant understands. Young Master can rest easy, there will be a reply within three days.”

Watching Qin Fu’s steady figure depart, Qin Wanlin felt somewhat more at ease. Uncle Fu handled matters meticulously, without fail. He had to know who had given the Black Tiger Gang the dog’s gall to provoke the Qin family.

* * *

Over the next two days, the Qin Residence was festooned with lanterns and decorations, the bustle of wedding preparations undiminished. Red silk hung everywhere, suffused with joy and celebration. Qin Wanlin handled household affairs as usual, received guests, and remained gentle and courteous, as if nothing had happened.

At dusk of that day, Qin Fu’s figure appeared soundlessly outside the study.

“Young Master, this old servant has returned.”

“Enter.”

Qin Fu pushed the door open, closed it carefully behind him, stepped to the desk, and lowered his voice:

“Young Master’s suspicions were correct. The Black Tiger Gang does indeed have backing.”

“Oh?” Qin Wanlin leaned forward slightly. “Tell me.”

“Just half a month ago, the younger brother of the Black Tiger Gang’s chief Zhao Heihu, Zhao Heibao, returned from abroad. This man fled far from home years ago after committing a capital crime. It is said he roamed beyond the frontier for many years and learned a set of exceptionally ferocious external martial arts, particularly adept with fists and feet, striking viciously. In the jianghu, he is called Stele-Shattering Hand.”

“Stele-Shattering Hand?”

“Exactly! Upon his return, he has become the anchor of the Black Tiger Gang, and their arrogance has soared. Qian Biao’s insolence the other day most likely relied on his backing.” Qin Fu paused, his tone turning cold. “According to reports from our informants, Zhao Heibao has repeatedly made wild boasts before the gang members, claiming that the bloodbath at Windy Peak Ridge is ancient history, slandering the Master as aged and frail, no longer the warrior of his prime, and declaring that it is time for Qingyang City to change its sky. His words show considerable disrespect for the Master.”

A cold light gleamed violently in Qin Wanlin’s eyes, but his expression remained calm. He tapped a knuckle lightly on the desk:

“So that’s it... A reckless brute returning from a life of crime, gaining a bit of brute strength, and already dreaming of shaking the Qin family’s foundation? Laughable. Uncle Fu, how do you assess this man’s strength?”

“Although this old servant has not yet faced him directly, judging by his past combat record, his hard external training has entered the realm of mastery. His sinews and bones are tough, his strength immense, and ordinary blades can hardly injure him. In the jianghu, he could be considered a first-rate expert.”

“First-rate expert? Compared to you?”

Qin Fu straightened his back, a profound aura of serene authority emanating naturally from him:

“Young Master, this old servant, over these twenty years, receiving the Master’s guidance, dares not say he has slacked even one day. Against such a brute who relies solely on raw strength and does not know the height of heaven or the depth of earth, this old servant... has ninety percent confidence.”

Upon hearing this, Qin Wanlin abruptly stood, his gentle warmth completely gone, his brow now filled with the cold, decisive edge of a family heir.

“Since they don’t understand the rules, and dare to dig at the Qin family’s foundations, and even threaten Qingxue...”

He paced to the window, gazing out at the silent Qin Residence courtyard in the twilight, his voice as icy and piercing as winter:

“Then let’s wake them up!”

He turned sharply, his gaze settling on Qin Fu:

“Uncle Fu!”

“This old servant is here!”

“Assemble thirty elite guards from the residence. You will personally lead them. Go to the Black Tiger Gang’s turf... and take a walk! Tell them: the Fang family’s ships are under the Qin family’s protection. Have them retract their claws cleanly and keep their eyes bright. As for any who don’t know their place...”

Qin Wanlin’s lips curved into a cold, sharp arc.

“Uncle Fu, you know what to do. Make them understand their place, but mind the measure. Tomorrow is my grand wedding; it is not fitting for anyone to die. However, breaking a few bones to teach them a lasting lesson, that is of no consequence.”

“Yes! Young Master!”