26: Underground Society (1)

While waiting for the dishes to be served, Li Fei noticed Ye Rui's new wheelchair. It was made from seasoned and finely furnished Yellow Bamboo. The fabrication was very neat and detailed, clearly made by a pro.

Noticing Li Fei's curious gaze, Ye Rui tells him that Aylan bought it for her from a talented young carpenter that lived literally next door. Not only talented, the carpenter was also so pretty and smart.

"Hmm, I think I should pay her a visit after we are done with our business. If I'm not wrong, her name is Miss Tang Yu, right?" Li Fei nodded.

"You must! M-master! Sister Tang Yu is so kind and smart! She even visit my room and tells me so many stories when Elder Sister Aylan or Eldest Sister Yulan were busy with their chores."

"Alright. Let's put that in my today's schedule."

Soon enough, the dining table was adorned with much colorful and vibrant dishes than the last time he had the simple breakfast on the other day. Yulan did her best to put them together on the table.

As a Qi Gathering expert, Li Fei didn't particularly need mortal's food to sustain his body since he won't feel hunger anymore. Even so, he finished everything that were in front him with gusto and licked his bowl spotless, literally.

"Thank you for the meal!" Li Fei smacked his lips. "It's so delicious, just like I remembered!"

"I am glad that you still remember the taste of my cooking, Master." Yulan remarked with a motherly smile. She understands that Li Fei didn't want to reveal his true identity in front of Ye Rui just yet.

After breakfast, Li Fei mentioned that Ye Rui had officially become his disciple and he had a plan for the day to visit Ye Rui's hometown to Yulan, in which causing her to frown a little bit.

"Just the two of you? I think I should come as well."

Li Fei waved his index finger. "No can do. An ultra beautiful lady strolling in the slum district? I don't think it would be a good combination."

"Master is right, little birdie." The miniature dragon, Xiao Long, appeared before them in a sudden, surprising the calm and taciturn lady as well as the young woman in a wheelchair. "Besides, you'll need to prepare the rooms for the new arrivals, no?"

"M-master, what is it?"

"How dare you calling me "it". I am Xiao Long! The proud Heavenly Jade Dragon Cauldron! You'll call me as Mistress Long from now on lest you want me to burn all of your pan– Hmmph! Hmmph!"

Li Fei pinched the mini dragon's noisy snout to shut her up.

"Alright, alright… Less fighting and let's get going. We ain't have the whole day to listen to your banter."

Before they even departed, Yulan halted his steps, telling him to wait for a while. A few minutes later, she returned from the kitchen with a lunch box, wrapped neatly in a piece of cloth.

"Don't forget your lunch." Yulan said in a motherly voice.

Meanwhile, Aylan put a small medicine leather pouch in Ye Rui's hands. "And don't forget your medication, this should be enough for a few days. The prescription is inside. Don't push yourself to hard, and always abide by your master's order, understand?"

"En!" Ye Rui's face was beaming with smile.

At last, Li Fei bid a farewell to Aylan and Yulan at the porch.

Along the way, Ye Rui told him about their lives in the slum district. As he thought, it was not a pleasant one. They often had to eat half-rotten rice or even kill a stray dog and dried its meat to sustain themselves for a few days, trapped by the slaves poachers, abused by the thugs who controlled the block and so on.

Li Fei could relate to her early life since he's also living in the slum during his childhood. But, he couldn't muster any consolation to ease her agony. Even so, his gentle pat on her shoulders was more than enough to soothe her pained soul.

Before long, they have arrived at the sewer's entrance. The stench rotten meat and ammonia were almost unbearable, but Li Fei quickly adapt to his surroundings fairly quick.

"We are here." Ye Rui scanned the sewer's wall on her right hand side which full of random graffiti here and there. "There, it's Ruowei's drawing, it says… Scums Gathering, stay out of sight, the old fart's men are watching every channel."

Li Fei tilted his head. "Scums Gathering? And, who's this old fart?"

"Shit! I forgot that today's is Scums Gathering day! Criminals from all around  Yunhai City gathered in the main hub to celebrate, throw a party, drugs, boozes and fuck all the women in the community till they either collapsed or drop dead due to exhaustion. Hundreds of them! And this old fart, people calls him the Beggar King, he is the brain of these wretches!"

"For fuck's sake." Li Fei cursed under his breath, shaking his head in disbelief. 

But, he didn't even surprised in one bit. He had attended many orgy parties in his career as a male escort back on Earth, but not this scale. He had an inkling that this Scums Gathering was closely related to Demonic Cultivation Art, and a very extreme one at that.

"Let's go. I think I know where they are hiding." Ye Rui pushed her wheelchair frontward.

"After you then…"

After a good half of an hour, Ye Rui found more graffiti that would lead them to the hideout. Luckily, the water level was particularly low during spring time so they could navigate the sewer without a notable hitch.

Before long, they heard a commotion from up ahead. Ye Rui hastened her pace upon hearing familiar screaming voices from one of her sisters.

Due to the poor lighting, Li Fei could only see a vivid silhouettes of three scrawny men, towering above three helpless young women who wrestled a fat and ugly bastard on the damp and wet soil.

"Ruowei! Linlin, Zhihe!" Ye Rui pushed the wheels like a crazed beast.

"Don't go." Li Fei says with a stern voice, holding the wheelchair with one hand.

"But–"

"That's an order."

"Y-yes, master…"

After he said that, he assessed the whole ordeal calmly in one quick glance. With just a flick of his wrist, he threw three small pebbles, exploding their heads in one single attack.

"What was that?!" The fat, ugly bastard exclaimed.

"Your death." Li Fei said right behind him.

His killing intent combined with his aura was so terrifying, making all the walls in his vicinity to rumble violently.