Chapter 170: The Cold-and-Warm Jade Chess Pieces

As soon as Chu Tian finished speaking, the five thugs brazenly kicked aside the things at their feet and directly stood in the middle of the barbecue stove where Chu Tian was. They looked around. Just as Chu Tian had expected, their eyes first landed on the Xiao sisters and Zhang Yafeng, full of lewd smiles and ill intentions, which further strengthened their determination to create trouble on this pretext. Then, the leader of the thugs opened his eyes wide, turned sideways to Lu Feng and Du Yuming, and said viciously, "You brats have some nerve. We were just getting into the mood while drinking, but you interrupted our fun. Tell me, how are you going to make up for our mental losses?"

Lu Feng and Du Yuming had already stood up. When the ten boys saw these thugs coming to pick a fight, their blood boiled, and they surrounded the thugs. Looking at these thugs, Lu Feng said in a voice lacking confidence, "Big brothers, we're really sorry. It's our fault. We'll pay for your bills tonight."

"Pah! Do you think I care about that? My mood has been ruined now." The yellow-haired thug became even more arrogant.

"Then what exactly do you want?" Du Yuming asked.

"What do I want?" The yellow-haired thug let out a lecherous laugh. "Naturally, you have to restore my mood. " Then he took a few steps, looked at the Xiao sisters, Zhang Yafeng, and several other pretty girls around, and said maliciously, "It's simple. Let these women of yours accompany us to have a drink and chat. If you make us happy, we'll let it go."

Even though Du Yuming and the others were timid and weak, upon hearing the yellow-haired thug's words, their blood boiled. In this country, Chinese men have always regarded women as their own. Just like Wu Sangui in the Ming Dynasty, Li Zicheng could raid his home in the capital city and软禁 his father, but when he heard that Chen Yuanyuan had been taken away, he immediately put down the pen he was about to use to write the letter of surrender, brandished his sword and roared, leading the Qing troops into the pass and destroying Li Zicheng. That's how the tragic story of "a beautiful woman being the source of disaster" came about. Although Wu Sangui was scolded by later generations, any man in his position would believe that he would "frown with anger for the sake of a beautiful woman."

When the yellow-haired thug saw more than a dozen people like Lu Feng surrounding them, he still looked down on them. They had been scared away by his knife just now, and now they were just bluffing. So he drew out a knife again with his backhand and slapped it on the table, saying, "What? Do you want to gang up on me? That's so old-fashioned. I've already said it before. Be straightforward. Either you stab me or I'll stab you."

This move of the yellow-haired thug was indeed effective. Lu Feng and the others clearly took a half step back. The other thugs shook their heads slightly and looked down on these dozen or so students.

"Alright, I'll stab you then."

A somewhat uncoordinated but mellow voice sounded. It was neither sharp nor mean. Instead, it had a sense of calm and elegance, and there was also a hint of inexplicable amusement. Everyone's eyes involuntarily focused on this unexpected guest who had said these words. To Lu Feng and his group, this was an extremely unwise and self-defeating statement. But to the yellow-haired thug and his gang, it seemed a bit tactless. Especially when they saw that this person was not strong in body and also looked like a student, they all couldn't help but laugh.

The Xiao sisters and Zhang Yafeng all let out a slight sigh, feeling sorry for the thugs. In Lu Feng's eyes, there was doubt, and he sneered slightly, as if he didn't quite agree. Although Chu Tian could fight, did he really dare to stab the knife into the thug's body? You know, that would be wounding someone, and if he wasn't careful, it could even be killing someone. Did Chu Tian have the guts to do that?

Chu Tian slowly stood up, wiped his fingers with a tissue, and then walked over slowly. The yellow-haired thug snorted, his face full of disdain. When he saw Chu Tian coming, instead of dodging, he personally picked up the knife and put it on Chu Tian, and then patted his belly, saying contemptuously, "Come on, kid. If you have the guts, stab me here. If you don't dare, I'll stab you."

The yellow-haired thug had a thick smile on his face, and so did the other thugs beside him. Lu Feng and the others watched coldly.

A flash of cold light from the short knife, and blood splattered everywhere. The yellow-haired thug's smile immediately froze. He looked at Chu Tian in disbelief, took two steps back, and looked down at the short knife in his abdomen. He exclaimed in shock, "You really dared to stab me?"

"It seems you asked me to stab you." Chu Tian looked very innocent and said indifferently, "Since you have such a hobby, I had to satisfy you. But don't worry, I know what I'm doing. You won't die."

"You, you, you..." The yellow-haired thug felt pain even when he breathed and shouted, "Brothers, kill that kid for me."

Four thugs immediately drew out their short knives and surrounded Chu Tian. Lu Feng and the others stepped back several meters. The surrounding diners and the boss had obviously seen the fight here. They called the police while gathering around to watch.

Chu Tian twisted his neck and was just about to take action when suddenly someone shouted violently, "It's the Young Master. Someone is trying to deal with the Young Master. Brothers, let's go!"

Chu Tian and the others were slightly taken aback. Before they could react, many people rushed over from all around. They ran past Chu Tian towards the four little thugs. The little thugs obviously didn't know what was going on, and their movements slightly stagnated. When they came to their senses, they had already been surrounded by more than twenty people. These people were all holding shining machetes, and their faces were filled with a murderous aura.

Just as Chu Tian turned his head, he saw Brother Cheng running over eagerly. Standing in front of Chu Tian, he still had a toothpick in his mouth and a beaming face. When he saw Chu Tian looking at him, he quickly took out the toothpick and said with a smile, "Young Master, I didn't expect you to be here. My brothers and I just finished eating in the corner in the north and were passing by. When we saw the Young Master surrounded by these thugs, we came here especially to help you out, to help you out."

The Xiao sisters and Zhang Yafeng covered their mouths and laughed. Chu Tian had actually become an "old man." Then wouldn't Brother Cheng be an "antique"?

Chu Tian also didn't know whether to laugh or cry and said, "Alright, since you're here, I'll give you a chance to show yourself. Beat them up, but remember, don't kill them."

"Yes, yes, we are a gang with quality." Brother Cheng said with a flattering smile, and then shouted to his subordinates, "Brothers, teach them a good lesson, but don't kill them."

Chu Tian shook his head vigorously. No wonder Brother Cheng could still be alive even though he had run a sauna parlor where people were unscrupulously exploited. He was truly invincible in his shamelessness.

It was a one-sided beating without any suspense. After a while, those little thugs were covered in bruises and were rolling on the ground. When Lu Feng and the others saw that Chu Tian had connections with the underworld, their faces showed fear, and of course, disdain.

Because the yellow-haired thug had been stabbed by Chu Tian, he didn't get beaten much. Brother Cheng went up, grabbed him, and threw him in front of Chu Tian, saying, "You're the leader, right? Do you know who we are? Do you know who the person in front of you is? We are from the Shuai Army, a gang with quality."

The yellow-haired thug had already lost the arrogance he had when he was bullying Lu Feng and the others. He was lying in front of Chu Tian like a dog, enduring the pain and begging, "I didn't recognize Mount Tai. I didn't recognize Mount Tai. I didn't know that this young master was from the Shuai Army. I deserve to die. I deserve to die."

"This young master? That's our big brother!" Brother Cheng kicked the yellow-haired thug and said proudly, "Let me tell you, this is our supreme Young Master. You little brat actually dared to be rude to the Young Master. Do you want to die?"

"Ah, he's the Young Master?" The yellow-haired thug's face immediately turned pale. Although he had never seen the Young Master of the Shuai Army, he knew that the Shuai Army was now all-powerful. Almost the entire Shanghai Beach was under the control of the Shuai Army, and the Young Master was the underground emperor of Shanghai Beach. If he had offended him tonight, wouldn't his life be in danger?

Lu Feng and the others naturally also knew that there was a rising gang in Shanghai recently called the Shuai Army, which had annexed both the Axe Gang and the Jiang Gang, and its power was at its peak. They never expected that Chu Tian was the one in command. It was really hard to imagine.

Zhang Yafeng already knew from Zhang Dahai that Chu Tian was extremely intelligent and resourceful and was a crucial figure in Shanghai Beach. Seeing Chu Tian so imposing today, her heart was even more stirred. Her two jade-like legs involuntarily pressed together more tightly.

"Spare my life, Young Master. Spare my life, Young Master. I deserve to die. I deserve to die." The yellow-haired thug shouted in fear, completely forgetting the pain of the wound on his stomach.

Chu Tian still didn't say anything and was trying hard to bite into the still warm chicken leg. For some reason, the chicken leg roasted by Xiao Nianrou was especially fragrant and smooth. This was the fourth one tonight. When Brother Cheng saw that Chu Tian didn't respond, he kicked the yellow-haired thug again and teased, "Since you know you deserve to die, why are you still asking the Young Master to spare your life?"

In order to survive tonight, the yellow-haired thug racked his brains to find a way out. Suddenly, he shouted, "Young Master, Young Master, I have something important to say, something important to say."

Everyone was slightly taken aback. Everyone was curious. Chu Tian also stopped eating. He wanted to see what this yellow-haired thug would use to save his life. He put the chicken leg aside. Almost at the same time, the Xiao sisters came up to wipe Chu Tian's mouth, looking extremely gentle and considerate. Beside them, Zhang Yafeng was thinking wildly again: What if there were three women for one man? I wonder if Chu Tian could handle it?

Looking at the surrounding diners, Chu Tian said to Brother Cheng, "Disperse the people. We don't want to attract the police and cause trouble for ourselves."

Brother Cheng nodded and shouted to the surroundings, "Scram quickly. If anyone keeps watching, my brothers' machetes will chop people." The surrounding diners had been watching with great interest. When they heard Brother Cheng's words, they immediately scattered and went back to their seats to continue barbecuing, but their eyes kept glancing over here.

Chu Tian asked Brother Cheng to take the yellow-haired thug to a corner and not let anyone get close. Then he said to the yellow-haired thug, "What's so important? I hope you're not trying to deceive me."

Enduring the pain, the yellow-haired thug said, "Young Master, I have something for you. I hope you can spare our lives." After that, he took out a simple sandalwood box from next to his body and handed it to Chu Tian.

Brother Cheng quickly came over and stared at the box, examining it carefully. He also said to the yellow-haired thug, "Are there any traps?" Then he smiled at Chu Tian and said, "Young Master, be careful. There are often such scenes on TV. As soon as you open the box, either poisoned needles will fly out or it will explode. Let him open it himself."

The yellow-haired thug was almost driven crazy by Brother Cheng. If his fate wasn't in the hands of others now, he really wanted to blurt out a popular swear word to scold Brother Cheng: "You idiot."

Chu Tian didn't know whether to laugh or cry again. Brother Cheng had too much imagination. How could this yellow-haired thug come up with such complicated things? Besides, he was trying to save his life now. So, regardless of Brother Cheng's well-intentioned advice, he gently opened the lid of the box. After a closer look, Chu Tian's heart trembled slightly. Cold-and-warm jade chess pieces? They were actually cold-and-warm jade chess pieces. Chu Tian knew that these chess pieces were produced in the Shoudan Pool on the Ningxia Terrace of Jizhen Island. The black and white colors of the chess pieces were naturally formed. Especially, these jade chess pieces were warm in winter and cool in summer, and they felt extremely good to the touch. At first, they were a bit cold, but after a while, they would be about the same temperature as the hand. It was really comfortable to hold them.

The cold-and-warm jade chess pieces were recorded in the Tang Dynasty: In the book "Du Yang Za Bian" written by Su E in the Tang Dynasty, Volume 2, it is recorded: "During the Dazhong period, the Crown Prince of Japan came to pay homage to the emperor and presented precious utensils and music. The emperor held a grand variety show and sumptuous banquet to show his respect. The Crown Prince was good at playing Go. The emperor ordered Gu Shiyan, a waiting imperial official, to be his opponent. The Crown Prince took out a catalpa jade chessboard and cold-and-warm jade chess pieces. He said that there was a Jizhen Island thirty thousand li to the east of his country. On the island, there was a Ningxia Terrace. On the terrace, there was a Shoudan Pool. In the pool, jade chess pieces were produced. They were not made according to a certain standard, but the black and white colors were naturally separated. They were warm in winter and cool in summer, so they were called 'cold-and-warm jade'."

Chu Tian knew that if he sold this set of cold-and-warm jade chess pieces on the black market, he could definitely get a shocking price. He just didn't know how this yellow-haired thug had obtained such precious cold-and-warm jade chess pieces. So Chu Tian closed the lid and said indifferently to the yellow-haired thug, "How did you get this set of chess pieces? If you tell the truth, I'll spare your life tonight."

"I picked it up outside Warehouse No. 7 at the wharf." When the yellow-haired thug saw a chance to survive, he naturally told everything he knew. "The night before last, in the middle of the night, I passed by Warehouse No. 7 at the wharf and saw several people furtively moving things from Warehouse No. 7 to a black car. I was a bit curious. After they left, I went over to check, hoping to pick up something. As a result, I found this set of chess pieces on the ground. I didn't know their value, so I planned to find someone to appraise them in a few days."

In fact, the yellow-haired thug had gone to the wharf warehouse that night to steal some goods to improve his life. He happened to see someone moving things in the middle of the night and thought they were the same as him, coming to steal. So after they left, he wanted to see if there was anything left. That's how he picked up this set of cold-and-warm jade chess pieces that had been accidentally dropped by someone.

Warehouse No. 7? That used to be Ye Sanxiao's territory, that is, the territory of the Axe Gang. Of course, now it was the territory of the Shuai Army. How could such a precious thing appear there? What were those people moving from the warehouse? And who were they?

Suddenly, many questions came to Chu Tian's mind. Being used to getting to the bottom of things, he carefully asked the yellow-haired thug, "Didn't you see the faces of those people clearly? Was there anything that impressed you?"

The yellow-haired thug shook his head and said, "It was too dark. Besides, they were all wearing masks, so I couldn't see their faces at all. But, there was one thing that impressed me." The yellow-haired thug's eyes lit up. "That car was..."

With two "whooshing" sounds, two powerful objects shot over from nowhere. One of the objects shot towards Chu Tian. Chu Tian gently dodged. With a "clang" sound, a short knife hit the pillar behind Chu Tian and fell to the ground. Then he heard an "ah" sound. Chu Tian secretly thought something was wrong. He turned his head and looked back. A small knife had pierced through the back of the yellow-haired thug's head, and he had no signs of life at all.

Chu Tian looked up, and a figure was quickly disappearing at the entrance of the water park.