Madman!

Chapter 138: The Four Heavenly Kings

With the roar of its engines, an airplane touched down gently on the runway.

North Port Airport was always packed with people, but the area around Chen Wujun and his crew remained comfortably empty.

Several towering, muscle-bound men — veins bulging through shirts that looked ready to split at the seams, every face radiating menace — tended to have that effect. Normal people instinctively steered clear.

The group swaggered out of the airport and spotted Ah Fei standing beside a car. A federal patrol officer was saying something to him.

"Brother Jun!" Ah Fei waved the moment he saw Chen Wujun.

"What's going on?" Chen Wujun walked over and gave the patrol officer a once-over. Young — barely past twenty, still with a boyish look about him. Reasonably fit, but clearly not a fighter.

"Sir, you can't park here." The officer, suddenly hemmed in by a wall of large men and unable to see past them, was doing his best to stay calm.

Chen Wujun clapped him on the shoulder and pointed toward the other officers in the distance. "See how none of them are coming over to write tickets?"

The patrol officer glanced at his more experienced colleagues, confused.

Chen Wujun flashed a grin, reached into his pocket, pulled out a wad of cash, and — oops — accidentally dropped it on the ground. He smiled pleasantly:"Sorry about that, officer. Why don't you pick that up? Make sure you write out tickets for every bill before you leave."

With that, he pulled open the car door and got in.

He'd recently crippled Nguyen Minh Kim and killed Nguyen Van Son, Nguyen Phuc Hung, Chen Jinyong, Chen Zhonghong, and Li Wenlong — all formidable fighters. His confidence was at an all-time high. A junior patrol officer barely registered.

"Watch yourself, hm?" Ah Fei jabbed the officer in the chest with a finger.

The patrol officer watched the cars glide away, then squatted down through clenched teeth to pick up the cash, muttering:

"Bastards."

"Like money makes you special."

......

"Brother Jun, you only left the night before last and you're back today. That was fast!" Ah Fei said in the car.

"Went there, killed him, came back. What, was I supposed to stay for a vacation?" Chen Wujun gazed out the window at the vibrant cityscape... Compared to the first time he'd ridden in Shark Jiu's car and marveled at the city's splendor, his perspective was entirely different now.

Back then, he'd felt like an outsider — a country bumpkin in the Walled City, looking up at the sky and yearning for everything beyond his reach.

Now, it all seemed within arm's length.

"Ah Fei, ask around in the Walled City. I want to buy some connected units — three or four of them, able to be joined together. At least a hundred square meters total."

"Windows facing outward, away from the interior."

"You're buying a place, Brother Jun? Any preference on floors?" Ah Fei asked.

"Not too high, not too low. And it has to be on our turf." Chen Wujun said.

Ah Fei was about to mention that none of their territory buildings were on the Walled City's edge. The only possibility would be the far end of Lung Kong Road where it connected to Prince Edward Road West — and that area was risky.

Then it hit him what Chen Wujun meant.

"Brother Jun — congratulations!" Ah Fei broke into a broad smile, excitement stirring in his chest.

Chen Wujun becoming a Hall Master meant Ah Fei, as his Head Horse, would rise right along with him.

"I'll look into it. Might take some time." Ah Fei said immediately, already calculating that even if there weren't adjoining units available, they could simply convince the current tenants to leave.

Especially the rented ones — with a little creativity, suitable properties could always be found.

Back in the Walled City, Chen Wujun went straight home to wash his eyes, take his medicinal bath, and practice the Tiger Roaring Golden Bell Cover.

At one in the afternoon, he changed clothes and headed downstairs, taking Fa Zai and a few others to the social club.

Entering through the back, he found a number of lackeys had already received the news and were waiting.

"Brother Jun!" Some greeted him enthusiastically as he walked in; others simply nodded.

Chen Wujun pushed open the door and went inside. He was the first to arrive, so he leaned against the wall and waited.

Before long, Tall Guy came in with his people. Seeing Chen Wujun, he broke into a smile: "Thought I'd be the first one here."

Guan Laosan and Elephant might still look down on Chen Wujun, but Tall Guy certainly didn't.

He'd been there that day. He'd watched Chen Wujun beat a Harmonization Phase New Arts expert to death on the spot.

To say nothing of his own precarious position — and the fact that Chen Wujun was Shark Jiu's closest confidant.

"Back already, Ah Jun? Things must have gone smoothly?" Tall Guy said as he sat down. His face was perpetually wreathed in a genial smile.

"Very smoothly. Went there, punched him dead, that's all there was to it." Chen Wujun shrugged.

"That's Luoyue territory out there. For you to handle it so cleanly — you've got a hell of a future, young man." Tall Guy praised.

"If I didn't have a bright future, I'd end up like those people who've lived for decades with nothing to show for it." Chen Wujun raised an eyebrow, his bearing radiating high-spirited confidence.

Tall Guy wasn't sure whether "decades with nothing to show" included him, but his expression didn't waver — he simply laughed it off.

Soon the others arrived. Seeing Chen Wujun already present, they immediately knew the job was likely done.

The door opened. Cun Bao entered with a few people, followed by Shark Jiu.

Shark Jiu walked straight to the head seat and sat down, crossing her legs. "Ah Jun, you said three days. It's only been one and you're already back. Let's hear the report."

Chen Wujun stood, pulled several photographs from a bag, and tossed them onto the table.

"I left the night before last, found Li Wenlong last night, killed him on the spot, and flew back this morning."

He said it as casually as describing a trip to the grocery store.

Li Wenlong had been Northern River Sect's second-in-command, a Harmonization Phase expert. West Embankment was Luoyue territory. Killing him there should have been anything but easy.

And yet he'd found the man within a day and killed him on the spot.

The more effortless Chen Wujun made it sound, the more thunderous the impact on everyone else's ears.

Guan Laosan and Elephant were both silently taken aback, reassessing Chen Wujun's actual strength.

Shark Jiu picked up the photos and glanced through them. When she saw the one of Chen Wujun flashing a V-sign, she nearly laughed.

She passed the photos to Elephant, who looked them over and tossed them to Tall Guy, who passed them to Guan Laosan.

"That's Northern River's Li Wenlong. A single phone call would confirm it, and Ah Jun wouldn't joke about something like this." Shark Jiu said directly.

"I said before — whoever kills Li Wenlong becomes the new Hall Master."

"Ah Jun has delivered. And I keep my word."

Shark Jiu pointed at her former chair:

"That seat is yours now."

"From today, Ah Jun is a Hall Master of Hetu. All of my former territory will be handed over to him."

Chen Wujun grinned ear to ear, not bothering to hide his elation. With an air of undeniable authority, he pulled out the chair and sat down.

The Four Heavenly Kings of Hetu. There was a time when they'd been legendary figures to him.

In the lawless no-man's-land of the Walled City, the Kings stood above tens of thousands, holding the power of life and death. Their names echoed through every alley.

Ordinary people could go their entire lives without ever seeing one.

Now he was one of them — seated as an equal beside Elephant and the rest.

"The two most urgent matters following Master Xin's death have been addressed. Li Wenlong is dead, and I'll continue having people track down Yuan Hong." Shark Jiu continued.

"The other matter is the banquet — notifying our counterparts in the underworld. We'll set it for five days from now."

"Anything else from any of you?"

Everyone shook their heads, except Chen Wujun: "Shark Jiu, I'm throwing a banquet tomorrow night. You absolutely have to come!"

He needed to hold his banquet before Shark Jiu's. That way, when Shark Jiu's event came around, he could attend as one of the Four Heavenly Kings and face the other gangs with that status.

"Send me the venue tonight." Shark Jiu said with a smile.

"Brother Elephant, Brother Tall Guy, Third Brother — you all have to do me the honor of showing up!" Chen Wujun said to the other three.

"Our boy Ah Jun's moving up! Of course we'll be there! Just tell us where." Guan Laosan reclined in his chair with a laugh.

After the meeting, Chen Wujun left alongside Shark Jiu.

"Recruit as fast as you can in the coming days. Build out your operation." She said as they walked.

"I'm giving you three months to gradually take over the territory. Cun Bao, Ah Hao, and Karen will be moving on to other assignments."

She'd inherited a number of Master Xin's enterprises and needed people to manage them.

Three months for Chen Wujun to assemble his team and take over the territories step by step.

"You can start taking over Cun Bao's blocks first. Make a name for yourself."

"Then Ah Hao and Karen's businesses..."

"I've been recruiting already." Chen Wujun said. Though building up forces wasn't something that happened overnight.

Ordinary lackeys were easy enough. New Arts experts were harder to come by.

Fortunately, Li Wei had found the Duan brothers. Combined with Li Wei's contacts from back home, three months should be enough to build a solid framework.

After they parted ways, Fa Zai and the others immediately crowded around, beaming: "Congratulations, Brother Jun — you're one of the Four Heavenly Kings now!"

"As it should be! This seat was always meant to be mine." Chen Wujun threw his head back and laughed.

His heart was brimming with satisfaction.

Back at the gambling den, Ah Fei shot Fa Zai a questioning look. When Fa Zai nodded, Ah Fei broke into a grin and hurried over: "Brother Jun — congratulations!"

"Find me a venue. I'm throwing a banquet tomorrow night. The Dragon Head and all the other Hall Masters are coming."

"Don't embarrass me!"

"Location: somewhere near the Walled City. It has to be impressive. Big enough for twenty-plus tables." Chen Wujun instructed.

"I'll get someone to book a restaurant right now!" Ah Fei replied immediately.

"And spread the word. I avenged Master Xin this time, so make sure people talk about it. Hype up Li Wenlong — he was Northern River's second-in-command, after all. A much bigger deal than our own local Wen Long..."

After issuing his orders, Chen Wujun called Ah Yue and had Fa Zai pick her up. Then he took a car to a shopping center to buy a few new outfits.

Tomorrow's banquet demanded new clothes. Festive ones.

That evening, the news that Chen Wujun had been promoted to Hall Master of Hetu swept through the entire Walled City like a shockwave.

"He hasn't even been around that long, and he's already a Hall Master? The Dragon Head really looks after him."

"They trained under the same master, sure... but he's the one who took a pledge — three days to avenge Master Xin. Then he went to West Embankment with just a handful of men, found Li Wenlong in a single day, and beat him to death on the spot. Even the other Hall Masters can't complain about that."

"How old is he? Not even twenty? Makes you want to die of envy..."

"A Hall Master under twenty. Incredible."

"But you have to admit he's the real deal. Li Wenlong wasn't small-time — he was the number two of West Embankment's biggest gang. Supposedly conspired with bandits to ambush Master Xin... They say at the meeting, with everyone sitting there, he was the only one who dared volunteer... Then he just went over there and killed the man..."

Hetu lackeys all across the Walled City buzzed with the news.

In front of a corner shop, a few Hetu lackeys were drinking sodas and gossiping.

Inside the shop, Ah Qi — there to buy soy sauce and a pencil — froze mid-step. She pretended to browse the shelves, ears straining.

'That man actually became one of Hetu's Four Heavenly Kings? And he killed someone... From the sound of it, someone very powerful?'

Once again, she felt with painful clarity that they inhabited entirely different worlds. The world he lived in was far beyond anything she'd imagined.

And he was far more dangerous than she'd previously realized.

After a few minutes, she took her purchases and quietly left.