Return of the King, Dominating the City

Chapter 1729 - 1623: Establishing Authority

The night deepened, and the small boat glided through the darkness with only a dim yellow bulb, the kind of light you hardly see anymore, while the engine hummed steadily with a puttering noise.

"We’re almost there!" Song Yun exclaimed with relief upon seeing a somewhat dimly lit pier ahead.

It had taken several hours to reach this wilderness not far from Mei Sai Town by waterway, which was more winding and circuitous than the land route.

A small white plane was parked on a patch of open ground in the middle of the wilderness, with a man in camouflage standing next to it. He was lazily leaning against the fuselage, but upon seeing someone approaching, his eyes sharpened like cold steel. When he recognized Song Yun, a smile appeared on his face.

"Spider!" Song Yun called out with a broad smile to the man in camouflage.

"Damn, Spider, what brings you here?" Jack shouted after Song Yun, and the man in camouflage, known as Spider, replied in fluent Chinese, "Finally, we’re all gathering today."

Spider was the head of Song Yun’s intelligence network, Spider Web, with no equals. His whereabouts were always unpredictable, and even Song Yun found it hard to locate him. Who would’ve thought they’d meet here today?

"Hahaha, you used to work behind the scenes. This time you’ve actually come to Thailand in person, Spider. Do you miss me?" The Queen limped over, exuding charm, showing no signs of pain from her injured foot.

"Queen, you’re hurt?" A hint of ruthlessness flashed in Spider’s eyes.

"Just a scratch. Okay, now’s not the time for chit-chat. Let’s get going!" The Queen urged.

"Alright, get on!" Spider took a step onto the plane, followed by Song Yun, Jack, and the Queen.

"Better fly a bit higher later!" The Queen said suddenly as Spider started the plane engine.

"Why?" Everyone wondered.

"So we don’t get shot down," the Queen joked, covering her mouth with a mischievous grin.

The crowd was speechless.

The plane flew directly to Sunan, landing on the airstrip of the Sunan Military Region. The Queen didn’t linger, speaking a few words before saying she had to submit her task. Song Yun originally thought of having Spider or Jack accompany her, but the Queen turned down the offer.

Spider and Jack both took their leave, disrupting Song Yun’s plan to treat them to a meal and catch up.

Left with no choice, Song Yun called the Shura Alliance to pick him up and take him home.

Upon reaching the villa, the phone rang—it was his martial uncle, Tyrant, calling.

"Dear nephew, do you miss your uncle?" Tyrant’s cheerful voice came from the other end, prompting Song Yun to move the phone away from his ear. After the voice quieted down, Song Yun responded, "Uncle, of course I miss you. How are things going in Beijing?"

"I’m doing great. Many of the old friends are still around. We drink together all the time, with beautiful women surrounding us. It’s like a heavenly life."

"Heh, you sure know how to enjoy life." Song Yun chuckled.

"Of course," Tyrant said, his voice suddenly lowering. "Dear nephew, I’ve got something to tell you!"

"Go ahead."

"Not long ago, I received some news. An old rival of mine from my days abroad has gone to Sunan. This person is quite formidable. Back in the day, we were evenly matched. I never thought he would still hold a grudge after so many years, threatening to eliminate my family. I suspect his trip to Sunan is aimed at you."

"What?" Song Yun exclaimed in shock. "Uncle, your enemy is targeting me? Is that even possible?"

"Hahaha, you know, some people’s minds just work differently from ours. It’s an old Russian guy, with golden hair. But he might not really be after you, since you’re just my nephew, not my immediate family. I’m just giving you a heads-up, just in case."

"Well... are you safe over there?" Song Yun asked.

"I’m safe, of course. My only family here is your aunt. In Yanjing, not even the Five Families dare mess with her, let alone that Russian. No worries. Just take care of yourself. If ever you’re mysteriously taken out, at least you can die knowing why. It’s just a little gesture from your uncle."

Song Yun was instantly furious, thinking, "Damn it, the guy you crossed is now coming after me, and you’re saying it’s just so I can die with a reason? How can you be such an uncle?" Song Yun was about to explode, but Tyrant abruptly hung up.

Listening to the busy tone on the other end, Song Yun felt like smashing the phone to the ground, but considered the couple hundred bucks it was worth and let it go.

"Is there no peace for anyone these days?" Song Yun muttered to himself, not giving much thought to the matter. After all, there were at least eight or ten people wishing for Song Yun’s demise. What’s one more? Song Yun thought, whoever wants to kill me, I’ll just kill them first. Simple as that.

Slept through to daylight, and the next day Zhao Yan came personally, saying that since Song Yun had been away from Sunan for so long, he should really visit the headquarters, give a morale boost, and say a few encouraging words.

Song Yun had to give up his plan to fly to Yanjing that day, instead turning to go to headquarters with Zhao Yan.

The newcomers had never seen what Song Yun looked like, so they gathered out of curiosity. Upon seeing Song Yun, they were a bit disappointed, thinking he would be a hulking figure who could split trees with a hand, not this slender person.

Song Yun chuckled and didn’t mind, saying a few words before calling out to the newcomers, "I know you might be disappointed in me, thinking I don’t look as powerful as you imagined. However, I’ll give you a chance. How about a few of you come and spar with me?"

"Can... can we?" a timid voice asked from the crowd.

Song Yun focused and saw a lad standing nearly six foot three, with bulky muscles, seemingly with some foundation in external martial arts. Not bad at all.

"Come on, if I lose, I’ll let you join the higher-ups. If you lose, I’ll make you a team leader or something," Song Yun beckoned with a wave.

The crowd started whispering among themselves. Though they often heard tales from seniors about Song Yun’s prowess, they had never witnessed the early days of the Shura Alliance. However, this giant was hailed as one of the best among them, filling them with confidence.

"Boss, no offense," the giant said, not wasting time, flexing his joints before charging toward Song Yun.

Song Yun stood there motionless, making the crowd below think that he was scared stiff. Their respect for him slightly diminished.