Chapter 132: Chen Xianli and the Four Great Vajras

“You must be Yuan Shou, the Divine Fist under Boss Chen, right?” Ye Fei said calmly.

“That’s right, Ye Fei. I know you, and I know you’re skilled. Come on, let’s have a fight,” Yuan Shou said with a fierce glint in his eyes, issuing a challenge.

Ye Fei shook his head and declined, “Sorry, I have no intention of fighting you out of the blue.”

“You refuse?” Yuan Shou’s expression darkened as he stared at Ye Fei.

“That’s right, I refuse,” Ye Fei replied.

“Good, very good,” Yuan Shou said as he stepped forward coldly. “If you won’t fight me for no reason, then I’ll just snap you into pieces.”

Without another word, Yuan Shou lunged at Ye Fei. His arms were longer than a normal person’s, so if Ye Fei tried to punch back, he would be at a disadvantage—before even touching Yuan Shou’s body, he’d already be struck by a fist.

Ye Fei’s body swayed slightly as he lifted his leg and kicked straight at Yuan Shou’s armpit.

A flicker of joy flashed in Yuan Shou’s eyes. Haha, if you don’t make the first move, I’ll force you to; let’s see if you’ll strike or not.

“Hey!” Yuan Shou shouted as he swung his arm in a wide sweep, blocking Ye Fei’s kick. His long arms could cover a large area with a single movement—this was his advantage.

Ye Fei exerted force with his leg, but Yuan Shou’s arms held firm with considerable strength.

An idea struck Ye Fei. Since Yuan Shou had trapped his leg, he stopped resisting, instead stepping on it and then delivering a flying kick to Yuan Shou’s face. The face is a vulnerable spot; a solid kick there would be unbearable.

In a critical moment, Yuan Shou raised both arms. His long arms caused Ye Fei’s foot to miss, kicking through empty air above Yuan Shou’s head.

“Good! Good!” Yuan Shou’s men cheered.

“Go, Brother Fei!” Liang Ji shouted, unwilling to lose face and cheering for Ye Fei.

“Spectacular! Like a martial arts movie!”

“Yeah, how is Ye Fei so formidable?” muttered a few of Ye Fei’s cellmates hiding in a corner.

Ye Fei flipped down and stood firmly on the ground. He called out loudly, “Yuan Shou, if you don’t stop, don’t blame me for being ruthless.”

“Haha, afraid I’ll be ruthless? Come on then!” Yuan Shou laughed heartily, ignoring the threat as he unleashed every technique he had, like a martial fanatic, swinging his fists to attack Ye Fei.

Yuan Shou kicked toward Ye Fei’s thigh while simultaneously striking at his upper body’s vital points.

“This Tongbi Fist has been modified slightly. It must be Yuan Shou experimenting to suit his own style,” Ye Fei observed. Seeing Yuan Shou aiming for his vital spots, he stopped being polite and pressed in close, slipping through the gaps between Yuan Shou’s arms for close-range combat.

Yuan Shou’s long arms were not suited for such close-quarters fighting. His chest took several hits in quick succession, leaving him breathless.

Ye Fei sneered. His close combat skills were so refined that even his master, the first-generation “Reaper,” was no match for him. Yuan Shou’s skills were far inferior to Ye Fei’s master’s and thus no match for Ye Fei himself.

Since retreating into the deep sea, Ye Fei had only met one person who could beat him at close combat—the elderly man in the blue robe summoned by Fang Tingfang. That old man’s skill in leveraging force and the subtle variations of the Tiger-Crane dual form were exquisite. Technically, Ye Fei was slightly outmatched, but he won by exploiting the old man’s frailty and lack of stamina.

“Want to fight? Fight then! Why aren’t you hitting back?” Ye Fei taunted as he continued pounding in close.

“Damn—” Yuan Shou felt frustrated to the point of almost coughing up blood. His long arms were both a blessing and a curse; they were ineffective in close quarters, leaving him no chance to counterattack. Meanwhile, Ye Fei’s relentless strikes and sharp words nearly drove him to a bloody spit.

“Shoulder charge—” Ye Fei roared, gathering strength in his shoulder and ramming hard into Yuan Shou’s chest, staggering him backward four or five steps.

“Brother Fei wins!” Liang Ji cried out excitedly.

“Ugh—” seeing their leader retreat, Yuan Shou’s men made threatening moves, ready to rush and gang up on Ye Fei.

“Fall back!” Yuan Shou barked coldly, raising a hand to stop his men.

Rubbing his chest, Yuan Shou still felt a dull ache.

“You’re very skilled. Looks like I underestimated you,” Yuan Shou said, stepping forward while massaging his chest. It seemed he was ready to continue the fight.

Just as Yuan Shou prepared to strike again, a voice rang out from outside the cell:

“Stop!”

“Boss!” Yuan Shou’s body tensed at the sound, turning to look at the newcomer.

“The boss is opening the door for you,” a prison guard said, grinning as he unlocked the cell door.

Chen Xianli and three men entered.

“Brother Shou, did you forget what the boss said?” a bearded man, appearing in his thirties, spoke up.

Though he looked about thirty, the bearded man was actually only nineteen. He had been a student taught by Chen Xianli before Chen was imprisoned. After Chen’s incarceration, this student, out of loyalty and grievance, turned to crime and was imprisoned himself, becoming one of Chen Xianli’s four elite enforcers—the Black-Faced Vajra.

Ye Fei found this interesting and had Liang Ji elaborate.

The other two men were Chen Xianli’s remaining Vajra enforcers: the Judge Vajra and the Bloody Vajra.

Among the four, the Divine Fist Vajra was the most skilled, the Black-Faced Vajra was the fiercest and fearless, the Judge Vajra was the most scheming, and the Bloody Vajra earned his name by having slaughtered an entire family of over a dozen, his hands dripping with blood.

These four were Chen Xianli’s most loyal lieutenants.

“It was just a momentary urge to spar,” Yuan Shou said weakly.

“Silence,” Chen Xianli said sternly.

“Ye Fei, sorry about Yuan Shou’s behavior. He’s mine to control,” Chen Xianli said, scrutinizing Ye Fei closely.

The more Chen Xianli looked, the more he was slightly shaken. Ye Fei was too young, and from the fight with Yuan Shou he had witnessed, Ye Fei’s skill was exceptional. Moreover, Ye Fei was calm and composed, seemingly fearless within this prison, as if he could leave whenever he wished.

Based on these subtle observations, Chen Xianli had a vague but ominous suspicion.

“Forget it. Take your men and leave. Don’t come back,” Ye Fei said, issuing a dismissal.

The four Vajra enforcers were shocked that Ye Fei dared to order Boss Chen around.

The Black-Faced Vajra was ready to fight Ye Fei to the death, fiercely protective of Chen Xianli. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have broken the law just to be imprisoned alongside Chen.

But a look from Chen Xianli made the four Vajras step back simultaneously.

“Ye Fei, can we have a talk?” Chen Xianli frowned but finally asked.

“Talk? Sure, come this way,” Ye Fei said, curious about what Chen Xianli wanted to discuss.

They sat facing each other on the bunk, while the four Vajras stood behind, backs to them, eyes fixed on the others nearby to prevent eavesdropping.

Ye Fei’s cellmates didn’t dare approach and wisely moved to the far corner.

Liang Ji looked around then joined the Vajras, standing with his back to the two men.

The four Vajras glanced at Liang Ji, seemingly debating whether to send him away as well, but ultimately made no move. The five stood in a row like five brave warriors prepared for sacrifice.

“Ye Fei, I want to make a deal with you,” Chen Xianli said.

“You go first,” Ye Fei said with curiosity.

“I want to know if you have a way out,” Chen Xianli said calmly, though the eager look in his eyes was unmistakable.

Ye Fei fixed him with a gaze. “You want out?”

“Yes. The deal I want is for you to help me get out—not by prison break, but a legitimate release,” Chen Xianli said, his breathing subtly hastening.

“Heh,” Ye Fei chuckled inwardly.

He had learned from Liang Ji that Chen Xianli’s case was originally a miscarriage of justice. Though he later killed the principal, Ye Fei knew that with the debts owed to him by Li Guozhong and others, getting Chen Xianli out wouldn’t be a big problem if he wished. Ye Fei could manage it—but what intrigued him was what Chen Xianli could offer in exchange for such help.