Back at my lodging, Fatty was eating noodles in the living room, while Song Bing watched television nearby.
Seeing me return, Fatty asked if I wanted some noodles.
I shook my head and slumped onto the sofa, my mind still replaying Liu Zaixi's reaction from earlier.
When she left, she had persistently asked where the White Dragon Jade Horse was placed, claiming she was curious and wanted to see it.
This explanation was hard to believe, but given that she had helped me decipher the map, I couldn't very well keep it a secret. So, I told her the White Dragon Jade Horse was stored in the warehouse at the dock.
Now, thinking about it, telling her the location of the White Dragon Jade Horse like that—was it perhaps imprudent?
The more I thought about it, the more uneasy I felt. So, I stood up, called Fatty and Song Bing, and the three of us rushed to the dock that very night.
When we arrived, Da Zhuang and Xiao Zhuang were already asleep in the warehouse.
I had booked them a hotel nearby, but it was clear they hadn't stayed there.
The temporary warehouse at the dock was filled with miscellaneous items. As Da Zhuang opened the door for me, I saw the familiar large wooden crate, and only then did I feel a sense of relief.
"Brother Xiang, actually, it would have been fine to see it tomorrow. I was just curious…" Fatty said.
The guy thought I had brought him here in the middle of the night to show him the White Dragon Jade Horse.
I ignored him and walked up to the wooden crate, asking Da Zhuang, "Has anyone opened this box?"
Da Zhuang replied, "No."
"And has anyone come by?"
"No."
I let out a breath, wondering if I was being overly suspicious.
Perhaps Liu Zaixi was just asking casually and had no intention of taking the White Dragon Jade Horse?
It seemed I was judging a gentleman with the heart of a villain. I glanced at my watch; it was almost one in the morning.
After a few words with Da Zhuang and Xiao Zhuang, just as we were preparing to leave, a strong beam of light suddenly shot over from not too far away.
I shielded my eyes with my hand from the light and squinted to see that it was the headlights of a large truck.
The truck was speeding towards the warehouse, giving me a bad premonition.
In moments, the truck stopped at the warehouse entrance. Then, more than a dozen people disembarked from the cargo area, and their demeanor made it clear they were not here for pleasantries.
Before we could react, the leader, holding a large cleaver, pointed it directly at us: "Stand still, and anyone who dares to move, I'll take their head off!"
Following the man's warning, the people behind him rushed out of the warehouse.
The warehouse door was a manual roll-up door, and there was no time to close it.
The group stormed in, surrounding us. The leader glanced at us, then without a word, ordered his men to move the wooden crate containing the White Dragon Jade Horse.
At this moment, my heart leaped. Were these people called by Liu Zaixi?
But why would she do that?
What use would the White Dragon Jade Horse be to her?
All sorts of questions flooded my mind. As those men were about to move the crate, I shouted, "What are you doing?"
No one answered me.
I glanced at Song Bing, who immediately understood my intent. He dashed to the front of the wooden crate, blocking those who were about to move it.
This action instantly tensed the atmosphere. Those people were clearly not to be trifled with, and their objective was very clear: the White Dragon Jade Horse.
Before much could be said, Song Bing was already grappling with the group.
With a battle about to break out, Fatty and I quickly grabbed wooden clubs from the side.
Just as we were about to go help, an incredible scene unfolded.
Da Zhuang and Xiao Zhuang moved like two human beasts. Their movements were incredibly swift, and in almost an instant, several people were already downed.
Fatty blinked his eyes and exclaimed, "Baji Quan?"
I knew nothing about martial arts, but I had heard of Baji Quan.
The ancient saying goes, "Literature pacifies the world with Tai Chi, martial arts secure the realm with Baji."
Fatty grabbed me and pulled me to the side, smiling, "Brother Xiang, don't interfere. Let's just watch the show from here. Those two are Baji Quan masters; these petty thieves are no match for them."
As he spoke, Da Zhuang and Xiao Zhuang, their fists like iron, moved with incredible power. In no time, more and more people were lying on the ground.
If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed it.
Every one of those men had a weapon in hand, while Da Zhuang and Xiao Zhuang were completely unarmed.
Song Bing, standing beside them, seemed almost superfluous; he didn't even need to make a move.
In just about ten minutes, before I could even finish enjoying the spectacle, those guys were beaten into utter disarray.
I never expected the two men sent by Ma Xiuyong to be so formidable.
No wonder he had said at the time that these two were here to protect the White Dragon Jade Horse.
The leader was sent flying back several meters by a punch from Da Zhuang, then slumped to the ground, unable to get up for a long time.
Fatty and I exchanged a look. We picked up our wooden clubs and charged forward, pinning the man to the ground.
"Who sent you?" I asked fiercely.
The man, likely stunned by the beating, instinctively replied, "Brother Wei sent us…"
"Brother Wei? Which Brother Wei?"
"Zhao Wei."
Hearing this name, I paused.
Zhao Wei?
If Zhao Wei sent them, wouldn't that suggest Liu Zaixi told him?
But what would Zhao Wei want with the White Dragon Jade Horse?
As someone who dealt in fakes and fraud, what use would he have for the tokens of the four great families?
Most importantly, from my previous interactions with him, I knew clearly that he had no desire to get involved with the affairs of the four great families.
What was he playing at?
Fatty looked at me and asked, "Brother Xiang, what do we do next?"
I thought for a moment and then said to the man on the ground, "Take your men and get lost."
The man kept nodding, and without another word, he led his men to the truck and fled.
In the middle of the night like this, it was unrealistic to move the White Dragon Jade Horse to another location.
Finding a vehicle was one thing, but the sheer weight of the item was a headache.
I figured that as soon as it was morning, I would contact the Yan family and hand over the White Dragon Jade Horse to them, and my task would be complete.
At worst, I would stay up all night guarding it; I didn't believe it could slip away from under my nose.
Besides, Da Zhuang and Xiao Zhuang were no pushovers, and Song Bing was also here. With so many people, how could they fail to guard a statue?
With that in mind, I shared my plan with everyone: we would stand guard here tonight. Tomorrow, after the Yan family arrived and the handover was complete, we would go back and get some proper rest.
Da Zhuang and Xiao Zhuang naturally had no objections, and Song Bing also nodded. Only Fatty was yawning incessantly, saying, "Brother Xiang, I can't really help much here. You see…"
I smiled and asked, "You want to go back to sleep?"
Fatty nodded.
"Alright then, you go back to sleep."
Fatty's face lit up, "Thank you for your understanding, Brother Xiang…"
"However, if you leave, we'll go our separate ways from now on."
"Ah?!" Fatty stammered, "Brother Xiang, don't say that! I was just saying, I'm not tired, not tired at all, really. How about I do a somersault for you?"