Shadow Heir II: Dark Glory - Chapter 19

Slap!

Jiang Haobing’s eyes went wide as he watched Xu Jiaze get smacked across the face. He barked, “You dare lay hands on someone in public?”

Su Wuji looked over, calm as ever, a cold smirk curling his lips. He casually tossed the cue stick in his hand.

“Yeah,” he said. “I hit him. So what?”

Crack!

“Ahhh—!”

Xu Jiaze let out a blood-curdling scream.

The cue stick landed dead on his shoulder—bone met wood with a sickening crunch. The sharp sound of the fracture echoed in every ear.

The brutality of the strike sent a chill through the watching crowd. Even the pampered rich kids flinched.

They were used to being arrogant, used to calling the shots. But this guy… his arrogance eclipsed theirs tenfold.

Song Zhiyu watched, eyes lighting up with something new. The fury that had been simmering in her gaze softened, brightened.

This side of Su Wuji—violent, unrestrained—had never appeared back in Liangshan. Yet rather than fear, she felt a rush of exhilaration. Her eyes sparkled with a kind of awe she’d never felt before.

Jiang Haobing’s bravado began to crack.

He scowled, voice tight with forced authority. “Do you have any idea what kind of price you’ll pay for this?”

Su Wuji chuckled.

“Nope. Why don’t you enlighten me?”

Then he stepped forward.

A single stride—swift, sure—and then his foot drove hard into Jiang Haobing’s gut!

Boom!

Jiang staggered back several paces before slamming spine-first into the front of a black Mercedes G-Class. His chest and back both took the blow—pain surged through his abdomen like a tidal wave.

He collapsed to one knee, face flushed and twisted in agony, gagging on dry heaves.

“Y-You bastard… you’ve got a death wish…”

Su Wuji’s sneer deepened.

“Better call your family,” he said coldly. “Tell them to come pay their respects in Linzhou. Otherwise, don’t even dream of living a peaceful life here.”

He paused.

“Oh, right. Let me introduce myself—Su Wuji, owner of Queen’s Bar.”

Queen’s Bar?

Every rich kid in the vicinity froze.

Shock spread across their faces.

Xu Jiaze, shoulder shattered and eyes wide with terror, pointed a trembling finger. His voice cracked as he stammered, “Y-You’re… y-you’re that Su Wuji?!”

……

None of them doubted his identity anymore.

After all, Sixth Master Xu Dongkai had shown him clear respect—and fear. That wasn’t something you could fake.

And really, who in Linzhou would be insane enough to pretend to be that notorious name?

Their only complaint was this: You’re a man who controls both black and white sides of the city… why the hell were you picking up girls in a beat-up Santana?

If you’d rolled up in a Rolls-Royce, who the hell would’ve dared provoke you?

Just then, a sleek black Benz pulled up to the curb.

Li Qingchen stepped out, took one look at the scene, and said calmly, “Young Master Su, the lady asked me to check in. I’ll handle the rest from here.”

That earlier instruction—“Don’t let Wuji know”—had gone straight in one ear and out the other.

Li Qingchen had no interest in watching his young miss suffer in silence.

Su Wuji waved a hand.

“Pfft, it’s just a small scuffle. No need to trouble you, Uncle Chen. You’re my elder—just call me Wuji.”

The switch was almost jarring. One moment, he was a street tyrant; the next, a well-mannered junior.

But Li Qingchen wasn’t fooled.

The more he interacted with Su Wuji, the more he realized—this young man was a riddle wrapped in a night.

He seemed to drown himself in wine and women, living decadently in the shadows of the city… yet behind the scenes, his fingerprints were everywhere.

Li Qingchen nodded slowly. “No need to worry, Young Master Su. After tonight, the Xu family will learn their lesson. And the others involved… they’ll pay the price too.”

His gaze fell on Jiang Haobing, still kneeling, clutching his gut in pain.

“Even those from the capital… are not exempt.”

Jiang’s face darkened further, humiliation and fury boiling inside him—but he bit it down. He had no other choice.

Xu Jiaze, meanwhile, looked ashen.

He’d grown up in Linzhou. He knew who Li Qingchen was. Among the Mu family’s inner circle, he was one of the most formidable—and possibly their top fighter.

If even Li Qingchen had shown up in person and willingly stepped in, then this wasn’t just a petty grudge anymore. It was an execution.

Su Wuji chuckled at the pale faces around him.

“Well then, I won’t be polite. Pass my thanks to Qianyu for me, Uncle Chen. She really is a kind soul—beauty and heart both unmatched in Linzhou… And tell her to stop sending money to my account. No need to draw such clear lines with me. After all…”

He trailed off.

Li Qingchen sighed with a wry smile. “Young Master Su and the young lady are close. You can tell her yourself.”

That sentence was already too long for him to remember… and frankly, far too sappy to repeat.

Su Wuji laughed aloud.

“Uncle Chen, you’re thinking too much. Qianyu and I aren’t what you think. Sure, there’s potential for something deeper down the line, but for now, we’re just helping each other out. Catching the same ride, you could say.”

Li Qingchen turned and locked eyes with Su Wuji.

That look: calm, clear, unwavering.

So all that flirting with our young miss… was just for show?

Su Wuji grinned.

“After all, our families have been hoping to match us up for ages. We can’t let them down too hard, right?”

They’d never spoken it outright, but Mu Qianyu had seen through his act from the very start.

Li Qingchen wasn’t quite sure why Su Wuji was bringing this up now, but he nodded slowly. “Understood. I’ll pass it on.”

Deep down, though… he was starting to think this pair was perfectly matched.

Su Wuji clapped his hands, then turned to Song Zhiyu.

“Alright, let’s go. I’ll walk you back to your dorm.”

“Okay.” She clutched her backpack, eyes curved in a smile brighter than moonlight.

Li Qingchen watched the two of them disappear into the night.

He clicked his tongue and sighed.

Poor Miss Qianyu…

Walking side by side through campus, Su Wuji asked, “Do you know why I didn’t comfort you when they insulted you?”

Song Zhiyu didn’t hesitate. “I do. You wanted me to get used to this kind of world ahead of time.”

Su Wuji nodded.

“I wanted to show you… This stuff doesn’t matter.”

He continued, voice low but steady. “Half the people in Linzhou call me a bastard, a thug. Plenty of them want me dead. And yet, here I am—living just fine.”

Her eyes welled with indignation.

“But they’ve never seen the real you. The one from Liangshan.”

“That doesn’t matter,” Su Wuji said, smiling softly.

All the sharpness in his expression faded.

“They haven’t seen me. But you have. Isn’t that enough?”

“Mm.”

She thought of those memories from Liangshan—and her smile bloomed like spring.

In that moment, even the moonlight seemed to dim in comparison.

I’ve seen him.

I’ll never forget.

As they neared the dormitory, Song Zhiyu casually asked, “Wuji-ge, you and Qianyu-jie look perfect together. Next time I see her… should I call her saozi?”

“What saozi?” Su Wuji said without missing a beat. “Nothing is going on there.”

“Great!”

“…Huh? What’s so great about that?”

“Nothing! Bye, Wuji-ge!”

She giggled, waved, and ran up the steps to the dorm.

Su Wuji stood there, stunned by that smile.

He muttered to himself, “When did this girl… get so damn beautiful?”