Chapter 131: Grudges and Gratitude

Liang Ji was escorted back by several of Thirteen Knives' subordinates. As they passed through the prison, the inmates who witnessed the scene were filled with astonishment.

"Isn't that Liang Ji? I heard he started following a newcomer as his boss. Why is he being protected by Thirteen Knives' men now?"

"Thirteen Knives' men are personally guarding Liang Ji? Damn, did Thirteen Knives decide to join forces with Ye Fei too?"

"Hell, am I seeing things? Boss Knife's men are protecting Liang Ji. It seems the rumors were true; they must have clashed with Boss Bao's men to rescue him."

"Liang Ji is really living it up now."

"Living it up, my foot! He’s only safe because Ye Fei and Thirteen Knives’ men are backing him. If he accidentally gets separated and falls into Boss Bao's hands, he’s as good as dead. Do you think Ye Fei would actually kill Boss Bao for him? He'd just be dying for nothing."

...

"Brother Fei!" Liang Ji exclaimed happily as he spotted the figure in the cell.

"Liang Ji!" Ye Fei turned, surprised to see him being escorted by the group of inmates.

Liang Ji hurried to Ye Fei’s side and, noticing his confusion, pointed to the men and said, "Brother Fei, these are Boss Thirteen Knives’ men. They heard you were out, so they brought me back."

With that, Liang Ji turned to the men and said, "Thank you, brothers. I've arrived safely, thanks for the help!" The men from Thirteen Knives glanced at them and walked away.

"Liang Ji, what’s going on? Why were they protecting you? Do you know them?" Ye Fei asked, puzzled.

"Brother Fei, don't joke around. They were only protecting me because of you," Liang Ji replied.

After listening to Liang Ji’s account, Ye Fei wasn't surprised and nodded. "I expected Boss Bao and his gang to cause trouble for you. I didn't expect Thirteen Knives to step in. By the way, what kind of grudge do Thirteen Knives and Boss Bao have?"

When it came to prison gossip, Liang Ji was in his element. He leaned in and explained, "Brother Fei, you’re new here, so you don't know. One of the big guys in Boss Bao's group goes by the nickname 'Severed Finger.' He used to be a subordinate of Thirteen Knives in a gang on the outside. He made a mistake once, and Thirteen Knives cut off one of his fingers as punishment. 'Severed Finger' held a grudge and secretly colluded with a rival gang. During a massive brawl between the two sides, Thirteen Knives took on over twenty men alone, suffering twelve stab wounds in the process. Then, 'Severed Finger' suddenly betrayed him and dealt the most lethal blow."

Liang Ji paused.

"The blow that nearly split Thirteen Knives' skull open, right?" Ye Fei remarked.

"Exactly," Liang Ji continued. "That blow nearly killed him, and then both of them were arrested by the police. Once in prison, 'Severed Finger' joined Boss Bao. After Thirteen Knives recovered from his wounds and was sent here, they became bitter enemies. Boss Knife gathered his own group and became a powerhouse in the prison, constantly at odds with Boss Bao."

"And what about Boss Chen? Where does he stand?" Ye Fei asked.

"Word is that Boss Chen was a school teacher. Later, the principal framed him for a crime. An honest man pushed to the brink, Boss Chen grabbed a kitchen knife from his home, hacked the principal to death, and ended up here. He’s been a different person ever since; no one dares to underestimate him as an 'honest man' anymore." Liang Ji rattled off the details like he was reading from a ledger.

Ye Fei nodded, lost in thought.

"I have a score to settle with Boss Bao, and I’m staying here specifically to deal with them and avenge Xiao Bai. Thirteen Knives wants to use me, but he doesn't know who is really using whom! At least now, even if I’m not around, your safety shouldn't be an issue," Ye Fei said with a smile.

"Brother Fei, how did you get out so quickly?" Liang Ji asked curiously.

"What? You wanted me to stay locked up for a few more days?" Ye Fei joked.

Liang Ji quickly explained, "No, Brother Fei, I’m just curious. Usually, people sent to the holding cell are kept there for at least a day."

Ye Fei said, "Isn't it obvious? It was a setup by Boss Bao's gang. They wanted to isolate you so they could grab you and show everyone what happens to those who oppose them. They just didn't expect Thirteen Knives to intervene, which ruined their plan."

The prison guards hadn't dared to keep Ye Fei for too long, so they had just gone through the motions before releasing him.

Suddenly remembering something, Ye Fei cautioned him, "Liang Ji, there is one important thing you need to pay close attention to. Keep an eye out for any new, unfamiliar inmates. Don't worry about the average prisoners, but look for anyone unusual or anything out of the ordinary."

"Brother Fei, don't worry, consider it done!" Liang Ji promised, thumping his chest. Gathering intelligence was his specialty, and he was eager to put in extra effort to please Ye Fei.

Liang Ji wasn't a fool; he could guess that the people Ye Fei wanted him to watch were likely rivals sent to target him. He reasoned that given Ye Fei’s apparent backing by powerful figures, the fact that guards still dared to harass him meant there was another powerful enemy pulling the strings. The new arrivals Ye Fei was worried about were surely the pawns of that enemy.

Just then, footsteps echoed outside the cell. Everyone inside looked up.

"The Vajra Fist—" Liang Ji and the others whispered in shock.

"Yuan Shou—" Ye Fei mused.

A guard opened the cell door, and Yuan Shou walked in with several henchmen, heading straight for Ye Fei. It made sense; in this cell, Ye Fei was the only one worthy of the interest of the "Vajra Fist."

The inmates scrambled toward the walls, terrified of being caught in the crossfire. Liang Ji stood beside Ye Fei, unsure of what to say.

"Ye Fei, I know who you are. You were brought in for a gang fight. I heard you've got decent skills—even 'Crippled Wolf' was no match for you. I saw you move in the yard this morning; not bad. Come on, let's fight," Yuan Shou stared at Ye Fei, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

Ye Fei looked him over with interest. Yuan Shou was one of the "Four Vajras" under Boss Chen. He was a practitioner of the "Tongbi Fist" (Through-Arm Boxing), and his arms were slightly longer than an average person’s, which maximized the power of his technique. After killing someone, he was sent here and became Boss Chen's right-hand man.

Liang Ji had told Ye Fei that Yuan Shou was a battle-hungry man who loved to challenge anyone with talent. The problem was that Yuan Shou never held back; he fought at full strength, and anyone weaker than him usually ended up severely injured. Once, he had even nearly beaten an inmate to death.

Some speculated that Boss Chen was secretly directing Yuan Shou to use his "love for martial arts" as a pretext to cripple his rivals.

Liang Ji felt the tension and was about to step forward to intervene, but Yuan Shou glared at him and roared, "What are you looking at? Get lost, now!"

Ye Fei shook his head and gestured for Liang Ji to stay back. He had prepared himself for a fight the moment he decided to stay in this prison.

And so, Ye Fei remained calm.