Resolution

No wonder these Tooth Gang members acted so domineering and without restraint.

Now that he was being targeted by these people, he didn't need to think twice to know trouble was inevitable.

He had also considered using his connection to Town Mountain Tower.

But although he had joined the Beast Hunter Hall, at the end of the day he was just a small pawn—what real connections could he leverage?

Wang Dehai?

He had thought about seeking out that fatty, but after learning how deep the waters ran behind the Tooth Gang, he abandoned the idea.

Wang Dehai was, after all, only a martial artist at the Body Tempering realm. Even if he brought him up, it might not actually help, and whether the man would even be willing to help him was another question entirely.

Rather than pinning vague hopes on others, it was better to handle things himself.

As for how to handle it—simple.

Lin Sheng turned several street corners and finally stopped in front of a courtyard with a red door and gray walls.

Though this courtyard wasn't large, it was still much better than most houses on Crock Street.

And this was precisely Liu Ergou's residence.

Scanning the surroundings, Lin Sheng leaped up, grabbed the eaves, and peered into the yard.

The yard was pitch dark. After confirming nothing was amiss, Lin Sheng pulled himself up with his arms and vaulted over the wall.

Liu Ergou lived alone, unmarried, so only he resided here.

Lin Sheng moved lightly to the window. By the dim moonlight, he looked inside. The room was cluttered, the quilt haphazardly spread across the bed—but empty.

"Not home?"

After a glance, Lin Sheng reached his conclusion.

He knew Liu Ergou was fond of wine and women; staying out all night was common.

Since the man himself wasn't here, he didn't plan to linger and thought to check the next place.

Just as he was about to leave, he heard footsteps approaching from outside the yard.

Reacting quickly, he concealed himself, eyes fixed on the gate.

"Damn it, you're all in there hugging women and having fun, and you send me to fetch the medicinal wine... every single one of you ain't worth shit, pfft!"

Accompanied by a resentful string of curses, the door swung open from outside, and a bald man reeking of alcohol stepped in.

Lin Sheng saw clearly—this bald man wasn't the one who had tailed him during the day, but he was one of the thugs who followed Liu Ergou.

"Damn bunch of bastards. One day, when I become a martial artist, let's see if you still dare order me around like this. And that bastard Liu Ergou—martial artist or not, needing medicinal wine to get a woman, what kind of man is that..."

The bald man kept cursing, venting his grievances.

Once inside the yard, he headed straight for the door, paying no attention to his surroundings.

He opened the door, and a clatter of sounds came from inside. Soon, he emerged holding an oval black jar in his hands.

He shut the door without bothering to lock it, spat a thick glob of phlegm, and turned to leave.

But the moment he turned, he froze.

Somehow, a figure had appeared in the yard.

The bald man rubbed his eyes hard, thinking he was dreaming.

Before he could look again, he heard a rush of wind by his ear, followed by a sharp pain in his neck.

Only then did he realize—there was no illusion. Someone had really broken in.

"You're..."

He opened his mouth to shout, but a rough, powerful hand had already clamped around his throat.

Bang! The door was kicked open. The bald man felt himself shoved by a tremendous force straight into the room, with no chance to react.

Smack!

The wine jar in his hand shattered on the floor. He couldn't care less about the expensive medicinal wine now; one hand desperately clawed at the grip around his neck, while the other flailed wildly forward.

But the moment he raised his fist, two heavy slaps landed on his neck.

The bald man was stunned senseless on the spot, utterly powerless to resist. All he felt was stars spinning before his eyes, his face twisted and contorted from the chokehold.

"He's not dead already, is he?!"

Seeing the man's state, Lin Sheng was startled and quickly released his grip.

Having little experience in actual combat, he hadn't controlled his strength from the start. Given his current power, he was genuinely afraid he might have accidentally killed the man.

He stepped forward to check the man's breath. Only after confirming he was still breathing did Lin Sheng relax.

Then, from the water vat in the room, he scooped up a ladle of water and splashed it directly onto the man's face.

The cold water jolted the bald man awake. He pointed at Lin Sheng and started cursing.

"I'm with the Tooth Gang! Are you blind, you bastard, daring to touch me..."

Having grown used to throwing his weight around under Liu Ergou, he showed no fear upon waking—instead, he immediately resorted to threats.

"One more word of nonsense, and I'll kill you."

Lin Sheng showed no intention of coddling him; he reached out and snapped the man's finger clean off.

The bald man immediately let out a pained howl, but it was quickly stifled as Lin Sheng gripped his throat, leaving only muffled, agonized whimpers.

"I ask, you answer. One word of nonsense, and I break one finger. Understand?"

The bald man now got a clear look at Lin Sheng—dressed in dark gray clothes, a cloth covering his face, nearly hiding it entirely, leaving only a pair of eyes visible.

This getup was clearly no good sign, especially with the ruthless way he'd snapped a finger without a second word.

The bald man dared not make any more moves, enduring the sharp pain in his hand as he nodded vigorously.

"Where is Liu Ergou now?"

"At... at Flower Willow Alley, north of the street."

"How many Tooth Gang members are there?"

"..."

Before long, Lin Sheng had gotten the information he wanted from this Tooth Gang member.

"Liu Ergou is actually a Body Tempering realm martial artist!?"

That was something he truly hadn't expected—a lazy, bullying thug turning out to be a martial artist.

Though according to the man, Liu Ergou had only just broken into the Body Tempering realm in the last few days, he was still a Body Tempering martial artist, far stronger than an ordinary person.

And there was another tricky point: Liu Ergou's identity.

He turned out to be the younger brother of the Tooth Gang's Second Gang Leader.

And that Second Gang Leader was a Muscle Forging realm martial artist.

He hadn't expected a mere thug to drag in so much trouble.

Seeing Lin Sheng fall into silence, the bald man now realized this person was after Liu Ergou and quickly spoke up.

"This brother... no, great hero, I've told you everything you wanted to know. Can you spare my life, seeing how cooperative I've been?

"I've got an eighty-year-old mother at home to take care of. I didn't want to run with Liu Ergou either—I was forced into it... Please, great hero, for my mother's sake, just let me go like a fart. I swear I'll forget everything that happened today..."

As he spoke, the bald man even squeezed out a few tears, looking rather pitiful.

Watching the man's act, Lin Sheng was silent for a long moment, as if moved by his display, before speaking slowly.

"I can spare your life. Remember what to say and what not to say. If you go back to your old ways, then..."

Lin Sheng didn't finish, but the bald man's eyes lit up as he hurriedly chimed in.

"I understand, I know what to do. Today's events will rot in my gut. Tomorrow... tomorrow I'll quit the Tooth Gang..."

Lin Sheng didn't bother with the bald man anymore; he turned and walked away quickly, soon vanishing from the courtyard.

"Thank you, great hero... thank you, great hero..."

The bald man kept muttering under his breath, until a few minutes later, he looked up carefully, making sure Lin Sheng was truly gone.

Then he took a deep breath, the tense expression on his face fading, replaced by a deep, venomous glare.

"That bastard, daring to treat me like this... my finger..."

Staring at his completely deformed finger, bent backward against the back of his hand, he cursed viciously.

"This guy's clearly after Liu Ergou. I need to report to the Second Gang Leader right away..."

Thinking this, he ignored the searing pain in his hand, stood up, and ran out of the courtyard.

"Idiot, even if you've got some skills, just wait until I tell the Second Gang Leader—you'll get what's coming to you."

The reason they all hung around Liu Ergou was because of his backing, the Second Gang Leader. Liu Ergou might be a scumbag, but the Second Gang Leader, Liu Yuanshan, was a real hard case.

Imagining how, after he brought this news to the Second Gang Leader and they caught that thief, the Second Gang Leader's fondness for his little brother would surely earn him some reward.

More importantly, he'd get some face time with the Second Gang Leader. If he could even end up directly under him, that would be perfect.

The more he thought about it, the more he felt that this injury wasn't a loss at all—it was a win.

He pushed open the courtyard gate and hurried toward the Tooth Gang's base.

But just as he stepped out of the alley, a sigh suddenly came from behind him.

"Isn't it better to stay alive?"