Assassination

Yang Jing's eyes sharpened, and he silently followed.

His feet trod on the soft earth, carefully avoiding any loose stones, keeping a distance of about ten feet.

Scarface Li was completely focused on the sack and didn't notice the tail he'd acquired.

The wind in the alley billowed the hem of Yang Jing's clothes. He placed a hand on the short sword at his waist, his gaze locked onto the retreating, arrogant figure ahead.

Whatever was in that sack was likely the accumulated wealth and treasures of the Great Fortune Gang.

Now, the Great Fortune Gang was severely weakened by the Righteousness Gang, having even lost their headquarters.

The situation had been tense then, and in their haste, the Great Fortune Gang probably hadn't had time to move these valuables.

Now that things had calmed down, the Great Fortune Gang's leader might have sent a trusted subordinate to retrieve them.

However, Yang Jing wasn't sure if Scarface Li was sent by the Great Fortune Gang's leader, Xu Tai, or if he was seeing the Great Fortune Gang's impending collapse and deciding to act on his own greed, using his position as a trusted subordinate to secretly take Xu Tai's hidden treasures and flee.

Yang Jing didn't rush to act, but quietly followed Scarface Li.

They left Guang'an Ward and headed north.

Scarface Li's movements were secretive, weaving left and right. If anyone were following, they would surely have been shaken off by now, but not Yang Jing.

Over the past month and more.

He hadn't been idle.

On the contrary, he had done a lot.

While the Liu Family Medical Hall also helped keep an eye on the Great Fortune Gang, it was ultimately a secondary concern for them, not something they'd be as invested in as their own affairs.

The truly crucial factor was Yang Jing's own nightly stakeouts around the Great Fortune Gang's territory.

He had paid particular attention to the Great Fortune Gang's leader, Xu Tai.

Whenever Xu Tai left the Great Fortune Gang's headquarters, Yang Jing would follow him discreetly.

In just over a month, Yang Jing had followed Xu Tai at least a hundred times, learning about the places Xu Tai frequented and those he rarely visited.

"Scarface Li is heading this way. North of Guang'an Ward are Fengle Ward and Xinghua Ward."

"When I was following Xu Tai before, I came this way many times, visiting three locations."

"Two places in Fengle Ward, and one in Xinghua Ward."

"Xu Tai visited the two places in Fengle Ward many times, but he only quietly visited the secluded courtyard in Xinghua Ward once."

"If Scarface Li intended to betray them and take the Great Fortune Gang's treasures, the best course of action would be to head west and get out of the city as quickly as possible. Once outside the city, Xu Tai would have no way to deal with him, and all those treasures would be his."

"But Scarface Li isn't rushing to leave the city now; he's heading north. It seems he's been dispatched by Xu Tai to retrieve something from the Great Fortune Gang and bring it back."

Thinking this, a bold plan began to form in Yang Jing's mind.

By following Scarface Li, he should be able to find Xu Tai, but Yang Jing didn't intend to follow Scarface Li all the way.

"Let's see where he's going."

In the darkness of the night, the streets were sparsely populated. Most of the moonlight was obscured by clouds. Only a few dim lanterns swayed in the wind, casting their faint glow in the alleys.

Scarface Li carried the sack, choosing the narrowest, most secluded alleys.

The flagstone path underfoot was uneven, and he stumbled along, glancing around occasionally. Seeing no one following, he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

From Guang'an Ward to here, he had already passed through two wards.

He had been cautious and careful the entire way. Even if someone had spotted him, they should have been shaken off by now.

After confirming he wasn't being followed, Scarface Li stopped dawdling and quickened his pace.

After Scarface Li left, a dark figure emerged, sticking close to the wall. Unless one looked closely, it was hard to tell there was anyone there.

Yang Jing narrowed his eyes as he watched Scarface Li's retreating back.

"Further ahead, and we'll be out of Fengle Ward."

"That means the two locations in Fengle Ward are ruled out."

"Xu Tai is very likely hiding in that secluded courtyard in Xinghua Ward."

Yang Jing pondered this, finding it highly probable.

He recalled tracking Xu Tai before and visiting that secluded courtyard in Xinghua Ward once.

On that occasion, Xu Tai had only brought two trusted subordinates, including Scarface Li, and they hadn't stayed long in the courtyard before leaving quickly.

Now, it seemed, that secluded courtyard was likely a hidden stash Xu Tai had prepared for himself.

Even a cunning rabbit has three burrows; how much more so for a wily old fox like Xu Tai.

"It's time to make a move!"

"Whether Xu Tai is hiding in Xinghua Ward or not, I'm definitely getting my hands on these Great Fortune Gang treasures!"

The thought of the sack Scarface Li was carrying, occasionally clinking with the sound of silver ingots, made Yang Jing's heart burn with excitement. He took a deep breath, held it, and quickened his pace.

At the intersection of Fengle Ward and Xinghua Ward, in a secluded, narrow alley.

The depths of the alley were as dark as ink, with only the wind compressed between the high walls on either side, carrying the damp, earthy scent.

Scarface Li walked along, sticking to all sorts of hidden alleyways, confident that no one could follow him. He couldn't help but relax, his mind still replaying the fight with the Righteousness Gang earlier that day.

As he turned a corner, his foot suddenly tripped on something. Just as he was about to curse and look down, a sharp chill ran down the back of his neck.

It was a sensation like being quenched in ice, so fast he didn't have time to react.

He instinctively tried to turn his head, to draw his saber, but the searing pain at his neck had already exploded, like a red-hot clamp tearing through his blood vessels.

A sweet, metallic taste surged into his throat, but he couldn't make a sound, only a "hissing" sound of escaping air.

In the corner of his eye, a dark shadow stood pressed against the wall. The short saber in its hand was still dripping something, emitting a faint, cold glint in the absolute darkness.

"Who is it?"

Confusion and shock washed over him like ice water. Complex thoughts flashed through his mind, followed closely by overwhelming fear.

Who was he?

How could he be here?

How did he not notice anything?

Countless thoughts collided in his mind, but his body no longer obeyed. His legs went weak, and he stumbled forward heavily.

"Thump!"

The sack on Scarface Li's shoulder slipped off.

The gold and silver items inside clattered against each other, creating a dull yet piercing noise that was exceptionally jarring in the dead silent alley.

Scarface Li lay on the ground, his face pressed against the cold flagstones. The blood from his neck flowed faster, and the warm liquid quickly soaked his collar.

He could feel his life force draining away through the wound. The darkness before his eyes grew thicker, until only boundless cold and fear remained.

Yang Jing stood in place, the blood from his short saber sliding down the blade and dripping onto the ground without a sound.

He didn't look again at Scarface Li's corpse on the ground.

Although Scarface Li was powerfully built, he was ultimately just an ordinary person, far from being comparable to an Entering Strength martial artist.

A Bright Strength martial artist facing an ordinary person was already a crushing advantage, and coupled with Yang Jing's surprise attack, the outcome was decided from the very beginning.

He wiped the blood from his saber, sheathed it, then crouched down and patted Scarface Li's body. To his surprise, he found something – seven taels of silver ingots.

Then, Yang Jing tucked the seven taels of silver into his robes, picked up the sack, and with a flash of his figure, disappeared into the darkness as if he had never been there.

Leaving the deep alley, Yang Jing didn't have time to open the sack and check its contents. Passing a garbage pile filled with rotten vegetables and rags, he stopped, shoved the sack into the deepest part, and carefully covered it with several bundles of dry branches and leaves. After confirming it was undetectable, he turned and headed towards Xinghua Ward.

Xinghua Ward was located on the edge of the western city, with many abandoned old houses.

Yang Jing had followed Xu Tai here once before and, guided by his memory, quickly found the secluded courtyard.

Yang Jing crept to the outside of the courtyard and peered in through a crack in the wall.

The courtyard was quiet. Only a lean man sat under an old locust tree, fiddling with a small axe. The night was too dark, with no moon or stars, so Yang Jing couldn't see the man's face clearly. However, from the silhouette and the small axe, Yang Jing guessed his identity – Zhang Kui, nicknamed "Skinny Monkey," another confidant of the Great Fortune Gang leader Xu Tai.

Skinny Monkey Zhang Kui kept glancing towards the main house, his brow furrowed, clearly distracted.

A dim yellow light seeped through the paper window of the main house, and suppressed coughs could be faintly heard from inside. It was likely Xu Tai, who was seriously injured.

Yang Jing crouched by the wall, holding his breath and concentrating.

There were only two people in the courtyard, which was better than he had anticipated.

He touched the short saber at his waist, his eyes glinting coldly in the dim light.

He could imagine that after fighting two peak Bright Strength experts from the Righteousness Gang, Xu Tai must have been seriously wounded and was now hiding in this secluded place.

He hadn't even dared to bring many other gang members with him, only two confidants.

Yang Jing's gaze swept through the courtyard through the wall crack, searching for a suitable opportunity to strike.

After seeing the sack Scarface Li was carrying, Yang Jing guessed it contained the Great Fortune Gang's accumulated wealth, and he immediately had an idea.

For him, that sack of treasure was no less important than killing the hidden threat of Xu Tai.

For the current Yang Jing, the most important thing was to improve his own strength. As long as he could break through to Hidden Strength, Xu Tai and the like would no longer be a threat.

And what he lacked most now was money.

If he had enough money for nourishment and even medicinal supplements, he might have already reached the peak of Bright Strength and could break through to Hidden Strength at any moment.

Yang Jing's original plan was that even if he couldn't find Xu Tai this time, stealing the Great Fortune Gang's accumulated wealth would be enough to support his cultivation for a long time.

With this wealth, his cultivation speed would surely increase again.

By the time the Great Fortune Gang recovered and Xu Tai healed his injuries, Yang Jing might have already broken through to Hidden Strength.

However, these were ultimately his own thoughts and speculations. As long as Xu Tai wasn't eliminated, he would always be a thorn in his side.

But now, a rare opportunity had presented itself.

His previous guess had actually been correct; Xu Tai was indeed hiding here.

More importantly, Xu Tai had been seriously wounded by two peak Bright Strength experts from the Righteousness Gang. His current strength was likely less than half of his peak, making it an excellent time to strike while he was weak.

Just as Yang Jing was looking for the best moment to strike, Skinny Monkey Zhang Kui in the courtyard couldn't sit still. He stood up, paced back and forth in the courtyard a few times, and then turned towards the main house.

The door of the main house was ajar. A sliver of light from the dim oil lamp leaked through the gap, allowing Yang Jing to see Skinny Monkey Zhang Kui's current appearance. He had a white cloth wrapped around his head, and blood seemed to have seeped through to his ear. His face was pale, clearly indicating he was injured.

"Looks like the Great Fortune Gang took a real beating from the Righteousness Gang," Yang Jing thought to himself.

At the same time, he was also staring intently in the direction of the main house in the courtyard.

Skinny Monkey Zhang Kui pushed open the door to the main house. In the dim yellow light of the oil lamp, Yang Jing could see scattered medicinal dregs on the floor. As for the content of their conversation, it was impossible to make out clearly because they had deliberately lowered their voices.

In the courtyard.

Skinny Monkey Zhang Kui pushed open the door and entered. A strong smell of blood mixed with herbs assaulted his senses.

Xu Tai, the leader of the Great Fortune Gang, sat bare-chested on the edge of the bed. A section of his broad back had caved in, clearly indicating a fracture or similar injury.

He was wrapped in thick white bandages, which extended from his shoulders down to his waist. Several sections of the bandages were already soaked through with blood, the dark brown stains spreading like dried-up mudflats.

"Leader."

Skinny Monkey Zhang Kui bowed respectfully after entering.

Xu Tai opened his eyes and looked at his trusted subordinate, saying in a deep voice, "Has Scarface Li not returned yet?"

Skinny Monkey Zhang Kui shook his head. "Leader, the headquarters might be watched by people from the Righteousness Gang. Could Scarface Li be discovered by them?"

"Cough, cough."

Xu Tai tried to speak, but a violent coughing fit seized him. He bent over sharply, and the bandages on his chest immediately soaked through with a fresh patch of red.

When the coughing stopped, he leaned against the bedpost, gasping for breath.

"Leader." Seeing this, Skinny Monkey Zhang Kui quickly stepped forward.

"It's nothing."

Xu Tai waved his hand, stopping Skinny Monkey Zhang Kui from helping him.

The Great Fortune Gang was now almost scattered by the Righteousness Gang, and the entire organization was in a precarious state, with many members contemplating leaving.

Although Skinny Monkey Zhang Kui was his confidant, Xu Tai did not want to appear weak in front of his trusted subordinate at such a critical juncture.

"Just superficial wounds, I'll be healed in about a month after resting," Xu Tai said calmly, his gaze falling on Skinny Monkey Zhang Kui. "It's a shame you're also injured, otherwise, sending you to headquarters would have been more suitable than Scarface Li."

Compared to Scarface Li, who acted somewhat recklessly, Skinny Monkey Zhang Kui was more agile and meticulous, making him more likely to succeed in retrieving the funds from headquarters.

It was just unfortunate that Skinny Monkey Zhang Kui had also been injured in the skirmish with the Righteousness Gang, losing an ear and suffering internal injuries, making him unsuitable for going to headquarters to retrieve the items.

"Leader, how about I go to headquarters to check?" Skinny Monkey Zhang Kui offered.

Xu Tai frowned, pondered for a moment, and then shook his head. "Don't go to Guang'an Ward. You're still injured, and you won't be able to handle it if you run into people from the Righteousness Gang."

He paused and continued, "You can go to Fengle Ward to make contact. If you can link up with Scarface Li, come back as soon as possible. If you don't find Scarface Li, also return as soon as possible."

"Yes, Leader." Skinny Monkey Zhang Kui heard this and turned to leave.

"Wait, be careful to conceal your tracks," Xu Tai added as a reminder.

Skinny Monkey Zhang Kui felt a warmth in his heart and nodded. "I understand, Leader."

After Skinny Monkey Zhang Kui closed the door and left, Xu Tai's face suddenly turned red, and then he spat out a mouthful of thick, scarlet blood. He had been suppressing it in front of his trusted subordinate just now. After expelling this clotted blood, he felt much better, and his breathing became significantly smoother.