Tiger Gang, Prelude

Tiger Gang, Prelude

Tiger Gang, Prelude

"Second Master did not like having people watch. Let's wait outside for a moment. As for these Kudali, lock them up in the nearby cells first."

Li Zhiming explained briefly, then directed everyone into action.

Only after the patrolmen had fastened the chains and escorted the warriors disguised as Kudali into the cells did waves of hoarse, miserable screams rise from the depths of the prison, sending chills down their spines.

Lin Mo glanced toward the depths of the prison. The passageway was pitch-black, but vaguely, he seemed to hear Hu Pangsan confess...

Yet it seemed to last only an instant before being swiftly muffled again.

"Was that my imagination?" Lin Mo thought it over and settled on his conclusion. "He was a Second Level martial artist in disguise, after all. If his bones were not hard enough, how could he have been sent on such a mission? It would not be so easy to pry out any clues."

After the time it took to drink a cup of tea, Hu Pangsan was dragged out like a puddle of mud. Yet he looked nothing like the battered, bruised wreck Lin Mo had imagined after brutal torture.

Lin Mo examined him from head to toe. His splendid robes had barely suffered any damage; only three extremely faint staff marks lay across his lapels. Without [Insightful Eye], he likely would not have noticed them either.

But when he used [Insightful Eye] to observe his fate, he abruptly discovered that every word related to Hu Pangsan's qi and blood had vanished completely from above his head.

"His meridians and dantian have all been crippled? He cannot even retain his qi and blood?"

Lin Mo was somewhat stunned. The other patrolmen, however, knew nothing of it. They merely saw the man emerge whole and intact, aside from being tossed to the floor by Li Erlang like a heap of mud.

"Second Master, did he confess?" Li Zhiming asked.

"His bones were far softer than I expected. I only struck him three times, and he already could not take it."

Li Erlang let out a dark chuckle, making Lin Mo's skin crawl. A few patrolmen experienced in interrogation crouched on the ground and carefully inspected Hu Pangsan.

After a long while, they could find no clue. Instead, their brows furrowed tightly.

"Second Master's three-staff method... we cannot even see through it..." The patrolman was both astonished and tempted to test Hu Pangsan himself, but he feared offending Second Master's taboo.

Lin Mo stroked his chin and quietly voiced his deduction from the side. "The first strike likely shattered every meridian in his body. Yet his clothing was completely unscathed. Such a method is truly terrifying..."

Li Erlang was discussing matters with Li Zhiming. He knew several people were studying Hu Pangsan, but then a young voice suddenly spoke up and identified his interrogation method. He followed the voice and looked over.

"Good lad, your eye is truly sharp... I recall your name is Lin Mo?"

Li Erlang looked at him thoughtfully, then shook his head with a sigh. "You are Yang Yun's disciple as well. When you have the chance, send my regards to your master."

"Rest assured, Second Master. This junior will deliver your message." Lin Mo clasped his hands.

Li Zhiming stood where he was, pondering for a while. Recalling his earlier conversation with Second Master, he seemed to connect something.

"Second Master, this brat belongs to the Tiger Gang in our county. He was also commissioned to prepare blood offerings, so the reason can only have been to lure water ghosts... I fear someone wants to stir up trouble during this water ghost calamity and bring disaster upon our Li family."

Li Erlang nodded as well, then said, "The Tiger Gang has long been holed up on Osmanthus Street, in the slums west of Changhe County. They have several houses as hideouts. Their strength is not great, and even their leader is only a Second Level martial artist. Take men and arrest every last one of them."

"When the time comes, I will personally force a confession. Then we will know who commissioned them."

In order to capture the Tiger Gang leader alive, Li Zhiming gathered nearly every patrolman and stationed them along each unavoidable route, while he himself prepared to head over directly.

Osmanthus Street, the slums.

It was midday. More than ten ruffians and hoodlums dressed in coarse hemp clothes, or disguised as Kudali, had gathered in the courtyard. The one-eyed brute seated in a grand chair watched his men with an indifferent expression.

"How are matters at the docks arranged?"

Zhao Hubiao crossed his legs and rolled two iron walnuts around in his hand. The sinister gaze of his one eye made everyone feel a chill seep through their bones.

Someone below hurried forward to report, "Master Biao, of the three groups sent to the eastern docks, two have returned. Both groups from the southern docks have also returned..."

The man immediately continued, "Perhaps Third Master finished his business and took them off to have some fun. They should be back before long."

"I fear it is not that simple. Tell the brothers to keep their wits about them. If there is the slightest rustle of wind or movement of grass, leave early."

An uneasy feeling faintly stirred in Zhao Hubiao's heart.

When he thought of how this had been arranged through someone from the Qianjin Escort Agency, with a deposit alone of one thousand taels of silver and a fragmentary breathing technique manual, his unease deepened. Though that fragment could only be cultivated to Second Level Perfection, if it hit the market, it would fetch at least a four-digit sum of silver beginning with three.

Based on his years of experience, he was almost certain this was a business that demanded one's life.

"Even if we pull this off, the escort agency will not let us go. Once this is done, we brothers will divide up the silver and go our separate ways, meeting only at the ends of the earth."

Zhao Hubiao looked at the brothers in the courtyard and made his promise solemnly. Then he continued, "Do not worry. You have followed me for half my life. I will never treat you poorly."

With a wave of his hand, he dismissed the group. Those meant to collect the slums' "peacekeeping fees" went to collect them, while those meant to patrol and stand watch went to their posts.

Zhao Hubiao basked in the sun in the courtyard for a while, but the uneasiness in his heart only grew stronger.

He entered a side room in the courtyard and pulled a blue, ragged cloth bundle from beneath the bed. Though it was only two or three times larger than a fist, it already held most of his possessions.

Zhao Hubiao was stuffing the contents into his pockets. His heart had only just settled when a sharp shout exploded from the courtyard.

"Who are you? This is Tiger Gang territory!"

The voice rang out swiftly, then stopped just as abruptly.

Damn it!

Something happened to Third Brother and the others. Someone tracked their way here!

Zhao Hubiao's heart jolted. Without a moment's hesitation, he burrowed into the tunnel beneath the bed and fled as though he had grown wings.

In merely three to five breaths, a Li family martial artist at Second Level Perfection kicked the door open and entered. His gaze swept around as he searched, before his eyes flicked downward.

A small strip of wood at the edge of the floor was slightly raised. He swung his long saber and chopped down, revealing a hidden passage less than half a man's height.

A cunning rabbit had three burrows; much less a local gang like the Tiger Gang, forever teetering on the edge between killing and being killed. Three burrows were far from enough to describe them.

After a morning of investigation, Li Zhiming had identified three houses on Locust Blossom Street as Tiger Gang hideouts and split his forces into three groups to make the arrests.

Unfortunately, their luck was still somewhat lacking...

The Li family martial artist turned and gave several instructions. "Hurry and report to Head Patrolman Li. I will go after him!"

In the hidden alleys of Locust Blossom Street and the neighboring streets, disguised figures appeared here and there.

At the southern exit of Locust Blossom Street, Lin Mo and Zhu Hao were crouched in an alley together, lying in wait. Zhu Hao had changed into an unremarkable gray robe, while Lin Mo wore the sleeveless shirt he had once used for Kudali labor.

"Do you think the Tiger Gang leader can escape?"

Lin Mo was hoping to take advantage of this chance to make a profit. Even if he only dealt with two or three little rats, his fortune would rise steadily.

After all, his fortune had already reached ninety points. He was not far from the fate that would upgrade his innate talent.