Dark Ambush

Squeak~ squeak~

In the shacks built by cutting and assembling wood, it was hard to avoid leaving various insects behind in the insufficiently processed lumber.

In the dead of night, they became active, burrowing through the wood and making faint noises.

However, sometimes there were other things that could make wood give off similar squeaking sounds.

Inside a shack somewhere.

When the creaking sound suddenly stopped, Luo Heng became completely disinterested.

Smacking his lips, he got up and picked up the clothes beside the bed.

He put them on amid a rustle, then gave his waistband a final tug.

"Ha~"

Unable to hold back a yawn, he walked over and pulled open the wooden door, letting the sparse torchlight outside shine into the shack.

As if sensing the gaze behind him, Luo Heng abruptly turned around and looked at the woman sitting on the wooden bed, her body covered by a thin quilt. He grinned, revealing several yellow teeth. "Tonight wasn't bad. You served your master well!"

"T-Thank you for the praise, Master."

"Mm. Just don't be like a few days ago, when you refused a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit. Heh~"

As he spoke, Luo Heng suddenly began to laugh maliciously, clearly entertaining some lewd thoughts.

Seeing this, the woman was somewhat frightened. She immediately felt the old wounds on her body, not yet healed, begin to throb faintly. With a stiff smile, she hurriedly said, "M-Master, didn't you just say you had important business tomorrow morning?"

"...Indeed. Forget it, then. Next time."

Luo Heng felt somewhat disappointed, but for the sake of having been well served tonight, he did not make an issue of it.

At least, not this time.

Watching the man walk away, his shoulders bobbing as though he were looking forward to something, the woman's expression gradually turned numb.

Two streams of silent tears ran down her face.

"Father, Mother, I really can't hold on much longer here. Why? Why did it have to be like this..."

She pulled the thin quilt tightly around herself and curled into a ball, muffling the low sobs that echoed within so they would not escape.

Blown by the night wind, the wooden door slowly swung shut, blocking out the only light.

When she raised her head again, all she saw was deep, impenetrable darkness.

At least I'm still alive for now...

At the very least, I have to teach that bastard a good lesson!

As he walked home, Luo Heng could not help thinking resentfully.

The so-called important business in the morning was actually to catch Du En and the others off guard!

As soon as dawn broke, he would go and block their door.

"Did he really think he was something special? He doesn't even know enough to piss and look at his own reflection!"

"When dawn comes and that brat leads the others out, I won't bother with anyone else. I'll charge straight at him, give him two punches, and beat him senseless. I'll break one of his arms and one of his legs first!"

"Hmph! Let's see if he still dares to keep refusing every offer when the time comes!"

Luo Heng indulged in fantasies about his plan.

He would put the protection fees aside for now. In any case, he would teach Du En a brutal lesson first!

The more he thought about it, the angrier and more frustrated he became.

He was a full-fledged member of the Blood Eagle Gang. In this area, he might not be able to command unquestioning obedience, but he could still force his way through anything he wanted.

So, when all was said and done, he was merely afraid of getting shit on his fists!

"That brat cooks human waste all day. He likes cooking human waste, does he? Fine! I'll go haul over two barrels of the real thing. I'll make him eat shit then. Let's see if he still dares to keep cooking it!"

Luo Heng absolutely refused to admit that Du En's calm composure had actually intimidated him earlier. Thus, the more he thought about it now, the angrier he became. With a sudden turn of his footsteps, he was about to procure two barrels of stinking dung.

It was because of that sudden turn that he saw something flying toward him from the blind spot beneath his original line of sight.

Was that... a dirt bullet?

"Wha..."

Bang!

The fist-sized dirt bullet slammed directly into his forehead, instantly splashing up a beautiful spray of blood.

One of his eyeballs shattered, its remains still carrying shock and terror.

Luo Heng could not understand how anyone in this district could dare to kill him.

He was clearly a member of the Blood Eagle Gang!

Didn't that person know that anyone who provoked the Blood Eagle Gang would die?

Then, all of a sudden, he thought of Du En. He thought of that calm face and those tranquil eyes.

Looking back now, he abruptly realized that Du En's attitude had actually been the way one treated a dead man—a corpse that could still draw breath!

Luo Heng's mind trembled!

His head was split and bleeding, his vision dim. Amid the agony rocking his consciousness, he could not summon his magic power at all—it was as good as nonexistent.

Death was devouring him at a speed he had never imagined, making tears stream from his remaining eye. From his still mostly intact mouth and throat, he squeezed out words of supplication. "My lord, p-please spare my life! I won't do it again! Really..."

Whoosh!

Bang!

Another dirt bullet shot violently from the darkness, striking Luo Heng directly three inches below the navel. It punched through his lower abdomen, pulverizing the entire region containing his dantian, Sea of Qi, intestines, and manhood, scattering the shredded remains across the ground.

The surviving half of his face froze, twisted terror locked in place.

With a thump, the corpse collapsed, and blood rapidly spread outward.

Luo Heng was dead.

Du En, hidden in the darkness, narrowed his eyes and watched carefully for a while. Only after confirming that Luo Heng was truly dead did he slowly retreat, melt into the darkness, and quietly leave.

Although he had encountered a minor mishap while searching for Luo Heng earlier and had not found him at home, Du En had carefully examined the footprints and other traces, followed them all the way, and found the man returning home while pulling up his pants.

Erase the traces, hide in the darkness, and launch a surprise killing rather than strike openly!

Without any unnecessary dithering, he turned around and left the scene behind.

Luo Heng's belongings were indeed on his person and in his home, and they were probably quite substantial. However, Du En had no intention of searching for or taking them.

That was because the Blood Eagle Gang truly was not easy to deal with. Its gang leader had a fairly close relationship with the official from Border City assigned to manage the Shack District.

Those officials were basically impartial toward everyone else, treating them with complete indifference. But toward the leaders of these gangs who regularly made offerings and showed them their filial respect, they still paid a little more attention.

And anything that leaked through their fingers was enough for these gangs to grow stronger, act without fear, and stand firm without falling!

Generally speaking, a low-level gang member like Luo Heng should not have attracted much attention. But it was better to be safe than sorry, so Du En did not do anything more, lest he leave behind a flaw.

"Besides, this corpse will probably end up in my hands in the end. When that time comes, perhaps..."

Stopping before the small courtyard, Du En looked back toward the place where Luo Heng's body lay, his gaze shifting slightly.

He quietly returned to his room, changed into another set of clothes, and seized the time to cultivate. After finishing his cultivation, he caught up on some sleep.

Only after daybreak, when the corpse buriers went to work burying bodies, did the Blood Eagle Gang's local branch learn that Luo Heng had died a miserable death and been left lying in the street.

The branch leader who received the notice was Zhang Lin, a spirit-field farmer who looked rather simple and honest. He had been transplanting rice seedlings in a paddy when he learned what had happened. He immediately flew into a rage, his face twisting ferociously.

"Good, good, good! I never thought anyone would dare pluck the tiger's whiskers! Go investigate! Go find them! I want to see who's bold enough to do this!"

The Blood Eagle Gang's reputation and deterrence, just as its name suggested, had been paved with blood!

At that moment, one disturbance pulled every strand. The gang members who had already gone to work in various places and could be summoned were urgently called back. Fewer than ten people in total hurriedly began the investigation.

They had only managed to get the morning off!