Rage

"Heavens!"

"Who did this?"

"Lord Sihu?"

Even from far away, startled cries could be heard rising from the alley.

Lin Yin did not look back. He only ran faster and faster.

He circled around the Market once, hiding all his gear—including the bow and crossbow and arrows—beneath a large tree before sprinting toward home.

By the time he returned, his mother, Madam Wang, was pacing back and forth through the house, her face full of panic and anxiety.

Seeing her son return drenched in sweat, Madam Wang was startled and about to ask what had happened when Lin Yin cut her off.

"Mother, quickly prepare some water for me, and get me a fresh set of clothes."

Standing by the window, Lin Yin covertly observed the situation outside and spoke quickly.

His mother did not ask further questions, merely nodding again and again.

After a basin of cold water washed away the sweat and scent of blood on his body, Lin Yin changed into a white long robe, sat at the table, picked up a book, and began reading intently.

At that moment, no matter how slow Madam Wang's reactions might have been, she realized something was amiss.

And just then, a violent pounding sounded outside.

Bang! Bang bang bang!

The old, creaking wooden door groaned beneath the blows. The newcomers had come with an imposing Aura.

"Open the door! Now!"

The roar outside could be heard from far away. Though her heart trembled with fear, Madam Wang still gathered her courage and opened the door.

The Main Door was kicked open, sending Madam Wang crashing to the ground with a thud.

"Mother..."

Lin Yin's expression changed sharply. He rushed to his mother's side, glaring furiously at the people outside.

Standing at the door was a burly man.

Li Sihhu was already considered powerfully built, yet this newcomer stood a full head taller than him. Especially in the late winter chill, the man's thin outer garment revealed muscles like refined iron.

Lin Yin's breath caught, and a "frightened" look appeared on his face.

"You're Lin Yin?"

The newcomer's voice was low. With the gaze of a wolf and the watchfulness of an eagle, he first swept his eyes around the house.

The flickering candlelight, the old wooden table, and the book laid atop it all stood out starkly in this cramped, dilapidated room.

His gaze paused on Lin Yin's thin frame and pale face, and the man frowned.

"Lord Sihu, it's him. He's that Lin Yin. Lord Sihu was originally planning to come find—"

A slap swift as lightning struck the attendant's face the instant he spoke.

Bang...

The one-meter-seventy attendant flew away like a sandbag from that single slap.

He crashed heavily to the ground, spitting out a mouthful of blood. Several teeth came with it, a gruesome sight beneath the night sky.

"Too noisy."

Violence shone in the eyes of the man called Lord Sihu as he stared at Madam Wang, sprawled on the ground, and the Youth beside her, supporting her with both fury and fear on his face.

At his signal, several attendants rushed into the house and began searching through it.

Very soon, a fierce-looking Man shook his head before Lord Sihu.

"Leave!"

After coldly tossing out that single word, the man turned away without looking back and strode off with his attendants.

The fellow who had been slapped flying staggered to his feet and hurriedly followed after them.

The lamplight was dim, and the room's belongings lay scattered across the floor. Lin Yin carefully helped Madam Wang to her feet before stepping forward to shut the door.

Even now, Lin Yin's heart was still pounding wildly.

Still, he had some confidence. The Black Scorpion Gang making such a huge spectacle of things was, in fact, exactly what he wanted.

Beside him, Old Mother Madam Wang was still shaken, looking at her son as though she wanted to speak but hesitated.

After all, she had seen Lin Yin's hasty return home with her own eyes.

Then, in the blink of an eye, a group from the Black Scorpion Gang had come. She did not need to think to know that this had something to do with her son.

"Mother, let's move into town in a few days."

Lin Yin suddenly spoke.

Still frightened by the aftermath, Madam Wang nodded repeatedly. She took out Five Taels of Silver, wanting to say something, but Lin Yin directly said.

"We'll move tomorrow. Use this money to rent a place first."

"But Li Sihhu..."

"Mother... he won't be needing this money anymore."

Seeing Lin Yin's unchanging expression, Madam Wang was shaken to the core. Yet she did not ask further, merely nodding dumbly.

Elsewhere.

An oppressive atmosphere filled the departing members of the Black Scorpion Gang.

None of them dared even breathe loudly. Heads lowered, they did not dare look at the man standing outside the tavern ahead.

Through lowered lids, Li Qinhu watched people flee from the tavern one after another in frantic disarray. His gaze flickered, but no one knew what he was thinking.

"Master Tiger... do you have any suspicions?"

The deep-set Man from before stepped forward and probed cautiously.

Though Langshi Tavern appeared to be nothing more than an ordinary tavern, the fact that it had operated in the heart of Langshi Town for so many years meant it was naturally far from simple.

Apart from its countless ties to Langshi Town's mayor, it even remained linked by a thread to the Hungry Wolf Gang.

Even the Black Scorpion Gang did not dare behave recklessly here.

"All other possibilities have been ruled out. This is the only place left."

"That mother and son..."

In theory, that mother and son were the most suspicious. After all, Li Sihhu had been killed on his way to trouble them.

It could be said that the pair were the most direct suspects, yet Li Qinhu paid them little attention.

This left the man somewhat puzzled.

Casting a sidelong glance at his subordinate, Li Qinhu spoke in a low, hoarse voice.

"You think they could kill my brother?"

"By him? A scholar with a hollow body who only knows how to wield a brush?"

"The one who killed Sihhu was an expert archer. All five arrows struck vital points, and their force was so great that nothing less than a Two-stone bow could have achieved it...

"With such strength, combined with the shattered bones in his neck... the attacker had at least cultivated Inner Strength!"

"Inner Strength?"

A flicker of Shock and Doubt crossed the man's eyes. Ordinary gang members might not know what Inner Strength was, but seasoned, valued gang disciples like them did.

"Among those meeting these conditions, aside from the people from those Martial Arts Schools, only these few groups remain."

Li Qinhu stared at the tavern ahead, monstrous killing intent brewing in his eyes.

"..."

The man said no more, merely studying the burly man before him with unsettled Shock and Doubt.

Once Martial Artists were involved, this was no small matter.

Whether it was the Black Scorpion Gang, the Hungry Wolf Gang behind Langshi Tavern, or even the government offices, none of them were ordinary forces.

As for investigating Li Sihhu's death, the man had already drawn a large cross over the matter in his heart.

Sure enough, Li Qinhu ultimately did not force his way into the tavern. Instead, he led his followers back to the Black Scorpion Gang's stronghold.

Though nothing came of it, the commotion outside Langshi Tavern still drew the notice of some Interested Persons.

A room on the top floor of Langshi Tavern.

After closing the window that had been left open by only a crack, Zhang Qi, seated at the head of the room, wore an unpleasant expression.

"It was Li Qinhu..."

"Li Qinhu? What does that bastard want?"

A startled cry came from the darkness, only to be forcibly suppressed at once.

The speaker seemed deeply wary of Li Qinhu.

"Heh. I heard that bastard's brother died—killed on the road after leaving Langshi Tavern."

"His brother? Could it be... he suspects us?"

"Heh. Whatever the truth may be, he'll only set his sights on us."

"Does he really think we're afraid of him?"

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