Harvest

The two men were covered in dust and grime. A bloodstained bandage was even wrapped around Vulture's arm.

As their eyes swept over the crowd and finally landed on Li He, the corner of Vulture's sinister mouth twitched upward, forming a malicious smile that vanished in an instant.

Li He glanced at them, turned around, and limped toward the streets on the outskirts of the Old Harbor District, soon disappearing into the darkness.

About half an hour later.

Everyone had left the Old Harbor District. Two furtive figures slipped in through a secluded entrance on the other side of the district.

They were Vulture and Jackal.

They looked around, making sure that neither the Special Task Force nor anyone else had followed them. Then they quickly regrouped, exchanged a few words in low voices, and crept along the wall toward the docks.

The two were extremely cautious. They walked in fits and starts, constantly looking back to check behind them. After taking several roundabout routes, they finally slipped into an abandoned shipyard deep in the Old Harbor District.

They stopped in front of a pile of cargo containers, half-covered by a huge tarpaulin.

They moved aside a few oil drums, revealing a bundle beneath them, wrapped tightly in waterproof cloth.

Jackal let out a breath of relief and reached for the bundle.

Clang!

A loud noise suddenly rang out behind them.

Vulture and Jackal whipped around. A rusted, empty oil drum came flying at them with a whoosh.

They dodged quickly, only to crash straight into a pile of lime and gravel.

"Ah, my eyes!" Jackal took the brunt of it and was instantly blinded. The searing pain and grit in his eyes made him let out a piercing scream.

Vulture reacted a little faster, jerking his head aside and squeezing his eyes shut, but plenty of gravel still struck his cheek, stinging like fire.

"Damn, it's an ambush!" Jackal cried in horror. Ignoring the pain in his eyes, he relied on his combat instincts, throwing himself sideways as he reached for the weapon at his waist.

But it was too late.

Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat!

A moment later.

The submachine gun fell silent. Li He dragged the two corpses out from behind the cargo containers and looked around. After making sure no one was there, he dumped Vulture and Jackal into the sea.

He tossed the submachine gun, its magazine emptied, into the sea as well. It splashed into the water and quickly sank.

With that done, Li He slung the bulging canvas bag over his shoulder and left quickly.

The night was deep.

Li He dialed a number. After a brief pause, Wang Zhengyang's voice came through. "Hello? Xiao He? What are you calling me about so late?"

"Master Wang, I took a mission from the Martial Artists Association and came away with something. I'd like to get rid of it somewhere discreet. Do you know a place?"

There was a brief silence on the other end of the line.

Wang Zhengyang cleared his throat. "You've got some nerve, kid. In West City Old District, there's a bar called Night Returner in the alley behind Xinsheng Grocery Store. The owner's called Old Huai. Just say Old Song sent you, and remember to ask for cash."

"If you need to buy anything, you can go to nearby Black Wind Street. There are herbal shops, weapons shops, clinics—you'll find whatever you need there. They deal in cash and don't ask where anything came from. Be careful. Leave as soon as the deal's done, and don't hang around."

"I understand. Thank you, Master Wang." Li He memorized the address.

"Be careful," Wang Zhengyang reminded him before hanging up.

Following the directions, Li He soon found the Night Returner bar Master Wang had mentioned.

The bar was small and dimly lit. Only the counter and a few tables in the corners were illuminated.

A few people sat scattered around the old wooden tables. Most had scars, and all carried a fierce, steady air.

Several battered scabbards and holsters even leaned against the wall in one corner. It looked less like an entertainment venue and more like a temporary gathering place for martial artists.

Li He's arrival drew a few glances.

Ignoring them, he walked straight to the counter.

An old man stood behind it, wiping a glass.

"What'll it be?" The old man didn't look up.

"Old Song sent me." The old man's hand paused for a moment. He raised his head, studied Li He's young face, then glanced at the bulging canvas bag on his back.

"Back there." The old man jerked his chin toward a curtained passage beside the counter.

Li He nodded, opened the door, and went inside.

It was a smaller room with nothing but an old wooden table and two chairs.

Old Huai soon followed and closed the door. He sat across from Li He and lit a cheap cigarette. "The goods."

Li He said nothing. He set the heavy canvas bag on the table, unzipped it, and took out its contents one by one, laying them out in front of Old Huai.

Fifteen pale-yellow energy crystals, ten irregular metal fragments, eight red vials of unknown purpose, and four packets of powder—that was everything he'd collected on this trip.

Old Huai tossed the four packets of powder into the trash.

"Don't mess with this stuff. As for the rest... Kid, the source of your goods is pretty shady. They've got a whiff of the Black Snake about them."

Li He's heart tightened. The old man had a sharp eye, but his expression didn't change. He asked calmly, "Will you take them?"

Old Huai stared at Li He for a full ten seconds, then grinned. "Sure. Why not? A hundred thousand in all. Cash or transfer?"

"Cash." Li He didn't hesitate.

Old Ape nodded and didn't ask another question.

He stood up and walked to a heavy, old-fashioned safe in the corner. He opened it with a key and a combination, took out several thick bundles of Federation bills, and began counting.

The deal was soon done. Li He stuffed the thick stack of Federation bills into his backpack.

"Cash and goods exchanged." Old Ape patted the safe. "The door's over there. If you get your hands on anything good in the future, you can come back."

Li He nodded without saying another word. He shouldered the backpack full of cash, pushed aside the curtain, and hurried out of the bar.

Inside the bar, Old Huai lit another cigarette and muttered, "The Black Snake Gang's only just been wiped out, and goods like this are already circulating? Old Song's taken on a good disciple... I'd better move these along quickly, before Black Mamba comes looking for me."

Once he left the bar,

Li He followed the map and soon arrived at Black Wind Street, as Master Wang had said.

The place was brightly lit and bustling with people. Both sides of the street were packed with food stalls, barbecue stands, and even makeshift street-performer booths.

Li He quickly made his way through the crowd and found a staircase leading underground. He went down, and the noise immediately died away.

He soon found an herbal shop and bought all the ingredients he needed, spending every last bit of the hundred thousand in cash. The concoction he made would last him ten days—plenty of time to cultivate the Ape Demon Iron Body Technique to minor mastery.

As he left, Li He sensed several gazes full of ill intent.

He didn't slow down. His sharp eyes swept toward the source of those gazes, his killing intent plain to see. Most of the covetous stares wisely turned away.

The rest of the journey passed without incident.

Li He finally made it home.

The next morning.

Li He set up a large tub in his bedroom, with an electric hot plate beneath it. He told his mother not to come in, then began preparing the medicinal bath.

Following the ratios recorded in the technique, he tossed the ingredients, one after another, into the scalding water. As they hit the water, they gave off a sharp, spicy medicinal aroma.

Finally, he carefully opened the jar of Iron-Backed Mountain Boar bone powder. The gray-white powder still seemed active, with a faint energy fluctuation. The moment it entered the water, the surface seemed to come alive, bubbling and churning.

Li He took a deep breath, stripped off his clothes, and stepped into the medicinal bath.