Murder Case

The next day, news from the northern docks spread throughout the city.

The White Horse Gang had not only suffered a crushing defeat in their skirmish with the Black Mud Gang, but they had also lost a mysterious expert!

According to the gang members who managed to escape, a mysterious figure wearing an iron mask had suddenly appeared, specifically targeting the elite fighters of the White Horse Gang.

In the end, he lured that mysterious expert away, killed him, and dumped his body into the river.

When the body was fished out, the expert's state of death was gruesome, his body bloated.

His wounds had been mangled by a sharp blade, making it impossible to discern the specific style of martial arts used.

"The Iron Mask?"

Lord Leopard listened to his subordinate's report, his face terrifyingly grim.

Only he knew the true identity of Zhou Heng.

He was a helper hired with heavy gold, and more importantly, one of his trusted confidants who had secretly handled many of his illicit dealings.

His death was not just a loss of combat power; it could potentially bring hidden dangers.

"Investigate! Dig three feet into the ground if you have to, but find this Iron Mask!"

Lord Leopard roared in fury, "Anyone who dares to touch my White Horse Gang will die without a complete corpse!"

The name "Iron Mask," along with the death of Zhou Heng, spread for the first time through the underworld of Qingping County.

It sparked speculation and drew the monstrous, raging fury of the White Horse Gang.

Over the next few days, Yongning Street seemed to return to its usual calm.

However, business at Benevolent World Hall remained sluggish.

Yet, with silver and grain in his hands, Lin Qing showed no signs of panic.

Instead, he lived a more fulfilling life than ever before.

Every day, he practiced the Iron Wire Fist diligently at the martial arts hall.

With every punch he threw, he could intuitively see his own progress.

The battle with Zhou Heng had made him deeply realize the importance of the realm of fist techniques.

Though both were in the Tendon Opening Realm, Zhou Heng's claw technique was sharp but lacked focus and purity.

His own Iron Wire Fist, through day and night of tireless practice and the tempering of life-and-death combat, had already stepped into the realm of perfection.

His force was condensed into one, and his moves were fluid and natural.

This was the key to how he could meet force with force and crush a martial artist of the same realm with overwhelming power.

Strength was the foundation, while technique was the lever that amplified that foundation to its absolute limit.

At night, he would close his doors to study the Thousand Aspect Technique.

This technique was extremely difficult to master; it required precise control over countless minute muscle groups in the face, and even necessitated a unique way of circulating blood and qi, combined with certain medicinal ingredients to slightly stimulate the bones.

"It seems I must find the medicinal herbs required to cultivate the Thousand Aspect Technique; some of these ingredients are quite rare."

"Perhaps I will have to make a trip to the Black Market to see."

Lin Qing pondered inwardly, but he did not set off immediately.

After all, the turmoil surrounding Zhou Heng had yet to settle.

In the following days, Lin Qing acted with increasing caution.

During this time, he changed his attire several times and quietly visited the Ge Pao Society stronghold to gather information without drawing attention.

Sure enough, rumors about the Iron Mask had already quietly spread through the lower levels of the underworld, mixed with the soaring fury and murderous intent of the White Horse Gang.

What made Lin Qing's heart tighten even more was learning from a loose-lipped member that the White Horse Gang had officially placed a bounty of one hundred taels of silver on the Iron Mask through the channels of the Ge Pao Society.

One hundred taels was enough to make many desperate outlaws in Qingping County green with envy and willing to take the risk.

"It seems I must be even more careful when using the identity of the Iron Mask in the future."

Lin Qing showed nothing on his face, but alarm bells were ringing in his heart.

Although he had now stepped into the Tendon Opening Realm and his strength had greatly increased, two fists could not fight four hands; if he were surrounded by a mob, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Under such pressure, improving his strength was the only way out.

Cultivation of the Thousand Aspect Technique could not be stalled, as it might become the key to his survival in the future.

On this day, Lin Qing changed his appearance once again, wearing a bamboo hat.

He disguised himself as a traveling merchant with a sallow complexion and a weary demeanor.

Following the route in his memory, he arrived once again at the Black Market located in the abandoned mine pit.

Compared to his last visit, his goal this time was clear.

After wandering the perimeter of the Black Market for a moment, he headed straight for several stalls selling medicinal herbs.

His voice was hoarse and his words brief; he quickly purchased the few herbs he needed, wrapped them in a cloth bundle, and tucked it into his tunic.

The entire process was swift and low-key, without engaging in any unnecessary conversation with anyone.

The quantity purchased was just right, not enough to attract unwanted attention.

Once the transaction was complete, he immediately lowered his head and merged into the flow of people, twisting and turning through the crowd while pushing his keen senses to the limit.

Only after confirming there were no tails following him did he breathe a slight sigh of relief, then quickened his pace along the desolate path he had taken to arrive.

His footsteps crunched softly against the gravel road.

In the distance, the silhouette of Qingping County appeared blurred under the afternoon sun.

As long as he crossed the relatively open area ahead that connected to the main road, he would be able to return safely.

However, not far ahead on the main road, the scene looked somewhat strange. A cargo carriage sat crookedly in the middle of the road, its goods scattered everywhere in a chaotic mess.

There was no sign of the driver or the owner, only the draft horse, which was pawing the ground uneasily.

A faint scent of blood, mixed with the smell of dust, drifted over on the breeze.

Lin Qing's footsteps came to an abrupt halt, a warning sign rising sharply in his heart.

Where there is an anomaly, there is surely a demon!

Without a moment's hesitation, he immediately abandoned the main road, shifted his body, and slipped silently into the dense forest beside the path.

He had a plan in mind, intending to use the cover of the trees to bypass this suspicious stretch of road.

Inside the forest, tree shadows loomed, and the light was dim.

Lin Qing held his breath and focused, suppressing his own aura to the lowest level as he moved quickly along the rugged mountain trail.

He did not want to invite trouble; he only sought to leave this place of turmoil safely and as quickly as possible.

Just as he had crept about a hundred meters and was about to bypass the chaotic area, a burst of hurried footsteps, cries, and vicious curses suddenly erupted from behind the hillside ahead.

"Go, my lady, go quickly!!"

A voice filled with desperation rang out.

Lin Qing's eyes narrowed as he approached without a sound.

Parting the thick branches and leaves of the bushes to look, he saw that in the shallow valley below the hillside, a man wearing a faded scholar's robe was brandishing a wooden stick he had picked up at random, swinging it wildly.

He was attempting to block three bandits who were brandishing steel blades with ferocious expressions.

Behind him, a young woman with a simple hairpin and cloth dress, her face beautiful but pale, was stumbling backward while clutching a child of about three or four years old, her face devoid of color and filled with despair.

The scholar clearly knew no martial arts and was relying entirely on a surge of reckless courage.

He looked back and shouted, "Go, my lady, don't worry about me! Take An'er and run!"

At the very moment he turned his head, a lean, cunning-eyed bandit lunged suddenly from the dense forest on the side.

The steel blade in his hand thrust even more fiercely toward the man in the scholar's robe.

"Puchi!"

The blade pierced precisely into the scholar's waist and ribs!

"Ah!"

The scholar let out a shrill, miserable scream, and the wooden stick fell to the ground.

Another bandit stepped forward with a sinister grin and delivered a follow-up strike, hacking viciously into his chest!

Blood splattered instantly, staining the tattered scholar's robe red.

The scholar's body shuddered violently, his eyes wide open, and with endless unwillingness, he fell straight backward, falling silent forever.

"Husband!!"

The woman in the distance let out a heart-wrenching cry, her legs giving way, and she nearly collapsed to the ground.