The sky gradually darkened.
The clatter of trams on the street slowly faded. The wonton stalls took down their lights one by one, and now and then a few stray dogs ran past, leaving a trail of paw prints on the bluestone slabs.
A whistle sounded in the distance from the Constabulary: three short blasts and one long. Who knew which household had been robbed this time?
The night watchman had already struck the second watch when Chen Mo finally finished his practice. He tossed the completely spent Crimson Flame Blood Crystal in his palm into the trash can in the corner.
His progress in the Yin Sha Bone-Tempering Method had surged again and was already close to perfecting the second layer.
Unfortunately, he had exhausted all the resources on hand. He would have to make another trip to the Ghost Market.
After packing his things, Chen Mo got up, opened the window, and slipped out, landing in the shadows of the alley.
The Brokerage's door was ajar, and a dim yellow electric light glowed inside.
He pushed the door open, and the stench of cheap tobacco hit him.
Lord Scar was sitting in that battered armchair. The moment he saw Chen Mo, he stood up and plastered a smile across his face. "You're here, sir."
There were three or four other people in the room, all of Lord Scar's men, squatting in a corner and smoking cigarettes.
A man lay on the ground, bound tight with hemp rope and gagged with a wad of rag. It was Old Liu, the shopkeeper.
"He tried to run." Lord Scar leaned in and said bitterly, "This afternoon, when we weren't paying attention, he snuck off toward the back courtyard. Good thing I kept my wits about me and had someone watching him