Little Jack

Aside from a usable dagger and a few copper coins left behind by some unlucky bastard, there was nothing.

"These days, are even muggers this hard up?"

Su Li tucked the few silver coins into his clothes. Even a mosquito's leg was still meat. He might have money in this life, but that was his retirement fund, so he had to save where he could.

"Enough. Get lost."

Su Li waved them away like a few flies. "Keep your eyes peeled from now on. Don't assume someone's a pushover just because he's good-looking. There are some people you can't afford to mess with."

One-Eyed Dragon looked as if he'd been granted a reprieve. He scrambled to help his fallen companions to their feet, not even daring to take the axe, then darted into the woods beside the road.

Su Li watched their sorry figures retreat and curled his lip.

"Boring."

He swung back into the saddle.

He didn't want blood ruining his mood.

As the sun sank in the west, Su Li finally caught a familiar scent.

It was the briny tang of the sea breeze, mixed with the stench of rotting fish and shrimp, along with that coppery smell of money and desire that only a port city could produce.

Grey Gull Port had arrived.

Su Li reined in his horse and paused on a high slope, looking down over the city.

It wasn't quite how he remembered it.

Now, it had become a sprawling behemoth.

High walls encircled the city like an iron barrel. The Griffin Banner of the Orenda Kingdom fluttered atop them in the sea breeze. Ships of every size filled the harbor, their masts standing thick as a forest.

Though dusk had fallen, the city was still brightly lit.

The light came from gas lamps.

It seemed that in the past few decades, despite being at war, the Orenda Kingdom hadn't fallen behind in the technology it had secretly learned from the Baris Empire.

Su Li brushed the dust off himself and straightened his collar.

"Old Jack's probably been dead for ages."

He rode toward the city gates with the flow of people. "I wonder if I can still find someone in town who makes fake papers. These days, it's hard to even get a room without proof of identity."

The guards at the city gates were strict with their searches.

Especially when it came to foreign arrivals like Su Li, who looked unfamiliar and carried a weapon.

"Stop!"

A soldier in iron armor thrust his spear across the road, blocking Su Li's way. His eyes roamed over Su Li, scrutiny and greed written all over them.

"What are you doing here? Where are you from?"

Su Li said nothing.

He simply took a gold coin from his clothes. It was one of the bits of "secret savings" he'd earned smithing in Wading Village.

The coin spun between his fingers, gleaming with a mesmerizing luster.

The soldier's eyes went wide.

"I'm a craftsman."

Su Li smiled. In the coin's gleam, his smile looked especially warm. "I'm from the countryside, looking for work in the city. A little something for you to enjoy some tea, good sir."

He flicked his finger.

The coin traced a golden arc and landed neatly in the soldier's arms.

The soldier fumbled to catch it, then bit down on it. A broad smile immediately spread across his face.

"A craftsman, you say? We're always short on craftsmen around here!"

The soldier lowered his spear and stepped aside. "Go on in! Don't cause any trouble! They've been cracking down on Baris spies lately. Don't go wandering around at night!"

"Sure thing."

Su Li cupped his hands in greeting, squeezed his horse's flanks, and rode into the city.

Money was the best pass, no matter which life you were in.

The moment he entered the city, the din washed over him.

Hawkers' cries, the clatter of carriages, and the drunken shouts of men all blended together.

Shops lined both sides of the street, selling everything from seafood and spices to women.

People hurried along the road. There were well-dressed merchants and beggars in rags.

On horseback, Su Li stood out in the crowded streets.

He was too clean.

And too handsome.

His face seemed to glow, drawing people's eyes wherever he went.

The streetwalkers soliciting customers were especially taken with him. When they saw Su Li, their eyes nearly popped out.

"Well, hello there, handsome! Why not come in and sit a while?"

"What a pretty young man! You don't have to pay, darling. How about a free night with your big sister?"

A few of the bolder ones even tried to grab his reins.

Su Li looked straight ahead.

He had no interest in these ordinary beauties.

He was looking for something.

A special mark.

According to the memories of his previous life—though they were actually from his first life—the underworld of Grey Gull Port had its own unique set of secret signals.

Even after all these years, the rats hiding in the gutters probably hadn't changed their habits of digging burrows.

At last.

In an inconspicuous alley entrance, Su Li spotted the mark.

"Found it."

He dismounted and led his horse into the dark alley.

The alley reeked of urine.

A few shadows huddled in the corners stirred at the sight of someone entering. But when they saw the sword on Su Li's back and the black horse that looked like trouble, they wisely shrank back.

At the end of the alley stood a rickety wooden door.

A sign hung on it: Old Blind Man's Grocery.

Su Li raised a hand and knocked.

Three short knocks, then two long ones.

"Who is it?"

A rasping voice came from inside. It sounded a little familiar.

Su Li froze.

That voice... Why did it sound so much like Old Jack's?

Could that old bastard have been a cultivator too? Had he lived for more than a hundred years without dying?

The door creaked open.

An old man in a hood, stooped in stature, poked half his head out.

In the dim light, Su Li got a good look at his face.

It was lined with wrinkles. One eye was blind, covered by a black patch. The other was cloudy, but sharp.

But this wasn't Old Jack.

He looked similar, and even had the same mannerisms, but his age didn't match. This man looked only about sixty.

"Buying or selling?"

The old man gave Su Li a once-over, his tone unfriendly.

"I'm buying an identity."

Su Li got straight to the point. "A clean one. Preferably a fallen noble who lost his whole family and has no one left to look into him."

The old man's single eye suddenly lit up.

He chuckled, revealing a mouthful of rotten teeth.

"A noble identity? That won't come cheap."

"Money's no problem."

Su Li took the heavy money pouch from his clothes and gave it a shake. "As long as you do a good job, all these gold coins are yours."

The old man stared at the pouch, his Adam's apple bobbing.

He turned sideways and opened the door a crack wider.

"Come in."

Su Li led his horse inside without hesitation.

The shop was piled high with junk.

Along with all sorts of moldy goods, the walls were hung with plenty of strange objects.

"My name's Little Jack."

The old man shut the door and introduced himself. "This shop was passed down to me by my grandfather. I've got the kind of identity you want."

Little Jack?

Su Li nearly burst out laughing.

So he was Old One-Eye's grandson. The genes in this family were strong—the same blind eye had been passed down, too.