Cut Off Their Retreat

Why did it feel like something was off?

Chang Yi gripped his half-drawn long saber, standing frozen in place.

A moment later, he whipped his head around to look at Lin Shu, his already dark face now faintly flushed with a rising redness.

These disciples of the Good Fortune Martial Hall thought he had come to back up this old fox?

He had been played again!

Chang Yi resentfully shoved his long saber back into its scabbard.

The only reason he hadn't slept all night, standing here like a wooden post, was because he was worried the Good Fortune Martial Hall would come and blow the situation out of proportion.

Of course, there were other reasons, too.

For instance...

Chang Yi felt that a fox indeed deserved to be caught; given the things they had done, even beheading them in public wouldn't be excessive.

But for this one, he shouldn't have to die just because he killed a beast like Zhang Ci.

"..."

Lin Shu withdrew his gaze and glanced at this charcoal-faced constable.

He hadn't expected this either.

Even after he had deliberately used sarcastic words earlier, hoping to drive the man away, this fellow had actually insisted on wading into these muddy waters.

Thinking about it, though, it made sense.

This young constable looked to be only fifteen or sixteen, and he couldn't have been wearing that black uniform for more than half a month.

When people are young, there is always a bit of stubborn persistence in their hearts.

"Don't overthink it; I'm not here to protect you."

Chang Yi snorted coldly and looked away.

Despite his words, he showed no intention of leaving. "Those people were right about one thing: I am on official duty, and it is impossible for me to guard Green Willow Alley day and night."

"Master Zhang of the Good Fortune Martial Hall has only one son, and now that he is dead, he will surely come for your life."

Chang Yi tried his best to make his expression look colder. "Don't blame this officer for not giving you a chance; it's not too late to come back to the yamen with me now."

This was clearly a matter of life and death.

Yet that old fox was inexplicably calm.

"Many thanks for your kindness, Constable, but I'll pass." Lin Shu waved his hand, refusing cleanly and decisively.

"Why?" Chang Yi's brows furrowed, his eyes filled with confusion.

He couldn't figure it out.

Could it be that this fox had committed so many crimes that he would be executed anyway once he entered the yamen?

But that would still be better than falling into the hands of the Good Fortune Martial Hall and suffering through endless torture before dying.

Besides, taking the man back to the yamen was just the official excuse.

What he really wanted to ask was why this fox didn't hide, but instead returned to Green Willow Alley to provoke those brutes.

Facing the questioning, Lin Shu's expression turned strange as he countered, "If the martial hall people can't catch me, will they just let it go?"

"This..."

Chang Yi paused, looking at the two people beside him.

The answer was, of course, no.

Zhang Ci had died at the Magpie Nest, after all. Even if the martial hall people couldn't catch Lin Shu for the moment, they would never let those involved in the matter off the hook.

"They won't." Chang Yi shook his head.

"Then there you have it."

Lin Shu raised an eyebrow, looking completely indifferent. "They earned that money by selling their bodies and gave it to me as a tribute. If I stir up trouble and then just pat my butt and run away..."

At this point, a trace of disdain flickered across his handsome face. "That would be far too base a thing to do. Master Lin cannot afford to lose face like that."

As his words fell.

The three people nearby fell into silence simultaneously.

Old Yang and Jin Gui stiffened as they raised their heads to look at this youth, who was full of ruffian air.

The man was vicious in his actions and blunt and crude in his speech.

Yet, for some reason, it made their hearts tremble.

Jin Gui felt it even more deeply. Although Master Lin kept saying that he was the one who had caused the trouble, last night's events had clearly started because of her.

In the end, it was because Zhang Ci refused to let it go and insisted on killing them that Master Lin was forced to take his life.

"..."

Chang Yi racked his brains, but he never could have imagined this would be the reason.

It completely contradicted his impression of the members of the Cunning Fox Hall.

How could that group of sinister, cunning foxes, who bullied the weak and feared the strong, risk their own lives over something as trivial as face?

Especially someone as experienced and seasoned as this.

"Suit yourself."

Chang Yi cast a cold glance at the other man and sighed inwardly.

According to his mentor's teachings, he shouldn't have been meddling in these sordid affairs of dogs biting dogs in the first place.

Although he inexplicably felt that this man surnamed Lin was somewhat different from the other foxes.

But that was all there was to it.

He only hoped that when the martial hall truly launched its retaliation, the other man wouldn't regret it.

With that thought, the dark-skinned young constable slung his long saber over his shoulder and turned to leave Green Willow Alley.

"Are you alright?"

Lin Shu looked at the limping man beside him.

"I-I'm fine."

Old Yang shook his head vigorously.

How could he be anything but fine?

Back in the South Suburb, he had grown accustomed to being slapped around.

Besides, those martial artists had been wary of the constable nearby and hadn't dared to use their full strength.

But Lin Shu's throw just now had shattered that man's cheekbone right in front of the officer!

What Old Yang was truly worried about was the other man.

Judging by the constable's tone, it seemed that even he couldn't suppress the retaliation from Good Fortune Martial Hall.

"As long as you're fine."

Lin Shu took a step forward, leading the two of them toward the Magpie Nest.

He had brought these people here to share in the benefits, not to use them as human shields.

Because the constable had been present, Lin Shu hadn't been able to earn another batch of Evil Coin.

But he wasn't very disappointed.

Lin Shu had a clear sense of his own limitations; his current body was neither scholarly nor skilled in martial arts, and he relied entirely on the mist to barely suppress these martial artists.

To put it bluntly, if he were to square off against these men in a real fight with blades drawn, he would certainly have to use his immortal arts to finish it.

The problem was that since his immortal arts had leveled up, the consumption had become even more terrifying.

Even if he drained himself dry, it was questionable whether he could use them twice more.

And whether the Evil Coin and Virtue Coin gained after using them would be enough to replenish the mist and truly cross the threshold of cultivation remained to be seen.

If not, Lin Shu would revert to the same powerless state as his predecessor.

Or perhaps even worse!

Under these circumstances, it was definitely more cost-effective to wait for a "big catch."

"Master Lin!"

Inside the Magpie Nest, everyone stood up one after another.

The warmth on Sister Hua's face far exceeded that of yesterday.

They had witnessed the entire process from start to finish; as expected of Lord Fox from the Blackwater Gang, his connections even included a constable from the yamen!

The worry on the faces of the courtesans faded significantly.

"Clear out a room."

Lin Shu slowly made his way to the second floor.

Although he didn't like this kind of place and his heart was set on the immortal aura in the dilapidated Firewood Courtyard, the matter with Good Fortune Martial Hall had yet to be resolved, so it wasn't convenient to return to the widow's place for the time being.

The night was murky.

On the dim streets of West City, only one establishment was brightly lit.

A red-lacquered plaque hung high above, its calligraphy wild and unrestrained.

Good Fortune Martial Hall!

The main hall was filled with disciples, yet it was deathly silent.

There wasn't much decoration in the hall, save for a few pots of green pine placed on the left and right.

A piece of calligraphy hung on the wall, inscribed with the words: "Uproot the strong, support the weak!"

An old man with a crane-like complexion and youthful face sat upright below it, dressed in a simple white jacket and black trousers.

His eyelids drooped, and his eyes were calm; while they held a trace of sorrow, they also carried an oppressive aura that commanded respect without the need for anger.

He was the master of this Good Fortune Martial Hall, a grand martial artist who had reached the realm of projecting internal energy, Zhang Zhongping.

"Master, the silver has all been delivered!"

"Chief Constable Liu said he could give us half a day."

People kept rushing in from outside, reporting the news respectfully.

It wasn't until Zhao Peng rushed into the hall clutching his face and fell to his knees with a thud that the atmosphere shifted: "Master, we failed to catch that fox!"

"..."

Zhang Zhongping's expression remained unchanged, as if he had expected this all along.

The people of the Cunning Fox Hall were inherently cautious and treacherous; since they dared to make a move, they must have prepared a contingency plan.

And what he was doing today was to cut off their escape routes one by one.

A large amount of silver had been spent, primarily to grease the wheels at the yamen.

After all, the Good Fortune Martial Hall followed the legitimate path; unlike those outlaws, they had to do things by the book.

As for the rest that required attention...

Zhang Zhongping turned around and cupped his fists toward the side: "Congratulations on your promotion, Brother Tian."

"Heh."

A mountain of fat squeezed into the chair, lazily picking at his fingernails.

Tian Jingyuan curled his lips in a smile that didn't reach his eyes: "It's nothing."

His attitude was clearly dismissive.

Yet, there was no change in Zhang Zhongping's expression.

When the other man was still a young wolf watching over brothels in Green Willow Alley, their strength had been comparable, and they had associated as peers.

But now, Tian Jingyuan had broken through to the middle stage of Qi Refining, had been granted a wolf name, and had even been awarded an entire street as his territory.

Naturally, things had changed.

If Zhang Zhongping wanted to kill the people of the Cunning Fox Hall, he could not bypass the Blackwater Gang.

"Look at how anxious you are."

Tian Jingyuan picked up the heavy bag of silver on the table: "Rest assured, as long as the silver is in place, my nephew didn't die in vain."

He had originally been pondering how to teach that lowly fox a lesson.

He hadn't expected that after only two days, the fellow would bring a death sentence upon himself.

Tian Jingyuan was in a great mood and simply offered Zhang Zhongping a few more pieces of information: "I've inquired about it. That kid is just from a theater troupe in the South Suburb. It seems there was an internal conflict recently, which is why he ran to the West City."

"Seeing as that troupe has paid plenty of tribute to the Cunning Fox Hall over the years, they just took him in as a fox."

"For a base wretch like that, as long as I am willing to step forward and speak up—"

Tian Jingyuan licked his lips and said complacently: "Not to mention anything else, if the yamen gives you half a day, I, Tian, can also afford to give you that much, and I guarantee that no one will cause trouble for the Good Fortune Martial Hall afterward."

Having said that, mockery welled up in the fat man's eyes.

He had once thought that the lowly fox would soon understand the gap between himself and a Fierce Wolf.

Now, it seemed that was somewhat redundant.