Goodbye Silk-Pulling Wolf

Whether it was the projection of internal energy or spiritual power, these methods had already transcended the realm of ordinary men.

Two streaks of violent aura clashed in mid-air.

Even though the victor was decided in mere heartbeats, the crowd in Green Willow Alley remained immersed in that chilling aura long after Zhang Zhongping's corpse hit the ground with a thud.

Their bodies were rigid, their gazes dull.

A Great Martial Master, capable of collapsing high walls with nothing but his aura, had actually died so effortlessly.

His performance was not even as good as his disciples.

At the very least, that group of brutes had drained a fair amount of Master Lin's stamina and soiled his clothes.

Yet now, the young man stood in the alley, calmly waving away the black mist at his fingertips.

Forget looking exhausted; his breathing had not even been disrupted in the slightest.

This soul-shaking scene caused the crowd to overlook the anomaly beside them.

The moment Zhang Zhongping had shattered the stone steps and lunged forward, a tall figure in green robes had walked through the crowd with unhurried steps, yet at an incredible speed.

She walked with her arms crossed, slightly raising her palm, where several slender white threads danced at her fingertips.

Each thread was like the sharp edge of a sword.

It was not until the black mist emerged that a faint trace of doubt finally appeared on the woman's indifferent, pretty face.

She stopped in her tracks, observing the scene ahead with focus.

A moment later, following Zhang Zhongping's demise, the sword threads in her palm dissipated into spiritual energy and returned to her body.

"Hm?"

Yan Jin slowly lowered her hands.

She was accustomed to walking alone, and usually, she was only slightly familiar with Bai Feng.

Thus, she was rather slow to receive news within the gang.

It was only by chance that she heard her own name from others, which led her to learn that a Fierce Wolf was inquiring about the origins of this fox.

After all, he was someone she had brought into the gang.

After briefly understanding the situation, she had intended to come and take a look.

She had not expected to see such a scene.

In Yan Jin's mind, the young man should have been on the verge of death, but the person standing before her now was clearly a genuine Qi Refining stage cultivator!

This time... she seemed to have misjudged him.

"Another haul."

Lin Shu casually clenched his palm. In a place only he could see, a string of pitch-black copper coins clattered into his sleeve.

Trailing at the end were actually two white jade Virtue Coins.

[Life and death are determined by Heaven; snatching a life from the hands of Yama. Saving a wretched life, granted one Virtue Coin.]

Two notifications popped up almost simultaneously.

What was going on?

Lin Shu felt slightly surprised.

Today was different from the previous situation. That group of disciples had dared to come with the intent of ransacking his home and slaughtering his kin because they had made preparations in advance.

But in broad daylight, with constables still patrolling the streets, and Good Fortune Martial Hall being far from an all-powerful force, it was already absurd enough for this old man to come seeking revenge. How could he have had the opportunity to vent his anger on innocent lives?

Where did this Virtue Coin come from?

Thinking of this, Lin Shu turned his head with a hint of confusion.

He saw Old Yang and Jin Gui standing silently at the half-open door of the Magpie Nest, looking somewhat out of place compared to the many courtesans and madams peeking out from the stairwell.

Zhang Zhongping indeed dared not go on a killing spree.

But if someone sought their own death, that was a different story.

"..."

Lin Shu raised an eyebrow, an inexplicable feeling stirring in his heart.

He had roughly figured out the source of these two Virtue Coins.

Blackwater City was truly a strange place.

Merely providing a hot meal, along with a helping hand for a paid job, had actually managed to save two lives.

"What are you still looking at? Get inside."

Lin Shu waved his hand, shooing the two of them back into the house.

Afterward, he glanced sideways at the figure walking toward him from not far away.

"Let's go inside and talk." The woman remained concise, paying no mind to the two corpses on the ground.

It seemed as if no one dared to inquire about the matter as long as she was present.

Lin Shu suppressed the urge to spend his Virtue Coins and Evil Coins, cast a sidelong glance at her, and turned away, saying, "Go to the second floor."

It was strange; even though both were Fierce Wolves, that fat man surnamed Tian never gave him this kind of dangerous feeling.

Furthermore, as his cultivation realm stepped into the early stage of Qi Refining, this sensation had not diminished in the slightest; instead, it had become much clearer.

Inside a room on the second floor of the Magpie Nest.

Lin Shu leaned against the edge of the bed in a slouching posture, while Yan Jin occupied the chair by the window.

She turned her head, her peripheral vision fixed on the young man's lapel.

If she remembered correctly, it was empty beneath that fabric, where a piece of flesh had been forcibly gouged out, along with a portion of his heart.

"What, want to try again?" Lin Shu raised an eyebrow, his tone flippant.

"..."

Yan Jin couldn't be bothered to bicker with him and simply looked away.

She casually took out a small jade bottle and placed it on the table. "A Qi-Replenishing Pill. It contains a wisp of spiritual energy. I originally brought it to help you sustain your life, just trying my luck."

This item was meant for cultivators to nourish themselves.

It was true that it contained spiritual energy, but without knowledge of internal cultivation methods, it was difficult to absorb that energy before the medicinal potency dissipated.

Clearly, Yan Jin was aware that this young man had killed nine martial artists in a single night.

She had also guessed that Lin Shu's mist had been depleted too severely, putting him at risk of dying from a lack of spiritual energy.

She had brought this item, yet her attitude remained cold.

Just as she had said, she was merely trying her luck; if it didn't work, so be it.

"It seems now that you should be able to make use of it."

"Just a stroke of luck."

Lin Shu sat up straight with a lazy expression, his attitude becoming slightly more enthusiastic. "You're too polite. Just coming over would have been enough; why bring anything?"

At least she knew not to show up empty-handed, which made her much better than the people from the Good Fortune Martial Hall.

That group of martial artists had come so many times, yet only Zhang Ci had remembered to give him a jade pendant; the rest truly lacked manners.

"..."

Yan Jin watched his sudden shift in demeanor in silence, the corner of her mouth twitching imperceptibly.

In this man's eyes, her reputation as the Silk-Pulling Wolf seemed to be worth less than this single pill.

"I heard some news regarding why Zhang Zhongping came here. It concerns you."

Yan Jin collected her thoughts, intending to warn this young man that although Zhang Zhongping was dead, the matter was far from over.

This youth had stepped onto the path of cultivation and had personally slain a Great Martial Master.

While this was certainly a cause for celebration, if he became arrogant and careless because of it, he would inevitably fall victim to the schemes of those with ulterior motives and lose his life in vain.

Of course, by bringing this up, she was also giving him an opportunity to ask for help.

If they hadn't left in such a hurry earlier, they both would have forgotten that Lin Shu had no way to contact her at all.

How could a mere Magpie Nest attract such significant trouble?

Yan Jin didn't mind helping with a small favor that could be resolved in a single sentence.

"I have a rough idea. Let's talk about something else."

Lin Shu shook his head, showing no intention of pressing for details.

Back when he was still downstairs, he had already sorted out the entire situation in his mind.

The reason the Cunning Fox Hall hadn't stepped in was simple.

After all, those two foxes who had come to visit had already confirmed that he possessed a "rebellious bone."

Even Yan Jin had rushed over upon hearing the news, yet the Fierce Wolf who presided over this street had remained unmoved, which meant someone had already pulled some strings.

The former was easy to explain, but the latter involved the reputation of the Blackwater Gang; it was something that couldn't be achieved just by outsiders throwing around some silver. It must have been someone with significant status within the gang doing the lobbying.

As for who that person was, the two foxes had already shouted it out earlier.

A man who doesn't take revenge for a grudge is no true villain.

He would let that fat man surnamed Tian jump around for a few more days; sooner or later, he would find an opportunity to kill him!

Though he thought this, Lin Shu's expression remained as usual, still maintaining that relaxed demeanor.