Lord Fox

Compared with Yun Niang's panic, Lin Shu was clearly much more composed.

He understood all too well how people who operated in the gray areas of society thought.

When dealing with constables, you had to prepare a whole story to get out of trouble. But when it came to the Blackwater Gang, things became much simpler.

After all, strictly speaking, the Opera Troupe had never joined the gang, so there was no question of involving the gang's reputation.

As long as Lin Shu could prove that he was worth more than Liu San, he wouldn't even need to explain why he had killed them.

Sure enough.

The young man in white didn't bother asking any questions. He went straight toward the three bodies in the courtyard.

He bent down and repeatedly worked Liu the Third's jaw, carefully examining the five holes in the bone.

"Sister Yan, it was an Immortal Method, some sort of claw technique. The method itself couldn't have been above Qi Cultivation Seventh Grade."

"Not bad. He probably killed them in one strike, without getting bogged down in a struggle."

At the same time, the woman in green robes came to Lin Shu's side.

Her features were delicate. Even without a smile, and by Lin Shu's standards, she was a strikingly fair-skinned beauty.

At that moment, she said nothing as she leaned closer to him.

She gently sniffed his earlobe, then his shoulder. Her nose slowly moved down, stopping over his heart.

They stood close, their movements intimate.

But Lin Shu's eyelid twitched.

With the perception granted by the mist enveloping his body, he sensed an exceptionally dangerous aura coming from her.

It was far beyond anything a few tricks could make up for.

"..."

Yan Jin raised a hand and lifted the white fur cloak.

She reached out with her fingertips, toward the empty, ghastly hollow of his chest.

Tap.

Just then, five slender fingers slowly settled over her delicate wrist.

Yan Jin had no habit of wasting words when someone got in her way. She simply exerted some strength, intending to continue her examination.

Yet her fingertips remained right where they were.

"Hmm?"

Even the slightest mobilization of Yan Jin's Spiritual Power was beyond what an ordinary person could withstand.

She looked up, frowning. "You don't want anyone touching you?"

A hint of ferocity glimmered in her eyes.

Even the constables from earlier hadn't dared meet this woman's gaze for long, let alone an ordinary person.

Lin Shu lowered his eyes slightly. There was not a trace of fear in his expression; instead, it held a hint of teasing. "Can I touch you?"

To make sure Master Liu the Third's silver hadn't gone to waste, he was happy to show these two what he was worth.

But that didn't include the White Wolf phantom inside his chest, which was tied to his very life.

"No."

Yan Jin fell silent for a moment, then slowly straightened up.

Through the firm grip of his right hand, she could feel its owner's attitude.

The young man in front of her hadn't said much.

But in his seemingly carefree eyes, she could sense a vicious resolve, as though he'd readily risk his life at any moment.

That ran counter to her purpose. So be it.

With that, Yan Jin casually withdrew her hand.

"Just call me Bai Feng. We're all on the same side now."

The young man in white had finished examining the bodies. He ambled over, a smile returning to his otherwise indifferent face.

"Sister Yan, what do you think?"

"He hasn't practiced an Inner Method. He's merely been tainted by an Immortal Family's aura. He'll die once his Spiritual Power runs out," Yan Jin said flatly.

"I see." Bai Feng smacked his lips, then looked at Lin Shu. His smile had grown thinner. "Then you can only be a fox."

The Blackwater Gang had four halls. Whether you were a martial artist with innate talent or a cultivator who had comprehended an Inner Method, you could join Wolf Hall.

Once you'd achieved some cultivation, you could be granted a wolf name and shed your cubhood to become a true Fierce Wolf.

There were also people who, through some twist of fate, came into contact with Immortal Family relics. If they lacked the fortune to comprehend more than a few moves, then once the Spiritual Power they'd absorbed from the relic ran dry, they'd become indistinguishable from the masses.

The Blackwater Gang didn't waste such people. They could still be of use for a while, at least.

"Fine. There's a vacancy in Green Willow Alley. I'll have someone take you there later."

After hearing Yan Jin's assessment, Bai Feng had clearly lost interest.

He waved a hand. "If you run into trouble, go to Sister Yan. I have things to do, so I'll be off."

Before he'd even finished speaking, Bai Feng had already slipped out through the courtyard gate.

"..."

The corner of Yan Jin's eye twitched, and she looked a little annoyed.

But she wasn't good with words. She merely glanced at Lin Shu before silently walking away.

Three people had died in the city, yet to the Blackwater Gang, it seemed to be no great matter.

A single word was enough to settle it. Even the authorities couldn't interfere.

The two had left without ever asking Lin Shu his name or seeking his opinion.

The courtyard fell quiet again.

"Whew!"

Yun Niang suddenly lost all strength. Her legs went weak, and she had to clutch Lin Shu's arm with both hands to keep from collapsing.

She swallowed hard, staring at the young man's profile in disbelief.

He'd actually dared to grab a Fierce Wolf by the wrist!

What shocked Yun Niang even more was that the she-wolf hadn't flown into a rage. She'd chosen to back down instead.

"Go get me another set of clothes."

Lin Shu unusually dropped his usual manner and calmly looked at his right hand.

As expected of a place where immortals existed. You couldn't tell how strong someone was just by looking at them.

That woman surnamed Yan hadn't been incapable of continuing.

She'd simply decided there was no need.

The two of them had come to recruit subordinates for the Blackwater Gang.

Yan Jin had clearly seen through him and understood that the mist couldn't be replenished.

If she'd kept pressing and drained him completely, the Blackwater Gang would only have lost a hired thug.

"At least I've got an identity now."

Lin Shu clenched his fist and smiled.

He was the sort of person who could take things in stride and let them go just as easily.

The constables' attitude earlier had made it clear: with the Blackwater Gang's name behind him, he'd have much more room to maneuver.

Now that he'd successfully connected with the Blackwater Gang, Lin Shu was even more interested in this place.

Still, if he remembered correctly, before Liu San died, he'd mentioned selling the widow to Green Willow Alley... That sounded like a brothel.

A strange look came over Lin Shu's eyes.

If he kept an eye on the brothel, wouldn't that make him a brothel keeper?

No, a brothel keeper greeted and saw off customers. He was doing the work of a thug. "Security manager" would be a better title.

Inside the rundown courtyard.

Lin Shu changed into a black shirt.

The deceased husband of the Little Widow had been about his size, so it fit him well enough. The fabric was fairly comfortable, though it had faded from too many washes.

"My lord..."

Yun Niang pressed her lips together. She seemed to want to say something, but in the end, she only sighed softly.

She felt that although her benefactor spoke and acted a little strangely, he wasn't a bad person. He shouldn't have gotten mixed up with the Blackwater Gang.

But to the ordinary people of the city, Cunning Fox Hall was a place far beyond their reach.

Even if they longed to tear its members limb from limb, if they actually ran into one, they had to obediently call him Lord Fox.

Lin Shu had climbed the ranks. She should congratulate him, not ruin the moment.

"..."

Lin Shu sat on the bamboo chair with his eyes closed, waiting for someone from Green Willow Alley while familiarizing himself with the Immortal Method in his mind.

But the first person to arrive at the courtyard was a cripple.

A grimy old face appeared behind the crack in the gate. He cautiously peered inside until he spotted a familiar face.

"You... You're not dead!"

Old Cripple let out an excited squawk and hopped into the courtyard with his crutch.

He immediately felt Lin Shu up and down, squeezing his arm and shaking his leg. "Your arm's still there, and your leg's still there!"

Yun Niang froze for a moment. Her heart tensed instinctively.

Lin Shu had refused even a Fierce Wolf's touch, let alone that of an old beggar.

But to her surprise,

Lin Shu sat quietly, without getting angry, letting the old man spray spittle everywhere as he talked.

Only after the cripple had calmed down a little did Lin Shu ask, "What did you come here for?"

"I... I..."

Old Yang froze.

He could've used the chance to brag about how loyal he was. But after hesitating for a moment, he awkwardly scratched his messy nest of hair.

"Wang Xu's dead. They were going to report it to the Blackwater Gang, and I was afraid I'd lose my life, so I could only slip away first."

"After I got out, I didn't know where to go. I thought, since we knew each other, I should at least come and collect your body..."

By convention, when poor folk like those from the South Suburb died in West City and nobody claimed their bodies, they were usually left to rot in the wilderness.

Old Cripple truly hadn't dared do anything else. This was the only thing he could think of.

"Thanks for that. Try wishing me some good luck for once," Lin Shu said, rolling his eyes.

"Heh... heh..." Old Yang gave a self-deprecating chuckle.

Only then did he realize something was wrong. He glanced at the three familiar corpses in the courtyard and swallowed hard.

Liu San and the Ma Brothers were dead!

That meant the rumor he'd heard from the neighbors on the next street was true: the Blackwater Gang had taken on a new Lord Fox!

"As long as you're all right, as long as you're all right."

Old Yang hurried to his feet, flustered. Carefully, he wiped the spot on Lin Shu's shoulder that he'd dirtied. "You go on with your business. I'll head back."

He stumbled around, looking for his crutch.

All those years of struggling in the Opera Troupe had taught Old Yang just how rigid the hierarchy in Blackwater City was. He didn't dare hope for anything else.

Outside the courtyard, a short, slender figure watched curiously. He bowed and scraped to Lin Shu, then said respectfully, "Lord Fox, Xiao Liu's here to take you over and get you settled in."

Someone from Green Willow Alley had arrived.

Lin Shu rose unhurriedly. He didn't leave at once, but first called out to Old Cripple. "Have you decided where you're going?"

The Opera Troupe was gone, and soon someone else would take over that courtyard in the South Suburb.

"Ah? N-no, not yet." Old Yang smiled awkwardly.

Lin Shu nodded to the attendant outside the courtyard, stepped out, and said casually, "Then come along."

Old Yang froze.

It took him a long moment to understand what Lin Shu meant.

Was he... taking him along?!