Yangquan County's docks had originally stood outside the city. But as waterways spread in every direction and commerce flourished, the county seat expanded its walls several times, eventually enclosing the dock district as well.
Bold in the confidence of his skills, Meng Yue deliberately took secluded alleys. He strode along, and the closer he came to the docks, the stronger and more pungent the air became, thick with fish, sweat, and some indescribable stench of decay.
Meng Yue frowned and raised his eyes.
Night had only recently fallen, and the docks were still bustling. A clamor of noise washed over him.
Several small cargo boats remained moored on the Yudai River, their decks brightly lit and crowded with shadowy figures. Laborers huffed and panted in hoarse voices as they shouldered sacks or wooden crates and carried them down the gangplanks.
"Hurry up! Hurry up! Do you want a taste of the whip?"
The overseer aboard a cargo boat stuck out his belly, still displeased that the laborers were moving so slowly and delaying his rest. The water-soaked whip in his hand cracked as he swung it.
Meng Yue noticed several men patrolling through the crowds on the docks, dressed in short work clothes and carrying clubs. Their jackets hung open, baring their chests, and every so often they swung their clubs to intimidate the laborers.
These vicious men were all Yan Tieshan's subordinates, sent to supervise the docks. Any laborer who dared slack off would immediately be dragged away and treated to a beating to teach him his place.
Fishery Street lay beside the docks, where the rotten, fishy stench was even stronger. No fishmongers were hawking their wares at this hour, of course. Meng Yue covered his nose and mouth as he walked on.
In the most conspicuous part of the dock district, wooden boards enclosed a large, spacious compound.
Sixteen twenty-foot wooden posts stood in a ring around the compound, with lanterns hung high on them to illuminate the area.
Lean, formidable men patrolled around the compound at intervals. They carried not only clubs, but steel sabers at their waists as well.
All this was because a two-story gambling house stood at the center of the compound—Yan Tieshan's lair.
Meng Yue had only just approached and was still some distance from the compound when someone shouted him to a halt. "Stop! Who are you?"
Several vicious-looking men drew long sabers and clubs, surrounding Meng Yue as they questioned him harshly.
"I've come to see Third Master Yan..."
Before he could finish, one man interrupted him, his saber tip almost touching Meng Yue's nose. "You think you can see the Third Master just because you want to? Take off that bamboo hat, boy."
Meng Yue opened his palm, displaying the small wooden token. "Give this to the Third Master," he said calmly. "Once he sees it, he'll understand."
"Go fuck your—"
The man was about to curse again, even raising his saber to chop at Meng Yue's hand, when another man with a scarred face abruptly grabbed him and pulled him back.
The scar-faced man studied Meng Yue for a moment, took the wooden token, and said, "Wait here."
He turned and hurried into the building.
Before long, the scar-faced man came back out and cupped his fist toward Meng Yue. "The Third Master has prepared a private room upstairs. Please."
Meng Yue promptly followed him inside.
It had already sounded exceedingly noisy from outside. Once he entered the ground-floor hall, all manner of sounds and foul odors rushed at him—a choking haze of smoke and filth.
Over a dozen tables were packed into the small hall, with people crowded around them, some drinking and others gambling at cards. A few were dragging weeping girls straight into the side rooms.
Meng Yue remained impassive, acting as though he had seen nothing. He followed the scar-faced guide straight upstairs and stopped outside a closed private room.
"Third Master, I've brought him!" the scar-faced man said, bowing.
"Come in!" A low voice sounded from within.
Only then did Meng Yue remove his bamboo hat and push open the door. A single candle burned inside, leaving the room quite dark.
Meng Yue narrowed his eyes to adjust to the light. A burly man sat squarely in the center of the room, legs spread in a commanding posture. His face was hidden in the darkness, impossible to make out clearly.
Besides him, four others occupied the room: two stood on either side of the door, and two flanked the burly man.
"Are you Yan Tieshan, Third Master Yan?"
Meng Yue glanced back, then turned his gaze toward the man in the center.
"Spare me the pointless chatter. I, Old Third Yan, am a plain-speaking man. I hate beating around the bush." Yan Tieshan waved his hand and came straight to the point. "I owed Mr. Cui a favor years ago. You've come with his token, so what do you want me to do?"
"I'd like you to kill someone, Third Master."
"Who?"
Meng Yue did not answer immediately. He glanced hesitantly at the four guards in the room.
Yan Tieshan snorted. "What wealthy household in this county doesn't know my reputation in this line of work? If you don't trust me, you can leave."
"You must be joking, Third Master. I've heard of your reputation." A flicker of killing intent passed through Meng Yue's eyes as he said evenly, "A disciple of the Yang Family Martial Arts Hall. Hong Yuan."
"The Yang Family Martial Arts Hall?" Yan Tieshan sounded slightly surprised. "Yang Erhu isn't someone to trifle with."
"What? Are you afraid, Third Master?" Meng Yue smiled faintly.
"Me, afraid of Yang Erhu? Hahaha!" Yan Tieshan laughed several times, then suddenly slapped a palm down on the table before him with a dull thud.
"As it happens, Yang Erhu and I have some unfinished business. This time, I'll settle the old grudges along with the new... Go home. You'll hear good news within half a month!"
"Half a month?" Meng Yue frowned, feeling that was a little too long. He was just about to say something when a shrill scream suddenly rang out outside.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
A succession of crashes followed, as though several people had been sent flying at once and slammed heavily onto the floor. Then came the repeated clash of metal.
Chaos erupted downstairs. Footsteps clattered in every direction, punctuated by piercing screams.
Meng Yue could easily imagine the gamblers panicking and scurrying away like rats, their hands over their heads. He could not help glancing at Yan Tieshan across from him. "Third Master, it seems you've run into trouble."
"Trouble? How is a little wind and a few waves any trouble? It'll be dealt with soon."
Yan Tieshan sneered and remained where he was. Even the four guards stayed in place.
Meng Yue, on the other hand, was growing restless. He wanted to get up and take a look, but suddenly heard several piercing whistles from downstairs, followed by another burst of noise.
A short while later.
Five lean, dark-skinned men in fitted fighting clothes arrived outside the room, their steps light and silent.
Meng Yue looked them over. Though slender in appearance, the five men exuded a capable, ferocious air, and their eyes were exceptionally keen. Stiff bows and quivers rested on their backs, their right hands bore thick calluses, and distinct pressure marks showed on their thumbs and forefingers. Something stirred in his mind.
Hunters? Old Third Yan actually recruited five hunters?
Yan Tieshan had already begun speaking. "Did you catch him? What blind fool dared come looking for trouble with me? Make him suffer."
All five hunters remained silent.
Yan Tieshan looked at them, then abruptly rose and overturned the table before him. "You didn't catch him? What the hell are you good for? Have I been feeding a pack of useless fools?"
Outside the gambling house compound, a pitch-black figure darted through the shadows at tremendous speed. In the blink of an eye, he left the dock district and disappeared into a dark alley.
The dark figure leaned against a wall, pulled off the black cloth covering his face, and caught his breath. He examined his arm, where an arrow had pierced his clothing. Fortunately, he had dodged in time and suffered only a graze.
"In the end, my heart still can't find peace."
The face revealed beneath the black cloth belonged to Yang Erhu. He let out a deep sigh.
When he had first investigated Qin Ziyue's whereabouts, he had discovered that Qin Ziyue's disreputable friends were Yan Tieshan's subordinates. He had fought several covert clashes with Yan Tieshan then, killing some of his hired thugs. But ultimately, he was only one man and could do little more against Yan Tieshan.
Today, however, Master Qin had come to bid him farewell. The sight of him looking like a walking corpse had reignited Yang Erhu's fury, so he had come under cover of night to launch a deadly raid on the gambling house.
Lurking in the darkness, he had intended to slip quietly into the gambling house and see whether he could find a chance to kill Yan Tieshan. Instead, he had been spotted and forced to strike early.
He had erupted into action, killing seven or eight men and injuring over a dozen in moments. Just as he was about to fight his way upstairs, arrows had suddenly shot out of the shadows in rapid succession, forcing him to flee at once.
"Today I stirred the grass and startled the snake. From now on, Old Third Yan will only guard himself more closely. Killing him in another ambush will be even harder."
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