Was He Fooled?

Jiang Feng got to his feet and began rummaging through the storeroom.

Having grown used to hard times, he couldn't bear to waste anything—not with corpses and scattered medicinal herbs covering the floor.

He had become quite skilled at searching corpses by now.

Even though only a floorful of mangled remains lay before him, he still searched them all cleanly in less than fifteen minutes.

In the end, these people were merely the Medicine Hall's lowest-ranking apprentices. Most had pockets cleaner than their faces, and after searching them all, he had found only about four taels of silver in total.

"Ah, there may not be much here, but it still shows you meant well. I accept your apology. I'll forgive you for what happened before, so rest easy."

He glanced at the utter disarray around him and muttered a few token words before turning to search for medicinal herbs.

The herbs stored here were naturally all common, basic varieties. The truly rare ones had been secretly sent away as soon as they were collected; they would never spend the night at this outpost.

Recalling the Blood-Qi Pill formula, Jiang Feng picked out quite a few herbs that could replenish his qi and blood, bundled them up, and slung them over his back. Without looking back, he left the storeroom, thick with the stench of blood.

The rain outside had stopped, but the dark clouds overhead had yet to disperse, still hanging gloomily over the horizon.

Jiang Feng trudged through the mud, his steps uneven, and hurried toward Black Water Town, guided by his memory.

He knew all too well that nights in this world were far more dangerous than days, especially outside the city.

For that reason, he even drew on what little qi and blood he had left to force himself to walk faster.

At last, just before the town gates were due to close at dusk, he stepped into the familiar Black Water Town.

As soon as he entered town, he knew exactly where he was headed. He made straight for the little restaurant whose food he remembered enjoying and ordered a whole table of good dishes, ready to give his five internal organs a proper offering.

Though he had been away for less than two days, apart from a few bowls of wontons before setting out, he had hardly eaten anything substantial.

As for the emergency rations in the storeroom and the pot of qi-and-blood-restoring soup, they had both been used up in the fierce battle.

"Sir, this is the last dish, the white-cut chicken. That completes your order."

Jiang Feng picked up his chopsticks, ready to dig in, but the waiter hesitantly reached out to stop him.

Jiang Feng looked up in confusion at the young man in coarse hemp clothes.

"What is it? Is something wrong?"

The waiter scratched his head awkwardly and smiled apologetically. "Sir, would you mind... settling the bill first?"

Jiang Feng froze. He didn't remember this little restaurant having a rule that customers had to pay before eating.

Then he followed the waiter's gaze and glanced down at himself. At once, he understood what was going on.

His clothes were tattered, his face filthy, and a Ghost-Head Blade was slung across his back. With an appearance like that, he certainly looked like someone who might try to skip the bill.

He wasn't offended. He simply took a tael of silver from his pocket and set it on the table.

"Will this cover it?"

The anxiety vanished from the waiter's face. He had already been bowing, but now he bent even lower, his smile growing brighter.

"More than enough, more than enough. Thank you for understanding, sir. Please don't take offense. Our little shop really has no choice. Lately, the whole town has been abuzz with talk of evil spirits entering town. Plenty of people have been using them as an excuse to murder and set fires, robbing and slaughtering as they please.

"We've had several people dine and dash already. If it happens a few more times, our little shop truly won't be able to take it."

As he spoke, a worried look crossed the waiter's face.

Jiang Feng hadn't expected Black Water Town to have fallen into such chaos in just two days.

Seeing the waiter turn to leave, he reached out and stopped him.

The waiter looked confused. "Sir, is there anything else you need?"

Jiang Feng took half a tael of silver from his pouch and set it on the table, then asked with a mild smile:

"It's nothing important. I just wanted to ask you about someone. Have you ever heard the name Sun Bowei?"

About half an hour later, Jiang Feng swept all the food from the table. With his stomach full, he got up and hurried toward the southern part of town.

Following the waiter's directions, he wove through the streets and alleys. Before long, he came to a broad, open stretch of land.

From a great distance, he could see a sturdy courtyard wall made of thick, round logs. Compared to the surrounding clusters of earthen houses, it looked especially imposing.

Up close, he saw that the courtyard gate was made of two heavy pine boards. A pair of enormous antlers hung above it, with a complete wolf pelt nailed on either side.

This was the calling card of the Sun Brothers. Anyone in town who spotted this imposing setup from afar knew they had reached Sun territory.

Jiang Feng looked it over and nodded to himself.

"From the looks of things, Sun Bowei really wasn't lying to me. They've built up quite a fortune."

His anticipation grew. He glanced around to make sure no one was nearby, then nimbly vaulted over the courtyard wall.

At the restaurant, he had questioned the waiter thoroughly. The Sun Brothers really did live here alone. They made their living hunting in the mountains, kept to themselves, and rarely showed their faces in town. The only places they visited regularly were a few red-light alleys and Moon Gazing Pavilion.

With a lifestyle like that, even if the three brothers vanished from the world without a sound, no one would notice for a while.

For Jiang Feng, it couldn't have been more convenient.

He had even considered simply making the place his own and using it as a temporary base.

Once inside the courtyard, Jiang Feng didn't let his guard down. He drew the Ghost-Head Blade from his back and swept his sharp gaze over every corner.

Hearing about a place was one thing; seeing it with his own eyes was another. Until he had searched the entire residence, he couldn't fully trust that it was safe.

The courtyard covered a sizable area. Its packed-earth ground had been smoothed and hardened, and despite the heavy rain just now, there wasn't a trace of mud underfoot. Clearly, a great deal of effort had gone into building it.

The main house consisted of three spacious rooms made of gray brick and roof tiles. Behind it stood several smaller rooms used as a kitchen and storage, laid out compactly and practically.

To be honest, this place was far better than the doghouse he'd lived in at the Medicine Hall. Jiang Feng couldn't help thinking that living here long-term wouldn't be so bad.

Jiang Feng started with the main house, rummaging through every chest and cabinet.

But aside from a cloying, nose-stinging smell of face powder and several hundred pieces of colorful women's underwear, he found nothing at all.

Standing amid the mess, he couldn't help frowning. "Strange. They couldn't have sold off everything they owned just to have fun in the brothels, could they?"

He had just emerged from the main house, still full of questions, when a rapid rustling sounded nearby, rushing toward him.

Jiang Feng's eyes narrowed. Following the sound, he spotted three half-grown black dogs not far away, baring their teeth with low, vicious snarls rumbling in their throats.

"So they had dogs too. Well, that makes sense for hunters."

Muttering to himself, he walked toward them with his blade in hand. After turning the house upside down and finding nothing, he had a bellyful of frustration to let out. These beasts would make a fine target.

The largest black dog lunged first, barking wildly as it sprang at him. Jiang Feng hadn't feared evil spirits; why would he care about a few beasts?

He shifted to the side and slashed three times in a flash. Every strike was lethal. The three dogs didn't even have time to whimper before they breathed their last, becoming tonight's extra meal.

With a flick of his wrist, he shook the scraps of flesh and blood from his blade. Only then did he notice another black dog hiding nearby.

This one was nowhere near as big as the first three. It was skin and bones, more like a skinny little mongrel.

It hadn't made a sound the entire time. It simply crouched quietly in a corner, its pitch-black eyes fixed on Jiang Feng.

Jiang Feng gave a derisive snort and walked toward it, blade in hand. "Heh, you really are the clever one. The other dogs all rushed to attack, but you cowered in the back."

The skinny dog didn't bare its teeth or make a sound. Instead, it curled up even tighter.

Jiang Feng clicked his tongue in wonder and pointed the tip of his blade at it. "You certainly know how to read the room. Too bad I've never kept a dog, and I don't like having one. They're too much trouble. Better to butcher you for meat."

He raised his blade, ready to chop off its head, but then the skinny dog suddenly bent its hind legs and knelt before him. Its front paws moved up and down repeatedly, making it look exactly as if it were bowing and begging for mercy.

Jiang Feng's raised hand stopped in midair. With great interest, he watched the scene unfold.

"Heh, you little beast, you've really become a spirit. You know to be afraid, and even know how to beg for mercy?"