Moonless, Windy Night (Please Keep Reading)

As night pressed down, more than half the lanterns in Hempcloth Alley went out.

At the third house from the alley entrance, Baldy Jiao was pounding on the door with two lackeys in tow.

"Old bastard, get out here and open the door!"

Baldy Jiao barked sharply, his voice brimming with impatience.

The door creaked open. Old Man Zheng hobbled before the three men, his eyes filled with ingratiating humility.

Baldy Jiao's cudgel slammed heavily against the door panel with a dull thud.

"Old thing, have you got this month's interest ready?"

Old Man Zheng bent his back and lowered his head. His withered, bony hand reached into the cloth pouch against his chest and fumbled around for a long while, yet he only produced two hundred copper coins.

His eyes stung, and a humble, awkward smile was plastered across his face. "Master Jiao, this is all I have. Could you... give me another month?"

Baldy Jiao flew into a rage at once, vicious light glinting in his eyes.

"Another month? You think I'm some beggar?"

"What? You think this cudgel of mine hasn't struck loudly enough?"

With a ferocious expression, Baldy Jiao roared, "Last month, your old woman died, and you wept as you begged me to lend you two taels of silver to buy her a coffin.

"I pitied you, so I showed mercy and lent you the money. And now you're telling me you can't pay it back?

"Principal and interest come to three thousand two hundred coins. If you can't produce it, I'll take your house."

Despair and misery showed in Old Man Zheng's eyes. In the end, he fished another tael of silver from his clothes. "This is everything that's left."

Tears welled in his old eyes. His entire body shook like chaff in a sieve as he choked out, "The old woman is gone. This is money for burning paper offerings for her."

Baldy Jiao took the money, and his expression eased somewhat.

"Old thing, you had money and still dared hide it from me. This is this month's interest. I'll come again next month. If you still can't pay, I'll take your house. Got it?"

Old Man Zheng's gaze was vacant as he nodded miserably.

"Let's go, brothers. Next house."

"Master Jiao, the last one is outside the city, at Muddy Bay in the outskirts."

"Damn it, why's it so far? After leaving the city, we still have to walk six li of wilderness road. It's pitch-black out here..."

"Master Jiao, did you forget? That old fisher family in Muddy Bay has a girl, tender enough to squeeze water from..."

"Then what are we waiting for? Walk faster. When we get there, I'll let you boys have your fun too."

The night was thick as ink, with distant mountains and nearby trees all swallowed by the gloom.

The wind wailed through the wild woods. Dead branches clawed and danced, while the weeds covering the ground were wet with the night dew. Though the Start of Autumn had only passed two days ago, a chill had already set in.

"Why aren't we there yet? How far have we walked? I can't wait any longer. That little bitch hides in the house every time we go there, thinking I can't see her..." Baldy Jiao's lips split into a sinister grin.

"Master Jiao, we've walked nearly three li along this wilderness road. There should be about three li left. Calm down. Good food is never too late." Gou Liuzi carried an oil-paper lantern and scouted the way ahead.

"That's right, Master Jiao. The real show comes later." Hu Sanba, his face covered in a thick beard, hurriedly echoed.

In the shadows beneath the trees, Lu Li had lain in wait for a long time. His feet lightly trod through the mud with Silent Wading Steps, making no sound as he searched the night for an opening.

Now.

His body slid forward like a night phantom. With a Snake-Form Piercing Palm, the edge of his hand taut as a blade and force gathered at his fingertips.

Pfft!

His fingertips easily pierced Hu Sanba's Tiantu fatal point at the throat. Hu Sanba did not even manage a grunt before dying on the spot.

Thud!

The figure swayed, then collapsed.

Having killed one man, Lu Li bent down and cleanly drew the short blade from Hu Sanba's waist.

No sooner said than done.

By the time Baldy Jiao and Gou Liuzi reacted, Lu Li had already drawn his blade and slashed sideways.

Baldy Jiao was so terrified that his eyes nearly split apart. In his panic, he pulled back and dodged, barely evading the short blade.

Lu Li sneered. That slash had been a feint; his true target was Gou Liuzi ahead of him.

The blade traced a cold gleam beneath the moonlight and precisely cut across Gou Liuzi's throat. Hot blood gushed forth. Until the moment he died, he never understood what had happened. His eyes bulged wide as he crashed to the ground.

Crack!

The oil-paper lantern fell to the ground and caught fire.

Seeing his two subordinates already dead, Baldy Jiao was shocked. He abruptly drew his blade and chopped down, his attack fierce and imposing.

Lu Li raised his blade to block it. Just as he was about to strike a second time, Baldy Jiao turned and ran.

Using the Wandering Body Steps, Lu Li lunged forward and planted a kick in Baldy Jiao's back, sending him sprawling to the ground. Then he raised his blade to kill him.

Seeing how vicious his opponent's moves were, Baldy Jiao no longer harbored any hope of luck. He swung his blade and fought desperately.

Lu Li's Bagua Wandering Body Steps shifted and turned, leaving Baldy Jiao completely unable to parry.

Seizing an opening, Baldy Jiao suddenly gathered all his strength and slashed diagonally, the blow heavy and powerful.

Caught off guard, Lu Li could only grip his short blade and match him in strength.

Just then, Baldy Jiao somehow drew a dagger with his left hand and thrust it straight toward Lu Li's chest.

A sharp gleam flashed through Lu Li's eyes. He twisted his left wrist, seized Baldy Jiao's forearm with one hand, and fiercely struck the Jiao bone joint with the back of his palm. The crisp crack of breaking bone was especially piercing in the silent wilderness.

"Aah!"

Baldy Jiao screamed. His arm hung limp, and the dagger slipped from his hand.

Taking advantage of the opening, Lu Li used the short blade in his hand to sever the tendons in Baldy Jiao's right, sword-wielding hand.

Under the searing pain, terror instantly seized his entire body. Baldy Jiao hurriedly dropped to his knees and begged, "Spare me! Spare me, sir!"

As he howled and begged for mercy, he frantically knocked his head against the ground.

"You... you..."

Only when the blade's gleam swept across his vision and chill crawled over his skin did Baldy Jiao finally come to his senses.

The blade sliced across his neck. His eyes turned clouded, dull, and lost, without the slightest trace of humanity left in them.

A line of blood burst from his neck, warm blood splashing over the wet, cold weeds.

Thud!

Baldy Jiao's body hit the ground heavily.

Lu Li let out a long breath, then stabbed Baldy Jiao's chest once, twice, three times with his blade...

Finishing blows were absolutely necessary.

His movements were so practiced that it did not seem like his first time doing this.

After finishing the blows.

Lu Li swiftly bent down and searched him inside and out. He found more than eighty taels of silver on Baldy Jiao, along with three medicine jars labeled Azure Membrane Paste, which he stuffed directly into his clothes.

He searched the other two as well, but together they had only six taels.

Without lingering, Lu Li dragged the three corpses and raced toward the Black Flood Dragon River.

He ran five li in one breath and arrived at the surging riverbank.

Splash! Splash! Splash!

Lu Li's movements were clean and decisive, without the slightest hesitation.

Once it was done, his figure flashed away, swiftly vanishing into the wilderness. Only the heavy stench of blood lingered in the night.

Apricot Blossom Alley, small courtyard.

He pushed open the courtyard gate, its branches creaking.

"Auntie, I'm back."

Behind him, Lu Li's hand was still trembling faintly, his heart pounding wildly.

"A-Li, why are you back so late today? Nothing happened, did it?"

After locking and bolting the courtyard gate, Lu Li replied, "Nothing happened, Auntie. I practiced my stance work for two extra hours today."

Only upon hearing Auntie's voice did Lu Li's heart gradually settle.

Killing someone was nothing much, after all.

Martial skill bolstered one's courage; it truly was no empty saying.

In this day and age, evil men were ruthless beyond measure. He had to be even more ruthless than they were if he wanted to survive.

Normally, he did not like using force and believed harmony was precious, but that did not mean he could let others bully him at will.

Simply put, either do not offend anyone—or, if you do, kill them first.