Fan Sheng pondered for a few breaths, then said, "North Warehouse can't be left unguarded. Junior Brother Deng, stay here and watch it. Don't worry, we won't let you lose out."
After reassuring him, Fan Sheng led Li Cheng and the other two away.
Deng Qing was unhappy, but he knew that if one of the four had to be chosen, this rotten job would land on him. It was practically the eighty-twenty rule.
The warehouse doors closed again, and the bar dropped into place. Deng Qing was alone in the vast North Warehouse.
Deng Qing dared not be careless. He checked the front and back doors again, then dragged every piece of timber that could brace a door close at hand.
Once that was done, Deng Qing sat down beside a sack.
A moment later, he slowly closed his eyes and began practicing the Violet Palace Method.
His breath sank into his abdomen, and the restlessness in his heart subsided little by little.
Halfway through a cycle of the Violet Palace Method, Deng Qing's ears twitched. A roof tile had made the faintest sound.
It was so quiet that, had the warehouse not been still and his breathing settled, he could scarcely have noticed it.
Deng Qing's eyes flew open, and he immediately retreated.
The next instant, a figure dropped through a hole in the roof.
Tiles shattered and dust sifted down. The man swayed on landing, then steadied himself.
Deng Qing saw who it was and started. It was One-Eyed Dragon, the leader who had directed the refugees.
Blood stained One-Eyed Dragon's abdomen. One hand pressed hard against the wound, while the other held a flint.
Deng Qing understood at once. Seeing no hope of taking North Warehouse, One-Eyed Dragon meant to destroy it.
As Deng Qing spotted One-Eyed Dragon, One-Eyed Dragon saw him too. He froze, then grinned savagely. "Another one waiting to die."
Before the words had left his mouth, he lunged at Deng Qing.
Deng Qing turned and ran without the slightest hesitation. He had no idea how strong One-Eyed Dragon was and was not stupid enough to meet him head-on.
One-Eyed Dragon kicked off the ground. Like a great bird, he closed the distance in a few bounds and reached Deng Qing's back.
The hairs on Deng Qing's neck stood up. He's injured, yet he's still this fast. How terrifying would he be at full strength?
Hearing the rush of air closing in behind him, Deng Qing hurried around several thick beams in the warehouse, weaving back and forth.
Boom! Boom!
One-Eyed Dragon struck again and again, each blow thundering past. Several missed Deng Qing by a hair.
Deng Qing knew that if he kept running, he was offering the man his back. His pursuer could fail countless times, but he could not afford to fail once. That was a road to death.
He steeled himself, planted his foot, spun around, and threw a Tiger-Subduing Fist strike.
There was nothing fancy about the punch. He drove all the force of his blood and body into his fist and met the one-eyed man's charge.
Bang!
Their fists collided. A tremendous force slammed through Deng Qing's fist into his forearm, then surged up to his shoulder. His chest tightened, and he stumbled back three steps.
His arm went numb. Half his body felt as though an iron hammer had struck it.
The one-eyed man staggered too, then suddenly doubled over in a violent coughing fit. Blood seeped anew from his bandaged abdomen.
Surprise flashed through the one-eyed man's eye. "Skin Tempering First Layer, and you can do that? No wonder they left you to guard North Warehouse alone.
"But running into your granddaddy here is the calamity written into your miserable life."
As soon as he finished speaking, One-Eyed Dragon sprang at him again.
Before his fist arrived, its force drove into Deng Qing's face. Deng Qing knew he could not retreat. He raised his Tiger-Subduing Fist guard and met the attack.
They traded punches and kicks, exchanging seven or eight moves in a flash. Deng Qing struggled more with every exchange. The one-eyed man's fists were so heavy that every blow felt like fighting an iron hammer.
But Deng Qing knew just as clearly that easing up now would be suicide.
What Deng Qing did not know was that the one-eyed man grew more astonished with every exchange.
The boy was plainly using Tiger-Subduing Fist, a crude style found everywhere. Yet every move flowed steadily into the next. He crouched like a beast lying in wait and punched like one pouncing for the kill. His strikes came without pause, leaving no opening.
The one-eyed man changed his approach several times, but could not break through the boy's defense.
Meanwhile, the wound in his abdomen was gradually splitting open. Blood spread across his clothes again.
One-Eyed Dragon drew a deep breath, forced Deng Qing back with a burst of strength, and retreated. He glared and shouted, "Get lost! I'll spare your life!"
Deng Qing cupped his hands in salute and turned to go. At the door, he stopped.
One-Eyed Dragon, who had just been about to bandage his wound, frowned. Deng Qing pointed to the door opposite, indicating that he would leave that way, then headed toward it.
It looked as though Deng Qing had gone to the wrong door. In truth, he was weighing whether to risk everything.
After fighting One-Eyed Dragon for a while, he had taken his measure. The man was strong, but Deng Qing's Tiger-Subduing Fist could hold its own.
The longer they fought, the more confident Deng Qing became.
He also understood perfectly well that One-Eyed Dragon's wound was serious. If he could drag this out, the odds would turn in his favor.
Besides, the man was clearly a minor leader. Capturing him might even earn Deng Qing a reward.
And if Deng Qing let him burn the warehouse, he might be charged with a serious crime.
He turned it over in his mind and made his decision. There was a time to keep his head down, and a time to fight.
"Hurry the hell up. Stop dawdling."
One-Eyed Dragon could not help shouting.
Deng Qing, who had reached the door, suddenly turned around. "Sorry for the trouble, but could you leave? I'm responsible for guarding this warehouse."
While Deng Qing had stalled, blood from One-Eyed Dragon's abdominal wound had nearly soaked his clothes red.
Now One-Eyed Dragon understood. The brat had never intended to flee. He had been deliberately wasting time.
"You won't drink the wine offered in friendship? Then drink the wine of punishment! Die!"
Before his shout had faded, he tore strips from his clothes and managed to bind his wound. Then, roaring, he charged at Deng Qing.
Deng Qing bolted. He had seen through One-Eyed Dragon already: the man was a crossbow at the end of its range.
He only had to keep this up. Time was on his side.
Sure enough, after barely a dozen breaths of pursuit, One-Eyed Dragon could chase no more. The cloth around his abdomen was soaked through with blood.
He stood in place, panting heavily.
Deng Qing seized the chance and rushed at him, his Tiger-Subduing Fist stance seeming to stir the air.
One-Eyed Dragon gave a muffled shout, forced his blood and strength into motion, and swung both fists to meet him.
But just as Deng Qing reached him, he turned and fled again.
Rage surged through One-Eyed Dragon. He spat a mouthful of blood, swayed for a moment, and finally collapsed.
Deng Qing still refused to approach. Only when One-Eyed Dragon's wide-open eye stopped moving did he pick up a sack and throw it onto the man.
One-Eyed Dragon did not react. Deng Qing threw a second sack, then a third, piling them high on top of him.
Only then was he certain that One-Eyed Dragon was dead.
Deng Qing leaned against the sacks and caught his breath. Once his wildly pounding heart had slowly settled, he straightened.
After all, even across two lifetimes, this was the first person he had killed. No matter how steady his nerves were, he could hardly compare with someone used to killing.
Deng Qing went over and checked One-Eyed Dragon's pulse, confirming that there was no sign of life.
He could not help looking down at his own hands. He silently thanked his luck that, at the last moment, he had pushed his Tiger-Subduing Fist to Grand Mastery.
Otherwise, he would most likely have been the one lying here.
He found a scrap of cloth, covered One-Eyed Dragon's face, and began searching his body.