Never Judge a Man by His Appearance

The summer sun blazed, and white clouds dotted the sky.

Ding Songyan stood in an alley barely wide enough for two people to walk abreast, pretending to enjoy the breeze that blew through it.

He had considered bluffing Banner Master Chen Yuliang, who might be watching or listening nearby, by calling out, "Banner Master Chen, please come out and meet me!"

But after turning it over in his mind, he abandoned the idea:

If Chen Yuliang really was nearby, that would force him out and expose him. Things would grow complicated. He might even be driven to a desperate gamble. The Watchtower's surveillance deterred people who wanted to leave themselves a way out, not people determined to fight to the death. If it came to that, Ding Songyan would have to rely on Mr. Yu to protect him until help arrived. Protecting someone who was not the primary target was far harder than killing someone bent on taking another person down with him.

Now that he had a preliminary grasp of the whole affair and there was hope of resolving the danger, Ding Songyan had little desire to risk his own life.

So he merely asked in a conversational tone, "Where is Banner Master Chen right now?"

It was a reminder to Mr. Yu, hidden somewhere nearby, that Chen Yuliang might be in the vicinity.

He did not know whether Mr. Yu had thought of that. Since he did not know, he would assume he had not.

The man with the bulbous red nose looked utterly baffled by Ding Songyan's question:

"At our Small Boat Gang headquarters, of course."

Ding Songyan changed tack:

"What martial art is Banner Master Chen skilled in?"

He was asking this "for" Mr. Yu as well. As a member of a rival gang, Mr. Yu probably knew already, but Ding Songyan wanted to be safe.

"Everyone knows that. Why are you asking? The Dark Turtle Divine Skill!" The man with the bulbous red nose still could not fathom Ding Songyan's intentions.

Ding Songyan pressed further:

"Is Banner Master Chen good at seeing into the distance or listening closely?"

He did not know a concise term in this world for martial arts that enhanced hearing, so he instinctively chose a word from Buddhist scripture.

The man with the bulbous red nose froze for a moment:

"Banner Master Chen can hear faint sounds from twenty zhang away..."

As he spoke, realization seemed to strike him too:

Banner Master Chen might be nearby!

Almost at the same moment, Ding Songyan heard a faint sound from the alley entrance behind him, as though something had flashed past.

Then Mr. Yu, in his little black cap and dark, close-fitting clothes, darted out of nowhere. His figure flickered like a ghost and vanished.

So fast... Ding Songyan had barely marveled inwardly when the man with the bulbous red nose snapped out of his daze. Without even turning his body properly, he sprinted toward the alley's other end.

Well played, Second Brother Ding. You even set an ambush!

Ding Songyan still had questions for him. Seeing that the man did not seem to possess martial arts as he ran, he quickly dropped his candied-hawthorn skewer and gave chase.

He doubted the Watchtower would interfere with a chase that did not involve breaking the law through martial force, unless it caused a disturbance or affected more people.

Thud, thud, thud. The man with the bulbous red nose reached the alley entrance and moved to circle a large tree with dense foliage and a broad canopy before fleeing in another direction.

Suddenly, a pair of large, dark-bronze hands shot out from behind the tree, seized his shoulders, and yanked him into the blind corner formed by the tree and the alley wall.

Even Ding Songyan, who had been inside the alley, had not noticed someone hiding behind the tree!

In the blink of an eye, before Ding Songyan could stop himself, he had chased close enough to hear a dull blow and the crack of breaking bone.

He finally halted and immediately turned, trying to put distance between himself and the tree.

A gentleman did not stand beneath a crumbling wall!

"Second Brother, Second Brother, it's me!" A familiar voice came from the blind corner behind the tree.

Big Brother? Ding Songyan stared in shock. Ding Daniu showed half his face, greeted him quickly, then ducked back out of sight.

His bell-like eyes were threaded with blood, and droplets of it spattered his beard and face.

Ding Songyan frowned. After a moment's thought, he pretended he urgently needed to relieve himself and took a few steps to a spot beside the tree where he could see into the blind corner.

Facing the alley wall with his hands at his waist, he glanced sideways. The man with the bulbous red nose lay there, his face caved in as if struck by a heavy hammer. Blood from the blow had sprayed over him and Ding Daniu. He was no longer breathing.

Ding Daniu wiped bone fragments and gore from his fist onto the man's clothes, turned his head, scratched it, and said sheepishly to Ding Songyan:

"Second Brother, I lied to you this morning. Mother said Mr. Yu was only one person and might not be able to protect you properly, so she told me not to go to the docks today and to follow you secretly."

Ding Songyan nodded blankly and pointed at the man with the bulbous red nose:

"Dead?"

"He died from one punch." Ding Daniu nodded earnestly. There was not a trace of fear or panic in his bell-like eyes. He was as calm as if he were offering to take his younger brother to the docks for something to eat.

Ding Songyan's first instinct was to call the police—no, report it to the authorities—but his mind had gone numb.

My own brother just killed someone?

I only wanted to catch him and ask about the details of the Secret Classic of Mountains and Seas deal...

Sure, that leaves one fewer hostile person in the know, and the dead man was a gang member, but I've always been a law-abiding citizen!

Looking at Ding Daniu's untroubled expression, Ding Songyan had a sudden thought:

"Big Brother, this isn't your first time killing someone, is it?"

Ding Daniu thought seriously for a few breaths before saying:

"I killed a few on the way to Dingjiang Prefecture."

Ding Songyan's back tightened, yet somehow he felt that made sense.

Earlier, he had told Xu Chang'an that if the girl in the white dress could travel all the way to Dingjiang Prefecture without bothering to conceal herself, looking innocent and inexperienced all the while, then she either came from an excellent family or had formidable martial arts. In truth, that had reminded him of his own family:

Qingyan was no less beautiful than the girl in white, and Mother was lovely too. They wore veiled hats when they went out, covering themselves thoroughly, and the family had surely paid to travel with a large caravan or fleet on the way to Dingjiang Prefecture for safety. But long journeys never lacked mishaps. Their family of five had not been anyone's priority to protect, and it was entirely possible that something had happened and petty villains had set their sights on them.

At first, Ding Songyan had thought they had been lucky, or had found a more reliable caravan. Now it seemed his family had an "expert" protecting them too. Big Brother had dealt with any villains who slipped through the net.

"Big Brother, what martial art did you learn?" Ding Songyan asked out of habit.

Ding Daniu looked back at the corpse with its caved-in face and said in his booming voice:

"Innate Divine Strength."

As he spoke, he raised his left hand, wiped the beads of blood from his face and beard, brought them to his mouth, and slowly began to lick them off.

"..." Ding Songyan stared, his mouth slightly open.

Ding Daniu stroked the man's sunken face. His lips spread into a grin as he shared something with his younger brother:

"Second Brother, I really like killing people."

Ding Songyan's hair stood on end, and a chill seeped through him.

Ding Daniu smacked his lips and added with considerable regret:

"But Mother won't let me."

Before Ding Songyan could react, Ding Daniu, still crouching before the corpse, turned his head with an ingratiating look:

"Second Brother, I did it to protect you today. Mother won't scold or punish me, will she?"

Ding Songyan's mouth twitched. For the sake of his own safety, he gave a perfunctory answer:

"Probably not..."

After learning Big Brother's origins last night, Ding Songyan had looked at how Mother, Liu Yuzao, treated him and inexplicably thought of a big dog being discriminated against.

Now he wanted to slap himself:

He's clearly a fierce tiger bound by the chains of family affection!

Outside Dangkang Temple.

Mr. Yu pursued Chen Yuliang with an agility like a monkey's. Each step he took stirred a gust of wind that carried him to a new spot as if he had teleported.

At some point, a subtle prickling sensation had spread across his body. He knew someone atop the Watchtower had taken aim at him.

Since he had not yet reached the point of breaking the law through martial force, Mr. Yu did not slow down. The gap between him and Chen Yuliang kept shrinking.

If not for the bustling market, he, whose martial art bore the name of "wind," would have caught up long ago.

Past Dangkang Temple, Chen Yuliang suddenly darted into a martial arts school. He slipped into a covered corridor, skirted the courtyard and training grounds, and made his way with practiced ease to a small, empty building at the back.

Chen Yuliang stopped and turned to face the door.

He was in his thirties, with dark skin and a slightly protruding mouth, and wore clothing resembling a diver's suit.

Watching Mr. Yu slow down and approach step by step, Chen Yuliang rolled his neck and said with a smile:

"So the Secret Classic of Mountains and Seas was a trap laid for our Small Boat Gang.

"You're Mr. Yu, aren't you? You've served Old Master Zhen for ten years without ever going all out. You aren't even listed on the Exalted Orchid Roll. I've wanted to test your level for a long time. Are you at Probing Mystery like me, or stronger?"

Mr. Yu's expression was cold. He said nothing.

He stepped forward, and the wind rose abruptly. In an instant, he was within one zhang of Chen Yuliang, and he struck out with a palm through the air.

Chen Yuliang had just raised his hands to block when Mr. Yu planted his heel and pivoted, wrenching himself out of his forward charge. He slipped behind Chen Yuliang like a ghost and chopped diagonally with his left palm.

"Hmph!" Unhurried and unflustered, Chen Yuliang turned sideways and took the blow on his shoulder.

With a muffled thud, Mr. Yu's palm struck something like worn leather.

In Mr. Yu's somewhat lifeless eyes, the exposed skin of his enemy seemed to thicken in an instant, gaining a network of lines like cracks in a turtle shell.

Thud, thud, thud! The small room barely restricted Mr. Yu. His lower body drifted like duckweed, swaying and turning in the wind as he constantly shifted position. His upper body followed, palms and fists striking from every direction at places that might be Chen Yuliang's weak points.

Chen Yuliang could not keep up with Mr. Yu's speed. He could only stand his ground and defend.

Amid a volley of blows as rapid as exploding firecrackers, Mr. Yu moved to a new position. Before Chen Yuliang could bring his guard back, Mr. Yu's left palm struck his neck with a sharp crack.

Chen Yuliang's neck suddenly caved inward. Layers seemed to part like leather, trapping Mr. Yu's left palm. For a moment, Mr. Yu could not pull it free, and his movement stopped.

A savage smile crossed Chen Yuliang's lips. Seizing the chance, he clenched his right fist, half-twisted his body, and prepared to drive it into Mr. Yu's face.

Mr. Yu's expression did not change. His right hand suddenly reached forward and grabbed.

At that grab, the wind before him seemed to solidify. Gust after gust swept across Chen Yuliang's face as he turned, like extensions of Mr. Yu's fingers, and raked across his eyes.

Blood sprayed. Chen Yuliang's mouth opened in an involuntary scream.

The howling gale drove the sound straight back down his throat.

As darkness swallowed his vision, a name flashed through his mind:

The Seven Methods of Catching the Wind!