Far Away

Just as Sun Erhu was about to close the door, Qian Hai hurried in with several guards.

"Young master, are you injured?" Qian Hai saw Qin Yang unharmed and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Do I look injured?" Qin Yang said with a slight smile.

Seeing that smile, Shopkeeper Hu felt a chill run through his entire body.

Who could have imagined that this gentle-smiling young man had been so ferocious and brutal moments ago?

"Good to hear. But these people... what happened here?"

When Qian Hai shifted his attention to the corpses in the restaurant hall, he was stunned on the spot.

Especially Huang Dazhou's body—both sides of his head were caved in, brain matter oozing from five orifices, exceptionally gruesome.

This... who did this?

Qian Hai's gaze swept across the hall, searching constantly, but found no answer. He could only ask Qin Yang: "Young master, which expert did you hire?"

"Right before your eyes, yet far beyond the horizon." Qin Yang smiled faintly.

"Young master, don't joke around." Qian Hai instinctively felt Qin Yang was lying.

But he noticed the strange expressions on Sun Erhu and Shopkeeper Hu's faces.

The way they looked at Qin Yang was filled with fear.

Could it really be that Qin Yang killed him?

An unbelievable thought surfaced in Qian Hai's mind.

He knew Huang Dazhou—a hall master of the Twin Snake Gang, definitely a Condensing Force Martial Artist.

And Qin Yang?

A young master who had never studied anything useful, only knew how to frequent brothels and listen to songs.

He couldn't have practiced boxing for just a month and reached the level where he could kill Huang Dazhou in a few punches, right?!

Qian Hai still couldn't believe his own thought. He turned to another person: "Erhu, you tell me—who killed Huang Dazhou?"

Sun Erhu smiled bitterly: "Uncle Qian, it really was the young master. Only three punches."

Qian Hai looked at Shopkeeper Hu again and found him nodding as well.

For a moment.

He felt as if struck by lightning, frozen in place.

"Uncle Qian?"

"What's wrong?"

Qin Yang called out a few times when he saw Qian Hai suddenly fall silent.

Only then did Qian Hai snap out of it. He calmed himself: "Young master, what do you plan to do?"

"First, clean up the bodies."

"We'll discuss it after we return."

Qin Yang said softly.

"No need to dispose of these bodies—just throw them out into the street."

"The Twin Snake Gang will collect them themselves. Consider it a warning."

Uncle Qian suggested.

"Then do it that way." Qin Yang nodded, then added: "Shut down the inn for a few days. I doubt anyone will dare come here for the next two days anyway."

Hearing this, Sun Erhu moved quickly, tossing all of Huang Dazhou and his men's bodies out into the street.

Seeing those corpses, especially Huang Dazhou's, the gathered commoners actually started clapping and cheering, and many even spat a few times.

The Twin Snake Gang's territory covered these very streets, so the nearby commoners had long suffered under them, oppressed and exploited for years. Hatred was too weak a word to describe it!

Qin Yang didn't linger long either. He quickly led his people away from the inn.

As soon as he appeared, the gathered commoners instinctively made way.

The scene of Qin Yang killing Huang Dazhou with three punches just moments ago had been witnessed by the commoners gathered at the inn's entrance, and fear naturally gripped them.

"Who would've thought Young Master Qin was hiding it so deep—such skill!"

"Three punches to kill Huang Dazhou—truly impressive."

"The Twin Snake Gang lost a hall master. They probably won't let this go."

"Do they have the guts? Don't forget, the Qin Family still has Qin Dongsheng."

"Hard to say. The Twin Snake Gang provoked the Qin Family for no reason—there's probably something we don't know going on."

The commoners gathered around Huang Dazhou and his men's bodies, buzzing with discussion.

After Qin Yang led his people back to Qin Manor, he waved for everyone to withdraw, keeping only Uncle Qian to follow him into the Small Courtyard.

The two sat down on the stone stools in the yard.

"Elder Qian, the Twin Snake Gang coming to cause trouble for us this time is likely because news of my father's disappearance has leaked. Otherwise, they wouldn't have the guts."

Qin Yang said softly.

Qian Hai's expression turned grave. "That's right. But the clan leader truly has no news as of now."

"Mangy Snake She Qing of the Twin Snake Gang is also a Blood Transference Realm expert. This old man alone can't hold him off."

Qin Yang laughed heartily. "Elder Qian, rest assured. The world thinks I only know how to listen to songs in pleasure houses, but they don't know I've actually been cultivating a dual-cultivation technique. I broke through to the Blood Transference Realm not long ago."

"If that She Qing dares to come looking for trouble again, I'll make sure he gets more than he bargained for!"

Qian Hai was full of doubt.

He knew what Qin Yang was like—a month ago, the kid couldn't even practice the Arhat Fist without passing out.

But when he saw Qin Yang lightly point a finger at the outer wall, he caught on. "Young master, have you really broken through to the Blood Transference Realm?"

"Of course. Otherwise, how could I have killed Huang Dazhou with three punches?"

Qin Yang was quite smug.

"Haha, then we'll just wait for She Qing to walk right into our trap."

Qian Hai played along.

"Mm, don't spread this around. Uncle Qian, go out and steady everyone's nerves first."

Qin Yang said softly.

"Leave it to me." Qian Hai got up and left.

Outside the small courtyard.

A figure crouched silently by the wall, eavesdropping.

The more he heard, the more panicked he grew. When he caught the sound of Qian Hai's footsteps, he hurriedly slipped away.

A while after Qian Hai left.

Qin Yang suddenly vaulted over the wall and landed in the garden.

When he spotted clear footprints in the dirt by the corner, he gave a cold smirk.

"So there really is a traitor in the manor."

For now, only the people of Qin Manor knew about Qin Dongsheng's disappearance.

If the Twin Snake Gang had gotten wind of it, someone in the manor must have tipped them off.

Just then.

Another figure stepped into the garden.

It was Qian Hai, returning.

They exchanged a nod, then quietly slipped into Qin Yang's room.

"Young master, did you see who was eavesdropping?"

Qian Hai asked in a low voice.

"No. I'm guessing it's one of the guards."

"The footprints I saw in the corner were on the larger side and a bit deep, which means the person is probably tall and sturdy."

Qin Yang was very calm.

"Footprints make it easy. I'll gather them all later and see whose prints match." Qian Hai's tone turned dark.

He had personally selected all the guards. Having a traitor among them was a slap in the face.

"No need. I'm counting on him to pass the message along."

Qin Yang shook his head.

"But will an old Jianghu hand like She Qing believe it?"

Qian Hai frowned.

"If I told you yesterday that I could kill Huang Dazhou with three punches, would you have believed me?"

Qin Yang asked with a smile.

Of course, the fact that he'd killed Huang Dazhou with three punches today was partly thanks to catching him off guard.

"No." Qian Hai said seriously.

Even now, he still couldn't quite accept it.

"There you go. Besides, my real goal is just to buy some time."

"Give me one more month, and I'll truly step into the Blood Transference Realm."

Qin Yang's words were startling.

Qian Hai gazed at Qin Yang's eyes.

The confident gleam in those eyes left him stunned.