On the Trail, Blade Drawn!

He pushed open the door. The full-moon night was especially bright, moonlight spilling down like water, casting the shadows of the houses and carrying away the day's sweltering heat.

Zhao Er concealed his chopping knife beneath the hem of his clothes and went to the edge of the courtyard. Planting both hands on the wall, he vaulted over it.

Night had fully fallen. No one in the village had lit a lamp or ventured outside, and only an occasional old person's quiet cough could be heard.

Zhao Er walked to the village entrance, then followed the main road toward town.

Even with the bright moonlight illuminating the road, no one would be walking these country lanes so late at night.

This weather brought out snakes and insects in droves, and the village stood right beside the mountains. Anyone traveling at midnight had no way of knowing whether a venomous snake might suddenly dart out of the roadside grass.

Zhao Er, however, had no such worries. His family's basic supplies were usually bought in town, so he knew the route well. With the moonlight guiding him, he could already make out the outlines of a broad cluster of houses ahead in less than half an hour.

The town had neither the size nor the planning of the county seat. It consisted of a main street two or three li long, with a row of shops on either side and sprawling residential areas behind them.

The Longwind Gang's base in town stood at the far end of this long street, right beside the place where farmers set up stalls to sell their produce or fish.

The Longwind Gang owned a tavern there. Its members gathered to drink and make merry, collecting protection money from the farmers who came to sell their goods while they were at it.

Keeping his head down, Zhao Er walked through the shadows of the houses until he reached the vicinity of the tavern that served as the Longwind Gang's base.

Unlike the rather quiet street, the tavern courtyard was brightly lit, with constant bursts of laughter from men drinking and playing finger-guessing games.

Hearing the voices inside, Zhao Er let out a breath of relief. He knew he had not arrived too late.

Zhao Er almost never went out at night, so he had no idea what this tavern used to look like after dark.

But before setting out, he had already made a guess. The Longwind Gang had gone out to collect protection money today, and there were plenty of villages scattered within ten li of the town.

The money they collected would probably be counted when these gang leaders handed it in. There was no way they could finish counting so much money all at once; it would likely drag on into the night.

The tavern's brilliant lights outshone even the moonlight, making the places beyond their reach seem especially dark. That gave Zhao Er an opportunity.

After looking around, Zhao Er found a patch of higher ground where a large tree happened to stand. He went around to the side facing away from the tavern, climbed up in a few quick movements, then used the branches as cover while carefully observing the tavern nearby.

Inside the tavern, some men worked abacuses and checked the account books, while others opened sacks one after another and counted the strings of copper coins inside.

Out in the courtyard, men gathered in groups of three or five, some drinking and others shaking dice as they gambled.

Sitting on a fork in the tree, Zhao Er pushed aside the branches and examined the men in the courtyard one by one. When he spotted a burly man with a whip tucked at his waist, he knew this was the Longwind Gang leader who had whipped his father today.

This leader was named Li San. He frequently made the rounds of the villages near Zhao Family Village and was also the Longwind Gang leader responsible for collecting its protection money.

Zhao Er had seen Li San a few times, though he had never approached or dealt with him. Still, Li San had an appalling reputation in the surrounding villages.

Having confirmed that Li San was here, Zhao Er watched him drinking and playing finger-guessing games with the others. The anger burning inside him slowly subsided instead, and he remained in the tree, waiting quietly.

The moon struggled upward. The tavern remained lively, but the sacks laid out in the room at the back steadily dwindled, replaced by neatly arranged wooden chests.

Zhao Er stayed hidden in the tree, his breathing steady. Apart from occasionally moving his hands and feet a little to keep his body from stiffening after crouching so long, he merely watched Li San's movements out of the corner of his eye.

Only after an hour had passed did Zhao Er see someone emerge from the room and stand in the doorway. The man said nothing, merely stood there, yet the lively courtyard immediately fell silent.

Zhao Er glanced at him just once before looking away, but he knew he probably would not have to wait much longer.

Sure enough, after apparently delivering a brief reprimand, the man waved a hand. Some of the men in the courtyard followed him inside, while others began heading out.

Fortunately, Li San did not follow the man inside. Instead, his face flushed red, he headed out of the courtyard with one of his underlings.

Taking note of the direction Li San went, Zhao Er quickly climbed down from the tree. Just as he had on the way here, he kept moving through the shadows, following the pair at a careful distance.

The two were not heading toward the street, but toward the residential area behind it. The houses here stood close together and cast more shadows, making it even easier for Zhao Er to follow them.

"Boss, good thing we handed in enough this time. Otherwise, we'd have been kept behind for punishment like those guys."

"Burp... Let me tell you, you can't show those troublemaking villagers a friendly face. Treat them well, and they'll take an inch and reach for a mile. But if you go over every few days to stir up trouble, pick a soft persimmon and beat him up, then the next time they see you, they'll only ask for one thing—not to get beaten. Burp!"

"That's why you're the boss. Your methods are something else!"

"Hahaha! Just keep learning."

"..."

Watching the two walk ahead, talking and laughing, Zhao Er followed at an unhurried pace, not the least bit impatient.

His target this time was Li San. To succeed, he had to make his move as safely as possible. With the two walking side by side, this was definitely not a good time to strike.

He followed them for a while longer. Seeing fewer and fewer houses ahead, Zhao Er could not help frowning a little, because the pair had not split up as he had expected.

I can't rush this. If it doesn't work out, I'll find out where Li San lives and come earlier tomorrow night to ambush him.

Zhao Er knew he was no martial artist and could not overwhelm his opponent in a fight. Besides, the man was a gang leader; Zhao Er might not even be his match in a head-on confrontation. He absolutely could not rush.

Yet just as Zhao Er began to feel that tonight's ambush had already failed, the two men ahead stopped.

"I need a piss..."

Probably having drunk too much, Li San muttered to himself and stepped aside. Facing the corner of someone's house, he lifted his hem and started undoing his trousers.

"You need a piss too, boss..."

"Get the hell over there and piss!"

Li San had already untied the cord at his waist, and he slapped away his underling as the man tried to come closer.

An opening!

At the sight, Zhao Er's heart leaped. Without hesitation, he drew the chopping knife from beneath his hem and continued creeping through the shadows close to the wall, lengthening his strides considerably.

The pattering of urine masked Zhao Er's quick footsteps. Just as he drew close enough to the two men, he saw Li San shudder.

Zhao Er knew he could wait no longer. He stopped trying to muffle his footsteps and lunged forward, raising the chopping knife high.

Whoosh!

Li San had just finished shivering when he heard the rush of air beside his ear. His drunkenness vanished instantly. With no time to turn around, he instinctively tried to step aside.

Unfortunately, one hand was still holding his little bird, and he had not pulled up his trousers. He could not take that step at all and could only tilt his body to one side.

Thwack!

Zhao Er shifted the chopping knife in his hand just slightly, and its edge struck Li San's neck.

Zhao Er's strike was swift, precise, and vicious. It not only severed the major artery in Li San's neck, but buried the chopping knife in his cervical vertebrae.