A Killing Interlude

"Damn it, one goes out and never comes back! Another goes out, and he doesn't come back either! What the hell is going on?" After waiting for ages, one of the leaders saw that even the underling sent out to find the first man had not returned. His temper flared, and he started swearing.

"Could they really have run off?" the other leader speculated.

"Yeah! Very likely. That little bastard Johnny has always been a slippery one! Hmph, the monk can run, but his temple can't! Come on, let's go find him!" Hearing the other leader's guess, the first nodded gravely, then stood and headed outside to settle the score with Johnny. The other leader rose as well and hurried after him.

The two leaders made their way toward the warehouse entrance, cursing as they went. As they walked, the one who had spoken first suddenly sensed something wrong. Why did it suddenly get so quiet? Wasn't he cursing right along with me just a moment ago? Has he gone mute now? Puzzled, he turned to look.

What he saw nearly made him wet his pants. His companion lay in a pool of blood, a gaping slash across his throat, while a figure in a black cloak stood beside him. The figure's face was buried deep beneath his hood, impossible to make out, but none of that mattered! What mattered was the dagger in his hand, still dripping blood!

The leader froze for a moment, then spun around and ran. His speed would have put even a hundred-meter sprint champion to shame. Unfortunately, fast as he was, Zhang Yao was faster! Before the leader got within two meters of the entrance, Zhang Yao's dagger was already at his neck. The leader felt a sharp pain in his throat and tried to scream! Unfortunately, with his vocal cords severed, he could not make a sound no matter how hard he tried.

Killed one Ironblood Brotherhood leader. Gained 1,000 experience. Gained 100 gold coins.

Zhang Yao glanced at his level: 7, 4,950/6,000. Apart from the 50 experience contributed by the underling just now, nearly four thousand had come from these four leaders. These leaders give so much experience! At this rate, I'll gain a level or two just from completing this assassination mission! The generous experience from the Ironblood Brotherhood leaders truly surprised Zhang Yao. He even began considering hunting down more of them to level up in the future.

Time for the next target! After concealing the bodies in the warehouse, Zhang Yao took out the wanted notice again and selected his next target. Killing four targets in succession had cleared out all the useless leaders Luo De had identified, the ones who only knew how to bully others by throwing their weight around. The remaining leaders were somewhat stronger than those four and possessed some genuine ability.

Although those remaining were a little stronger than the first four, Zhang Yao still did not take them seriously. They were, after all, only a little better than those four useless gluttons.

Zhang Yao's next target was a leader named Will, who managed a low-end casino near the docks for the Ironblood Brotherhood. Among the Brotherhood's low-ranking leaders, running a casino was undoubtedly a cushy assignment. From Luo De's detailed account, Zhang Yao knew this fellow was every bit as ruthless as his reputation suggested. Will had originally been nothing more than a fringe underling of the Ironblood Brotherhood, but through his willingness to risk his life, fight, and kill, he had clawed his way to his current position. Although several of the nearby minor leaders resented him, none dared voice any objection in the face of his vicious methods, allowing him to secure his position firmly.

Zhang Yao moved swiftly through the shadows of the crisscrossing streets and alleys. At this hour, Will would generally still be at his mistress's place rather than the casino. He would only leave for the casino once the moon stood high in the sky. Thus, Zhang Yao was heading toward a residential neighborhood, not the casino by the docks.

The neighborhood where Will's mistress lived bordered Andal Harbor's noble residential district, and its surroundings were quite pleasant.

Leaning against a corner, Zhang Yao surveyed the surroundings and thought, Will really does treat his mistress well. He was actually willing to buy her a house here. Tsk, tsk, look at that place. How could he possibly have bought it for less than one or two thousand gold coins? No wonder the nearby minor leaders are green with envy over him.

Two burly men stood outside a small two-story building not far from Zhang Yao. Though old, the building retained its charm. The two men kept watch over the surroundings, occasionally exchanging a few words. Zhang Yao circled the building several times and discovered that anyone approaching it would be spotted by those two guards. Forcing his way in would certainly alert Will inside. Luo De's account had specifically emphasized that Will generally had four to six bodyguards with him. Since two were guarding the entrance, the rest should all be waiting inside.

Well, Will is certainly cautious! Too bad he's up against me!

Faced with these seemingly tight defenses, Zhang Yao gave a couple of disdainful chuckles and prepared to slip over using the Concealment Technique, silently eliminate the two guards, then enter the building and kill Will along with his remaining men.

But before Zhang Yao could act, a carriage suddenly appeared at the end of the street. Two fine horses, pure white without a single stray-colored hair, pulled a brown carriage with beautiful openwork patterns inlaid along its door and corners. The driver seated at the front wore a windproof cap and a clean, neat, long-sleeved undershirt.

One look at this display suggested some noble was returning home from somewhere, merely passing through this wealthy merchants' neighborhood adjoining the noble district. Not only did the two burly men guarding Will's door think so, but Zhang Yao did too.

Yet just as the carriage passed Will's door, something unexpected happened! The driver, who had been handling the carriage so attentively a moment before, suddenly raised his arm toward the two men at the entrance. Whoosh! Whoosh! Before either man could react, the sudden crossbow bolts pierced their throats. Clutching their necks, they collapsed.

The driver quickly jumped down from the carriage, opened its door, hauled the two men's bodies inside, and shut the door again. Then, as though nothing had happened, he drove farther down the street. Only when he reached the boundary between the noble district and the wealthy merchants' district did he pull over by the roadside. Immediately afterward, the driver jumped down again, ran to the building where Will was staying, and gently knocked on the door.

"Hello, could you please do me a favor? My carriage has broken down!" the driver said politely, standing outside the door.

Damn it! Someone's already here to steal my business! Watching from the side, Zhang Yao had seen everything this "driver" had done with perfect clarity, and could not help cursing inwardly.