Wei Tuo

Lu Shaoyou put down his teacup. The bottom of the cup made a light clink against the tabletop, which sounded exceptionally clear in the silent room.

He slowly stood up, his movements devoid of any pretense.

"You... how did you know about us..." Scarface Zhang's voice was dry. The four subordinates behind him also looked bewildered, their hands gripping their weapons tighter, their formation visibly disrupted.

Lu Shaoyou paced forward. "If I didn't know, wouldn't you have succeeded by now?"

He stopped about three paces away from Scarface Zhang. "Speak, are you here for money, or for something else?"

Scarface Zhang was momentarily stunned by his teasing remark, then a sinister glint flashed in his triangular eyes.

He forced himself to calm down. "Kid, stop playing the mystic! If you know what's good for you, hand over all your valuables, kowtow a few times, and maybe I'll spare your dog life!"

"Oh? Just the four of you?" Lu Shaoyou's tone remained indifferent, as if discussing a trivial matter.

"Hmph! We're from the Giant Whale Gang! Offend us here at Dragon Snake Crossing, and you're tired of living, kid!" Scarface Zhang tried to intimidate Lu Shaoyou with the name of the Giant Whale Gang.

Another man with a sharp mouth and monkey cheeks chimed in, "Big brother, why waste words with him! This kid looks soft and tender, a real pushover! Brothers, let's go all out and chop him!"

"Seeking death," Lu Shaoyou uttered the four words.

Scarface Zhang was thoroughly enraged by Lu Shaoyou's nonchalant demeanor. He gritted his teeth and pointed his short knife forward. "Attack! Cut him down!"

The four lackeys yelped and rushed at Lu Shaoyou from different directions, brandishing their short clubs and sabers.

Having done this kind of thing for years, they had some coordination, attempting to overwhelm him with numbers.

Lu Shaoyou remained still. Only when the saber of the first attacker was about to hit him did he make a move.

Everyone's vision blurred. Lu Shaoyou's figure seemed to turn into a wisp of smoke, passing through the encirclement from an unbelievable angle.

"Pfft!"

A muffled sound. The man with the sharp mouth and monkey cheeks faltered. He looked down at his chest, where the black tip of a club protruded through his body, carrying warm bloodstains.

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but only bloody foam emerged. His body went limp and he fell.

[Killed a Third-class Warrior, Slaughter Value +50.]

"Third Brother!" one of the lackeys exclaimed.

Lu Shaoyou, having struck successfully, didn't pause. With a flick of his wrist, the Qi Mei Cudgel swept horizontally.

"Bang! Bang!"

Two more dull thuds, accompanied by the crisp sound of bones breaking.

The other two lackeys who charged forward were hit by the Qi Mei Cudgel across their waists. They flew backward as if struck by a speeding horse, their bodies folded as they crashed heavily against the wall and slid down. They were clearly beyond saving.

[Slaughter Value +50.] [Slaughter Value +50.]

In the blink of an eye, three companions were dead.

The last lackey was terrified out of his wits. He had only raised his short club halfway when he saw this scene. He no longer dared to advance, yelped, and turned to flee towards the door.

Lu Shaoyou snorted, stomped his left foot on the ground, and pursued him like a shadow. He swung the Qi Mei Cudgel upwards from below, striking the lackey's back.

"Crack!"

The sound of a broken spine was clear. The lackey couldn't even cry out before he fell to the ground, convulsing twice before falling silent.

[Killed a Third-class Warrior, Slaughter Value +50.]

In just a few breaths' time, the four menacing robbers had all become cold corpses.

Scarface Zhang stood there, completely stunned.

The fleshy parts of his face twitched incessantly. The hand holding the short knife trembled like a sieve, the tip of the blade scraping against the ground with a harsh sound.

He could never have imagined that this seemingly weak young man would be so decisive, ruthless, and merciless when he fought.

This was no fat sheep; it was clearly a ferocious tiger eager to devour its prey!

"You... you..." Scarface Zhang let out a gurgling sound from his throat. His legs went weak, and with a thud, he knelt on the ground, his short knife falling from his hand with a clatter.

"Hero, spare me! Hero, spare me!" Scarface Zhang cried, tears streaming down his face, kowtowing desperately. "This humble one had eyes but failed to recognize Mount Tai! This humble one deserves to die! I beg the hero, for the sake of my elderly parents and young children, spare this dog's life! I'll never dare again!"

Lu Shaoyou walked up to him, looking down at him. The tip of the Qi Mei Cudgel dripped blood, touching his forehead. "Elderly parents and young children? When you were trying to kill me and rob me just now, did you ever think of sparing my life?"

The chilling killing intent made Scarface Zhang feel as if he had fallen into an ice cellar. He trembled even more violently. "Hero, I... I know I was wrong! I truly know I was wrong! You are magnanimous, just treat me like a fart and let me go!"

"Tell me, how many people does your Giant Whale Gang have here at Dragon Snake Crossing? Who is the leader? What kind of illicit activities do you usually engage in?" Lu Shaoyou asked, his voice devoid of any emotion.

Scarface Zhang dared not hide anything, and spilled it all out like beans from a bamboo tube. "Replying to the hero, our Dragon Snake Crossing branch leader is Wei Tuo, Master Wei, also known as the Iron-Faced Buddha. He is a Super First-rate Master."

"There are probably... two to three hundred brothers in the branch. We mainly... mainly manage the docks, collect passage fees, and occasionally... do other business..."

"Other business?" Lu Shaoyou pressed.

"Just... things that can't see the light of day, like helping people fence stolen goods, or... or solving some trouble for others..." Scarface Zhang's voice grew smaller as he spoke.

Lu Shaoyou nodded. "It seems your Giant Whale Gang isn't anything good either."

He raised the Qi Mei Cudgel in his hand.

Seeing this, Scarface Zhang's soul scattered. He screamed, "Hero, don't kill me! I know I was wrong! I..."

Just then, a sharp shout suddenly came from outside the inn, powerful and full of spirit: "Stop! What kind of rat dare to cause trouble on my Giant Whale Gang's territory!"

Before the voice even finished, the inn's room door was kicked open from the outside with a "bang," sending splinters of wood flying.

A burly middle-aged man strode in, followed by seven or eight Giant Whale Gang members armed with sharp blades. Their temples were bulging, and their breathing was steady, clearly indicating they were skilled fighters.

The man at the front was about forty years old, with a square face, dark skin, and sharp eyes. He carried an imposing presence as he walked.

He immediately saw the tragic scene inside the room, Scarface Zhang trembling on the ground, and Lu Shaoyou standing with his cudgel.

"Helmsman! Helmsman, save me!" Scarface Zhang, as if grabbing at a life-saving straw, scrambled towards the middle-aged man and hid behind him.

The middle-aged man was none other than Wei Tuo, the helmsman of the Giant Whale Gang's Dragon Snake Crossing branch.

Wei Tuo's gaze swept over Lu Shaoyou, lingering for a moment on the Qi Mei Cudgel in his hand and his calm demeanor.

He waved his hand, stopping his followers who were about to step forward.

"Young man, you're quite ruthless for your age. How did my Giant Whale Gang offend you to make you strike with such lethal force?" Wei Tuo spoke, his voice steady, betraying no emotion.

Lu Shaoyou turned to face Wei Tuo, his tone calm, "They broke into my room at night, intending to rob me and take my life. I was merely defending myself."

Hearing this, Wei Tuo glanced at the corpses on the ground, then at Scarface Zhang hiding behind him, and he already understood a good deal.

His subordinates were not fools either; they naturally saw that Scarface Zhang and the others were in the wrong.

"So that's how it is," Wei Tuo nodded, a meaningful smile appearing on his face. "A misunderstanding. However, for you to defeat them all by yourself in such a short time, your skills are not like those of an ordinary martial artist."

He paused, then continued, "My name is Wei Tuo, and I am the helmsman of the Giant Whale Gang's Dragon Snake Crossing branch. Seeing your extraordinary bearing and powerful martial arts, I wonder if you would be interested in visiting our branch?"

"Perhaps, we could have some cooperation."