Seven people stood in the gathering dusk.
Six men and one woman.
The woman in particular had blonde hair and blue eyes. She was unmistakably a foreigner.
No, she was of mixed ancestry.
As soon as the seven entered, they shut the barbershop door.
Once the door was closed, Yang Lian's people immediately cleared away every stool and chair in the shop, except for Lian Youming's at the side, where he was still having his face shaved. The young apprentice girl seemed a little nervous, her eyes repeatedly darting toward the seven before quickly returning to Lian Youming, whose eyes were closed. Yang Lian sat beside the tea table, surrounded by apprentices, all with dark looks in their eyes. Glints of blades seemed to show within their sleeves, poised to strike, their killing aura concealed. The blonde, blue-eyed woman wore a burgundy wool coat, leather boots, high-waisted jeans, and a white shirt underneath, her golden hair falling in waves.
Foreigner though she was, her steps were light and soundless, her breathing almost imperceptible. She was clearly a martial artist.
Nor was she the only martial artist. The six men behind her were unusual as well; not one had shallow breathing. Most striking was a silver-haired old man in a purple Tang Suit, his hands half tucked into his sleeves. Beneath the lamplight, ten amber fingernails curved inward like hooks, while his narrow eyes swept over the apprentices' necks with undisguised mockery.
At the sight of the silver-haired old man, Yang Lian paused in drinking her tea. "Soul-Chasing Hand Feng Kui... So you fled overseas!"
Listening to the singing inside, the blonde, blue-eyed woman leisurely seated herself on the other side of the tea table. "Hall Master Yang, it's been a long time! Our last meeting must have been five or