Chapter 53: Chapter 53
Shen Xiuhan did not go far. He found a side alley and concealed his form.
Gao Nian might be dead, but Gao Fu was still alive.
What was more, this old bastard had gone to ground in Tian Erhu’s house — seemingly entangled, in some way, with Tian Ping’an of the Longxiang Army.
‘If it’s a coincidence, so be it…’
Shen Xiuhan kept his eyes fixed on the gate of Tian Erhu’s courtyard, a gleam of cold light flickering at the bottom of his eyes.
‘But if he really has linked up with Tian Ping’an, then he has to be pulled up by the roots as soon as possible — otherwise the trouble will have no end!’
At that moment, Shen Xiuhan’s gaze sharpened.
Movement!
The courtyard gate opened a crack; a head poked out and glanced left and right.
Having confirmed that no one was watching, two furtive figures squeezed out swiftly through the gap and, hugging the base of the wall, hurried off toward South Street.
Here we go!
Shen Xiuhan’s form alighted on a moss-covered wall top, keeping a distance neither near nor far, trailing behind the two figures.
“Boss Zhang, why steamed cakes again? We could go for something to drink, a bit of meat — scratch the itch…”
One of the men, with a black dragon tattooed on his neck, smacked his lips, a touch of complaint in his tone.
“Shut it!”
Boss Zhang’s feet did not slow; he cursed under his breath:
“If you want to die, go by yourself!”
“If we give ourselves away and that pack of mad dogs from Raging Waves sniffs us out and chops us up — when you reach King Yama’s hall, don’t say this old man didn’t warn you!”
“What are the odds they’d chase us all the way to Yeci Ward…”
The dragon-tattooed man muttered resentfully — but in the end didn’t dare bring up buying wine and meat again. Instead he turned, grumbling irritably:
“Boss Zhang, at least give us a straight answer — we’re eight able-bodied men, cooped up in that broken-down courtyard. How much longer have we got to tough it out?”
“How the hell would I know?”
Boss Zhang waved a hand in irritation: “This old man doesn’t want to stay there either — but the Chief gave the order, and you’d dare defy it?”
“Uh… hey, Boss Zhang.”
The dragon-tattooed man’s eyes rolled; he sidled up closer, curious: “I heard from Pockface that you went out last night. You wouldn’t happen to be heading out to the outer city to tie up a few women to bring back for the brothers to blow off steam on, would you?”
“Fuck off — just a miserable errand running a letter. Next time you go!”
“Running a letter? To whom?”
Boss Zhang looked left and right, and then, in a rather mysterious undertone, said:
“A letter to the Longxiang Army… By the Chief’s meaning, he’s got a connection inside the army. He means to call in reinforcements, to settle the blood debt with those Raging Waves bastards!”
“Really? Excellent!”
The dragon-tattooed man’s voice rose, “Then this old man is going to put those Raging Waves thieves in the ground!”
“Keep it down!”
Boss Zhang turned and glared at him, looked to either side, and dropped his voice:
“The matter isn’t settled. By the Chief’s word, that man’s status is no small thing — we’ve got to wait for word. You keep your mouth shut tight for me. If word gets out and it ruins the Chief’s plans, no one’ll be able to save you.”
The dragon-tattooed man answered over and over: “Yes, yes, yes — Boss Zhang can set his heart at a hundred rests. This mouth of mine is tighter than a woman’s sash on her waist…”
On the dark rooftop above the alley.
Shen Xiuhan quietly watched the two of them recede into the distance, his face shifting in rapid turns.
‘Just as I thought — Gao Fu has been working with Tian Ping’an in secret… Once that late-stage Manifest Strength centurion of the Longxiang Army comes back, my situation will be nothing good!’
Shen Xiuhan drew a deep breath, thoughts racing, and turned his gaze back toward the Tian residence.
‘Never mind it!’
‘First feel out the real strength of the place, then decide!’
Qi-blood surged; his movement art turned.
Shen Xiuhan’s toes tapped in quick succession — silent as a night owl, he slipped toward the Tian residence.
Concealing himself on the roof, he first glanced inside the courtyard. There was no one below.
Shen Xiuhan, on silent hands and feet, peeled back a roof tile and peered down through the gap.
Inside, a black-robed man lay snoring on a couch, his snores thundering like rolling drums.
At an Eight Immortals table off to one side sat three burly men, killing time. Legs crossed, they sipped coarse tea and chatted idly about this piece of gossip and that.
‘Four men…’
Shen Xiuhan’s eyes flickered.
Quietly he set the tile back in place, and in a crouch shifted over to Tian Erhu’s own room, peeling back another tile.
On the long bench opposite the threshold of the main hall sat a burly, shaven-headed man, legs splayed wide in a commanding posture.
His shoulders were broad as an iron pagoda’s, and from the crown of his head down one side of his face coiled a fierce, striking dark-gold dragon in tattoo ink — none other than Gao Fu, Chief of the Golden Dragon Gang!
By the table stood a middle-aged man with care written between his brows, who was now pacing the room in restless anxiety.
This one was the Golden Dragon Gang’s strategist and Second Chief — Nie Cang.
Gao Fu suddenly slapped the table and said, irritated:
“You’re pacing me dizzy — can’t you just sit down and drink a sip of tea?”
“Elder Brother, the fire is already at our brows — how can I sit?”
Nie Cang halted, his voice tight:
“I say… let’s just cut our losses with this operation and pull out!”
“The gang still has a hidden little stronghold over in Nanxiang Commandery. We’ll take the gold, silver, and small valuables and hide out there to let the wind pass over. In the future… we’ll still have a chance to stage a comeback!”
“Let the wind pass over?”
Gao Fu flared into rage:
“Da-Nian’s corpse isn’t cold, his vengeance isn’t paid, and this old man is to tuck his tail between his legs and slink off? How would I ever hold my ground on the greenwood path after that?!”
“Elder Brother, there’s something odd about how Da-Nian fell. That wasn’t Raging Waves’ style of martial art that killed him — perhaps there really was some passing great hero who made the move…”
“Nonsense!”
Gao Fu’s eyes turned red; he slammed his palm down on the hardwood table beside him. With a CRACK, a large section of the solid tabletop broke clean off, splinters flying.
“It was plainly an ambush — that pack of Raging Waves scum lay in wait for him together!”
“The reason they made up this ‘passing great hero performed a heroic deed’ nonsense is to hand me a way out — to force this old man to leave Changyun County, so they can take over the headquarters without shedding a drop of blood. Damned if I’ll die to please them!”
“But Elder Brother…”
Nie Cang was still about to press, but Gao Fu cut him off with a wave: “Enough!”
“Enough of your nagging — get to the side chamber. Let this old man sit in quiet. This matter is not up for discussion!”
“…Yes.”
Nie Cang let out a long sigh and, dispirited, cupped his fists, pushed the door open, and withdrew.
Once the door of the main hall had closed tight.
Gao Fu, his face full of rage an instant before, became expressionless in the span of a breath.
He walked to the table, poured a cup of tea and downed it, then pinched the empty tea cup and held it before his eyes, as if conversing with someone.
“It’s been nearly twenty years…”
“Whether I can ascend to Transforming Strength in this life — or even Astral Strength — all hinges on that opportunity!”
“Accursed that the place can only be entered by martial artists under thirty… hmph!”
Gao Fu suddenly snorted coldly.
His fingers tightened. The purple-clay tea cup crumbled in his palm into a fine powder, drifting slowly down.
“Ten years of poured-in resources, all to raise that boy — I was relying on Gao Nian to knock open Bone Tempering before he turned thirty, and seize the fortune back for this old man! But that piece of trash was mud that couldn’t climb a wall — now he’s even thrown his dog’s life away, nearly ruining this old man’s great plan!”
“Luckily, thieving Heaven still has eyes — it hasn’t yet cut off this old man’s martial path!”
A light shone in Gao Fu’s eyes:
“Tian Ping’an!”
“At twenty-nine he’s already at Sinew Tempering, and he carries a body-hardening art of his own — far better suited than that worthless Gao Nian for that place!”
“Once my letter reaches him… this old man doesn’t believe you won’t be tempted. After all, that is a blessed—”
Gao Fu’s words suddenly broke off; his gaze snapped up and fixed on the ceiling beam of the main hall!
No sound came from up there.
Yet Gao Fu’s face changed slightly; killing intent welled from his eyes. He said in a low growl:
“Who’s there!”