The night was thick, devoid of stars or moonlight.
Lin Shu took a deep breath. The cold night air circulated through his lungs, dispelling the last traces of drunkenness from his eyes.
In his past life, he had fought tooth and nail to carve out a bit of status for himself on the streets.
The blood on his hands hadn’t even faded, and he never got the chance to enjoy his success before he was suddenly transported to this strange world. It would be a lie to say he had no regrets.
His sudden murderous outburst just now had been, more or less, a way of venting his frustration.
WHOOSH.
Lin Shu exhaled, then opened his right palm and looked down at his fingertips.
The tips of his fingers, scalded raw by the oily soup just moments ago, had already turned the pink of new flesh in this short time.
Centered on the spectral image of the White Wolf on his chest, the flowing Fog was rapidly repairing his entire body. As a price, it seemed a bit thinner than before.
It seemed his earlier speculation was correct.
’This Fog is my life force.’
Lin Shu hadn’t yet found a way to replenish it from the fragmented memories in his mind.
But since an Immortal Technique could consume this Fog, there must be a corresponding method to restore it. That was only logical.
Otherwise, who would bother learning such things?
If he had enough Sin Coins to feed that Half-Life Immortal, it might spit out more Immortal Techniques.
Of course, with or without this White Wolf Immortal Family inhabiting his body, he would have seized the opportunity to kill that drunk and escape the dilapidated courtyard.
The reason wasn’t complicated.
Lin Shu had keenly sensed Master Liu San’s displeasure and killing intent.
’I probably wouldn’t live to see tomorrow.’
And if that was the case... a dangerous glint reappeared in Lin Shu’s eyes.
Compared to waiting helplessly for death, he was far more accustomed to striking first.
Under the faint moonlight, Lin Shu followed the route from his memory, crossing the broken gravel and mud path until he stepped onto the first solid flagstone.
Black Water City was divided into four sections—east, south, west, and north. The opera troupe was based in the poorest of them, the South Suburbs.
And while West City wasn’t as prosperous as East City, settling down here required either a bit of wealth or some connection to the Government or the Black Water Gang.
For the old woman to have lived here, she shouldn’t have been someone the opera troupe could afford to provoke, let alone beat to death.
Lin Shu slowed to a halt between two courtyards built of bluestone.
Tucked in the corner between two high walls, a shanty haphazardly thrown together from thatch and wooden planks was an eyesore.
Outside, a circle of bundled firewood served as a wall, and a paper-thin wooden door would deter a gentleman but not a scoundrel.
Ever since the old woman lost her son, the family had long since lost their original home. Only by living in such a squalid manner could they continue to cling to their place in West City.
Lin Shu stared at the few messy footprints in front of the door, his eyes narrowing slightly.
The South Suburbs had no flagstone roads, so soles caked in black mud were a trademark of its residents.
The opera troupe’s three masters were already inside, and they had pulled the door shut behind them.
「Inside the Woodshed.」
Miss Yun kept her head down, slowly backing away toward the doorway of the house.
Master Liu San toyed with the short knife in his hand, looking the young woman before him up and down.
Because of his menacing appearance and the murder to his name, he rarely dared to set foot in West City, worried that the locals would take notice and cause unnecessary trouble.
But he’d long heard from the women in the troupe that the old hag’s widowed daughter-in-law was a real beauty.
Seeing her now, he knew it was no exaggeration.
She was perfectly buxom, with skin so tender and fair it looked like you could squeeze water from it.
In the destitute South Suburbs, a figure like hers was a rarity. Most girls there were scrawny and sallow, barely able to eat their fill, with no spare flesh on their bones.
"It really takes money to raise a woman right," Master Liu San remarked, glancing at the two brothers beside him who were practically drooling.
"Third Master," the Ma Clan brothers swallowed hard, turning to their boss.
"Sell the big one to Cyan Willow Street, and send the little one to White Tiger Hall to be used in alchemy."
Master Liu San had already made up his mind. He walked up to the young woman and used the tip of his knife to lift her chin.
He glanced at the small bundle on Miss Yun’s back.
’She’s a sharp one.’
’Dressed lightly and ready to flee. If we’d been half a step later, she really might have slipped away.’
"You—"
Miss Yun unconsciously clenched her fists, a hint of alarm finally showing on her deathly still face.
She had already anticipated her fate the moment she saw these brutes. What truly made her realize how depraved they were was the second half of his sentence.
The White Tiger Hall was one of the four great halls of the Black Water Gang. Sending a young child there "to be used in alchemy" didn’t mean they would become an Attendant who stoked the fires.
The child itself was the medicinal ingredient.
"Shhh."
Master Liu San shook his head, pricking a red dot on her delicate neck with the tip of his knife and cutting her off. "I like dealing with smart people."
Faced with several external Martial Artists like them, even begging for death was a luxury for this young woman. If she behaved, she could at least avoid a great deal of suffering.
"Third Master, should we stand guard for you?" the two brothers asked, suggestively grabbing their crotches.
This sort of business was usually a quick in-and-out affair, but spurred on by the wine, they clearly had other ideas.
"Stop dawdling. Let’s do it together."
Master Liu San let out a breath reeking of alcohol. If this woman were a virgin, he naturally wouldn’t touch her. He couldn’t let a moment of pleasure affect her price.
But since she was a widow, it didn’t matter much.
Their boss’s "generous" gesture instantly excited the two brothers.
With practiced steps, the two of them moved to flank the lovely young widow, cornering her. They didn’t even bother going inside, reaching out to strip her clean right there in the courtyard.
"Get away!"
Miss Yun instinctively pushed away the groping hands.
But her sharp cry couldn’t pierce the heavy, dark night. The neighboring houses were all deathly silent, without even a dog’s bark, let alone anyone offering help.
In the midst of her panic, Miss Yun suddenly caught sight of a cold gaze.
’There’s someone else here!’
Unfortunately, the person was just watching quietly, showing no intention of revealing themself.
Just as Master Liu San had praised, Miss Yun was a very clever woman.
Even in such a moment of crisis, it only took her an instant to guess the newcomer’s intentions.
’The person is hidden, so they’re definitely not with these brutes. They’re either just passing by or they’re planning something.’
’If it’s the latter, but they haven’t made a move...’
’The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. They must be waiting for the right moment.’
Miss Yun glanced at Master Liu San, who was unbuckling his belt. A flicker of understanding crossed her eyes. She was well aware of her role as the "cicada."
’The best opportunity would be the instant these three pounce on me like mad dogs, lost in their ’work’.’
A glimmer of tears appeared in the young widow’s eyes.
’At least I can save my child.’
At this thought, her struggling arms stiffened slightly. She abandoned the idea of pulling out the scissors at her waist to kill herself.
’I already owe this family so much. I’ll consider this my final repayment.’
Tsk.
Master Liu San felt a persistent chill on his back. He glanced at the fleeting look of grim resolve on the young widow’s face.
His hands, which had been unbuckling his belt, suddenly froze. Then, unhurriedly, he fastened it again.
The next moment, the big man slowly turned and scanned his surroundings.
Under the moonlight, a savage grin spread across Master Liu San’s face.
"Enjoying the show, friend?"

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