"Who is it?"
Confusion and shock washed over him like a splash of ice water, a flurry of complex thoughts flooding his mind, followed swiftly by an overwhelming tide of fear.
Who is he?
How did he get here?
How did I not notice a thing?
Countless thoughts crashed through his mind, but his body no longer obeyed him. His legs gave out, and he pitched forward heavily.
"THUD!"
The sack on Scarface Li's shoulder slipped off.
The gold and silver items inside clattered together, creating a dull, grating noise that was jarringly loud in the dead-silent alley.
Scarface Li lay prone on the ground, his face pressed against the cold stone slabs. The blood flowed faster from his neck, the warm liquid quickly soaking his collar.
He could feel his life force draining away through the wound. The darkness before his eyes deepened, until all that remained was an endless cold and terror.
Yang Jing stood his ground, a bead of blood sliding down the blade of his short knife before dripping silently to the ground.
He didn't spare another glance for Scarface Li's body on the ground.
Although Scarface Li was sturdily built, he was ultimately just an ordinary person, a far cry from an Entry-level Martial Artist.
A Mingjin Martial Artist overpowering a normal person was a foregone conclusion, and with Yang Jing's surprise attack, the outcome was sealed from the start.
He wiped the blood from his knife, sheathed it, and then crouched down to pat down Scarface Li. He was pleasantly surprised to find about six or seven taels of fragmented silver.
Yang Jing tucked the six or seven taels of silver into his robes, then grabbed the sack. With a flicker of movement, he vanished into the darkness as if he had never been there.
Leaving the deep alley, Yang Jing didn't have time to open the sack and inspect its contents. Passing a trash heap piled high with rotten vegetables and tattered cloth, he paused. He shoved the sack into the deepest part, carefully covered it with a few bundles of dead branches and leaves, and only after confirming nothing looked out of place did he turn and head for Xinghua Square.
Xinghua Square was located on the edge of West City, and many areas consisted of abandoned old residences.
Yang Jing had tailed Xu Tai here once before. Following his memory, he quickly found the secluded courtyard.
Yang Jing crept to the outside of the courtyard and peered through a crack in the wall.
The courtyard was silent. A skinny man sat under an old locust tree, toying with a short axe. The night was too dark, with no light from the stars or moon, so Yang Jing couldn't make out the man's face. But from his silhouette and the short axe, Yang Jing guessed his identity: another of Great Fortune Gang Leader Xu Tai's trusted men, Zhang Kui, nicknamed 'Skinny'.
Skinny Zhang Kui glanced toward the main house from time to time, his brow furrowed. He was clearly distracted.
A dim yellow light shone through the paper window of the main house, and a suppressed cough could be faintly heard from within. 'That must be the heavily injured Xu Tai.'
Yang Jing flattened himself against the base of the wall, holding his breath and focusing his concentration.
'Only two people in the courtyard. Better than I expected.'
He touched the short knife at his waist, his eyes glinting coldly in the dim light.
It was easy to imagine that after fighting two experts at the Peak of Mingjin from the Yiqi Gang, Xu Tai must have been seriously injured and was now hiding in this remote place.
He hadn't even dared to bring many other gang members, just his two most trusted subordinates.
Yang Jing's gaze roamed the courtyard through the crack in the wall, searching for an opportunity to strike.
After seeing the sack on Scarface Li's back, Yang Jing had guessed it must contain the Great Fortune Gang's accumulated wealth, and an idea had immediately formed in his mind.
For him, that sack of wealth was no less important than eliminating the threat of Xu Tai.
Right now, the most important thing for Yang Jing was to increase his own strength. As long as he could break through to Anjin, people like Xu Tai would no longer be a threat.
And what he lacked most right now was money.
If he had enough silver coins for nutritional supplements or even medicinal ones, he might have already reached the Peak of Mingjin and could be on the verge of using his panel to break through to Anjin at any moment.
Yang Jing's original plan was that even if he couldn't find Xu Tai this time, stealing the Great Fortune Gang's hoarded wealth would be enough to support his training for a long time.
With these assets, his training speed would surely increase significantly.
By the time the Great Fortune Gang recovered and Xu Tai had healed, Yang Jing might have already broken through to Anjin.
Still, these were all just his own thoughts and speculations. As long as Xu Tai wasn't eliminated, he would remain a thorn in his side.
But this was a rare opportunity.
His earlier guess had been right—Xu Tai really was hiding here.
More importantly, Xu Tai had been severely wounded by two Peak of Mingjin masters from the Yiqi Gang. His strength was likely less than half of what it was at his peak. This was the perfect time to strike while he was down.
Just as Yang Jing was looking for the best moment to make his move, Skinny Zhang Kui, in the courtyard, grew restless. He stood up, paced back and forth a few times, and then turned to walk toward the main house.
The door to the main house was ajar, and a sliver of dim yellow light from an oil lamp spilled through the crack. It allowed Yang Jing to get a clear look at Skinny Zhang Kui's current state: his head was wrapped in a white cloth that seemed to be soaked with blood near his ear, and his face was pale. He was clearly injured.
'Looks like the Great Fortune Gang really took a beating from the Yiqi Gang this time,' Yang Jing thought to himself.
At the same time, he kept his eyes fixed on the main house.
Skinny Zhang Kui pushed open the door to the main house. By the dim yellow glow of the oil lamp, Yang Jing could see scattered medicinal dregs on the floor, but he couldn't make out the content of the conversation, as the two men were deliberately keeping their voices low.
...
「In the courtyard.」
Skinny Zhang Kui pushed the door open and stepped inside. The heavy stench of blood mixed with herbs assaulted his senses.
The Great Fortune Gang's leader, Xu Tai, was sitting on the edge of the bed, shirtless. A section of his broad back was sunken in, clearly the result of an injury like a bone fracture.
Thick white bandages were wrapped around his body, winding from his shoulders down to his waist. Blood had seeped through in several places, the dark brown stains spreading out like dried mud.
"Gang Leader."
After entering, Skinny Zhang Kui bowed in greeting.
Xu Tai opened his eyes, looked at his trusted subordinate, and asked in a low voice, "Hasn't Scarface Li returned yet?"
Skinny Zhang Kui shook his head. "Gang Leader, there might be people from the Yiqi Gang watching the headquarters. Could Scarface Li have been discovered by them?"
"Cough, cough..."
Xu Tai tried to speak, but a violent coughing fit seized him. He bent over sharply, and a fresh patch of red instantly bloomed on the bandages across his chest.
The coughing subsided, and he leaned against the bedpost, panting heavily.
"Gang Leader." Seeing this, Skinny Zhang Kui hurried forward.
"I'm fine."
Xu Tai waved his hand, stopping Skinny Zhang Kui from helping him up.
The Great Fortune Gang had been all but shattered by the Yiqi Gang. The entire gang was in a precarious state, and many members were thinking of leaving.
Although Skinny Zhang Kui was his confidant, at such a critical moment, Xu Tai was unwilling to show weakness in front of a subordinate.
"They're just superficial wounds. I'll be fully recovered after a month or so of rest," Xu Tai said flatly, his gaze falling on Skinny Zhang Kui. "It's a pity you're injured too. Otherwise, you would have been a better choice than Scarface Li to go to the headquarters."
Compared to the somewhat reckless Scarface Li, Skinny Zhang Kui was more agile and his mind more meticulous, making him the more promising candidate to successfully retrieve the assets from the headquarters.
Unfortunately, Skinny Zhang Kui had also been wounded in the brawl with the Yiqi Gang. He'd even had an ear sliced off and suffered internal injuries, making him unsuitable for the trip to headquarters.
"Gang Leader, how about I go to the headquarters and take a look?" Skinny Zhang Kui asked.
Xu Tai frowned, pondered for a moment, then shook his head. "Don't go to Guang'an Square. You're still injured. If you run into anyone from the Yiqi Gang, you won't be able to handle it."
He paused, then continued, "You can go to Fengle Square to provide support. If you meet up with Scarface Li, come back at once. If you don't find him, come back at once all the same."
"Yes, Gang Leader." Hearing this, Skinny Zhang Kui turned to leave.
"Wait. Be careful to hide your tracks," Xu Tai added as a reminder.
Skinny Zhang Kui's heart warmed at his words. He nodded and said, "I understand, Gang Leader."
After Skinny Zhang Kui closed the door and left, Xu Tai's face suddenly flushed red. A moment later, he spat out a mouthful of thick, dark blood. He had been forcefully suppressing it in front of his subordinate. Now that he had expelled the stagnant blood, he felt much better, and even his breathing became smoother.