From what the diners had heard, the Changfeng Tavern was a famous restaurant in Beiye City, known for its game, attracting many dignitaries from Qingzhou.
His order wasn't expensive; it was all home-cooked dishes, though the portions were generous. Some wild game dishes cost over a dozen taels of silver each, bringing the total cost to over a hundred taels.
During the meal, he saw many people in elaborate attire ascending to the tavern's second-floor private rooms. He'd heard from the diners in the first-floor lobby and living room that the second floor was where the high-ranking officials and dignitaries spent their leisure time.
He needed to get some money.
Xu Yunfan touched the silver in his hand, exhaled slightly, and half-closed his eyes, gazing at the approaching nightfall.
Hunting?
Hunting was out of the question.
That night, in the eastern part of Beiye City, home to the city's wealthy, there were many wealthy individuals, many of whom were unkind and uncaring.
At least, while dining in a tavern, several men who looked like scholars at the next table were drunk. One of them, under the influence of alcohol, loudly cursed the Hu family.
"This Hu family, truly rich and unkind! So many people in the city have frozen to death, who knows how many of them are the fault of the Hu family!"
His words echoed through the tavern, drawing glances from onlookers. The scholar at the same table quickly covered his mouth, paid the bill, and quickly left.
While the truth of the words was unknown, the fact that the scholar had denounced them in such a way clearly meant that the Hu family's reputation was utterly tarnished.
The Hu family mansion.
Xu Yunfan stood in the darkness of the distant alley, watching quietly. He had heard that the Hu family possessed a martial artist who was considered one of the best in the small city of Beiye.
The mansion before him was magnificent, its massive, thick blue brick walls more than two men tall, its glazed tiles atop covered in snow.
Xu Yunfan paced slowly around the compound, pretending to be a pedestrian. All around him was silence, the only sound being the whistling of the cold wind.
His hunting skills had enabled him to be extremely discreet and unnoticed, and after a full circle, he passed almost unnoticed.
Sometimes, whether hunting animals or people, this skill proved invaluable.
Upon closer inspection, he saw only a few servants guarding the front and back gates. They were all wrapped in thick cotton coats, their necks hunched, and they stamped their feet to keep warm, completely oblivious to their surroundings.
So, they could only watch the gate.
After making a mental assessment and assessing his surroundings, Xu Yunfan reached a wall, took a deep breath, bent his legs slightly, and exerted a sudden force, leaping three meters into the air like a shovel.
He extended a single hand, firmly supporting the wall. With the agility of a night cat, he silently scaled the rooftop built against it.
At that moment, Xu Yunfan realized the immense utility of his light-weight martial arts technique, Scud, in this environment. Combined with the special effects from hunting, it was a perfect match.
The Scud's light-as-a-swallow, treading-hard-land special effects, combined with the silent footfalls from hunting, made his now-over 200-pound weight seem like a feather, his movements making no sound at all.
He had been silent on the rooftop for nearly half an hour, figuring out the nighttime patrol route for the Hu family mansion.
Just as he was about to depart, he suddenly stopped. From the courtyard ahead, a burly middle-aged man slowly emerged from the inner courtyard.
His face was weathered, and the scar that ran diagonally from the corner of his eye across his cheek looked even more sinister in the firelight.
His burly figure was broad-shouldered and narrow-waisted, the lines of his muscles barely visible beneath his brocade robes. With every movement, his muscles bulged, exuding explosive power. The knuckles of his dangling fingers were thick and distinct . He was
a martial artist mastering tendon training, and a master of boxing techniques.
He must be the Hu family's top martial artist.
Xu Yunfan narrowed his eyes, his breathing slowing slightly. Such a skilled practitioner was extremely sensitive to the environment, able to detect the slightest movement.
Snowflakes fell slowly into the courtyard. The middle-aged man, hands clasped behind his back, paced leisurely in a circle, then spoke slowly.
"Come out. Climbing onto someone else's roof at night isn't appropriate."
Xu Yunfan's heart trembled, but he didn't move, remaining cloaked in the darkness, maintaining his dormant state. He was confident he hadn't made any mistakes. Besides, the man might be trying to trick him, so he had to remain calm.
Just then, his gaze flickered, glancing towards the rooftop on the other side.
Suddenly, a slender black figure leaped out like a nimble raccoon cat, its form as light as willow catkins, and in the blink of an eye, it was about to dart out of the courtyard.
"Thinking of leaving?"
the middle-aged man snorted coldly at this, striding forward with great speed, like an arrow shot from a bow, shooting out in an instant.
His speed was so swift that a strong wind blew in his face, causing the surrounding torches to sway violently.
In the blink of an eye, he had caught up with the slender figure about to leap out of the Hu Mansion.
The middle-aged man's arm shot out like lightning, a whirring sound echoing through the air. The tip of his fist tore through the air with a sharp whistling sound, and the force of his fist, wrapped in the force of splitting stone and shattering stone, smashed towards the woman in black.
The black-clad woman was no ordinary fighter. Seeing this, she tapped her toes, creating a shallow dent in the high wall.
Using this momentum, she soared like a falcon, her waist and abdomen twisting swiftly. Her long thigh, bulging beneath her tight black garment, launched a powerful kick, aiming for the middle-aged man's groin.
Naturally, the middle-aged man, fearing the slightest composure, immediately withdrew his hand to defend himself, but his goal had already been achieved, blocking the black-clad woman's path.
The two instantly engaged in a fierce exchange of blows and kicks, each one clashing with the force of a bull. In a flash, they had exchanged more than a dozen blows.
The middle-aged man's punches were powerful, each one carrying the weight of an ox. Though the woman's explosive attacks were outmatched, she remained agile and nimble, like a cat.
In the end, the black-clad woman, seemingly outmatched, was actually swiftly swayed by the middle-aged man's blows, swiftly swaying backwards and landing outside the Hu residence.
Seeing this, the middle-aged man naturally refused to give up, with a furious look on his face. The woman's attacks were vicious, and every move hit the vital parts. His lower body was attacked several times in a row. Naturally, he was furious and could not help but snort coldly.
"Where are you running to!"
After saying that, he jumped over the high wall and chased after her.
Xu Yunfan looked at the two figures, one fleeing and the other chasing, and immediately realized that this was a great opportunity.
At this moment, the attention of the entire Hu Mansion was attracted by the woman in black, and it was a mess. It was a good time to fish in troubled waters.
Since someone had already helped to take the blame, he no longer had any scruples.
Xu Yunfan quickly walked around the roof of the Hu Mansion and soon became puzzled.
"Where the hell is this warehouse?"
Xu Yunfan fixed his gaze on a maidservant passing by with a look of panic on her face. He moved and landed in front of the pretty maidservant.
The pretty maidservant was walking trembling with fear because of the robbers who had come to the Hu Mansion. Suddenly, a masked man jumped out in front of her.
The man's eyes were like cold stars, staring at her intently.
(End of this chapter)