Just as Lin Chang'sheng was buying the Dawn Blade at the blacksmith's shop.
By the Grand Canal.
Not far from Mu City, in a quiet area known as Jingshui Bay, a large crowd had gathered.
"Isn't that He Tieshou, the master of Iron Hand Martial Arts Hall?"
"That's Liao Jinzhong from Golden Bell Martial Arts Hall! And there's Ji Liuyun from Liuyun Martial Arts Hall! I heard folks have been looking for them for days, didn't think they'd end up dead along the Grand Canal!"
"Who's so damn deadly they could take out the three masters? They were the top experts in Mu City!"
"......"
Close to a hundred residents and fishermen who lived off the water stared at the three corpses lying on the ground, whispering and speculating.
Not long after.
Family members and disciples of the three martial arts halls rushed here, one after another.
........
After Lin Chang'sheng got home.
He was halfway through dinner with Yu Wenjing.
"Chang'sheng, I may... have to leave first thing in the morning tomorrow. Thank you for looking after me all this time."
Suddenly, hesitation flickered in Yu Wenjing's eyes as she spoke softly.
"Tomorrow, huh? Okay."
Lin Chang'sheng nodded, not pressing for reasons.
He'd already figured Yu Wenjing would leave sooner or later.
"Someone's coming to pick me up then."
Yu Wenjing knew the journey home wouldn't be safe. Someone out there would make sure she never made it back to Yu City alive, and she didn't want Lin Chang'sheng dragged into her mess.
Today.
She'd received a message from her escorts.
Lin Chang'sheng stayed silent.
"Here, take this as a keepsake."
Yu Wenjing took a pale jade pendant from her chest, and handed it to Lin Chang'sheng.
"Uh, this..."
Lin Chang'sheng froze for a moment. A jade pendant? She was giving him a keepsake?
"Hold onto it."
Yu Wenjing gave him a sweet smile, stuffed the jade pendant in his palm, then left to wash the dishes, saying nothing more.
"Leaving tomorrow morning?"
"Guess I'll make a trip to Iron Hand Martial Arts Hall tonight!"
Lin Chang'sheng thought to himself.
He'd already hit Golden Bell and Liuyun halls. Iron Hand Martial Arts Hall was another fat sheep—can't leave that alone.
.......
Mu City.
Iron Hand Martial Arts Hall.
A sprawling property, fancy buildings standing shoulder to shoulder—all lavishly built.
But tonight, the place was draped in mourning; the grand hall was set up as a memorial for the dead.
"Oh?"
"They've found He Tieshou's body?"
Lin Chang'sheng used Flying Eaves and Light Body Skill, perching behind the memorial hall, quietly observing.
With his Current First-class Expert cultivation, none of Iron Hand's people could spot him. Soon enough, he slipped into He Tieshou's bedroom.
No lie, He Tieshou sure knew how to live—the quarters were elegant, bamboo groves, fake mountains, landscaping, pavilions, all the works. With everyone busy mourning, the place was empty for now.
His bedroom was quiet with not a soul inside.
The bed was huge, blankets folded neat and tidy.
"Huh, He Tieshou was into bow and arrow?"
Lin Chang'sheng spotted a sharp-looking bow on the wall. Eyes gleaming, he thought he'd made the right call coming here—just what he needed, a better bow and arrow.
He hadn't expected to score it at Iron Hand Hall.
It was a jet-black Iron Embryo Strong Bow, with a tough sinew string. Next to it in a quiver were over twenty arrows.
"Weird. Iron Hand Hall lets folks in for just 10 taels a pop; they should be loaded. Why haven't I found any silver?"
Lin Chang'sheng slung the Iron Embryo Bow and the quiver over his back. After searching some more, he found no secret manuals, silver, or silver notes—but there were silk scarves, rouge, a whip, candles and all kinds of other womanly odds and ends.
"What the hell kind of kinks are those?"
Looking at a landscape painting on the wall, Lin Chang'sheng felt a gut instinct. He stepped up and lifted the painting, revealing a small bump behind it.
Lin Chang'sheng drew his Dawn Blade, gripped it carefully and pressed down on the bump.
Suddenly, a small drawer—about two feet square—sprang open.
"Should've known Iron Hand Hall was loaded."
Lin Chang'sheng pulled open the drawer, finding a thick stack of silver notes, two secret manuals, and a small scroll.
He didn't bother counting the silver; the manuals were Iron Sand Palm and Iron Leg Skill, and as for that scroll, there wasn't time to look.
He packed up all the loot and slipped into the darkness.
........
Mu City.
On the west side of town, inside an opulent mountain villa.
In its main hall, thirty-some men sat, each carrying blades and swords and radiating an intimidating aura.
"Gentlemen, last time on the canal, that person got away and our aim wasn't met, but the Master keeps his word! Every bit of payment he promised will be delivered, no shortchanging!"
"Our Master said, this time, that person must never leave Mu City. Once the job's done, we'll all be showered in glory and wealth."
The man at the head, a scholarly-looking middle-aged gent, swept his gaze over the group, speaking in a heavy tone.
"Don't worry, Housekeeper Yu. She was lucky last time, but there won't be any luck now!"
A burly, long-saber-carrying middle-aged man stepped forward, cupping his fists and speaking deep and low.
The others nodded their heads in agreement.
"Excellent, I'm counting on all of you."
"You all have the target's location. I'll be waiting a hundred miles away on the canal for your good news!"
The scholarly middle-aged man cupped his hands in salute to the gathered experts.
"Don't worry, Housekeeper Yu! Just wait for good news from us!"
"Rest easy!"
"We're on our way..."
The crowd of martial world hired guns bowed, then slipped off into the night.
"Let you swagger into Mu City—after you kill her, I'll lure you all a hundred miles away and trap you, wipe out every last one. That way, her death won't be traced back to my young lord!"
The scholarly man watched the silhouettes vanish, a cold smile curling on his lips.
......
Lin Chang'sheng returned home.
He laid out all he'd grabbed from Iron Hand Martial Arts Hall and counted it up.
3,200 taels of silver. The Iron Sand Palm manual was useless to him, but Iron Leg Skill could be handy—training his legs to iron-like strength wouldn't hurt at all.
"This scroll is kinda odd..."
Lin Chang'sheng turned the scroll over in his hands, brow furrowed.
He had no idea what kind of silk it was made of—it wouldn't budge, and he was afraid of wrecking it if he forced it. So he set it aside, figuring to study it later.
"Someone sneaking around outside?"
Suddenly.
Lin Chang'sheng caught the faint sounds of footsteps and clothing cutting through the air, about a hundred yards off. His eyes narrowed—he grabbed Dawn and his bow, closed the door behind him, and stepped outside.
From afar, he spotted over twenty experts charging straight at him, each with a different energy level.
The several in front were as strong as He Tieshou.
From three other directions, there were groups of over twenty, all carrying blades and swords, rushing in!
"Two First-class Experts among them!"
Feeling the aura from these people, Lin Chang'sheng's heart turned cold. He spoke in a low voice, "Who the hell are you? Showing up at my place in the middle of the night—what's your game?"
With that, he started backing away.
"Kid, you should've kept your nose out of other folks' business. Time to die!"
Just then, a thin, sharp-eyed young man in a purple robe, about twenty-seven or twenty-eight, spoke coldly. The way he looked at Lin Chang'sheng—it was as if he was looking at a corpse!
The purple-robed youth finished speaking, and with a flick of his hand, a flying knife shot straight at Lin Chang'sheng's throat!