Han Li stood with his back to Black Bear, watching the chaos unfold in front of him. Although Black Bear was trying to approach him quietly, there was no way he could avoid Han Li's keen senses.
As Black Bear moved within a few steps of Han Li, preparing to lunge, Han Li's body suddenly shifted in a strange, almost supernatural way, and he was now facing Black Bear, smiling slightly.
Black Bear was taken by surprise, but he was already in mid-motion and couldn't stop himself. With a roar, he stretched his huge, hairy hands forward, aiming to grab Han Li. He prayed that the young man would be intimidated by his viciousness and that he could overpower him easily.
But Han Li's expression darkened, and in the blink of an eye, he vanished from Black Bear's sight.
Black Bear's heart skipped a beat, and he instinctively tried to retreat. However, he suddenly felt a cold sensation at the back of his neck, and before he could react, a sharp sword tip emerged from his throat. It was gone just as quickly, and before Black Bear could even utter a sound, blood spurted from the wound. He desperately tried to hold his throat, but only a few weak grunts escaped his mouth. Moments later, he collapsed to the ground, lifeless.
Sun Er Gou watched in shock as Black Bear fell, his face turning ashen. The young man had moved with ghostly speed, appearing behind Black Bear and effortlessly piercing his throat with a soft sword. Now, the young man was casually wiping the blade clean with a white cloth.
Sun Er Gou, realizing the danger he was in, quickly averted his gaze, feeling as though he had narrowly escaped death. He had originally thought the young man was an easy target, but now he saw the terrifying truth. The boy was no lamb to be slaughtered; he was a harbinger of death. And they, the small-time thugs, had blindly walked into the lion's den.
His only hope now was that his remaining subordinates could take down Qu Hun, the giant. Perhaps then he could negotiate for his life. But when he turned to check on the situation, his heart sank.
The twenty or so thugs that had been charging at Qu Hun were now all sprawled on the ground, bloodied and unmoving. Qu Hun stood there, his arms crossed over his chest, staring coldly at Sun Er Gou. Despite his hood, Sun Er Gou could feel the bloodlust emanating from Qu Hun's presence.
Han Li, watching the situation, noted Sun Er Gou's fearful expression. The man had no martial ability and was terrified for his life. Han Li had no interest in dealing with him directly.
"Qu Hun, kill him," Han Li said calmly, not even turning his head.
"Wait!" Sun Er Gou cried, his voice trembling as he fell to his knees, panicked. "I surrender! I will give all my wealth to you, my lord! I'll work for you, be your servant! I know everything about this city, all the important information. I can help you with whatever you need..."
Han Li paused at the sound of the man's words. He hadn't intended to listen, but the mention of knowledge about the city piqued his interest.
"Hold on," Han Li called out to Qu Hun, who was about to strangle Sun Er Gou. Han Li took a few steps forward and stood in front of the trembling thug. "Do you know this city well?"
Sun Er Gou, seeing the cold stare from Han Li, knew better than to delay his response. He trembled and said, "Yes, yes! I know everything! I grew up in this city, and I know it like the back of my hand!"
Desperation was evident in his voice. He had realized that his life depended on convincing Han Li that he was useful.
Han Li gave a slight smile, as if considering his words. Then, without warning, he reached into his robe and pulled out a small porcelain vial. He tipped it over, letting a white pill the size of a longan fall into his hand.
He held the pill out to Sun Er Gou. "Either take this, or die," Han Li said bluntly.
Sun Er Gou's hands shook as he looked at the pill, uncertain. But when he met Han Li's cold, unwavering gaze, he quickly swallowed the pill, not daring to hesitate.
Han Li nodded in approval. "Good, now I know you'll be obedient."
"This pill is called the Corrosive Heart Pill," Han Li said coldly. "You must take the antidote once a month, or your organs will slowly rot, and you'll die in agony. I'm sure you understand the consequences if you try to act against me."
Sun Er Gou's face fell, his earlier bravado crumbling as the reality of his situation set in. Though he had expected something dire, the specifics of the poison still made his stomach churn.
Han Li watched his reaction with an almost detached interest, before saying, "Don't worry, if you help me with what I need in this city, I'll cure you. You'll be free of this poison. But if you don't, your life ends here."
Sun Er Gou's face brightened slightly, the hope of survival giving him a small amount of strength. "Really, my lord? You won't let me die?"
Han Li gave a nod, indicating that he had heard enough.
He then tossed a heavy bag of silver coins at Sun Er Gou. "Here's some silver for you to use. Clean up this mess. I don't want anyone to know what happened here. Understood?"
Sun Er Gou, his hands still trembling, grabbed the bag and weighed it in his hands. He smiled broadly, a sense of relief washing over him as he realized how much silver was in the bag. It must have been at least a hundred taels.
"Yes, yes, my lord! I'll clean everything up properly. You can count on me!" he said, still in disbelief at how quickly his fortunes had changed.
Han Li glanced at Qu Hun and nodded. "We'll head to an inn for the night. You can meet me tomorrow morning. As the local power, you should be able to find me easily."
"Of course, my lord! I'll be there, first thing in the morning!" Sun Er Gou responded eagerly, a new sense of loyalty in his eyes.
Han Li gave him one final glance, seeing him still standing obediently, watching them leave. He was beginning to feel that Sun Er Gou might be useful after all.
"Interesting," Han Li murmured to himself as he turned and walked away, his mind already moving on to the next step of his plan.