Chapter 9

Old Xing sighed, "Xiao Yishui has been using the disciples of the Beggar Sect to steal from wealthy merchants and tricking women with the help of officials. He has made quite a fortune over the years. In Huize County, he is practically above the law...!" He looked at Yang Ning and said, "Young brother, from your voice, I can tell you are not very old. Your actions today must have been a momentary impulse. You should know that if you provoke Xiao Yishui, the consequences will be unimaginable. Put away your knife and leave. I will pretend nothing happened tonight."

Yang Ning thought to himself, if he were afraid, he wouldn't have come. He asked, "Since you don't know the exact whereabouts of those girls, does anyone other than Xiao Yishui and that mad dog know?"

"Madam Hua should know," Old Xing thought for a moment and then said, "Madam Hua has long been in cahoots with Xiao Yishui. She has been involved in all these schemes from start to finish and must know a lot. Young brother, I have told you everything I know. Please put away your knife."

"Where is Xiao Yishui now?" Yang Ning did not put away his knife but tightened his grip. If Old Xing said Xiao Yishui was not in the Hua residence, he would be lying, and Yang Ning would make him bleed.

Old Xing hurriedly said, "He is in this residence now. There is a separate courtyard in the back with two banana trees in front. Whenever he comes here, he stays there."

Yang Ning frowned slightly and slowly put away his knife.

As the blade left Old Xing's neck, he breathed a sigh of relief. Suddenly, his eyes turned cold, and he raised his right hand, throwing a handful of dust at Yang Ning's face.

It turned out that while he had been telling the truth to Yang Ning, he had secretly grabbed a handful of dust from the ground and was ready to attack.

Although Yang Ning was masked, Old Xing judged from his voice that he was young and inexperienced, and never expected him to be prepared for an attack. Capturing someone who had sneaked into the residence in the middle of the night would be a great achievement.

As the dust hit Yang Ning, Old Xing was sure he would be caught off guard and panic. He waited for the right moment to kick Yang Ning and call for help.

However, Yang Ning seemed to be prepared. He sidestepped, easily avoiding the dust. As he dodged, he swung his arm, and Old Xing immediately felt a sharp pain in his throat. His eyes bulged as Yang Ning slit his throat, and a gush of blood spurted out, the red liquid looking eerie and cold in the moonlight.

Old Xing clutched his throat, blood gushing out from between his fingers. He made choking sounds, trying to shout but unable to make a sound. His body convulsed and twisted, but soon the movements slowed and stopped.

Yang Ning stared at Old Xing's bulging, lifeless eyes, stood up slowly, took a deep breath, and quietly left the courtyard. Under the cover of night, he moved like a dark ghost, heading towards the courtyard where Madam Hua lived.

He remembered what Old Xing had said: Xiao Yishui lived in a separate courtyard in the back with two banana trees in front. In the darkness, he searched for a moment and soon saw two banana trees not far away.

Next to the banana trees was indeed a separate courtyard. Yang Ning approached, finding the gate closed. Fortunately, the wall of the inner courtyard was not very high. Yang Ning hung his knife at his waist and easily climbed over the wall. He saw a room with a light through the window paper and carefully jumped into the courtyard. He knew that if everything went as planned, Xiao Yishui and Madam Hua would be inside.

He crept to the window and heard the moans that made his face flush. Madam Hua's seductive voice was clearly audible. He knew the couple was enjoying themselves, but it also confirmed that Xiao Yishui was inside.

He glanced around the courtyard and saw a large tree. He moved to it and hid behind it.

Although Yang Ning was bold, he was not reckless.

Xiao Yishui was tall and, in this era, stood out among the generally shorter people. As the head of the Huize County constables, his martial skills were undoubtedly strong.

Yang Ning was confident in his own abilities, but his young body lacked strength. If he faced Xiao Yishui in a direct confrontation, he might not be a match.

Moreover, there were several constables in the residence. If they were alerted, the consequences would be dire.

Xiao Die had clearly been sent away by Constable Feng and was now missing, her fate uncertain. Not only did she owe Yang Ning her life, but even for a stranger, he would not rest until he uncovered the truth.

The surroundings were very quiet. The other constables in the residence seemed to know about Xiao Yishui and Madam Hua's affair and stayed away.

Yang Ning was not bothered by the wait. During his training, he had lain motionless in the grass for hours. Now, under the tree, he was patient and calm.

It was a cool September night, and Yang Ning, dressed in a single layer, felt a chill but remained still.

After a long time, there was no more noise from the room. Yang Ning looked up at the sky, the crescent moon slanting westward, indicating it was midnight.

He gently put down his knife, stretched his slightly numb body, and tightened the cloth covering his face. He then picked up his knife again.

He crouched and moved to the window, hearing snoring inside. Xiao Yishui must have been exhausted after his night with the woman and was now sound asleep.

He moved to the front door. Such doors were usually locked at night, but the lock was simple. Yang Ning inserted the thin blade of his knife into the crack and slowly moved it upward until he felt resistance.

He gently pushed, and the lock fell with a soft sound. Yang Ning confirmed that the snoring continued and then quietly pushed the door open, slipping into the room.

Xiao Yishui was in the left room. Yang Ning waited for his eyes to adjust to the dim light before approaching. The door was slightly ajar, perhaps because the main door was locked, and they did not expect anyone to enter.

Yang Ning held his breath, slowly pushing the door open, and then stepped lightly into the room.

The room was filled with a strange smell, a mix of sweat, strong perfume, and a pungent odor.

Yang Ning saw the silk curtains of the bed were drawn. He approached the bed quietly, gripping his knife tightly, and pulled the curtains open slightly.

In the dim light, he saw Xiao Yishui lying naked, and Madam Hua, with her white, plump body, was lying on her side, one arm on Xiao Yishui's chest and one leg over his body, a picture of intimacy.

Yang Ning had no interest in admiring Madam Hua's alluring body. His eyes turned cold, and he slowly moved the knife toward Xiao Yishui.

Just as the blade was about to reach Xiao Yishui, Yang Ning sensed something was wrong. He realized that Xiao Yishui's snoring had stopped. Xiao Yishui's eyes suddenly opened, and he kicked the bed curtains toward Yang Ning.

Yang Ning cursed himself for being careless. There was no time to hesitate. He let out a light cry and swung his knife, cutting through the bed curtains. In that short moment, Xiao Yishui had already rolled over and kicked at Yang Ning.

Yang Ning knew he had met his match. As he had expected, Xiao Yishui was not an ordinary opponent.

He remained calm, not retreating, but instead crouched and swept his knife at Xiao Yishui's supporting leg.

Xiao Yishui's kick missed, and he felt a sharp pain in his leg. His body sank as Yang Ning's blade cut into his leg.

Yang Ning's knife was extremely sharp. The blade flashed, and Xiao Yishui's leg was severed, blood gushing out. With his leg cut, Xiao Yishui fell heavily onto the bed.

Yang Ning did not hesitate. As Xiao Yishui fell, Yang Ning's knife was already at his throat.

Everything happened in an instant. By the time Yang Ning's knife was at Xiao Yishui's throat, Madam Hua had just sat up, her eyes dazed. She asked, "What's going on?" Then, sensing something was wrong, she looked closely and saw a masked man with a knife at Xiao Yishui's throat. Shocked, she screamed, and Yang Ning sternly warned, "One more sound, and I'll kill him!"

Madam Hua covered her mouth, her eyes filled with terror. Seeing the bloody, severed leg on the pillow, she fainted backward.

Xiao Yishui, with his leg cut off, was bleeding profusely. His face was pale, and he was sweating and trembling, but he was a tough man. He stared at Yang Ning and asked, "Sir... Sir, do you want silver or... or a life?"

"Silver, and if you're not honest, your life too!"

"Alright...!" Xiao Yishui said, "The silver is in my clothes' money bag. There are rings and hairpins on the table. You... you can take them all...!" Despite his efforts, the pain from his severed leg made his body convulse.

He stared at Yang Ning's face, but the mask hid his features. The cold, murderous eyes, however, made Xiao Yishui realize his chances of survival were slim. He thought that if the attacker had not worn a mask, he would surely die, but now there might be a sliver of hope.

"Silver can wait!" Yang Ning said calmly, "Where are the people?"

"The people?"

"The girls you sent away." Yang Ning lowered his voice, "Where did you send them? If you tell the truth, I might spare your life."

"Sir... Sir, do you have a relative among them?" Xiao Yishui asked, "If so, I... I apologize and promise to return her to you."

"Less talk." Yang Ning said coldly, "Where are they?"

Xiao Yishui said, "They are scattered in different places. Sir... Sir, whose whereabouts do you want to know?" He pointed to the pillow, "There is... there is a ledger under it, listing their destinations. We... we can find them in it...!"

"Bring it here!"

Xiao Yishui pointed to the knife at his throat, and Yang Ning loosened his grip slightly. Xiao Yishui nodded, "Thank you!" He turned his head slightly and reached under the pillow. As he pulled his hand out, he let out a low cry, and a cold blade flew toward Yang Ning.