Chapter 69

The man called Old Blade hesitated for a moment, then decisively said, "Chase!"

Immediately, the two of them darted into the alley.

This area was already a civilian district, with winding alleys crisscrossing like a spider's web, dark and damp.

After not long, Old Blade and his companion suddenly discovered that the target's figure had vanished.

"Old Dog, can you still smell that kid's scent?" Old Blade frowned and asked.

"Just a bit further ahead," Old Dog quickly replied.

Old Blade hummed and continued forward, but a sense of unease lingered in his heart. This alley was extremely narrow, no more than ten feet wide, and the entire way was deserted. Even in broad daylight, it was extremely dark and damp.

"Old Dog, we need to be careful. Although taking money to risk our lives is a given, if we lose our lives, everything is for nothing," Old Blade felt something was off and couldn't help but whisper a reminder.

"Heh heh, just a kid from a remote village. Besides, we're just following the target, not dealing with him," Old Dog was unconvinced.

"Still, we should be cautious," Old Blade frowned and said.

"Of course."

Old Dog was unconvinced, but then he suddenly exclaimed, "How can this be? The target's scent disappears here..."

Old Blade was taken aback, and his heart sank, sensing trouble.

Bang!

At that moment, a black shadow suddenly descended from the sky, moving as fast as a ghost.

Old Blade only saw a blur before him, and then Old Dog's body violently trembled as if struck by lightning, collapsing to the ground with a thud.

"Looking for death!"

Old Blade reacted quickly, letting out a fierce roar and drawing his sword to strike.

The black shadow was Lin Xun. Before Old Blade could attack, he leaped forward, his body like a cannonball, slamming into Old Blade's chest. At the same time, he extended his hand, lightning-fast grabbing Old Blade's wrist joint, and then fiercely shook it.

Boom!

Terrifying force surged like a tidal wave, slamming into Old Blade's body, making his limbs feel as if they were disintegrating, all his strength dissipating, and blood spewing from his mouth and nose.

Then, he was thrown to the ground with a thud, dazed and in excruciating pain, unable to stand up.

This sudden confrontation began and ended in an instant, incredibly fast, and was executed with ruthless efficiency.

It was only then that Old Blade saw the face of the person who had attacked him, the very target they had been tracking.

Old Blade never imagined that a teenager around thirteen or fourteen could have such ruthless and decisive combat skills, far beyond what a young person should possess.

Lin Xun walked forward and smiled, saying, "Tell me what I want to know. If you don't, I'll ask him. If you cooperate, I can make your death quick and painless," pointing to the unconscious Old Dog in the distance.

These words made Old Blade realize that the youth before him was far from a novice.

But Old Blade refused to admit defeat, gritting his teeth, "Do you know who we are?"

Crack!

Lin Xun smiled silently, then crushed Old Blade's hand with his foot, the flesh and bones turning to mush. Just as Old Blade was about to scream in agony, a stone was stuffed into his mouth.

Lin Xun looked at Old Blade's fierce and painful expression, his face still calm and gentle, and softly said, "Trust me, I've learned many torture techniques since I was young, over a thousand in total. If you want to try them, feel free to remain silent."

Old Blade's expression changed, his body trembling from the pain. His eyes were bloodshot, and he stared at the youth before him, his resolve wavering.

Crack!

Lin Xun still smiled, but under his foot, Old Blade's other hand was also completely destroyed. Old Blade let out a muffled cry, his face contorted in agony, a terrifying sight.

This youth, who appeared gentle and harmless, had such ruthless and efficient skills, even more brutal than an executioner!

This was no teenager, but a little devil!

When Lin Xun squatted down, took out a greenish-blue short blade, and was about to continue torturing him, Old Blade completely broke down, fear overwhelming his heart, and he nodded frantically.

Lin Xun clicked his tongue with regret, "I thought you were a tough nut to crack, but you couldn't even hold out before the torture began."

Hearing this, Old Blade's entire body convulsed. This wasn't even the start of the torture?

Lin Xun reined in his smile, calmly looking at Old Blade, "Since that's the case, I won't make it difficult for you. I'll ask, and you'll answer. I hope you don't lie to me. Later, I'll have your companion repeat the answers. If they don't match, you know the consequences."

Old Blade gave up all hope, losing his resistance, and nodded.

...

When Lin Xun walked out of the other end of the alley, the dark shadows behind him now held two dead bodies, which might soon be devoured by stray dogs.

Lin Xun didn't care about this.

He carried the honeyed candied fruits, spirit fruits, roasted meat, and various snacks he had bought from the street, walking leisurely toward his home.

The warm sunset filtered through the high walls of the alley, casting a gentle light that dispelled the darkness, illuminating the slender figure of the youth.

Anyone who saw this gentle and handsome young man would never imagine that he had just used cold and bloody means to end two lives.

This was Lin Xun.

Growing up in a dark environment had made him different from his peers.

"Lian Fei... Wu Clan..."

As he walked, Lin Xun organized his thoughts.

Old Blade and Old Dog had revealed everything, making Lin Xun realize that from the first day he entered Donglin City, he had been targeted by the Wu Clan.

This surprised Lin Xun. The Wu Clan was the family of Wu Henshui and the backing force behind the Qingyang Tribe's Wu Clan Trading Company.

Lin Xun had thought that with the involvement of Shiding Hall, the Wu Clan, even if they hated him, wouldn't dare to cause trouble. However, it seemed they were not giving up.

According to Old Blade, on the first day Lin Xun entered Donglin City, the Wu Clan found Lian Fei and held a secret meeting.

The content of the meeting was simple—deal with Lin Xun!

However, the Wu Clan wouldn't act directly but entrusted the task to Lian Fei, with the Wu Clan providing financial and resource support from behind.

This was what surprised Lin Xun. Lian Fei was Lian Rufeng's son, and Lin Xun hadn't expected the Wu Clan to find Lian Fei to deal with him.

But after a moment's thought, Lin Xun understood why Lian Fei agreed to do this. His father, Lian Rufeng, had died at Lin Xun's hands!

Such a father-killing grudge, how could Lian Fei, as a son, not seek revenge?

"A wolf-devouring-tiger strategy? The Wu Clan has a good plan!"

Lin Xun sneered, immediately seeing that the Wu Clan was still wary of Shiding Hall, so they dared not act openly but had to use Lian Fei as a proxy.

Like the trackers, Old Blade and Old Dog, who were hired by Lian Fei, their purpose was to gather all information about Lin Xun to support Lian Fei's future actions.

According to Old Blade, with the financial support of the Wu Clan, Lian Fei had recruited many ruthless mercenaries, ready to strike at the first opportunity to deal a fatal blow to Lin Xun!

If this were the case, although Lin Xun wasn't afraid of Lian Fei, the thought of them plotting in the shadows, ready to strike at any moment, made him somewhat uneasy. There are only a thousand days of thievery, not a thousand days of vigilance.

However, Lin Xun learned that Lian Fei was fifteen years old, with a True Martial Fifth Level cultivation, and was currently a student at Donglin Academy. According to Old Blade, Lian Fei was focused on the upcoming "Prefecture Examination," which was why he hadn't acted yet.

If this information was accurate, Lin Xun could deduce that Lian Fei would likely make his move after the "Prefecture Examination" in a month.

But this was just Lin Xun's guess. If Lian Fei knew that Lin Xun had discovered his plot, he might act sooner.

"It seems I need to gather more information about the Wu Clan and Lian Fei..."

A hint of killing intent arose in Lin Xun's heart. He hated being manipulated and harmed. Since the Wu Clan still harbored evil intentions, Lin Xun wouldn't sit idly by.

However, the current situation was that the enemy was in the dark while he was in the light. Lin Xun didn't know much about the Wu Clan, so his top priority was to understand the enemy's situation and plan his actions accordingly.

Lost in thought, Lin Xun soon arrived at his front door, immediately dispelling his concerns and pushing the door open.

Hmm?

Lin Xun suddenly saw two figures, one fat and one thin, standing in the courtyard. His eyes turned cold, and a killing intent surged.

Almost simultaneously, the fat and thin figures turned around, seeing Lin Xun, and their faces immediately showed a fawning smile. However, when they met Lin Xun's cold, blade-like gaze, their faces froze, and they trembled uncontrollably.

"What are you doing here?"

Lin Xun recognized the two as the fat bully and the thin thug, and his heart eased, hiding the killing intent in his eyes.

At this moment, the fat bully and the thin thug also breathed a sigh of relief, bowing and loudly saying, "We greet our Shuangmu Gang leader!"

Shuangmu... Gang leader?

When Lin Xun heard this title, he couldn't help but pause. What a terrible title!

Lin Xun glanced at them, then looked at the closed door, his heart stirring, and walked straight in.

Inside, he saw Xia Zhi sitting at the desk, quietly reading a book.

"What's going on outside?" Lin Xun asked.

He knew that with Xia Zhi present, the fat bully and the thin thug couldn't possibly break into his home unless Xia Zhi had let them in.

"That's your subordinate."

Xia Zhi put down her book, thought for a moment, and added, "I thought about being their gang leader, but it seemed troublesome, so I gave the title to you."

Looking at the serious, calm, and fair face of the little girl, Lin Xun's face darkened.

He hated the idea of Xia Zhi being exposed to dark and dirty things, but now she had taken the initiative to involve herself in these dark matters!

How could she not be influenced by associating with thugs, bullies, ruffians, and criminals?

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PS: As a heads-up, the burst on the 31st will be 10 chapters. Goldfish has a deep-seated frustration, all for the sake of working together with everyone to deliver the first month's vote results for the new book! Regardless of success or failure, we wait for the flowers to bloom!