Chapter 15

"Huff~"

Alex blew the blood off the Coldblade before sheathing it. Then he walked over to Brother Lang, picked up the scabbard, and returned the blade to its sheath. As he approached Teng Yongfan and the others, a few clan members instinctively took a step back. The recent events had chilled them to the bone. Was this still the cheerful, sunny, and polite Tiger they knew?

Alex didn't mind their wary glances. After all, it was impossible to please everyone with your actions.

"Uncle Yongfan," Alex called out. "This knife manual, that guy didn't explain its origin, but it's probably not legitimate. My suggestion is to change its name when we take it back. Also, don't let the clan members practice the knife techniques in it. They should only train in the inner strength method and figure out their own techniques."

In the world of Nine Cauldrons, inner strength manuals differed from typical martial arts inner power methods. Though divided into mental techniques and movements, weapon types were strictly separated. A sword manual was a sword manual, and a knife manual was a knife manual. You couldn't use a sword manual's mental techniques for knife techniques without risking deviation.

"Got it," Teng Yongfan nodded, though he looked at Alex curiously, sensing there was more to say.

"Uncle Yongfan," Alex continued, "You heard what those two said. Qin San is vindictive. If he finds out we survived, he might come after us. We can't just sit and wait."

"What do you suggest?" Teng Yongfan frowned, knowing that killing Li Dalaiye's guards had made things worse. He didn't blame Alex, understanding that the trouble began when Qin San targeted Teng Jia Village. The only question was how big the loss would be.

"Qingshan and I will return to Yicheng to deal with Qin San," Alex said, glancing at Teng Qingshan, who nodded in agreement. "You need to get back to Teng Jia Village and prepare for evacuation. If we don't return within three days or if someone comes looking for trouble, don't hesitate. Flee as far as you can. With the inner strength manual, we can rebuild."

"Father, don't hesitate. You should leave now," Teng Qingshan urged.

"Alright," Teng Yongfan nodded, instructing the others, "Forget the animal skins. Pack up and take some silver. We leave immediately." He then looked at Alex and Teng Qingshan. "Qingshan, Qinghu, remember, you must come back alive. If you can't handle Qin San, it's alright, just return."

"Got it," Alex and Teng Qingshan nodded. They each took a horse and returned to the battlefield. The cool wind had dissipated the yellow smoke, but the strong scent of blood had already attracted wild animals, whose howls added to the eerie atmosphere.

At the field, Alex and Teng Qingshan gathered the animal skins left behind by Teng Yongfan's group, loading them onto the horses. They disguised themselves as animal skin merchants and prepared to re-enter the city.

"Brother, what's your plan? Qin San is not easy to deal with," Teng Qingshan asked, tying a bundle of animal skins onto the horse's back.

"There's no need for a complicated plan against Qin San. My advantage won't be easy for him to take," Alex said confidently, shrugging. He didn't consider Qin San a significant threat, confident in his own schemes.

Teng Qingshan remained silent, helping prepare the disguises. Alex's transformation over this period had made him seem unfamiliar, but Teng Qingshan had learned to trust his judgment.

As they re-entered Yicheng, paying the entry fee, Alex led the way through familiar streets. The former Teng Qinghu had often accompanied hunters to Yicheng, knowing the city inside and out, including some experiences with women in these very streets.

Yicheng, near a bustling street by the Yangzhou Salt Merchant's Guild.

Alex had now completely changed his appearance, with fake mustaches and a darker complexion, looking like a middle-aged man. He smiled and said to Teng Qingshan, "Qingshan, Old Wang has done business with our village many times. This time, he gave us a good price. All those animal skins sold for over 350 taels of silver!"

"Mm," Teng Qingshan nodded, but his eyes kept scanning the surroundings. This street looked peaceful, but the people here could 'smell' blood, and none of them were simple characters.

"Relax," Alex patted Teng Qingshan's shoulder, indicating for him to ease up. "This black market is under the White Horse Gang's protection. Anyone who dares to cause trouble here has already been dealt with." Alex didn't mock Teng Qingshan, recalling his own first time at the black market wasn't as composed.

Despite his reassurance, Alex had already placed the Coldblade where he could easily draw it. After all, this was a black market, not a regular market. One slip-up, and you might not know how you died. Although black-on-black crime was rare, the lure of great profits always tempted some to take risks.

"We're here," Alex said, leading Teng Qingshan to a bustling pavilion. "This is Feng Man Lou. It may not be as famous as Wan Xiang Lou, but in Yicheng, it's a local powerhouse. They know some local news better than Wan Xiang Lou.

"Plus, Feng Man Lou only acts as a middleman for information trades, linking us to the Feng Mediators without knowing the specifics of the transaction. As long as we satisfy the Feng Mediator, the chances of exposure are slim."

"Mm," Teng Qingshan nodded. Alex's plan was meticulous, even the former top assassin could barely find flaws in it.

Alex and Teng Qingshan ducked into an alley and reemerged in new disguises, each wearing a ghost mask. Teng Qingshan even wore larger shoes and somehow appeared taller and broader.

"Gentlemen, welcome! How can I assist you?" a sharp-eyed attendant greeted them as they entered Feng Man Lou.

"We're looking for someone..." Alex whispered to the attendant, who nodded eagerly and led them upstairs. Alex's every move was practiced and flawless.

For the sake of the plan, he had rehearsed it countless times using the system in his mind, fixing every flaw until it looked like the work of a seasoned veteran.

...

Half an hour later, with a hint of orange in the sky, two figures in black robes and ghost masks exited Feng Man Lou. They zigzagged through the streets, shaking off a few tails, and finally settled in a secluded courtyard three streets away from the Yangzhou Salt Merchant's Guild.

Alex sat in the study, reading a small booklet in the dim light, "Yangzhou Salt Merchants, Li Family... Miss Li Qingyu... Guard Qin San, a second-tier master (strength of 3,000 pounds), skilled in the 'Flying Star Sword' technique..."

"Brother! Dinner's ready!" Teng Qingshan called from outside. Alex exhaled softly, rubbed his tired eyes, and crumbled the booklet into pieces with a burst of inner strength.

Alex walked out to the courtyard, where a table was filled with meat. Training in inner martial arts required ample resources. If Teng Jia Village weren't near the vast Dayan Mountain for hunting, Alex and Teng Qingshan's daily training would be a huge problem.

Such a table of meat in Yicheng cost a significant amount of silver. A day or two was manageable, but daily feasts like this would be unsustainable for most families, proving the saying "martial arts need a wealthy background."

...

In the winter evening (7 PM), the streets around the Yangzhou Salt Merchant's Guild were brightly lit. Two black-clad figures flashed by, unnoticed by the guards.

In an alley outside the Li family estate, two figures in nightwear with tiger and wolf masks halted.

"Qingshan," the tiger-masked figure said sternly, "I'll go in alone. If I don't return by dawn, head back to Teng Jia Village and lead our people into Dayan Mountain.

"Remember, no matter what happens, don't act rashly. Understood?"

Alex instructed Teng Qingshan, confident in his plan but wary of unexpected disruptions with the protagonist nearby.

"Brother!" Teng Qingshan, wearing the wolf mask, responded emotionally. "Just come back safely, mother is waiting for you."

"Of course," Alex nodded. He accurately stepped on a wall crevice, using it as leverage to leap up, silently moving through the Li estate with the 'Tianya Xing' technique.

"Swish~"

A gentle breeze brushed by as a shadowy figure evaded patrolling guards, advancing deeper into the vast Li estate.

"Stealth techniques really do make a world of difference," Alex thought, grateful for his earlier decision to spend all his newly acquired luck points to master the 'Tianya Xing' technique, giving him his current speed and agility.

"Mm," Alex sniffed the air, smirking as he identified a scent, then quickly headed towards a brightly lit courtyard.

It was a large courtyard guarded by over a dozen third-tier martial artists. In the center stood a small building, where five or six delicate maids were stationed at the entrance, seemingly waiting for orders.

Silently, Alex circled to a blind spot, leaped onto the roof, and peeked through a skylight.

Inside, a lively young girl with a ponytail was engrossed in her work, muttering to herself as she wrote.

But her focus lasted only a few minutes before she yelled in frustration, slumping over the desk like a lifeless fish, complaining about something called the 'main god'...