Chapter 125: Chapter 112: Sudden "Form Two
Feng Bei and Yue Yan thought it over. If it had been only Xu Shu, the intelligence on the map would be completely untrustworthy. But Jin Niu had been with him. Jin Niu had always been honest and earnest, loyal to his duty—a completely different sort of person from Xu Shu. The circled locations on the map had to be at least somewhat credible.
As the others discussed, Zheng Xiu looked up at the sky.
A dark red Raven, mixed in with a few others, zipped past.
Zheng Xiu pointed at the Blood Crow that had just flown past. "How about we go ask them?" he said with a smile.
A short while later.
The ornate lanterns were lit, filling the air with the sound of decadent music.
Some came to admire the flowers of the night, while others came to gather their honey.
The flying arches and curved eaves of the buildings framed a scene of bustling prosperity. It was a row of brothels, known to all as Flower Street.
By the roadside, a blind man in tattered clothes begged for alms.
"Kind masters, please, spare a coin! I haven’t eaten in days! May you be blessed with a lifetime of peace!"
The blind man’s age was impossible to guess. His face was a mask of wrinkles, deep and shallow, as if carved by a knife. He was currently hunched over, kowtowing to the passersby as he begged for a hot meal.
Nearby, a pretty courtesan, her face caked in thick rouge and powder, exuded a heavy fragrance. Her almond eyes scanned the young masters passing by, searching for suitable prey.
For the women of the brothel, the best prey were those with unsteady gaits and expensive clothes. Quick to do the deed and quick to pay—the fastest way to earn money in the flesh trade.
To put it simply, the key was one phrase: speed is paramount.
Whenever they spotted a suitable target, a flock of women would strut their stuff, sauntering over to hook, tease, and tempt their mark.
Beside the brothel, a lame man was selling himself to pay for his father’s medical care. A body lay before him, a white sheet covering it from the neck down, directly across from the blind man.
The sheet was only drawn up partway to signify that the person was gravely ill but not yet dead—with one foot already in the grave.
"You stinking beggars, get lost! The sight of you is bad luck!"
An older courtesan, having failed to attract a handsome client, grew frustrated. Instead of blaming her own age and fading looks, she pointed at the lame man nearby and unleashed her fury.
Just then.
A handsome Mighty Man appeared at the end of the street and started walking their way.
The Mighty Man’s gait was steady and powerful, his strides confident and imposing. In just a few steps, he was standing before the blind man on the other side of the street.
"Oh, my!"
Normally, a man who walked with such virile power would be considered far too formidable, making him an unsuitable client.
But the women couldn’t take their eyes off him, a fire igniting in their hearts. The reason was simple: the Mighty Man was too handsome, practically glowing with a divine charisma.
They’d take a client like that even if they didn’t get paid—they’d happily do it for free!
Unaware of the fantasies his appearance had sparked in the local women, the Mighty Man walked straight up to the blind man. He smiled and pointed at the pair across the street. "Are you with them?"
The blind man paled in alarm. "Sir, you mustn’t say such things!"
As he spoke, the blind man’s tightly shut eyes began to strain open.
"Oh, I won’t. I won’t." The Mighty Man grinned, then swung his fist and smashed it into the blind man.
THUMP!
In an instant, the blind man’s face caved in. He let out a piercing shriek as he was sent flying backward like a human cannonball, his back tearing up the bluestone pavers and carving a deep trench in the ground.
The sounds of cracking bones, agonized screams, shattering stone, collapsing buildings, and terrified shrieks all blended into one chaotic instant.
The blind man’s eyelids, which had just begun to open, were hammered shut again. He flew through the wall of a neighboring residence, spitting blood as he crashed into the house.
BOOM!
Roof beams splintered as the ceiling came crashing down.
The courtesans stood frozen in shock for a half-second before the color drained from their faces. "The city’s under attack!" they shrieked. "Murder! The city’s being attacked!"
The crowd of onlookers—the women and their clients—scattered like frightened animals, also screaming about murder and a city under siege.
Hearing the shouts and screams around him, Master Zheng, fist still ready, froze for a second.
’Attacking the city?’
’Your metaphors are a bit over the top.’
Amid the chaos, Zheng Xiu pointed toward the two beggars—the one selling himself to bury his father—while he himself shot like an arrow toward the place the blind man had been knocked into.
Not far away, Dou Xie and Yue Yan, who were hiding in the shadows, gaped in astonishment.
’Just like that... he started a fight?’
Zheng Shan had just said Ye Weiyang’s outfit was too conspicuous and that he would go on ahead, pretending to be a passerby to test the waters.
Yue Yan and Dou Xie had both believed him.
’But, Brother Zheng... this is your idea of "testing the waters"?’
Though shocked, Yue Yan and Feng Bei still leaped into action.
Dou Xie, inspired by Senior Zheng Shan’s advice, had devised a new move.
He abruptly flipped open his book, his aura surging as he bellowed, "Putting the facts aside, you’re begging in the street—are you completely without fault in this matter?"
BAM!
The air seemed to twist, and an invisible fist sent the "father and son," who had just scrambled to their feet, flying several yards.
"Blind Man!"
"Deaf Man!"
The two flew through the air, spitting blood.
There was no suspense in Feng Bei’s attack. After pulling off her gloves, she took a single step and thrust her hands toward the two men’s faces.
Mid-strike, however, Feng Bei hesitated. It was difficult for her to leave anyone alive.
"No need to leave those two alive!"
The hearty laugh of Zheng Shan echoed from the demolished house.
Feng Bei nodded and pressed her hands forward.
The two men dissolved into a spray of mangled flesh and blood that splattered across the street.
Yue Yan wet a thread between her lips. Like a nimble swallow, she launched herself into the air on a strand of silk. With a flick of her fingers, she diced the two Blood Crows in the sky into fragments.
One of the Blood Crows, its wing injured, wobbled away into the night sky.
"Damn it! One’s getting away!"
FWHIP!
Inside the house, Zheng Xiu flicked his wrist. He was about to draw his Chain Saber, but in that instant, the image of an "Engraving Knife" flashed through his mind. Without a moment’s hesitation, a glint of cold light shot from his hand.
[Fitting with Deceitful Object: Jiazi has increased.]
