Chapter 24: Chapter 24: Coming to a Close
Liang Cheng staggered over to Big Head’s side and checked for breath. He was already dead. After a moment of silence, Liang Cheng returned to the bodies of Zhang Kui and the others and began to loot them.
From Zhang Kui’s clothes, he found a key, silver banknotes worth over a thousand taels, and a piece of cowhide paper that felt somewhat familiar.
He quickly remembered getting a similar piece of cowhide paper after killing Liu Biao. The texture was identical. This one was also covered in what looked like a Ghost Talisman, completely illegible. He could only tuck it safely away in his clothes.
The two masked men didn’t have much money on them, amounting to no more than two hundred taels combined. However, they each carried a Copper Token. The front read "Military Preparation," and the backs were numbered "A-3" and "A-7."
’Belonging to the City Lord’s Mansion... the Martial Preparation Hall!’
Liang Cheng’s brow furrowed. ’Chen Bainian’s cargo was clearly meant for the City Lord’s Mansion. The appearance of men from the Martial Preparation Hall probably means this is a power struggle among the higher-ups.’
’I can’t let anyone know they died by my hand.’ With that thought, he stuffed the Tokens back into their clothes and took only their silver coins.
After he finished looting the bodies, he searched the area around the reef cave. He soon found a neat pile of Iron Ingots—the very same Cold Iron Ingots that had been stolen from Chen’s Trading Company.
But that wasn’t the most important discovery. In a puddle in an extremely hidden corner, he found a Fine Iron Box riddled with small holes. It was sealed tight, with only a single keyhole visible on the outside.
Liang Cheng remembered the key he’d just taken from Zhang Kui. He pulled it out and inserted it into the lock. It was a perfect fit. With a gentle turn and a soft CLICK, the box opened.
Inside was a two-foot-long Silver-headed Shark, its scales still gleaming.
Two feet!
’The one-foot Silver-headed Shark I took before was worth five hundred taels and had incredible effects,’ he thought. ’This two-foot one must be at least twenty years old. Its value must be several times higher!’
Without hesitation, Liang Cheng grabbed the Silver-headed Shark, tore off a piece of its flesh, and swallowed it raw. A warm current instantly surged into his Dantian, making his entire body feel like it was on fire.
Liang Cheng assumed the Mixed Element Stance to channel the Medicinal Power. The warm current washed over his wounds like a hot spring. His broken bones itched and tingled as the stagnant blood from his internal injuries began to dissolve.
An hour later, his injuries were seventy percent healed. The remaining Medicinal Power settled within his Qi Blood, available for him to slowly refine later.
He stretched his arms and legs. While not fully healed, he was no longer seriously injured. If not for the bloodstains on his clothes, no one would have guessed he had just been in a fight to the death.
He then quickly cleaned up the scene, tying rocks to the bodies of Zhang Kui and the others and sinking them into the sea. Only then did he lift Big Head’s corpse and stride away.
On a small hill at the edge of the village stood an old locust tree.
Liang Cheng remembered playing here often as a child. Big Head would climb the tree to get at the birds’ nests, Er Gou would stand lookout, and San Ya would gather the eggs that fell to the ground.
He dug a deep pit beneath the locust tree and gently placed Big Head inside.
"You said you’d never harm your childhood friends," Liang Cheng said as he filled the grave. "I believe you."
He then set up an unmarked Wooden Token as a headstone. In front of the grave, he performed the complete Fierce Bull Force routine. His fists whistled through the air, creating a sound like cracking Thunder.
’Big Head, I hope you’ll have a chance to properly learn martial arts in your next life. I’ll look after your parents.’ Then, he turned and walked away.
「The next day.」
Chen Bainian personally led a search party. Liang Cheng "coincidentally" tagged along to guide them, and they "accidentally" discovered traces of an abandoned boatyard on a desolate beach.
"Boss! We found it!" a guard cried out.
Chen Bainian immediately rushed into the boatyard. When he saw the room full of Cold Iron Ingots, he let out a long sigh of relief. "The heavens are watching over the Chen Family!"
"This is a joyous occasion! Three taels of reward silver for everyone!"
"Thank you, Boss!"
Overcome with joy, Chen Bainian turned to Liang Cheng and bowed deeply. "Liang Keqing, you’ve gone to great trouble. I will not forget this."
"It was my duty. It only took a little time," Liang Cheng replied.
"Let’s give credit where it’s due. If not for you, the Sea Snake Gang would have been a much bigger problem. Thank goodness we recovered the cargo."
Relieved, Chen Bainian immediately gathered his men, loaded the Cold Iron Ingots onto a ship, and set off to deliver them to the City Lord’s Mansion without delay.
For the time being, the matter was settled. There was no activity from the Sea Snake Gang, and no one knew Zhang Kui had died by Liang Cheng’s hand. It was then that Liang Cheng sought out Er Gou.
In a tavern by the docks, Er Gou was drinking alone, a troubled look on his face. Just as a vicious glint flashed in his eyes, Liang Cheng walked up to his table.
Er Gou’s face went pale. "Brother... Brother Cheng?"
"Let’s talk outside."
The two of them walked into a secluded alley.
"Brother Cheng, I..."
"Why?" Liang Cheng asked.
Er Gou fell to his knees with a THUD. "Brother Cheng, I was wrong! I’ll never do it again! I didn’t mean to hurt you, I just... you kept investigating, and I wanted you to know when to back down..."
Liang Cheng cut him off. "Big Head is dead. He died right in front of me."
Er Gou stared at Liang Cheng, then broke into a wretched laugh. "Dead...? Good. It’s good that he’s dead! Brother Cheng, do you know what I hate most in this world?"
"I hate that even a loser like Big Head could make something of himself. But I hate you more. You were a dockhand, just like the rest of us. What gives you the right to become our superior in just one year?"
His voice grew hoarse. "I haul cargo from dawn to dusk every single day until my back feels like it’s about to break, yet I can’t even afford to step inside a Martial Arts Hall. This world... how is any of this fair?!"
"Zhang Kui told me that you and Chen Bainian offended someone important. He said what you’re doing will drag the whole village down with you. I was trying to save everyone."
Before he had even finished speaking, he whipped a short dagger from his sleeve and lunged, aiming straight for Liang Cheng’s heart.
CLANG!
The blade bent back on itself. Liang Cheng was completely unharmed.
Er Gou stared at the bent blade, then at his own trembling hand. The last spark of light in his eyes died. "So, this is what it means to be a master of the Martial Dao."
He reversed his grip and slashed the blade across his own throat. Blood sprayed as he collapsed, his vacant eyes staring at the sky. A moment later, his breathing ceased.
Liang Cheng’s expression was complex. After cleaning up the evidence, he carried the body and buried it next to Big Head. ’Whatever grudges you two had, you can sort them out in the afterlife.’
...
「The Noodle Shop.」
Lady Ning’s face lit up when she saw Liang Cheng.
"Finished with your business?"
’Liang Cheng had passed by the house several times in the last few days without stopping in.’ Lady Ning didn’t know what important matter he was handling, but her son was a grown man now; she couldn’t get in the way of his work.
"Yeah. I was craving your noodles, Mom."
"Then have a seat. I’ll make you a bowl."
A short while later, a bowl of noodles was placed on the table. Liang Cheng dug in, eating with gusto. Lady Ning sat beside him, her expression full of motherly pride.
...
「Big Head’s Home.」
Chen the Fourth had just come home from selling his catch of fish when he found a letter and ten taels of broken silver. The handwriting on the letter was a clumsy scrawl. Unfortunately, he couldn’t read. He hid the silver safely, then went out to find the village head to read the letter for him.
Just as he stepped outside, he ran into Er Gou’s father. It turned out a letter and some silver had been left at his house as well, though by a tacit agreement, neither man mentioned the money.
After reading the letters, the village head smiled. "Looks like both your boys have a bright future! They’ve been taken on by a great merchant to go out and gain some experience. They left their wages in advance and wanted to tell you both not to worry."
"Oh, so that’s what happened."
Both men breathed a sigh of relief. This was especially true for Chen the Fourth, who had always been uneasy about Big Head joining the Sea Snake Gang. It was a good thing his son was on the Righteous Dao now, engaged in proper business.
They weren’t worried that something bad had happened to their sons. ’Ten taels of silver is no small sum,’ they thought. ’Who would spend that much money just to trick a couple of old men?’
The two men headed home, their minds at ease. The more they talked on the way, the happier they became. Their sons were going to be more successful than they had ever been. Overjoyed, they made plans to share a drink.
From the shadows nearby, Liang Cheng watched their retreating backs. He stood in silence for a long time before finally turning and melting quietly into the night.
’This business is settled, for now,’ he thought. ’It’s time to go back to the Martial Arts Hall.’
