Chapter 283: Chapter 124: Bringing People into the City, Night Investigation of the Main Camp
In the afternoon, Yang Jing brought everyone to Chengping Square.
The courtyard next to the Martial Arts Hall had been tidied by Sun Ningxiang until it was spotless. It was paved with blue-gray bricks, and two pomegranate trees grew within. Though winter had come and their leaves had fallen, their sturdy branches still held a hint of vitality.
After settling his family in, Yang Jing immediately went to Sun’s Martial Arts Hall to report back to Sun Yong.
Sun Yong was in the inner courtyard drinking tea. Seeing him arrive, he set down his teacup. "Are they all settled in?"
"Yes. Thank you for your trouble, Master," Yang Jing said with a nod.
"Go on, and don’t worry," Sun Yong said with a wave of his hand. "Ning Xiang and I will look after them. Nothing will go wrong."
Reassured, Yang Jing gave Sun Yong a deep bow before turning to leave.
His figure was a blur in the twilight, swift as a hunting leopard as he raced straight for the River Gang Stronghold outside the city.
A cold glint flashed in his eyes. ’If my guess is right, and the Flying Horse Thieves’ second-in-command is secretly killing for revenge, I’ll have to cut him down, root and stem. I can’t let him stir up any more trouble and threaten my family.’
...
The night was as dark as ink.
The River Gang Stronghold on the banks of the Yuhe River was shrouded in a deathly silence. Only the occasional flicker of patrol torches on the stockade walls cast dappled shadows below.
Yang Jing’s figure seemed to melt into the inky darkness as he appeared silently at the edge of the dense forest outside the stronghold.
He didn’t reveal himself immediately. Instead, he stopped in a hidden spot, like a lone wolf lying in wait, using the faint starlight to survey the heavily guarded stronghold.
The stockade walls were over ten feet high and covered in sharp spikes. At regular intervals, groups of two or three gang members patrolled with weapons in hand, their footsteps unnaturally clear in the silent night.
But in Yang Jing’s eyes, these defenses were practically nonexistent.
After reaching the Huajin realm, his sight and hearing already far surpassed those of ordinary people. And just yesterday, his Indestructible True Skill had broken through to the Mingjin stage, tempering his body to an even higher level. His five senses were now astonishingly acute. The rhythm of the gang members’ breathing on the walls, the snores of a dozing watchman in the distance, even the subtle sound of a candle flame flickering somewhere inside the stronghold—all of it reached his ears clearly. His senses were countless times sharper than those of a typical Huajin Powerhouse.
SWOOSH.
With a slight movement, Yang Jing shot out from the dense woods like a phantom.
He executed the Surging Tide Legs, his footwork as light as a falling leaf. Under the cover of darkness and the wall’s shadow, he reached the base of the stockade in just a few bounds.
Then, with a light tap of his toes against the wall, he sprang up like a great bird. His fingers found purchase in the cracks between the bricks, his movements fluid and silent.
In the blink of an eye, he was over the wall and landing in the shadows. The patrolling gang members were completely oblivious to the dark figure that had just slipped past.
Once inside the stronghold, Yang Jing was like a fish back in water.
He concealed his aura and pushed his Body Technique to its absolute limit, his body seeming to merge with the environment.
Like an invisible wind, he weaved through the alleys and between the houses, his sharp gaze sweeping every corner.
’The killer is hiding in the shadows, so I’ll hide in the shadows too. Fight darkness with darkness. Let’s see who slips up first.’
As he moved, Yang Jing familiarized himself with most of the stronghold’s layout.
He discovered that the atmosphere throughout the River Gang Stronghold was stretched to its breaking point, like a taut bowstring ready to snap.
Groups of gang members in River Gang attire huddled in corners, their faces filled with terror. They whispered in hushed tones, their eyes darting toward the deepest shadows as if a man-eating demon lurked there.
A few of the younger members were even secretly wiping away tears, their courage clearly shattered by the recent string of deaths.
The outside reinforcements, however, were a different story.
The experts from the Jiang Family patrolled together, led by the Jiang Family Third Elder. His expression was as dark as storm clouds, and a faint killing intent emanated from him.
The other Jiang Family disciples beside him also wore grim expressions. They kept glancing toward any sound or movement, their eyes grave yet hiding an unconcealable fear. After all, not even a Huajin Powerhouse on-site had been able to stop the slaughter. The killer was simply too uncanny.
Elsewhere, a few local Anjin masters from Yuhe County were gathered in another building, arguing in hushed voices. From their expressions, they seemed to be debating whether to flee before the night was over.
Yang Jing took it all in, his understanding of the grim situation deepening.
He continued to move stealthily through the stronghold, sweeping from the granary to the training grounds, from the main hall to the rear section. He’d covered most of the compound but had yet to find any trace of the killer.
He hadn’t sensed the aura of any unknown powerhouse, nor had he spotted any suspicious activity.
Yang Jing couldn’t help but frown.
’Has the killer not made a move yet, or have I just failed to find him?’
’Or maybe the killer doesn’t plan on acting tonight?’
’Whatever the case, I have to flush this killer out, and fast.’
Just as Yang Jing was lost in thought, a faint sound drifted on the night wind to his ears.
Mixed in with the sound were a few muffled shouts and what seemed to be the suppressed sobs of a woman. It sounded like it was coming from the rear of the stronghold.
Yang Jing’s heart leaped. The sound was sudden and tinged with panic. ’Could it be? Is the killer making another move?’
He didn’t dare hesitate. He changed direction instantly, shooting toward the source of the sound like an arrow loosed from a bow.
He pushed the Surging Tide Legs to their limit, his feet barely kicking up any dust. His figure shuttled rapidly between the houses and alleys, leaving only a faint afterimage in his wake.
The closer he got to the rear of the stronghold, the clearer the shouts and cries became.
A coarse, hoarse voice roared, "What are you crying for? You cry again and I’ll kill you right now!"
It was followed by the woman’s even more desperate sobs, punctuated by a sharp clattering sound.
Holding his breath, Yang Jing silently circled around to the back of a crude wooden hut and peered inside through a crack in the window lattice.
...
