The Canal Gang Makes Their Move!

at the same time.

The top floor of Zuixianlou.

A tall, burly man in brocade robes knelt on the wooden floor, his forehead touching the ground, his back taut, barely daring to breathe.

Before him stood a pale-faced young man with a high nose bridge, slowly and meticulously wiping a short blade with a pale blue sheen with a white silk handkerchief.

"Hu the Chief."

The pale-faced young man spoke, his voice soft and effeminate: "Ruifeng Cloth Shop has just received a new batch of 'materials,' and I'm very interested..."

The man in brocade robes, Hu, the foreman, hurriedly pledged his loyalty: "Rest assured, young master! I will pay a visit tomorrow and thoroughly investigate the fabric's details, then compile a catalogue to present to you!"

"Who told you to 'scout out the situation'?" The young man looked up, his gaze sweeping over Hu Batou like a cold, slippery object: "I want you to go and smash it."

"Smashed...smashed?!"

Hu, the foreman, looked up in horror, his face turning deathly pale: "Young master! That's Huang's property! Huang Shiyun is quite powerful; his eldest son works at Duba Manor. For me to vandalize his shop is a disaster that could wipe out the entire family!"

"Huang Shiyun? Just a businessman." The young man twirled the poisoned blade between his fingers, the gleaming blue tip seemingly unintentionally pointing at Chief Hu's chest: "What, is his money more important than your life?"

Hu felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave. Recalling the other party's unpredictable methods, all the words stuck in his throat, leaving only a trembling fear.

The young man placed the short blade on the table with a 'thud'.

"Go ahead. Make it lively. In particular, give their new team leader, Su Yang, a 'good' test." He spoke casually, yet every word carried weight: "See if he's tough or hot-blooded."

"It's done, this is your gang's pledge of allegiance, or it's a disaster..."

His gaze swept across Hu Batou's neck, his unspoken words sharper than a knife.

Hu banged his head on the ground, making a loud thud: "I understand! I will certainly not fail your trust, young master! I will definitely test Su Yang's true strength!"

"Get lost."

Hu scrambled out of the room.

The gray-clad man beside him whispered, "Young master, such a fierce attack might alert the enemy."

"The snake will only move when it's startled."

The young man tossed the white handkerchief he had used to wipe his hands into the charcoal brazier, watching it turn to ashes: "Li Jingshan's line has broken. We'll see what the Huang family has taken over. If we beat his dog, will his master bare his teeth? It'll be more beneficial for us to muddy the waters of Jingling."

"Young master's insight is brilliant!"

The man in gray said respectfully.

..........

The setting sun cast an ominous crimson hue over the cloth shop's signboard.

Behind the counter, Zhao Qian had already stopped using the abacus. He stared out the door, the usual smile on his chubby face gone, his brows furrowed, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the counter, looking preoccupied.

After listening intently for a moment, he gave his old friend a wink.

The door was quickly installed, leaving only one side door slightly ajar.

In the backyard, Su Yang was walking slowly along the bluestone path at the base of the wall. His steps were extremely light, and each time his toes touched the ground, they precisely 'tapped' the tips of a few tenacious clumps of grass between the stone slabs.

[Grasshopper Proficiency +1]

[Grasshopper Proficiency +1]

[...]

【Grasshopper (Proficient 346/500)】

The panel displayed a pattern, but his mind was already taut like a fully drawn bowstring, completely focused on perceiving the surrounding energy.

After an afternoon of treading grass, his skill in flying over grass reached a high level.

Greatly enhanced agility!

Just now.

Suddenly, heavy, unrestrained footsteps echoed from the front yard, accompanied by rude shouts and the harsh scraping of sticks dragging across the bluestone ground.

"Open the door! The cargo convoy is inspecting goods!"

"Where is the manager of Ruifeng Cloth Shop? Get out here!"

"If you don't open the door, I'm coming in myself!"

"........."

Amid the shouts and curses, the half-closed side door was kicked open with a loud bang, the door panel crashing against the wall.

Seven or eight burly men filed in, each wielding a short stick made of jujube wood or a club wrapped in ironwood, their faces full of scars and their eyes fierce.

The leader, a tall and muscular man, was none other than Hu Batou, the head of the Cao Gang in the southern part of the city.

Today he wore a more streamlined outfit, with a thick-backed cleaver at his waist, making him ten times more ferocious than when he was kneeling at Zuixianlou.

His gaze was sharp as a knife, sweeping across the suddenly empty and silent front hall, finally landing on Su Yang, who had come out from the backyard upon hearing the noise.

Su Yang stood at the moon gate leading to the backyard, one hand on his sword, his shadow elongated by the setting sun, calmly watching the group of uninvited guests.

"Hey, there really is a gatekeeper."

Hu, the foreman, grinned, revealing his yellowed teeth. He strode forward and stopped five steps away from Su Yang, sizing him up: "Kid, you look unfamiliar. New here? Do you know the rules of this street?"

Su Yang said calmly, "The Huang family's shops only follow the rules of the Huang family mansion. May I ask which street's rules you are referring to?"

"Hey! Sharp-tongued!"

A scarred man behind Hu spat, "Master Hu, why waste your breath on this pretty boy!"

Hu raised his head and stopped his men, staring at Su Yang with a forced smile: "The rules of the Huang family? Fine, let's talk about 'rules.' Someone reported that your Ruifeng Cloth Shop is passing off inferior goods as superior ones, using moldy, rotten cloth to cheat the people! My gang, entrusted by the neighbors, has come to investigate! If you know what's good for you, open the storeroom, bring out all the ledgers and fabrics, and let us men take a look! If we've truly wronged you, I, Hu San, will personally apologize!"

Su Yang's eyes turned slightly cold.

That's a clever excuse. If they actually get into the warehouse, they can turn white into black, and the fabric shop's reputation will be ruined.

"Inspection is permitted."

Su Yang's voice remained calm: "Do you have any documents authorizing the monopoly of the manor? Or any credentials from the city government's brokers? Without any proof, trespassing on private property and forcibly searching businesses is tantamount to banditry!"

"Bandits?"

Hu, the gang leader, suddenly twisted his smile into a sinister grin: "Kid, you're asking for it! In this southern part of the city, in the Canal Gang's eyes, the clerk is the law! Brothers, this pretty boy is obstructing the inspection; he must be hiding something! 'Please' him aside and let's go in to investigate!"

"Yes, sir!"

The scarred man was the first to attack, his iron-clad wooden club whistling through the air as it hurtled towards Su Yang's face!

From both sides, two short jujube wood sticks simultaneously stabbed towards Su Yang's ribs, blocking his escape route. These thugs were clearly used to such tricks; their teamwork was skillful, their attacks ruthless, and they went straight for vital points, leaving no room for retreat.

This is going to cripple people, or even kill them!

"court death!"

The last trace of warmth in Su Yang's eyes vanished completely, replaced by an icy chill.

"Buzz!"

The clear, ringing sound of the straight sword being drawn seemed to carry a tangible killing intent, instantly drowning out all shouts!

Su Yang took half a step forward.

This step was extremely strange, not a straight line, but with a subtle arc and tremor, like a fish wagging its tail, finding a gap in the impossible, which is the agility brought by the skill of Grasshopper!

It was this slight difference that allowed him to narrowly avoid the heavy blow from the front and the stab from the left.

His knife had already transformed into a bolt of cold lightning.

The flash of the blade was not grand, but it was so fast that it exceeded the limits of what the human eye could perceive.

The first strike, a diagonal sweep.

It swept past the man on the right's throat with precision, as if measured with a ruler. The man felt a chill on his neck, his momentum undiminished, but his vision began to spin and darken, and a hoarse, leaking sound replaced his shouts.

The second cut, a twist.

Using the momentum of the first strike, the blade reversed at an incredible angle, as if it had been anticipated, to meet the scarred man who was slightly staggered after missing his target. The blade sliced ​​into his neck with almost no resistance, drawing out a plume of hot blood.

The third cut is an upward slash.

Seeing his two companions fall to the ground instantly, the man on the left was terrified and tried desperately to pull back his stick and retreat.

But Su Yang's knife was so fast it seemed to have no momentum. As he slashed the scarred man, the tip of the knife flicked upwards like a snake's tongue, passing between the man's arms as he tried to block, touching his chin, and then slicing it away.

The fourth strike is a straight thrust.

The fourth ruffian who rushed up didn't even see what was happening in front of him. He only saw a flash of light before his eyes, and then felt an icy, bone-chilling pain in his throat. All his strength was instantly drained, and the wooden stick in his hand fell limply to his side.

Four cuts.

From the moment the sword is drawn to the moment it is drawn, it seems to take only a breath.

The four thugs who had been so menacing just moments before were now four corpses, spitting blood and slowly collapsing. Their eyes were wide open, filled with incomprehensible horror and bewilderment.

Four dazzling blood flowers instantly bloomed on the bluestone ground, and a strong smell of blood permeated the air.

Dead silence.

An extreme, chilling silence enveloped the front hall of the fabric shop.

The remaining three hooligans, along with Hu, who was about to brandish his knife to maintain order, all froze on the spot. The ferocity on their faces hadn't even faded before they were frozen in place by boundless fear. Their hands gripping the sticks trembled uncontrollably, and their teeth chattered.

They had seen blood, fought, and even hacked people to pieces. But they had never seen such...efficient, so ruthless, such a callous disregard for human life in their killing techniques!

That wasn't a battle, that was a harvest!

Su Yang stood holding his sword, the tip pointing diagonally at the ground. A trickle of blood slowly dripped down the gleaming blade, striking the bluestone with a soft yet clear sound: tap...tap...tap...