Control, Bronze Mask, Encounter in the Black Market! [Please Subscribe!]

Chapter 57 Control, Bronze Mask, Encounter in the Black Market! [Please Subscribe!]

End of the Xu hour.

Su Yang left the small courtyard Chen Wenyuan had bought and stood in a quiet, deserted alley, gazing at the night sky. His eyes gleamed with a sharp light as he thought to himself, "Tonight at dawn, I'll go find Wang Jian and get the evidence of Fei Jianhua's collusion with him! Then, I'll kill that Fei bastard!"

"Wang Jian————"

Su Yang looked thoughtful.

Kill this newly appointed acting leader of the Canal Gang?

For him, it was just a matter of one stab, but what happened after that?

The Grand Canal Gang was thrown into chaos, and all the forces were reshuffled. All that was left was a mess of blood and no one gained anything.

"No, it's better to use him than to kill him."

A thought arose in Su Yang's mind: the Liver Nourishing and Vital Energy Cultivation Technique requires ginseng and purple lingzhi mushrooms, the older the better. This requires a constant stream of silver to exchange for these cultivation resources. Although he had obtained quite a bit from Liu Meng, it wasn't very durable. ...

If one could control the King's Sword, it would be equivalent to controlling half of Jingling City's waterway transport. With the Canal Gang constantly making money, why worry about not having enough money to buy ginseng? Moreover, the Canal Gang's shady channels might be able to obtain rare and valuable items that are simply unavailable on the market!

"A living, controlled leader of the canal gang is far more useful than a corpse."

Suddenly, the mind cleared; the goal was no longer assassination, but... control!

He knew it in his heart.

Since it's about control, we can't reveal our true identities, and we can't go as "Su Yang".

Dressed in black and masked?

Too common, it doesn't hold its own or leave a lasting impression.

"There must be a unique mask."

Su Yang subconsciously rubbed his fingertips, as if weighing his options: "The black iron mask is too crude, and the gold is too ostentatious—bronze is the best. It's heavy, cold, and carries an ancient and chilling aura. Once I put it on, I'll no longer be Su Yang, but a shadow that sends chills down Wang Jian's spine!"

"Yes, it's the bronze mask."

With his mind completely made up, Su Yang had no more hesitation. With a swift movement, he unfurled his Perfect Grass Spread, weaving through streets and alleys, heading straight for the black market in the west of the city.

Su Yang descended the stone steps from the hidden entrance of Sheep's Tail Alley, merging into the hustle and bustle of the underground space.

He first went to the familiar medicinal herb section, but after looking at several stalls, he found that they all sold ordinary goods, far from meeting his needs. He shook his head inwardly, but wasn't disappointed, as he hadn't held out much hope anyway, and then turned to walk towards another area.

This area mainly sells weapons and miscellaneous items of dubious origin, and even some damaged antiques.

Su Yang's gaze swept across the area, and he paused slightly in front of a stall.

The stall owner was a taciturn middle-aged man. On a tattered felt cloth in front of him were some rusty sword fragments, a few copper rings whose age was indiscernible, and a pile of masks.

The masks were mostly crude, made of wood, leather, and even a broken piece of terracotta. His gaze fell on the bottom of the pile, where a bronze mask lay. He reached out and pulled it out.

The mask felt heavy and cold to the touch.

The face covering has a simple and ancient design with no fancy decorations, except for a shallow, teardrop-shaped indentation between the eyebrows.

Its surface is covered with a uniform dark green patina, and its edges are worn smooth, giving it a cold and hard feel that has been weathered by time.

This is exactly the feeling he wants—unique enough, substantial enough, and without any obvious personal or power-related markings.

"How much is this?"

Su Yang's voice sounded muffled through the black mask.

The stall owner glanced at it and said, "Ten taels."

The price was lower than expected.

Without wasting any words, Su Yang paid and put the bronze mask into his bag.

He continued browsing for a while, making a detour to the same stall selling martial arts manuals he had visited before. The stall owner was still huddled in the shadows, and on the oilcloth spread out in front of him were the same few familiar booklets—"Iron Head Kung Fu," "Iron Broom Kung Fu," and "Flowing Cloud Steps."

The covers are worn out; they seem to be the same few books as last time, perhaps with a few more copies made.

There are no new items.

Su Yang glanced at it only once before looking away.

I wandered aimlessly for about 15 minutes through the somewhat crowded passageways of the black market, but in reality, I silently memorized several main passageways, entrances and exits of key areas, and several possible blind spots.

After getting used to the environment, he left the black market.

Su Yang, carrying the package, slipped out of Sheep Tail Alley.

Estimate the time and head towards Guixiang Lane.

After walking about four miles, we turned into a secluded alley without any lights.

The moonlight was sparse, and the high walls cast large shadows.

"Well..

'

Just as he rounded a corner, he suddenly heard the sharp clang of weapons clashing and a muffled groan from ahead.

"Um?"

Su Yang paused, instantly disappearing into the shadows of the abandoned objects by the wall, concealing his aura and gazing intently.

Deep in the alley, three masked men in black, wielding curved knives, were viciously attacking a slender figure in black.

The person being attacked also had a black cloth covering their face, leaving only their eyes visible.

This man wielded only a short dagger, and his movements were quite agile. He dodged and weaved, narrowly avoiding fatal blows. Clearly, he was outnumbered, and a tear had been slashed open on his shoulder, with dark red blood quickly seeping out.

"Hand over the token you just received!"

Of the three masked men, the tallest, seemingly the leader, roared in a low voice, his tone muffled and distorted through the mask: "I'll give you a quick death! Otherwise, I'll let you taste all those horrible things in the black market that make you wish you were dead!"

Before he finished speaking, he slashed diagonally with his curved sword, the blade aimed at the throat of the thin man in black!

The slender man in black dodged to the side with all his might, and in a flash, his dagger blocked a fatal blow to the throat.

"clang!"

The slender man in black staggered under the force of the curved blade, let out a muffled groan, and leaned against the high wall. His short dagger became even more difficult to wield, and his openings were frequently exposed.

at this time.

Another masked man seized the opportunity, his blade flashing upwards with a "whoosh," precisely ripping off the black mask covering the thin man in black!

A black cloth fluttered down.

The moonlight shone through the narrow sliver of sky above the alley, illuminating the pretty face suddenly exposed to the air.

Pale, delicate-looking, slightly panting from blood loss and the fierce fight, her tightly clenched lower lip oozing blood, her eyes, which once held a hint of timidity or gentleness, now burned with defiance and fury.

The three masked men paused in unison when they saw the face beneath the veils.

The ferocious killing intent in the leader's eyes was instantly replaced by a filthy and vile light. He whistled a short, sharp sound, which sounded even more nauseating through the mask.

"Yo ho!"

"I thought she was some clueless loach, but it turns out she's a delicate young woman!"

He tilted his head, scrutinizing the slender, black-clad woman leaning against the wall, her breath coming in short gasps, gripping a dagger tightly. His gaze lingered on her bloodied shoulders and slender waist. His Adam's apple bobbed, and he licked his lips. His voice, lewd and menacing, came from behind his mask: "Brothers, we've hit the jackpot today. Don't kill her yet, take her! Bring her back, I'm going to interrogate her properly—interrogate her!"

"Big brother! Absolutely!"

"Same as always, the eldest brother will interrogate first!"

The other two masked men responded in hushed tones, letting out knowing, low, and lewd laughs.

"Um?"

"It was her?!"

In the shadows, Su Yang looked at that pretty face, his pupils suddenly contracted, and his heart felt as if it were being squeezed by an invisible hand!

The maid, Bin Honglan, who delivered steamed buns, pills, and bedding to Huang's residence and spoke softly and gently?

How did she end up here?

How come she knows martial arts?

And they were being chased by these masked men who were clearly not good people?

What token?

A series of questions flashed through his mind like lightning, but reality gave him no time to think.

"court death!"

The moment the masked leader finished speaking, the chill in Su Yang's eyes solidified into a tangible killing intent.

In the shadows.

His figure seemed to vanish into thin air, and in the next instant, he appeared in front of Honglan like a black lightning bolt tearing through the night!

Perfection! Flying over the grass!

It moved so fast that it even left a faint afterimage in its place.

The masked leader only felt a blur before his eyes, and then a chilling gust of wind rushed towards him!

The gleaming blade of the ring-pommel straight sword reflected a chilling, desolate light under the moonlight.

Perfected Killing Knife Technique - Throat-Severing Strike!

"laugh!"

A soft sound, so faint it was almost swallowed by the night breeze.

The masked leader's knife-wielding gesture froze in mid-air, and a thin red line suddenly appeared on his throat.

"Hehe..."

The fierce glint in his eyes was instantly replaced by boundless terror and bewilderment. He opened his mouth, and the curved knife in his hand clattered to the ground. His massive body fell backward like a collapsing mountain.

The other two masked men were stunned for a moment by this sudden turn of events.

But their ferocity, honed by years of licking blood from the edge of a knife, made them react immediately. Roaring wildly, they attacked Su Yang from both sides, their curved blades drawing two bright arcs of light!

Instead of retreating, Su Yang advanced, his footwork subtly shifting, the essence of the Flowing Cloud Step flowing naturally, cutting through the gap between the two blades in the blink of an eye.

With his left hand, fingers swift as lightning, he concentrated a small amount of internal energy at his fingertips and precisely struck the wrist of the masked man holding the knife on the right.

"what!"

The masked man's entire arm was bent as if pierced by an iron spike, and his curved knife flew out of his hand.

at the same time.

Su Yang's right hand wielded a straight sword with a hilt as sharp as a poisonous dragon piercing the heart. With unparalleled precision, he stabbed into the heart of the masked man on the left, exploiting an opening in his curved sword attack. He then withdrew the sword, drawing out a spray of warm blood.

Killing Blade Technique - Heart-Breaking Style!

The masked man's body stiffened abruptly. He looked down in disbelief at the rapidly expanding bloody halo on his chest before collapsing to the ground with a thud.

The last masked man, whose wrist had been severed and whose weapon had been knocked out of his hand, saw his two companions die in an instant. Terrified, he dared not fight any longer and turned to run away.

Su Yang's eyes were icy cold. With a flick of his wrist, the ring-pommel straight sword flew out of his hand!

The blade, imbued with internal energy, emitted a low hum, transforming into a straight black line. With a "thud," it pierced through his back and emerged from his chest, dragging his body forward several steps before collapsing to the ground, twitching twice before falling lifeless.

From the sudden attack to the deaths of the three, it took only a few breaths.

The alleyway fell silent again, with only the thick, lingering stench of blood permeating the night air.

The cold moonlight shone on the three gradually cooling corpses and the dark red bloodstains on the ground.

Wearing a black mask, Su Yang slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, his breathing still steady. He walked to the masked man who had been pinned to death by throwing knives, drew his ring-pommel straight sword, wiped the blood off the man's black clothes, and sheathed the sword.

Only then did he turn around and look at Honglan, who was still slumped against the wall, one hand pressing hard on her shoulder wound, staring at him with wide eyes in disbelief.

The mask concealed all his expressions, revealing only a pair of calm eyes.

"Who—who are you?"

Honglan's lips trembled, her voice weak and hoarse from blood loss and exhaustion: "Why—why did you save me?"

Her pale face and familiar eyes were filled with utter confusion and horror.

Su Yang did not answer.

He quickly walked to Honglan's side, squatted down, and scanned the knife wound on her shoulder with his light. He then quickly took out a small porcelain bottle from his bosom and tore off a clean strip of cloth from the corner of his inner garment.

Honglan instinctively shrank back, her eyes still wary.

But Su Yang's actions left her no room to refuse. He firmly pressed down on her uninjured shoulder with one hand, using just the right amount of force to stop her from retreating, while his other hand began to treat her wound.

He first pressed the cloth strip firmly above the wound to stop the bleeding, his movements swift and efficient.

Once the bleeding has slowed down, uncork the bottle, pour out a brown pill, crush it into a fine powder with your fingers, and sprinkle it evenly on the wound.

The medicinal powder stung her wound, causing Honglan to tremble slightly. She gritted her teeth but dared not move. Although the person in front of her had saved her, the oppressive feeling emanating from his silence was even more unsettling than that of the three masked men from before.

Next, he skillfully wrapped, tied, and secured the remaining strips of cloth with the same technique, each step quick and precise, revealing a high level of expertise.

"Who is this person?"

"Why did you save me?"

"And why are you not saying a word?"

Honglan remained stiff the entire time, her gaze fixed on the unremarkable black mask so close to her.

She tried to see something in those eyes, but all she saw was a deep, still pool.

After bandaging the body, Su Yang released his grip, touched the corpse for a while, pointed to the alley entrance, then to Honglan, and made a "go" gesture.

Honglan understood his meaning—he told her to leave.

She slowly stood up, the pain in her shoulder making her gasp.

After regaining her footing, she hesitated, looking at the three corpses on the ground, then at her silent savior, and whispered, "I—I came to the black market to buy a medicinal herb—Polygala tenuifolia—to make a 'Mind-Calming Ointment'—"

She didn't know why she was explaining; perhaps she wanted to gain a little trust from the other person through honesty, or perhaps it was just an instinctive reaction from someone still shaken.

Su Yang nodded slightly, signaling her to continue walking forward.

The two walked silently, one in front of the other, through the streets shrouded in night.

Honglan kept her head down most of the time, her mind a jumble of thoughts, the wound on her shoulder as heavy as the doubts in her heart.

When you come to a three-way intersection, one road leads to the south of the city, and the other two lead to the dock and the west of the city, respectively.

Su Yang, who was walking ahead, was about to turn south of the city.

"My benefactor."

Honglan suddenly stopped, her voice soft yet firm.

Su Yang turned around, his gaze from behind the mask landing on her face.

Honglan pointed towards the Huang residence, then pointed to herself, gently shook her head, and finally pointed to the darker, deserted path leading to the dock. Her meaning was clear: This is enough; I'll walk the rest of the way myself, and I'll take a detour.

This action caused the light behind Su Yang's mask to flicker slightly.

He instantly understood that the seemingly delicate Honglan before him was more cautious and more adept at navigating the unspoken rules of the martial world than he had anticipated. She was unwilling to bring potential danger to her benefactor, nor was she willing to reveal her final whereabouts.

Su Yang did not insist, but simply nodded slightly.

Honglan bowed deeply to him and whispered, "What happened tonight will remain a deep secret in my heart. Take care, my benefactor."

Having said that, she didn't hesitate any longer, turned around and quickly disappeared into the dark alley. Her figure vanished after a few undulations.

She chose to take a long detour and quietly return to the Huang residence from a completely different direction.

Su Yang stood still for a few breaths, making sure that no one was following Hong Lan or paying attention to him, before he flashed away and sped off towards Gui Xiang Lane.