Chapter 53: Are You Free? Then I’m Coming In
Chapter 53: Chapter 53: Are You Free? Then I’m Coming In
Her state of mind unsettled by Wu Chen’s words, Xue Hongling chose not to return to the inn.
Instead, she eliminated a few more gang underlings to solidify her killing intent, only stopping the slaughter as the sky began to lighten at dawn.
Panting for breath, she followed Wu Chen back to the inn.
Seeing the fine beads of sweat on the young lady’s smooth forehead and her heaving chest after such great physical exertion...
The shop assistant who opened the door gave another thumbs-up to Wu Chen, who wasn’t even flushed or out of breath.
Wu Chen shrugged. "The young lady was with me all night doing good deeds. It was quite tiring."
The shop assistant nodded. "No need to spell it out."
The two were not on the same page at all.
Although she had slain at least a hundred gang members that night, Xue Hongling was clearly in low spirits upon returning to the inn.
She began to question whether what she was doing was right. She even refused Wu Chen’s invitation to eat roasted meat and returned to her room alone to rest.
’Damn it! I shouldn’t have said anything!’
Watching Xue Hongling sulkily head upstairs, Wu Chen could picture her tossing and turning under the covers, unable to sleep.
He was still after Xue Hongling’s Martial Arts. Seeing her in this state, he figured he would have to wait a couple of days to bring it up.
Before long, the aroma of roasting meat filled the rear courtyard.
Even though he’d spent the night ripping out bloody hearts, it hadn’t affected Wu Chen’s appetite in the slightest.
Afterward, he sliced a bowl for Xue Hongling as well and brought it upstairs.
Standing at her door, he could indeed hear the sound of Xue Hongling tossing and turning on her bed, unable to sleep.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!
After the knocking, the sounds inside stopped, followed by footsteps.
With a CREAK~, Xue Hongling’s icy face appeared at the door, and she glared resentfully at Wu Chen.
Wu Chen ignored it completely and offered her the roasted meat. The young lady’s gaze softened considerably.
After a full meal, it was natural to sleep.
By the time evening arrived, Wu Chen was straddling his windowsill.
He looked toward the room two doors down, where Xue Hongling’s aura was listless and her cheeks were haggard.
She must not have slept at all during the day, spending the whole time thinking about the question he had asked last night.
"Miss Xue, I’m not feeling well today. Why don’t we take a few days off?"
Wu Chen had no choice but to use his own discomfort as an excuse to get the young lady a few days’ break.
"Mm," Xue Hongling nodded, shrinking back into her room.
Wu Chen just shrugged and lay back on his own bed.
As for the remaining gang members, there was no rush.
Most of them were banking on their luck; the bizarre deaths of members from five whole gangs wouldn’t necessarily scare them into leaving.
In Black Stone City, these people could live the high life. If they left, they’d only be slightly better off than refugees.
Having gotten used to a spendthrift lifestyle, returning to poverty was a fate worse than death for them.
The next few days were a rare break.
Wu Chen had a good time over those two days, eating meat and drinking wine.
He also stood by the window, watching the streets that were finally showing signs of life again.
After all, five gangs—a third of the city’s total—and nearly one hundred and thirty villains had been killed.
With these evildoers gone, the city’s common folk felt the change most keenly.
With no more extortion or intimidation, no more daily humiliation and collection of "protection fees," they flocked to the streets, chattering about the news that had spread:
"The Blood Slaughter Sect can actually do good deeds like this?"
"Yeah, I heard the Profound Snake Gang, the Black Scorpion Gang... all of them had their hearts dug out!"
"At this rate, it looks like the other gangs in the city won’t get away."
"Heaven has truly opened its eyes!"
"..."
Wu Chen: "..."
’I worked my ass off killing those villains, and you’re thanking Heaven?’
But Wu Chen didn’t dwell on it. Instead, he turned his head and glanced toward the room two doors down.
The window there was slightly ajar, and Xue Hongling was also standing by it, secretly listening to the conversations of the people passing by.
As the commoners’ endless praise filled the air, the color clearly returned to her face, and her eyes grew firm with resolve.
Wu Chen shook his head with a sense of helplessness. He was about to lean out the window to make some small talk with the young lady, build their rapport, and then ask for her Martial Arts.
But then he heard the sound of hurried footsteps approaching from outside, finally stopping in front of his door.
"Young Master Wu!"
Jiang Fang’s voice came from outside the door:
"Are you available today? If so, I’ll come in!"
Wu Chen: "..."
Opening the door, Wu Chen looked at him. "What is it?"
"It’s like this, Young Master Wu. I’ve arranged a banquet at the Manxiang Building and would like to invite..."
Jiang Fang had a cheerful smile on his face, but his eyes held a trace of fear as he looked at Wu Chen. It seemed he was still terrified by Wu Chen’s methods of killing.
He had naturally heard about how five gangs had been wiped out in just a few days, and how, without exception, all their hearts had been dug out.
Although the Golden Tooth Gang, the largest of them all, still remained, a meal had to be eaten one bite at a time.
And it had only taken a few short days for five gangs to be annihilated.
At their current pace, the remaining eleven gangs would be gone in another ten days.
So this meal was his way of thanking Wu Chen for his help. After all, a few worthless Flesh Refining Realm and basic Martial Arts manuals were hardly a fitting reward.
"Not going." Wu Chen had no time for such things and couldn’t be bothered with social obligations. He refused outright.
"This..."
Jiang Fang was in a difficult position. It wouldn’t feel right not to show his gratitude in some way.
But his eyes quickly lit up, and he lowered his voice. "Young Master Wu, in that case..."
"I can also run a tab at the Flower and Grass Building!"
The Flower and Grass Building. To put it simply, it meant...
You spend money... to screw.
Just as Jiang Fang expected, Wu Chen’s eyes lit up, and he whispered one word:
"Excellent!"
The two shared a smile like kindred spirits, slung their arms over each other’s shoulders, and headed downstairs, making for the most prosperous area of Black Stone City, where the Flower and Grass Building was located.
But Wu Chen’s trip wasn’t for pleasure; the Flower and Grass Building was an enterprise of the Golden Tooth Gang.
Now that Xue Hongling’s mood had improved, she would surely resume her killing spree tonight.
The other small gangs were one thing, but the leader of this Golden Tooth Gang had deep roots in Black Stone City and was a veritable behemoth.
The gang leader was also notoriously elusive, so naturally, Wu Chen needed to scout things out first.
At the very least, he needed to get familiar with the terrain and see what this gang leader looked like.
That was why Wu Chen went along with Jiang Fang’s suggestion, planning a trip to the pleasure house known as the Flower and Grass Building.
However, as he was going downstairs, Wu Chen glanced back guiltily. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Xue Hongling wasn’t watching him.
「Flower and Grass Building, Entrance」
Black Stone City was, after all, a small city with a population of only forty to fifty thousand. There were only a handful of wealthy people, so this brothel was only two stories high and looked no different from an ordinary inn.
The first floor was for eating, drinking, and listening to a tune.
The second floor was for huffing, puffing, and groaning.
Jiang Fang had clearly been here before. As soon as they reached the entrance, a graceful figure swayed over to welcome them.
But with Wu Chen present, Jiang Fang quickly pushed her away and kept his distance.
The madam was a savvy woman. She simply walked ahead, announcing the arrival of honored guests, and led the two men to a private room on the second floor.
As Wu Chen went upstairs, he listened to the sounds around him. He found that most people were on the first floor listening to music. Of the dozen or so rooms on the second floor, only two or three showed any signs of activity.
"The Golden Tooth Gang’s casino is behind that screen on the first floor."
Jiang Fang whispered in Wu Chen’s ear.
He saw Wu Chen looking around and sizing the place up, but without a hint of frivolity in his eyes. He knew Wu Chen’s mind couldn’t possibly be on these common courtesans.
After all, how could someone who had a woman like Xue Hongling by his side possibly be interested in these ugly melons and cracked dates?
Wu Chen nodded without saying much. After looking around, he followed the girl forward.
As they passed a room, the door was suddenly thrown open, and a slender girl in worn-out green gauze stormed out, cursing.
"Son of a bitch! Over three hundred pounds of blubber pressing down on me every day."
"You’re almost old enough to be my father, what the hell do I see in you?"
"And in the end, you can’t even come up with two taels of silver?"
"After serving you for so many days, I’m practically dried up, and you don’t even pay a single coin, putting it all on a tab?"
"..."
Wu Chen raised an eyebrow. He thought getting services for free was a rare sight, and he’d managed to run into it.
He moved aside, about to make way for the girl who was about to storm out of the room.
But then a booming, muffled voice came from inside the room:
"This old master is just inconvenienced lately and needs to recover from an injury, so it’s not easy to get money."
"I have businesses outside the city that rake in gold every day! You serve me well, and you’re still afraid you won’t get paid?"
"Take this silver banknote, go find a money-changer and get it broken for me!"
Wu Chen found the voice a bit familiar, but he couldn’t place it at the moment.
As for the furious girl, she turned her head, saw a gleaming hundred-tael silver banknote, and her anger instantly turned to joy.
"Actually, I was wrong just now."
"I was just taking a break. Let’s continue."
"..."
Wu Chen couldn’t help but give a thumbs-up to the girl’s lightning-fast change of face. As she was closing the door, his curious gaze peeked into the room.
It would have been fine if he hadn’t looked, but one glance left Wu Chen stunned.
He saw someone he knew.
And the guest inside the room, at the very moment the door was about to close, also noticed the gaze from outside and looked up.
Their eyes met.
Panic instantly filled the man’s eyes.