Chapter 89: Chapter 85: Tiger Head Gang (Part 2)

Zhao Lin suddenly realized he was exceptionally skilled at fighting multiple opponents at once.

The moment he activated his echolocation, a 360-degree view formed in his mind. It was like looking down from high above; the movements and posture of everyone around him were perfectly clear.

"You..."

Wang Dazhao felt a cold chill shoot from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head. ’What kind of monster am I facing?’

’Is the gap between a sect and a martial arts dojo really this massive?’

His resolve wavered, and he secretly shot his subordinate, Li Pu, a look, signaling for him to hurry out and get reinforcements.

Li Pu gave a slight nod, took two steps back, then turned and ran for the door.

To draw Zhao Lin’s attention, Wang Dazhao leaped forward, raising his saber to strike.

Zhao Lin casually parried with the bent iron ruler. He used the momentum to spin, took a long stride, and appeared behind Li Pu in an instant.

The iron ruler came down, and Li Pu’s head burst open.

Without breaking stride, Zhao Lin lunged toward Wang Dazhao’s only remaining subordinate, Liu Mao.

Liu Mao was already scared witless and had lost all will to fight. "Head Constable, spare me!" he begged. "I was just..."

THUD!

Another body hit the floor.

"Head Constable Zhao, let’s talk this over..."

Wang Dazhao backed toward the side of the hall as he spoke, glancing at the doorway in suspicion.

’With all this noise, why hasn’t anyone come in? Could it be...’

"I know I was wrong. I shouldn’t have been prying into your personal affairs. But I swear, I hold no ill will toward you. Someone just paid me to do it."

"Let me put it this way," Wang Dazhao argued. "I’m just a knife seller at the market. If someone buys a knife from me, it’s not my business whether they use it to kill a man or chop vegetables. You see my point, right?"

He knew, of course, that no matter what he said, Zhao Lin wouldn’t let him go. This was all just to buy time.

Wang Dazhao had been navigating the criminal underworld for years; he wouldn’t have survived this long without a few aces up his sleeve.

This very hall was rigged with traps. Once triggered, the floor would collapse, and anyone who fell through would be impaled on the spikes hidden below.

Simultaneously, crossbow arrows would shoot from the walls, turning even a Qi Realm master into a pincushion.

"You’ve got a talent for twisting logic. Do you even believe that yourself?"

Zhao Lin gave a noncommittal smile. He tossed aside the iron ruler and picked up a bronze cudgel from the floor. He gave it a few swings; it felt good in his hands.

Wang Dazhao pretended not to notice. "If you’re still not satisfied, Constable Zhao, I can offer you financial compensation."

"Name any amount. I’ll give it to you, even if I have to sell everything I own!"

While speaking, he silently edged toward the weapon rack by the wall.

The trigger for the trap was behind the weapon rack.

"Oh? And how much is Gang Leader Wang willing to pay to save his life?"

Zhao Lin kept his eyes fixed on Wang Dazhao’s every move, showing no intention of advancing.

A fight to the death wasn’t a formal duel. Any and all tactics were fair game.

’I myself killed Zhao Feilong of the Heartless Pillar with a surprise attack, a case of the weak overcoming the strong. Others could be just as ruthless.’

’These underworld figures might be mediocre in martial arts, but their cunning is formidable. I’m on his turf now; I have to be careful.’

Wang Dazhao’s darting eyes told Zhao Lin he had an ace in the hole.

Zhao Lin wasn’t sure what the man’s trump card was, so he kept him talking while observing his every move.

A cool breeze swept through the hall, causing the candlelight to dance and casting shifting shadows across their faces.

"Heh, how about ten thousand silver taels?"

Wang Dazhao raised a hand, casually resting it on the weapon rack.

"Not enough." Zhao Lin shook his head slowly. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

Wang Dazhao gritted his teeth and made a new offer. "Thirty thousand silver taels!"

Zhao Lin let out a soft snort. "You’re quite generous, Gang Leader Wang."

"Of course. Money is important, but my life is more important."

Wang Dazhao licked his lips.

"Still not enough!"

As he spoke, Zhao Lin suddenly snatched up a dead guard’s body and, with a WHOOSH, hurled it at Wang Dazhao.

With a furious roar, Wang Dazhao raised his saber and hacked the body out of the air.

Before he could catch his breath, Zhao Lin hurled a chair at him.

With a CRACK, Wang Dazhao’s saber split the chair to pieces.

Seeing that Wang Dazhao refused to move from his spot, Zhao Lin knew what to do. He drew the iron axe from his belt, aimed, and hurled it with all his might.

The axe tumbled through the air with a piercing whir. Wang Dazhao knew his saber couldn’t block it and was forced to dodge aside.

Zhao Lin moved like a flash, taking two quick steps before stomping the ground and launching himself high into the air. He soared across the room, his form momentarily blocking out the light.

The bronze cudgel swung in a wide arc, descending with the force of a thunderbolt.

Despair flooded Wang Dazhao as he raised his saber with both hands to block.

CLANG!

The clash of metal was deafening.

Wang Dazhao saw stars, and he thought he heard the sound of his own bones cracking. A sticky, metallic sweetness filled his mouth.

He glanced down to see his chest caved in. Powerlessly, he slid down the wall to the floor and took his last, ragged breath.

Zhao Lin kicked the body aside and walked over to where Wang Dazhao had been standing. Behind the weapon rack, he saw something on the wall that looked like a handle.

’A pitfall or poison arrows?’

Though curious, he thought better of it and decided not to touch it.

After a glance at the bodies on the floor, Zhao Lin retrieved his axe and iron ruler. He grabbed the bronze cudgel as well—it was heavy and solid, much better for close combat than his ruler.

He patted down the corpses and found some bank notes and silver taels. A quick count revealed about two hundred taels in total. He couldn’t help but feel a little wistful.

Less than a year ago, he had been struggling just to get his next meal. Now, with all this money, he felt surprisingly little.

Zhao Lin swept his gaze across the hall one last time, then strode out.

Despite so many people dying in his own jurisdiction, Zhao Lin wasn’t worried about trouble.

Gangs didn’t report deaths to the authorities, and even if they did, the authorities wouldn’t care.

Once you joined the underworld, you gave up your standing in the world of law. Your life and death were your own, and you could no longer expect protection from the government.

That was an understanding you had to accept when you chose this path.

The night air was cool. Zhao Lin glanced toward the northern part of the city.

’Then there’s the Water Dragon Gang. Anyone who threatens my life or my family’s... I can’t let a single one of them live.’

But today wasn’t the day to act.

The Water Dragon Gang wasn’t based in the Eastern District, so he knew little about them. It would be foolish to charge in without knowing their true strength.

When Zhao Lin returned to the constables’ office, Liang Song was already asleep. Hearing the noise, he rolled over and mumbled, "Where’d you go so late?"

"Nowhere important. Go back to sleep," Zhao Lin answered offhandedly.

"Huh? Why do you smell like blood?"

Liang Song shot bolt upright. "Don’t tell me you went after the bandits," he said eagerly. "Why didn’t you take me with you?"

Zhao Lin shook his head calmly. "Not the bandits. But it will be soon."

"Make sure you take me with you then."

"Mm."

Liang Song nodded in satisfaction, lay back down, and immediately fell asleep.

A moment later, soft snores echoed through the constables’ quarters.