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墨書 Inktalez
The officials chasing him saw the River Dolphin enter the Chaos Beast Shore and dared not pursue any further, returning home in frustration.
Upon arriving at this den of thieves, the River Dolphin was overjoyed. The surrounding area was filled with deep marshes, making it a treacherous place for anyone unfamiliar with the terrain. He gathered his old acquaintances and claimed this mountain stronghold for himself, appointing Shen Chuan as his second-in-command.
Although they had secured this stronghold, there was a downside: the Chaos Beast Shore was rarely visited by others, and conducting business required traveling several dozen miles away, which was a trade-off.
In recent days, the mountain bandits had captured a few hostages and locked them in a cave, sending word for their families to bring silver in exchange for their release. With nothing else to do, they decided to intimidate the hostages for information and learned that Xu Shaoyin had encountered trouble and that his ancestral home had been sealed.
Shen Chuan, being a local thief from Suxzhou, was well aware of the situation there. Upon hearing the news, he thought to himself: Xu Guorui is a prominent figure in Suxzhou and has been in office for many years. His ancestral home must contain some hidden treasures. Why not take advantage of this opportunity before it is raided? He shared his thoughts with the River Dolphin.
Though life in the bandit camp was tough, the River Dolphin initially looked down on such petty thefts. However, after some consideration, he said, "Alright, I haven't been down the mountain in a while. Let's go down together and see what we can find."
Thus, the two set out from the Chaos Beast Shore. Shen Chuan was familiar with the roads, and within a few days, they arrived at Woniu Village. Late at night, they masked their faces and climbed over the wall into Xu Family Ancestral Home.
As they rummaged through the main hall for valuables, they suddenly heard a noise and realized someone had arrived. Peering through the window, they saw a figure in black enter the East Wing. The two crept outside the East Wing and waited until Gao Fang retrieved gold and silver items from a hidden compartment before exchanging glances that signaled it was time to act.
Shen Chuan relied on his lightness of foot to attempt a sneak attack. However, Gao Fang was alert and noticed him before he could get close; Shen Chuan had no choice but to retreat. Seeing their ambush fail, they took up positions to confront Gao Fang directly.
When Gao Fang leaped out, River Dolphin did not recognize him as an official from Suxzhou. But Shen Chuan immediately identified Gao Fang. After a moment's thought, he realized that this official was more direct than those who colluded with thieves.
Gao Fang recognized Shen Chuan's voice and understood that he must be a habitual offender who had crossed paths with him before. After sizing up Shen Chuan carefully, he guessed his identity correctly and said, "Shen Chuan! I have tried to capture you several times without success; I didn't expect you to come right into my trap today."
He then addressed River Dolphin: "I don't know who you are. If you have no business here, please do not interfere with my duties."
Shen Chuan was skilled in agility but lacked combat skills; thus Gao Fang felt no fear. However, River Dolphin was different—broad-shouldered and powerful with hands like iron hooks—he looked like someone who could hold his own in a fight. Gao Fang's words were meant to sow discord between them and defeat them separately.
Today’s plan had already been revealed; leaving any witnesses alive was not an option. However, taking on two opponents at once seemed uncertain; he aimed to eliminate one first as a safer strategy.
Shen Chuan was not angry upon hearing this; he had some confidence in River Dolphin's skills, especially with his own presence to disrupt the enemy. He boldly tore off his black scarf and said, "Stop playing these tricks. One day, you will force me into a corner, and today, it's your turn to suffer. Let's settle the old scores while we're at it."
Gao Fang ignored him, keeping his eyes fixed on River Dolphin. River Dolphin remained silent but pulled down the black scarf covering his face. A chill ran through Gao Fang as he realized that a hard fight was unavoidable. He stared at River Dolphin, silently lamenting his fate.
Although River Dolphin did not recognize him, Gao Fang recognized River Dolphin all too well. River Dolphin had gained a notorious reputation in Dingzhou, and although he had fled to Suxzhou without being captured, his likeness had been circulated among various authorities. The scar on River Dolphin's forehead made him easily identifiable.
This River Dolphin never held back when killing; he was known as Jiang Butcher. With wide eyes, River Dolphin fixed his gaze on Gao Fang. A layer of cold sweat broke out on Gao Fang's body as he sensed the impending doom. He began to think of ways to escape this disaster.
As the three men faced off, they suddenly heard a sound from outside the door. Moments later, two figures—one tall and one short—approached. Instantly, both men in the courtyard shouted, "Lu Duhou!"
The newcomers were Xunuo and Lu Duhou, and it was Gao Fang and Shen Chuan who called out to Lu Duhou. Although they were both calling for Lu Duhou, their reactions were mixed—one startled and the other relieved. Shen Chuan felt a pang of anxiety as his mind raced for an escape route.
Gao Fang quickly addressed Lu Duhou, saying, "Lu Duhou, this Scarface Thief is none other than Jiang Butcher, the notorious bandit wanted in Dingzhou. I tracked him down here today, only to find he has accomplices. You arrived just in time; capturing these two would be a tremendous achievement for both of us."
Lu Duhou could hardly believe the sudden turn of events; he was initially startled by their shouts but quickly accepted Gao Fang's words without doubt. After a moment's thought, he realized that teaming up with Gao Fang to capture these two thieves would be easy. He decided to subdue them first and let Gao Fang take credit for it; this way, he could maintain his own anonymity. He replied, "Gao Dutu has orders; how could I refuse?"
He then signaled Xunuo with a glance and said, "Nephew, this place is dangerous; you should step back."
Xunuo understood immediately and turned to leave the courtyard. Though young, Xunuo was clever enough to know not to let anyone recognize him.
Once outside, he thought about how Uncle Lu was also in danger in the courtyard and that he needed to come up with a way to help him—at least find some means of self-defense. This led him to remember a slingshot he had hidden in the ancestral hall.
While in town, Xunuo had no access to such toys for shooting; however, during a visit home for ancestral worship, he saw a boy from his village using a slingshot to hunt birds and small animals. Envious of the fun they were having, he asked one of his cousins to make him one. Although he enjoyed playing with it, he didn't dare let his father know when returning to town and hid it behind an altar in the ancestral hall.
With this thought in mind, Xunuo dashed toward the ancestral hall.
Meanwhile, seeing Xunuo leave, Gao Fang pondered briefly before signaling Lu Duhou that it was time to launch an attack.
"Over there!" Shen Chuan shouted. "Gao Fang, you scoundrel! We are all thieves here, and if we catch you, we will kill you to silence you. Have you killed all these people cleanly?"
Hearing this, Gao Fang's face turned cold. "Lu Duhou, don't listen to this thief's nonsense. If he dares to tarnish my name, then hand him over to me."
With that, he swung his knife and struck at Shen Chuan.
Lu Duhou was startled by Shen Chuan's words, realizing that if what he said was true, there would be more trouble ahead. But seeing Gao Fang engaged with Shen Chuan, he decided to deal with these two thieves first before speaking further. He drew his knife and confronted the River Dolphin.
The River Dolphin, confident in his martial arts skills and knowing he was at a life-and-death moment, let out a loud shout and swung his dual hooks to engage Lu Duhou. Both Lu Duhou and the River Dolphin were skilled fighters, and their clash was fierce and chaotic, with neither side gaining the upper hand.
Meanwhile, Gao Fang had quickly gained the upper hand against Shen Chuan. Shen Chuan was in a panic as he struggled to fend off Gao Fang's relentless attacks. Relying on his lightness skill, he dodged and maneuvered but found himself in increasingly dangerous situations. Realizing that if things continued like this, he might lose his life here.
He thought it best to escape first. Seizing an opportunity, he dashed towards the wall and attempted to leap over it. But Gao Fang shouted loudly, "Come on!"
With a flick of his left hand, a dart flew straight toward Shen Chuan's heart.
Shen Chuan was already in mid-air and had no time to evade; he hurriedly deflected the dart with his knife. Just as he felt a momentary relief, a sharp pain struck his abdomen, causing him to collapse against the wall.
This was Gao Fang's signature move known as the Mother-Daughter Soul-Chasing Darts. The technique involved launching two darts simultaneously—one after the other—making it nearly impossible to evade. Gao Fang had anticipated Shen Chuan's need to escape and had prepared the darts beforehand, waiting for the right moment when Shen Chuan was airborne.
Now lying on the ground unable to rise, Shen Chuan curled up in pain. Gao Fang approached and delivered another strike to Shen Chuan's head. Satisfied that he was thoroughly dead, he turned back to join the ongoing battle.
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