Chapter 548: A Visit (2600 Add-on)

Fish Market.

Aaron was still selling fish. By now, everyone knew his fishing skills were superb, and since he often had good stock, they all liked to buy from him.

Therefore, he was the first to close his stall every day, and he earned the most money.

However, he still paid his dues on time.

"Oh my... Master Yu, you really take care of your brothers. With you leading the way, it's much easier for me to get by here."

Wang Pangzi was tearfully grateful to him and thanked him repeatedly: "Another day, I'll play host and treat Master Yu to flower wine in the city. Please, you must do me the honor!"

"Easy to say, easy to say."

In the courtyard, the corpse of Zhang Heihu was laid out on a straw mat, covered with a white cloth, stained with mottled blood...

"Then, I wonder what the strengths and weaknesses of each family's martial arts are?"

After shaking his head for a while, he suddenly spoke: "You brat, you keep coming here... what exactly are you after?"

"This..." Wang Pangzi wiped the cold sweat from his face: "Since that brat did such a thing, he must have run off... or gone into the lake to become an outlaw..."

Wang Pangzi personally led men to seal off the scene, waiting for the Golden Fish Gang and the Detective to arrive.

"Stop hiding, I see you!"

In reality, he had also been eyeing the other party and Ge Lao's few disciples for a long time.

"That's right... but don't even think about it... Even your Master, Xue Qingshan, only has one manual, the 'Black Sand Palm'! Reaching Great Success in Dark Energy is the absolute limit. Hehe... what, are you very disappointed?" Ge Lao asked with a grin.

'The head turns but the body does not; this is the look of a wolf looking back! Wolf-gazing and eagle-eyed... he is a ruthless person!'

As long as one's skin is thick enough, everything else doesn't really matter.

A shadow snuck over the wall and entered. The old yellow dog in the corner was startled awake, and just as it wanted to bark twice, he covered its head and stabbed a knife into its neck.

"It really is you, you little brat!"

"Ge Lao... I've come again."

"Ouch... ouch..."

"Tianhe is preparing to defect to the rebel army in the lake's water fortress. If the expert has any errands in the future, I will surely die to fulfill them!"

This was likely the kind of place Xiao Chu intended to join.

This old man had no other hobbies; he was just a bit of a glutton.

"Rebel army?"

Aaron smiled and lifted the dried small fish in his hand: "Freshly dried small fish. I knew you liked this best, so I specifically sought them out!"

"So that's how it is... This Lao Yutou, his fate is truly poor." After learning the cause and effect, Aaron pulled out a handful of large coins and stuffed them into the waiter's hand: "This is a tip for you, bring me wine!"

He smiled: "Once I join the gang, this Fish Market will be handed over to you, Brother Fang Yu."

"After Bone Refining Dark Strength, is it Tendon Changing Transforming Strength?" Aaron's eyes lit up.

Ever since he found out that Ge Lao liked to eat dried small silver fish with his wine, Aaron often brought fish over to build a relationship.

"Speaking of martial arts, the Cao Family's 'Red Thread Sword' and the Liu Family's 'Iron Shirt Fist' in this prefecture... can be called the twin beauties of the moment. Especially the 'Red Thread Sword'; those with weapons have an advantage over those without!"

"Master Yu... everything has been inquired about."

"Ah!!!"

At first, Zhang Heihu screamed incessantly, but later, there was no sound...

Wang Pangzi handed over a blood-stained dagger: "According to the testimony of Wang the Blacksmith... he did indeed sell this knife. The blade is very new, just recently... the buyer was Lao Chutou's son, Xiao Chu!"

The fishermen beside Aaron automatically pushed aside, and a member of the Golden Fish Gang immediately stepped forward to whisper a report about Aaron's identity.

Aaron paid special attention to Duan Lang.

A woman saw Xiao Chu covered in blood and let out a scream; the wooden basin in her hand fell to the ground, and hot water splashed everywhere.

Why was he so useless?

After Ge Lao was tipsy, Aaron took the opportunity to ask a few questions: "Ge Lao... although you don't practice martial arts, you are quite familiar with all the martial arts schools in Taize, right?"

"Heh, wanting to kill your Hu Ye? You're eight hundred years too early!"

"Hmm, let's leave it at that."

Half a month later.

Ge Lao was noncommittal and continued to drink. As he slowly got into the mood, he began to curse his own good-for-nothing son.

Ge Lao became interested: "However, the Liu Family's 'Iron Shirt Fist' is also not bad; it is a martial art that can be cultivated to Transformation Energy..."

Xiao Chu's eyes were splitting with rage; he hated!

He had practiced martial arts after all, and although he had not yet reached Entering Strength, this kick was heavy and powerful, leaving Xiao Chu unable to climb up for a long time.

Aaron stroked his chin.

Pfft!

A dagger was stuck straight into the bed, and Xiao Chu's eyes were splitting with rage: "Dog thief, pay with your life!"

"Young Gang Leader... that poor fisherman doesn't know what's good for him, please don't lower yourself to his level."

The waiter shouted, then lowered his voice: "Forgive my loose tongue, but that Lao Yutou has been distant from you lately. We are all poor people trying to save our lives; other things aren't worth it..."

Duan Lang stepped forward to pay his respects: "I have also met Ding Shan, the Great Senior Brother of your Wuguan, and enjoyed wine and conversation with Brother Ding. The little brother is a man of talent and comes from the fishermen under our gang's jurisdiction; would you be willing to join our gang?"

Duan Lang sneered several times: "Starting to learn martial arts at nineteen is already too late... Learning too early damages the body, and learning too late means the tendons and bones have solidified; both are difficult... I think he will spend his whole life just hovering at the threshold of Entering Strength. If it weren't for Ding Shan's sake, I wouldn't even bother saying a word."

This shadow broke directly into the master bedroom and saw Zhang Heihu lying there.

"Huhu..."

'However... Chu Tianhe? This Great Ming is not bad; perhaps this child will surely achieve great things in the future?'

After speaking, he jumped onto the small boat, rowed it, and headed toward the depths of Taize Lake...

According to him, that unfilial son had no interest at all in inheriting the Medicine that he took such pride in, but instead spent his days obsessed with poetry and songs, wanting to walk the path of a scholar; no matter how he tried to persuade him, he wouldn't listen.

Xiao Chu called out a few times, then suddenly knelt on the ground and kowtowed three times: "Since the expert is unwilling to appear, I, Chu Tianhe, will not force it!"

……

Aaron muttered to himself, placed the Yellow Wine on the stove, and called out again: "Bring another plate of broad beans!"

"Coming right up."

"Hehe... Naturally, what kind of eye do you think this old man has?" Ge Lao said complacently: "Even back when the Old Patriarch Liu had a Qi deviation while practicing, it was this old man who... *hiccup*... saved him!"

Aaron brushed it off casually, but overall, he felt that this Wang Pangzi was more deep-thinking than Zhang Heihu.

Moreover, this kind of small silver fish wasn't worth much, so fishermen were generally too lazy to sell them, just drying them out to use as snacks for children.

"Isn't it that I have some interest in Medicine..."

At Zhang Heihu's home.

After the broad beans were brought up, he picked one up, stuffed it into his mouth, and silently savored the taste.

Duan Lang stopped talking, turned around, and left.

"Oh? Could it be that little brother feels this gang is too small to hold a true Buddha?" Duan Lang narrowed his eyes.

"Dead woman, did you fetch the water?"

"Yes, it has already grown distant and estranged."

He really didn't think much of Xiao Chu's chances of making a name for himself.

Xiao Chu panted heavily, stumbled to his feet, his face and body covered in fresh blood, and walked out the door.

"Even if it's difficult, it must be done."

Duan Lang couldn't be bothered to exchange pleasantries with Wang Pangzi; he strode out of the courtyard, then suddenly looked at Aaron.

Ever since he tried a bowl last time, Aaron hadn't mentioned the 'Qinglong Life-Snatching Decoction' again; after all, this was someone's life work, and it wasn't realistic to try and scheme for it.

Zhang Heihu was shouting when he suddenly smelled a fishy odor, caught a flash of blade Light in the corner of his eye, and hurriedly rolled a few times.

Before long, he saw a young man from a wealthy family walk over, dressed in flying-fish brocade robes with fish-scale patterns on the sleeves and collar.

Behind him, Wang Pangzi and several Detectives were all nodding and bowing, their faces full of sycophancy.

Duan Lang casually tossed the dagger to Wang Pangzi: "No matter how pathetic Zhang Heihu was, he was still a member of my Golden Fish Gang. This trend must not be allowed to grow; we must catch that Xiao Chu, dig out his heart and liver, and offer them as a sacrifice to our brothers in the gang..."

"This one... should be the Young Gang Leader of the Golden Fish Gang—Duan Lang, right?"

A gust of fragrant wind blew over, and it was Si Niang sitting opposite him with a flower-like smile: "However much you drink today, I will drink with you..."

My Martial arts haven't reached the point of being invincible in the world yet, so why run off to a new map to seek death?

Yuyang Restaurant.

Slap!

Zhang Heihu lost his footing, fell directly to the ground, and the dagger in his hand flew to the side.

Inside the reeds, Aaron's expression was incomparably calm as he continued to lay low.

"I am honored by the Young Gang Leader's regard, but I am not skilled in managing affairs... I would rather focus on practicing Wu and do some Fishing on the side." Aaron declined.

Duan Lang didn't say anything and walked directly into Zhang Heihu's courtyard.

Zhang Heihu, because he aggravated his wounds, grinned and grimaced as he picked up the dagger Xiao Chu had dropped, spat, and said: "I'll send you to reunite with your father right now!"

The next day.

"Young Gang Leader..." a Detective in black robes also cupped his hands and said: "We have already drawn a portrait of the criminal and had Zhang Heihu's concubine identify it; the killer is indeed this person... Additionally, according to the fishermen, this Xiao Chu's father was once beaten to death by Zhang Heihu, and he himself had two fingers cut off; this is a blood feud for his father."

However, he couldn't care about these things; amidst the woman's screams of "Murder!", he scrambled out the back door...

Ge Lao had a stubborn personality, but his few Disciples seemed to be the type who only cared about money...

"It's just unfortunate... in the kitchen of the wealthy household that bought the fish, there happened to be a servant who was a relative of a Golden Fish Gang Disciple. Word spread back to the gang, the Gang Leader was furious and said he would punish him severely, even Zhang Heihu was dealt with... They also spent a large sum to hire the 'Eye-Piercing Catcher' to come out of retirement with his Disciples, and they managed to drag Lao Yutou back!"

He ran all the way to the shore, and as a cold wind blew, he suddenly calmed down a bit.

Aaron took the initiative to pour more wine for Ge Lao: "Furthermore... you have vast knowledge, and every time I chat with you, I benefit immensely."

He poured himself a cup of wine, slowly ate the dried small fish, and looked completely satisfied.

"So it is Brother Fang from the Qingshan Martial Arts Hall!"

Although Ge Lao's face was gloomy, his hands and feet were nimble as he cleared the stone table and stools, and brought out a wine pot and two cups.

The weather was clear.

After another flurry of activity, a woman hurried out the door to the kitchen to boil water.

Nighttime.

Wang Pangzi hurriedly chased after him, though in his heart he felt a great sense of relief; his rice bowl was saved!

"Lacking ambition... what use is a Martial Master who dares not see blood?"

Seeing this heaven-sent opportunity, Xiao Chu picked up the dagger, threw himself frantically onto Zhang Heihu, and began stabbing him desperately.

"Young Gang Leader, please look... this is the knife used by the killer. The wounds are messy, clearly the killer does not know Martial arts!"

……

After all, someone had died, and it was a former minor leader of the Golden Fish Gang.

"So that's how it is..."

The entire Fish Market and the pier were deathly silent.

After the previous incident, his relationship with Wang Pangzi had improved quite a bit, and things could be accommodated in some areas.

"The motive, the murder weapon, and the witness are all here... the case can be closed."

Well, things are easier to resolve when handled slowly!

It would be easy to burn bridges by speaking rashly, but by building a good relationship first, it would be much simpler to obtain the prescription for the 'Qinglong Life-Snatching Decoction' from his spendthrift son and Disciples after Ge Lao passed away...

"Many thanks to the expert for helping me avenge this Blood Sea feud!"

Aaron carried a string of dried small fish and walked swaggeringly into Taize Prefecture City.

Aaron sat down, and the waiter came over to greet him, lowering his voice: "Lao Yutou did indeed catch a Red Blood Carp, but he also knew that many large restaurants in Taize Prefecture City have eyes and ears from the Golden Fish Gang, so he traveled for a day and a night to sell it in a nearby county town!"

But the life of a water bandit is even more miserable than that of a fisherman!

As a Force-Entering Martial Artist, there are still many places to make money; what Aaron said was also the truth.

From inside the master bedroom, the sound of Zhang Heihu's pained cries drifted out.

The other party had a long, narrow face with the look of a hawk, and his own martial arts were quite profound; seemingly sensing Aaron's gaze, he turned his head directly while walking without turning his body, giving the people who had been discussing him a fright.

……

Zhang Heihu delivered a flying kick and sent Xiao Chu flying.

Even though the enemy was right before his eyes, he was still powerless!

Xiao Chu was startled, and the dagger in his hand fell to the ground.

"No, I don't want to cause trouble... The life of licking blood from a blade is too stimulating, I really can't stand it. To tell you the truth... even when the fellow apprentices from the Wuguan who work as armed escorts invite me, I turn them down."

These things were also true; Ge Lao had seen much of the world, and after drinking happily, he liked to talk about his experiences, which opened Aaron's eyes.

"It is said that he is only twenty years old this year and has already reached Great Success in Bright Energy; he will surely be able to enter Dark Energy in the future and become an expert in his own right!"

If he were to be tricked into revealing himself by this young man's two sentences, he wouldn't need to mix in the pugilistic world anymore.

Xiao Chu looked toward the dense, shadowy reeds and suddenly shouted: "Yu, Yu, is that you?"

His Senior Sisters and brothers from the Inner Courtyard did indeed try to recruit him as an armed escort or something similar, but he would not do that kind of quick-money work.

He walked past Qingshan Martial Arts Hall and entered the 'Huichun Hall' next to it.

Aaron also mingled in the crowd to watch the excitement.

"You dead woman, be lighter with the medicine..."

"It's alright, anyway, I'm not someone you think will just spin around in Bright Energy for the rest of my life, why think about all that useless stuff?" Aaron shrugged his shoulders.

He still needed to wait slowly for an opportunity.

A newly Force-Entering Martial Artist is not that rare; if it weren't for his connection to Qingshan Martial Arts Hall, he wouldn't even bother to recruit him.

Swish!

Just as Zhang Heihu was grinning hideously and about to strike, a pebble suddenly flew in from outside the window.

"Ah!"

Aaron listened with a smile, chiming in with a few words from time to time.

Under the crackdown of the government, even eating salt had become difficult!

Furthermore, licking blood from a blade carries a much higher mortality rate than being a fisherman.

The harvests have been poor these past few years, and many commoners have fled to Taize Lake, forming dozens of water bandit groups of various sizes.

Ge Lao's face twitched, but he did not refute; he let a few Apprentices take over the work he was doing and brought Aaron to the back hall.

"Boring..." Ge Lao curled his lips, picked up another dried small fish, and chewed it slowly.

"Ge Lao... do you know of any wicked martial arts?" Aaron suddenly asked: "For example... those that progress rapidly but have terrifying side effects, like shortening one's lifespan?"

(End of chapter)