Chapter 656: The Inn

Several hunters, like blood-soaked gourds, had their torn leather coats ripped into tattered strips.

They panicked, legs trembling, and rolled down the hillside.

"The tiger demon is eating people!"

A sturdy peasant woman saw it and screamed at the top of her lungs.

Instantly, the entire market erupted in chaos.

The old man selling candied hawthorns jerked his hand, and the straw skewer shattered with a clatter, the hawthorn balls rolling into a pile of donkey dung.

The giant performing chest-breaking had just raised his hammer when the blue stone slab beneath him cracked cleanly in two.

It wasn't that he wielded gang jin—he was just unlucky; the man beneath him had shaken too violently.

The monkey troupe fared worse: seven or eight wild monkeys shrieked and screeched, dragging iron chains into the crowd, overturning steamer baskets at the bun stall and tearing apart the "Wu Family Biscuit" canopy…

The market was already crowded, and the chaos triggered a chain reaction.

Many mistook it for "The tiger demon is coming down the mountain to eat people," and seeing others flee, they snatched up their children and shoved blindly toward the exits; those who stood on tiptoe to see the spectacle were shoved off balance…

Sha Lifei and the others weren't idle.

Seeing a child knocked down and trampled by the crowd, Sha Lifei rushed forward, crossed his hands, used precise force to part the throng, and scooped up the wailing child in his arms.

Wu Ba's strength was astonishing—he slapped the scalding oil pot back into place with one palm and held up the towering wooden banner alone as it teetered toward collapse.

But faced with this chaotic crowd, all they could do was a drop in the bucket.

At that moment, Long Yan'er suddenly moved.

She formed a hand seal, her white sleeves fluttering, and countless "Frost Moths" rose into the air; though their fluorescent tails failed to glow in daylight, the powdered scales from their wings rained down upon the crowd.

Her demon magic could not be resisted even by ordinary cultivators, let alone these commoners.

Soon, a strange sight appeared in the market:

The panicked civilians all stood frozen, eyes vacant, drooling.

And the effect kept spreading.

"Bold!"

From afar, inside the inn, a roar rang out: "How dare you use demon magic to harm people in broad daylight!"

Before the words faded, the second-story window shattered violently, and a figure shot out through the air.

He was bulky, yet moved with uncanny agility—his toes barely touched the ground as he landed, like a horse galloping through clouds; in two swift steps he leapt off the awning's supports and soared above the crowd, palm aimed at Long Yan'er's head.

Long Yan'er, still maintaining her spell, glanced at him coolly and ignored him.

She knew he couldn't harm her.

Indeed, behind him, Sha Lifei, one arm holding the child, swiftly drew a flintlock pistol with a single motion from his waist.

He recognized it instantly, yanked his hand back, and executed a sharp kite flip, landing and retreating.

"Cowardly!"

After landing, he roared in fury.

He was a man in brocade robes, tall and broad, with palms that hung past his knees.

His features were peculiar, and his martial skill was no joke.

Sha Lifei didn't tolerate it—he shot back: "Blind dog, can't you see we're saving lives?"

Whoosh!

A group of men surged from afar—all martial practitioners—brandishing blades, spears, staves, and clubs, surrounding them.

At the same time, several men from the Canal Guild snapped out of their daze.

"It's a misunderstanding! All a misunderstanding!"

Sweating profusely, they rushed to block the center and plead.

"Second Master Shi, these people are esteemed guests of our Chief…"

"Master Sha, this man is our Chief's junior brother…"

After much explanation, both sides lowered their weapons.

Sha Lifei muttered a few curses but stayed beside Long Yan'er; Wu Ba chuckled dumbly, subtly keeping the crowd at a distance—he wouldn't relax just because of ties.

The man before them was Shi Heilong, Chen San's junior brother, rumored to be a descendant of the famed thief Shi Qian—nimble in combat, sharp-witted, and owner of the Jingyanggang Inn, who traded on the legacy of Liangshan heroes, a local martial arts magnate.

Thanks to him, the Jingyanggang Temple Fair had grown over the years.

Hearing the Canal Guild men's whispered words, Shi Heilong's face showed clear surprise.

"Esteemed masters, I was rash—I apologize."

Shi Heilong didn't argue—he bowed straightaway.

"No problem."

Sha Lifei grinned and brushed it off.

With the misunderstanding cleared, matters became easier.

Long Yan'er formed a hand seal and released her illusion; the Canal Guild men and Shi Heilong's followers calmed the panicked civilians, carried away the injured, and took them to the clinic.

Shi Heilong, as organizer of the market, earned substantial income openly and secretly each year.

If mishandled, this market might never reopen.

After a while, the chaotic market finally dispersed.

The timid civilians, already carrying elders and children, had fled the scene.

The bold ones—many martial performers—still stood on tiptoe, lingering to watch.

"All of you, clear out! Don't spread nonsense!"

Shi Heilong glared around: "What tiger demon? Probably just a tiger that wandered down from the hills. Don't worry—I'll climb up and cut its penis for wine! The authorities said spreading rumors gets you beheaded come autumn!"

His mix of soothing words and threats finally drove off the onlookers.

After all, if things got too wild, even he couldn't handle the fallout.

Having done this, Shi Heilong turned immediately toward the inn.

The wounded hunters were still inside—he needed to find out exactly what happened.

Sha Lifei gave a glance, and the group followed behind.

Partly out of curiosity, partly hoping to pick up a job.

Shi Heilong noticed, stirred slightly, but said nothing.

The Jingyanggang Inn's interior clearly had been carefully arranged.

A faded tiger-head liquor flag hung in the hall; beside the elm counter stood a peachwood carved screen depicting Wu Song fighting the tiger; stacks of coarse ceramic bowls formed a tower, weighed down by printed opera texts from Water Margin—strong thematic flair.

But it was old.

The copper kettle hanging over the hearth was blackened with soot; the scent of burnt liquor mingled with pine resin.

Hunters' pelts were nailed to the beams; a copper cudgel replica in the corner was coated in spiderwebs; even the yellow paper bearing "Three Bowls Won't Get You Over the Hill" was blurred by grease and smoke.

Several hunters, lightly bandaged, sat on the hall's bench.

Each pale-faced, drinking liquor to steady their nerves.

"Master!"

Seeing Shi Heilong enter, they all scrambled to their feet.

The Jingyanggang Inn was famed for its strong liquor and fine wild game.

Relying solely on deliveries was never enough, so Shi Heilong hired several hunters to roam the mountains year-round, supplying the inn with game.

"No formalities—sit down. What happened?"

Shi Heilong pulled over a bench and sat, his expression grim.

"Master, we were terrified…"

Old Hunter Zhang trembled as he downed yellow wine, foam dripping from his beard:

"We spent the night in the hills. At dawn, the forest was eerily silent—not a single bird call. Er Leng insisted he saw a lame deer, so we followed the blood trail to Old Pine Slope, then suddenly smelled a sweet, foul stench…"

Shi Heilong frowned. "Sweet? Animals stink, don't they?"

"It's true!"

Old Zhang hurried to explain: "Like… like a rotten peach in midsummer, mixed with the incense from temple offerings!"

Hearing this, Sha Lifei's eyes narrowed slightly.

The other hunters began chiming in.

"The thing oozed out from the tree shadows…"

"Yes, in broad daylight—its eyes were green, staring like ice scraping bone."

"Why do you call it a tiger demon?"

"Sanwa shot an arrow—the shaft shattered into splinters the moment it left the bow. Its breath froze our leather coats solid; when we ran, they clattered like ice."

"Fog rolled in. We fled to the graveyard; behind a tombstone, a man in funeral robes stepped out, face painted chalk-white, grinning at us—but that laugh… it was a tiger's roar!"

Listening, Shi Heilong felt a chill crawl up his spine.

He knew these hunters—they'd grown up in the hills, seen strange things before—but to scare them this badly? It was no ordinary incident.

He thought of this, then asked cautiously: "Did you break some taboo?"

Old Zhang's face twisted. "Master, we're seasoned hands—we'd never be reckless."

"Before climbing, we burned incense, watched our words, remembered what to hunt and what to leave alone…"

Then his expression changed abruptly. "Could it be… that thing?"

"What did you do? Spit it out!"

Shi Heilong's eyes flashed, his voice stern.

Hunter Old Zhang looked at the others and shook his head. "The Wu Song Temple on the mountain is old and neglected, falling into ruin. We've tidied it up a bit, and Shanwa made a vow—he wants to hunt a few tigers."

Shi Heilong's face darkened. "So now it's my fault?"

Most of Jingyang Gang's fame comes from "Wu Song Beats the Tiger."

The tiger meat in the inn was naturally the star dish.

Shi Heilong had specifically doubled the reward for catching tigers.

"Don't blame the proprietor."

Several hunters quickly apologized.

Shi Heilong wasn't truly angry—he paused, then turned to Sha Lifei, his mind stirring. He bowed respectfully. "Gentlemen, my apologies for the oversight."

"I've heard of the Twelve Zodiacs' name. Might I ask—"

"Of course."

Sha Lifei smiled faintly. "Our fee is just a bit steep."

Shi Heilong patted his chest. "Price doesn't matter. As long as you rid us of this threat, I won't shortchange you—name your price."

"Bold!"

Sha Lifei gave a thumbs-up. "The Ezhou Guild charges thirty thousand taels for a job. Our rates have gone up since then, but since you're Brother Chen San's acquaintance, we'll stick to that old rate."

At these words, the crowd erupted.

"Thirty thousand taels!"

"That's a lion's demand—why not just rob a bank?"

"Even Liu Zhenren from Yanggu County would do it for three thousand!"

Hearing their complaints, Sha Lifei merely smiled, saying nothing.

Shi Heilong had recognized the spirit magic earlier, yet still dared to face Long Yan alone.

Though the misunderstanding was cleared, he still needed to test them.

If they agreed immediately, there was definitely something wrong.

The tiger demon might just be a trap…

"Quiet!"

Shi Heilong's face turned grim. He glared fiercely at the Canal Gang disciples who had followed him, then bowed. "Gentlemen, my apologies. I'll handle this myself."

Hearing this, Sha Lifei was certain.

This man was a fool—he knew a little about the Daoist sects, but barely understood anything.

Given the Twelve Zodiacs' current reputation, thirty thousand taels was not excessive.

Of course, that was the team's total fee. If only a few of them handled it, it would cost less—but still far beyond what these martial artists could afford.

Thinking this, Sha Lifei prepared to lead his men away.

Either they rid the land for free, or they charged the going rate.

In any case, they couldn't take just any job and tarnish the Twelve Zodiacs' name.

That was human nature.

If you asked too little, people would look down on you.

As for the tiger demon, it was easy enough to handle.

Zhangqiu Town had a City God Temple; Daoist practitioners were never far away.

Once reported, someone would come to deal with it.

But just then, Zhao Lüzi—who had been silent until now—tugged at Sha Lifei's sleeve, stepped forward, and spoke: "Brother Sha's joking. We'll handle this job. The fee? We only want one item from Shi's inn."

There's treasure here!

Hearing this, Sha Lifei instantly understood. He rubbed his bald head and laughed. "Of course—I was just joking. Since we know Brother Chen San, no fee needed."

Zhao Lüzi still couldn't speak properly, so he patched it up.

Sure enough, Shi Heilong heard and immediately shook his head, rising and waving his hand. "What nonsense is this?"

"Don't you know me? Am I some stingy man? Take whatever you want from the inn!"

To be honest, he wasn't stupid.

Sha Lifei and Zhao Lüzi's behavior clearly meant they'd found something.

But he wasn't a Daoist, and he absolutely didn't want to report it to the City God Temple.

After all, gossip was dangerous—even if they caught the demon, business at Jingyang Gang would be ruined.

He'd have to handle it himself, then claim it was all rumor.

Besides, he was curious—what in his inn could possibly interest these people?

"Fine!"

Sha Lifei agreed at once, then turned to Zhao Lüzi.

Zhao Lüzi wasn't in a hurry. Under everyone's gaze, he walked around the main hall, then went to the kitchen and carried out a plump mottled cat.

Shi Heilong blinked. "You want this cat?"

He was puzzled. Several cats were kept in the inn to chase away rats.

This one was the laziest—never caught rats, always sneaking into the kitchen to steal food.

If it hadn't been raised from kittenhood, it would've been thrown out long ago.

Zhao Lüzi still said nothing. He walked a few steps through the hall, then suddenly leapt, springing onto the table and tossing the cat high into the air.

"Meow!"

The mottled cat was flung straight to the rafters. But once landed, it didn't move—its fur stood on end, back arched, and it kept shrieking at the corner of the rafters, as if seeing something terrifying.

Zhao Lüzi, agile as a monkey, scrambled up the rafters. From his sleeve he pulled a red cord, his hands darting like lightning, swiftly binding a strange object. Only then did he leap down.

Everyone saw it: an old bronze candlestick.

Shi Heilong stared in disbelief. "This… who put a candlestick up on the rafters?"

Clearly, he hadn't known it was there. Curious, he couldn't help asking: "Gentlemen, I keep my word—but may I ask, what kind of treasure is this?"

Watching Zhao Lüzi's actions, he now guessed he was a Biao Man—a treasure-seeker—and his curiosity burned.

"It's a 'Perpetual Lamp' from a tomb."

Zhao Lüzi glanced at him. "What's it for? I'd explain, but you wouldn't understand—and you couldn't use it. But someone placed this on your rafters to curse you."

"Have you had any dreams while sleeping at night?"

At these words, several people—including Shi Heilong—turned pale…

(End of Chapter)