Chapter Eighteen: The Master of the Assassins’ Fist

"Pull him up, pull him up, higher, slower—don't damage the corpse."

"It's Scarface! Scarface is really dead!"

A few Water Dragon Gang divers, bare-chested, floated up from the river, lifting a corpse already somewhat swollen. It was none other than Soul-Chasing Wolf Wu Scarface.

"The old constable asks if we want him to send some coroner’s assistants from the yamen. After all, this is a homicide case," a man in a tight shirt whispered.

"Our Four Tigers and Eight Wolves of the Water Dragon Gang were beaten to death, and you want the authorities to investigate? Are you out of your mind?" The branch leader from Canton city spat angrily. "Tell that old man to stop meddling. Clear out everyone else—say the Water Dragon Gang is handling business. Clear the place and lock down the news!"

"Wow, Brother Turtle, so impressive. When are you going to see Swallow Girl again? She's been pining for you," a languid young man carrying a food box walked in, unconcerned by the cordon. Yet all the nearby Water Dragon Gang members looked at him with respect.

Swallow Girl was the most skilled courtesan in the private brothels of Canton city.

"Wing."

"Wolf Fourth."

"Wing is here too."

The hot-tempered leader from before looked awkward and muttered, "Ah Wing, don’t make jokes at a time like this. I know you and Scarface didn't get along, but after all, he's dead."

"Hey, which eye of yours saw me not getting along with Wu Scarface? He was the Soul-Chasing Wolf, while I’m the Winged Wolf," Luo Wing said, seeing the other man's confusion, and couldn't help but sigh. "Don’t you get it? Wolves gather in packs, tigers rule the mountains. Sure, I liked to curse him now and then, but now that he’s dead, all eight wolves of the Water Dragon Gang must mourn him and seek revenge!"

"Damn, I rarely come back, and it turns into such a mess. Wasn’t Scarface always cautious? He used to bring a hundred men for an arrest. How did he get beaten to death? Tell me, Wei, what really happened?"

One-Eyed Wolf Wei the Blind squatted by the corpse and replied without turning, "Scarface had a younger brother, do you remember Ah Shui?"

"I know. We all called him the godbrother. That’s why Scarface was a pervert—his own brother was his ‘godbrother.’ Was it really because he was too wet? Only someone with a twisted mind would do such a thing. Don’t look at me like that—I said it in front of him when he was alive. Now he's a ghost, am I not allowed to say it?"

Wei the Blind frowned, but knowing this was Luo Wing’s way, continued, "The night the docks burned, Ah Shui died there."

Luo Wing was stunned. "These two really destined to be a pair of star-crossed lovers. Wei, when Scarface is buried, should we put these two dog brothers in the same grave and dig two dry channels for feng shui so they don’t come haunting me?"

Seeing Wei the Blind glowering, Luo Wing laughed awkwardly, "I’m just saying, you’re trying to say Ah Shui died, Scarface tried to avenge him, and ended up dead too. But wait, didn’t that guy who stole the roster die at the inn? And Old Ghost Zheng—his old iron spear was found, and those northern gunners never leave their weapons behind."

"Our brothers in the authorities told me, from the roster found in the inn’s ruins, there were four bodies missing, including Old Iron Zheng’s grandson, Zheng Bao’er, and that young roster thief. They were a group."

"I heard the chief steward paid respects in person. That old man’s gotten timid—northern bigwigs can reach all the way to our Lingnan, but why be so submissive?" Luo Wing grumbled.

"I agree with this. Right now is the Water Dragon Gang’s most critical time. If we can avoid trouble, we should," said Wei the Blind calmly. "What I want to say is, the young man Scarface was chasing, I saw him in the inn. He showed no sign of martial arts skill."

"You saw? Can you trust that one eye of yours?" Luo Wing shivered at the cold flash in Wei’s eye; he knew never to mention Wei’s eye. He quickly changed the subject, "If he can’t fight, how did he kill Scarface and escape a hundred men?"

"That’s what’s baffling me. Scarface’s body has no wounds, only three broken fingers—how could that be fatal?" Wei the Blind’s face darkened. "Our men were useless, taking two hours to inform headquarters. If I hadn’t found an old case clerk from the yamen and searched outside the city for another hour, we wouldn’t have found a clue—Scarface had already been sunk in the river."

"Three hours later, all clues are washed away. Everyone on this mission is to be punished in the Discipline Hall—let Faceless handle it—"

"No, no—Faceless Wolf is famous for cruelty. Out of a hundred, how many come out whole? You can’t blame the boys entirely. Who knew Scarface would act alone despite bringing a hundred men? And that opponent must be sharp—killed, dumped the body, destroyed the scene. Meticulous, maybe a martial arts master, otherwise how steal the roster?"

"Wait," Wei the Blind’s eye flashed, "You mean, the enemy was deliberately hiding his strength, and knew about Ah Shui and Scarface’s bond, using himself as bait to draw us in? If so, he's terrifying."

"Could it really be?" Luo Wing was startled; he’d only wanted to spare his brothers.

"And Scarface’s body had no wounds. Only an assassination fist master could do that. If Scarface’s Nine-Segment Blade and Three-Soul Palm were combined, he’d have forged the Butcher’s Strength—one of the assassination skills, able to kill without a trace. A perfect strike could leave no mark."

"So you think Old Iron Zheng might not be dead. What’s their game? That fight at the tavern—was it staged to frame the Water Dragon Gang? The key is to catch that man—" Luo Wing’s head throbbed; the enemy seemed cunning as a ghost.

"Already done. We’ve placed men on water and land, at every dock, post station, road, city gate. But keep this quiet for now—the roster and Scarface’s death, the longer we delay, the better."

"If he really is an assassination fist master, catching him will be tough," Luo Wing said earnestly. He’d seen the killing power of that martial art.

"If we can’t find the main target, maybe we can find the others," Wei the Blind suddenly smiled. "Remember, there were four bodies missing from the inn, which means two others are still alive. And we have leads. This time, you and Ah Li go together—bring them back alive!"

Luo Wing shrugged. The Water Dragon Gang’s tigers and wolves had worked together many times, and with Strong Wolf along, he could slack off. His gaze wandered and suddenly fixed on something odd—a small pocket sewn inside Scarface’s black jacket.

For that cold, eccentric Scarface to hide something close to his body—Luo Wing’s curiosity was piqued.

Just then, a gang member ran over and whispered to Wei the Blind.

"There used to be a small boat here," Wei paused. "Someone found a matching one at the river mouth, but by the time they surrounded it, it was empty."

‘Truly worthy of an assassination fist master—to vanish in the boundless sea without a trace,’ the two exchanged glances, both marveling inwardly.

"Damn, I still need to bring fresh soup to Rouge Sister!" Luo Wing suddenly remembered something, grabbed the food box, and dashed out—as if soup delivery was more important than avenging the Soul-Chasing Wolf.

……

Yet, in the eyes of these Water Dragon Gang elites, Kou Li—now transformed into a figure of terror and darkness—was at that moment hiding in a dank cave with water trickling down its walls.

Kou Li had no foresight, but he did suspect the Water Dragon Gang had the means to block all river exits. On the way, his wounds worsened, and his strength was nearly spent. Out of options, he had to abandon the boat and hide in a seaside cliff cave.

Strictly speaking, Kou Li had few external injuries—just his left rib and forearm, but both were serious. Especially his forearm, which had lost all feeling.

That was the deadliest aspect of the Nine-Segment Blade. After Soul-Chasing Wolf mastered this knife-hand technique, no one in the Water Dragon Gang dared spar with him—one slip, and it was death or disablement.

Even with broken bones or torn tendons, a good doctor might help. But once struck by the segmented blade, the acupoints were blocked, and not even the best physicians could help.

Thus, the Nine-Segment Blade was considered a form of assassination fist—not to kill, but to cripple.

Fortunately, Kou Li possessed the “Subtle Insight” ability granted by the Wordless Diagram, allowing him to observe changes within his own body.

At this moment, Kou Li had shifted from the Foundation Stance to the Cultivation Stance. His bare skin was slathered in a jade-white ointment, while his muscles and skin seemed to crawl like snakes. The ointment visibly vanished as it was absorbed.

Within his visualization, the little creek was nearly dried up, while the whirling eddies above blended into a three-yard-wide spiral vortex. The vortex reversed, pouring a steady stream of jade broth into the withered creek.

The difference between Bone Broth and the Ten-Tonic Jade Ointment lay in their application—one was ingested, the other applied externally. The former nourished the internal organs, the latter the muscles and skin. Since the ointment’s power couldn’t be fully absorbed, its effect was actually stronger—two or three times more potent than the broth for the same dosage.

Under the combined effect of the Cultivation Stance and Jade Ointment, Kou Li’s pores became countless tiny mouths, greedily absorbing the medicine and wasting not a drop in an astonishingly short time.