Immortality by Merit and Sin Coins

Chapter 8: Chapter 6: Master Fox

In stark contrast to Miss Yun’s panic, Lin Shu was far more composed.

He knew all too well how people who operated in the criminal underworld thought.

Dealing with constables required a specially prepared story, but when it came to the Black Water Gang, things were much simpler.

Strictly speaking, the theater troupe had never officially joined the gang, so its reputation wasn’t on the line.

As long as Lin Shu could prove he was more valuable than Liu San, he wouldn’t even have to explain why he killed him.

And just as he’d expected.

The young man in white showed no intention of questioning him, walking straight toward the three corpses in the courtyard.

He bent down, turning Liu the Third’s jaw back and forth as he closely inspected the five holes in the bone.

”Sister Yan, it’s an Immortal Technique—some kind of Claw Technique. Judging by the technique alone, its power is no higher than the Seventh Grade of Qi Cultivation.”

”Cleanly done. It must have been a single, fatal blow. No prolonged struggle.”

Meanwhile, the woman in the green blouse had moved to stand before Lin Shu.

Her features were exquisite. Even with her stern expression, from Lin Shu’s point of view, she was an undeniable, fair-skinned beauty.

Now, the woman silently leaned in close.

She gently sniffed at Lin Shu’s earlobe, then his shoulder. The tip of her nose slowly drifted down, stopping over his heart.

They were so close the gesture seemed intimate.

But Lin Shu’s eye twitched.

With his senses enhanced by the Fog enveloping his body, he detected an incredibly dangerous aura emanating from her.

This wasn’t something a few cheap tricks could overcome.

...

Yan Jin raised a hand and parted his white fur cloak.

She extended her fingertips, reaching for the gaping, grisly wound on his chest.

Just as she did, a hand with long fingers gently closed around her slender wrist.

Yan Jin wasn’t one for words when blocked. She casually applied pressure, intending to push forward with her examination.

But to her surprise, her fingertips didn’t move an inch.

”Hm?”

Even though Yan Jin had only channeled a sliver of Spiritual Power, it wasn’t something an ordinary person could block.

She looked up at him, her brow furrowed. ”You don’t want to be touched?”

A dangerous glint flickered in her eyes.

Even the constables from before hadn’t dared to meet her gaze for long, let alone an ordinary person.

Lin Shu lowered his gaze slightly. There wasn’t a hint of fear in his expression—only a trace of wry amusement. ”Am I allowed to touch you?”

He was more than willing to demonstrate his value to the pair, if only to make sure Master Liu San’s silver hadn’t been spent in vain.

That willingness, however, did not extend to revealing the phantom of the White Wolf in his chest—the very thing his life depended on.

”No.”

After a moment’s silence, Yan Jin slowly stood up straight.

She could feel the man’s resolve in the firm grip of his right hand.

The young man before her hadn’t said much.

But in his seemingly cynical gaze, she could sense a ferocity, a readiness to fight to the death at a moment’s notice.

’This runs counter to my purpose here, so I’ll let it go.’

With that thought, Yan Jin casually retracted her hand.

”You can call me Bai Feng. We’re all on the same side now.”

The young man in white had finished examining the bodies. He sauntered over, a smile reappearing on his otherwise impassive face.

”Sister Yan, what’s the verdict?”

”He hasn’t practiced any Inner Technique,” Yan Jin said coolly. ”He’s merely been touched by the aura of an Immortal Family. Once the Spiritual Power he’s absorbed is gone, he’ll be finished.”

”I see.” Bai Feng clicked his tongue. Looking at Lin Shu again, his smile thinned. ”Then he can only be one of the Foxes.”

The Black Water Gang had four major halls. Both Martial Artists with Innate Talent and Cultivators who had mastered an Inner Technique were qualified to enter the Wolf Hall.

Once their Cultivation reached a certain level, they would be bestowed a wolf’s name, transforming from a cub into a true Fierce Wolf.

It wasn’t unheard of for someone to stumble upon Immortal Relics by chance, but without sufficient fortune, they might only grasp a few simple moves. Once the Spiritual Power they’d absorbed from the relic was depleted, they’d fade back into obscurity.

The Black Water Gang didn’t let such people go to waste; after all, they were useful for a time, however brief.

”Fine. There’s an opening in Cyan Willow Lane. I’ll have someone take you there later.”

After hearing Yan Jin’s assessment, Bai Feng had clearly lost interest.

He waved his hand dismissively. ”If you run into any trouble, go to Sister Yan. I have other matters to attend to, so I’ll be going.”

Before the words were even out of his mouth, Bai Feng had already pushed open the courtyard gate and made his escape.

...

The corner of Yan Jin’s eye twitched, a hint of annoyance flashing across her face.

But she wasn’t a woman of many words. She gave Lin Shu a passing glance and strode away in silence.

Three men had died in the city, but to the Black Water Gang, it was apparently no great matter.

It was a problem solved with a single word, something even the Government couldn’t interfere with.

By the time the two of them left, they hadn’t even asked for Lin Shu’s name, much less his opinion on the matter.

The courtyard fell silent once more.

Miss Yun let out a sudden gasp as her strength gave out. Her body went limp, and she had to clutch Lin Shu’s arm with both hands to keep from collapsing.

She swallowed hard, staring at the young man’s side profile in disbelief.

’He actually dared to grab the wrist of a Fierce Wolf!’

What shocked Miss Yun even more was that the she-wolf, against all expectation, hadn’t flown into a rage. Instead, she had yielded.

”Help me get another change of clothes.”

For once, Lin Shu dropped his usual casual air, calmly gazing at his own right hand.

’This place truly is home to Immortals. You can’t judge a person’s true depth by their appearance alone.’

’It wasn’t that the woman, Yan, lacked the power to press on.’

’It just wasn’t necessary for her.’

’They were here to recruit men for the Black Water Gang.’

’Yan Jin had clearly seen through him; she knew the Fog couldn’t be replenished.’

’If she had pushed harder and used up his power, the Black Water Gang would only have lost a potential enforcer.’

’At least I have an identity now.’

Lin Shu clenched his fist and smiled.

He was a pragmatic man, able to take things as they came.

Judging by the constable’s earlier attitude, he knew that wearing the ”skin” of the Black Water Gang would give him far more room to operate in the future.

Having successfully made a connection with the Black Water Gang, Lin Shu was now even more interested in this city.

’It’s just that... if I remember correctly, before Liu San died, he mentioned selling the widow to Cyan Willow Lane... which sounded like a Brothel.’

A strange expression flickered in Lin Shu’s eyes.

’Watching over a Brothel... doesn’t that make me a pimp?’

’No, a pimp just manages the clients. I’ll be doing an enforcer’s job. ’Security manager’ sounds more fitting.’

...

「In the dilapidated courtyard.」

Lin Shu had changed into a black shirt.

The young widow’s late husband had been about his size. The clothes were a passable fit and reasonably comfortable, though washed-out and faded.

”Sir...”

Miss Yun pursed her lips, wanting to say something, but in the end, she just let out a soft sigh.

She felt that while her benefactor’s words and actions were a bit odd, he wasn’t a bad person. He shouldn’t be getting involved with the Black Water Gang.

But for the common folk of the city, Cunning Fox Hall was an entity far beyond their reach.

Even if you secretly wished you could slice them into a thousand pieces, if you actually ran into one, you had to obediently call them ”Master Fox.”

’This is a step up for him. I should be congratulating him, not ruining the mood.’

...

Lin Shu sat on a bamboo chair, his eyes closed in meditation. As he waited for someone from Cyan Willow Lane to arrive, he focused on familiarizing himself with the Immortal Technique in his mind.

However, the first to arrive in the courtyard was a lame man.

A grimy old face appeared in the crack of the gate. He peeked cautiously inside until he spotted a familiar face.

”You... you’re not dead!”

The old lame man cried out in excitement, hopping into the courtyard on his crutch.

He immediately started patting Lin Shu all over, squeezing his arms and shaking his legs. ”Your arms are still here! Your legs, too!”

Seeing this, Miss Yun froze for a second, her heart tightening instinctively.

’Lin Shu had refused the touch of even that Fierce Wolf, so what would he do with an old beggar?’

But to her surprise...

Lin Shu sat there quietly, showing no sign of anger, and simply let the old man’s spittle fly.

Only after the lame man had calmed down a bit did Lin Shu ask, ”What are you doing here?”

”I... I...”

Old Yang froze.

He could have used this as a chance to brag about his loyalty, but after a moment’s hesitation, he just scratched awkwardly at his messy, nest-like hair.

”Wang Xu is dead. They went to report it to the Black Water Gang. I was scared for my life, so I had to slip away.”

”I didn’t know where to go after I got out. I figured, since we knew each other, I should at least come and give you a proper burial...”

It was customary for the bodies of vagrants from the South Suburbs who died in the West City to be left to rot in the wilds if they went unclaimed.

The old lame man really hadn’t dared to do anything else; this was the only thing he could think of.

”Oh, thank you so much for wishing me well,” Lin Shu said, rolling his eyes.

”Heh... heh...” Old Yang gave a self-deprecating laugh.

Then, finally realizing something was off, he glanced at the three familiar corpses in the courtyard and couldn’t help but swallow hard.

’Liu San and the Ma Brothers were all dead!’

’That means the rumors I heard from the neighbors were true—the Black Water Gang has a new Master Fox!’

”As long as you’re okay, that’s all that matters. All that matters.”

Old Yang scrambled to his feet, flustered, and carefully tried to wipe a spot he’d smudged on the other man’s shoulder. ”You’re a busy man, I’ll... I’ll be going now.”

He stumbled to pick up his crutch.

His long, hard years with the theater troupe had taught Old Yang all about the rigid hierarchy of Black Water City, and he dared not hope for anything more.

A small, thin figure outside the courtyard watched this scene with curiosity before bowing and scraping to Lin Shu. ”Master Fox,” he said respectfully, ”Little Liuzi is here to escort you to the handover.”

The man from Cyan Willow Lane had arrived.

Lin Shu rose slowly. He wasn’t in a hurry to leave. Instead, he stopped the old lame man. ”Have you figured out where you’re going?”

The theater troupe was gone, and their old courtyard in the South Suburbs would soon be occupied by someone else.

”Ah? I... I haven’t,” Old Yang said sheepishly.

Lin Shu nodded to the attendant outside, then stepped through the gate. ”Then come on,” he said casually.

Hearing this, Old Yang froze.

It took him a long moment to understand what the other man meant.

’He... he’s taking me with him?!’