Chapter 16 – Terrifying Easterner
Snow fell unceasingly, already forming a thick layer on the surface of the roof and the ground.
The northern region of Borali City was a dock area where crooks mixed in with honest folks. It was Borali City’s most chaotic, most barbaric, most violent, and most dangerous area. In contrast, the southern region of Borali City was a long-established old business district. From silk and tea leaves from the East, tobacco and jewels from overseas, dwarves’ weapons, and elves’ works of art; every kind of fantastic thing could all be found here.
Different from the barbaric sights in the dock area, the northern region’s business district was flooded with the smell of deceit and treachery. In the dock area there was no shortage of men who dared to sacrifice themselves for the sake of their brothers, or men who pierced a knife into the rib of their own family members. Those who roamed around the business district, however, were various kinds of kidnappers, swindlers, thieves, and so on.
Part-time workers dispatched by the city hall and servants of the shops in business district were already up at dawn, working together to sweep the previous night’s snow away. Wei Ke, who was wearing black clothes, was sitting on the roof of a tall building, hiding behind three thick chimneys while squinting his eyes to observe a street far away.
According to Lin Qi’s request, Wei Ke already gathered manpower to monitor Crippled Shop, intending to discover the traces of Jiang Yong and his party of Easterners. Just recently, when Wei Ke was having breakfast, news arrived that Jiang Yong had appeared at business district alone. Moreover he was inside a silk shop inquiring about the price of various kinds of silk and satin.
By lucky coincidence,Wei Ke could see that old silk shop called ‘Hunchback Shop,’ which had hundred years of history and was located at the end of the street, from his position. The front of that shop was enormous, no less than ten times the size of other shops nearby; inside, silk from the East and various kinds of precious cloths were spread all over.
The business district’s Hunchback Shop and dock area’s Crippled Shop were equally famous, each one a major player in Borali City’s underworld. They had more than a thousand thugs and rogues under their control who were ready to be dispatched at anytime. The two competed with each other, yet also cooperated with each other, they undermined each other, yet also dealt with the onslaught of external enemies together, forming a kind of queer symbiosis relations.h.i.+p.
For instance, let’s say Crippled Shop purchased some goods from pirates at a low price, including silk, tea leaves, and other Eastern goods; they would be sold to Hunchback Shop. Hunchback Shop would also strictly adhere to the ‘dark’ rules, they would never seize the goods directly from the pirates. They both cautiously looked after their respective territory. One side’s subordinates would never rashly set foot on the other side’s territory, but at the same time when Guardian Office or an external faction targeted what they were working on, they would immediately join hands.
Cripple and Hunchback, these are two major businessmen in Borali City’s underworld, both already handed down legacies of several hundred years.
Wei Ke had eyesight good enough to inspire envy in people . His talent, which was reliable in the dark, was even more formidable during the day; His line of sight could reach many times farther than an ordinary person. What’s more, his field of view could cover a nearly 180 degrees area. All of this which made Wei Ke capable of becoming the best robber, were exceptionally good innate skills of the best a.s.sa.s.sin.
The distance from here to the Hunchback Shop was more than 300 meters, but Wei Ke could clearly see everything that was happening inside the shop.
With a black cloak wrapping around his body and barely exposing his face, Jiang Yong was inside the Hunchback Shop inquiring about the prices of various kinds of silk and satin. He would occasionally stroke the smooth and precious cloths, his face wearing a hint of a strange sneer.
Wei Ke couldn’t make sense what this strange Easterner was doing in Hunchback Shop. He came from the East, the clothes on his body were all woven from brocade of the best quality, how could he have any interest towards the Hunchback Shop’s silk? Was it possible that he was doing market research?
Just like Lin Qi, as Wei Ke was also a student of the Fifth University’s finance and accounting major, he could only use market research to describe Jiang Yong’s behavior. Maybe this Easterner was investigating the profit of a bolt of silk after being transported from the East to the West?
Squinting his eyes to look at Jiang Yong, Wei Ke swept his gaze over two pet.i.te men with ragged clothing in front of Hunchback Shop.
Those two people weren’t from the Ironfist Brotherhood, rather they were hired from the business district’s local tyrant; local ruffians who would do anything for you as long as you spent some money. Here was Hunchback’s territory, Wei Ke didn’t want to use his own manpower to monitor Jiang Yong, he only paid ten copper coins to make these two thugs watch Jiang Yong attentively.
These two thugs didn’t use much of their heads, the main force in tailing Jiang Yong was Wei Ke himself. These two rascals were merely a piece of bait Wei Ke threw out to probe Jiang Yong, hoping they could arouse his attention. Then Wei Ke could guess Jiang Yong’s true strength through his reaction.
Wei Ke knew the disposition of these local ruffians; needless to say even if he hadn’t paid them ten copper coins to monitor Jiang Yong, if they themselves came across a ‘big fat sheep’ like Jiang Yong, they absolutely wouldn’t let him go . He was looking for for something to happen later on, in the end, was Jiang Yong a ferocious beast covered in sheepskin, or a genuine ‘big fat sheep?’
Jiang Yong spent almost an hour in Hunchback Shop, on the roof Wei Ke’s hands and feet were freezing cold. With great difficulty, he noticed Jiang Yong leaving Hunchback Shop, with both of his hands behind his back, he leisurely walked allong an alley.
Possessing innate abnormal eyesight, Wei Ke observed Jiang Yong’s each and every movement.
Those two thugs didn’t let Wei Ke down, they caught up with Jiang Yong while s.h.i.+vering, following him into a small and remote alley. Then Wei Ke’s opportunity arrived , the two rascals looked at each other, pulled out a dagger and sneakily stabbed towards Jiang Yong.
Separated by a distance of more than 300 meters, Wei Ke saw the two thugs who had complacent smiles on their faces constantly closing in on Jiang Yong. That small alley was deserted, a good place for killing people and plundering money. If the strength that Jiang Yong displayed wasn’t powerful enough, Wei Ke didn’t mind helping the thugs by shooting an arrow at him.
Letting out an odd laughter, Wei Ke was just about to move stealthily and join in when he abruptly trembled from head to foot, as if a bucket of ice water was poured ondown from the top of his head. He had gooseb.u.mps all over his body, he was so scared that his hands and feet which had turned ice-cold, no longer dared to budge.
Several meters away, Jiang Yong, who was in the middle of the small alley, let out a grim laughter. His whole body was enveloped in a layer of faint purple light as hefell backwards like a mad horse, both of his elbows ruthlessly knocking against the pit of the two thugs’ stomachs.
The two thugs didn’t even have time to scream; their bodies immediately exploded, turning into countless extremely small pieces of flesh that scattered around. After scattering, their flesh rapidly formed into ice, becoming white drizzling frost that sprayed a wide area behind them.
Jiang Yong sneered in ridicule. He softly dusted off his hands, then continued walking with both of his hands behind his back as if nothing had happened.
Wei Ke’s forehead was already drenched in cold sweat.He was so scared that his whole body went soft as he pathetically sat behind a chimney.
“d.a.m.n it, this Easterner, he was a Heaven Knight!”