Chapter Twenty-Four: The Iron Banner and the Songstress

“This is rather awkward,” Liang Zhi said, glancing at the dozen or so men around him and the snarling dogs. He forced a chuckle. “I’m the King of Thieves in East City. Honestly, I just came to swipe a couple packs of cigarettes.”

The guards loosened their grip. The wolfhounds lunged viciously, and the men drew their long knives.

“Nighthawk—”

“No, this one’s yours. I don’t want to get bitten by dogs,” Qiu Shilu refused.

Liang Zhi let out a sly laugh, lowered the banner from his shoulder, and swung the flagpole hard at the dogs.

Blood welts instantly appeared on the wolfhounds; two dropped dead on the spot, and the rest whimpered and fled, no longer daring to attack.

“It’s an iron banner!” Xie Zhitou’s eyes widened with admiration.

Indeed, Liang Zhi’s banner was laced with countless fine iron wires.

When the banner was swung, the Artificer’s skill caused the wires inside to connect with non-flesh targets on enemies, turning into razor-thin blades.

For the wolfhounds, the only connectable part was their collars, so every wire struck a vital spot.

With one sweep of the banner, several vicious dogs were slain, and the guards surrounding them were cowed in an instant.

Liang Zhi stepped back, and Qiu Shilu charged forward, wielding her enormous iron hammer like a windmill.

The guards, seeing the massive hammer, were terrified—if they were struck even once, it would certainly mean injury or death.

But among them, one man stood unfazed.

He was tall, with a center-parted hairstyle, gripping a wrought iron staff. Of all the guards present, he alone possessed some real skill.

Seeing Qiu Shilu’s movements, the man with the parted hair burst out laughing.

“I’ve seen many strong folks, but never someone who swings a hammer as lightly as a willow branch. With those skinny arms and legs, she can’t possibly possess natural strength. So this hammer must be fake. Let me show you how to fight—this is how you spar!”

With a flourish, he spun his staff twice in a flashy display, handling it more deftly than a monkey, his gaze provocative.

Qiu Shilu responded by swinging her hammer straight at him.

The man sneered internally: I’ll block her blow first, then strike her left leg, jab her chin…

And then, he was finished.

With a single swing, Qiu Shilu bent his iron staff and drove him deep into the ground, blood erupting from his mouth like a fountain.

Witnessing this, the guards dropped their weapons.

They were merely hired to watch over the estate—risking their lives for this was pointless.

As Qiu Shilu passed the man with the parted hair, she paused and bowed gently.

She felt a touch guilty; seeing his confidence before the fight, she thought he would be formidable, so she hit a bit harder than necessary.

Liang Zhi walked by. “That’s tragic. I bet several ribs are broken.”

Master Crow swooped over and performed a “Free Flight” on his wounds.

Little Crow was full of mischievous ideas.

Xie Zhitou shook his head with a sigh. “What a pity. He handled the staff well. With further training, he might have awakened the ‘Swordmaster’ ability. Now he’ll never get the chance.”

“Swordmaster? But he uses a staff,” Liang Zhi was puzzled.

“Swordmaster—like your Artificer—is the name of an ability. It specializes in light melee weapons: swords, knives, staffs, even nunchaku. All count as ‘Swordmaster’,” Xie Zhitou explained with a gentle smile.

Liang Zhi’s eyes lit up. “So abilities can be trained?”

If so, maybe he wouldn’t need to fulfill his last wish to gain real power.

Xie Zhitou gave him a surprised look. “Among the sixteen physical ability branches, some can indeed be acquired through training. But talent and perseverance are both essential.”

“I’m naturally gifted. If I start training now, is there still hope?” Liang Zhi asked eagerly.

Xie Zhitou laughed. “Too late. Every ability user can only develop within their own branch. You’re already a Trickster in the Connection branch—you can’t become a Physical adept.”

Liang Zhi sighed to the heavens. It seemed he would never become a mighty warrior capable of moving mountains.

With the guards no longer in their way, the three entered the building with ease.

These ordinary house guards had never posed a threat; they didn’t even have crossbows.

The real danger was the abilities users or modified humans from Peach Blossom Spring who could appear at any moment!

Xie Zhitou brought up the rear, watching Liang Zhi’s back with a complicated look in his eyes.

…

On the top floor of the wooden building was a lavish suite.

A man whose appearance somewhat resembled Fan Dai and Fan Nang, but was far older, sat at the bed’s edge with eyes closed, his feet immersed in a tub sprinkled with flower petals. On either side, scantily clad beauties massaged and washed his feet.

On the spacious, opulent bed, a beauty of indescribable allure lay sprawled.

Her arms rested on the bed’s edge, black hair cascading down her limbs, making her skin seem white as jade. She wore only a black fur coat, which could barely conceal her breathtaking figure.

“Ninth Brother, Boss Fan… Are you really content to spend your whole life in East City? Don’t you dream of seizing the power your father holds? You’re ninth in line, and without our help, you’ll never claim the family head’s seat. If you don’t want our help, we’ll go assist someone else.”

“More than that, Ling Ji, I want you,” Fan Jiu gazed at the woman, intoxicated, his lips growing moist.

Ling Ji rolled over, her loose coat failing to follow, and rested her head on the bed’s edge, looking upside down at Fan Jiu. She licked her lips.

“The way you look now doesn’t appeal to me. If you became the chief of the tobacco guild, I might reconsider.”

Fan Jiu’s aged face flushed. “I’m looking forward to that day.”

Suddenly, the bedroom door swung open and four men entered. Each bore a birthmark or a fierce scar on their faces.

These marks were from surgical modifications: only through such procedures could they become non-human.

“Boss, uh… maybe you should step outside for a moment,” the man in front, whose head was marked with a centipede-like scar, hesitated.

Fan Jiu waved dismissively. “Blood Centipede, no need to be coy. Treat Lady Ling Ji as one of us… she’ll be one of us sooner or later.”

Blood Centipede touched a spot on the wall, and a panel slid aside, revealing a screen. On it played footage of Liang Zhi and his companions defeating the guards.

“We have intruders. All three seem to be ability users: one controls plants, one possesses immense strength, and the third… I can’t figure him out.”

Fan Jiu slapped the bed’s edge. “What are you waiting for? Go kill them! Bring Qingfeng and the other two—don’t let them take any news from here with them!”