Chương 13: Erasing All Traces, Acquiring the Treasure

Su Zhe wrapped his head in a tattered cloth, leaving only his eyes visible. Under the cover of darkness, he crept forward. The gang led by Huang Pockmark was little more than a band of bullies who ruled over local fishermen. Their numbers, even at full strength, totaled just seven. With two already dealt with, only five remained. It didn't take long for Su Zhe to locate four of them in one of the side rooms, excluding Huang Pockmark.

The room was dimly lit by an oil lamp, and the men were idly passing time, puffing on tobacco pipes and playing dominoes.

"Man, we've got to keep watch until midnight? This is hell. I'm beat..."

"Stop complaining. The boss wants loose ends tied up, and that's that."

"Who'd have thought the boss would even get mixed up with river pirates? Hah! That poor fool, whether he saw us dealing with the pirates or not, he's dead meat just to be safe."

"Let's just get it done quickly. We don't want trouble hanging over us. You know the boss doesn't let things slide..." Their banter revealed boredom as they waited for their midnight orders to head to the fishing village. Su Zhe's brows furrowed as he listened. River pirates? So, Huang Pockmark is working with them... Huang Pockmark had always been a ruthless bully, squeezing the locals but knowing where to draw the line.

The government and the transport guilds turned a blind eye to his antics as long as he kept things manageable. Occasionally, when trouble escalated, he had enough bribes in place to smooth things over. But river pirates were another matter entirely. The infamous Black Shark Gang terrorized the region. Striking swiftly and disappearing like phantoms, their raids left villages desolate, survivors few and far between.

Even the transport guilds and government vessels weren't spared, making the Black Sharks public enemy number one. Rumor had it that the Black Sharks' leader, "Black Shark," was a warrior of extraordinary prowess, on par with the three heads of the Iron Forge Guild. Despite relentless efforts, the gang remained a scourge, their martial skills allowing them to endure and evade destruction. If Huang Pockmark is colluding with the Black Sharks, it's treason of the highest order!

Su Zhe pieced it together: Huang Pockmark had been seen meeting the pirates in the riverside reeds, prompting him to silence witnesses by any means necessary. For a moment, Su Zhe felt a grim sense of humor at his uncle's bad luck in stumbling upon such a secret. From their conversation, Su Zhe gleaned even more critical information: The transport guild and other factions had recently orchestrated a costly campaign to corner the Black Sharks.

A bloody battle followed, leaving the Black Shark leader wounded and many gang members either dead or scattered. The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Strangely, Huang Pockmark had made contact with some of the survivors, acquiring something from them in secret. Not even his closest men knew the details. Su Zhe's patience wore thin. He gripped a small stone between his fingers, flicking it with precision. Whizz!

The stone extinguished the oil lamp, plunging the room into darkness.

"What the hell?!" one of the men yelped. Su Zhe struck like a shadow in the night. Thud! Thud! Thud! Four muffled sounds later, the once-healthy men slumped to the floor like sacks of pulp. A moment later, Su Zhe emerged from the room, wiping blood off his eight-pound hammer with a scrap of cloth.

"Only one left," he muttered, heading upstairs. Huang Pockmark's lackeys, while adept at thuggery, were not true martial artists. With Su Zhe's advanced first-tier cultivation and his heavy weapon, they had stood no chance. Stealth and surprise had ensured none escaped. As Su Zhe reached the second floor, he came face-to-face with a hulking figure descending the stairs. Huang Pockmark's pockmarked face, framed by greasy hair, contorted in irritation as he muttered curses under his breath.

At his waist hung a gleaming saber.

"It's midnight, and I don't hear a peep from those lazy bastards. Do they think I'm joking? I'll gut the lot of them if they've slacked off. If they botch this job and anger the boss, they'll wish they were never born..." Both men froze as their eyes met. Huang Pockmark's scowl deepened, his gaze taking in Su Zhe's masked face and the borrowed clothes of his underlings.

"Who the hell are you?!" Before Huang could react further, Su Zhe's voice cut through the tension like a blade.

"Pockmark Huang! The Black Sharks trusted you with such a critical task, yet your carelessness has exposed everything. At your age, shouldn't you know better?" The accusation, delivered with cold authority, sent a shiver down Huang's spine. Yet his years as a hardened criminal kicked in. Narrowing his eyes, he demanded, "Who sent you? The boss? Or the Black Sharks?" Su Zhe snorted.

"Idiot! Do you recognize this?" Feigning to reach into his robe, Su Zhe suddenly lunged. Boom!

"Here's your answer!" The eight-pound hammer slammed into Huang's abdomen with the force of a rampaging ox. Huang's roar of pain filled the room as he staggered, blood spraying from his mouth. But even injured, Huang was formidable. Snarling, he drew his saber in a swift arc, its edge gleaming with deadly intent. The slash seemed to split the very air. Su Zhe's instincts screamed danger. Still, Huang's injuries slowed him, giving Su Zhe just enough time to counter.

His hammer intercepted the blade, sending sparks flying. Seizing the moment, Su Zhe unleashed a relentless barrage of strikes. His Raging Bull Hammer Technique filled the air with deafening roars as the heavy weapon battered Huang relentlessly.

"Who... are you?" Huang growled, barely holding his ground. Su Zhe didn't answer. A final, devastating blow shattered Huang's defenses, the hammer crushing his skull with a sickening crunch. Breathing heavily, Su Zhe stood over the lifeless body, blood dripping from his weapon. Searching Huang's belongings, he found nothing... until he checked inside a shoe. Hidden beneath the insole was a thin silk scroll. Unrolling it, Su Zhe's eyes widened." Inferior Treasure Technique: Dragon's Descent into the Sea?"

Even a brief glance revealed the martial arts profound intricacy, far surpassing his own hammer technique. Though incomplete, it was a treasure worth its weight in gold. Carefully stashing the scroll, Su Zhe cleaned the scene. He threw the bodies into a deep cesspit behind the house, ensuring no trace would remain. After thoroughly disguising his tracks, he plunged into the river, swimming through winding channels before returning to the village. As he reflected on his actions, Su Zhe smirked grimly.

"A cesspit that deep and foul... even the worms will struggle to leave anything behind." For the first time, Su Zhe felt the weight of a killer's path—but he was determined to tread it well.