Chương 45: Erasing the Traces

Yellow Leaf Town, East District. In a wealthy neighborhood, within a spacious courtyard residence, Song Que's group was curiously inspecting their new surroundings. This residence had been found with Wu Yi's help. The owner resided permanently in the county city, so he agreed to rent it out to them for a month. The price wasn't cheap—a full ten taels of silver! This was the central district of the town.

Both the Black Tiger Gang and the Iron Blade Society had their headquarters here, which made it incredibly convenient for Song Que. He was very satisfied with the location; the money was a trivial matter. Arriving in his new territory, Wolf King Husky immediately ran around marking his territory with urine, earning a look of utter disgust from Princess Mengmeng. The group laughed and chatted as they explored and unpacked their belongings.

A short while later, someone delivered a catered banquet, and everyone sat down in the garden to eat and drink.

"I have a few jars of this wine treasured at home; I rarely dare to drink them. Having you here today, A'Que, means I get the fortune of drinking my fill!" Wu Yi sighed emotionally. Beside him, Zhong Hong nodded in deep agreement. Song Que smiled. To satisfy these two alcoholics, he'd have to sit around distilling wine all day! His heart was willing, but his strength was lacking; at least for now, mass production was impossible.

"This wine is difficult to brew. This little brother truly only had those few jars." Fine wine is naturally rare and precious. The two men believed this without a doubt and merely sighed in regret.

"Brother Hong, have you found a tutor for me yet?"

"Don't worry, it's already done! He'll be at your beck and call every day. Seven taels a month! A whole bunch of people fought over the job!"

"A'Que, you still haven't learned to read?" Wu Yi asked curiously. This kid handled things so methodically and clearly, he thought Song Que was educated.

"Brother Yi, please don't laugh. The village is poor, and there's no one who knows how to read. So right now, I'm still illiterate."

"Mm, it's good to study. Knowing how to read is very important! In the future, if you find a martial arts manual but can't read it, you'll be stumbling in the dark."

"Haha, exactly! That's why I need to take this opportunity to make up for my lack of education!"

"Mm. If you encounter any difficulties in town, just come find me. Even if there's something you don't understand about martial arts, don't hesitate to ask."

"Rest assured, Brother Yi, I absolutely won't stand on ceremony!" Having eaten and drunk their fill, the group temporarily parted ways. After arranging for Zhong Hong to take Li Xin for a tour around the town in the afternoon, Song Que returned to his room to rest. This afternoon, he wanted some quiet time to carefully observe Yellow Leaf Town and plan his study schedule. That's right, study! Can acquiring knowledge really be called stealing? It's just mutual research and collective progress!...

As soon as the afternoon arrived, the kid A'Xin, unable to wait any longer, grabbed five taels of silver and bolted out the door with Zhong Hong's gang of fair-weather friends. Song Que ignored him. He ordered a meal in advance and began plotting his grand scheme. Roast chicken and fresh eggs for Mengmeng, roasted pork legs for Husky. These two little ancestors had only been in town for one day, and after just one meal, they already knew how to order from the menu! They were enjoying life to the fullest.

Only Lightning was reliable! Diligent, highly useful, and capable of hunting for its own food! It saved him so much worry! Looking at the goofy wolf wagging its tail and Mengmeng executing her Ultimate Skill: Acting Cute, Song Que shook his head and sighed. Satisfying their demands and giving Xiong Ba a few instructions, Song Que lay down on a lounger, closed his eyes, and began to scheme. Lightning soared continuously through the sky.

Every street, alley, residential area, and market in Yellow Leaf Town fell perfectly into Song Que's field of vision. The Black Tiger Gang, the Iron Blade Society, and the Military Armory were all in the same district as him, not too far away. The Axe Gang, however, was isolated in the North District, making it somewhat inconvenient. Stolen novel; please report. After careful consideration, Song Que temporarily confirmed his target. The first choice was undoubtedly Feng Han of the Black Tiger Gang!

Who told Feng Han to be widely recognized as the number one expert in Yellow Leaf Town? Moreover, the Black Tiger Gang had a deep 'affinity' with Song Que. From his poorest days until now, hadn't the Black Tiger Gang continuously 'delivered charcoal in the snow'? Even if it meant shedding their own blood, they assisted him without complaint or regret! Song Que was a man who remembered old ties! Whatever he did, he had to consider personal relationships and prioritize them!

Therefore, the first choice was naturally him. But before that, he had one more thing to take care of.... The Zhao Family Trading Firm. Shopkeeper Zhao felt restless today. To be precise, for the past half-month, his mind had been in a constant state of panic. The reason was clear to him: he faintly understood the mystery behind the death of the Black Tiger Gang Leader's second disciple, Ou Tiande. Originally, when Master Ou died, he didn't care much.

But when he heard that two Ou family disciples he knew were among the victims, he was struck with terror! He still remembered clearly when his distant relative, the Village Chief, came to ask him for an introduction to hire killers! Those two Ou family disciples were the exact people he had connected them with so the two parties could meet! Filled with anxiety, Shopkeeper Zhao was about to find his distant relative to ask for clarification when he received a bolt from the blue: the Zhao family was gone!

The father and son were both dead! Silencing witnesses! Thinking of this possibility, cold sweat drenched Shopkeeper Zhao. He had no mind to do anything else. All day long, he lived in fear, unable to eat or sleep properly. He considered reporting this to the Black Tiger Gang, but he didn't know the full details, and now there was no one left to cross-examine. Furthermore, if the matter was confirmed, he would be considered an indirect cause of the deaths of those grandmasters!

His own ending wouldn't be pretty either! Thinking of this, he decided to keep the secret, secretly praying the culprit wouldn't trace it back to him. A few days passed in constant fear. His hair turning significantly whiter, Shopkeeper Zhao finally began to relax. Today, he felt particularly anxious. Attributing it to fatigue from losing sleep yesterday, Shopkeeper Zhao decided to go to bed early.

Not long after the lights went out, Shopkeeper Zhao fell into a deep sleep, his breathing steady, as if he had finally let go of his worries. At this moment, a centipede crawled in through the crack under the door. The centipede was entirely crimson, an inch long, and as thin as a leaf. If someone knowledgeable about venomous creatures were here, they would immediately recognize the infamous Blood Dream Centipede! The venom of this centipede was lethal. But it wasn't as violently rapid as other species.

If the victim discovered it in time, it was easily curable. If that were all, its infamy wouldn't be so great. What made people terrified of this creature was that it specialized in attacking while its prey was fast asleep! Its bite was so light it was almost imperceptible. The victim would slowly absorb the toxins until death, passing away as peacefully as if in a deep dream. Because of this, those who spent the night in the wilderness were absolutely terrified of this creature.

This creature shouldn't have appeared here, but the reality was, it was here. Because it was being symbiotically controlled by Song Que. Regarding Shopkeeper Zhao, after careful consideration, Song Que decided not to spare him. First, naturally, was to keep the secret. Although Song Que wasn't afraid of Feng Han, avoiding conflict was definitely for the best. He also worried about bringing disaster to those around him. Second, this man helped hire killers. That alone proved he wasn't exactly a kind-hearted soul.

Dying wasn't an injustice for him. Most importantly, he offended Grandee! And Grandee held grudges! Song Que controlled the Blood Dream Centipede to crawl into the room. After assessing the area, it climbed onto Shopkeeper Zhao's bed, delivered a light bite to his carotid artery, and then turned and crawled out of the room, not stirring up a single speck of dust. Shopkeeper Zhao, sleeping soundly, only vaguely felt like he had been bitten by a mosquito. Annoyed, he rolled over and sank back into his sweet dreams.

It wasn't until the next morning, when the servants didn't see him emerge and entered his room to check, that they found his body completely cold. A relieved smile still hung on his lips. The secrets hidden in his heart were sealed forever, taken with him to the grave. Grandee acted as if he had merely swatted a fly. The court of his conscience held a trial for exactly three seconds before tossing the matter to the back of his mind. Following that, he got into bed and went to sleep.

One could only sigh at humanity's limitless ability to adapt to its environment. Early morning. Song Que, Li Xin, and Xiong Ba maintained their habit of waking up early to practice martial arts. After running through the routines a few times, their bodies warmed up, and their spirits became much sharper and invigorated. But Song Que's mind was currently split in two. Through a Split Soul symbiotically attached to a honeybee, he was simultaneously observing another scene.... The Black Tiger Gang.

As the leader of a gang, Feng Han could enjoy wealth and women to his heart's content. But he wasn't wholly consumed by it; he never forgot that his foundation lay in his martial prowess. Therefore, every morning, he diligently trained his body. In the courtyard, Feng Han assumed a stance, his expression stern, and began his routine. Black Tiger Descends the Mountain, Twin Tigers Prowl, Fierce Tiger Leaves the Mountain, Crouching Tiger Hides in the Forest...

various ferocious moves were executed continuously, his aura as majestic as the king of the beasts manifesting in the flesh. He had no idea that on a nearby tree branch, a honeybee rested motionlessly. Not seeking nectar, it watched him intently. A Domain spread out like a magnetic field, meticulously capturing his every movement. A transmigrator's clichés are too deep! Old Feng couldn't possibly defend against this!...

In his own courtyard, Song Que split his focus, observing while simultaneously mimicking the movements. His actions were 80% or 90% identical. From start to finish, the entire fist routine took about thirty minutes. As Feng Han concluded his practice, Song Que also stopped. Feeling it carefully, he still felt something was missing. Compared to Feng Han, the movements were identical, but the imposing aura was far inferior, and his strikes didn't produce the deep, roaring sound like a tiger's growl.

As for the effects, he hadn't noticed any yet. It seems stealing martial arts isn't as simple as just peeking at the moves. I thought about this too simply. Song Que sighed inwardly but wasn't too disappointed. Hardship was expected; he was mentally prepared for it. Comrade Feng Han was now receiving special VIP treatment: a 24/7 honeybee bodyguard/surveillance detail! Song Que wasn't worried he wouldn't manage to pry something out.

It's spring, flowers are blooming, and honeybees are the one thing we absolutely don't lack!