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Chapter 13: The Seasoned Recluse, Waiting for the Rabbit
Chapter 13: The Seasoned Recluse, Waiting for the Rabbit
Outside Lin Family Fortress, hurried footsteps echoed as a group approached.
"Boss, you're here."
Two Medicine Gang members crouched in the bushes rose immediately upon seeing the hawk-nosed leader.
The man narrowed his eyes. "Where's that kid now?"
"According to our intel, someone saw him enter Lin Family Fortress earlier. He hasn't come out yet."
"What about our inside contact?"
"No word yet."
As he finished speaking, a white dove swooped down.
"It's here!"
The hawk-nosed man caught the bird mid-air, retrieved the message from its leg, and scanned the note. His expression hardened.
"Suspect Iron Ox exited Lin Family Fortress fifteen minutes ago!"
The two men guarding the perimeter protested, "That's impossible! We've been watching nonstop—no one left!"
The leader scoffed, "Why wouldn't he? He obviously slipped out another way."
The subordinates fell silent, wisely keeping their heads down.
The hawk-nosed man's gaze darkened. "Iron Ox... I'll catch you yet."
Meanwhile, Su Chen had shaken off his pursuers and returned to White Stone City. After leaving Misty Rain Pavilion, he'd deliberately lingered inside Lin Family Fortress before slipping away during the midday crowd. Choosing a back alley route proved wise—he'd successfully ditched his tail.
"I'd sooner believe Qin Shi Huang will rise from the dead and Venmo me fifty bucks than trust Lin Family Fortress not to leak secrets!" Su Chen muttered, finally relaxing within White Stone City's walls.
His inexperience nearly got him exposed. Rushing to earn coin had been reckless. Fortunately, he'd noticed the betrayal in time. Had he delayed, Lin Family Fortress might've stabbed him in the back.
"From now on, I need to be more careful earning money. Lin Family Fortress is off the trusted list."
Back home, he tallied his earnings: roughly fifty taels of gold and silver after three exhausting days. Not quite a hundred, but decent enough. He deserved a treat.
At a nearby tavern, Su Chen ordered a feast for himself. No worries about leftovers—his appetite now matched three grown men's. After paying generously and receiving the waiter's respectful bow, he strolled out.
By afternoon, he returned home and slept until dawn. When he finally awoke, sunlight blazed through the window.
After his morning routine, he retrieved the bamboo tube from Lin Family Fortress containing Liu Tong's message: "Liujiavillage, House 56. Burn after reading."
He snorted at the dramatic instructions before tearing the note into confetti.
To go or not?
After deliberation, he decided: First, verify if this lead's genuine.
Liujiavillage, though called a "manor", functioned more like a village. Over a hundred households scattered chaotically across the area.
Knock knock knock.
"Master Tong, your meal's here!" A pigtailed child tapped at a weathered wooden door.
The door creaked open, revealing a warm smile. Liu Tong accepted the food, handing the boy a candy.
"Thanks, Master Tong!" the child beamed.
As the boy turned to leave, Liu Tong asked, "Er Niu, seen any strangers lately?"
Er Niu scratched their head. "Not that I remember."
"Alright then. Head home."
After the child left, Liu Tong scanned the area before closing the door.
From a nearby tree, Su Chen withdrew his gaze.
If not for the City Authorities' wanted list, who'd believe this gentle soul's a ruthless killer?
Su Chen had confirmed Lin Family Fortress's intel three days prior. Now, he'd spent three days surveilling Liu Tong—only to discover a shocking truth: Liu Tong was a full-time hermit.
Day or night, the man rarely left his courtyard, practicing martial arts incessantly. When he did venture out, it was only for trash disposal. Meals? Delivered by Er Niu.
Without prior verification, Su Chen would've never connected this reclusive figure to the wanted murderer.
As dusk fell, Su Chen munched on dried meat. Below, villagers returned home, smoke curling from chimneys.
He waited.
Three hours later, Liu Tong emerged to practice his Crescent Blade Art. After finishing, he washed up and returned indoors.
Su Chen remained patient, dozing intermittently. When the candle inside Liu Tong's room extinguished, Su Chen's eyes snapped open. He leapt silently from the branch, landing like a feather.
Liu Tong's courtyard sat on the village outskirts—secluded, with no neighbors nearby. A perfect setup for Su Chen's plan.
Scaling the wall, he entered the courtyard. Moving cautiously, he retrieved a vial of Dreamdust—a knockout powder he'd taken from Qian Huan.
Even a Lianli Perfection cultivator wouldn't resist this dosage.
He waited five minutes, timing the drug's effect. When snores echoed from within, he peered through the window.
Liu Tong lay sprawled on the bed, blade clutched tightly in hand.
Thud!
Su Chen landed inside, eyes narrowing.
Something's off.
The blade grip—why would an unconscious man hold his weapon so firmly?
"Playing possum?" Su Chen murmured, testing.
As if on cue, Liu Tong's eyes flew open.
(End of Chapter)
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